A Brief Update With Info on More Roadside Losses
Las Vegas, NV - Months seem like an eternity when it comes to lost roadside treasures. In Las Vegas, weeks are an eternity.
It was quite a shock to see Fremont Blvd. and the Valley Motel without its western themed neon sign. When Fremont lost the giant Ugly Duckling sign, it was a disappointment. Losing the great neon sign of the Valley Motel to a backlit plastic sign is a real shame.
Casinos come and casinos go. At least that appears to be the latest Vegas theme. Or rather, it's condos come and casinos go. As widely reported, the Showboat/Castaways is just a lot with large mounds of rubble, though a couple of the marquees still remain. The Boardwalk is now boarded up. The Westward Ho is walled and also boarded up. Bourbon Street has already met the wrecking ball and is partially demolished. Even the venerable Stardust Hotel is scheduled to disappear, to be replaced by a mega-resort. It's amazing how the valet's can keep their attitudes up as they have given the uncertainty of the Stardust. Must have been the pleasant conversation about digital SLR's... gadgets will do that to you. Word is the Frontier and the Tropicana are also in danger. Not to mention the Riviera and the Imperial Palace. There was a bulldozer at the Lady Luck though the casino was open for business.
More info on other places that have changed or disappeared as well as both pre and current photos to come in the next few days.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas, TX - Now you see them now you don't. Oh, we're talking about the Circle Inn and Prince of Hamburgers of Dallas, TX. Yes, the Circle and Prince have joined the Armet and Davis coffee shop EZ Burgers at the roadside treasure chest in the sky. The Circle Inn lot is planned for a light rail system. Photos and more info to come!
Many thanks to Mary Schlepphorst for this info and soon to come photos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Route 66 - Changes are also underfoot along The Mother Road. A recent trip to the great NM Route 66 town of Gallup showed quite a few closed landmarks, including the Ranch Kitchen, Kristy's Coffee Shop, the Paramount Cafe, the Shalimar Inn, and others. Not to mention the loss of the Log Cabin Motel which had been vacant for quite some time. The El Vado in Albuquerque has been on a seesaw for sometime with the new owner wanting to tear down this landmark.
Now, after perusing the Route 66 News website with its daily news information about the Mother Road, shocking is the right term for the news that the Diamonds Restaurant near Pacific, MO may soon become rubble. During a visit to the site, most recently a couple of years ago, the building was completely vacant, so I guess this news is as much of a shock after all. Not as much of a surprise as when the Red Garter Inn announced that it was closing. Now, what's was really gut-wrenching to read is that The Chain of Rocks Motel marquee was replaced by an Economy Inn plastic sign. The Chain of Rocks sign was always a delight to stop and see as it was not too far from the Chain of Rocks Bridge and the remains of the Bel Air Drive-in. I recommend reading the Route 66 News website routinely as the updates are well written and updates are daily.
More info coming soon on some lost treasures here in California as well as photos of all of the locations discussed here. |