The sign for the Frontier Motel and Restaurant was easy to spot as we rolled into Truxton - lovely, bright neon and really, really big! Built in 1951, the Frontier is one of the many mom and pop motels that still line Route 66. Working in partnership with the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the Frontier Motel was able to give their neon sign new life in 2002 thanks to a grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
Life along the road is not always easy for these businesses, and in fact the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the mom and pop motels of Route 66 to their 11 Most Endangered List in 2007. You can learn more about how successful the 11 Most Endangered List has been in galvanizing preservation efforts across the county by clicking here. Curious about which properties made the 11 Most Endangered List of 2008? Check out this article from the July/Aug issue of Preservation Magazine.
We understand that the Frontier Motel and Restaurant is currently for sale so, if anyone out there has ever dreamed of moving to Arizona and operating a mom and pop motel along Route 66, here's your chance. We hope the Frontier will be serving travelers for decades to come.
Peach Springs offered up the wonderful John Osterman Gas Station, recently nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1929 by a Swedish immigrant, the station is now in need of complete restoration. Things look hopeful as the Hualapai Tribe is making plans to restore the building and reopen as a working gas station along with a workshop and gift shop featuring Hualapai artists. In 2007, the Hualapai Tribe was awarded a grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for development of a preservation plan and emergency stabilization. They are currently working to raise additional monies for restoration. 
East of Peach Springs we found a great example of an all-in-one roadside destination. The Grand Canyon Caverns offers a tidy motel, cabins, a restaurant, jeep tours, riding stables, cavern tours, and a fierce roadside dinosaur. The property is huge, but the owners hard work is very apparent in the welcoming feel of the place, even when stopping by late at night.
Driving on to Seligman we knew we had to stop by one of the most famous businesses along Route 66, Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive In. Built by Juan Delgadillo and his family from scrap lumber, the Snow Cap has been operating along Route 66 since 1953. In addition to creating an iconic roadside restaurant, Juan and his brother Angel also helped form the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. More information about this association can be found here.
We'll see you tomorrow with more preservation news and updates!
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