Golden Lion Motor Inn (Demolished)
Lakewood, WA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The lion perched above Golden Lion Motor Inn gave this Lakewood motel a roadside identity all its own. The rustic sign looked right at home among the independent businesses along South Tacoma Way. It didn’t need an enormous arrow when a lion could get your attention instead. 07-08

The motel stood at 9021 South Tacoma Way, along the old Highway 99 corridor. Its sign is believed to date from the 1960s, when distinctive animal mascots and themed names helped motor inns compete for passing travelers. This one certainly offered more character than a plain vacancy panel.

UPDATE: The Golden Lion Motel was razed over in late February 2017. The 65 year old motel finally met its fate after years of building neglect and safety issues. The 30-unit motel was located at 1220 Puyallup Ave. According to recent reports, the site may be a new home of a car sales lot. 04-17

UPDATE: The Golden Lion and its sign were demolished in 2017, with the motel’s removal recorded among Lakewood’s commercial abatement projects. The Puyallup Avenue address in the earlier update refers to a different property and has been omitted here. 07-26

Marco Polo Motel (Demolished)
Albany, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The colorful Marco Polo Motel marquee offered a nice combination of neon and illuminated plastic along Albany’s Pacific Boulevard. Its bold panels gave the property the familiar look of a highway motel that had updated its advertising without completely starting over. 12-08

The motel welcomed travelers from the late 1950s, when Highway 99E carried more of the Willamette Valley’s through traffic. Its sign even earned a place in the Zippy the Pinhead comic strip on April 2, 2006. That’s a little national exposure for an otherwise modest roadside stop.

UPDATE: The Marco Polo Motel featured a great old marquee at its address 2410 Pacific Blvd. Unfortunately, the motel shut down and was demolished in 2009. 04-17

UPDATE: The Marco Polo was demolished in 2009, taking its familiar marquee out of the Albany landscape. Photographs preserve the sign’s unusual mixture of materials and lettering, while its comic strip appearance gives the old motel an unexpected claim to fame. 07-26

Oregon Motor Motel (Gone)
The Dalles, OR
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Oregon Motor Motel sign gave travelers a familiar roadside welcome in downtown The Dalles. Standing near the entrance, it marked the sort of motor motel where you could park for the night and explore town without getting straight back behind the wheel. 11-10

Located at 200 West Second Street, the property occupied a convenient spot near the downtown core. In February 2023, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council purchased it through Oregon’s Project Turnkey program, beginning its conversion from overnight lodging to shelter and transitional housing.

UPDATE: The former motel reopened as The Annex in 2023, with the first seventeen households moving in that August. The buildings survive in a new role, providing shelter and support for people seeking permanent housing. Its days of welcoming highway vacationers have ended, but the property continues offering a place to stay. 07-26

Bali-Hai Motel (Closed)
Yakima, WA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

A tropical hut above the road was enough to make Bali-Hai Motel stand out in Yakima. The peaked roof and palm tree details suggested a South Pacific getaway, even with central Washington’s dry landscape all around it. This was a sign worth stopping for before checking the room rates. 11-10

The sign is believed to date from the 1950s, although the motel itself was otherwise fairly modest in its tropical decoration. That was often enough for roadside lodging. A memorable name and an imaginative marquee could give an ordinary motor court a personality travelers would remember.

UPDATE: I happened to be back in Yakima at the end of August 2025 and noticed what looked like construction around the motel. It turns out the property had recently been damaged by a major fire, which explained all the activity. Thankfully, the distinctive tiki hut sign was still standing. 07-26

Riverside Inn (Rem.)
Grants Pass OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The star above Riverside Inn gave this Grants Pass sign a little extra roadside sparkle. It was the detail that caught my attention, making the entrance feel like a survivor from an earlier era of highway travel. Sometimes one small flourish makes the whole sign worth photographing. 11-20

Hotel records date the inn to 1965, placing it squarely in the years when automobile vacations helped shape southern Oregon’s roadside. Its Rogue River setting remains a major attraction, with private balconies overlooking the water and downtown nearby.

UPDATE: The original star topped sign has been removed, but Riverside Inn continues welcoming guests at 986 Southwest Sixth Street. The roadside entrance has changed, while the riverfront setting that helped distinguish the property remains part of the experience. 07-26