Text by Patrick Bell.
The last holiday of summer is upon us, so let’s hit the road and get one last blast before winter sets in. We have a variety of motels to see today, some that were the destination, and others that most likely were overnight stops along the way. Plus the cars that people traveled in. Climb aboard and we will get started.
Our first stop is the Captain’s Bounty on the Beach Motor Inn on Beach Street in Rockport, Massachusetts. It currently looks much the same, with updated colors and a different Captain. As the name suggests, it is actually on the beach, which is on the other side of this building. From the left was a well worn ’65-’67 Volkswagen Type 1, a ’71 or ’72 Mercury Cougar XR-7 that had a Connecticut license plate, perhaps with a vanity or amateur radio operator number, a ’72 Chevrolet Townsman wagon with a license plate I can’t read, and maybe just the nose of a ’71 full size Oldsmobile. The man looked like he may have been thinking, “Let’s get this show on the road”.
We are now at the Breeze Motel where they had showers and tubs, but I could not establish a location. It appears like it was on a hill where it was likely breezy, and on the photo day it was overcast and cool as the gentleman was wearing a jacket. He was standing by a V8 powered ’57 Nash Ambassador Super Country Club Hardtop, and to its right were two ’59 models; a Chevrolet Impala convertible and a Pontiac Catalina Sedan.
There is not much to go on for location in this one, other than what may have been swamp coolers on the roof. It was a very typical design for a roadside motel in the fifties and sixties. From the left a ’57 Cadillac Sixty-Two or Sixty-Two Sedan deVille with perhaps an Iowa license plate, a ’54 Buick Super 2 door Riviera possibly from Wisconsin, and a ’58 Plymouth Plaza Club Sedan with Sportone trim.
Now we are off to St. Petersburg, Florida, to the Skyway Motel and the neighboring Toll House Restaurant. There is now an Olive Garden restaurant and a Tint World shop at that location. Passing by was a ’57 Chrysler Windsor 4 door hardtop with possibly a ’59 issue Florida license plate.
Two more roadside type motels in a hilly and wooded area, but unknown location. In the foreground was a ’57 Mercury Monterey 4 door sedan, and across the way at the Breeze Manor a ’61 Chevrolet full size wagon was parked in front of a room.
Let’s head west to the Normandy Inn on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Little has changed since this image was taken sixty-five or so years ago. Two ’59 Cadillacs were parked out front; on the left was a Six Window Sedan of either the Sixty-Two or Sedan de Ville flavor, while the convertible was a Sixty-Two series. The wagon was a ’59 Oldsmobile Super 88 Fiesta, and on the right a ’57 Plymouth Belvedere Sport Coupe Hardtop. Beyond the Plymouth was a Volkswagen Type 1.
Another unknown location with a typical middle priced motel style that appears to be in a community. Parked out front starting in the foreground a ’60 Pontiac Catalina Sedan, ’56-’58 Hillman Minx Saloon, a ’54 Buick 4 door sedan that could have been any of the four trim series, ’60 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan, and on the end a ’58 Chevrolet Delray or Biscayne 4 door sedan.
A Travel Information Center of some sort with a Texaco station and a motel in the background. In the foreground, a group of folks were leaving their ’60 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan and heading inside.
On the left edge, a ’59 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 or Super 88, followed by a ’57 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner, a six cylinder equipped ’55 Chevrolet Two-Ten 2 door sedan, a ’62 Plymouth Savoy or Belvedere wagon, another ’57 Ford, a red ’58 Chevrolet Impala convertible, and the last one was a ’62 Impala. It and the Plymouth wagon were the newest that I can see.
Here was a nice looking establishment, with some kind of stone fascia and flowers blooming in the flower beds. It looked like an early fall day with the leaves beginning to turn, plus the lady was wearing a scarf and sweater. She was posing beside a V8 powered ’67 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe with a same year Michigan license plate. It was registered in Van Buren County, where the seat is Paw Paw (yes, you read that correctly). On the left looks like a ’66 Buick Wildcat Custom Sport Coupe.
Our final stop is at the Pacific Sands Motel at a location I can’t verify. California is a safe guess, and there was one in Santa Monica, but I could not find any images that would come close to resembling this one. Parked underneath three females was a ’70 Buick Skylark 2 door sedan with an aerodynamic roof top carrier and cargo combination, and some quarter panel damage. On the other side of it was a dark color ’71 Chevrolet Impala, and sticking its nose in the photo a white ’60 Ford Falcon.
Thanks for joining us and have a safe Labor Day holiday!
Rich, in the third photo from the top, the white `58 Plymouth Club Coupe on the right appears to have the “Siver Special” spring edition trim package, if I’m seeing the lower trim correctly. (Dodge had a similar pkg. on the Coronet 2drs. as well).
^^^^I’d never heard of that one—thanks for pointing it out! Berkeley Gazette, April 1958:
Will, I believe you are correct. That thought actually crossed my mind, but my thinking was the only way to verify one was the special molding on the fender and door, which you couldn’t see in this view if it had one. I forgot about the special emblem on the quarter panel that this one appears to have on closer inspection.
Thanks for your comment!
That shade of blue on the Breeze Motel sign and building just about matches some of the car colors. A popular color in the late 50’s/early 60’s.
It’s great to see all these–a nice step back in time. The “Normandy” there in Carmel does seem to be an especially swanky one.
#2, “The Breeze” turns out to be in Colorado Springs, CO—-I’ll guess the postcard is mid-late 1960s, with updated sign…but it still has its second-floor Sun Deck:
That s/w in the first pic is just ‘depressing”.
#7 (Ainsworth Motel) = Arlington, VA—–so perhaps visitors to Washington, DC:
Wow. As best as I can figure, the Ainsworth Motel was on Rt. 1 (formerly known as The Jefferson Davis highway there in Arlington) in what is largely now known as “Crystal City”. I recall that up through the 1970s, that strip had a rather depressing set of motels that catered to folks who traveled to DC but couldn’t afford fancier hotels in the District or (if they were committed to staying in VA) the very beginnings of what later exploded into a sea of skyscrapers…The Crystal City Marriott. That’s still there a bit up the river and for those of us who grew up around there, it’s a landmark seen every time you land at National Airport.
(Yes, I know it has another name now, but I still call it National.)
Anyhow, the Ainsworth stood on that strip of Rt. 1 that lies directly across the river from the main terminals at National.
I too call it “Natl Airport”. Always have.
I’m just getting to this post now since I’ve been traveling… and ironically flew out of Reagan National, so I drove right past this site on the way to the airport.
It’s amazing now to think how scrappy this area was back then. I believe that the Horning building behind the Ainsworth was a pawn shop. Pretty different than the expensive high-rises that are there now.
The Breeze Manor with the Mercury (too bad it wasn’t a Breezeway Merc!) looks like the area of Breezewood in PA, a famous constriction point and tourist trap on the Turnpike. I’ve driven through it a few times in the past.
Google shows that a very similar-looking motel is still named Breeze Manor, part of the Quality Inn chain.
https://www.choicehotels.com/pennsylvania/breezewood/quality-inn-hotels/pa003
That appears to be it! I identified it via a vintage postcard. For anyone who doesn’t know: Breezewood is intersection of I-70 and Pennsylvania Turnpike without an at-highway speed interchange—-everyone has to get off onto the surface street crammed with these motels, plus gas stations, restaurants, etc.: “one of the few gaps in the Interstate Highway System,” indeed!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breezewood%2C_Pennsylvania
Thanks George and polistra for your ID’s!
The Breezewood interchange came about because there was a rule against allowing a direct connection between a toll highway such as the PA Turnpike and a free interstate (I-70 in this case).
The first time I exited from the turnpike at Breezewood on the way from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, I thought I was on I-70 heading south and east. However, after only a mile or so, I was forced to exit onto US Route 30, paradoxically heading west for a short distance through several traffic lights before turning left onto the on-ramp for I-70 East.
I have no doubt that Bud Schuster, the former longtime congressman for the area, played a major role in protecting the local businesses in Breezewood. The irony is that the mom and pop motels and restauruants are long gone, replaced by chains.
This little bit of local grift should have been rectified decades ago.
So many Cadillacs!
Motels are motels all over, one thing remains constant, the parking, you cant park a truck and trailer in there, not a problem most motel clients face I know, but Ive lived in motel after motel driving you either get a cash allowance to sleep in the truck or a motel and meals.
Excellent slices of Americana.
The Breeze Motel’s sign reminds me again of the seemingly odd stuff that motels tended to call out on their signs. TV, I get since presumably one might find a motel in the late 1950s that didn’t have a TV in every room. But “Showers” and “Tubs”? Did one have to choose? Or was standing outdoors and hosing off with a garden hose an option?
That last photo is great. I do think that someone needs to check the left rear shock on that Buick.
Indoor plumbing wasn’t universal in the 50s. People who lived in downtown apartments often had to share a common bathroom. A shower or tub all to yourself was still a luxury for some.
Paul, there seems to be a problem with the new hosting and Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge seems to work OK.
When paging down the post reverts to about the left 20% of the screen with the ads taking up the rest of the screen,
OOPS, just had the problem with Edge!!!!!
Curious, as I’m not seeing it on Chrome. I haven’t had anyone else comment about that issue either. Maybe reboot and clear out any old memory or cache issues/
Yep! Been going on “3-4”, days now. Grrr.
Actually I know what you talk about. Noticed the same thing this morning on my office computer using Chrome. Everything pushed off to the left. Strange. I then closed out the browser, cleared history, and then reopened. Only this time I clicked on the comment number to open the story instead of the usual way and it was fine at that point. Note it was only on the story by Jason and no others.
the children’s slide at the breeze manor looks live a serious death trap
A pair of 60s motels dwarfed by massive hotels around them today. Both two story brick buildings with one raw and one painted.
It’s curious how the Malibú already seems to show rocker panel repairs or repainting. Rust, old Photo, or I’m not seeing well the colors?
Nice images all ;
Back in those days we camped only .
-Nate
I come from an Air Force family. In the 1950s-early 60s, we moved state to state, country to country. It was a wonderful way to grow up and so many wonderful road trips. What I remember most, we always had to stop at a motel with a swimming pool. Perhaps someone should write a book about coast to coast motel swimming pools. As a child, I swam my way from East Coast to West Coast many times in motel swimming pools.