Earl's 66 Motel
Winslow, AZ
Photo courtesy Larry Glass

How about “Sleeping on the corner in Winslow, Arizona?” The sign for Earl’s 66 Motel puts a playful twist on the famous line from the Eagles song “Take It Easy.” Surrounded by rows of chasing bulbs, the sign still points travelers toward one of Winslow’s last old-fashioned Route 66 motor courts. 04-09

The motel began as the Marble Motel, operated by Rex and Mrs. Marble. The first rooms appeared in the late 1940s, while the familiar connected buildings and gabled roofline date to a remodeling completed around 1952. It was a small roadside court where travelers could park close to their rooms and get back on the highway the next morning.

Earl's 66 in 2020
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here is an interesting bit of history. The Marble Motel was once recommended by Duncan Hines in his Lodging for a Night travel guide. Long before his name became familiar on boxes of cake mix, Hines traveled the country reviewing dependable places to eat and sleep. A recommendation from him was a pretty good endorsement for a little Route 66 motel.

Lee and Floranel Earl purchased the property in 1974 and renamed it Earl’s Motor Court. The Earl family kept the rooms open for more than four decades, even as Interstate 40 pulled traffic away from the old highway and other Winslow motor courts closed or became apartments.

Earl's Motel off Route 66 - 100mp in 2020
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Then there is that famous corner. “Take It Easy,” written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey and released by the Eagles in 1972, turned Winslow into a destination for music fans. Earl’s eventually joined the fun with its “Sleeping on the corner” slogan. It is a perfect motel variation on a lyric that nearly everyone recognizes.

The little court now offers seven rooms for overnight guests. Two former motel units found other uses as a hair salon and photography studio, making the property a mixture of lodging and small-town businesses. It is still easy to recognize the simple roadside arrangement beneath the gabled roofs.

Same shot with a GR in BW mode
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Earl’s is often described as the oldest continuously operating Route 66 motor court in Winslow. La Posada is older, dating to 1929, but it was built as a grand railroad hotel rather than a roadside motel. That leaves Earl’s as a rare survivor from the days when travelers chose their rooms by slowing down and watching for a promising sign.

UPDATE: Check out these photos of Earl's Motor Court taken in 2020. Will add more photos of Earl's taken through the years. This motel has been known for taking on the names of its owners. Back in the day, the motel was named the Marble Motel and was run by Rex Marble and his wife. Then in the 1970s, the Earl's owned and operated the motel. Finally in 2018, Angela Archibeque and Blas Sanchez bought the motel in 2018, however has kept the name Earl's. If you are in the area, be sure to give this motel a try for your overnight. Angela and Blas provide great hospitality and their dog is very friendly as well. 09-21

UPDATE: Earl’s remains open as Earl’s Route 66 Motor Court under Angela Archibeque and Blas Sanchez, who purchased the property in 2018. The rooms have been refreshed, and the classic bulb-lined “Sleeping on the corner” sign continues lighting the way. 09-26

Saga Motel (Closed)
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The tall sign for the Saga Motel was a familiar sight along Route 66 near downtown Flagstaff. Its neon letters had been lighting the way for years, and there was even more neon spelling out “Saga” along the side of the motel building. Word was that the property might come down for student apartments, although the old roadside sign was still standing when last checked. 05-20

The Saga opened in 1961 with 29 rooms arranged in a classic roadside motel layout. Travelers could park near their doors and settle in for the night before continuing toward Williams, Winslow or the Grand Canyon.

Early postcards presented the Saga as a rather modern place to stay. The motel advertised AAA approval, direct-dial telephones, a playground and a heated swimming pool with an unusual curved shape. Those features helped it stand out during an era when Flagstaff’s Route 66 strip was crowded with motor courts competing for the same passing traffic.

The siding of the motel with the neon lettering
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Saga was also affiliated with Best Western during its early years. At the time, Best Western operated as a referral network of independently owned motels rather than a collection of matching chain properties. This allowed the Saga to benefit from a familiar national name while keeping its own sign, neon and roadside personality.

The motel later joined another referral chain and became the Saga Budget Host Inn. A Budget Host panel was added to the roadside sign, but the large Saga lettering remained the part that caught the eye. Unlike some chain conversions, the property did not completely erase its original identity.

Its location near Northern Arizona University helped the Saga survive as travel patterns changed. The old Galaxy Diner also stood across Route 66, giving this part of Flagstaff a nice collection of roadside signs. When the neon was glowing, the Saga and Galaxy must have made quite a nighttime scene.

A view from up the street
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Plans for large student apartment projects around this stretch of Route 66 caused plenty of concern about the motel’s future. A new development did rise nearby, and another old motor court in the area disappeared, making it easy to believe that the Saga had also been demolished.

Fortunately, the Saga buildings survived and continued operating under different names. The property became the Budget Host Inn NAU/Downtown and eventually the West Inn NAU–Downtown Flagstaff. The motel has been updated, but its basic roadside arrangement remains recognizable.

UPDATE: The former Saga Motel remains open as the West Inn NAU–Downtown Flagstaff. The feared demolition never happened, and the old freestanding Saga sign was still standing beside the highway in recent imagery. The neon lettering formerly attached to the motel building appears to be gone. 09-26