Knotty Pines Motel (Demolished)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Travel east through Winslow on old Route 66 and the Knotty Pines Motel sign once greeted motorists near the edge of town. With its rustic name and classic roadside shape, the marquee promised a comfortable stop after another long day crossing northern Arizona. 09-21

The Knotty Pines opened in 1958, owned by Ralph Miller and Bill Martin. Its 45 deluxe rooms made it one of the larger motor courts in Winslow, and early advertising proudly called it the town’s “Newest and Largest.” The eastbound lanes of Route 66 passed right by the property, bringing a steady supply of travelers to its doors.

The Bear’s Den Restaurant and Lounge later operated on the motel grounds, adding food and cocktails to the overnight accommodations. Between the Knotty Pines and the Bear’s Den, there was certainly no shortage of woodsy roadside naming going on here.

Knotty Pines Motel (Gone)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

After Interstate 40 pulled traffic away from town, the motel declined and most of its 45-room motor court was eventually demolished. The surviving commercial portion later became PT’s Bar and then Tom’s Tavern. Fortunately, the old motel sign was not completely lost. Its frame and familiar shape remain, although the original Knotty Pines lettering and neon have been altered for later businesses. 09-21

UPDATE: Most of the Knotty Pines Motel has been demolished, and the surviving portion of the property now operates as Tom’s Tavern. The old roadside sign remains in altered form along the eastbound Route 66 corridor. 09-26

Westerner Motel (Closed)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

On the westbound side of Route 66 through Winslow, the old Westerner Motel sign made a wonderfully straightforward promise: “A Very Clean Motel.” The big multi-panel marquee stood above a small corner building that appears to have spent time as a barber shop and tire business. Nothing like getting a haircut, patching a tire, and checking into a very clean room all in one stop.

The Westerner opened in 1948 with 32 rooms. Its property stretched across the end of an entire block, taking advantage of Winslow’s divided Route 66 alignment. A single-story wing faced eastbound travelers on 2nd Street, while the later two-story section and the big sign greeted westbound traffic along 3rd Street. 09-21

Westerner Motel (Closed)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Early advertising also promised refrigerated air, tile showers, and a swimming pool that was reportedly dug by hand. The pool was eventually filled with dirt, although its concrete outline could still be picked out in the parking area.

The Westerner stopped serving highway travelers and became apartments by 1994. The two-story motel wing later underwent additional remodeling, but the old “Very Clean Motel” sign was removed from above the corner building. Whether it was saved by a collector or simply scrapped remains unknown.

UPDATE: The Westerner Motel no longer operates as overnight lodging, and its former rooms have been converted for residential use. The vintage roadside sign was removed during later renovations, and its present whereabouts are unknown. 09-26

LZ Budget Motel (Demolished)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Heading east through Winslow, the LZ Budget Motel once waited beside Route 66 near the Falcon Restaurant. The low roadside rooms and simple “Budget Motel” sign were reminders of the days when this end of town was lined with places built for travelers heading west. 09-21

The motel began during the 1940s as the 66 Motor Court. It was later purchased by Lee Elzey, a local businessman who renamed it the LZ Motor Court, using his own last name for the new initials. The name eventually became LZ Budget Motel, although plenty of travelers simply knew it as the Budget Motel.

Whiting Brothers purchased the property in 1969 and added seven rooms to the original 16-unit court. The familiar Route 66 company operated it as a Whiting Brothers Motor Hotel beside one of its gasoline stations. After Whiting Brothers left in the early 1980s, independent owners brought back the LZ name.

LZ Budget Motel
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

During its final years, the motel offered weekly and monthly rentals rather than serving highway tourists. It closed around 2007 and sat abandoned behind fencing for years. After fires and other problems at the property, the City of Winslow acquired the site through a land trade and began demolition in November 2015.

The rooms and roadside sign are now gone, leaving a vacant lot beside the Falcon Restaurant. One more old neighbor has disappeared from the east end of town.

UPDATE: The LZ Budget Motel was demolished in November 2015, and its roadside sign was removed. The former motel property remains a vacant lot along Route 66. 09-26