Townhouse Motel (Demolished)
Grants Pass, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Townhouse Motel had a welcoming roadside sign that did exactly what motel signs were meant to do—point tired travelers toward a place to spend the night. Surrounded by mature trees, it looked right at home along old Highway 99 through Grants Pass.
Like many of the small independent motels that once lined Northeast 6th Street, the Townhouse catered to motorists long before the interstate pulled much of the traffic away. Its directional arrow and simple mid-century styling made it another familiar landmark for anyone traveling through southern Oregon.
Today, the motel lives on only in photographs like this one. The old highway has changed over the years, and another piece of its roadside history has quietly disappeared.
UPDATE: The Townhouse Motel is gone. It appears that the motel was swallowed up by the Redwood Motel resort next door. 04-17
UPDATE: The Townhouse Motel has been demolished, and the property has been absorbed into the neighboring Redwood Hyperion Suites. The motel's roadside sign is gone. 07-26
Sis
Q Motel (Closed)
Medford, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
This towering sign stands in the lot of the Sis Q Motel in Medford, OR. The place is still open, though it gets some dicey reviews.
The Sis-Q Motel was hard to miss thanks to its tall roadside sign standing above South Riverside Avenue. It wasn't the fanciest marquee in town, but it had the kind of simple, towering presence that let motorists know another night's lodging was just ahead. 03-06
For years, the Sis-Q was one of the many independent motels serving travelers along Medford's historic highway corridor. Like countless roadside motels across the West, it eventually struggled as travel patterns changed and the property grew older. Still, the sign remained a familiar landmark for anyone passing by.
The motel has now entered a new chapter. Rather than disappearing completely, the property has been repurposed to serve the community in a different way, giving the buildings a new purpose while preserving another piece of the old roadside landscape.
UPDATE: The Sis-Q Motel is no longer operating as a commercial motel. The property has been converted into emergency housing, and the iconic roadside sign remains standing, although its future is uncertain. 07-26
Tiki
Lodge Motel (Gone)
Medford, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Tiki Lodge Motel proves you didn't have to be in Hawaii to catch a little tropical spirit. Even though the Polynesian touches were fairly subtle, it was always fun to come across a tiki-themed motel in southern Oregon.
Located along North Riverside Avenue in Medford, the Tiki Lodge was one of several Pacific Northwest motels that embraced the mid-century fascination with all things tropical. Postcards promised a relaxing stay, while the roadside sign gave travelers just enough of a hint that something a little different waited inside.
Over the years, the motel gradually lost much of its island-inspired personality. The themed details faded away, but the old marquee managed to survive, even after the property closed its doors.
UPDATE: The Tiki Lodge Motel is no longer in business. Its roadside sign still stands, although it has been heavily altered and most of its original tiki character has disappeared. 07-26
Flamingo
Motel (Demolished)
Grants Pass, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Flamingo Motel was one of those roadside stops that made you do a double take. The marquee was interesting enough, but it was the motel itself that really stole the show. The long, sweeping roof overhangs stretched out over the rooms like a pair of giant wings, making it look as though a flamingo had landed alongside old Highway 99.
Originally built in 1936 as the Egyptian Motel, it was one of the earliest motor courts in Grants Pass and a reminder of just how creative roadside architecture could be. At some point the property was renamed the Flamingo, and somehow the new name fit the building perfectly. Whether that was by design or just a happy coincidence, it's hard to imagine calling it anything else.
The motel sat along Northwest 6th Street, the main route through Grants Pass long before Interstate 5 bypassed downtown. Travelers heading north or south would have had no trouble spotting the distinctive sign and unusual roofline. It must have been quite a sight when everything was freshly painted and the neon was glowing after sunset.
Flamingo
Motel (Demolished)
Grants Pass, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
By the early 2000s, time had definitely caught up with the Flamingo, but even then it still had plenty of personality. You could almost picture families pulling in after a long day on the road, parking beneath those oversized wings, and settling in for the night before continuing their trip the next morning.
UPDATE: The Flamingo Motel was torn down in January 2016 after 80 years of serving Grants Pass. The motel has been falling apart for a number of years and was most recently used as a low rent apartment complex. Yet another roadside landmark has fallen by the wayside. 04-17
UPDATE: The Flamingo Motel eventually closed and sat vacant for several years before being demolished around 2018–2019. Its one-of-a-kind architecture and vintage roadside sign are now gone, making old photographs like this an important reminder of one of Grants Pass's most distinctive roadside landmarks. 07-26
Manor Motel
Ashland, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
This red, white, and blue marquee advertises the Manor Motel in Ashland, OR.
The Manor Motel has the kind of colorful roadside sign that's becoming harder to find with each passing year. Its bright red, white, and blue marquee has been welcoming travelers along old Highway 99 since the days when independent motels were the heart of every road trip.
Opened in 1949, the Manor is tucked away in a quiet garden setting just north of downtown Ashland. It's a smaller auto court with plenty of mid-century charm, and its vintage sign still does a fine job of inviting motorists to pull in for the night.
Ashland has managed to preserve much of its historic character, and the Manor Motel remains a nice reminder of the town's roadside past.
UPDATE: The Manor Motel is still open, and its classic red, white, and blue roadside sign continues to greet travelers in Ashland. 07-26
Cottage Grove Apartments
Cottage Grove, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A faded old sign like this always makes me wonder what the place looked like years ago. The Cottage Grove Apartments marquee stands along old Highway 99, looking very much like it once welcomed travelers instead of tenants.
The buildings behind it still have the look of a small roadside motor court, with their single-story layout and cozy motel feel. Somewhere along the way the rooms became apartments, but the old sign never completely lost its roadside charm.
It's worn, faded, and easy to miss, but that's part of what makes it interesting. You can't help but imagine pulling in here after a long day on the road.
UPDATE: The former motor court now operates as the Cottage Grove Apartments. Not sure if the weathered roadside sign still stands along Highway 99. 07-26
Townhouse Motel (Demolished)
Tiki
Lodge Motel (Gone)
Flamingo
Motel (Demolished)
Flamingo
Motel (Demolished)
Cottage Grove Apartments
