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

Oklahoma senator again criticizes Route 66 preservation program

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) again targets the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program with his "Wastebook," an annual publication released Tuesday that cites alleged government waste. In the publication, Coburn criticized the $81,224 the program awarded in cost-share grants to restore the roof of the historic DeCamp Junction near Staunton, Ill., the climate-control system of … Continue reading Oklahoma senator again criticizes Route 66 preservation program

Wigwam Motel gets decked out for Christmas

For the first time Sunday, the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino, Calif., was decorated for Christmas -- thanks partly to the efforts of kitsch aficionado Charles Phoenix. Motorists on Route 66 in the Inland Empire got their first look Sunday evening at one of the motel's decorated concrete wigwams during the so-called Wig Wam Holiday Lighting … Continue reading Wigwam Motel gets decked out for Christmas