Here's the marquee next to the motel office for the Starlite
Motel in Mesa, Arizona. At this property right off the roadside,
there are not just one but two fancy marquees.
The swimmers even still light up at night as the animated neon
gives the impression of the swimmer diving off the top of the sign.
Jacaranda Resort Apartments
Scottsdale, AZ Photo courtesy Jay Villa
The Jacaranda Resort Apartments brought a little Googie style to downtown Scottsdale. Its most unusual feature was a sweeping concrete entrance canopy with large openings that allowed palm trees to grow right through the roof.
Opened in 1958, the complex was named for the flowering jacaranda trees planted around its garden-like grounds. The apartments were promoted with a resort atmosphere similar to the mid-century hotels and motor lodges appearing throughout Scottsdale at the time.
The Jacaranda was converted into private apartments and condominiums around 1990. A major renovation followed in 2000, when the property was renamed the Scottsdale Palms and its original roadside sign was replaced.
UPDATE: The former Jacaranda remains open as the Scottsdale Palms. Much of the 1958 complex survives, including the distinctive concrete canopy, although the two palm trees that once grew through its openings were removed in 2019. The holes remain, now framing the Arizona sky instead. 08-26
Bel Shore Motel (Closed) Lordsburg, NM Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Bel Shore Motel appeared to have suffered some serious fire damage, with portions of the old room wings left burned and open to the elements. Somehow, the tall roadside marquee remained standing beside the ruins.
The motel once served travelers following U.S. Route 80 through Lordsburg before Interstate 10 redirected traffic away from the old highway strip. Its location along Motel Drive placed it among a string of courts offering rooms to motorists crossing southern New Mexico.
Old postcards advertised the Bel Shore as a “T.V. Motel” with wall-to-wall carpeting, an adjoining cafe, and a heated courtyard swimming pool. It must have looked considerably more inviting when the rooms were full and the pool was ready for another hot desert afternoon.
After the motel closed, some of its rooms were reportedly used as inexpensive monthly apartments. Fire later caused extensive damage to the property, leaving the buildings abandoned and fenced off.
UPDATE: The Bel Shore Motel remains closed and badly damaged by fire. The fate of the motel buildings is uncertain, but its distinctive pylon marquee continues to stand along Motel Drive, identifying a roadside stop that otherwise might be difficult to recognize. 08-26
Boots & Saddle Motel
Casa Grande, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Boots & Saddle Motel has a fine Western-themed marquee standing beside the old highway through Casa Grande. A pair of giant cowboy boots at the bottom completes the look and makes the sign difficult to mistake for any other motel in town. 06-03
The motor court opened in 1954 along what was then Arizona Highway 84, an important shortcut between Tucson and Gila Bend for travelers following the old U.S. Route 80 corridor. Its single-story rooms offered a convenient place to stop before Interstate 10 redirected traffic away.
Boots and Saddle Motel
Casa Grande, CA Photos courtesy Elgin MacMillan
The marquee does date back to the motel’s 1954 opening. Its custom metal boots and Western lettering were designed to give passing motorists something memorable to spot from the highway. Traces of neon also survive on the sign, although it is uncertain how often the entire display still lights.
A shot of the motel as you round the bend in the center of town
The motel later found an unexpected moment in the movies. Scenes for the independent thriller Coyote Requiem were filmed here in 2012, including pool sequences reportedly shot when the water temperature was only 42 degrees. That must have made for one very quick take.
UPDATE: The Boots and Saddle Motel opened its doors almost 70 years ago in 1954. This place is definitely a survivor as many of the other roadside stops and their signage have disappeared.
UPDATE: Located along 2nd Street in the Arizona town of Casa Grande is the Boots and Saddle Motel. The word heard from the authorities is to be careful driving through this area at night. This motel was built in 1954. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillanfor info. 12-06
Boots and Saddle Motel
Casa Grande, CA Photos courtesy Elgin MacMillan
UPDATE: The Boots & Saddle remains in use primarily for long-term and transitional housing rather than conventional roadside tourism. Its original cowboy-boot marquee survives in place, still adding a little Western character to the old highway. 08-26
After falling into disrepair in the 1970s, the motel was refreshed and now features long term living accommodtions. The movie was home to a movie set for Coyote Requiem about 10 years ago.
This mid-century pool lamp was one of several that once surrounded the swimming pool at a mobile home park in Tucson. With its unusual geometric shade and sculptural shape, it brought a little Space Age style to the pool deck.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Tucson’s mobile home parks often competed for winter visitors with resort-style swimming pools, landscaped courtyards, and colorful outdoor lighting. Even a simple lamp could become part of the roadside atmosphere.
The name and location of the mobile home park have been lost, and it is unknown whether any of these unusual fixtures survive. At least one was captured in a photograph before this little piece of Tucson poolside design disappeared from view.
Jacaranda Resort Apartments
Bel Shore Motel (Closed)
Pool Lamp
