The Gonzo Inn
Moab, UT
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Check out the lizard hanging from the Gonzo Inn sign in Moab. Without that little character, the display might be fairly straightforward. Add a reptile clinging to the support pole, and suddenly there's something worth stopping to photograph.

Locally owned since 1998, the Gonzo belongs to a newer generation of independent lodging in southeastern Utah. Construction was announced in November 1997 as a 44 room inn. Its playful lizard theme gives the property a fitting identity in red rock country without borrowing the usual cowboy or covered wagon.

UPDATE: The Gonzo Inn remains open in Moab, and recent coverage continues to feature its lizard themed sign. The little roadside character helps distinguish the property from the larger hotels serving the area. Not every memorable motel mascot has to be a survivor from the 1950s. 06-26

Capri Motel
Colorado Springs, CO
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Capri Motel sign in Colorado Springs looks almost ready to walk away. Check out the angled supports beneath the marquee. They give the display the appearance of having a pair of feet, an unusual finishing touch for something intended to stay beside the driveway.

Located along East Platte Avenue, the Capri is part of the city's older roadside lodging landscape. The sign's stance supplies much of its personality, showing how the framework could become part of the design rather than simply holding the motel name above passing traffic.

UPDATE: The property continues to be listed as Capri & Tour-Rest Motel. Its distinctive sign reportedly remains, although the readerboard has a more subdued appearance than it once did. The unusual supports still give the display its recognizable silhouette. Fortunately, this motel sign appears to have kept its feet planted beside the road. 06-26

Shepherds Motel (Closed)
Denver, CO
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Look closely at the Shepherds Motel sign in Denver and you'll spot a small orb perched on top. It isn't the enormous starburst found at some motor courts, but it gives the display a little space age decoration above the motel lettering.

Built in 1963, the 34 room property stood on Valentia Street just off East Colfax Avenue. Its compact roadside operation belonged to the years when travelers could choose among numerous independent motels along the U.S. 40 corridor. The little topper helped give this one a recognizable detail of its own.

UPDATE: The property sold in June 2023 for $3 million and no longer operates as the Shepherds Motel. The vintage pole sign reportedly remains standing, including its orb. The old name may have reached the end of its lodging days, but the display still recalls the property's earlier roadside identity. 06-26

Vista Grande Motel (Gone)
Heber City, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Vista Grande Motel sign in Heber City made good use of unusual shapes and an arrangement that refused to be ordinary. Its geometric panels gave travelers along U.S. 40 something more distinctive to watch for than a rectangular vacancy box.

The motel was operating by 1965. Its marquee survived long enough to receive a rather different assignment, proving that a roadside sign doesn't necessarily have to disappear when the business behind it closes. This one traded overnight accommodations for another form of highway travel.

UPDATE: The Vista Grande is gone, but its sign resurfaced around 2018 at VARR, a local Airstream restoration business. The display was repainted, neon was added, and an Airstream shaped panel replaced portions of the original design. It no longer advertises motel rooms, but the old marquee found a fitting second career involving travelers and aluminum trailers. 06-26

Sands Motel
St. George, UT
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Sands Motel sign brings a generous helping of neon and distinctive script to St. George Boulevard. The lettering gives the marquee an identity beyond the familiar motel name, especially after dark when the illumination stands out against southern Utah's evening sky.

The Sands belonged to the Holt brothers and was among the independent lodging businesses that helped turn the boulevard into a motel and restaurant strip. Before Interstate 15 changed travel patterns, this stretch of old Highway 91 was an important route through town.

UPDATE: The Sands Motel remains open, and its vintage sign continues to mark the property along St. George Boulevard. The familiar script still supplies a welcome from the earlier highway era. With so many roadside displays replaced by standard hotel branding, this one remains a good reason to take the old route through town. 06-26

Redford Motel
Glenns Ferry, ID
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Redford Motel sign in Glenns Ferry doesn't need an enormous arrow or a rooftop mascot to catch attention. Its painted lettering gives the property a straightforward roadside welcome, suited to a small independent motel in this southern Idaho town.

The sign likely dates from the 1950s or 1960s. Glenns Ferry's location along the old U.S. 30 route made lodging a natural business, and the Redford has served longer stays as well as overnight visitors. One local resident recalled living there for six months after arriving in town in 2021.

UPDATE: My wife and I stayed three nights there while visiting the first three days of June. It is a quaint place to stay, very clean, moderately priced, and no frills to speak of. Owner is very congenial. Just thought I would confirm your suspicion. Many thanks to John Likes for update.

UPDATE: The Redford appears to remain in business, with its familiar sign reportedly still standing. The property continues to offer an independent lodging option in Glenns Ferry, carrying on the smaller scale of roadside hospitality that once defined so many stops along the old highway. 06-26

Sleepy Lagoon Motel (Closed)
Beaver, UT
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Sleepy Lagoon Motel in Beaver had a marquee that suited its unhurried name. The motel was around by the early 1950s, and its neon sign was built by Salt Lake City's Rainbow Neon Sign Company. It gave this small lodging stop an especially memorable welcome.

I've always enjoyed stopping here to take a look at this sign, especially late at night. There's something about the mood of the place after dark that has always appealed to me. The glow of the sign, the quiet surroundings, and the feeling of being in a small town long after most people have called it a night combine to create a scene that's hard to forget.

UPDATE: The Sleepy Lagoon Motel closed after a fire damaged part of the property in 2005. While the motel itself no longer welcomes travelers, the vintage marquee remains standing out front. I'm glad the sign survived. Every time I see it, I'm reminded of those late-night stops when the Sleepy Lagoon felt like one of the most atmospheric roadside scenes in Utah. 06-26