The Experience Motor Lodge

Traveler's Motel (Rem.)
Williams, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Traveler's Motel features rooms with single occupancy prices at just $19.95. What a bargain. Plus you can walk outside and enjoy looking at the sign if you don't have anything else to do. 12-10

Located along 7th Street in Williams near Highway 20 and Interstate 5, the Traveler's Motel was a classic valley pit stop for generations of highway travelers. With its affordable rates and drive-up convenience, it provided a simple, no-frills refuge for motorists making the long haul through the Sacramento Valley. The centerpiece of the property was its great old neon marquee out front, standing tall as a welcoming roadside beacon. Over the years, the motel was modernized and updated, but the change came at the cost of its vintage roadside charm when the historic neon was taken down.

UPDATE: The motel continues to operate as the Traveler's Inn, but the classic neon sign was replaced by a backlit plastic sign in 2012. 09-26

Loch Leven Lodge
Truckee, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's a roadside stop along Donner Lake that will catch your eye. The Loch Leven Lodge features a classic roadside marquee sign that easily draws passersby in with the thought of landing a good catch out on the water. 02-05

Built back in 1952 by a Scotsman named Virgil Goodpasture, the lodge took its name from the Loch Leven trout in Scotland, which reminded him of the German brown trout swimming in Donner Lake. With its lakefront deck and vintage sign greeting drivers along Donner Pass Road, it remains a classic High Sierra sight.

UPDATE: The lodge and its roadside sign are still welcoming travelers along the lake. 09-26

Vacancy Sign
Modesto, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

A welcome sight to tired travelers is a neon sign with the "vacancy" still lit. 01-07

Back in the golden age of highway travel before interstates bypassed downtown business districts, driving down old U.S. 99 through Modesto along 9th Street meant passing through a buzzing gauntlet of glowing motor courts and roadside diners.

For road-weary drivers looking for a place to bed down after miles through the Central Valley, nothing was more reassuring than spotting that warm, buzzing red or green neon "Vacancy" glow cutting through the night air. While generic in function, these auxiliary neon script units were handcrafted works of roadside art in their own right, customized to fit beneath soaring main marquees. As classic motels along the corridor closed, updated to plastic backlit cabinets, or fell to the wrecking ball over the decades, seeing an authentic mid-century neon vacancy tube still firing became an increasingly rare treat.

UPDATE: The specific motel and current survival status of this vintage neon vacancy sign in Modesto are unknown. 09-26

Loch Leven Lodge
Truckee, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's a roadside stop along Donner Lake that will catch your eye. The Loch Leven Lodge features a classic roadside marquee sign that easily draws passersby in with the thought of landing a good catch out on the water. 02-05

Built back in 1952 by a Scotsman named Virgil Goodpasture, the lodge took its name from the Loch Leven trout in Scotland, which reminded him of the German brown trout swimming in Donner Lake. With its lakefront deck and vintage sign greeting drivers along Donner Pass Road, it remains a classic High Sierra sight.

UPDATE: The lodge and its roadside sign are still welcoming travelers along the lake. 09-26

Muir Lodge Motel
Martinez, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

The marquee for the Muir Lodge in Martinez stands tall along the road. The colors of the sign match the around the area. 07-09

Located along Alhambra Avenue in Contra Costa County, the Muir Lodge Motel sits less than a mile down the road from the historic John Muir National Historic Site. Built during the post-war roadside era to accommodate travelers exploring the East Bay, the cozy 20-room motor court was designed with classic drive-up parking, an on-site swimming pool, and easy access to local thoroughfares.

Towering out front near the curb, the property's vintage marquee catches the eye of motorists with its earthy tones and retro character, complete with an attached vacancy panel ready to welcome road-trippers for the night. Even as the surrounding suburban corridor has grown and evolved around it, this quiet lodging staple has managed to keep both its mid-century layout and its classic roadside sign intact.

UPDATE: The Muir Lodge Motel remains open on Alhambra Avenue, and its tall vintage roadside marquee still survives out front. 09-26

Flamingo Motel
San Jose, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

The Flamingo Motel features great mid-century lettering. 10-09

Located along The Alameda just west of downtown San Jose, the Flamingo Motel was built during the peak post-war roadside boom when the grand tree-lined avenue carried high volumes of traffic on old U.S. 101 and State Route 17. The compact, low-rise courtyard property offered motorists convenient drive-up lodging and a classic mid-century motor court layout with 23 guestrooms.

UPDATE: The Flamingo Motel remains open along The Alameda, and its classic neon marquee with vintage mid-century lettering still survives out front. 09-26