The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., ranked among the top 25 "bargain" motels in the United States in TripAdvisor's 2014 Traveler's Choice Awards. The Blue Swallow is listed at No. 6. TripAdvisor said the average nightly rate in its bargain group is $91. Random observation: Four of the 25 motels in that category are … Continue reading TripAdvisor ranks Blue Swallow among top bargain motels
Category: Motels
Wind storm damages World’s Largest Covered Wagon
A wind storm Sunday night severely damaged the World's Largest Covered Wagon next to Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., that features a statue of a sitting Abraham Lincoln, reported the Lincoln Courier. The newspaper detailed the damage: The wind blew the wagon and its rider, Abraham Lincoln, nearly onto its side. Though the statue of the … Continue reading Wind storm damages World’s Largest Covered Wagon
A new song about El Trovatore
Arizona musician Will Strickland sings about the revitalization of the historic El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, Ariz. Local filmmaker Norman Fisk provided the footage for the video: https://youtu.be/1XFbHFdb12U (Nighttime image of El Trovatore Motel by Graeme Maclean via Flickr)
Route 66-themed gift shop opens in Aztec Hotel
A "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" gift shop has opened inside the historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, Calif., according to the Monrovia Patch. Owner Bryan Gerber sent the online publication a news release about the opening. Excerpts here: The new shop “Get your Kicks On Route 66” billed as “A Pop-Culture Curio Shop” will … Continue reading Route 66-themed gift shop opens in Aztec Hotel
Pasadena may narrow Colorado Boulevard
The city of Pasadena, Calif., may narrow Colorado Boulevard (aka Route 66) to make it more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists, reported the Los Angeles Times. Pasadena is considering plans to narrow portions of Colorado by as much as two lanes and use that space to widen sidewalks and create tiny parks with seating and … Continue reading Pasadena may narrow Colorado Boulevard
The man behind the Triangle Motel
KC Keefer's latest clip in his ongoing "Genuine Route 66 Life" series consists of an interview with Alan McNeil, owner of the long-closed Triangle Motel in Amarillo, Texas. https://youtu.be/P1D3I7h95Vw You have to give McNeil credit -- he keeps plugging away nearly eight years after he started and with not a lot of money in hand. A … Continue reading The man behind the Triangle Motel
Upcoming film set along Route 66
An upcoming independent film titled "The Frontier," starring Kelly Lynch of "Magic City" and "The Drugstore Cowboy" and Jim Beaver of "Deadwood," will take place in a motel along Route 66, reported Deadline Hollywood. Pic is set in 1974 along Route 66 and centers on a desperate woman on the run from the law who … Continue reading Upcoming film set along Route 66
Developer drops De Anza project
The developer of the historic but long-closed De Anza Motel in Albuquerque has dropped the project entirely because he didn't get the funding he wanted, reported KRQE-TV in Albuquerque. Developer Rob Dickson had ambitious plans for the De Anza Motel at Central and Washington. He promised to create 39 apartments, a Zuni jewelry store, a … Continue reading Developer drops De Anza project
Former owner of the Elms Motel of Miami dies
James Leonard Swinney Jr., the former owner of the long-gone Elms Motel on Route 66 in Miami, Okla., and son of the founder of the closed Swinney's Hardware on Route 66 in Tulsa, died at age 98 on Dec. 28 in Albuquerque, according to an obituary in the Grand Lake News in Oklahoma. Swinney owned … Continue reading Former owner of the Elms Motel of Miami dies
The neon at the Blue Swallow Motel
Many things make the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., distinctive. One of the big things is its neon lighting. Co-owner Kevin Mueller talks about the motel's neon in this new video from KC Keefer's "Genuine Route 66 Life" series. https://youtu.be/WqZeqixWA1Y (Night image of the Blue Swallow Motel's neon sign by Nancy L. Stockdale via … Continue reading The neon at the Blue Swallow Motel