Readers of Route 66 News may remember a story about Vintage Roadside, an Oregon company that specializes in T-shirts featuring cool graphics of defunct roadside businesses from the 1930s to the ’60s. Vintage Roadside recently started offering photographs, too.
One of their apparel offerings featured a Route 66 business — the B&B Rancho in Rialto, Calif.
Today, Vintage Roadside released its latest T-shirt featuring a Route 66 business — the Zia Lodge in Albuquerque, N.M. Here’s a exclusive bonus — Route 66 News readers can order those shirts at a discount for a limited time.
Here’s an image of the men’s T-shirt:
Here’s an image from the women’s T-shirt. Note that the image is the same, but the shirt itself sports a brighter blue and more of a woman’s fit.
Here’s information about the Zia on the Web site:
Albuquerque’s Zia Lodge was one of the many motor courts that, along with other icons such as the El Vado, the De Anza, and the El Don, lined Route 66’s greatest commercial stretch — Central Avenue.
Opened in 1938, the Zia Lodge offered the traveler every new comfort of the era. With the memory of primitive auto camps still fresh in many travelers’ minds, the Zia Lodge enticed guests with safe steam heat, tiled baths, electric refrigeration, furnishings of the highest quality and even a garage for your car. Here’s what one couple had to say about their time at the Zia Lodge:
“Dear Folks,
Boy do they have swanky overnight places here – reasonable. The only trouble is, it’s so far from good old New England.
Everett & Hazel
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
July 30th, 1941.”The Zia Lodge was one of dozens of businesses that flourished from the 1937 realignment of Route 66. This new route created a continuous 18-mile business district running east to west through the heart of Albuquerque.
While each end of Central was lined with motor courts and motels, cafes, and service stations catering to the automobile, the downtown section was not to be left out and created its own riot of neon beckoning all to spend time in local department stores, restaurants and theaters. There was truly no shortage of options in Albuquerque. In 1955 alone, travelers had their choice of 98 motels and motor courts! The mid-to late 1950s proved to be the heyday of this stretch of Route 66, as changes in the way America traveled were already under way.
Many of Albuquerque ‘s Route 66 businesses began to feel the same impact as thousands of others across the country when construction began on a series of interstates. It was at this point that travel started to become more about the destination and less about the journey. Motorists simply didn’t take the time to drive through the old business district. Central Avenue’s decline was sealed with the 1962 completion of I-40. The Zia Lodge was ultimately lost to fire in late 2004. However, it’s fair to say it had been gone for quite some time.
The Zia Lodge remains one of the most widely and fondly remembered motor courts along Route 66. With its Pueblo architecture, charming garages, courteous service, iconic sign and their claim to be “the last word in motor lodge comfort and convenience,” the Zia Lodge is still the type of motor court we all hope to find at the end of a long day on the road.
The Zia Lodge shirts will be offered for $17 apiece, plus shipping, until midnight PST Friday to Route 66 News readers, in advance of an official news release about the shirts. The regular price is $20 for men’s and $22 for women’s, so it’s at least a 15 percent discount. The shirts are 100 percent ring-spun cotton with a hand-screened image.
Here’s the link to buy the Zia tees.
And in case you’re wondering, I’m not getting a cut of the action. Route 66 News and Vintage Roadside both like Route 66 and its vintage businesses. Let’s just say that we’re members of the Mutual Admiration Society.