Sod Poodles chosen as name of Amarillo baseball team

The new Amarillo minor-league baseball team, an AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres, announced Tuesday afternoon the name of its club will be the Sod Poodles. Sod Poodles is another name for prairie dogs, an animal native to the Texas Plains. The team also will be called the Soddies, for short. Other finalists for … Continue reading Sod Poodles chosen as name of Amarillo baseball team

Long-closed Barfield Building in Amarillo to become a Marriott

The Barfield Building in downtown Amarillo, closed for almost 25 years, soon will be reborn as the Barfield Marriott. KFDA-TV in Amarillo had the scoop: The City of Amarillo just approved a $20 million permit, allowing the contractor to begin renovations. “The Barfield Building is one of our most historic buildings in downtown,” said Beth … Continue reading Long-closed Barfield Building in Amarillo to become a Marriott

New Route 66 signs unveiled in Amarillo

State and local officials on Wednesday unveiled a series of new Route 66 signs in Amarillo, Texas, after the state legislature passed a bill that designated Route 66 as an official historic corridor. The Amarillo Pioneer reported: The ceremony, which took place across the street from the OPJ antique store, featured Senator Kel Seliger, Representative … Continue reading New Route 66 signs unveiled in Amarillo

Proposed names for Amarillo baseball team scored an error

One of the proposed names for an upcoming major-league baseball team in Amarillo contains a Route 66 reference, but if residents have their way, they want the organization to create a new list from scratch. The San Antonio Missions, a San Diego Padres affiliate, are moving its Class AA team to a new downtown stadium … Continue reading Proposed names for Amarillo baseball team scored an error

Fire damages Silver Spur Motel in Amarillo

A fire Thursday morning damaged the historic Silver Spur Motel in Amarillo, Texas, causing about $60,000 in losses. The motel, noted for its vintage cowboy-boot neon sign, is at 4011 Amarillo Blvd. East (aka Route 66). According to a local television station, the fire began about 11 a.m.: Officials say the owner of the motel … Continue reading Fire damages Silver Spur Motel in Amarillo

Long-closed Inn of Amarillo soon will be torn down

The city of Amariilo likely will be on the hook financially to demolish the long-closed and squalid Inn of Amarillo, also known the Holiday Inn West or the Vic-Mon Motor Hotel. A big problem for the city is the cost to raze the structure -- about $800,000 on the low side. The price is so steep, … Continue reading Long-closed Inn of Amarillo soon will be torn down

Heritage House bed-and-breakfast soon will open in Amarillo

A new lodging option soon will open in Amarillo in a historic house about a mile south of Route 66. It's the Heritage House bed-and-breakfast at 1620 S. Polk St. (map here), which sits south of the Sixth Street alignment of Route 66. The home was built in 1906 by E.L. Dohoney and bought in … Continue reading Heritage House bed-and-breakfast soon will open in Amarillo

Amarillo officially declared a cultural district

Amarillo officially recently was designated a cultural district by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Amarillo was one of 35 cities receiving the cultural-district tag, according to a story in the Amarillo Globe-News. It took two years for the city to get that designation. The Amarillo Cultural District encompasses five areas, including Historic Route 66 "with its … Continue reading Amarillo officially declared a cultural district

Willem Bor creates new Route 66 miniatures

Longtime readers probably know of Willem Bor of the Netherlands, who in the last few years has created miniatures of well-known Route 66 landmarks for museums or private individuals. The bad news is Bor contracted cancer and had to cancel one of his upcoming trips on Route 66. The good news is because he's got … Continue reading Willem Bor creates new Route 66 miniatures

The early history of Cadillac Ranch

The Artsy website posted a well-researched article of how the Cadillac Ranch art installation in Amarillo, Texas, came to be, including vintage photos of it being built. Cadillac Ranch turned into a roadside icon -- including for Route 66 travelers -- in the four decades since local tycoon Stanley Marsh 3 commissioned it from the Ant Farm … Continue reading The early history of Cadillac Ranch