You may remember that Dan Bakst won a Route 66 trip and a bunch of goodies from the Motel 6 chain in a contest. He was required to post his adventures from the road via video and social media. Roadies weren't thrilled that the trip would exclude historic Route 66 motels. But his posts on … Continue reading Motel 6’s Mother Road correspondent
Category: Motels
La Fonda soon will undergo renovations
The historic La Fonda Hotel in downtown Santa Fe, N.M., soon will undergo significant interior renovations and make small cosmetic changes to the exterior, reported the Albuquerque Journal. The outside work required approval by the city's Historic Districts Review Board, and it was granted Tuesday. That includes the addition of a small staircase on the southwest … Continue reading La Fonda soon will undergo renovations
Jim Ross wins top award at Victorville Route 66 festival
Story and photos by Elrond Lawrence Jim Ross, the accomplished Route 66 writer, cartographer, speaker and photographer, was honored with the 2012 Will Rogers Award at the International Route 66 Festival awards dinner Saturday at the Green Tree Inn in Victorville, Calif. Ross, who has been exploring, mapping, photographing and writing about the Mother Road … Continue reading Jim Ross wins top award at Victorville Route 66 festival
Longtime owner of Truxton motel and cafe dies
Mildred Barker, longtime co-owner of the Truxton Cafe and Frontier Motel in the Route 66 hamlet of Truxton, Ariz., died Thursday at age 87, according to an obituary today in the Kingman Daily Miner. Ray and Mildred Barker purchased the Truxton cafe and its attached motel in 1957. She and her husband were born in … Continue reading Longtime owner of Truxton motel and cafe dies
A tour of the Wigwam Motel’s lobby
Kumar Patel, operator of the Wigwam Motel in Rialto, Calif., shows the souvenirs, memorabilia, and artifacts that are displayed in the lobby of his historic Route 66 motel: https://youtu.be/GwEhy19cXkQ The old photos of the wigwams when they were being built in the late 1940s are especially fascinating.
The Boots Motel now
Here's a recent video about the Boots Motel in Carthage, Mo., after it reopened to overnight travelers following a decade-long hiatus: https://youtu.be/JMRB5gD2IvI Stevo Svoboda has a bunch of other Route 66-related videos at his YouTube channel. On a related note, the Boots Motel has started a fundraising drive to remove its gabled roof and restore … Continue reading The Boots Motel now
De Anza project suddenly looks more doubtful
A developer who is seeking to revitalize the long-closed De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque has delayed his scheduled groundbreaking until at least August until a financing snag can be worked out, reported the New Mexico Business Weekly. Developer Rob Dickson says the chances of a groundbreaking next month are 50/50. The newspaper said: The … Continue reading De Anza project suddenly looks more doubtful
TV ad denigrates Wigwam motels
A new television commercial by the Microtel motel chain conveys an unflattering light on the three surviving Frank Redford-designed wigwam-style motels, including two on Route 66, says at least one of their owners. The manager of the Wigwam Motel in Rialto, Calif., is considering a defamation suit or other legal action against the chain, and … Continue reading TV ad denigrates Wigwam motels
Bel-Aire Motel ruled out for Springfield Route 66 museum
The historic Bel-Aire Motel in Springfield, Ill., has been quietly withdrawn as a possible site for a Route 66 visitors center and museum, reported The State Journal-Register. A group of tourism, city and planning officials has been meeting informally about the idea in recent weeks, including an analysis by the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission … Continue reading Bel-Aire Motel ruled out for Springfield Route 66 museum
The newest Mother Road correspondent
Motel 6 has announced the winners of its Open Road Correspondents contest. Meet Dan Bakst of Temple Terrance, Fla., who will travel Route 66 in the coming weeks: https://youtu.be/iVslk3hdAWw According to the motel chain, Bakst and the other two correspondents will travel "green" in environmentally friendly vehicles and digital map applications to help conserve fuel. The … Continue reading The newest Mother Road correspondent