The neon sign of the Western Capri Motel in southwest Tulsa was replaced last week with a less interesting sign, I discovered Wednesday.

The motel is on the Skelly Drive alignment of Route 66, near Interstate 44 / Oklahoma 66.

I talked to Dara, who was working the front desk of the motel. I asked why the sign was replaced. She replied: “I didn’t work good … it was too expensive to fix.”

I asked what happened to the old sign. She shrugged and said, “I think they put it in the garbage.” She didn’t seem certain, however. She didn’t remember the sign company that took down the old sign and replaced it, either.

I figured the old sign dated to the 1960s. But according to an obscure reference I found, it appears it dates to at least the 1950s.

Below is a photo I took of the new sign.

Sigh.

The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader reminds us that amateur radio operators across the nation are celebrating the 80th anniversary of Route 66 today through Sept. 17.

That includes broadcasts today from Route 66 Days in Strafford, Mo., and, from what I hear, Route 66 Harley Davidson in Tulsa.

The Citrus Belt Amateur Radio Club in California is organizing the event.

The neon sign from the closed Lewis Motel on Route 66 in Vinita, Okla., is for sale on eBay. You can see the listing here.

Bidding starts at $50, and the auction ends in about a week.

There’s sad news about the motel, though. The seller says:

The motel has recently closed and will be torn down in the near future. The owners wanted to auction this sign to Route 66 enthusiasts. If it does not sell then it will head to the dump with the rest of the motel.

Perhaps nothing can be done about the motel. But I know at least one Route 66er is going to bid on the sign. I don’t anticipate this sign going to the landfill — especially with such a low starting price and no reserve.

• Anthony Ross, whose roadside artwork has been mentioned on this site, has a new blog, Roadsigns.
• Steve and Lizzie have Route 66 included in Steve and Lizzie’s Great American Road Trip blog.
• Jgmoney has created a new blog called Postcards from the Mother Road. He and Nancy are driving the entire length of Route 66 in a red Mustang convertible, starting Sunday.
• Kim Pagel of Creating Space for One More Person saw the “Cars” movie and reflects on how his hometown of Toledo, Iowa, which is on the historic Lincoln Highway, became altered by interstate bypasses.