An exhibit at the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum spotlights Route 66. It features photographs of motels, restaurants, and some ephemera. It runs until March 28, 2009.
Denny’s colorful windmill lights up Arcadia’s holiday spirits. The blades have been carefully fabricated and the official “turn-on” took place Friday, November 30. It now runs counterclockwise, 24-hours a day with LED lights. The restaurant used to be Van De Kamp’s.
Diners line up to get last meal at Rod's Grill in Arcadia. Restaurant that has served generations of people closes on Sunday (yesterday). Hundreds of diners made a final pilgrimage to Rod's Grill in Arcadia at 41 W. Huntington Drive, along Historic Route 66. Rod Wellman started the restaurant in 1946 in Alhambra. The Arcadia location opened in 1957 offering 10 cent coffees and 40 cent slices of pie a la mode. Wellman's sons Barry and Brian took over years later, then Manny Romero bought it about 25 years ago and kept its vintage vibe. Romero was an immigrant from Mexico. He died in 2021. Television shows such as This is Us, Mad Men, Last Man Standing, and Luck, had filmed episodes there. See hard copy in VF. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3, A4, February 9, 2023.
Iconic windmill spins once more at Denny’s. Less than a year after it detached and crashed into the restaurant, the windmill atop the Arcadia Denny’s is spinning again at the northeast corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue. One new addition to the windmill is LED lighting capable of changing colors. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 11, November 29, 2018.
Intersection of Huntington Drive and First Avenue on Armistice Day, 1936 (1934?). There are two girls dressed as nurses driving a carriage pulled by a horse. Both carriage and horse and decorated. The Arcadia sign hangs overhead.
Landmarks are slowly disappearing along Route 66. Preservationists have kept some relics such as the historic windmill atop Denny's restaurant which dates back to its days as a Van de Kamp's coffee shop from the wrecking ball.
Monrovia's Aztec Hotel is showcasing fine art in its non-profit Aztec Art Center Route 66 Gallery. Visitors are not just from Monrovia, but from Pasadena, Duarte and Arcadia. A painting by Manuel Barillas is pictured. The hotel is owned by Kathie Reece-McNeill. The hotel was designed in 1925 by English architect Robert Stacy-Judd and was inspired by Mayan and Aztect structures. The building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
"Mother Road"-clear road ahead to make Route 66 a historic trail. A bill that passed the House of Representatives by unanimous vote June 5, could make Route 66 a National Historic Trail, meaning the 2400 mile road that passes through 8 states, could get federal dollars for preservation, promotion and rehabilitation. Part of the road runs through Arcadia.
Peggy Zabel, a computer aide at Hugo Reid Elementary School, went on a road trip on historic Route 66. The trip totaled 6,240 miles and she e-mailed her journal and photos to students at Hugo Reid Elementary School.
Rod's Grill, Arcadia's beloved classic diner, announces its closure after nearly 70 years. Closing date will be Sunday, February 12, 2023. It is located at 41 West Huntington Drive, along Historic Route 66. The diner began as a small chain of restaurants in 1946, with the Arcadia location opening in 1957.