History lessons here vary in so many diverse ways. Wanting something to do on a very smoky day, Steve and I decided to visit two of the last remaining "intact mid-century motel survivors where you’d actually want to stay the night," described by Heather David, in her book, Motel California (2017).
While motel rooms were plain and functional, the facades took advantage of regional styles (and, occasionally, stereotypes). Owners employed stucco, adobe, stone, brick – whatever was handy – to attract guests. In the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, wholesome American families embarking on road trip vacations actually wanted to stay in motels. They weren’t just affordable and convenient—they were in fashion. They were modern and homey and optimistic, even futuristic, in their design, with dramatic angles, colorful interiors, and oversized neon signs. Sometimes, there was even a touch of fantasy.
The Ambassador Motor Lodge, built in 1965, is within walking distance to casinos and the beach. It still has a great iconic sign and what seems like, at one time a very groovy pool. Since Ms. David's visit, the Ambassador has suffered. My hope is the owners embrace the mid-century craze and bring it back to its coolness of 55 years ago. (Note, this is the same view as the postcard).In 2012, there were only 16,000 motels in which you could have called it a night, down from 61,000 during the motel craze of 1964.The Stardust Lodge is still in business and appears well loved.This Stardust Lodge near the California-Nevada state line is one of at least 10 Stardusts that appeared in California after the Stardust Hotel-Casino opened in Las Vegas in 1958.The neon sign is one of my favorite's and is still fully illuminated every night. It is an excellent example of a Googie architectural element.Googie architecture is a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, jets, the Space Age, and the Atomic Age. It originated in Southern California in the 1930s, and was popular nationwide from roughly 1945 to the early 1970s. It's cool we have a little Googie in our town!I'm pretty certain this is not an original Stardust pool sign but it harkens back to the 60s and made us feel pretty groovy indeed.
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