Route 66 Beacons in the News

The classic 66 Motel in Needles: will she beckon travelers again?

Two landmark Route 66 motels are in the news: the El Trovatore in Kingman, Arizona, which has not only reopened but restored its neon tower, and the 66 Motel in Needles, California, which is the subject of an intense fundraising effort to save its classic sign.

Relighting the 66 Motel: There's a reason why most tourists drive to Laughlin instead of Needles, but the Route 66 town will always be my first choice. Between 100 BNSF trains a day, the nearby Colorado River, a Harvey House hotel and a parade of vintage motels and diners, Needles has plenty to interest the Route 66 traveler. Now preservationist Ed Klein is raising money to restore the classic 66 Motel sign in Needles, Calif. I last photographed the sign in 2004 while working on my Route 66 Railway book (back then I was still shooting film!). For as much as it's been immortalized in books, documentaries and artwork, this is the first serious restoration effort I can recall. Ed's goal is to raise $3,600 by 11:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday, April 18; about 35 hours remain as of this posting. Click HERE to see a 90-second video on the restoration and donate online. (Donors get cool Route 66 perks!)

Can you imagine this lit up at dusk?

A Southwest Beacon Returns: I've lost count of how many times I passed the hillside El Trovatore motel and prayed that a savior would one day restore its midcentury glory. Thanks to Monica and Sam Frisher, that prayer has finally been answered. The soaring red and green neon tower was relit in early April and 20 rooms have been refurbished in classic Hollywood themes. A ton of work remains, but the Frishers have already overcome huge odds by saving this Kingman gem. I can't wait to visit and capture that marvelous tower at dusk . . . hopefully there's a way to frame the motel with a passing train in the cut below. For more info, visit their website at http://eltrovatoremotel.com/. You can read a great article on the motel restoration by clicking HERE. Also, author Jim Hinckley has photos of the restored tower -- click HERE to see them.

A big "thank you" to these preservation heroes who are keeping the Route 66 mystique alive!

The Road to Palm Springs, Part One: Reaching Orbit

Orbit In entrance, July 16, 2009 (click all photos to enlarge)

Those of us who follow Route 66 and other old highways are all too familiar with vintage motels that defy age and cultural obsolescence, but typically cling to life by a thread and some well-placed duct tape. So it was a thrill to arrive in Palm Springs one hot July day and discover that the city's modernist movement has sparked the rebirth of several mid-century motels. Not only do they look better than ever, they carry a cool, upscale atmosphere and rank at the top of any Palm Springs traveler's must-see list.

Some personal backstory: midway through last month's photo trip (read here), I'd fallen into a bad slump after an evening by the Salton Sea where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. So I'd departed Indio with plans to head back to LA. While entering Palm Desert, a little voice suggested taking the long route back via Highway 111. I hadn't visited Palm Springs in over a decade, and being a fan of photographer Julius Shulman -- who had captured so many timeless images in this desert town -- the timing seemed right. Besides, I'd heard about this restored motel called the Orbit In . . .

That afternoon, with the mercury at 116 degrees, I stumbled upon the Orbit In with its atomic-era sign and closed gate. As I approached to peek inside, manager Jade Nelson spotted me and invited me in for a tour. For the next 40 minutes it was 1957 again, the year this hotel opened as The Village Manor. Portland residents Christy and Stan Amy purchased the aging motel in 1999; aided by Shulman's photos, they transformed it into today's Orbit In. The mid-century hotel reopened in March 2001 and Shulman himself was a guest at the grand opening party, signing copies of his book Modernism Rediscovered. In 2002 the Orbit was joined by an expansive sister hotel, the Hideaway, located nearby.

Julius Shulman was on my mind as I snapped photos of the courtyard in gorgeous late day sun. The Orbit lies at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains which add a stark, beautiful backdrop. As shadows slowly engulfed the pool area, it was time to tour "Atomic Paradise," one of the Orbit's nine rooms with decor straight out of a mid-century design museum.



The heat eventually drove me to the outdoor bar and its phalanx of misters, where I enjoyed the company of Jade and a fun couple who'd recently driven Route 66.

My thanks to Jade for an ultra-cool afternoon. If you're a fan of 1950s desert architecture, or looking to escape the bland sameness of today's hotel chains, check out the Orbit In. Their website is http://www.orbitin.com/. Yes, it's a shameless plug. Yes, I hope to return as a guest.

Snapshots from the Edge

Desert Speedboat, West Palm Springs

(click to enlarge)

I was waiting for enough free time to write something witty or insightful for today's post . . . but the way things have been lately, that might not happen 'til August 2010. So, here are a few snapshots from a pivotal trip to Southern California last month, shooting new material for a possible second book. The roadside-related project isn't exactly on a fast track . . . but it also won't take 18 years like the last one. :-)

Squeezed between two weekend weddings, these 5 days of shooting took me to wonderful extremes of geography and culture that make California famous, as well as some unexpected high and low points. Bottom line, I was happy with the first "test drive" for this concept -- a good sign. Hope you enjoy the samples below. (*click images to "biggify")

Safari Inn at twilight, Burbank

Tramway Road, Palm Springs

Signs, Echo Park, Los Angeles

Union Pacific eastbound, Salton Sea

House of Spirits liquor store, Los Angeles

PS - Watch for photos soon from the amazing "Orbit In" hotel, one of the highlights of an impromptu stay in Palm Springs.