Ed Boles with the City of Albuquerque today said the recommendation to designate El Vado Motel on Route 66 a city landmark will be introduced at the next council meeting Jan. 18 and the council will vote on it Feb. 6. You can use this handy contact form to let the councilors know you want … Continue reading Council will decide on El Vado on Feb. 6
Category: Motels
Time to help El Vado again
The Albuquerque City Council is set to hear the recommendation from the Landmarks Commission to designate the endangered El Vado Motel on Route 66 as a city landmark. When that will be, I'm not sure. The next council meeting is Jan. 18. The agenda won't be set until Friday. That leaves little time for people … Continue reading Time to help El Vado again
Notes from the El Vado hearing
I acquired a draft of the minutes from the City of Albuquerque Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission's Dec. 14 meeting regarding an application to recommend El Vado Motel as a city landmark. The commission approved the application by a 5-0 vote, and the measure goes to the city council in January. The minutes include verbatum … Continue reading Notes from the El Vado hearing
Pain Walker gives thumbs-up to Trade Winds Inn
Dennis Kinch, the Route 66 walker who's raising publicity for the National Pain Foundation, is staying at the Trade Winds Inn in Clinton, Okla., until he resumes his journey. This is the motel that's famed for its Elvis Room -- the room where Elvis Presley slept during cross-country road trips from Memphis to Hollywood or … Continue reading Pain Walker gives thumbs-up to Trade Winds Inn
Route 66ers refute El Vado owner’s statements
The Albuquerque Journal published a story today about El Vado Motel's supporters. The Journal is subscription-only, but I'm going to excerpt the good parts: "Believe me, I know of no one traveling from Chicago, New York, France or Germany that will spend the night in the El Vado Motel." That's what Richard L. Gonzales, the … Continue reading Route 66ers refute El Vado owner’s statements
Tucumcari motor lodge declared a landmark
The mostly shuttered Cactus Motor Lodge on Route 66 in Tucumcari was voted to the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties, according to a Quay County Sun report. The place had a long history as a gambling haven as well as a place for travelers to sleep. Here's an image of a vintage postcard of … Continue reading Tucumcari motor lodge declared a landmark
Former El Vado Motel owner dies
I received word Monday from Michael Taylor, director for the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, that Shiraz "Sam" Kassam, 67, the recent former owner of El Vado Motel in Albuquerque, died of a stroke last week. Taylor forwarded the news from an e-mail by Ed Boles of the City of Albuquerque. It contained this interesting … Continue reading Former El Vado Motel owner dies
Gallop to Gallup
The Salt Lake Tribune has two features in its weekend travel section about the Route 66 town of Gallup, N.M., with emphasis on the El Rancho Hotel, Red Rock State Park, the High Desert Trail System, Mentmore Rock Climbing Area and Earl's Restaurant.
See? El Vado wasn’t in that bad of shape after all
A report by the Albuquerque Tribune about the Landmarks Commission recommending that El Vado Motel be designated as a landmark was published this afternoon. I won't repeat it here, since most of the basic facts were reported on this site earlier today. But there's this interesting snippet: While public comment was made for and against … Continue reading See? El Vado wasn’t in that bad of shape after all
Landmark status for El Vado Motel recommended
Here's the short version of this: Route 66 wins. On Wednesday, the City of Albuquerque's Landmarks & Urban Conservation Commission unanimously recommended that El Vado Motel on Route 66 be designated a city landmark. A city staffer told me today that the landmark recommendation has to receive final approval from the city council in the … Continue reading Landmark status for El Vado Motel recommended