This song by Gentlemen's Blues Club and its video footage take place at the historic Aztec Hotel on Route 66 in Monrovia, Calif. (Hat tip: Denny Gibson.)
Category: Motels
Trainspotting at La Posada
Railroad buff Karl Zimmermann of the Los Angeles Times has written an excellent story about La Posada in Winslow, Ariz., along with the attached Turquoise Room restaurant. The article makes you want to jump in the car and stay for a weekend there.
Owner of Wagon Wheel Motel dies
Harold E. Armstrong, longtime co-owner of the historic Wagon Wheel Motel on old Route 66 in Cuba, Mo., died Saturday at age 81, according to Britton Funeral Home in Cuba. Armstrong and his wife of 20 years, Pauline, owned the motel that's best-known for its distinctive stone cabins, neon sign and its $17-a-night rooms. Pauline … Continue reading Owner of Wagon Wheel Motel dies
Converting a skeptic
David Landsel of the New York Post wasn't planning on driving Route 66 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff, Ariz., and had regarded driving the old road as "unnecessary and hardship." But he did, and is now kicking himself for not spending more time in Gallup, N.M., and eating at (and staying overnight) at La Posada in … Continue reading Converting a skeptic
Notes from the Preservation Conference
I attended a couple of Route 66-related seminars and took a stroll in the exhibition hall on Wednesday during the National Preservation Conference at the Tulsa Convention Center in Tulsa. Here are a few news items that should be of interest to roadies: -- I ran into Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurants … Continue reading Notes from the Preservation Conference
Fire damages Alpine Haus hotel
The distinctive Alpine Haus hotel on old Route 66 in St. Robert, Mo., was damaged by fire Saturday, reported the Waynesville Daily Guide. No one was injured -- probably because a nearby trailer park resident saw the flames, knocked on doors at the hotel and roused the sleeping residents who fled to safety. No one … Continue reading Fire damages Alpine Haus hotel
City may buy Bel-Aire Motel as tourism stop
The city of Springfield, Ill., is in discussions with the state for funding to buy the Bel-Aire Motel so it can be converted into a Route 66 Discovery Center, reports the Journal-Register. The motel is still operating, but it's now a haven of criminal activity. But both Mayor Tim Davlin and supporters of a statewide, … Continue reading City may buy Bel-Aire Motel as tourism stop
Route 66 Corridor Program grant recipients announced
Here's the list of recipients of 2008 cost-share grants from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program: The Mill Restaurant rehabilitation, Lincoln, Ill., $10,000 from the National Park Service, $28,000 match Donut Drive-In, St. Louis, neon sign restoration, $9,875 NPS, $10,925 match Devil's Elbow Bridge, Devil's Elbow, Mo., emergency stabilization, $8,000 NPS, $22,000 match Front Street … Continue reading Route 66 Corridor Program grant recipients announced
Notes from the road
Actor Paul Newman, who voiced Doc Hudson in the 2006 Disney-Pixar movie "Cars," died over the weekend. I wanted to contact Route 66 author Michael Wallis, who played the Sheriff and served as a technical adviser in the film, about it but was out of town. Wallis confirmed to me Tuesday that he indeed had … Continue reading Notes from the road
Another sign gone
I heard Wednesday morning that the old neon sign for the Gateway Motor Inn, aka the Gateway Motor Hotel, along Oklahoma 66 halfway between Tulsa and Sapulpa, Okla., was down. I checked it out. There is was -- flat on the parking lot, surrounded by road cones and shards of broken neon tubing. It was … Continue reading Another sign gone