I sorta hate to bring this up, since it's a trivial fact in light of a tragedy. But the hotel where singing superstar Whitney Houston died on Saturday -- the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. -- sits next to Route 66. A reader alerted me to this today. The hotel lists its address as 9876 … Continue reading A small fact about Whitney Houston’s death
Category: Motels
Survivor of Joplin hotel collapse dies
Alfred Summers, the lone survivor of a collapse in 1978 of a large motel along Route 66 in Joplin, Mo., died Friday at age 64, according to the Joplin Globe. Summers, part of demolition crew, was trapped in the rubble for more than three days before he was extricated. Two co-workers died in the unexpected … Continue reading Survivor of Joplin hotel collapse dies
Boots Motel set to reopen May 8
The historic Boots Motel, a Route 66 landmark in Carthage, Mo., that was endangered for several years, will reopen for business starting May 8, according to KODE-TV in nearby Joplin. According to the station, the motel will price its rooms for $2.50 for opening night. After that, rooms will be $66 a night. Those interested … Continue reading Boots Motel set to reopen May 8
The Motels of Route 66 project will spawn a book and film
Simon Cantlon, an Emmy-nominated producer of digital media for the entertainment industry, has launched The Motels of Route 66 project that will spawn a documentary film and a book. Cantlon created this video that explains his project: https://youtu.be/YoezV5IWF90 According to his website: The Motels of Route 66 project will capture the spirit of these motels, … Continue reading The Motels of Route 66 project will spawn a book and film
La Posada nearly finished with all the rooms
John Sharpe, chef at the acclaimed Turquoise Room restaurant at the historic and massively successful La Posada hotel in Winslow, Ariz., revealed a few newsworthy items in his regular email newsletter Sunday. First, construction on all the hotel's rooms is about to come to an end. Sharpe said: We are presently at 49 and will top … Continue reading La Posada nearly finished with all the rooms
El Garces makes slow progress
It's been slow, but the Needles (Calif.) Desert Star reported this week that the effort to restore and eventually reopen the historic El Garces hotel, restaurant, and railroad depot in Needles is making progress. The stumbling point has been whether the Federal Transportation Administration will approve a joint operating agreement between El Garces LLC and the … Continue reading El Garces makes slow progress
Wigwam Motel in Rialto named to National Register
The Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Rialto, Calif., was placed on the National Register of Historic Places effective Jan. 3, according to an email Thursday afternoon from the National Park Service. The Wigwam, which features individual motel cabins in the shape of tepees, was nominated in late 2011; its inclusion on the National Register was … Continue reading Wigwam Motel in Rialto named to National Register
Smithsonian magazine details Route 66’s revival
David Lamb of Smithsonian magazine has written an excellent article about Route 66's abandonment by the U.S. highway system and the Mother Road's eventual revival. It's in the February issue, but you can read it online here. The article focuses on Arizona -- Angel Delgadillo and the small Route 66 town of Seligman, La Posada … Continue reading Smithsonian magazine details Route 66’s revival
Old-time cruising
Here's a new video from Jane Reed, the driving force behind the Cuba Murals blog based in Cuba, Mo. She describes it this way: This slide shows photos of cars from the 2011 September Lions Club Car Show in Cuba and from the Wagon Wheel Motel's 75th Anniversary Celebration, also in Cuba. https://youtu.be/18G2N8EDkoE Music is … Continue reading Old-time cruising
“My father taught me how to drive and dream”
This 13-minute film by Karla Berry from 2004 is well worth watching all the way through. But in particular it contains footage of the Coral Court Motel in St. Louis shortly before the bulldozers came. https://vimeo.com/34475388 The Coral Court footage begins around the 7 1/2-minute mark.