Eight Iconic Cultural Locations on Route 66-- Part 3: El Rancho Hotel

3.  EL RANCHO HOTEL AND MOTEL, Gallup, New Mexico

Built by director D.W. Griffith in 1936 as a base for numerous Western movie productions, it has hosted many movie stars over the years, including Errol Flyn, Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, John Wayne and Ronald Reagan.

Nearly a century later, the El Rancho still offers the "Charm of Yesterday."

This is a really neat place.  I just wish Liz and I had not opted for the cheaper motel rooms when we passed through and had stayed in the main hotel.  We did get to meet the owner at the time in 2006, Armond Ortega, in its 49er Lounge, who also owned a lot of the Indian souvenir places.  He was quite a gentleman and Liz was impressed when he clicked his heels, bent over and kissed her hand.

Wikipedia says the hotel was bult by D.W. Griffith's brother, R.E. "Griff' Griffith.

For a much longer list of people who stayed there, go to Wikipedia.

Impressed Me Too.  --RoadRancho

8 Iconic Cultural Locations on Route 66-- Part 2: 'The Outsiders' and 'Breaking Bad'

Here are those eight locations:

1.  "THE OUTSIDERS" HOUSE MUSEUM, Tulsa, Oklahoma

From the 1983 film adaptation of "The Outsiders" directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the novel by E.S. Hinton.  After decades of disrepair and near demolition it was purchased in 2016 and restored, opening as a museum in 2019.  

Lots of memorabilia from the movie and drop-ins from actors and even Hinton, who is a native of Tulsa.

2.  CENTRAL AVENUE, Abuquerque, New Mexico

Central Avenue is an alignment of Route 66 and is still,lined with motels, diners and neon signs, many of which can be seen in AMC's "Breaking Bad" (2008-2013).

The Dog House has been serving chili-topped footlong hot dogs for over 70 years, and its tail-wagging, suasage-eating neon dachshund makes a few appearances in the show's early years,as does the Crossroads Motel.

--RoadSider

Route 66's Quirkiest By State-- Part 4: New Mexico and Arizona

Pictures and text accompany each place. Check out the site.

NEW MEXICO

Tucumcari  (Blue Swallow Motel, Tee Pee Curios)

Clines Corner  (Clines Corner.  Travel Center since 1934)

Albuquerque  (66 Diner)

Gallup  (El Rancho Hotel)

Santa Rosa  (Blue Hole)

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ARIZONA

Hackberry  (Hackberry General Store)

Winslow (Standing on the Corner Corner)

Seligman  (Angel and Vilma's Original Route 66 Gift Shop, Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In)

Oatman  (The whole town and Burros)

Holbrook  (Wigwam Village #6)

(Grand Canyon National Park)

Meteor City  (Meteor Crater)

--RoadDog

Fifty Songs About States-- Part 4: 'Allentown'

NEW MEXICO:  *"South of Santa Fe"--  Brooks & Dunn*

NEW YORK:  *"Empire State of Mind"--  Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys)*

NORTH CAROLINA:  "Carolina in My Mind"--  James Taylor  Great song, but I'd also like to nominate "North Carolina" by Dallas Frazier or "Carolina Girls" by Chairman of the Board.

NORTH DAKOTA:  *"I've Got a Gal I Love in North and South Dakota"--  Frank Sinatra*

OHIO:  *"Bloodbuzz Ohio"--  The National*

OKLAHOMA:  *"Oklahoma Sky"--  Miranda Lambert*  (I would have chosen "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" by David Frizzell & Shelly West.)

OREGON:  *"Lumberjack"--  Johnny Cash*

PENNSYLVANIA:  "Allentown:--  Billy Joel

RHODE ISLAND:  *"Rhode Island Is Famous for You"--  Blossom Dearie*

SOUTH CAROLINA:  *"South Carolina Low Country"--  Josh Turner*

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Can't You See The Sunshine, Can't You Just Feel The Moonshine."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Carolina On My Mind"

Along66, October 2022: Eatin' Corn Dogs and Neon Signs

OCTOBER 3

Corndog eating record broken during Mobil 1's Route 66 tour stop in Albuquerque.

Geoff Esper of Massachusetts ate 11 big corndogs in three minutes and broke the old record which was 8.

Of course, Cozy Dog in Springfield, Illinois, would not agree with this because they were NOT Cozy Dogs!!  I bet Geoff ate them plain when everybody knows a properly clad corn-err Cozy dog should have mustard and raw onions (with a side of Cozy Dog fries).

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OCTOBER 5

The newest neon sign in Tulsa's Route 66 neon sign grant program is at the Chicken and the Wolf restaurant at Harvard Avenue and 11th Avenue (Route 66).

As I Have Often Said, You Can't Ever Have Enough Neon Signs.  --RoadDog

Along66, Sept. 2022: Col. Nelson's Flowers, a Neon Sign and Visitors Center

SEPTEMBER 20

Nelson Gardens to be recreated at the Camp Joy cabin in Lebanon, Missouri.

Colonel A.T. Nelson's flower garden will be at Boswell Park.  He operated the Top o' Ozarks Inn and later the Nelson Tavern and Nelson's Dream Village in Lebanon.

SEPTEMBER 22  A new neon sign has been installed at the TeePee Drive-In in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. 

It is a drive-in theater.  The neon sign is 30 feet tall.

SEPTEMBER 29

Ribbon cutting for Albuquerque's Route 66 Visitors Center will be tomorrow.  

It will also have a museum, tap room, New Mexico Music Hall of Fame and events center.

Sounds like a place to visit next time through.

Like I Said, You Can Never Have Too Much Neon.  --RoadDog

Along66 July 2022: New Murals in Oklahoma and Illinois and a New Bronze Statue in Albuquerque

JULY 27

New murals in Route Corridor in Collinsville and Edwardsville, Illinois.  There is also one in Yukon, Oklahoma.  Next to neon, I like murals the best.  Well, also museums.

JULY 31 

Albuquerque dedicates a new bronze statue of the "Breaking Bad" lead actors, Walter  White and Jesse Pinkman.  

This popular AMC show ran from 2008  to 2013.

--RoadDog

Along66, May 2022: Joplin's Union Depot and Gallup's Closed Motels

MAY 9

The City of Joplin, Missouri, hires a firm to help find a developer for the Joplin Union Depot redevelopment and to renovate it.

It is a century old and has been abandoned for more than fifty years.

Located off North Main Street (AKA Bypass Route 66 from the 1930s to 1955).

That is a beautiful structure and I'm happy to see that they are going to do something with it.

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MAY 11

Six motels on Route 66 in Gallup, New Mexico, have been closed by the city, including the Blue Spruce Lodge which had a popular and often photographed sign.

The Hacienda Motel, Arrowhead Lodge, Lariat Lodge, Zia Motel and Redwood Lodge are the other ones.

I agree, either do something with eyesores or tear them down.

--RoadDog

Along66, May 2022: Wildfires in New Mexico and a Tornado Does Damage to Lucille's

I take these from the excellent Route 66 News blog site.  I just take the items of most interest to me from it, but of you're looking to know what's going on along our favorite road, this is where you want to go.  There is a new post everyday along with more information, plus, I am always at least a month behind what I take from it.

MAY 3

Travelers are advised to avoid Las Vegas, New Mexico, right now because of wildfires.

MAY 4

Lucille's Service Station in Hydro, Oklahoma, sustains moderate damage from a tornado.

There was moderate damage to the roof, but the nearby office building, designed to look like the original motel at the place, was even damaged more.

Lucille, "The Mother of the Mother Road,"Hamons owned and operated her place for almost sixty years until she died in 2000.

The station was built in 1929 and is on the NRHP.

She was one person we sure would have liked to meet, but sadly, we didn't get interested in Route 66 until 2022.

--RoadDog

Along66, April 2022: Western Motel in Santa Rosa, N.M., Torn Down, Sun 'n Sand Motel Likely Next

APRIL 25

Western Motel in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, torn down, Sun 'n Sand Motel likely next.

The long-closed Western Motel was torn down a few says ago and similarly shuttered Sun 'n Sand is likely next in line for the wrecking ball.

The Sun 'n Sand was abandoned a decade ago.  It was built in the 1950s and remodeled about 1998, but closed down in 2012 or 2013.  The historic hail storm in July 2013left up to two feet of hail and damaged the motel's roof

However, the Sun 'n Sand restaurant, located near the motel, continues to operate and is quite a favorite of locals.

There is a neat Sun 'n Sand Motel sign and I hope there is a way they can find to keep it.

It is always sad to see a motel torn down, but sometimes it is necessary.

--RoadDog

Along66, April 2022: Tucumcari Tonight!-- Part 2

**  W.A. Huggins also built several other motels in Tucumcari besides the Blue Swallow.  One was the Travelers Paradise Motor Lodge on the city's west side which has now fallen into disrepair.

**  Longtime Blue Swallow owner Lillian Redman took part in a few poker games with truckers stranded at her place during a big snowstorm.

**  Two lane Route 66 between San Jon and Tucumcari was known as "Slaughter Lane" and "Suicide Road" because of traffic fatalities.

**  Tucumcari's reputation as a speed trap was well-known, but the launched "Operation Coffee" where police would give speeding out-of-town motorists a coupon good for a free cup of coffee at a local restaurant or gas station.  (Sadly, the review didn't mention if the coupon was instead of a ticket.)

--RoadDog

Along66, April 2022: Tucumcari Tonight!

APRIL 18

Book Review of 'Tucumcari Tonight!" by David H. Stratton.

This is a part history, part memoir.  The author grew up in Tucumcari and has lots of inside stories of its heyday.

**  The Blue Swallow Motel was built in 1939.  It was originally called the Blue Swallow Court, but the name later changed to motel.

**  It was built by W.A. Huggins and his wife, Mary Maud, named it.

**  George J. Lins was a key figure in the development of tourism in Tucumcari.  He built the Lins Motor Lodge and Lins Cafe.

**  His daughter, Bettie Ditto, enlarged the Lins complex into the Congress Inn and later the still-operating Pow Wow Inn.

--RoadDog

Along66, February 2022: The El Rancho's Renovation

FREBRUARY 17

El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, New Mexico, is undergoing $6 million in renovation.

Shane Ortega, grandson of long-time El Rancho owner Armond Ortega (who died in 2014) bought out his aunt and uncle's share in 2018.

R.E. "Griff" Griffith, brother of the famous movie director D.W. Griffith, opened El Rancho in 1937 and encouraged film makers to shoot in the area (and, of course, stay at his hotel).  And they did.  

Many stars stayed there including John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck and Humphrey Bogart.

The place started declining after I-40 by-passed it and Route 66.  Armond Ortega bought it in 1986 for $300,000 and spent another $300,000 restoring it.

We stayed there one night on our retirement trip across Route 66 from end-to-end in 2006.  Sadly, we stayed in the newer part instead of the older one (next time the older one), but had the good fortune to meet and have a nice talk with Mr. Ortega in the bar.  Such a gentleman.

First Class All the Way.  --RoadDog

Along66, Feb. 2022: Desecration on La Bajada Hill and the Gasconade River Bridge

FEBRUARY 4

Desecration at La Bajada Hill southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and as a result it won't be reopened any time soon.  

Petroglyphs have been desecrated.

Of course, the La Bajada Hill is famous for its zig-zags up the mountainside.

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FEBRUARY 5

Part of the Gasconade River Bridge may be moved to Boswell Park in Lebanon, Missouri.  Boswell Park, of course, has all sorts of Route 66-related items.

It is better to save some of it than none.

But, I'd like to see the former site of the bridge turned into a park,

--RoadDog

Along66 Jan. 2022: Death of Charlie Nixon of Glenrio

JANUARY 12

Charlie Nixon, native of Glenrio, dies at 89.

Glenrio is a ghost town on Route 66, straddling the Texas-New Mexico border.

Mr. Nixon was born April 13, 1932, in Glenrio.  He grew up in Endee, San Jon, Porter and Tucumcari, New Mexico.

The second son of James "Ivan: Nixon and Rosa Lea Hackett Nixon who worked long hours in cafes, gas stations, bars and dance halls that they managed and owned.

Charlie was quite a character himself with too much to write about, so read the obituary and watch the video at Route 66 News for this date.  Also, read his obituary at Legacy.

Just one of the people who make Route 66 such a fun place.

--RoadDog

Along66, Nov. 2021: 'Lightning McQueen' in Galena, Kansas and Fort Wingate in New Mexico for Sale

NOVEMBER 15

Replica of Lightning McQueen from the "Cars" movie unveiled along Route 66 in Galena, Illinois.  It is part of Luigi's Pit Stop on East Front Street (Route 66).  It also has several other "Cars" characters.

The place used to be an old Kan-o-Tex gas station which was repurposed in 2006.

This is helping revitalize the community as well as other improvements.

NOVEMBER 19

Historic Fort Wingate in New Mexico is up for sale  for $11 million.  It is east of Gallup and originally was a trading post and military post.

It includes a cafe, post office and gas station, plus space for up to 80 RVs.

--RoadDog

Along66, August 2021: Got $29,000 Laying Around? Apache Motel in Tucumcari

AUGUST 11

Muffler man for sale.  Just $29,000.  You can buy it from Lumberjack's Firewood in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

I would like t buy it, but I doubt our local Subdivision group would appreciate it.

AUGUST 18

Apache Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico won't reopen anytime soon.  Property put back on the market.

Had been scheduled to reopen this year in June.

For sale for $685,000 asking price.

Here's hoping it will get sold.

--RoadDog

Top 10 Worst Family Vacation Spots in U.S.-- Part 1: Atlantic City, Nashville, Empire State Building, Rock and Roll Museum and Roswell

From the July 22, 2021, ListVerse by Jonathan  Hastad.

I am listing them and giving a reason or two for each.  For more information, go to the site.

10.  ATLANTIC  CITY

Casinos closing, foreclosures

9.  DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE

Very small area of country music downtown

8.  THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

Insane ticket prices

7.  THE ROCK AND ROLL MUSEUM

It's in Cleveland

6.  ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO

Agree or Disagree?   --RoadDog

Along 66, May 2021: Albuquerque's Route 66 Centennial and a Tribute to Lowell Davis

MAY 22

Albuquerque, New Mexico budgets $630,000 for Route 66  centennial celebration in 2026.  Looks like a place to definitely visit as they're going all in.  Great, Albuquerque!

MAY 23

A festival planned for September in Carthage, Missouri, will pay tribute to Red Oak II's late founder Lowell Davis.

He died in November at the age of 83.  To say he was a folk artist is to put it mildly. We were lucky to get to meet and talk with his (with that pipe of course) when the Welcome to Carthage sign (with the cop car behind it) was being put up by the Boots Court.

He is exactly why Route 66 is such a great road.

--RoadDog

Along 66, May 2021: The Launching Pad Reopening and Death of Racing Legend Al Unser

MAY 3

The Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois will reopen after a long closure due to COVID-19.  Its reopening is part of the Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival, which this year will be in the form of a 90-mile car cruise (because of the virus, you know).

Tully Garrett and Holly Barker are the owners of the Launching Pad, and of course their 28-foot Gemini Giant.  The place opened in 1960 as the Dairy Delite, but was renamed the Launching Pad after an expansion in 1965.  This had to do with the U.S. push into space at the time.

MAY 4

Albuquerque resident and racing legend Al Unser died at age 87.  He won 35 major races during his 30-year racing career, including the Indy 500 three times.

--RoadDog