The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona recently announced it had awarded a $10,000 grant to Grand Canyon Caverns and a $5,000 grant to the Snow Cap Drive-In.
The association stated in its newsletter the grant to Grand Canyon Caverns will help the Peach Springs landmark repair its elevator.
The elevator broke down in October, leaving a half-dozen tourists stranded 200 feet underground for hours.
The elevator is the only viable way to take visitors to the caverns, and tours are on hold as a result.
The Snow Cap Drive-In restaurant in Seligman is marking its 70th anniversary along Route 66. Juan Delgadillo, who died in 2004, built it. His family continues to operate the whimsical eatery.
As previously reported, the Seligman Chamber of Commerce a few weeks ago also received a $10,000 grant from the association to help build new welcome arches along the east and west ends of Route 66. A GoFundMe.com campaign is more than halfway to its goal of $50,000.
The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona receives revenue from the Arizona Route 66 license plate program it launched in December 2016.
That cash flow has enabled it to move away from being a membership-based organization, and it regularly has doled out grants to Route 66 sites in the state.
(Image of the interior of Grand Canyon Caverns by Michael Kappel; image of the interior of Grand Canyon Caverns by Michael Kappel, both via Flickr)