The White Lion Motel (Demolished)
Williamsburg, VA
Photo courtesy Kevin Powers

The familiar red White Lion Motel vacancy letters were hard to miss along Capitol Landing Road. Even if there weren't many rooms available, that glowing marquee was enough to make passing motorists take another look. 06-07

Built in 1949, the White Lion was one of Williamsburg's classic roadside motels from the days when family vacations meant pulling into a motor court for the night. Vintage postcards showed neat white cottages gathered around a gazebo, promising air conditioning, television, and all the comforts a traveler needed after a long day on the road.

By the time this photo was taken, the motel had seen better days, but the sign still managed to catch your eye. Sometimes an old marquee hangs on long after the glory days have faded.

UPDATE: The City of Williamsburg purchased the motel in 2015, and the buildings were demolished later that summer. The familiar roadside sign is gone today. 08-26

Lord Paget Motor Inn (Gone)
Williamsburg, VA
Photo courtesy Kevin Powers

One thing about old motel signs, they always seemed to have memorable names. Lord Paget Motor Inn is certainly one of them. Add a glowing neon sign along Capitol Landing Road, and you've got another roadside stop that was hard to overlook while driving through Williamsburg. 06-07

Opened in 1952, the Lord Paget was more than just a place to spend the night. It offered a swimming pool, fishing pond, putting green, and Colonial-inspired architecture that fit right in with Williamsburg's historic surroundings. For years it welcomed travelers as an independent motel before later operating as a Quality Inn.

The motel is gone today, along with its classic neon sign, but the buildings escaped the wrecking ball. Instead of being demolished like several neighboring motels, the property found a new life when it was converted into Copper Fox Distillery, which opened here in 2016.

UPDATE: The former motel buildings remain in use as Copper Fox Distillery, but the familiar Lord Paget roadside sign has disappeared. 08-26

Cave Land Motel (Closed)
Cave City, KY
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

If you're headed toward Mammoth Cave, you'll pass plenty of old motels that were built for the flood of vacationers traveling U.S. 31W. The Cave Land Motel is one of those classic stops, and it's the bright neon lettering that first catches your eye. 12-07

The motel began as a group of tourist cabins before being joined together into a more modern motor court during the 1950s. Along the way it picked up a swimming pool, playground, and all the comforts families expected during the golden age of road trips. The curved row of rooms and vintage sign still give it plenty of mid-century charm.

The motel has since closed, but the neon sign remains standing out front. It's another reminder of the days when Cave City was filled with independent motels competing for travelers on their way to the caves.

UPDATE: The motel is no longer operating, but its classic roadside sign still survives along the old highway. 08-26

Star Motel (Rem.)
Cave City, KY
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

There are plenty of old motel signs around Cave City, but it's hard to top the giant neon star standing above the Star Motel. You can spot it from a good distance away, and once you do, it's almost impossible not to look. The oversized star was built to grab the attention of travelers heading toward Mammoth Cave, and it still does its job today. 12-07

The Star Motel opened around 1977, making it one of the newer independents along this famous stretch of U.S. 31W. Even so, it stuck with the classic roadside formula, a single-story motor court, parking right outside your room, and a big flashy sign out front. By the late 1970s, many new motels were beginning to look more alike, so the giant neon star gave this one a personality all its own.

It's easy to imagine families driving through Cave City after a long day on the road and spotting that glowing star from the highway. Whether they stopped or not, it was exactly the kind of sign that made a road trip a little more memorable. Sometimes one great piece of neon is all it takes.

UPDATE: The Star Motel remains open, and its famous star still stands along the roadside welcoming travelers to Cave City. though the neo was stripped off over a decade ago. 08-26

Holiday Motel
Cave City, KY
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Driving through Cave City, it's easy to see why so many travelers stopped here for the night. The Holiday Motel still has the kind of roadside sign that catches your eye, with colorful lettering that looks even better once the neon starts to glow. 12-07

Like many of Cave City's independent motels, the Holiday was built for the steady stream of motorists headed to Mammoth Cave. The single-story motor court still has that classic road trip look, with parking right outside the rooms and a vintage sign welcoming guests from U.S. 31W.

The Holiday remains open today, making it one of the surviving pieces of Cave City's once long lineup of neon motels.

UPDATE: The motel is still operating, and its vintage roadside sign continues to stand along the old Dixie Highway. 08-26