[April 19, 2017]      

On Saturday, a piece of local Route 66 history fell to the wayside as demolition crews arrived and took down the old Tropics restaurant at the corner of Woodlawn Road and Lincoln Parkway.

Though it was a sad day for many who gathered to watch including Tami Goodrich, whose parents owned and operated the Tropics for many years, it was also a day for a new beginning in Lincoln.

McDonald's will be building a new and larger fast food restaurant on that corner. The current restaurant is always busy, and employees local people. The new restaurant will allow for more dining area and offer a greater appeal to tourists and local folks alike.

Located on Route 66, the restaurant will be a great stopping place for tourists when it opens. Add to this the fact that though the Tropics is gone, the well-known Tropics sign will return to the vicinity when it has been restored. McDonald's has agreed to permit the sign to be placed in their parking lot. Also, the sign will be placed in a serene and visitor-friendly setting, so that those avid Route 66'ers will be able to stop, get out of their vehicles, walk around the little garden area surrounding the sign, and even safely take photos.
 

Pictures by  Nila Smith