Tahitian Inn
Tampa, FL Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Ooh, tiki! Florida doesn't disappoint in this arena with grand Tahitian
Inn of Tampa. The Tahitian Inn sports great Polynesian lettering to
go along with the arrowheads pointing off the top of the sign.
UPDATE 05/13 : Unfortunately it appears that the Tahitian Inn sign has been replaced though the hotel lives on. 05-13
Grant Motel
St. Petersburg, FL Photo and info courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
Most likely the Grant Motel was built to allure Florida tourists
who were visiting Sunken Gardens, which is just a hop, skip and a jump
down the road. It is one of the oldest attractions in Florida opened in
1935. The park, recently taken over by the state, is set 15-feet below
street level and is filled with hundreds of tropical plants and some scattered
birds and animals.
Cadillac Motel
Fanning Springs, FL Photo and info courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
The Cadillac Motel is located on North US 19 in Fanning Springs,
Florida. It is locally owned by a couple and is within walking distance
of the famous Swanee River. "The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)"
is the official state song of Florida. There is a memorial to its author,
Stephen C. Foster, in White Springs even though he never actually visited
the state.
Sun Plaza Motel
Ocala, FL Photo and info courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
The Sun Plaza is located on SR 40 in Ocala, Florida. The 47 room
hotel has been family owned and operated for 40 years. It has many of
the little amenities that you just don't find in the chain hotels anymore;
a large children's playground, picnic area, and even shuffleboard courts.
The place is well kept up and with its neon marquee, the Sun just seems
to light up the roadside.
Sandman Motel
St. Petersburg, FL Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
The Sandman Motel is a fantastic pastel color. Looks like a scene
straight out of a dream.
Sandman Marquee (close-up) Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Author Jack Kerouac spent his last years in a home not far from these
motels with his wife and mother. His life "on the road" ended
here in 1969 with an abdominal hemorrhage in large part due to his alcoholism.
Info above courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
UPDATE 05/13 : The Sandman Motel sign has been replace by a plain version. 05-13
Tahitian Inn
Grant Motel
Cadillac Motel
Sun Plaza Motel
Sandman Motel
The Sandman Motel is a fantastic pastel color. Looks like a scene
straight out of a dream. 
