Vintage roadside

[Fading Fast]

Neat, Dale. There was one similar to him in Richmond, VA when I was growing up.

Ocean City, MD. Alamo Court Motel

There's something very impactful and kitchy cool about the sign being of a scale five time the size of the hotel's office.

 

[1mach1]

Roanoke, VA

 

[Vera Godfrey]

A few places around here...
What-a-burger has been around since 1950. Still the best place to get a burger and fries! The Blue Star (diner) is currently closed, but is supposedly being restored and reopened. Doumar's first opened in 1904. The original structure was destroyed in a hurricane. This building was built in 1934 and hasn't changed since. And yes, they still offer curb side service. Monty's Penguin is a hole in the wall. Used to be a great place, but haven't been there in years.

 

[dh66]

Good stuff, Harv and Vera!!! Classic signage!

 

[1mach1]

The Edgehill Motel. Edgehill, Va.

 

[dh66]

That is beautiful, Harv!! Great shot!

 

[1mach1]

Thanks Dale!

 

[DanielJones]

Motel Inn, San Luis Obispo, CA. The worlds very first Motel. I recall eating at the cafe there as a kid.

Sadly, this is all that remains, and that may not last.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_Inn_of_San_Luis_Obispo
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/12/04/3382122/motel-inn-worlds-first-mo-tel.html

Sure wish that someone with super deep pockets and an eye for history could bring this property back to it's 1925 glory. It is hinted now and then that there will be a preservation/restoration but no one is sure when that day will arrive. The clock is ticking and time & the elements are against this.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[dh66]

Great post Dan! What a lot of history there. Hopefully something good will come of it.

 

[1mach1]

DJ, what a great post. Sadly, that has happened to a lot of the once great motels and structures along the East Coast on Route 1. It would be nice for someone to fund a project for restoration.

 

[Fading Fast]

DJ, fantastic post. The original motel is stunningly beautiful. Normally the original model isn't that stunning as it take several iterations to get the function and aesthetics lined up.

As others above have noted, hopefully, in this day of "(some) old is neat" (at least to, seemingly, many millennials), maybe it will be saved. Is the area around it active enough to support a business like that if it was restored or would it have to be a labor of love for someone with a lot of money?

Sad to see the decaying pieces.

 

[DanielJones]

Thanks gang!

Yeah, it is a shame. The first two images is how I recall it from my childhood. Complete with the cocktail bar & cafe. Cafe actually had a decent steak dinner that it was known for. Some time in the late 70's early 80's it finally shut down for good. There were folks who bought the place in order to restore it, but I think that County & City red tape made the permits way too expensive, especially when it was placed on a national historic register. But that doesn't protect it from rotting or the wrecking ball. It needs a local register to protect it.
So time goes on, ownership changes hands several times with the intentions of restoring the place. The parts that were demolished being most of the cafe & the cocktail bar are seen in the one photo. The pool and most of the other out buildings disappeared in the early to mid 90's. Like I had said before, it'll take some really deep pockets and dedication to preserving the history to make it happen. They need to dig up the original plans, update them for modern earthquake standards, and deck the place out in vintage 1925. That would be sweet.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[1mach1]

Route 1 in Laurel, MD.

 

[dh66]

Killer!!

 

[1mach1]

It's pretty cool, for sure.

 

[DanielJones]

Route 1 in Laurel, MD.

Wow! That just brought a land slide of good memories. As a kid I recall that every summer we would go camping at Atascadero State Beach in California, just a little north of Morro Bay. Along Highwy 1 there was a "Young's Giant Food". Now I think it is a Spencers. One of the memories was that it was the only place in the entire county that I could get thees toasted coconut crusted marshmallows. They made a very unique smore. They were very special in that the only time I could get them is when the family went camping together. That was a very happy memory. Thanks for that.
I can find those marshmallows occasionally in specialty stores, and once in a blue moon at Ralphs. I snatch them up whenever I see them and go have a fire at the beach, just for a good smile and a unique smore.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[1mach1]

Glad that brought back fond memories, Dan. I have never heard of those coconut crusted marshmallows, but I will be on the look out!

 

[1mach1]

In the dead middle of downtown Washington, DC (825 E St NW), Central Liquors has been a staple in the city since 1934. Excellent wine, rum, and whisky selections.

 

[dh66]

Always a good thing.

 

[BobHufford]

Red's Giant Hamburg was on the west side of Springfield, MO. Sadly only the sign survives and is part of a new Route 66 park they are developing. Apparently Red didn't size the sign height correctly when he ordered it which is why "hamburger" is truncated.

The Morells sang about Red's in 1982.

[video=youtube;X87mfrXqcwA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X87mfrXqcwA[/video]