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
Category: Motels
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
Bel-Aire Motel owner now wants to sell
The owner of the historic Bel-Aire Motel in Springfield, Illinois, wants to sell his troubled property for $750,000, plus more than $114,000 in fines he owes to the city for code violations, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register. Florida-based Gopal Motwani, who's owned the motel for nearly 30 years, says health problems and the latest round … Continue reading Bel-Aire Motel owner now wants to sell
The former glory of the Bel-Aire Motel
The historic Bel-Aire Motel in Springfield, Illinois, is known for its retro neon sign and Sputnik structure on the roof. It's also known for hundreds of code violations and criminal activity by many of its tenants. It didn't used to be the latter. Columnist Dave Bakke of the Springfield State Journal-Register spoke to the daughter of … Continue reading The former glory of the Bel-Aire Motel
Old motel cabins in Joplin soon will be removed
Old motel cabins on Route 66 in Joplin, Missouri, soon will be razed or removed, according to a story by a business columnist Wally Kennedy in the Joplin Globe newspaper. The item was tucked into a story about Rob's Audio Solutions, which was forced to move from 2604 N. Range Line Road (aka Route 66) to … Continue reading Old motel cabins in Joplin soon will be removed