Text by Patrick Bell.
The first holiday of summer is here already, so we are going to hit the vintage road and visit some motels along the way as we check out some old time road traveling. We have a good variety to view, and the caravan is raring to go.
We begin with a familiar 1958 Chevrolet Delray 2 door sedan from Texas that we have seen in many locations and galleries. It was a basic, entry level car with a Blue Flame 6 for power and a 1959 Texas license plate. The family was stopped at the Holiday Motel in an unknown location, and the kids were wearing their straw hats and holding their Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. In the background was a swing set, and further back was another 1958 Chevrolet; a Brookwood wagon.
On to the Bridge Motel, which was located in a warm climate judging by the trees. On the left edge was a 1950 Chevrolet with a visor and a California license plate used from 1956 through 1962. In the center was the newest unit; a 1957 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket 88 Holiday Sedan, and to the right was a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe with two tone paint and Oldsmobile style spinner wheel covers.
Photo notes indicate this was the New Hampshire Highway Hotel, which was located in Concord. It was dated September 1959. The lady looked like she was ready to get in their 1954 Ford Crestline Fordor Sedan and hit the road. It had a 1959 Massachusetts license plate and was equipped with Fordomatic Drive.
We are now in Mesa, Arizona, at the Buckhorn Baths Motel, a small mineral hot springs resort. Parked out front in the foreground was a 1958 Cadillac Series Sixty-Two Coupe or Coupe de Ville, with a 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Town Sedan on the other side of it. The red truck looks like an International Harvester KB series that was built from 1940-1949, and further down was a brown 1951-1953 Hudson.
A two tone 1955 Buick Super 4 door sedan with at least two passengers was waiting in front of a roadside motel. The neon “MOTEL” sign was nearly invisible when not turned on, and that may have been the focus of the photo since the lower part of the car is missing. The windows were down, so it was a warm summer day.
Carburetors sure could be cantankerous. The air cleaner was on the ground, so the man under the hood may have been working on the carburetor on a 1958 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Holiday Sedan. It had a Washington state license plate first issued in 1963, and registered in Grays Harbor County, located on the west coast. On the other side appeared to be a 1965 or 1966 Cadillac de Ville.
This location has the look of a lake in the desert. Two couples (?) were traveling in a 1957 Mercury Montclair Phaeton Sedan, their name for a 4 door hardtop. It had two tone paint, full wheel covers, and fender skirts that may have been aftermarket. Plus the windows were down to keep it cool and dusty.
Let’s take a snooze at the Doric Motel in Tacoma, Washington. The building has survived but is now an assisted living center. The newest car was the 1960 Plymouth Custom Suburban wagon that was pulling in the driveway. Parked in the street from the right was a 1956 Pontiac 860 or 870 2 door Catalina hardtop, further down was a black 1949 Chevrolet Styleline 2 door sedan, and on the left edge may have been a Ford Anglia 100E.
We are off to New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Fontainebleau Motor Hotel. It closed in the mid-eighties, but the building has been repurposed as college dormitories. In the closest parking lot from the left was a 1956 or 1957 Checker A8 8 passenger Driv-Er-Matic Special taxi cab, a white 1959 Ford Custom 300, a red topped 1954 Mercury, and a blue 1959 Buick LeSabre 4 door sedan with the standard hub caps. Then a tan 1958 Studebaker Silver Hawk, white 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan, and the newest of the bunch, a white over green 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Town Victoria.
And another unidentified roadside motel with a pool. From the left was a black 1961 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Sedan, and a white 1960 Mercury Park Lane 2 door Hardtop Cruiser, one of 2,974 built. It had what may have been a 1962 Ohio license plate. Next was a blue 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne 2 door sedan with the deck lid open, and a 1960 Rambler Super Cross Country Wagon with what appeared to be a 1962 New York license plate. On the right edge was a grey 1962 Buick LeSabre or Invicta.
Image notes indicate this two story motel was located in Rapid City, South Dakota. There were two buildings visible, with the left building upper floor likely the manager’s quarters. Some of the other rooms were air conditioned, but not all of them.
In the parking lot were two 1962 General Motors medium priced 4 door hardtops; a dark red entry level Oldsmobile Dynamic 88, and a dark brown or black top of the line Buick Electra 225. And in the background was a tan over white 1955 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan.
The O’Haire Manor Motel is still in operation in the town of Shelby, Montana. At the curb were two ladies with another one of our familiar traveling companions, a 1966 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan from Texas that had a small camp trailer in tow. On the upper level was a white 1967-1969 Ford F-series Styleside pickup, and to the right was a black 1969 Ford Country Sedan wagon, and on the edge perhaps a 1966 full size Oldsmobile.
This complex was reported to be in Wildwood, New Jersey, and was a modern, three story building with a raised deck, pool, and a lounge on site. In the foreground were two Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupes; a blue 1964 model with a V8 and fender skirts, plus a white 1965 model on the other side of it. To the right was a V8 powered 1959 Plymouth Fury with a “Rear Sport Deck” faux spare tire.
Our final stop this trip was at the Northland Motel, where they had heated TV’s and showers, at least according to the sign. It was also a vintage convenience store where you could buy Mobil gas (36.9 cents for regular), cash groceries, and eat at the Coffee Cup. Parked out back were a white 1964 Imperial Crown Coupe and perhaps a 1953-1955 Ford F-100 pickup.
Thanks for traveling with us and have a great holiday!
Wonderful
Good ole, “Plasticville”!! Wish I’d been attentive, enough to keep track/ hold onto all of mine. Believe, if memory serves, i had this one in white/ blue or gray doors.
Recall a blue , plastic or cardboard, insert to simulate water in the pool.
Had two of the ranch house; one white, one green. Cape Cod, house was yellow. Stately, Georgian was white, gray.
Contemporary, home was yellow, red, gray. A bank branch, men’s clothing store, split level, house too.
Just noticing how unusually high on the doors the door handles were on that 1955 Buick. Unusually so.
I love seeing those old cars and motels! It just brings back so many memories. Having started driving in the carburetor days, the pic of the car with the air cleaner off reminded me why I am so grateful generally for modern fuel injected vehicles. When you know what a manual choke is and how to use it, getting in a modern vehicle and having it start every time is a joy!
John I agree totally. Vapor lock in the summer and icing on the idle jets in the winter are fortunately just not so fond memories. Also not missed are cans of fuel deicer, stuck choke plates and engine mechanically driven fuel pumps.
The backlite on the 60 Merc is something to behold!
Thank you very much for bringing up great, great memories. The trailer behind the ‘66 Chevy Bel Air is a Serro Scotty. Low-profile and popular, and collectible today. The photos are all very good. Neat to see the differences in car brands.
My parents went to the Fontainebleau Hotel in New Orleans for their honeymoon in 1962 – drove their Peugeot down there from Philadelphia. I only remember this because they kept a bunch of souvenirs from the Fontainebleau, and I recall seeing them around the house. All this time, I never looked up to see what the hotel actually looked like.
These are all so cool, and great narrative as usual. A perfect start / kickoff to summer travels.
Incredible
Really great things
Would love to see that Northland Motel!
Patrick, would like to see a bio, your knowledge & ability to identify cars is amazing!
I really enjoy when this site shows period pics of motels. I have posted before about my childhood wonderful memories of my many Air Force family moves cross country, back & forth, experiencing motels around the country. I will skip repeating myself and skip to one memory of an adult road trip.
It was 1981, myself & companion, one black cat & one small fluffy white dog were moving from Houston to NYC. I had the largest U-Haul trailer hitched to my 1976 Eldorado convertible. With the help of friends we loaded the trailer most of the day, possibly loaded it 1000 pounds too much. The rear air shocks on the Eldo sagged, AAA came and pumped up the rear, off we went late afternoon. By nightfall we were in Louisiana, rain and tornado warnings followed us. Tired, we saw a sign, “Motel” exit whatever. Took the exit, raining hard, still had to drive a few miles on a two lane road to find the motel. Turned into the motel parking lot and both of said “Bates Motel” at the same time. Tired, we checked in. Perhaps the parking lot with many trucks should have been an indication of the motel services offered. Perhaps our white Eldo conv. with a massive U-Haul drew attention. Just after with got cat and dog in the room an advanced age looking, perhaps middle age, woman knocked on our door offering ‘room service’. Room service politely denied. Checked out the room that last looked updated in the early 1970s on a budget. I suppose the painted window glass and only having hand towels in the bathroom indicated the typical guest did not linger. We did not linger and we were out of there before the sun rose to continue our not without road trip issues moving to the the Big Apple.
Alfred, what a great memory. I could (practically) picture every element as described. Thank you.
The first picture appears to be from Dalhart, Texas, in the panhandle, about 85 mi. northwest of Amarillo. Looks like the structure is still standing, and is currently an “extended stay” apartment/motel.
Google StreetView link and then-and-now comparison below:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8roGZM28cWQKhTN9A
Still has the original sign, save for the top part
Nice pix, all .
-Nate
The Rapid City two-story motel is familiar. Our family did a vacation to South Dakota in 1962 and stayed there. I especially remember playing on the dinosaurs at the top of the hill.
That’s neat! I really wanted to find that one if I could, and finally did. Looks like it used to be called the White Tail Motel. The building is still standing – it’s now some kind of short-term apartment called Westside Studios.
Google StreetView link and then-and-now comparison below.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QjWsB6kBqsSzJPjt9
Good find. The conversion makes sense. I remember the place felt more like apts than a motel.
Old time New Orleanians pronounced the Fontainbleau as “fountain blow”. I believe it was once the site of the New Orleans Pelicans baseball stadium.
The ‘Quality Courts’ sign in photo #5 brought back memories. They were an indicator of a somewhat higher grade of motel in the less corporate days of 1950’s car travel.
According to AI, the company was initially set up as a sort of co-op that individual motel owners could join, having met certain standards and passing a set of inspections. Every member motel had brochures featuring fantasy-inducing pictures of other members. Big nightime neon signs! Swimming pools! The brochures became souvenirs of summer road trips in the family Nash. 😅