Road Runner’s Retreat

Road Runner’s Retreat. Route 66 Roadside Service Areas. , From Chicago to Santa Monica Route 66 was dotted with roadside cafes and gas stations. These stops provided a respite for those traveling The Mother Road offering a refreshing soft drink, a burger and fries, or an eye-popping cup of coffee as well as a tank of gas. Between Amboy to the west and Chambless to the east stood The Road Runner’s Retreat with its iconic neon sign. The upswept canopy over the gas pumps was in the style of “Googie” architecture – An architectural movement heavenly influenced by the space age, jet aircraft, and the car culture. Road Runner’s Retreat was somewhat of a late-comer on the Route 66 scene: it was built in 1962 by Roy Tull and his wife Helen. Shortly after opening, the retreat was purchased by “Duke” Dotson and his wife Virginia. They and their children moved into a mobile home behind the restaurant and gas station and began serving customers. The Dotson kids attended school at Amboy and later Needles. During the sixties, many of the Dotson’s employees were itinerant; traveling along Route 66, a husband and wife team would phone ahead to the Road Runner’s Retreat asking about employment, upon arriving, the husband might work as cook or in the gas station, while the wife waited tables. After a few weeks or months, they move on, to be replaced by other wanderers of the west. Duke Dotson also started a towing service, and was given the Auto Club contract for the area. The tow trucks were built on site, and Duke boasted that he and his crew could fix anything. The Road Runner’s Retreat and the Dotson’s served thousands of travelers until Interstate 40 was opened in 1973. According to Duke’s son, Duke Junior, the opening of I-40 was “like shutting off a faucet” on Route 66. The day before the interstate opened, traffic was heavy on Route 66. The next day, there was no one. Like many other Route 66 gas stations, cafes, and attractions, The Road Runner’s Retreat closed shortly thereafter. The Dotson’s sold the property to the Murphy’s, whose family carries on the legacy. The restaurant burned down in 2020; however the Murphy family has plans for the site, including renovation of its world famous sign., Plaque dedicated October 15, 2023 (Clampyear 6028) by the Billy Holcomb Chapter of The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus in cooperation with the Murphy family.