The former Skylark Motel tower on old Route 66 in St. Clair, Missouri, shined with the glow of neon again after a ceremony Saturday night at the building, which now serves as the VFW Post 2482. According to a news release about the event, about 150 people attending cheered when the light switch was thrown … Continue reading Skylark Motel tower glows again
Category: Motels
Neon relighting of former Skylark Motel is Saturday
The relighting of the former Skylark Motel's neon -- including its distinctive glass-block tower -- will occur about dusk Saturday at the site in St. Clair, Missouri, according to a news release from the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. The ceremony is scheduled to last about 20 minutes. According … Continue reading Neon relighting of former Skylark Motel is Saturday
Cuba adds five sites to National Historic Register
The town of Cuba, Missouri, recently had big news to announce -- five sites were added in one week to the National Register of Historic Places, including two on Route 66. Cuba's new additions to the National Register were revealed in an email from the National Park Service on Thursday. The National Register listings were … Continue reading Cuba adds five sites to National Historic Register
Los Angeles station gives major time to Route 66
KABC, the major affiliate of ABC in Los Angeles, in recent days gave a lot of time examining Route 66 in the region in its "Eye on L.A." show. Here is the San Bernardino to San Gabriel Valley segment: Monrovia to South Pasadena: The Arroyo Seco to downtown segment: West Hollywood to the end of … Continue reading Los Angeles station gives major time to Route 66
Gardenway Motel closes
The historic Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri, abruptly closed Monday for as-yet-undetermined reasons, reported Jim Thole with the Route 66 Association of Missouri. Thole tried to contact the Eckelkamp family, which has owned the motel for nearly 70 years, to find out why, to no avail. A phone call to the motel Thursday went … Continue reading Gardenway Motel closes
Nonprofit challenges El Vado redevelopment plan
A nonprofit group that has experienced success in rehabbing vintage Route 66 motels in Albuquerque is appealing the city's selection of another group that wants to redevelop the historic El Vado Motel, reported the Albuquerque Journal. According to the newspaper: Albuquerque-based nonprofit NewLife Homes, which finished second in the selection process to eventual winner Palindrome … Continue reading Nonprofit challenges El Vado redevelopment plan
Aztec Hotel may reopen next year
The Aztec Hotel on old Route 66 in Monrovia, California, may reopen sometime in 2015, reported the Pasadena Star-News. However, with the report about the historic building containing caveats -- plus the owner's problems in managing the property -- one has to wonder whether the hotel will reopen at all next year. Excerpts from the … Continue reading Aztec Hotel may reopen next year
Tucumcari cop implicated in arson probe
A man who recently resigned from the Tucumcari, New Mexico, Police Department is the subject of an investigation into several arson fires last month, reported the Quay County Sun, including those that destroyed the long-closed Payless Inn on Route 66 and the closed Tucumcari Motel on old U.S. 54. Dustin Lopez quit the force the … Continue reading Tucumcari cop implicated in arson probe
La Fonda changes ownership
La Fonda on the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, changed hands last week, but reportedly little else will change with the historic hotel, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. The Ballen family had owned the hotel for more than four decades. They turned over the assets to Jennifer Kimball, a current … Continue reading La Fonda changes ownership
Developer chosen for El Vado Motel
A developer has been picked by the city of Albuquerque to redevelop the historic El Vado Motel -- including it being partly revived as a boutique motel, according to Albuquerque Business First. Palindrome Communities is the developer, which is a partnership between PacifiCap and the Sawmill Community Land Trust. Its proposal calls for creating a … Continue reading Developer chosen for El Vado Motel