The Experience Motor Lodge

Modern Motor Lodge (Closed)
Lodi, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's the Modern Motor Lodge with its deco marquee, sitting right along South Cherokee Lane in Lodi. It's a throwback to an earlier era and its old unique sign is refreshing, especially along a strip that once carried heavy traffic on the old Lincoln Highway and U.S. 99.

With its pink-painted exterior and streamlined signage, the **Modern Motor Lodge** captures that classic mid-century moment when roadside motels competed fiercely for travelers rolling through the Central Valley. The sign out front blends Art Deco geometric lines with vintage roadside charm, standing as a proud reminder of the mom-and-pop motor courts that once defined this route.

It looks like it has seen better days, but the weathered marquee alone makes it worth slowing down as you cruise down the old highway.

UPDATE: The motel is no longer open to travelers, though its vintage Art Deco sign still stands weathered on the property. 09-26

Vista Motel (Closed)
Rio Vista, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's a vintage sign for the Vista Motel along State Highway 12 in Rio Vista. The rust colors scream of the mid-century past, standing out as a weathered relic from the days when two-lane highways carried all the traffic crossing the Sacramento River Delta.

Sitting right along the highway corridor, the **Vista Motel** offered weary travelers an easy roadside stop with its modest 15-unit layout and welcoming front office. Over the years, the property saw a handful of name changes and plenty of wear from the elements, but its classic metal roadside sign held its ground by the asphalt, complete with weathered lettering that practically tells its own story of decades spent in the delta breeze.

UPDATE: The motel property has sat closed and undergone renovations under new ownership, with its weathered roadside sign still standing along Highway 12. 09-26

Stardust Motel
Redding, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Cruising through downtown Redding where Pine and Market Street meet Eureka Way, this space-age roadside beacon is impossible to miss. The Stardust Motel features a googie style marquee with a rather prominent starburst perched right on top, proudly towering over the corner lot.

Dating back to the height of the atomic era when State Route 44 brought plenty of road trippers into town, the two-story, 40-room motor lodge was built to catch the eye of motorists looking for an affordable night's rest. With its bold red, white, and blue colors and that unmistakable starburst sitting above classic script lettering, the three-story sign feels like a direct dispatch from mid-century California highway travel. The motel and signage still remain as of a summer visit in 2012, standing out as a wonderful survivor in an era when so many space-age marquees have vanished from the asphalt.

UPDATE: The motel remains open for business in downtown Redding, with its classic starburst marquee still watching over the corner. 09-26

Villa Motel (Gone)
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's another shot of the Villa Motel, this time from a bit farther back. Originally known as the English Villa Motel, this classic motor court sat right along the old U.S. 99 highway at the south edge of Redding.

Back in its prime, the cozy 12-unit motor court welcomed long-distance highway travelers with modern roadside comforts like wall-to-wall carpeting, kitchenettes, in-room radios, and private garages to park the car. With its low-slung ranch styling, clean white walls, contrasting green roof, and stone-bordered landscaping, it captured that welcoming, small-town atmosphere that made road-tripping along 99 so special. Out by the roadway, its distinctive commercial marquee and classic AAA shield gave passing motorists an easy, reliable excuse to pull off the pavement.

UPDATE: The property has ceased operating as a traveler motel and was converted into private apartments, with the original roadside signs removed. 09-26