Royal Hawaiian Motel (Demolished)
Baker, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Near The World's Largest Thermometer in Baker, CA is this polynesian themed motel,
the Royal Hawaiian Motel. Word is that this place has been a set for many a movie over the years.
Near the World’s Largest Thermometer in Baker, check out the Royal Hawaiian Motel and its little piece of Polynesia in the Mojave Desert. Originally opened as Pike’s El Rancho, it became the Royal Hawaiian in 1957 with a dramatic A-frame lobby, tiki decorations, two swimming pools, and a towering roadside sign.
The motel catered to travelers heading between Los Angeles and Las Vegas and later appeared as a backdrop for several productions. It closed in 2009 and spent years slowly falling apart beneath the desert sun.
UPDATE: The abandoned motel was used as the Novac filming location for Season 2 of Fallout. After filming ended, all of the motel buildings were demolished in April 2025. The tall Royal Hawaiian sign was spared and remains standing beside the empty property. 09-26
Bun Boy Restaurant (Closed)
Baker, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here are a couple of night shots of the Bun Boy Restaurant and Motel in Baker. The tall neon motel sign glows above the roadside, welcoming weary travelers making the long run between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Or at least it once did. During later visits, the tubes were no longer blazing quite as brightly.
Bun Boy opened in 1956 and became one of Baker’s best-known highway stops. Travelers pulled in for butter-thin pancakes, strawberry milkshakes, and the restaurant’s famous fresh strawberry pie. With a motel next door, there was no need to continue across the desert until morning.
Bun Boy Restaurant (Closed)
Baker, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The original restaurant burned in 1990, but owner Willis Herron rebuilt it the following year. He also came up with a slightly larger way to attract freeway traffic. In 1991, Herron built the nearby World’s Tallest Thermometer, rising 134 feet to honor the record 134-degree temperature measured in Death Valley. That should be tall enough to find lunch. 07-06
UPDATE: The Bun Boy is now a Big Boy Restaurant. 12-10
UPDATE: Bun Boy became a Bob’s Big Boy in 2005, but the restaurant and motel closed in 2013. Both buildings remain abandoned and continue to deteriorate. The enormous Bun Boy motel sign still stands beside Interstate 15, though its neon is dark and the old sign cabinet is badly faded. 09-26
Yucca Inn (Gone)
Yucca Valley, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Cruising through Yucca Valley, check out the large roadside marquee for the Yucca Inn. The sign’s big looping arrow swooped down toward the entrance, making sure travelers along Highway 62 knew exactly where to turn.
The Yucca Inn was more than a simple roadside motel. The sprawling property included a restaurant, cocktail lounge, banquet rooms, and a spa, making it a longtime gathering place for high-desert dinners and community events.
The independent motel eventually closed and became a Travelodge. Its old arrow sign did not survive the corporate changeover and was removed, leaving the Yucca Inn name behind. 12-10
UPDATE : The Yucca Inn is now gone and replaced with a Travelodge. 12-10
UPDATE: The former Travelodge was purchased and extensively renovated beginning in 2023. The original motel buildings now operate as Field Station Joshua Tree, a boutique lodge aimed at national park visitors and desert travelers. The Yucca Inn marquee is gone. 09-26
Cactus Motel (Closed)
Barstow, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Cruising along Route 66 through Barstow, check out the glowing green sign for the Cactus Motel. The abstract cactus shape and neon lettering gave nighttime travelers an easy landmark to watch for along Main Street. Barstow has lost plenty of old roadside signs over the years, so this one was always worth another photograph.
The Cactus Motel was built in 1949 by local contractor M.D. “Ike” Eichler. Its 13 rooms were arranged around a simple U-shaped courtyard, with the office near the front. Old postcards advertised air conditioning, tile showers, wall heaters, and Beautyrest mattresses. Pretty fancy stuff after a long day crossing the Mojave Desert.
The green cactus marquee arrived during the early 1950s, replacing a much plainer rectangular sign. With its unusual shape and bright neon, the new version gave the little motor court some personality and one more way to catch traffic after dark.
UPDATE: The Cactus no longer operates as an overnight motel. Its rooms have been converted into long-term residential housing, but the original buildings remain in use. The green cactus sign still stands beside Route 66, although all of its neon tubing has been removed and only the painted metal cabinet survives. 09-26
Brant's Motel (Gone)
Barstow, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The enormous red marquee for Brant's Motel was once a familiar sight along Route 66 in Barstow. A 2006 fire badly damaged the motel and forced it to close, but the old sign continued standing beside Main Street.
After being declared a public nuisance, the marquee was removed on April 22, 2010. Another familiar piece of the Barstow roadside had disappeared. 04-10
UPDATE: The motel buildings were later repaired and reopened as the Route 66 Barstow Hotel. The Brant’s sign is gone, and its final whereabouts remain unknown. 09-26
Royal Hawaiian Motel (Demolished)
Bun Boy Restaurant (Closed)
Bun Boy Restaurant (Closed)
Yucca Inn (Gone)
Cactus Motel (Closed)
Cruising along Route 66 through Barstow, check out the glowing green sign for the Cactus Motel. The abstract cactus shape and neon lettering gave nighttime travelers an easy landmark to watch for along Main Street. Barstow has lost plenty of old roadside signs over the years, so this one was always worth another photograph.
