Sea Captains Motel (Gone)
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Justin Montano

Here are a couple of shots of the Sea Captains Motel along Lombard Street in San Francisco. This roadside marquee typifies the look around Lombard, featuring the kind of bold roadside styling that turned this busy highway corridor into the city's legendary Motel Row.

Back in the postwar era when U.S. 101 funneled heavy streams of traffic directly off the Golden Gate Bridge, the motel was run by host Captain Charles Jokstad. Road-weary travelers pulling in off the pavement were treated to top-of-the-line comforts for the day, including completely soundproof rooms, radiant hot water heat, in-room radios and television, an elevator, and built-in covered garages to safely tuck away the family car. Old promotional postcards proudly pitched the spot as being just minutes from Union Square and right near the bridge, giving vacationers the perfect home base for exploring the city by automobile.

Sea Captains Motel
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Justin Montano

Along a bustling urban strip packed tight with competing neon lights, motor courts, and mid-century architecture, the nautical-themed sign standing out by the street was an impossible-to-miss sight. The multi-paneled roadside marquee, with its crisp typography and maritime flair, captured that golden era when driving into San Francisco meant cruising past block after block of glowing mid-century lodging. It was the kind of roadside stop that made the journey into town just as memorable as the destination itself, leaving you wishing you had pulled in for a night just to soak in the vintage atmosphere.

UPDATE: The property has been completely remodeled into a boutique inn operating as the Infinity Hotel, and the vintage roadside marquee has been removed. 09-26

Motel Capri
Lombard St., San Francisco
Photo courtesy Justin Montano

Just a block off Lombard Street, tucked away from the heavy traffic pouring off the Golden Gate Bridge, sits a roadside motel advertising its services just as the old motor hotels used to years ago. The Capri Motel that genuine mid-century character still remains amidst an environment dominated by modern lodging chains. Sporting its neon skin at night, this place lights up the neighborhood with a warm, nostalgic glow.

Opened back in 1957 during the peak of San Francisco's automotive boom, the Capri offered a smart alternative for motorists looking to pull off the bustling U.S. 101 corridor. Tucked onto Greenwich Street in the Marina district, it gave road trippers a "very quiet" night of sleep while still keeping them right in the middle of the city action. With its multi-story motor court layout and that ever-rare traveler bonus of free courtyard parking right outside your room, it captured the best of classic drive-up convenience.

Motel Capri
Lombard St., San Francisco
Photo courtesy Justin Montano

The roadside marquee out front is an absolute beauty, with its atomic-era angles, stylish script, and glowing neon tubes cutting through the San Francisco evening fog. Seeing an independent mid-century motor court survive with its vintage sign still buzzing and inviting drivers to pull in is becoming rarer by the day, making this quiet side-street discovery well worth tracking down.

UPDATE: The motel continues to operate as an independent lodging spot, with its classic neon sign still lighting up Greenwich Street at night. 09-26

Lombard Plaza Motel
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Justin Montano

The Lombard Plaza Motel is also along... yes, Lombard Street. Within a short distance of the Golden Gate Bridge as well as Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard has long been a popular spot for tourists seeking lodging at a reasonable price, and this multi-story motor court fits right into the rhythm of the boulevard.

Sitting right along the busy U.S. 101 corridor, the **Lombard Plaza Motel** sports a classic multi-paneled neon sign hanging out by the sidewalk to catch the eye of inbound drivers. Built in the traditional mid-century urban motel mold, it retains that great roadside convenience of exterior corridors and drive-in traveler parking tucked right underneath the guest rooms, a rare sight in a modern city where parking spaces are few and far between. Just a short walk from the Marina Green and the bustling neighborhood shops, it offered a no-fuss place to park the car and set out exploring.

The Lombard Plaza Rooms
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Justin Montano

With its vintage lettering glowing against the city evening fog, the marquee out front remains a familiar beacon along San Francisco's historic Motel Row. It is another great example of the postwar roadside spots that kept the family road trip affordable and accessible.

UPDATE: The motel continues to operate as an independent lodging stop along Lombard Street, with its classic neon sign still welcoming travelers. 09-26