Papoose Motel (Demolished)
Cherokee, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Here is the Papoose Motel, found off the highway in Cherokee, NC. Unfortunately, the motel was recently demolished and all that is left is this sign. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 04-08

The Papoose Motel was one of many family-owned motor courts that once lined U.S. 19 through Cherokee, each hoping a colorful roadside sign would convince travelers to stop for the night. By the time this photo was taken, the motel itself was already gone, leaving the old marquee standing alone beside the highway.

For a while, the sign served as the last reminder that a busy roadside stop had once occupied the property. Eventually it disappeared too, and the site was completely cleared.

UPDATE: The Papoose Motel and its roadside sign are both gone today. 08-26

Queen City Motel
Charlotte, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Cruising down Wilkinson Boulevard, it's hard not to notice the crown sitting high above the Queen City Motel. It's a simple touch, but it gives the old roadside sign a personality all its own and makes it one of those places you remember long after you've driven past. 03-08

The motel has been welcoming travelers along one of Charlotte's classic highway strips for decades. Like so many independent motor courts, it keeps the familiar formula alive with rooms facing the parking lot and a sign designed to catch the attention of motorists before they reach the next exit.

While many of Charlotte's vintage motels have disappeared, the Queen City Motel is still open, and its distinctive crowned marquee continues to watch over Wilkinson Boulevard.

UPDATE: The motel remains in business, and the crown-topped roadside sign still survives. 08-26

Hayes Motel (Closed)
Harmony, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Here is the Hayes Motel where it appears to have been before the interstate weekly rates were offered. This sign was almost too far gone to photograph yet had some interesting weathering. It apparently once stood straight but the base had rusted away and the sign fell onto the pole resting at this angle. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 05-08

Before the Interstate pulled traffic away from roads like Highway 901, little motels such as this gave travelers a place to stop for the night. The sign even proudly advertised "Private Baths!", a feature that was once worth putting in big letters for everyone to see.

The motel eventually closed, and time wasn't kind to the sign. Rust, peeling paint, and years of weather left it looking tired, but somehow that only made it more interesting. Sometimes an old marquee doesn't have to be glowing with neon to catch your eye.

UPDATE: The Hayes Motel remains closed, and the weathered roadside sign is all that hints at its days as a highway stop. 08-26

Baldwin Motel (Demolished)
Thornburg, VA
Photo courtesy Tait Hilliard

Check out this photo of the Baldwin Motel marquee, which is all that is left of this motel on US 1 in Thornburg VA.  The hotel lot is now covered in grass. Many thanks to Tait Hilliard for info. 08-08

Before Interstate 95 pulled travelers away, U.S. 1 was filled with independent motels like this one. The Baldwin was one of the many places where motorists could stop for the night while making their way up and down the East Coast. Today it's hard to imagine that this quiet field was once a busy roadside stop.

The motel was eventually demolished, but someone left the sign behind. It has become a roadside landmark in its own right, quietly marking the spot where the Baldwin once welcomed weary travelers.

UPDATE: The motel is gone, but the lone Baldwin Motel marquee still stands along old U.S. 1. 08-26

Dixie Motel (Demolished)
Emporia, VA
Photo courtesy Tait Hilliard

The Dixie was a hotel, restaurant, and an old gas station that has been abandoned on US 301 North.  This marquee shows the Dixie Motel sign, still catching the eye of passing visitors in Emporia, VA. Signs for the Dixie were seen for years on Interstate 95. 

Before the big travel plazas took over the Interstate, places like the Dixie Motel handled just about everything a traveler needed. Pull off U.S. 301, fill the gas tank at an old gas station, grab a bite to eat, and spend the night without ever leaving the property. The old marquee in this photo is a reminder of those days, still catching the eye of passing motorists long after the motel had seen its best years. Many thanks to Tait Hilliard for info. 08-08

The Dixie grew into a full roadside stop during the 1960s, adding a motel alongside its restaurant and travel plaza. For years it benefited from the steady stream of traffic heading between the Northeast and Florida, especially before Interstate 95 was completed around Emporia. Roadside signs along I-95 advertised the Dixie for miles, hoping to lure weary drivers off the highway for one more night's rest.

As traffic patterns changed, the Dixie slowly faded. Parts of the motel stood abandoned for years, earning a reputation among travelers as one of those places you remembered for all the wrong reasons. By the late 1990s, empty rooms and fading signs had become part of the landscape, and in 2011 the remaining buildings were demolished.

UPDATE: The Dixie Motel is gone today, and the familiar roadside marquee has disappeared as well. 08-26