Along66, July 2022: Rockwood Motor Court, Angel Delgadillo and 'Spike'

JULY 20

Rockwood Motor Court in Springfield, Missouri, to relight a replica of its original neon sign on August 13.  It was built in 1929.  It has come a long way from the last time we visited the restaurant and looked at the dump which was the motel part. What a mess.

JULY 22

Angel Delgadillo was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame.  Nobody more deserving of that honor.  

JULY 23

The Needles Regional Museum will mark the 47th birthday of "Spike" from the "Peanuts" comic strip.  The mustachiod, hat-wearing brother of Snoopy lives in the desert near Needles according to the strip.

That is one skinny dog.

Happy Retirement Mr. Angel.--RoadDog

Along66, May 2022: Motels Closing in Needles and the Black Experience on Route 66 Pre-1960s

MAY 27

Two Route 66 motels in Needles are forced to close within a year.

The River Valley Inn on 66 has been cited with unsafe conditions.  It was built in 1963.

Also the Best Motel (which is not so best these days).

Both were red-tagged last June and showed no improvement.

Sad when a motel has to close, but sometimes there is no alternative.

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MAY 30

Interactive Metaverse Exhibit os coming to Springfield, Illinois, and will involve the Negro Green Book.  It will be located in a former Texaco station at 737 E. Cook Street, now called Route History Museum.

It will primarily be about the experiences Blacks living along Route 66 and those traveling on it back before the 1960s which was not such a wonderful thing for them.  

The Negro Green Book, published from the 1930s to 1960s, listed establishments which would serve them and where they would not receive racist treatment.  It also listed "Sundown Towns" where a black person could not be after sundown.

A Sad Chapter in Our History.  --RoadDog

Along 66, June 2019: A Neon Sign Relit and 66 Passport

From Route 66 News blog site.

JUNE 9--  The historic neon sign at Fender's River Road Resort in Needles, California, has been relit.

JUNE 11-  The Mother Road Route 66 Passport is now available along Route 66.  This is from the folks who developed the Route 66 navigation app.  You can get 29 stamps and there are also pages for autographs and for you to write notes.

There are maps by Joyce Harbin Colego.  Jim Hinckley and Drew Brees also worked on it.

People always love those passport stamps and they are popular on the Illinois Route 66 Association Motor Tours.   Good idea.

Stamp Me.  --RoadStamp

Along 66, June 2019: A Neon Sign and A Visitors Center

These are taken from the Route 66 News blog.  That blog has many more posts and goes into much longer detail.  I just pick the ones of most interest to me.

JUNE 1--   The restored Fender's River Road Resort sign is to be relighted June 8 in Needles, California.

JUNE 7--  New Mexico has awarded $2 million for a Route 66 visitors center in Albuquerque.

You Can Never have Too Many Visitors Centers, Museums or Neon Signs In My Book.  --RoadDog

Along 66, May 2018: Red Cedar Inn and Fender's River Road Resort

MAY 14--  The Red Cedar Inn building in Pacific, Missouri, was bought by the city in 2017 for $290,000.  It was built in 1932 and abruptly closed in 2005.

We had driven by it several times when it was open and still a restaurant and had planned to stop in for a bite.  But, it closed before we got a chance to do it.  Goes to show that you should always stop by places when you can.

Plans are to open  it as a visitors center/Route 66 museum.

MAY 18--  Someone has made a video about Fender's River Road Resort in Needles, California.  It is right on the Colorado River.  When we went all the way out west on Route 66 in 2006, we drove by this place and next time we plan to stop for the night.

Looking Forward to the Red Cedar Inn.  --RoadDog

Plans Underway to Preserve the Historic High Desert Stretch of Route 66

From the Jan. 29, 2015, San Bernardino (Ca.) Sun News by Joe Nelson.

For nearly 25 years San Bernardino has had its annual Route 66 Rendezvous and now it plans to preserve and enhance the 150-mile stretch of two lane Route 66 from Needles to Barstow.

Included will be  roadside kiosks and mobile apps.

Well Worth Preserving.  --RoadDog

Down Da 66: Route 66 Award-- Needles to Secede?

Some New News About an Old Road. Trying to catch up after the thumb problems of June and July.


1. ROUTE 66 AWARD-- Ethan Suck, a student at Nothbrook Middle School in Mendota, Illinois, won the award according to the May 24th Mendota Reporter.He won the annual Historic Route 66 Illinois Award at the annual Illinois History Expo held Thursday, May 8th, in Springfield.

His project was "Prohibition: Road to Hell Paved with Good Intentions."

More than 1400 junior and senior high school students were winners in regional history fairs. The award was presented by Patty Ambrose, coordinator of the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project.


NEEDLES TO SECEDE? -- Could this be the opening round to another Civil War? Some folks don't like secession. Just ask South Carolina. According to the Seattle Times of June 2nd, Needles, California complains that they don't get "No Respect." Their roads don't get paved, taxes are higher, building codes stricter and gas almost $1 more than the boom towns across the Colorado River in Arizona.

Of course, they are a very isolated part of California and some 220 mils from their county's county seat. They also complain that they are a dumping ground for parolees and sex offenders.

Needles was founded in 1893 after the railroad arrived. It was named for the pointy mountains south of town. They call themselves "The Best Kept Secret on the Colorado River."

I can agree with the gas prices. We were shocked at how high they were when we passed through back in 2006.

Just don't use the Confederate battle flag unless you want even more problems.

Would Have Liked to See the Project. --RoadDog