This story by the Edwardsville (Ill.) Journal is a case study about how the surge of Route 66 tourism, beginning in the 1990s, has probably helped keep alive many old motels.
The motel in question is the Apple Valley Motel in nearby Mitchell, Ill., which dates to the 1940s or ’50s and has just 17 rooms.
But it also has stable management (the same woman has run it for 15 years), and it’s been good enough to be listed at least a few times in the Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide.