comments

1. Cindy Scroggins on December 13th, 2010 at 1:35 pm

   Oh! I’m so glad you posted this. I know this exact place, across from the Thunderbird Motel. I love how they just left the sign all these years. You captured the desolation perfectly.

2. Sheila Ryan on December 13th, 2010 at 1:37 pm

   Not only is it not an officially franchised Holiday Inn, it is also very spiky. I like the spikiness and the unofficiality.

3. Joel Bernstein on December 13th, 2010 at 4:29 pm

   One of the roads near my house used to be the interstate highway before it was rerouted a few blocks to the east. All along the street are probably half a dozen awesome old motels.

   I should take photos.

4. Sheila Ryan on December 13th, 2010 at 4:35 pm

   I grew up maybe three or four miles south of a great long strip of awesome old motels, and in fact Deron and Amy now live very close to those remaining.

   Also, night clubs with names like Pappy’s Showland and the Purple Orchid.

   My Connecticut Yankee parents lived in one of the motels when they first moved to Dallas after World War II.

5. Phil Bebbington on December 13th, 2010 at 4:39 pm

   Joel, you should! Or perhaps tell me where they are so I can come and explore them.

6. Sheila Ryan on December 13th, 2010 at 4:41 pm

   P.S. Which interstate, Joel? 5 — or 205 or . . . ? And which road are you talking?

   By the way, I’ve seen some of the best commercial sign typography ever in Portland. Last time I visited, even people who are attuned to such things seemed surprised when I shrieked and pointed.

7. Joel Bernstein on December 13th, 2010 at 5:04 pm

   Sheila: What is now Interstate Ave. in Portland used to be I5.

   Here’s a photo of what is probably the nicest of them.

8. Sheila Ryan on December 13th, 2010 at 5:08 pm

   Wow, I can’t recall if I’ve been there, but it’s for sure a strip of road for Phil to visit.

9. Luke on December 14th, 2010 at 1:08 am

   Joel, I used to live just down the street from there. Alberta & Interstate area. I would use the Internet connection at the Polish coffee shop just down the street from the Palms to get my Christopher Walken on.

10. Joel Bernstein on December 14th, 2010 at 1:56 am

    I heard that place went out of business a month or two ago; I haven’t been down that way since the farmers market closed for the season.

11. Luke on December 14th, 2010 at 8:35 am

    That’s sad. They used to do this thing where if you recited a poem from memory, you’d get half off on pints of beer. I would recite Milosz since it was a Polish place. The first time I recited a Milosz poem to the owner he gave me a pint for free. That’s probably not a great business plan, but it made me happy.

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