Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announces 2014 grants

The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program on Thursday announced five cost-share grants totaling $77,000 for 2014, including one for an endangered bridge in Oklahoma. Here are the recipients: Rock Creek Bridge, Sapulpa, Oklahoma ($5,013 National Park Service grant, $5,013 match by recipient)– The bridge carried traffic on Route 66 from 1926 until 1952. The bridge, on the … Continue reading Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announces 2014 grants

Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?

The Kingman Daily Miner newspaper posted an interesting article this week about Route 66's growing economic influence and whether the upcoming International Route 66 Festival will transform the host town of Kingman, Arizona. The article borrows heavily from the influential Route 66 Economic Impact Study and anecdotal evidence on how Route 66 affects other towns, … Continue reading Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?

Fire destroys Tucumcari hotel

https://youtu.be/UVAxq3pgi8M A Hampton Inn hotel in the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, New Mexico, was destroyed after fire swept through its roof and top floors Wednesday, reported the Quay County Sun and other news outlets. Nearly 30 overnight guests were evacuated with no injuries, reported the newspaper, and were moved to nearby hotels. It's believed … Continue reading Fire destroys Tucumcari hotel

Film footage of two Route 66 landmarks during the 1980s

The Facebook page of the Dutch Route 66 Association recently uncovered some footage from the 1980s of two Route 66 landmarks. One is John's Modern Cabins, which had been abandoned for about 15 years and was already declining when the footage was shot. It was located east of Arlington, Missouri. https://youtu.be/bMJjW8HdfaQ We'd managed to uncover … Continue reading Film footage of two Route 66 landmarks during the 1980s

NBC Nightly News airs segment about Route 66

NBC Nightly News aired a two-minute segment about Route 66 on Tuesday night. If you missed it, you can check it out below, or hit the above link if the embedding doesn't work. It painted a very flattering picture of the old road. The segment by correspondent Harry Smith features a stretch of Route 66 … Continue reading NBC Nightly News airs segment about Route 66

Joplin motor court will be restored

A historic motel along an alignment of Route 66 in Joplin, Missouri, will be refurbished and reopened as a tourist court again, according to Joplin Globe columnist Wally Kennedy. The Westport Lodge (shown above during the 1950s) at North Main Street and Fountain Road, which was on an alternate Route 66 alignment from 1934 to … Continue reading Joplin motor court will be restored

Replica of historic hotel lobby re-created in Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

As if you don't have enough good reasons to visit the marvelous Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Celina Hawkins of the Odessa American in Texas explains why there's another: On Thursday, relatives and many others gathered inside the Route 66 Museum as the newest exhibit – an exact replica of the lobby of the … Continue reading Replica of historic hotel lobby re-created in Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

La Posada owner commits to buying Plaza Hotel

Allan Affeldt, co-owner of the historic La Posada hotel in Winslow, Arizona, announced Tuesday night in a Facebook post that he signed a contract to buy the historic Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas, New Mexico. Affeldt's wish to own the Plaza Hotel had been known for weeks. He had said owning the Plaza would … Continue reading La Posada owner commits to buying Plaza Hotel

Boots Motel adds new supplementary sign

The historic Boots Motel in Carthage, Missouri, added a new "Air Conditioned" supplementary sign that's a faithful re-creation of one that hung from the main sign decades ago, along with the "Radio in Every Room" sign installed last year. I failed to notice the "Air Conditioned" sign in old postcards of the 1939 motel, which … Continue reading Boots Motel adds new supplementary sign

Couple buys and renames Royal Inn in Tucumcari

A couple from Dallas has purchased the Royal Inn motel along Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and plans to restore its retro decor, reported the Quay County Sun newspaper, based in Tucumcari. The new owners are David and Amanda Brener, who renamed the motel the Roadrunner Lodge. They hope to have it reopened by July … Continue reading Couple buys and renames Royal Inn in Tucumcari