99 Motel | Bakersfield Inn

Tulare Inn (Removed)
Tulare, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's a roadside motel that may fit you to a T. The Tulare Inn sign was hard to miss near Highway 99, thanks to the giant letter rising above the motel name. Quite a bit of roadside wordplay built into one tall marquee. For travelers passing through the southern Central Valley, it was also an easy landmark to remember.

The Tulare Inn sat near the highway at Paige Avenue, ready to catch motorists looking for a place to stop. Long after its days as a traditional motel ended, the towering T remained beside the road as a reminder of what had once been here.

Well, at least that's the way it used to be. A return trip found the big sign gone, taking another familiar piece of Highway 99 scenery with it. No more fitting this roadside stop to a T.

UPDATE: The former motel property now operates as the Tulare Inn Mobile Home Senior Park. Its distinctive T-shaped marquee has been removed, and what became of the sign has not been confirmed. 09-26

Fresno Sands
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Fresno Sands marquee stands tall alongside Motel Drive in Fresno. From the looks of this towering sign and the buildings behind it, the Sands must have been one huge establishment in its heyday. Plenty of rooms for travelers pulling off Highway 99, and plenty of sign for the roadside camera to fit into the frame.

The motel opened during the boom years of automobile travel, when this stretch was lined with places competing for the overnight crowd. The stacked Sands lettering rose high above the property, while smaller panels advertised the modern conveniences waiting below. After a long drive through the Central Valley, a room with television and refrigeration probably sounded just fine.

When the freeway bypassed the old route, Motel Drive slowly lost much of the traffic that once kept these large roadside properties busy. The Sands remained, though its days as a major stop for vacationing families eventually faded away.

UPDATE: The Sands no longer operates as a motel. After a 2021 purchase and renovation, the property reopened with 50 affordable housing units for Fresno City College students transitioning out of homelessness. Its towering roadside marquee remains standing along the old motel row. 09-26

M & R Motel (Gone)
Madera, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's an old, weather-beaten marquee from the M & R Motel in Madera. The fading sign still proudly advertises air conditioning as a selling point. That may sound ordinary now, but after a hot summer drive through the Central Valley, a cool room was worth putting right out front.

The motel stood along North F Street, now known as Gateway Drive, on the old Highway 99 route through town. Nine individual wooden cabins surrounded a driveway, with another cottage serving as the office and manager's home. Pull off the highway, park near the room, and let the air conditioning do its work.

The stacked lettering and old advertising panel continued to catch the eye long after the marquee had lost some of its original shine. A little battered by the weather, perhaps, but still doing its best to bring in the overnight crowd.

UPDATE: The M & R name is gone, and the old marquee has been removed. The surviving motel court later operated as Cynthia Motel and is now listed as Gateway Lodge. 09-26

Del Mar Motel
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Del-Mar Motel stands tall along Fresno's old motel row, with its beach-themed marquee bringing a little coastal scenery to the Central Valley. Check out the palm trees and waves worked into the sign. No ocean nearby, but the name and artwork gave Highway 99 travelers something pleasant to think about while looking for a room.

The Del-Mar opened as a 20-unit motor court operated by Del and Clyda Heald. Vintage postcards promoted carpeting, air conditioning, tiled showers, Air Foam mattresses, and Panel-ray heat. Quite a collection of modern comforts for motorists ready to stop after a long day on the road.

Located near McKinley Avenue at the north end of motel row, the Del-Mar was one of many independent lodgings competing for passing traffic. Its tall neon sign helped it stand apart, even if those palm trees were planted a long way from the beach.

UPDATE: The Del-Mar Motel and its roadside marquee are gone. The property was acquired and cleared for the California High-Speed Rail project, with the sign removed around 2016. Its current whereabouts have not been confirmed. 09-26

Tower Motel
Bakersfield, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

This sign high above the roadside points the way to the Tower Motel in Bakersfield. The motel may be a little harder to spot from this angle, but there's no missing the open metal tower with its name spelled out in big vertical letters. Just follow the arrow and see where it leads.

The property is located on Chester Avenue near Golden State Avenue, along the old Highway 99 route through town. Its development began around 1930 and eventually grew into a sprawling complex with more than 90 rooms. Quite a bit of motel hiding beneath that tall sign.

There's another old marquee near the office, complete with neon borders and a downward-pointing arrow. Between the two signs, motorists were given a couple of chances to find their way into the lot.

UPDATE: The Tower Motel has transitioned primarily into longer-term residential use as Tower Motel & Apartments. Its distinctive metal tower and the companion office marquee remain on the property. 09-26

Vagabond Motor Hotel (Demolished)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's a shot of the Vagabond Motor Hotel in downtown Fresno. The old sign was looking rather worn by this time, leaving a few questions about the rooms behind it. Maybe this vagabond had spent a little too much time out on the road.

After the motel closed in the 1990s, its empty swimming pool became a well-known underground destination for skateboarders and BMX riders. Even Steve-O reportedly stopped by for a ride. Apparently the motel's most popular attraction arrived after the guests checked out.

UPDATE: The Vagabond Motor Hotel was to be demolished in early 2004 to make way for loft style apartments and commercial businesses. 12-08

UPDATE: The Vagabond Motor Hotel is now the home to the Vagabond Lofts, which had its ground breaking on December 18, 2004 and opened in 2006. 03-09

UPDATE: The Vagabond Motor Hotel and its sign were demolished in 2004. The site became the 38-unit Vagabond Lofts, while the old pool lives on in Fresno skateboarding lore. 09-26