The historic El Rancho Motel on Route 66 in Barstow, Calif., caught fire late Friday night, reports the town's Desert Dispatch. There were no injuries to residents, although a firefighter suffered an ankle injury. The extent of the damage to the motel remains a bit sketchy. However, the Dispatch's report indicates the roof collapsed on … Continue reading El Rancho Motel in Barstow catches fire
Category: Motels
Mark your calendars
A work day has been set to help owner Alan McNeil rehab the long-shuttered Triangle Motel in Amarillo, Texas. The work day is Saturday, Aug. 19, with work beginning between 7 and 7:30 a.m. You'll not only be doing a good deed, but you'll be able to see a historic property up close. The motel … Continue reading Mark your calendars
Triangle Motel update
The folks who are restoring the Triangle Motel on old Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, hope to have electricity restored to the long-closed motel by the weekend. After that, new owner Alan McNeil and volunteers should be able to remove the rest of the contents from the rooms that were previously used for storage. McNeil … Continue reading Triangle Motel update
Apache Motel in Tucumcari being rehabbed
The Apache Motel, a closed and declining motel on Route 66 in Tucumcari, N.M., recently was purchased by an Oklahoma group and is being rehabbed, according to someone I talked to at Truesdell Real Estate. The Apache, which had the rock-bottom price of $59,500, had been under contract for several weeks. One Route 66 News … Continue reading Apache Motel in Tucumcari being rehabbed
A closer look at Springfield, Ill.
The New York Times travel section has an excellent article about tourism opportunities in Springfield, Ill., including the many Abraham Lincoln sites and places to get your kicks on ol' 66. I lived near Springfield for much of my life, and Times writer Ann N. Morrison found places that were so obscure that even I … Continue reading A closer look at Springfield, Ill.
Triangle Motel Web site is up
Alan McNeil, the man who seeks to restore the long-closed Triangle Motel at 7954 Amarillo Blvd., aka Route 66, in Amarillo, Texas, recently put up his Web site about his renovation efforts for the 1940s motel. You can find the site here. I held some initial skepticism about McNeil's ability or will to restore it. … Continue reading Triangle Motel Web site is up
Property for sale update
While checking a few things with my "Route 66 Properties for Sale" link, I saw the following things have occurred: The Apache Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., is under contract. It was in bad shape, as its for-sale price of $59,000 attests. Hopefully, the buyer can do something with it. The price on the historic Palomino … Continue reading Property for sale update
His favorite places
Gary A. Warner of the Orange County Register has traveled to all 50 states. He listed his favorite memory in each state. Two of them are on Route 66. Here are the two: Arizona: Meteor Crater, Winslow. When worlds collide. Luckily this one was a lot smaller than ours. The lack of water in the … Continue reading His favorite places
A patriot act
Red Fork Hippy Chick says there's something you can do for the betterment of Route 66 and America during the Fourth of July weekend. Go read what she has to say.
Help the Horn Oil Co.
The Albuquerque Journal on Tuesday kinda sorta came out against the preservation of the circa-1947 Horn Oil Co., which is slated to be bulldozed for multi-use infill but the decision is being appealed. (For more on the background of the Horn Oil Co. fight, read last week's Journal story here.) First, the editorial -- which … Continue reading Help the Horn Oil Co.