Northernaire Motel (Gone)
St Ignace, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's another classic Upper Peninsula motel sign. The Northernaire Motel in St. Ignace had its bright "No Vacancy" sign glowing when this photo was taken, a good indication that plenty of travelers were making their way through town. 12-07

Located just north of downtown on Business Loop I-75, the Northernaire was a small, independently owned motel that welcomed visitors to the Straits area for decades. With just 15 rooms and a handful of cabins, it was the kind of family-run place that was once common along America's highways. The illuminated "No Vacancy" sign added a nice touch and was exactly the sort of detail that caught the attention of passing motorists.

UPDATE: The Northernaire Motel has permanently closed. It appeared this neon sign has been long gone. 07-26

Blue Bay Motel (Gone)
St Ignace, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The blue neon at Blue Bay Motel in St. Ignace, Michigan, was glowing nicely on this evening. The illuminated lettering made a fitting welcome for travelers entering the Upper Peninsula. Sometimes a simple motel sign looks its best when every letter is doing its job. 12-07

The Blue Bay name can be traced to at least the 1980s, although its opening date and ownership history remain unclear. Like other independent motels around St. Ignace, it offered highway travelers a place to spend the night, with the neon supplying a recognizable roadside landmark.

UPDATE: Blue Bay no longer appears to operate under that name, and its vintage sign is reported gone. Whether the motel buildings were demolished, redeveloped, or renamed remains unconfirmed. This property is separate from the operating Blue Bay Motel in Tobermory, Ontario. 07-26

Ranch Motel (Demolished)
Elwood, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The compact sign at Ranch Motel in Elwood, Indiana, looked a little like a cattle branding iron. Its neon had gone dark by the time this photograph was taken, but the unusual shape still made it worth a second look. There weren’t many motel marquees quite like this one. 07-07

Operating by the mid-1950s along State Road 37, Ranch welcomed travelers passing through central Indiana. The western-themed display gave the property something different from the usual rectangular sign, putting a little imagination into the motel’s roadside introduction.

UPDATE: Ranch Motel has been demolished, and its branding-iron-style sign is gone. 07-26

6 T 7 Motel (Gone)
Lawrence, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The name Motel 6-T-7 was enough to make you look twice, and the neon marquee helped finish the job. Along Pendleton Pike in Lawrence, Indiana, this was a motel worth noticing even if you weren’t looking for a room. You might still drive away wondering about the name. 07-07

The property dates to the early 1950s. Although its mailing address is Indianapolis, it stands within Lawrence, where it welcomed motorists during the roadside motel boom. The unusual lettering gave the independent property an identity of its own.

UPDATE: The motel continues operating as BlissPoint Inn, but the original 6-T-7 neon sign has been removed. Lodging remains part of the property’s story, while photographs preserve the memorable name and marquee that once announced it along Pendleton Pike. 07-26

Frankenmuth Motel
Frankenmuth, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The neon marquee at Frankenmuth Motel gives sign enthusiasts another reason to look around Frankenmuth, Michigan. The shops, Bavarian buildings, and Christmas attractions may bring most visitors, but this old roadside display deserves a little attention of its own. 11-07

Welcoming travelers since the late 1950s, the motel grew from a small lodging stop into a larger family-friendly property. It joined the Bavarian Inn family in 1993, while retaining its familiar sign. The location just off Main Street puts guests near the town’s shops and restaurants.

UPDATE: Frankenmuth Motel remains open, and its classic roadside sign continues welcoming visitors. Through expansions and ownership changes, the marquee has kept its place out front. It’s good to see an older motel display still doing the job it was built for. 07-26

Chain of Rocks Motel (Rem.)
Mitchell, IL
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The neon marquee at Chain of Rocks Motel made a colorful stop along Route 66 near the Mississippi River. Often associated with Mitchell, the property actually stands in neighboring Granite City, Illinois. Its glowing sign gave Mother Road photographers plenty of reason to pull over. 11-07

Built in the 1950s, the motel combined Googie-style architecture, decorative spires, and roadside neon. It took its name from the nearby Chain of Rocks Bridge, linking the lodging stop with one of Route 66’s familiar river crossings.

UPDATE: The motel remains open, but its original marquee was removed in 2006 and replaced with a modern sign. A full-size replica was unveiled in 2026 at the Route 66 Experience in Springfield, Illinois, bringing the design back into view for another round of highway photographs. 07-26

Pine Tree Motel (Gone)
Lake Geneva, WI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Pine Tree Motel in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin featured an eye-catching neon sign that was hard to miss along the roadside. The colorful pine tree and glowing lettering made it another classic example of the kind of motel sign that attracted motorists before the days of chain hotels. 12-07

Originally built as the Pine Tree Motor Court, the property was designed in the classic auto-court style with individual lodging units arranged for easy drive-up access. The sign was updated over the years to advertise cable TV, but it never lost its mid-century charm.

Today, the property has taken on a different role. Instead of serving overnight travelers, the former motel has been converted into long-term residential cottages and kitchenette rentals.

UPDATE: The Pine Tree Motel no longer operates as a traditional motel and has been converted to long-term residential rentals. The classic neon motel sign disappeared sometime prior to 2018. 07-26