An old roadside motel's name gets removed along Highway 99. Yes, another
roadside treasure disappeared with the removal of the 99 Motel marquee in Atwater, CA. With the demolition of the Peter
N' Rae's Cafe just up the street, not much remains in this Route 99
town.
The single-story motel belonged to the days when a trip through the Central Valley meant passing small cafes, motor courts, and their signs along the highway. A room close to the car and a place to rest before another day of driving fit the bill. No elaborate name needed here. Just put the highway number out front and let travelers know they'd found a stop.
99 Motel pole without the sign
Atwater, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
There were old metal lawn chairs in the courtyard, too, adding a little character at ground level. The kind of chairs that might invite a guest to sit outside for a while after spending much of the day behind the wheel. Between those and the marquee, there was more than one detail to catch with the camera.
Changes came a piece at a time. The lawn chairs disappeared first, followed by the motel's most noticeable roadside feature. In December 2003, the neon sign was cut down, leaving a bare mounting pole where the 99 Motel name had greeted traffic. Drive past after that and there was a lot less to tip off the roadside sign hunter.
Similarly, not much remains that identify this as an old roadside motel.
The rusting chairs were photographed some years back and the were no longer
present as of December 2003.
99 Motel pole without the sign
Atwater, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Nearby, Peter N' Rae's Cafe was demolished, taking another familiar stop from this stretch of old 99. A return trip through Atwater was turning up gaps where there had once been something to photograph.
UPDATE: The 99 Motel marquee was removed in December 2003. The motel building remained after the sign came down, though its later use and current condition have not been confirmed. The original opening date and the end of overnight lodging also remain unknown. 09-26
99 Motel
99 Motel pole without the sign
99 Motel pole without the sign
