Port Motel (Gone)
Port Treverton, PA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here’s an old weather-beaten sign that probably saw a lot more traffic back in its day. The Port Motel sat along Routes 11 and 15 in Port Trevorton, with its faded panels and wireframe star still pointing travelers toward rooms that were already long gone when this shot was taken. 03-06

The place opened in 1952 as more than just a motel. It also included the Port Diner and an Esso station, making it one of those handy roadside stops where you could gas up, grab a bite, and call it a night without going very far.

The motel eventually closed and the property was converted to storage units. That old sign hung around for years afterward before it too was removed.

UPDATE: The motel is no longer operating, and the old roadside sign has been removed. 08-26

Eden Roc Motel
Ocean City, MD
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Check out the towering sign at the Eden Roc Motel in Ocean City. With the big stacked letters, arrow and all that mid-century motel flair, this is the kind of sign that practically begs you to pull over for a picture. The Eden Roc went up around 1960 with 36 rooms and efficiencies, right in the middle of Ocean City's motel boom. 07-06

The old postcards even bragged about the "constantly filtered swimming water pool," along with air conditioning and wall-to-wall carpeting. Pretty fancy stuff for a beach motel back then. The stonework around the building has also earned the place the local nickname "the Flintstone place."

UPDATE: The Eden Roc is still welcoming Ocean City vacationers, and that great old roadside sign is still standing at Baltimore Avenue and 20th Street. 08-26

Parkway Motel (Demolished)
Middletown, DE
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Here’s one that had seen better days. The tall sign out front of the Parkway Motel in Middletown was faded almost white, with plenty of rust showing through and just enough old neon hardware left to hint at what it once looked like after dark. Sitting along busy Route 13, it was hard to miss even in this weathered condition. 07-06

The motel dated back to the mid-1950s, when Route 13 carried plenty of travelers heading south toward the Delaware beaches. It was a small old-fashioned motor court with rooms lined up beside the parking lot, but that towering roadside sign was definitely the star.

UPDATE: The Parkway Motel has since been demolished, and the old sign is gone. The property is now being redeveloped as the Shoppes at Boyd's Corner. 08-26

Budget Motel (Demolished)
Atlantic City, NJ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out this old roadside motel sign for the Budget Motel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. When cruising through town in the early 2000s, it was surprising and a bit disappointing to see how few vintage roadside motel signs were still hanging on around the area. With all of Atlantic City's roadside vacation history, you might have expected to find more surviving along the strip, making this classic sign a welcome sight. 01-07

The Budget Motel was one of the modest independent motor courts that once lined Pacific Avenue during the post-war travel boom, serving shore visitors long before the casinos, garages and surface parking lots reshaped the streetscape. Its tall mid-century marquee still had that classic roadside character, standing right along the avenue in the shadow of the much larger Tropicana nearby.

UPDATE: The Budget Motel has since been demolished, and its vintage roadside sign is gone. 08-26

Flamingo Motel (Demolished)
Ocean City, MD
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Here’s a shot of the Flamingo Motel in Ocean City, Maryland. Hard to miss that big pink flamingo perched up on the roof. It was one of those signs that looked good during the day and even better after dark when the neon kicked in. 07-06

The Flamingo opened in 1962 as a small 23-unit motel along Ocean City’s growing Motel Row. More rooms were added over the years, including a five-story tower in 1977, but that rooftop bird was always the part that really caught your eye.

UPDATE: The original street-front motel building has since been demolished, and the classic rooftop flamingo sign is gone. The Flamingo name still lives on in the newer motel buildings nearby. 08-26

Cadillac Motel (Rem.)
Niagara Falls, Canada
Photo courtesy Matthias Tippner

Check out the Cadillac Motel marquee in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Located along Ferry Street near Fallsview Boulevard, the sign featured a big boomerang arrow topped off with a crown, a fitting touch for a motel named Cadillac. Add in the script lettering and neon, and this one had plenty of roadside personality. 01-07

The motel itself has managed to survive and has since gone all-in on the retro look, complete with turquoise and pink accents and themed rooms featuring Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, ZZ Top and even the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Cadillac. Not a bad second life for an old roadside motel.

UPDATE: The Cadillac Motel remains open, although the original crown-and-boomerang neon sign seen here has been removed and replaced with a newer sign. 08-26

Blue Spruce Motel (Closed)
Keesville, NY
Photo courtesy Mark Hobson

Keesville, NY is home to the Blue Spruce Motel, located off of  Rt.9N. The motel is located near The Au Sable Chasm, open in season. The marquee is an eye catcher with its starburst on top of the sign and the blue spruce tree sign on the left. Many thanks to Mark Hobson for info. 01-07

The motel was one of the small roadside stops serving travelers heading through the Adirondacks during the 1950s and 1960s, back when Route 9 carried much more of the tourist traffic. The opening of the Northway shifted many motorists away from the old highway, and places like this gradually found themselves a little farther off the beaten path.2qaw31

UPDATE: The Blue Spruce Motel has been closed for years, but the old roadside sign is still standing out front. 08-26

Hampton Motel (Demolished)
Atlantic City, NJ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's another old motel from the Black Horse Pike leading into Atlantic City. The Hampton Motel was one of the little roadside motor courts that once lined this busy stretch through West Atlantic City. By the time of this shot, the place was looking pretty tired and its future didn't look too promising. 01-07

The Hampton dated back to the 1940s, when Bill and Florence Hampton opened the motel and lived right there on the property. This was before the big motel boom and long before the Hampton Inn chain came along. No connection between the two, just the same name.

UPDATE: The old Hampton Motel has since been demolished and its roadside sign is gone too. 08-26