Travelodge (Gone)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Sitting up on the roof is the familiar Travelodge sign, complete with the chain’s old Sleepy Bear logo. The large red lettering and walking bear made it easy to recognize while traveling along Route 66 in Flagstaff. Here is a closer look at the sign before both the name and bear disappeared from the roadside. 09-21
The 44-room motel stood near Fanning Drive and served travelers coming through town on Route 66 or exiting nearby Interstate 40. It was a fairly basic low-rise property, but that rooftop sign gave it some roadside personality.
Travelodge introduced Sleepy Bear during the 1950s, and the nightshirt-wearing mascot became a familiar sight at the chain’s motels. He appeared on signs, postcards, room keys and even small stuffed animals given to children. The bear had already disappeared from most newer Travelodge signs by the time this older example was photographed.
Travelodge
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The motel closed in 2021 when Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona purchased the property. Instead of demolishing the buildings, the organization converted the former guest rooms into studio apartments with kitchens and bathrooms. The rooftop Travelodge sign was removed during the changeover.
UPDATE: The former Travelodge now operates as JoJo’s Place, providing transitional housing for families experiencing homelessness. The motel buildings survive, but the Travelodge name and Sleepy Bear rooftop sign are gone. 09-26
Tourist home sign
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the great colors on this old Tourist Home sign in Flagstaff. The red lettering, yellow border and weathered blue background give it the sort of roadside character that is hard to recreate. At the time, the building behind it had been sitting vacant for many years. 09-21
The Tourist Home was built in 1926 by Basque sheepherder Jesus Garcia and his mother. It originally served as a boarding house for Basque sheepherders working in the mountains and ranch country around Flagstaff.
One unusual piece of that history still survives behind the building. The property has an old concrete handball court once used for Basque pelota, making it one of the few remaining courts of its kind in Arizona.
After the boarding house closed, the building sat abandoned and boarded up for nearly 40 years. It was eventually rescued and restored, reopening in 2014 as the Tourist Home All Day Café. The old sign was also refurbished, with a new yellow neon border added around 2016.
UPDATE: The Tourist Home remains open as a popular café serving breakfast, pastries and lunch. The restored old sign continues to glow outside along South San Francisco Street. 09-26
The L Motel (Closed)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here is one of those mystery motels that can be easy to forget after cruising past so many old signs along Route 66. This was The L Motel, a small Flagstaff motor court with a tall roadside marquee and rows of rooms facing the parking area. 09-21
The property originally operated as the El Rancho Motel during the postwar Route 66 travel boom. At some point, the name was shortened to The L Motel, giving the old sign its rather simple and slightly mysterious identity.
Located on East Route 66, the motel once caught travelers entering Flagstaff from the east. Its low-rise layout allowed guests to park close to their rooms, which was just about a requirement for a proper roadside motor court back in the day.
The property eventually stopped operating as a motel and its 24 rooms were converted into residential units. The tall sign remained along the highway, although the original neon lettering was painted over and the faces were simplified.
UPDATE: The former El Rancho and L Motel buildings remain in use as residential housing. The old roadside sign also survives, but its original motel neon is gone. 09-26
Whispering Winds Motel
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Cruising along old Route 66 through Flagstaff, the Whispering Winds Motel is hard to miss. The colorful roadside sign advertised an American-owned motel offering TV, phones and kitchens, while the building carried a cool mid-century look with pink and turquoise accents. The place appeared to be in decent shape from the road, although the rooms were never personally tested out. 09-21
The Whispering Winds dates to the early 1960s. County records trace the property to about 1959, while the completed motel is generally dated to 1964. This was a busy period for Flagstaff’s motel strip, when families traveling Route 66 had plenty of colorful motor courts competing for their attention.
The fenced off Whispering Winds Motel
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The architecture gave the motel more character than the average roadside stop. Its flat roofline, shallow canopy and rows of pink and turquoise cylinders around the exterior lights created a distinctly modern appearance. The swimming pool in the center of the property completed the classic Route 66 motel setup.
By the time these photos were taken, the sign had acquired an interesting mix of old and new. Its basic mid-century shape and neon remained, but the lower reader panels had been updated to advertise room phones, television, kitchens and American ownership. Those simple plastic panels now provide their own little snapshot of roadside motel advertising around the turn of the century.
The colorful mid-century look
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
New owners purchased the property in 2020 for just under $1 million and announced plans to restore its original appearance. The timing was not exactly ideal, since the work began as the COVID-19 pandemic slowed construction and disrupted the travel business. What was expected to be a straightforward renovation turned into a project lasting several years.
Instead of inventing an entirely new look, the restoration team used a vintage photochrome postcard as its guide. The owners even worked with Behr Paint to match the old shades of pink, turquoise and blue. It is not every motel renovation that begins with someone studying a postcard and asking the paint store to mix up a batch of 1964.
The motel
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The landmark roadside sign was saved and repaired with help from Flagstaff’s Heritage Preservation Office. Its neon and colorful appearance returned, while the outdated reader panels were removed. The original swimming pool was also restored rather than filled in, which has happened to many other aging Route 66 motel pools.
Inside, the old motel was updated for modern travelers without completely losing its roadside personality. The lobby now includes a lounge where guests can check in at the bar, order a regional drink and play a few games. That sounds considerably more inviting than standing beneath a buzzing fluorescent light while waiting for a metal room key.
UPDATE: After several years of restoration, the property reopened in May 2026 as the Whispering Winds Motor Hotel. Its bright mid-century colors, swimming pool and restored neon sign have returned to Route 66, giving this familiar Flagstaff motel another chance to welcome travelers. 09-26
Travelodge (Gone)
Sitting up on the roof is the familiar Travelodge sign, complete with the chain’s old Sleepy Bear logo. The large red lettering and walking bear made it easy to recognize while traveling along Route 66 in Flagstaff. Here is a closer look at the sign before both the name and bear disappeared from the roadside. 09-21
Travelodge
The L Motel (Closed)
The fenced off Whispering Winds Motel
The colorful mid-century look
The motel
