White Tail Resort Motel
Brevort, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a look at the White Tail Resort Motel in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The rustic, western-style sign is what first grabs your attention, with its woodsy look fitting right in along U.S. 2. It's the kind of sign that makes you wonder what's waiting just beyond the trees. 12-08

The White Tail has long been a convenient stop for travelers exploring the Upper Peninsula. Along with motel rooms, the property also offers an RV park and a family restaurant, making it a popular place to spend the night or grab a meal before continuing down the highway. The restaurant is especially well known for serving Upper Peninsula favorites like pasties and fresh whitefish.

The old marquee still gives the place plenty of personality. It's a nice reminder of the days when independently owned roadside resorts welcomed vacationers heading toward the Mackinac Bridge, Lake Michigan, and the forests beyond.

UPDATE: The White Tail Resort Motel is still open and continues to welcome travelers along U.S. 2 under new ownership. Fortunately, the rustic roadside sign is still standing and remains one of the property's best features. 07-26

Satis Beach Motel (Demolished)
St Ignace, MI
Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a look at the old Satis Beach Motel in St. Ignace. The weathered roadside sign has definitely seen better days. Most of the neon is already gone, the painted sun has faded from years in the elements, and the whole sign has that tired look that often means uncertain times lie ahead. Still, it manages to catch your eye. Hopefully this sign won't leave the roadside anytime soon. 12-08

At the time this photo was taken, the motel had already closed and was up for sale. It's always hard to see an old roadside place reach that point, especially when the sign still hints at how inviting it must have looked years earlier. Sometimes even a faded sign tells a pretty good story.

UPDATE: The Satis Beach Motel is gone, and the old roadside sign has disappeared as well. It's a shame this one couldn't find a second life, as it was another reminder of the independent motels that once lined the roads around St. Ignace. 07-26

Beachcomber Motel (Gone)
Manistique, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a look at the old Beachcomber Motel in Manistique, where the faded roadside sign still hints at brighter days. The large boomerang arrow and weathered lettering have definitely seen better years, but they still do a nice job of catching your eye along U.S. 2. Even as the sign showed its age, the motel was keeping up with the times by advertising free breakfast and wireless internet. 12-08

The Beachcomber welcomed travelers for decades from its spot near the shore of Lake Michigan. Its single-story layout and drive-up rooms were typical of the roadside motels that once lined highways across the Upper Peninsula, offering a convenient stop for vacationers exploring the region.

UPDATE: The Beachcomber Motel has since closed, and the vintage roadside sign has been removed. It's a shame the old boomerang arrow didn't survive, as it gave the property plenty of character. 07-26

Star Motel
Manistique, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a look at the Star Motel in Manistique, where the retro marquee still does what it was designed to do—catch the attention of travelers along U.S. 2. The large star gives the sign plenty of character, while the lettering below reminds motorists that the motel has kept up with the times by offering modern conveniences like free internet. 12-08

The Star Motel sits along the Lake Michigan shoreline and has long been a popular stop for travelers exploring Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Its classic single-story, drive-up layout is just what you'd expect from a roadside motel of this era, making it an easy place to pull in for the night.

It's always nice to see an old sign that's still doing its job. The star remains the centerpiece of the property and gives the motel a personality that many newer chain hotels simply can't match.

UPDATE: The Star Motel is still open and continues to welcome travelers along U.S. 2. Better yet, the vintage star-topped marquee is still standing, making it one of the nicer surviving roadside motel signs in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 07-26

Straits View Motel (Closed)
St Ignace, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a look at the Straits View Motel in St. Ignace. While the marquee isn't a classic neon design, it still has plenty of personality thanks to the painted Mackinac Bridge scene across the top. It's a fun touch that lets travelers know they're getting close to one of Michigan's best-known landmarks. 12-08

The Straits View was one of those independent roadside motels that offered a quieter alternative to the larger chain hotels. Located along U.S. 2, it welcomed travelers with simple accommodations and a relaxed setting overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. Sometimes a creative sign was all it took to convince someone to pull in for the night.

UPDATE: The Straits View Motel has since closed. Not sure if the old bridge-themed sign is still around, but hopefully it managed to avoid the scrap pile. 07-26

Pines Motel (Closed)
St Ignace, MI
Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a look at the Pines Motel in St. Ignace. The roadside sign may have lost its neon years ago, but the empty tube holes hint that it once looked quite a bit different. It almost seems like the sign may have carried another name at one time, adding a little mystery to this old roadside stop. 12-08

Opened in 1954, the Pines Motel was a family-owned, log cabin-style motor court that fit right in with Michigan's north woods. Its cozy knotty pine rooms and simple roadside layout made it a popular stop for travelers exploring the Upper Peninsula and the Mackinac area.

Even without the neon, the old sign still had enough character to catch your eye. Sometimes it's those little clues—like the unused tube holes—that make an old motel sign even more interesting than when it was new.

UPDATE: The Pines Motel has since closed following the sale of the property. The old sign remains stripped of its neon, and it isn't clear what the future holds for either the motel or the sign. 07-26

Holiday Motel
Manistique, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a look at the Holiday Motel in Manistique, where the roadside sign welcomes travelers along U.S. 2 through Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It's a simple, inviting setup that's easy to spot after a long day on the road, making it the kind of place many motorists would have pulled into for the night. 12-08

The Holiday Motel opened in 1980 and features a traditional single-story, drive-up layout with rooms facing the parking area. Over the years, the property has been updated by new owners while continuing to serve travelers exploring the Upper Peninsula. Sometimes it's the smaller, independently owned motels like this that make a road trip a little more memorable.

UPDATE: The Holiday Motel is still open and welcoming guests. The original roadside sign has since been replaced with a newer wooden sign, but the motel continues to operate along U.S. 2. 07-26