The Experience Motor Lodge

Flamingo Motel (Rem.)
Sacramento, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Traveling along the old road in West Sacramento brings you to the Flamingo Motel and its flaming themed marquee. Unfortunately this sign has now been replaced by back lit plastic a few years ago. Another roadside sign has been relegated to a memory.

Located along West Capitol Avenue on the old U.S. 40 and U.S. 99W alignment, the Flamingo Motel was a classic post-war motor court that once offered cross-country travelers a heated swimming pool and air-cooled comfort. Out by the roadway, its towering marquee stood out thanks to an eye-catching neon flamingo motif that drew motorists off the busy corridor.

Over the years, sign modernizations stripped away the classic neon in favor of a standard backlit plastic cabinet. Commercial lodging eventually ceased when the city acquired the parcel for interim housing, slating the historic highway property for future redevelopment.

UPDATE: The Flamingo Motel has closed, and its classic neon flamingo roadside marquee was removed and replaced with a plastic sign. 09-26

Travelers Rest Motel
San Jose, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Get some rest at the Travelers Rest Motel in San Jose. If not, at least check out this great sign still sitting in front of the motel.

Located along South First Street near Floyd Street, the Travelers Rest Motel sits right where First transitions toward Monterey Road—the primary route that once carried U.S. Highway 101 traffic through San Jose before the freeways arrived. During the post-war auto boom of the 1950s, this 19-room motor court was a welcoming oasis for road-trippers, with vintage postcards promoting deluxe carpeted units, air conditioning, room televisions, tile baths, and a heated swimming pool.

UPDATE: The Travelers Rest Motel remains open along South First Street, and its classic roadside sign structure continues to stand out front. 09-26

Kingsway Motel (Gone)
Belmont, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

This old reddish and fading sign also sits alongside this street in Belmont, CA. The neon on this sign is in sad shape as the marquee for the Kingsway Motel has seen better days.

Located along El Camino Real, the Kingsway Motel served post-war motorists traveling between San Francisco and San Jose during the 1950s. The 16-room property offered classic mid-century roadside lodging along the busy Peninsula highway corridor.

Out front, the weathered, reddish neon sign marked the entrance for decades, though years of weather eventually took their toll on the neon tubing. The property was later remodeled and rebranded as Hotel Belmont, and the deteriorating vintage marquee was permanently taken down.

UPDATE: The Kingsway Motel was remodeled and renamed Hotel Belmont, and its vintage neon marquee has been removed. 09-26

Redwood Motel
Bridgeport, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Redwood Motel in Bridgeport features a relatively plain jane type of marquee out front. But check out the cows... yes the cows.

Located along Main Street on Highway 395, the Redwood Motel is a classic single-story motor court that has been catching the eye of travelers heading through the high desert for decades. While the sign itself is simple and straightforward, the little cow silhouette and the roadside bovine statues out on the grounds add just the right touch of quirky roadside character. It's a fun stop for fishermen heading up to Twin Lakes or road trippers just cruising through Mono County.

UPDATE: The Redwood Motel is still open along Highway 395 and the cow sign and lawn critters are still out front. 09-26

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

Here's another shot of the Vista Motel, which is a fitting name as its location is in Rio Vista, CA. It's always good to see a neon sign that is still surviving, greeting drivers cutting across the Sacramento River Delta along State Highway 12.

Originally featuring a classic single-story motor court layout with 15 units and a small front office, the Vista Motel gave cross-delta motorists a convenient, no-frills place to pull in for the night. The roadside marquee out front featured distinctive stacked letter boxes that caught the eyes of travelers rolling through Solano County during the mid-century peak of two-lane California road trips. After sitting quiet and facing years of vacancy and code updates, the long-neglected motel was recently given a full top-to-bottom renovation.

UPDATE: The property has undergone a complete renovation and rebrand as the Rio Grove Motel, with the classic roadside sign gone. 09-26

Lee Vining Motel
Lee Vining, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

This streamline appearing motel, the Lee Vining Motel, features a neon sign over the front overhang canopy. From a distance, this place looks like a gas station, sitting right along U.S. Highway 395 near Mono Lake and the eastern gateway to Yosemite National Park.

The distinct Streamline Moderne look comes from the property's origins as a vintage roadside service station before the canopy and service building were repurposed into the motel's front office. Catering to high-country travelers tackling Tioga Pass, the Lee Vining Motel retains an old-school roadside tradition, keeping things simple with walk-up registration. Mounted directly across the overhang, the classic horizontal neon sign remains an unmistakable landmark for mountain motorists rolling into town.

UPDATE: The Lee Vining Motel continues its seasonal operations along Highway 395, with its vintage canopy sign still greeting travelers. 09-26

Bermuda Palms Motel (Gone)
San Rafael, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Check out this unique sign for the Bermuda Palms Motel in San Rafael. The sign looks large enough to capture a driver's attention from a mile away, towering alongside Francisco Boulevard East near Highway 101.

Built in 1949 by developer Irving "Whitey" Litchfield, the resort was originally promoted as California's Las Vegas, drawing vacationers, mid-century road trippers, and even Hollywood stars like John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart. During the late 1960s, its ballroom hosted legendary rock acts before the venue expanded into the famed Pepperland psychedelic music hall. The massive, 46-foot Litchfield's roadside marquee remains an absolute icon of Marin County roadside design, featuring hundreds of chase lights that once commanded the entire freeway corridor.

While the Bermuda Palms identity itself has been gone for decades through transitions into corporate chain operations, the historic roadside marquee was saved from local sign ordinances and treated to a full professional restoration, continuing to rise above the current property along the highway.

UPDATE: The Bermuda Palms has long since vanished, with the property operating as a Motel 6 while its restored 1949 Litchfield's marquee still towers over Highway 101. 09-26

Belmont Palms Motel (Gone)
Belmont, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The Belmont Palms Motel with its script lettering on the side is located in Belmont, CA.

Located along El Camino Real, the Belmont Palms Motel opened during the post-war auto boom on the San Francisco Peninsula. The modest 14-room court welcomed motorists traveling between San Francisco and the Santa Clara Valley,

Out front, the original freestanding roadside sign continues to mark the property along the highway. While the motel has transitioned away from traditional nightly lodging to operate as extended-stay and studio apartments, the mid-century complex and its classic sign are still around.

UPDATE: The Belmont Palms Motel was repurposed into residential and extended-stay studios and sign is gone. 09-26