The Experience Motor Lodge

Lake Marina Motel (Rem.)
Clearlake Oaks, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Heading further down Highway 20 through Clearlake Oaks, the Lake Marina Motel is hard to miss as you hug the water. The classic lakeside motor court made sure passing drivers noticed the place, announcing itself twice over with a bold red, white, and blue marquee out near the pavement and matching dimensional letters mounted right along the exterior wall.

Sitting directly on the shoreline of Clear Lake, the motel catered to generations of road trippers hauling trailers and fishing boats up from the Bay Area. Guests could pull their car right up to the rooms, make use of on-site kitchenettes, hang out in the recreation room, and take advantage of the private boat ramp and fishing pier just steps away from their door.

UPDATE: The motel still welcomes travelers today under the name Lake Marina Inn, though the building has been repainted bright yellow and the original red, white, and blue roadside sign and wall lettering have been replaced with modern signage. 09-26

Pepperwood Motel (Rem.)
Willits, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here are a couple of views of the Pepperwood Motel, located right along old Highway 101 just south of downtown Willits. With its proud roadside slogan promising things are "just like home," the mid-century motor court invited weary travelers to pull off the road for a quiet night, complete with color TV and refrigerated air.

Back in its heyday, the motel had a unique claim to fame right on the property: the historic Indian Marker Tree, a curious oak grafted to a pepperwood that once guided travelers across the valley. Run for years by resident owners Don and Dolores, the low-slung court offered that classic family-run roadside hospitality through the seventies and beyond.

UPDATE: The motel still welcomes highway travelers under the new name Redwood Inn, though the classic Pepperwood marquee and its "just like home" promise have been replaced by a modern backlit sign around 2018. 09-26

The Lark Motel (Rem.)
Willits, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Cruising along the Highway 101 corridor through Willits, the Lark Motel has long been a familiar stop for road trippers heading into the redwoods. The classic low-slung motor court sits right on South Main Street, offering straightforward roadside lodging for anyone passing through Mendocino County. For years, the big draw for travelers was its fantastic vintage neon marquee glowing out by the pavement.

UPDATE: The motel is still open for business, but the classic vintage neon sign has since been removed and replaced with a standard modern sign. 09-26

Arden Motel (Closed)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's a shot of the marquee for the Arden Motel in Sacramento. The sign for this motel is starting to be covered by the brush nearby.

Located along Del Paso Boulevard in North Sacramento, the Arden Motel originally served travelers journeying along the busy alignment of U.S. Route 40. Opening its doors in 1960, the single-story motor court operated for nearly four decades through the post-war automobile boom. By the late 1990s, however, the corridor struggled with urban neglect, and after years of decline and city nuisance abatement actions, the motel was officially shuttered in 1998.

While the overgrown marquee slowly became enveloped by untamed shrubs during its vacant years, the property avoided the wrecking ball. Acquired in 2000 for adaptive reuse, the motor court was first converted into creative studio offices before finding a second life as The Greens Hotel, an eco-conscious boutique retreat. As part of the property's mid-century modern transformation, the original neon sign cabinet was stripped and refaced to match the location's stylish new look.

UPDATE: The former Arden Motel was repurposed into The Greens Hotel, and its roadside marquee was stripped and refaced along Del Paso Boulevard. 09-26

Rio Motel (Gone)
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

This old porcelain sign sits in front of the Rio Motel in Oakland. Advertising sheltered parking, this motel sign points the way in.

Traveling down MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland, this old porcelain sign stood out right in front of the Rio Motel. The eye-catching roadside marquee featured bold porcelain-enameled steel and decorative neon, complete with a classic arrow pointing the way into the driveway and advertising sheltered parking for passing motorists.

Back in the heyday of the boulevard, MacArthur was packed with vibrant neon landmarks and low-slung auto courts catering to travelers rolling through the East Bay. The modest, family-run court served drivers and long-term guests for decades, tucked away behind its iconic roadside sign.

UPDATE: The motel and its wonderful porcelain sign were completely torn down around 2011 to clear the land for the MacArthur BART Transit Village development. 09-26

Lake of the Sky Motor Inn (Gone)
Kings Beach, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Kings Beach is home to the Lake of the Sky Motor Inn and its interesting motel building.

Though often associated with neighboring Kings Beach along the continuous North Lake Tahoe highway corridor, the property actually sits along North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City. Established along State Route 28 during the post-war Sierra tourism boom, the motor inn gained fame for its connection to the 1960 Winter Olympic Games at nearby Squaw Valley, with vintage postcards proudly displaying the Olympic rings right on the office facade.

The complex was known for its eye-catching, multi-level mid-century architecture and operated for decades as a cozy roadside bed-and-breakfast welcoming skiers and summer lake vacationers. In more recent years, the historic property underwent an extensive remodel and was reimagined as Basecamp Tahoe City. While the vintage roadside sign was removed during the property's modernization, the building itself continues to shelter travelers along the lake.

UPDATE: The Lake of the Sky Motor Inn was remodeled and rebranded as Basecamp Tahoe City, and its vintage roadside sign was removed. 09-26