Palm Aire Motel (Rem.)
St. Petersburg, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

Two great looking motel marquees (Palm Aire and Sandman) can be spotted along 34th Street N. in St. Petersburg, FL. Author Jack Kerouac spent his last years in a home not far from these motels with his wife and mother. His life "on the road" ended here in 1969 with an abdominal hemorrhage in large part due to his alcoholism. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.

The best thing about the Palm Aire Motel was its terrific Googie-style sign. With its sweeping angles, colorful panels, and starburst accents, it looked like it belonged in a 1950s postcard and was just the sort of thing that made cruising U.S. 19 a little more interesting.

The motel opened during Florida's postwar travel boom, when St. Petersburg's 34th Street filled up with motor courts competing for the attention of passing motorists. The Palm Aire wasn't the biggest place on the strip, but its marquee certainly gave it plenty of personality. Even after the neon was repainted over the years, the sign still managed to capture the fun, futuristic style that made so many roadside motels memorable.

UPDATE: The motel remains open today, but the original roadside sign was removed after being heavily damaged in a traffic accident in 2022. A modern replacement sign now stands in its place. 07-26

Sun-n-Sand Motel (Gone)
Perry, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

One of the most visible motel marquee around is a large yellow boomerang pointing you into the parking lot of the Sun-n-Sand Motel. Ironically, there is no sand in the area. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.

The giant yellow arrow at the Sun-n-Sand Motel made this place almost impossible to miss. It pointed motorists right into the parking lot with a style that seemed much bigger than the motel itself. The name might have you expecting an ocean view, but Perry is surrounded by pines instead of beaches.

Like many small highway motels, the Sun-n-Sand welcomed travelers exploring north Florida long before the interstate became the preferred route. Vintage postcards proudly advertised tiled baths and free television, two amenities that were worth bragging about at the time. While the motel itself was fairly modest, the oversized boomerang sign gave it plenty of personality and made it one of the more memorable sights along U.S. 19.

UPDATE: The motel closed in 2007 and has since been converted into a collection of small businesses. The towering roadside sign now advertises a used book mart, and it was still standing over the boulevard when I checked this place out this past spring. 07-26

Clayton's Motor Inn (Demolished)
Sebring, FL
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

Palm trees, a swimming pool, and a big Best Western sign gave Clayton's Motor Inn a welcoming look for travelers arriving in Sebring. It wasn't an over-the-top roadside attraction, but it had all the ingredients of a comfortable Florida motor lodge. After a long day on U.S. 27, the place probably looked pretty inviting.

The motel offered more than just a room for the night. Guests could grab a meal at the restaurant, relax in the Lion's Paw Lounge, or cool off in the pool before heading back on the road. Like many Best Western locations of the day, Clayton's catered to families and vacationers looking for dependable accommodations without a lot of fuss. It must have been a busy stop when U.S. 27 was one of Florida's main north-south highways.

UPDATE: Clayton's Motor Inn has been demolished and the property has since been redeveloped. 07-26

Blue Waters Motel (Gone)
Florida Keys, FL
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

The marquee at the Blue Waters Motel looked right at home in the Florida Keys. With its bright blue colors and tropical styling, it was the kind of sign that let you know the fishing and boating were probably just as important as the motel itself. After miles of crossing bridges and open water on the Overseas Highway, it must have looked like a welcome stop.

The Blue Waters was one of the many family-run motels that once lined U.S. 1 through the Keys. Guests could launch a boat from the marina, clean the day's catch at the fish house, or simply relax by the pool overlooking the water. It wasn't a fancy resort, just a comfortable place where fishermen, vacationers, and road trippers could settle in for a few days and enjoy island life at a slower pace.

The Florida Keys have always had a knack for producing memorable motel signs, and this one fit right in. It had just enough tropical flair to make you wonder what stories the place could tell.

UPDATE: The Blue Waters Motel has permanently closed, and the familiar roadside marquee has been removed. 07-26

Royal Palm Motor Lodge (Gone)
West Palm Beach, FL
Photo courtesy Kevin O'Sullivan

The Royal Palm Motor Lodge greeted travelers on South Dixie Highway with a tall roadside sign that was hard to overlook. Framed by a pair of palm trees, the marquee fit right in with the tropical image that Florida motels loved to project during the postwar travel boom.

This was one of many family-owned motor lodges that lined U.S. 1 before the interstate pulled much of the traffic away. Guests could cool off in the swimming pool, relax on the patio, or spend the night before continuing their trip up or down the East Coast. The Royal Palm was even part of the old Superior Courts United referral network, giving motorists another familiar name to watch for along the highway. Places like this helped make Dixie Highway one of Florida's great motel strips.

UPDATE: The motel is gone, although the original building was remodeled into a small retail and office center. The roadside sign has been removed. 07-26

Trails End (Gone)
Treasure Island, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

This is probably one of the simplest designs of a motel along the beach area of St. Petersburg's coast. This one is called the Trails End. It also has one of the best names. With the palm tree and script lettering it has all the elements of an old Florida postcard. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.

The sign at Trails End had all the ingredients for a Florida beach vacation. The script lettering, palm tree, and tropical colors looked right at home along Gulf Boulevard, inviting motorists to pull in and spend a few days by the Gulf.

Trails End was one of the many family-run motels that once lined Treasure Island's beachfront. Guests could relax by the pool, fire up one of the barbecue grills, or take a short walk to the white sand just beyond the rooms. It looked like the kind of place where families returned summer after summer.

UPDATE: The old motel has been renovated and now operates as the Treasure Island Ocean Club. The original Trails End sign has been removed. 07-26