Historic Route 66 - Westward Ho Motel - Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. - National Scenic Byways on Waymarking.com

Today's Route 66 travelers are thrilled by the evening ride through Albuquerque, or rolling through New Mexico cities, along the Historic Route 66 corridor, with their flashing, spinning, rotating, & brightly coloured neon lights.

The Westward Ho Motel Neon is mostly working except for the top of the cactus, which is dark. The web site listed below has a daylight photo but the text is missing, probably a photo taken before its refurbishment in 2002. See: (visit link) or (visit link)

"The Westward Ho Motel, built in 1948, includes a saguaro cactus on its neon sign. Brite Lite Neon (Albuquerque) handled the neon glass and electrical work and restored the sign in 2002. To supplement their financial match for the project, the motel owners refinished and repainted the sign themselves.

Route 66 is brightly lit through New Mexico, thanks to the efforts of the Route 66 Neon Restoration Project. Managed by the New Mexico Route 66 Association, partnering with the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division and the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Office, more than ten signs have been restored to date. From the wonderful TeePee Curio Shop in Tucumcari to the wild and crazy neon Rotosphere in Moriarty.

After World War II, companies believed advertising with neon signs helped their businesses. Before long streets were lined with a palette of sapphire blue, ruby red, sizzling orange and emerald greens, promising all manner of adventure, home cookin’ and other travel services.

Cowboys whirling lassos, sombreros sitting atop Mexican restaurants, teepees providing shelter for the evening, cactus, longhorn steers, and all types of neon critters adorned the night, calling out to Route 66 travelers to stop and experience something unique.

Those were the good ole’ days. But over the years, one by one, these once glorious signs began to blink into darkness, leaving little more than a peeling façade, where once brilliant colors harkened."
Text Source: (visit link)


Physical Location:
7500 Central Ave, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Program: America's Byways Website: [Web Link] Official Name: Historic Route 66

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