Barker Apartments (Closed)
Truxton, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Out along old Route 66 in Truxton is the faded sign for the Barker Apartments. Look closely and the old Lazy Z Motel name can still be seen underneath, along with the words “Electric Heat.” 09-21
The property originally opened in 1953 as the Lazy Z Motel. Ray and Mildred Barker purchased it in 1957, several years before they bought the better-known Frontier Motel and Cafe across the highway.
When the motel business slowed, the rooms were converted into apartments and “Barker Apartments” was painted over the original sign. Years of Arizona weather have uncovered portions of both names, creating a neat Route 66 ghost sign.
Interstate 40 bypassed Truxton in 1978, and the apartments eventually closed. The buildings and sign were left behind beside the quiet old highway.
UPDATE: The former Lazy Z Motel and Barker Apartments remain closed and vacant. The faded sign still stands with both names showing through the peeling paint. 09-26
Best Inn (Gone)
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the roadside sign for the Best Inn in Winslow. A room deal of “2 for $20” was hard to miss, along with the usual motel checklist of color TV, air conditioning and other comforts for Route 66 travelers watching their wallets. 09-21
The property originally opened during the 1950s as the Chief Motel. Its first sign was much more elaborate, featuring a large neon Native American chief graphic. Later owners removed the old Chief panels and reused the supports for the simpler Best Inn sign.
The motel stood on Winslow’s east side between the paired Route 66 alignments of Second and Third streets. It eventually closed and sat abandoned for years before the buildings were demolished.
The exact date the “2 for $20” sign disappeared is uncertain, but it had been removed by the time the property was cleared.
UPDATE: The Best Inn and its former Chief Motel buildings are gone. The old roadside sign has also been removed, leaving a fenced gravel lot along East Second Street. 09-26
Chalet Lodge (Closed)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the steep A-frame entrance on the Chalet Lodge in Flagstaff. The alpine styling looks right at home among the pine trees and mountains of northern Arizona, even if it seems a little unexpected beside old Route 66. The Hyatt name could once be seen at the top of the roadside sign. 09-21
The motel opened in 1960 as the Hyatt Chalet Lodge. Hyatt was experimenting with a chain of affordable roadside lodges at the time, using the Swiss chalet look to give its motels a recognizable identity.
The property included about 30 rooms arranged along two levels with exterior walkways. The dramatic A-frame marked the office and lobby, helping the motel stand out from the many flat-roofed motor courts lining the highway.
Chalet Lodge (Closed)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Another piece of classic roadside architecture once stood next door. An early Denny’s restaurant featured a space-age boomerang roof designed by Armet & Davis, the firm responsible for some of the most recognizable Googie coffee shops in the country.
The Hyatt connection eventually ended, and the Chalet Lodge name disappeared as the property passed through later motel brands. The original sign supports survived, but the old Hyatt and Chalet panels were replaced.
UPDATE: Although the Chalet Lodge name is closed, the motel itself is not. The A-frame building remains open as Americas Best Value Inn & Suites Flagstaff by Sonesta. Its roadside sign now carries the red-and-yellow franchise branding. 09-26
Texan Motel (Closed)
McLean, TX Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old sign for the Texan Motel was still looking pretty sharp when photographed along Route 66 in McLean. The simple red lettering remained easy to read, even as the motel itself was nearing the end of its roadside run. 09-21
The Texan name appears to have been connected with the larger Texas Motel and Restaurant complex at the corner of Route 66 and Main Street. The property originally opened during the 1950s as the Dixie Motel before becoming the Texas Motel around 1968.
This was once a complete roadside stop with a long row of motel rooms, an adjoining restaurant, and an outdoor swimming pool. A traveler could pull off Route 66, grab something to eat, take a swim, and settle in for the night without moving the car again.
Texan Motel (Closed)
McLean, TX Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Additional signs later advertised the property as the Route 66 Motel, adding another name to its already complicated history. Like many businesses in McLean, the motel struggled after Interstate 40 carried most cross-country traffic around town. The rooms and restaurant eventually closed, leaving the old complex beside a much quieter highway.
UPDATE: The former Dixie and Texas Motel complex remains abandoned and continues to deteriorate. Its large Texas Motel and Restaurant sign still stands, but it is now badly faded and weathered. 09-26
Texan Motel and Restaurant (Closed)
McLean, TX Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old Texas Motel and Restaurant sits in one of the more unusual locations along Route 66 in McLean. The complex was built in the wide strip separating eastbound Railroad Street from westbound First Street, putting it right in the middle of the divided highway. Travelers coming from either direction could pull in for a meal or spend the night without wandering far from the old road. 09-21
The property originally opened as the Dixie Motel and Restaurant during the 1950s and was listed in travel directories by 1957. Its 23 units included a few larger family accommodations and separate garages, a handy feature during the days when motorists were a little more protective of their automobiles.
Texan Motel and Restaurant (Closed)
McLean, TX Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Around 1968, the Dixie name gave way to the Texas Motel and Restaurant. The main motel sign was remodeled with a giant metal cutout shaped like the state of Texas, just in case travelers had somehow forgotten where they were. The restaurant had its own tall sign crowned by a sharp boomerang arrow pointing straight down toward the building. With two bold signs on the same property, the place must have been hard to miss after dark.
Frank and Wilma Going operated the motel and restaurant during part of its busy Route 66 years. It is unclear whether all the buildings went up at once or whether the complex gradually expanded, but the mix of small motel rooms, garages and the restaurant gave it the appearance of a roadside stop that had grown along with the highway.
UPDATE: The Texas Motel and Restaurant is closed, and the buildings remain vacant and weathered. Both the Texas-shaped motel sign and the restaurant’s big downward-pointing boomerang still stand over the property. 09-26
Barker Apartments (Closed)
Out along old Route 66 in Truxton is the faded sign for the Barker Apartments. Look closely and the old Lazy Z Motel name can still be seen underneath, along with the words “Electric Heat.” 09-21
Best Inn (Gone)
Chalet Lodge (Closed)
Chalet Lodge (Closed)
Texan Motel (Closed)
Texan Motel and Restaurant (Closed)
