Category: Preservation

Vega Motel needs help

Red Fork Hippie Chick here with a news bulletin and a request for help: I just became aware this morning of a situation that requires some assistance. The Vega Motel on Route 66 in Texas was forced to shut down for a while because one of the owners was seriously ill. He has recovered, thank … Continue reading Vega Motel needs help

Norwegian classic-car tour rolls into southwest Missouri

The Norwegian group that's driving antique cars the length of Route 66 made its way into Strafford, Mo., on its way to nearby Springfield, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Here's something that cracked me up: "What surprised the group so far is the attention we get from the public when driving. People are yelling and … Continue reading Norwegian classic-car tour rolls into southwest Missouri

Painted Desert Inn reopens

  The Painted Desert Inn, which was built in the 1920s amid what is now the Petrified Forest National Park, reopened on Memorial Day weekend, reports the Arizona Daily Star. Here's the news release from the National Park Service about it. It's no longer used for lodging, but as a museum. Fixing up the place … Continue reading Painted Desert Inn reopens

Preservation conference will focus on Route 66

Here's a small item from the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph: The 25th annual Illinois Statewide Preservation Conference will be June 8-10 in Bloomington. Cost is $85 for members of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois and $100 for non-members. One-day registration is $50. ... The conference will include a walking tour of upper-floor conversions, the Old … Continue reading Preservation conference will focus on Route 66

Meeting set for Saturday on endangered Rod’s Grill

  I received an e-mail today from Jim Conkle of the California Route 66 Preservation Foundation that says a preservation meeting concerning the endangered Rod's Grill in Arcadia, Calif., will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the restaurant at 41 W. Huntington Drive. Preservationists will be there to collect signatures on petitions. The city is … Continue reading Meeting set for Saturday on endangered Rod’s Grill

Three Route 66 properties in Illinois named to National Register

The Associated Press reported that nine properties were designated to the National Register of Historic Places, including three restaurants on Route 66. The Route 66 properties are: The Ariston Cafe, which opened in Carlinville in 1924 and moved to its present location on Route 66 in Litchfield in 1935. Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket near Hinsdale, … Continue reading Three Route 66 properties in Illinois named to National Register

Rialto Theatre’s renovation fund gets big donation

  The Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Ill., is trying to raise $5 million to restore the 80-year-old venue. The Caterpillar Foundation helped last weekend by pledging $500,000, the largest such donation so far, according to an article in the Joliet Herald News. In addition to the Rialto's Web site, here's another history of the … Continue reading Rialto Theatre’s renovation fund gets big donation

Story on the Missouri Route 66 byway dedication

Remember a few weeks ago the dedication ceremony in Springfield, Mo., for designating Route 66 in in the Show-Me State as a scenic byway? Well, ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com just posted a pretty extensive story about it.

New Route 66 restaurant

Red Fork Hippie Chick here, offering up a review of a new restaurant in Sapulpa: Al's Route 66 Cafe. Al's went in where the old Rivett's Cafe used to be. I had chicken parmesan for dinner there recently. It was utterly wonderful ... and dirt-cheap. For $4.25, I got a chicken breast approximately the size … Continue reading New Route 66 restaurant