The folks who are trying to renovate the previously long-neglected Triangle Motel on Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, have launched a new fundraiser.

You can adopt a brick on the motel complex’s south wall on Triangle Drive, which is an older alignment of Route 66, for $15 apiece. Certificates will be mailed to adoptees. Proceeds will go toward the Triangle’s restoration work.

Brick No. 66 also is open to the highest bidder.

For a form to fill out and mail to the Triangle or for more information, go here.

Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday it is planning a major revamp of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., including a “Cars Land” inspired by last summer’s “Cars” movie.

Here are the details about Cars Land:

The expansion will culminate with an entirely new, 12-acre addition: Cars Land, immersing guests into a world inspired by the hit Disney/Pixar movie, Cars, playing to America’s love affair with automobiles.

Radiator Springs Racers, a major “E-ticket” attraction, places guests right in the middle of the amazingly detailed, dimensional Cars world of Mater, Lightning McQueen, Doc and Sally. Guests get a quick race briefing from Doc and Lightning, and suddenly find themselves in the midst of a race around hairpin turns and steep banks.

Cars Land increases capacity to the park with two additional immersive family rides, featuring Luigi and Mater from the movie. Cars Land represents an unprecedented level of collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Disney Imagineering to create this extensive new area. The new land will substantially extend the total area of Disney’s California Adventure park.

Here is an artist’s conception of Cars Land, courtesy of Disney:

The Los Angeles Times reports the total renovation project will cost more than $1 billion and will be finished by 2012.

(Hat tip: Helen Baker.)

Lately, I’d been getting e-mails from Illinois Route 66ers, telling me there was grave activity occurring at the historic Wishing Well Motel on Route 66 in the Chicago suburb of Countryside, Ill.

One observer said the motel’s electrical meters and water main had been removed. Others had reported that fencing had been erected around the structure. Those things are usually signs of an impending demolition.

Today, MJP Development of nearby Kankakee confirmed that the Wishing Well Motel will be knocked down any day. Tina Laws, the office manager, said a fire broke out recently on the property, and the City of Countryside was pressuring MJP to tear down the buildings because of that and vagrants breaking into it.

The future of the Wishing Well looked grim when longtime owner Zora Vidas died of cancer a few years ago. The Wishing Well had owned by her and her husband, who died in 1985, for almost 45 years.

In fact, the Wishing Well had only three owners since it was built in 1941. Celebrities such as Guy Lombardo, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the rock band Chicago have stayed there. The motel also was a member of the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame. Here’s a good site about the history of the Wishing Well.

When Zora died, the Vidases’ two sons didn’t live in the area and had no interest in running a motel. It’s been for sale for at least three years, and Laws said MJP has “a backup plan” for redevelopment if it doesn’t sell. A mixed-use development of retail and residential has been proposed there before. Laws said the Wishing Well’s sign will remain, however.

I’d stayed at the Wishing Well at least twice. It was a well-maintained vintage motel, it was at a good hopping-off point to explore Route 66 in Chicagoland, and its price of $40 a night it couldn’t be beat. Zora was a quiet yet amicable presence at the motel. She occasionally handed out vintage postcards of the Wishing Well Motel (seen above) to her guests.

The Wishing Well will be missed.

UPDATE: The Wishing Well was torn down Nov. 13. Check John and Lenore Weiss’ comments for some details.

UPDATE2: Based on reports by The Lope’s blog, it looks like the Wishing Well was all gone by late November.

I found this LiveJournal item, via Duke City Fix, that passes on distressing news about an Albuquerque motel on Central Avenue (aka Route 66):

The Central Park Deli and Silver Moon Lodge, (aka “Grand Western Motor Inn”) Built in 1953 is closing Oct 15 2007.

This 1950’s era motel and restaurant is a prime example of the history that was a big part of the RT66 1950’s lifestyle.

It will be torn down and over the next 2 years some new hotel or motel will take its place.

You can see my tribute photoset here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/killbox/sets/72157602420993684/

The Silver Moon’s Web site is still up. But I called the motel’s two numbers, and no one is answering. Archive searches of the city’s two newspapers don’t reveal anything about the motel, either.

Anyone know anything?

UPDATE 10/17/07: Theo Barela, president of Peak Hospitality, confirmed that the Silver Moon Lodge will be razed to make way for combination hotel-retail-residential development.

Barela said concepts for the redevelopment are still on the drawing board, and Peak hopes to begin construction on it a year from now. He wants to take advantage of the Silver Moon’s location, which is near a growing downtown.

When asked whether Peak considered fixing up the Silver Moon Lodge, Barela replied: “We spent $1 million renovating it when we bought it seven years ago. The plumbing and water systems were starting to go. … The numbers didn’t work out (on a renovation).”

Relax, it’s not a real-time video.

YouTube poster SpeedyYellow has uploaded footage of a drive on Oatman Road, aka Route 66, just west of Kingman, Ariz., to the small town of Oatman in the Black Mountains. The footage runs at double speed “so you don’t have to sit here all day,” the poster writes.

The posted speed limit on Oatman Road varies, but it’s usually about 25 mph — for good reason. You can see the wrecked cars — casualties of the road’s many switchbacks — in the bottoms of ravines as you drive there.

It’s sort of like a roller-coaster ride, isn’t it?

The Joplin (Mo.) Globe reports that federal EPA and state officials are looking at ways to reuse abandoned gas stations along Route 66 into productive businesses. The discussion took place in Galena, Kan.

Doyle said a survey found 45 abandoned gas stations along Route 66 from St. Louis, Mo., to Baxter Springs. He said there are three such gas stations in Galena and at least six in Baxter Springs.

Doyle said buried fuel tanks pose environmental risks at abandoned gas stations. [...]

Doyle said the EPA would finance environmental cleanups of one gas station each in Missouri and Kansas as part of a pilot program. He was asked by a meeting participant what level of funding would be provided.

“It depends,” Doyle said. “This is the first time we’ve done something like this.”

The story goes on to mention good gas-station reuses in the area, including the recently opened Route 66 Visitors Center in Baxter Springs, Kan., and the 4 Women on the Route visitors center and cafe in Galena.

The program is no doubt inspired by a similar one along Route 66 in Arizona, in which old underground gas tanks are removed to make the properties more attractive for reuse.

A few people have grumbled about the loss of these crumbling structures. I admit, there is beauty in decay in some instances. But eventually, these ruins crumble into dust and nothing is left to admire.

But, ultimately, a business along Route 66 is better than no business at all. The Mother Road is a road of commerce and always has been. If Route 66 continues to become more economically viable, the more tourists will flock to it.

I never thought Route 66 News would have something about new fashion, but here it is.

Richie Rich and Traver Rains of Heatherette put together a show called “Route 66: California or Bust” during L.A. Fashion Week.

Here’s how Associated Press entertainment writer Sandy Cohen described the collection:

… a whimsical collection of bedazzled Speedo-style swim trunks, dresses dripping with lace, sequins and fringe and swingy skirts in bold graphic prints.

The report contains eight photos from the show.

By my eye, the styles remind me of what was coming out of 1970s punk and 1980s synth-pop music.

Here’s a video of the designers preparing for the upcoming show:

Some of those models could have hit the buffet table a little harder, though.