Motel Hell: January 2006

Hartsook Inn

Piercey, California - '50s or '60s

In the heart of the Redwoods. South of Garberville.

Roadstop! Ross Allen's Reptile Institute

Silver Springs, Florida - 1960's

We gotta stop off and see Ross milk the snakes, are you kidding?!

Lakeview Motel and Restaurant

Knoxville, Tennessee - 1960

Gee, I hope they're not all booked up!

Oh wait, they're not.

Back of PC reads: "ONE STOP. 31 Rooms, Restaurant and Service Station. Finest food in the South. Air-Conditioned, Electric Heat, Free T.V. in each room. On U.S. 441. Shortest Route to the Great Smoky Mountains."

Maroon Cliffs Motel

Redstone, Colorado - 1960's

I guess we're just gonna have to trust them that there really is a motel out there in the gloom. Still have no idea what it might actually look like, though. Not that it matters much.

Back of PC reads: "Modern, clean rooms and housekeeping cabins. A restful vacation spot. In the heart of the beautiful Crystal River Valley, 28 miles south of Glenwood Springs on Highway #133. Excellent fishing and hunting area."

Georgian Motel and Restaurant

Folkston, Georgia - 1960's I believe

Hey, dreary weather won't keep the Georgian down! You say a storm's blowin' in? Who cares...take the dang shot! We'll use it anyway.

Roadstop! McDonald's

Postmarked Florida - 1964

Anyone up for a vintage Filet-o'-Fish sangwitch? MMMmmm! Don't it look tastey?

This is an actual 1964 advertising postcard (believe it or not) for the Filet-o'-Fish Sandwich McDonald's was just introducing new at the time.

Kinda' looks OK...till you start staring at that ugly, yellow-green sauce oozing down the sides. Ugh.

Back of PC reads: "Free! Excitingly New--Invitingly Yours! Please Be Our Guest....Just present this card at the McDonald's nearest you. It entitles you to one of our delightfully new Filet-o'-Fish Sandwiches. It's our way of acquainting you with the tastiest fish in all the land!"

Looks more like the nastiest fish in all the land.

And by the way, at this point in 1964, as the card reads, they were only at "more than a BILLION sold", if anyone's wondering.

Gran-View Motel and Restaurant

Ogdensburg, New York - 1960's

Hmm. Well, this postcard doesn't really seem to have a whole lot to say, but what it's not saying, it's saying really well.

That's so not going to be a good dive.

Ambassador Motel

Taylor, Michigan - 1950's

Now this one actually has some personal significance for me. This is the little motel on South Telegraph road just outside Detroit, that my dad's uncle owned back in the '50s. Dad worked there a summer or two around 1958 and '59, doing general maintenance and cleanup on the place. He has fond memories of it, and makes sure, even today, to always mention it (as he has for years) if we ever happen to be out and around the general area, which we tend to be a few times a year, heading out to the airport (Detroit Metro) to pick up visiting family members and whatnot.

So yeah, it's cool to be posting this one finally. We just came across this old postcard we still have for it.