Trails End (Demolished)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
There was no mistaking the Trails End Motel along Grand Avenue. Its wonderfully theatrical sign showed a weary rider slumped over his horse, apparently reaching the end of a very long trail. Below that dramatic scene, the motel advertised kitchenettes, color TV, refrigeration, and the rather curious combination of “Satellite RV.”
The artwork was adapted from James Earle Fraser’s famous sculpture The End of the Trail, first exhibited in 1915. When the motel was renamed Trails End during the 1950s, the image made a perfect roadside mascot, especially along a highway carrying travelers across the Arizona desert.
Grand Avenue once carried U.S. 60, 70, and 89 through the Phoenix area. Interstate 10 eventually pulled away much of that traffic, and the old motel strip slowly declined. The Trails End was demolished around 2005 to make way for the Grand Avenue underpass.
UPDATE: During the demolition of the structure, the city had the sign removed and placed in the city's maintenance yard less than a half-mile up Grand Avenue. Unfortunately, the signs future is uncertain as there currently aren't any funds to repair or install it, or a location for it to be installed. Many thanks to Jodey Elsner for update. 10-05
UPDATE: The Trails End Motel is gone, and the site was cleared for the Grand Avenue underpass. Its landmark sign was placed in municipal storage, but whether it still survives has not been confirmed. 09-26
Arizona Motel (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The roadside sign at the Arizona Motel is the kind of landmark that can make you slow down for another look. Standing just off South 6th Avenue in Tucson, the old sign still carries the shape, lettering, and neon character of an earlier era of desert travel.
The property began around 1930 as the Arizona Tourist Court, making it considerably older than many of the postwar motor courts found elsewhere in Tucson. By 1937, state business directories listed the court under the management of J. A. Yunt.
Its surviving roadside sign reportedly dates to 1939. The original lettering called out the Arizona Tourist Court before the name was eventually shortened to Arizona Motel. That change reflects the broader shift from the early “tourist court” era to the more familiar roadside motel age.
The sign was later updated with panels advertising “TV” and “POOL.” Those words may look ordinary today, but they represented important attractions when television sets and motel swimming pools were still noteworthy luxuries. In the Arizona heat, a pool could be enough to convince a tired family to pull off the highway.
Neon tubing outlined the sign and helped it stand out after dark. Even when the neon was not operating, exterior lights could illuminate the old metal panels. Either way, the large sign was designed to be seen by motorists before they passed the entrance.
Arizona Motel
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Arizona Motel stood along the former route of U.S. Highways 80 and 89 through south Tucson. Before Interstate 10 redirected most long-distance traffic, this stretch of 6th Avenue carried travelers arriving from California, Mexico, and communities across southern Arizona.
Here is a close up look at the Arizona Motel neon sign. Check out the neon around the TV and Pool lettering.
Although the buildings have been changed over the decades, the old sign remains the most recognizable part of the place. Few surviving Tucson motel signs can trace their history back to the 1930s, which makes this one an especially interesting roadside artifact.
UPDATE: The Arizona Motel reportedly stopped operating as a traditional motel in 2023. Its subsequent use has been described as residential or affordable housing, although the property’s longer-term plans remain unclear. Fortunately, the rare 1939 roadside sign still stands along South 6th Avenue. 09-26
Kiva Lodge (Demolished)
Tempe, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Now here is a sign that was made to catch the eye. The Kiva Lodge marquee featured a colorful Native American headdress outlined in neon, along with large lettering that could be spotted from down the highway.
Although sometimes identified as being in Tempe, the lodge actually stood at 668 West Main Street in Mesa. The property began as a roadside curio shop during the 1930s before adding 15 Spanish-style guest cottages with covered parking beside the rooms.
This was once a very busy highway corridor, carrying travelers along U.S. Routes 60, 70, 80, and 89. The ornate sign, installed around the late 1940s or early 1950s, gave motorists one more reason to pull off Main Street.
UPDATE: The Kiva Lodge closed in 2020 and its nearly 90-year-old buildings were demolished in November 2023. Fortunately, the neon headdress sign was saved and donated to the Mesa Preservation Foundation for preservation and possible future display. 09-26
Owl Lodge Motel (Closed)
Tucson, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Head down old Benson Highway and this wise old bird is still keeping watch over the roadside. The Owl
Lodge opened in 1955, and its sign has just about everything a vintage motel hunter could ask for: a colorful owl perched at the top, big sweeping script, neon tubing, and an arrow pointing travelers toward a room for the night.
Benson Highway was once part of U.S. 80, the busy eastern route into Tucson before Interstate 10 carried most travelers away from the old strip. During the 1950s and 1960s, this stretch was lined with motor courts, restaurants, and little roadside lodges catering to cross-country motorists and winter visitors escaping colder parts of the country.
Owl Lodge Apartments
Tucson, AZ Photo courtesy Larry Glass
The Owl Lodge was right in the middle of that snowbird trade, advertising weekly rates as low as $18 in 1957. Try finding that rate anywhere in Tucson today.
The motel offered kitchenettes for travelers settling in for more than a night or two. That old “Kitchenettes” panel was later changed to “Apartments” when the property made the switch from overnight lodging to long-term efficiency units. At least the owners left the owl and the rest of the sign in place. The neon has reportedly spent plenty of time dark over the years, with maintenance problems and even the local pigeons taking some of the blame. Apparently an owl on the sign was not enough to scare them away.
Owl Lodge sign close up
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Owl Lodge may no longer welcome highway travelers, but the property and its wonderful roadside marker still provide a glimpse of the days when Benson Highway was one of Tucson’s motel rows. That owl has been watching the traffic go by for more than 70 years now and doesn’t appear ready to fly off anytime soon.
Here's a nice shot of the Owl Lodge off of the main drag in Tucson. The motel dates back to 1955.
Owl Lodge
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE: The Owl Lodge in Tucson, AZ has now been turned into apartments, like many of the other old non-chain roadside motels in the area. The sign for the Owl Lodge remains and appears to have been recently restored. Unfortunately the sign no longer lights up. The section under the main part of the sign has been changed from advertising "vacancy" and "kitchenettes" to the fact that the location now houses apartments. 04-09
UPDATE : Here are more photos of the Owl Lodge from over two decades ago. 06-23
UPDATE: The Owl Lodge remains in use as apartments, and its vintage owl sign still stands along Benson Highway. The sign has been repainted and altered for its residential use, although its neon is not known to be operating. 09-26
Trails End (Demolished)
Kiva Lodge (Demolished)
