Wigwam Village
Cave City, KY Photos courtesy Wiley Brewer
TheWigwam Village in Cave City,
KY is still open for business. This Frank Redford built motel has been
around for over 60 years, entertaining and accommodating travelers looking
for a different type of stay off the road.
Joy Motel (Gone)
Eureka Springs, AR Photo courtesy Stewart Isbell
If you're cruising through Eureka Springs, this is the kind of motel sign that's guaranteed to make you slow down. The colorful neon at Joy Motel featured a striking boomerang arrow pointing the way inside, creating one of the town's most memorable roadside welcomes. The mix of bright colors and classic mid-century styling made it hard to pass without taking another look.
The motel began life as Camp Joy in 1929 and was one of the earliest motor courts in Eureka Springs. Years later, the addition of the dramatic neon marquee helped give the property an even bigger roadside presence. Along with the vintage cabins and swimming pool, it became one of those places that captured the spirit of the American road trip.
Today the old motel has a new name, but it's still welcoming travelers. Unfortunately, the famous boomerang sign that once caught the eye of everyone driving by has disappeared, leaving this photo as a reminder of one of Arkansas' great neon motel marquees.
UPDATE: The property continues operating as the Wanderoo Lodge, but the colorful Joy Motel boomerang sign has been removed. 08-26
Pink Motel
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack
Step into the Pink
Motel and you may feel like you are in a fantasyland, but not just
because of the neon pixie on the sign. Lodgers will find the action along
Highway 441 out their front door and the serenity of the Oconaluftee River
out the back. Picnic tables and grills allow visitors to experience the
Great Smoky Mountain outdoors. Lillian Schmitt, a long-time manager of
the Pink Motel and the Newfound Lodge in Cherokee, passed away at age
85 a couple of years ago, but the business continues on. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.
There's no mistaking Pink Motel as you drive through Cherokee. Between the bright pink buildings and the towering neon arrow pointing toward the office, it's one of those roadside motels that practically demands a second look. The sign seems to jump right out at you, and once you've seen it, it's not easily forgotten.
Pink Motel
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Greg West
Travelers have been passing this motel for decades on their way to and from the Great Smoky Mountains. While plenty of old motor courts have faded away, the Pink Motel still has the kind of personality that made roadside travel so much fun. The matching pink paint, vintage architecture, and colorful neon all work together to create a place that looks like it belongs in another era.
The giant arrow is the real attraction. Day or night, it does exactly what it was built to do, pulling your eyes off the highway and toward the office. It's the sort of sign that makes you wish every motel still advertised with a little imagination instead of a plastic box on a pole.
Even if you're just passing through Cherokee, it's worth slowing down for a look. Signs like this are becoming few and far between, and this one remains one of the best surviving neon motel marquees in the Smokies.
UPDATE: Pink Motel remains standing and continues operating as a long-term rental property, with its classic neon sign still lighting up the roadside. 08-26
Pink Motel
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Greg West
Pink Motel
Cherokee, NC Photo courtesy Greg West
Triangle Motor Inn
Jacksonville, NC Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
If you're traveling US 17 through Jacksonville, the tall sign at Triangle Motor Inn is hard to miss. For decades it has welcomed travelers, Marines, and military families passing through this busy stretch of eastern North Carolina, becoming a familiar landmark along the highway.
Like many classic roadside motels, the Triangle was built for motorists looking for a night's rest before continuing down the road. Hurricane Florence changed the property forever in 2018, and after suffering extensive damage, much of the motel was demolished in 2020. Thankfully, part of the complex was saved and remains in business today.
The motel may be smaller than it once was, but the old roadside sign is still there doing its job, reminding travelers of Jacksonville's earlier highway days.
UPDATE: Triangle Motor Inn remains open, and its familiar roadside sign continues greeting traffic along US 17. 08-26
Joy Motel (Gone)
Triangle Motor Inn
