The Route 66 Rail Haven Motel of Springfield, Mo., now an independently owned part of the Best Western chain, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places effective May 10, according to an e-mail today from the National Park Service. The motel, at 210 S. Glenstone Ave., contains 93 rooms and has served travelers … Continue reading Rail Haven Motel listed to National Register
Category: Motels
Topock Marina will be replaced this fall
The Topock Marina on Old Route 66 in Topock, Ariz., will be replaced with a $14 million, 102-room hotel, spa, nightclub, microbrewery, restaurant, and conference center starting this fall, owner Chet Hitt told the Mojave Daily News. Based on the new website, it will be rechristened as Topock 66 Spa & Resort. Hitt plans to make … Continue reading Topock Marina will be replaced this fall
Two vintage Albuquerque motels will find new life
The Luna Lodge and the Sundowner Motel along Central Avenue (aka Route 66) in Albuquerque are going to be renovated in the coming months and converted into apartment complexes, according to the Albuquerque Journal. According to the newspaper: The Sundowner Motel at 6101 Central NE, just west of San Pedro, would be transformed into a … Continue reading Two vintage Albuquerque motels will find new life
Notes from the road
Richard Talley of the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., says a lot has been happening in his town lately. Here's what he said by e-mail (with some minor editing): Here's a shot of the new AutoPros auto care center across the street from us on Route 66 (used to be Tucumcari Tire Co., closed for years). … Continue reading Notes from the road
Book review: “Appetite for America”
The last of the Harvey Houses closed more than 40 years ago, and they barely register a blip in the current public consciousness. But author Stephen Fried makes a compelling case in "Appetite for America" (Bantam, 544 pages, $27) that Fred Harvey and his restaurants and resorts made an impact on tourism, dining and the hospitality … Continue reading Book review: “Appetite for America”
Wagon Wheel Motel is now on Facebook
The new owner of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo., has set up a Facebook page for that historic Route 66 motel. From a news release from Viva Cuba: According to the new owner Connie Echols, “The Facebook page offers a little history, some construction updates, and information about what the gift shop has … Continue reading Wagon Wheel Motel is now on Facebook
Cruising with Link Wray
Here's a slide show of motel-sign images, accompanied by Link Wray's version of "Begin the Beguine." Not all of the signs are on Route 66, but the signs are cool anyway.
Notes from the road
The neon sign of the historic Tower Theater in Oklahoma City will be relighted during a ceremony Friday evening. The theater, at 425 NW 23rd St. in Oklahoma City, will see its restored neon blazing away again at 6:30 p.m. that day after decades in the dark. Here's more about the theater, according to records … Continue reading Notes from the road
Honest, it’s the biggest
The gigantic covered wagon in front of the Best Western Lincoln Inn in Lincoln, Ill., that features an equally large figure of Abraham Lincoln in the driver's seat was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, said Geoff Ladd of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau on Friday. According to the Lincoln Daily News: Paresh … Continue reading Honest, it’s the biggest
Book review: “Route 66 in New Mexico”
Joe Sonderman is primarily known for two things -- as a radio announcer in the St. Louis area, and as a huge collector of Route 66 postcards. But while reading his latest book, "Route 66 in New Mexico" (soft cover, 128 pages, Arcadia Publishing, $21.99), it occurred to me that Sonderman may have met his … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 in New Mexico”