Apache Tears Motel (Rem.)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Welcome to the Apache Tears Motel, once one of the more unusual roadside sights along Tucson’s old Benson Highway. The motel sign was interesting enough on its own, but the enormous cross-legged Native American figure perched above it made this place impossible to pass without taking a closer look.
Apache Tears Motel
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The figure wore a full feathered headdress painted in bright reds, yellows, blues, and greens. Sitting on a stone-covered base beside the highway, it towered over anyone who stopped beneath it. The size really had to be seen in person to be appreciated.
What made the statue especially memorable was its expression. Unlike the smiling mascots and playful characters found at many old roadside businesses, this figure appeared serious and almost mournful. The bright colors caught your attention from the road, but its solemn face gave the entire display a strangely quiet presence.
Apache Trails Motel (1999)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The motel’s name refers to Apache tears, the rounded pieces of translucent black obsidian found in parts of the Southwest. According to a long-told legend, the stones represent the tears of Apache women mourning warriors who died during fighting with U.S. cavalry troops in the 1870s. The somber expression of the motel’s statue seemed intended to reflect that story.
The old neon marquee added another layer of roadside character. Its colorful panels, lettering, masonry base, and oversized figure made it much more than a simple motel sign. It was one of those wonderfully elaborate displays from a time when an independent motel needed something unforgettable to pull travelers off the highway.
Apache Trails Motel (1999)
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE: The Apache Tears Motel remains open, but its original neon sign and massive roadside figure were removed during a later modernization. The statue was reportedly found abandoned farther down the road, badly damaged and missing its head. Its final whereabouts remain uncertain. A plain plastic sign now marks the motel, with little of the personality or mystery of the old Apache Tears display. 08-26
Red Mountain Inn (Closed)
East Mesa, AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
The Red Mountain Motel is just a few lots west of the East Mesa Inn next to a place that now makes custom golf cart. I'm not sure but i think there was a little diner at one time that kind of went with a motel but I'm not sure. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillanfor info. 01-13
This stretch of East Main Street once carried U.S. Routes 60, 70, and 80 through the area. Before the Superstition Freeway pulled traffic away, motels, restaurants, gas stations, and roadside businesses lined the route to catch travelers heading across the desert.
There was indeed a small restaurant associated with the motel. Known as the Red Mountain Diner and later the Mesa Cafe, it offered travelers a convenient place to eat near their rooms. A motel, diner, and a big roadside sign made a pretty good combination along the old highway.
By the time of this 2013 visit, a neighboring property had become a custom golf cart shop, adding another curious stop to this changing piece of East Main Street. The motel’s vintage sign still provided a glimpse of what the road looked like when it was filled with independent businesses.
UPDATE: The Red Mountain Inn is closed and the property has fallen into long-term vacancy. Its cactus-and-mountain sign has survived and has been identified by local preservationists as an important piece of Mesa’s roadside history, although it awaits a secure future and possible restoration. 08-26
Sunset Motel (Closed)
Wenden, AZ Photo courtesy Brad & Lori Bristow
The Sunset Motel sign still stood beside U.S. Route 60 in Wenden, although the “Sunset” portion was looking rather weather-beaten by 2009. At least the lower panel continued to promise that the rooms were “Air Cooled,” an important selling point out here in the western Arizona desert. 11-09
The little motor court opened in 1951, when U.S. 60 carried a steady stream of travelers through the McMullen Valley. Before Interstate 10 redirected much of the traffic, small motels like this provided a welcome place to stop between the scattered towns along the highway.
After the Sunset Motel closed, the property escaped demolition. Around 2010 or 2011, artist Bonnie Powell acquired the aging motor court and transformed the former rooms into studios and gallery spaces known as The Courtyard on 60.
UPDATE: The Sunset Motel no longer rents rooms, but the old buildings survive as an arts property. Its faded “Air Cooled” marquee also remains beside the highway, preserved as the familiar roadside entrance to the former motor court. 08-26
East Mesa Inn Motel (Rem.)
East Mesa, AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
The East Mesa Inn Motel is located near the Twin Knoll in East Mesa just a few miles west of Apache Junction. They may have added the "Apartments" part to the sign. The sign itself advertises kitchenettes and color TV prominently. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillanfor info. 01-13
The East Mesa Inn Motel still welcomes travelers along the old highway through East Mesa. Its freestanding roadside sign, complete with a familiar “Vacancy” panel, looks like a survivor from the days when Main Street was crowded with independent motor courts.
This stretch of road once carried U.S. Routes 60, 70, and 80 toward Apache Junction and the Superstition Mountains. Before the Superstition Freeway bypassed the old strip, travelers found a long assortment of motels, diners, gas stations, and roadside businesses here.
East Mesa Inn Motel
East Mesa, AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
The East Mesa Inn retains its basic motor-court layout, with low-rise rooms, exterior entrances, and parking close to the doors. It sits only a few lots from the now-closed Red Mountain Inn, making this little section of Main Street an interesting reminder of East Mesa’s motel days.
UPDATE: The East Mesa Inn Motel remains open as a simple, no-frills lodging property. Its old roadside marquee also disappeared and was replaced with a plain sign around 2017. 08-26
Sunset Motel (Closed)
East Mesa Inn Motel (Rem.)
East Mesa Inn Motel
