Ramblin' Rose Motel
Kingman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Another Route 66 motel along Andy Devine Avenue is the Ramblin’ Rose Motel. With its colorful rose sign and familiar two-story roadside layout, the place still looks like an inviting stop for travelers rolling through Kingman. It may no longer carry a big national chain name, but it has held onto plenty of its late-1950s motor court character.

The motel opened in 1958 as the Kingman TraveLodge with 32 rooms. Vintage advertisements promised travelers a heated swimming pool, refrigerated cooling, telephones and televisions in the rooms. The motel later expanded to 38 units as it competed with colorful Route 66 neighbors such as the El Trovatore and Hill Top Motel.

Ramblin' Rose Motel
Kingman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Take a closer look at the exterior railings and there is still a reminder of the motel’s original identity. The decorative ironwork contains little “TL” monograms left over from its TraveLodge days. Only a small number of the chain’s pre-1960 motels are believed to retain original design touches like these. The old Sleepy Bear sign is gone, but the Ramblin’ Rose replacement carries on the tradition with its script lettering and big red rose.

UPDATE: The Ramblin’ Rose remains open as an independent motel. Its vintage TraveLodge railings and colorful roadside sign continue to give this stretch of Route 66 a little extra character. 09-26

Motel Unique (Demolished)
Seligman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

There was certainly no mistaking the Motel Unique along old Route 66 in Seligman. Its roadside marquee spelled out “UNIQUE” in a row of enormous circular letters, each one sitting inside its own round frame. It was a wonderfully strange design and probably one of the few motel signs where the name also described the sign itself.

Those giant letters were made to be seen through a windshield. Before modern highway signs became so plain and predictable, roadside businesses used bright colors, neon, arrows and oversized lettering to catch travelers before they passed the driveway. The Motel Unique did not need a flashing arrow or a giant cowboy to get attention. A row of big circles floating beside Route 66 did the job just fine.

Motel Unique
Seligman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The motel stood along the main Chino Avenue stretch through Seligman, where travelers once had their choice of motor courts, cafes, gas stations and souvenir shops. Interstate 40 bypassed the town in 1978, draining much of the traffic that had supported these roadside businesses. The Motel Unique managed to hang on for another 13 years before finally closing in 1991.

Although the motel buildings were torn down, the unusual sign remained beside the highway through the end of the 1990s. Its “VACANCY” panel was still hanging there long after the last guest had checked out. It was a slightly funny and somewhat eerie sight, advertising rooms at a motel that no longer existed.

Motel Unique along the road
Seligman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The old marquee survived during the years when Seligman was becoming known as the birthplace of the Historic Route 66 preservation movement. Local barber Angel Delgadillo and other business owners helped organize the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in 1987, bringing travelers back to the old road. Unfortunately, even in a town so closely connected with saving Route 66 history, the Motel Unique sign eventually disappeared. Whether it was scrapped, sold or carried away by a collector remains unknown.

UPDATE: The Motel Unique and its distinctive circular-lettered marquee are both gone. The former motel location is associated with the present-day Seligman Post Office area, leaving photographs as the best reminder of one of the town’s truly unique roadside signs. 09-26

Supai Motel
Seligman, AZ
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Check out the colorful old sign for the Supai Motel along Route 66 in Seligman. Between the neon, bright colors and big looping arrow, this one has plenty going on. The arrow alone is lined with roughly 370 incandescent bulbs that chase around the curve and point travelers toward the rooms. That must have been quite a sight lighting up the highway after dark.

The lower panel still advertises “New Color TV’s,” a promise that sounded pretty exciting when color television was an expensive motel luxury. Today the wording has become part of the fun. Nobody is likely choosing a room because it has a color television anymore, but it is nice to see that little piece of roadside advertising still hanging around.

The Supai is commonly said to have opened in 1952, although the official historic district records date the present motel to 1962. Its roadside sign also changed several times through the years, with the familiar bulb-lined arrow appearing on a later version. The motel’s 15 rooms continue to offer an old-fashioned motor court stop along the Mother Road.

Supai Motel off historic Route 66
Seligman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Seligman is often called the birthplace of the rediscovered Route 66. After Interstate 40 bypassed town in 1978, local barber Angel Delgadillo and other business owners helped form the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in 1987. Their efforts helped bring attention and travelers back to the old highway.

The Supai Motel is a contributing property in the Seligman Commercial Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The motel itself is not separately listed, but it is recognized as part of the roadside landscape that tells Seligman’s Route 66 story.

UPDATE: The Supai Motel has aged well over the years and the sign looks pretty much the same over two decades later after these photos were taken. The original owner was Hosea Lanier who built the Supai Motel. Since then there has been multiple owners of the Supai. I had the opportunity to meet who I believe is still the current owner a few years ago. He certainly demonstrated a passion for the motel and upkeep of the neon sign. By the looks of the sold out rooms that night, that passion and care was contagious. 09-21

UPDATE: The Supai Motel remains open along old Highway 66. Its colorful marquee was restored in 2006, and the neon, chasing arrow and wonderfully outdated “New Color TV’s” panel continue to welcome travelers into Seligman. 09-26

Here are more photos of the Supai Motel.

Supai Motel sign close up Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com	Supai Motel sign Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com