Marco Polo Motel (Gone)
Visalia, CA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Visalia sits just east of Highway 99, and the Marco Polo Motel was one of the first roadside sights travelers encountered on the way into town. Located along West Noble Avenue near Highway 198, its tall marquee helped point the way toward a room for the night. No need to travel all the way to China to find this Marco Polo.
Vintage postcards show a much busier place, complete with a heated swimming pool, coffee shop, restaurant, and cocktail lounge. The motel also advertised Zenith color televisions in every room. After a long drive through the Central Valley, a swim and a little color TV probably sounded like a fine evening.
The single-story motor court remained as the property changed names, first becoming the Marco Polo Inn and later the Majestic Inn. The original sign wasn't so fortunate.
UPDATE: The Marco Polo Motel marquee has been removed and replaced by a plain sign that just says "Marco Polo Inn". 12-08
UPDATE: The Marco Polo marquee was removed in December 2008 and replaced with a flat plastic sign. The property now operates as the Majestic Inn, with a newer sign carrying that name. 09-26
Sage Motel
King City, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Sage Motel marquee in King City is relatively unremarkable, but it's still nice to find an old metal sign instead of another backlit plastic box. The simple panels and lettering get the job done without arrows, starbursts, or a giant character perched on top.
The motel sits along Broadway Street, once the main Highway 101 route through the middle of town. Vintage postcards show a low-rise motor court with palm trees and a swimming pool, ready for travelers making their way through the Salinas Valley.
The freeway eventually moved traffic west of downtown, but the Sage and its modest sign remained behind. Sometimes it's the quieter old signs that make a drive along the former highway worthwhile.
UPDATE: The Sage Motel remains open on Broadway Street. Its old metal marquee survives and has been cleaned up and repainted over the years, thankfully without being plasticized. 09-26
Royale Palms Motor Hotel (Gone)
Bakersfield, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here's the Royale Palms Motor Hotel, an old Bakersfield lodging complex that came complete with its own dining room. The palms in the name weren't just for show. A-frame rooflines, exposed beams, and lava rock gave the place a little Polynesian flavor along Union Avenue.
The Royale Palms opened in March 1964 with 125 rooms, a cocktail lounge, banquet facilities, a swimming pool, and a 24-hour coffee shop. Quite a roadside operation for travelers rolling through town on Highway 99. Find a room, take a swim, and get something to eat without leaving the property.
Shortly after opening, the hotel became headquarters for the 1964 California State Bowling Tournament. Thousands of bowlers came through Bakersfield, giving the new Royale Palms plenty of visitors during its first year. Hopefully the cocktail lounge stocked a few spare bowling stories.
UPDATE: The Royale Palms no longer operates as a motor hotel, and its original roadside marquee has been removed. The former complex went through several entertainment uses, while part of the property became the Royal Palms Mobile Home Senior Park. 09-26
Hal Mar Inn (Closed)
Delano, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Hal Mar Inn in Delano still appeared to be serving guests when this photo was taken, though the motel rooms had a somewhat abandoned look about them. Either way, the fancy marquee remained out front, giving this old Highway 99 stop a bit of roadside elegance.
Built during the 1940s by Hal and Martha Whitfield, the inn combined their first names to create “Hal Mar.” The place was more than a collection of rooms. It also had a dining room, cocktail lounge, and an upstairs card room known as the Jack of Diamonds Casino. A traveler could apparently find dinner, a drink, and a card game without wandering very far.
Hal Mar Inn
Delano, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Whitfield family held onto the property for three generations. In 2018, a large estate sale brought locals inside to browse old matchbooks, barware, furniture, and other pieces left from the inn's earlier days.
UPDATE: The Hal Mar Inn is no longer open for lodging. The property received extensive repairs after years of decline, though its future use remains uncertain. The distinctive roadside marquee is gone. 09-26
Gables Motel
Fresno, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The Gables Motel in Fresno still features a couple of fine old marquees. The sign on the near right has arrows pointing in different directions, making the entrance seem like a roadside choose-your-own-adventure. Farther to the right, another sign advertises the motel itself. Follow enough arrows and a room should eventually turn up.
The Gables opened in 1952 with 28 rooms arranged in the familiar motor court style. Vintage postcards promoted full carpeting, ceramic tile showers, and rooms “cooled by refrigeration.” That last feature must have sounded especially inviting after a summer drive through the Central Valley.
Gables Motel
Fresno, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
There are actually three signs around the property. Along with the tall main marquee and the arrow sign near the entrance, a smaller identification sign sits along the roofline. Apparently the Gables wanted to make sure travelers found the place no matter which direction they approached from.
The motel sits on East Church Avenue near the Calwa area, rather than along Fresno's better-known northern motel row. That location helped it avoid the widespread demolition that removed several old motels and signs from North Golden State Boulevard during construction of the high-speed rail corridor.
UPDATE: The Gables Motel remains open in southeast Fresno, and its unusual three-sign collection remains on the property. After more than 70 years, there are still plenty of arrows pointing the way. 09-26
Selma Motel
Selma, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
This marquee for the Selma Motel is located in, uh, yes, Selma. No mystery about the name or town here. The tall stack of geometric panels stands along Whitson Street, letting travelers know they have found both the motel and the right city.
The Selma Motel has operated at this location since at least the 1960s. Its 37 rooms spread across a little more than two acres, following the familiar exterior-corridor layout of an independent motor court. Pull in, park near the room, and get some sleep before returning to Highway 99.
Whitson Street carried the old highway directly through Selma before traffic shifted to the modern freeway. The marquee remains from the days when a tall roadside sign helped a local motel compete for the attention of passing motorists. A straightforward name, perhaps, but it would have been difficult to forget where the place was located.
UPDATE: The Selma Motel remains open as an independent budget motel, and its vintage marquee continues to stand along Whitson Street. Still in Selma, just in case anyone was wondering. 09-26
Marco Polo Motel (Gone)
Sage Motel
Royale Palms Motor Hotel (Gone)
Hal Mar Inn (Closed)
Hal Mar Inn
Gables Motel
Gables Motel
Selma Motel
