The years-long quest to restore the long-dark neon sign at the defunct Road Runner’s Retreat truck stop near Chambless, California, soon will become a reality.
The Facebook account for the site announced a few days ago that it would host a relighting ceremony for the sign on Nov. 8.
It stated that more details would be announced later. An event posting for the relighting stated the festivities would begin at 3 p.m. that day.
According to weather data, civil dusk at that time of year would be at 5:17 p.m. local time.
The sign was repainted last spring.
Road Runner’s Retreat in 2023 received a $17,000 cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for the third phase of restoring the sign.
It also received a $5,386 cost-share grant from the agency in 2022 to help pay for restoration planning for the sign.
On a lark in 2019, the owners ran some electrical current through the sign the same night of the relighting ceremony at Roy’s Motel & Cafe sign in nearby Amboy, California.
Much to their surprise, parts of the sign glowed again. That started the ball rolling for a full restoration.
Site owner Ryan Anderson has organized annual volunteer cleanups at the site.
Roy and Helen Tull built Road Runner’s Retreat along Route 66 in the early 1960s. The business closed in the mid-1970s after Interstate 40 bypassed the area.
Bill Ross Murphy purchased the property after it had been closed for some time, intending never to reopen it but to maintain it as much as possible.
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Why does Roadrunner have the neck, head, and beak of a goose???
Meep Meep.