Escalon Motel (Demolished)
Escalon, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Check out the Escalon Motel in Escalon, CA and its neon sign. Not sure if this sign and/or the motel still remain these days. Sitting right at the corner of Escalon and Yosemite avenues along State Highway 120, this classic post-war stop welcomed travelers heading up toward the Sierra along the scenic route to Yosemite National Park.

Opened back in the 1950s, the modest 18-unit auto court provided clean, simple roadside rooms for highway motorists for decades before falling on hard times and eventually closing its doors. In 2013, the blighted property was purchased by the neighboring Trinity Church for a community revitalization project. The old motel room wings were torn down in 2015, but the original front office building was saved and renovated to become the Escalon Youth Center. Instead of hauling the vintage roadside sign off to the scrap yard, the classic metal marquee was repurposed around 2020.

UPDATE: The Escalon Motel room units were demolished in 2015 and the surviving office was converted into the Escalon Youth Center, while the vintage roadside sign was repurposed and re-lettered on-site. 09-26

Blu-Lite Motel (Rem.)
Ripon, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Tonight, there is a vacancy at the Blu-Lite Motel in Ripon. Hungry? Then drop by the restaurant for some food. Located along the South Highway 99 Frontage Road, this 1969 motor court gave travelers an easy place to pull off for the night with meals right on-site. While the motel is still open under family management, the restaurant space was turned into a convenience market around 2006, and its classic neon roadside marquee was eventually taken down.

UPDATE: The Blue-Lite Motel marquee has changed to a relatively plain looking sign colored in standard red and blue. The motel is still here though. 03-09

UPDATE: The Blu-Lite Motel remains open along the Highway 99 Frontage Road in Ripon, though the diner was converted into a market and its vintage neon marquee was removed. 09-26

Kingsway Motel (Gone)
Belmont, CA
Photo courtesy Matt Walsh

The neon lights the way into the Kingsway Motel lobby at this motor court located in Belmont, CA. Sitting along El Camino Real—the historic route of U.S. 101 this 16-room roadside court opened during the 1950s boom to serve Peninsula motorists. While the property was later remodeled and renamed the Hotel Belmont, its classic single-story drive-up layout remains intact. Unfortunately, its vintage roadside neon marquee was taken down during the property's updates.

UPDATE: The property remains open along El Camino Real operating as the Hotel Belmont, though its original vintage neon marquee has been removed. 09-26

The Oaks Motel (Rem.)
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Along the boulevard in Oakland is the aptly named The Oaks Motel. This neon marquee still glows the way in. Located along MacArthur Boulevard, this motor court was positioned right on the busy surface alignment of old U.S. 50 as it carried traffic through the East Bay.

Opening in 1955 on a site previously occupied by an auto lot, the 28-unit court offered modern lodging complete with kitchen apartments, in-room phones, and television. Out front, its multi-colored neon marquee stood out with an eye-catching mix of bold block lettering and stylish cursive script. While the mid-century motel remains open for business along the boulevard—now operating under the Studio 6 banner—its classic neon sign was unfortunately removed between 2011 and 2014 and replaced with a flat plastic sign box.

UPDATE: The motel remains open along MacArthur Boulevard operating under the Studio 6 network, though its original vintage neon marquee was removed in the early 2010s and replaced with plastic signage. 09-26

Sands Motel
San Jose, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Sands Motel and its upright marquee can still be found along the main route heading to San Jose. Located along Monterey Highway—the old alignment of U.S. 101 Business—this roadside court welcomed motorists funneling into the city before the modern freeway bypass arrived.

Originally established as the 101 Motel with a cluster of standalone cottages, the property was eventually joined into a continuous motor court. In the 1950s, new owners renamed it the Sands Motel to tap into the glamorous Vegas Strip mystique. By the 1960s, the motel hopped on the Polynesian Pop bandwagon, adding a dedicated "Tiki Lei Suite" that was heavily promoted on a roadside billboard to entice travelers visiting the nearby Santa Clara County Fairgrounds and Frontier Village. While time has weathered the property and faded its bold mid-century colors, the classic upright roadside marquee still hangs on along the highway frontage.

UPDATE: The Sands Motel remains open along Monterey Highway in San Jose, with its weathered upright vintage marquee still surviving on-site. 09-26

Mission Motel
San Jose, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

How about the Mission Motel and its neon marquee, glowing off the roadside. A bit further out of town, passers-by can nonetheless run into this neon delight as they head into and out of the city, not on the expressway of course. Located south along Monterey Highway on the old route of U.S. 101, this tiny post-war court caught motorists taking the surface highway. With just a handful of drive-up rooms, the modest mom-and-pop court has managed to hold on, its towering upright neon sign still greeting drivers along the old roadway.

UPDATE: The Mission Motel remains open along Monterey Highway in South San Jose, with its vintage upright roadside marquee still intact. 09-26

Van Ness Motel (Gone)
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Van Ness Motel still features working neon signage along one of San Francisco's busy streets. Located right on Van Ness Avenue, this classic urban motor inn sat directly on the main highway route funneling U.S. 101 traffic north toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

Designed to make the most of its tight city lot, the multi-story court was built with drive-up parking tucked conveniently underneath the guest rooms—a true luxury in crowded San Francisco. Out front, its bold vertical blade sign used large block lettering to grab the eyes of motorists crawling through city traffic. Over the years, the property moved away from its independent roots, operating for a spell as the Van Ness Inn before eventually joining the Motel 6 chain. Despite the corporate rebrand, the classic roadside structure remains in service, and that tall retro sign continues to hang over the avenue.

UPDATE: The motel is on Van Ness Avenue operating as a Motel 6. 09-26

Francisco Bay Motel
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Francisco Bay Motel marquee lights up the night along Lombard Street in San Francisco. Sitting right along the path of U.S. 101, this multi-story urban motor inn welcomed motorists coming off the Golden Gate Bridge, offering drive-up parking tucked beneath the rooms and a distinctive exterior glass elevator. Now operating as the Francisco Bay Inn, the property still caters to city travelers just blocks from the famous crooked section of Lombard, with its colorful mid-century sign continuing to brighten the street.

UPDATE: The motel remains open along Lombard Street under the name Francisco Bay Inn, with its retro street marquee still lighting up the block. 09-26