Wigwam Village #2

Mount Vue Motel
Asheville, NC
Photo courtesy Doug Harvey

The “Color TV” lettering at Mount-Vue Motel recalls when television was worth advertising above the office. The compact property and colorful sign preserve an older roadside appearance along Asheville's Tunnel Road. 09-06

A small number of rooms, nearby parking, and ceramic-tile bathrooms give the motel its familiar motor-court character. While neighboring properties have changed names or undergone substantial renovations, the Mount-Vue has retained a quieter identity.

UPDATE: Mount-Vue appears to remain open as an independent motel. Its familiar marquee continues marking one of Tunnel Road's smaller lodging properties, preserving another piece of Asheville's highway history. 11-26

Thunderbird Motor Inn
Florence, SC
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

The enormous bird above Thunderbird Motor Inn made this Florence property difficult to overlook. Broad wings, bold lettering, and neon gave the sign a presence far larger than the modest motel behind it. This was roadside advertising designed to be recognized well before reaching the entrance. The motel is near the South of the Border.

Built in 1967, the motor inn belonged to the period when older highway lodging competed with accommodations serving interstate traffic. Its location near U.S. 301 and I-95 helped it reach both groups. The towering sign became the property's defining feature and remained recognizable through a later change of name.

UPDATE: The motel has operated under the Motel 6 name while retaining the vintage Thunderbird display. Keeping the old sign preserved a distinctive piece of Florence's roadside landscape, even as the business adopted modern chain branding. The bird remains the feature that makes this property stand apart. 11-26

Catalina Motel
Lexington, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The sweeping lettering at Catalina Motel gives this New Circle Road property a recognizable roadside identity. Its sign recalls the years when Lexington's expanding bypass attracted motor courts and restaurants serving automobile travelers.

The Catalina once featured a Rotosphere, a revolving starburst ornament that brought motion and Space Age styling to the marquee. Although later removed, it gave the motel an unusual distinction among Lexington's roadside accommodations.

UPDATE: Catalina Motel appears to remain open. The Rotosphere is gone, leaving the surviving marquee to identify this longtime motor court along New Circle Road. 11-26

Olsson Motel
Mobile, AL
Photo courtesy Phil Proctor

The red neon at Olsson Motel gives motorists along Government Boulevard a welcome glimpse of Mobile's older roadside landscape. The lettering and “TV” panel recall a time when even a television deserved prominent billing outside an overnight stop. 04-06

Vintage advertising described the motel as family owned and operated since 1936. Its arrangement placed parking near the rooms, with the owner's residence incorporated into the property. The signage evolved too: a larger mid-century display gained a neon circle-and-rays ornament during the 1960s, adding another eye-catching feature beside U.S. 90.

UPDATE: Olsson Motel appears to remain open, with its vintage signage continuing to identify the property. The decorative circle-and-rays panel had disappeared by 2021, so the display has changed from earlier views. Even with that loss, the motel retains a distinctive connection to Mobile's independent motor-court era. 11-26

Blue Ridge Motor Lodge (Rem.)
Asheville, NC
Photo courtesy Doug Harvey

The neon at Blue Ridge Motor Lodge once gave travelers along Tunnel Road a colorful introduction to Asheville. Its prominent lettering belonged to a corridor where independent motels competed for visitors heading into town or exploring the surrounding mountains. 09-06

Previously known as Blue Ridge Court, the property carried its mountain identity through successive names and renovations. A substantial update brought renovated rooms and new management in 2016, transforming the older motor lodge into The Beaucatcher. The new name refers to nearby Beaucatcher Mountain, keeping a local connection while changing the motel's presentation.

UPDATE: The property remains open as The Beaucatcher. The old Blue Ridge neon lettering has been replaced, although the sign's supporting pole survives. The motor lodge has found another chapter as a renovated boutique property, preserving its lodging use while leaving much of its earlier roadside appearance behind. 11-26

Rochambeau Motel
Williamsburg, VA
Photo courtesy Kevin Powers

The neon at Rochambeau Motel introduced generations of travelers to this Williamsburg motor court. Its roadside display and modest buildings offered the familiar promise of a convenient overnight stop near Colonial Williamsburg. The name honored the French general associated with the American victory at Yorktown. 06-07

The property's documented guest history begins in 1954, when the Bryhn family charged four dollars a night. Changes in 1967 included converting a breezeway into a lobby, adding manager's quarters, and installing a new neon motel sign. After decades of service and later decline, the property underwent extensive restoration during 2024.

UPDATE: The motel reopened as Rochambeau Roadside Inn, with twenty-two renovated rooms and renewed neon welcoming guests. The project retained its mid-century identity while updating the accommodations. Good to see this longtime motor court finding another generation of travelers instead of becoming another cleared motel site. 11-26