Moen Kopi Motel (Demolished)
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The bright yellow and black sign for the Moen Kopi Motel was hard to overlook while cruising through Holbrook. A large circular arrow wrapped around the pole and pointed motorists toward the entrance, while the unusual motel name sat in bold lettering above it. Holbrook once had no shortage of colorful motel signs, but this was one of the more memorable ones along Navajo Boulevard. 09-21

The Moen Kopi was a traditional single-story motor court with rows of brick rooms gathered around a narrow parking area. Guests could pull off Route 66, park close to their door and settle in for the night before continuing toward Winslow, Gallup or the Petrified Forest.

The name was also spelled “Moenkopi” in some old advertisements. It echoed the name of the Hopi village of Moenkopi and the Moenkopi geological formation found throughout the Southwest. That regional name, along with the bold arrow and yellow-and-black color scheme, gave the motel a character that was unmistakably northern Arizona.

Moen Kopi Motel (Demolished)
Holbrook, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Moen Kopi later closed and spent time looking weathered and boarded up. Although the motel business disappeared, the low brick buildings escaped demolition and were eventually converted into residential units known as the Crescent Apartments. New paint changed their appearance, but the old motor-court arrangement can still be recognized.

The famous yellow-and-black sign was not as fortunate. It was removed during the property’s transition, and the fate of its circular arrow is unknown.

UPDATE: The former Moen Kopi Motel is now the Crescent Apartments. The motel no longer accepts travelers, but its original lodging buildings remain in residential use. The distinctive circular-arrow sign is gone. 09-26

Alpine Motel (Demolished)
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Fenced off and waiting for its fate, the Alpine Motel was already looking pretty quiet when these photos were taken during the 1990s. Its wonderful roadside sign featured a cartoon skier racing downhill, a perfect mascot for a Flagstaff motel sitting beneath the San Francisco Peaks. A smaller burst of color near the office pointed the way into the property. 09-21

The Alpine stood at 2226 E. Route 66, back when this stretch was still commonly listed as East Santa Fe Avenue. Its 23 rooms were part of a long procession of motor courts that greeted travelers entering Flagstaff from the east. After hours of driving across northern Arizona, the sight of another vacancy sign meant it might finally be time to call it a night.

The skier made the Alpine sign something special. Instead of relying entirely on arrows, stars, or boomerang shapes, the motel used a playful downhill character that connected the business with Flagstaff’s snowy winters and nearby Arizona Snowbowl. There probably were not too many neon skiers racing above desert highways elsewhere along Route 66.

The office at the Alpine Motel
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The sign was mounted inside an unusual asymmetrical frame, giving the skier plenty of room to make his run. Down below, the motel name stretched across the main panel where passing motorists could easily read it. The colorful office sign carried the same roadside spirit on a smaller scale and helped guide guests toward the entrance.

By the time these photos were taken, the rooms were closed and the grounds had been fenced. The skier still looked ready for another trip down the mountain, but the motel behind him was nearing the end of the trail.

Fortunately, the sign had already caught the eye of John Margolies, one of the best-known photographers of American roadside architecture. Margolies photographed the Alpine sign in 1987 as part of his travels documenting motels, diners, gas stations, miniature golf courses, and other roadside places that were rapidly disappearing. His color photograph is now part of the John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive at the Library of Congress.

The boarded up rooms
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The motel was demolished in 2002, and the skier sign came down during the clearing. Whether it was scrapped or carried away by a collector remains unknown. Either way, the Library of Congress photograph ensures that the Alpine’s most memorable character did not disappear entirely.

The former motel site is sometimes confused with the nearby Sportsman’s Warehouse property. Sportsman’s Warehouse replaced the Americana Motor Hotel, not the Alpine. The Alpine property was acquired for the expansion of neighboring Salsa Brava. The popular restaurant grew from a little 30-seat operation into a much larger place capable of seating more than 150 diners.

UPDATE: The Alpine Motel and its colorful signs remain gone. Salsa Brava now occupies the former motel property, while the downhill skier survives in photographs, including John Margolies’ 1987 image preserved by the Library of Congress. 09-26

Brandin' Iron Motel (Demolished)
Kingman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

High above the rooms, the orange neon sign for the Brandin’ Iron Motel once added another colorful landmark to Kingman’s Route 66 strip. Its Western lettering, cattle brands, and glowing branding iron fit right in with the El Trovatore Motel just across Andy Devine Avenue. It must have been quite a sight when both places lit up after dark. 09-21

The Brandin’ Iron opened in 1953 at 1403 E. Andy Devine Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Bewley operated the motel and advertised their new motor hotel as accepting both American Express and Diners Club cards, modern conveniences that surely appealed to travelers crossing northern Arizona.

The motel was already on sale in 1998
Kingman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The motel was built against the hillside in a U-shaped arrangement, with the rooms wrapping around a central parking area. Early photographs show Spanish tile along the gabled roofs. Later remodeling covered much of that design with stucco, giving the property the Pueblo-style appearance remembered from its final motel years.

At one time, a large freestanding neon sign also stood near the parking lot. It is unclear whether the orange rooftop sign was moved from that earlier structure or represented a separate sign installed later. Either way, the rooftop version became one of the motel’s most memorable features.

The rooftop sign could be seen for blocks
Kingman, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Changes to Route 66 eventually made the Brandin’ Iron more difficult to reach. Highway widening, new curbing, and grade changes interfered with access to the driveway. The motel closed during the late 1990s, and the orange neon sign was removed.

Fortunately, the old motel buildings were not demolished. The property was extensively remodeled in 2001 and became the Andy Devine Apartments. The original U-shaped arrangement can still be recognized, although the remodeled exterior looks quite different from the old Brandin’ Iron.

UPDATE: The former motel remains in use as the Andy Devine Apartments. The salvaged orange neon sign was relocated farther east to the Legacy Signs property at 2301 E. Andy Devine Avenue, where it has been stored while awaiting restoration. 09-26