Dinah at her new home
Vernal, UT
Photo courtesy Shawn Church

The photo on the left depicts the old Dine-A-Ville dinosaur that once graced a roadside motel. This mobile dino was moved all the way to the other end of town to greet visitors. If you're on really friendly terms with this amicable dinosaur, just call her "Dinah."

What is attention catching here is that Dinah isn't your typical roadside mascot. Standing roughly 40 feet tall and painted a bright shade of pink, she's hard to miss as you enter Vernal. For generations, she welcomed travelers to the Dine-A-Ville Motel before becoming a symbol of the community itself.

Dinah was originally built in 1958 to hold the motel's sign and quickly became one of Vernal's most recognizable landmarks. When the Dine-A-Ville Motel was eventually demolished, local residents made sure Dinah wasn't lost along with it. Instead, she was relocated across town, where she continues greeting visitors today.

I've always liked roadside attractions that become bigger than the businesses they were built to advertise. Dinah started life as a motel sign, but somewhere along the way she became part of Vernal's identity. Today, many travelers probably know the dinosaur better than they know the motel she once promoted. 12-07

UPDATE: Dinah remains standing proudly in Vernal and continues welcoming visitors to Utah's Dinosaur Land. The giant pink dinosaur was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023 and even survived a vehicle collision in 2024 that damaged her tail. After repairs and a fresh coat of paint, Dinah is back on duty greeting travelers just as she has for decades. 06-26

Here is a photo of what our mobile dino once looked like at the old Motel Dine-A-Ville.

Jackalope
Dubois, WY
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

This is the Giant Jackalope at the Exxon Country Store in Dubois, Wyoming. This friendly looking jackalope looks like everyone's friend. Who can resist this kind face? (We're talking about the brown animal sitting on its haunches.)

What is attention catching here is just how friendly he looks. Most roadside mascots seem designed to grab your attention, but this one looks like he'd be perfectly happy posing for photos with travelers passing through town.

The Giant Jackalope has become a familiar sight along the highway in Dubois and fits right in with Wyoming's long-running fascination with the mythical jackalope. It's one of those fun roadside attractions that's hard not to stop and photograph. 10-06

UPDATE: The Giant Jackalope still stands outside the Exxon Country Store in Dubois and continues greeting visitors today. The popular roadside mascot remains one of the town's best-known and most photographed attractions. 06-26