U. S. Motels, East to West Photo Gallery by katwilkens at pbase.com

U. S. Motels, East to West

When I started taking road trips in the 1960s, I stayed in places like these. Now I just look for the signs. They appeal to me because they remind me of a bygone era and I always wonder how much longer they'll be around. Notice how many of the signs incorporate arrows into the design.

Dewey Beach, Delaware	Wheeling, West Virginia	Fort Wayne, Indiana	Nashville, Tennessee
Shawnee, Oklahoma	Shawnee, Oklahoma	Council Grove, Kansas	Omaha, Nebraska
Trinidad, Colorado	Manitou Springs, Colorado	Blanding, Utah	Ely, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada	East Glacier, Montana	Tucumcari, New Mexico	Tucumcari, New Mexico
Tucumcari, New Mexico	Tucumcari, New Mexico	Tucumcari, New Mexico	Tucumcari, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona	Flagstaff, Arizona	Flagstaff, Arizona	Williams, Arizona
Salome, Arizona	Kingman, Arizona	Prescott, Arizona	Prescott, Arizona
Aguila, Arizona	Yarnell, Arizona	Aguila, Arizona	Harcuvar, Arizona
Gladden, Arizona	Salome, Arizona	Hwy. 60, Arizona	Wenden, Arizona
Harcuvar, Arizona	Prescott Valley, Arizona	Prescott Valley, Arizona	Blythe, California
Yucca Valley, California	Yucca Valley, California	Burbank, California	Motel Vacancy
San Clemente, California	San Clemente, California	San Clemente, California	Coronado Island, California
Weed, California	Salinas, California

comment |

joseantonio		07-May-2011 03:07
Very nice collection

Barry Rosenberg		03-May-2011 01:18
A great collection you have here. what personality and character they each have.

Michael Tauber		18-May-2010 18:59
Brings back many memories!

Dan Greenberg		17-Jan-2009 04:49
I too love old signs and buildings and other things. You have done a superb job here both from an artistic as well as historic perspective. ~V~

Bob Townsend		12-May-2008 02:20
Another great idea. A great slice of Americana. So often we are fixated with getting to our destination and not about the journey there. V.

Michael Todd Thorpe		11-May-2008 03:01
I have the same sentiment about these old signs... I've seen too many disappear already. This is a really nice collection you have. Too bad we can't take them all and put them in the back yard!

Guest		01-May-2008 01:49
I like this very much. Great images, and a road trip I would love to take.

Guest		17-Feb-2008 22:47
I find this to be a fantastic idea. My travels have taken me past many unique motels that I wished I had stopped to capture. The most memorable were the "It'll Do Motel" and one that advertised a fitness room that upon closer inspection was actually an Aerodyne bicycle under a shoddy canopy. Keep up the good work...there are alot of wonderful motel signs out there!

John Potter		21-Jan-2008 03:14
Great idea beautifully executed Kat!

blizzard		03-Jan-2008 15:26
excellent camera work very well presented v

Guest		21-Aug-2007 23:39
Beautiful! Nice work.

Milan Vogrin		18-Aug-2007 20:38
Great collection.

Guest		17-Aug-2007 23:16
I love this gallery. I never get tired of visiting it. I'm going to try doing a "Drive Ins" gallery. Took my first pic today!

Lee G		02-Mar-2006 19:03
great gallery, fun to look at. keep it up!!

Steve Cavanah		28-Feb-2006 04:00
Nice sign gallery I love this reminds me of my friends sign galleryhttp://www.pbase.com/deadelvis/signs

Guest		22-May-2005 12:52
Neat Gallery Kat. Love the Americana and have taken a few myself. Old business signs too. Keep them coming. You're now on my favorites.

Della Huff		21-May-2005 14:28
What a great collection. Ditto to Jill below. This would be a great calendar collection! [V]

Wendy O		20-May-2005 04:41
Fun gallery! I love these old signs too...here's a favorite of mine from a recent trip: http://www.pbase.com/wendyo/image/42050234

Guest		20-May-2005 04:08
Great shots. I love these signs, too. I took a bunch in Lake Ozark, Missouri, a couple of years ago: www.briantium.com/Lake_Ozark.htm.

Jill		19-May-2005 23:26
What a treat upon opening the thumbnail which caught me eye. Now with all that we now see, walmart, mcdonalds, walmart again all the same with no originality I yearn for the past. Viewing these evoke thoughts of Dean Martin, Sinatra, families on vacation in thunderbirds. Vote!

Guest		19-May-2005 20:38
Yeah, it's just fvcking great to have some smirking dilettante portray roadside blight as "art." I would welcome the end of the world just to put and end to kitsch and postmodernism.

Denise Dee		19-May-2005 17:11
Thanks for capturing some of this before it disappears frome the American like the passenger pigeon. You've got my vote.

Guest		19-May-2005 00:48
Wonderful gallery - a real flashback to the glory days of American car-culture. Mom and Dad, and three kids bouncing around in the back seat of an impossibly huge sedan, on the way to the Grand Canyon. John

Guest		17-May-2005 12:49
beautiful, voted ! alem

Ray :)		16-May-2005 17:12
There is something decidely American in the motel culture, isn't there? I love how these signs show an age where Elvis, Johnny Cash and the Juke Box ruled. Voted.

George J. Fenisey		14-May-2005 17:43
These are good. You never know when it might disappear. A moment in time and history captured.

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