Hiawatha Motel (Gone)
Manistique, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Hiawatha Motel had a sign that was a little different from the typical roadside motel marquee, and that's exactly what made it stand out. It may not have featured a giant arrow or flashy Googie shapes, but its distinctive design was more than enough to catch the attention of travelers heading through Manistique on U.S. 2. 12-08

For many years the motel welcomed visitors exploring Michigan's Upper Peninsula before eventually closing its doors. After operating the Hiawatha Motel, the McNamara family went on to own the nearby Star Motel for more than four decades, continuing their connection to Manistique's roadside hospitality.

Today the motel is gone, and so is the unique sign that once stood out front. Like so many independent motels, it's another reminder of how quickly these pieces of roadside Americana can disappear.

UPDATE: The Hiawatha Motel is no longer in business, and its distinctive roadside sign has been removed. Another unique Upper Peninsula motel has become part of history. 07-26

Four Star Motel
St Ignace, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The four stars atop Four Star Motel gave St. Ignace travelers a cheerful roadside welcome. In summer 2008, the reader board added a timely pitch: “Gas is expensive...we are not.” That probably earned a few smiles from motorists watching their vacation budgets. 12-08

Skip and Julie Moore purchased the motel in the late 1970s and operated it until 2019. Skip also worked for the Mackinac Bridge Authority, balancing bridge work with the family lodging business. The star-topped marquee gave their U.S. 2 property a recognizable face.

UPDATE: Now known as Laura’s Four Star Motel, the property reportedly serves primarily as seasonal workforce housing. The vintage sign remains out front, keeping its familiar stars along the highway even as the rooms serve a different purpose. 07-26

Bambi Motel (Demolished)
Sault Ste Marie, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Bambi Motel in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, looked far removed from its vacation days by 2008. Weeds surrounded the empty buildings, and fire damage near the office added to the neglected appearance. Another once-welcoming highway stop had gone quiet. 12-08

Earlier postcards advertised Campbell’s Motel Bambi alongside a Big Boy restaurant. Rooms and a swimming pool offered families a convenient stop on Ashmun Street, combining dinner and an overnight stay in one place. It was quite a change from the abandoned property seen here.

UPDATE: Bambi Motel has been demolished, and its Ashmun Street property became part of a brownfield redevelopment effort. The reported connection to Lake Superior Academy could not be verified, so the site’s replacement use remains unclear. The motel and its roadside lodging business are gone. 07-26

Grand Motel (Gone)
Sault Ste Marie, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Grand Motel was still welcoming travelers along East Portage Avenue in Sault Ste. Marie when neighboring properties were growing quiet. Opened in July 1958, it belonged to the postwar generation of motels built for families exploring the Upper Peninsula. 12-08

Fred Bye began construction in 1957 and built the motel for his daughter Emma to manage. Its original 19 rooms offered tiled baths and individually controlled electric heat. Later expansion brought the count advertised on a downtown wall to “23 new units—9 blocks.”

UPDATE: Purchased by Dave Atkinson in 2009, the property continues as The Last Resort, associated with Wild Bill’s Bait and Tackle. The original marquee is gone, but the downtown painted advertisement survives, still pointing toward the motel’s earlier identity. 07-26

Sands Motel (Closed)
St Ignace, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Sands Motel in St. Ignace, Michigan, had already gone quiet when this July 2008 view was taken. Along Business Loop I-75, the empty property recalled the smaller independent motels that once welcomed vacation traffic. Its weathered sign still offered something worth inspecting. 12-08

Look closely at the “YES” and “NO” panels beside “VACANCY.” Lighting one or the other told motorists whether rooms were available a neat variation on the usual vacancy display. The motel dates to the mid-century travel era, although its exact opening date remains uncertain.

UPDATE: Sands has closed and was documented as abandoned by summer 2008. The latest supplied account reports the sign still standing, but its current condition has not been independently confirmed. Those unusual vacancy panels remain the most memorable part of its roadside welcome. 07-26

The Balsams Motel
Gros Cap, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Balsams Motel has one of those signs that's hard to drive past without taking a second look. Between the bright colors, the little starbursts, and the unique shape, it's a fun piece of roadside design that fits right in along U.S. 2 west of St. Ignace. It's the kind of sign that reminds you how much personality these old mom-and-pop motels once had. 12-08

The motel is part of The Balsams Resort, a longtime Upper Peninsula getaway offering both motel rooms and rustic log cabins tucked among the trees. Located near Gros Cap and just across the highway from Lake Michigan, it's easy to see why this has been a popular stop for travelers looking to slow down and enjoy the shoreline.

UPDATE: The Balsams Resort remains open, and fortunately its distinctive vintage roadside sign is still standing to welcome travelers along U.S. 2. 07-26

The Kings Inn Motel (Gone)
Sault Ste Marie, MI
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

The Kings Inn Motel was already gone when this photo was taken in June 2008. The motel had been demolished, leaving behind nothing but a weedy lot and its roadside sign standing all by itself. It was an odd sight, almost as if the sign was waiting for the motel to come back. 12-08

Construction had started on the property, but there was no clue what was being built. Just another classic motel sign disappearing from the roadside.

UPDATE: The Kings Inn Motel is gone, and so is its distinctive marquee. Today there's little left to remind travelers that another mom-and-pop motel once stood here. 07-26