These days, jaded travelers might drive past a certain type of lodging - low slung, modest, parking space at the front door - believing that it's probably a no-tell-motel sleazy pay-by-the-hour type establishment. But long ago, these roadside motels were downright luxurious compared to the tents that road trippers would set up in ubiquitous Travel Camps.
In its heyday, you couldn't drive far on the 3,652 miles of US Route 6 without seeing one or a cluster of these motels, usually owned by a husband and wife who would do everything from make the coffee to clean the rooms. Now, though, many of these motels have fallen into disrepair, were abandoned or have deteriorated into these pay-by-the-hour love motels. You can see the sad ruins as you drive across the country.
But some of these Mom and Pop motels have not only hung on, they have thrived. Owned by couples who offer an inexpensive and clean option, the following motels go the "extra mile" with great service, perfect location, friendliness and amenities you'd find in higher end hotels at twice the price.
1. Sandusky, OH. If you want a CHEAP place to stay within a few miles of Cedar Point, book a room starting at $30 at the Maples Motel, 4409 Cleveland Rd. (Route 6), Sandusky, OH (1/4 mile from east entrance of Cedar Point), 419-626-1575. Brick and not much to look at, this 24-unit motel is clean and cool and gets plenty of kudos and press for its affordability. With pool, air conditioning, cable TV, and a stones throw from one of the largest amusement parks in the US, the Maples Motel is, according to a recent Lake Erie Living article, “ a sliver of Americana capped with an orange and blue neon sign.”
2. Glenwood Springs, CO; For budget-conscious
travelers, the best bang for the buck here is The Red Mountain Inn, 51637 U.S. Highway 6, Glenwood Springs, CO, 800-748-2565, www.redmountaininn.com, $66-$120 - a
charming courtyard motel of a former era with clean, comfy, cute rooms and the
friendliest owners around. Cottages cluster around a central driveway, creating
an intimate atmosphere and low rates include free wi-fi, heated pool, hot tub,
guest laundry, and a continental breakfast. All less than 2 miles from
downtown.
3. Tonopah, NV; For wallet-watchers, Jim Butler Inn & Suites, 100 South
Main St., Tonopah, NV, 775-482-3577, www.jimbutlerinn.com,
$70-$95 looks like your typical roadside motel. But inside the room, there’s a sitting area, a gas
fireplace, a flat screen TV, and comfy bed with nice bedding. The bathroom is the basic sink outside,
toilet and shower behind a door kind of thing, but it's clean, very friendly and centally
located to all Tonopah attractions.
4. Lancaster, CA; The budget minded will be ecstatic at the Inn at Lancaster, 44131 Sierra Hwy,
Lancaster, CA 661-945-8771, www.innoflandcaster.com,
$77-$87. Lancaster identifies
strongly with the what used to be Route 6, the Sierra Highway, and though most
people travel through on the parallel and faster Highway 14, the
Inn at Lancaster is actually ON Sierra Highway. The Inn
at Lancaster is a wonderful, clean, comfortable and pretty place with lots to
offer; a nicely landscaped outdoor
pool, a complementary dinner in the early evening (ie, pizza,hamburgers), a complimentary continental breakfast, complimentary movie, fitness
center, flat-screen TV’s and free Wi-Fi (always a plus). The Mom and Pop of
record, Andy and Jeannie Holnberg, have a place to be proud of.
Honorable Mention;
5. Coralville, IA; This motel no longer exists but was inextricably linked to Historic Route 6 and so I have to include it on this list. Blue Top Motor Court sat proudly on old Route 6 from 1952 – 1996. Twelve tiny cottages were arranged in a semi-circle around a swath of lawn that contained a grill, picnic tables and swing sets. It was spotless, comfortable, and each cabin had a walk-in closet “larger than my room at the Jefferson Hotel!,” according to one celebrity guest, Bob Hope. Generation after generation of University of Iowa students and professors, families of Medical Center patients and road-trippers returned time and time again – the Blue Top was a touchstone for many. Poet Laureate of the State of Iowa, Mary Swander, then an Iowa Writer’s Workshop student, stayed for months in The Penthouse – the dormer apartment above the motel garages and later wrote an homage to the Blue Top.
In its heyday, you couldn't drive far on the 3,652 miles of US Route 6 without seeing one or a cluster of these motels, usually owned by a husband and wife who would do everything from make the coffee to clean the rooms. Now, though, many of these motels have fallen into disrepair, were abandoned or have deteriorated into these pay-by-the-hour love motels. You can see the sad ruins as you drive across the country.
But some of these Mom and Pop motels have not only hung on, they have thrived. Owned by couples who offer an inexpensive and clean option, the following motels go the "extra mile" with great service, perfect location, friendliness and amenities you'd find in higher end hotels at twice the price.
1. Sandusky, OH. If you want a CHEAP place to stay within a few miles of Cedar Point, book a room starting at $30 at the Maples Motel, 4409 Cleveland Rd. (Route 6), Sandusky, OH (1/4 mile from east entrance of Cedar Point), 419-626-1575. Brick and not much to look at, this 24-unit motel is clean and cool and gets plenty of kudos and press for its affordability. With pool, air conditioning, cable TV, and a stones throw from one of the largest amusement parks in the US, the Maples Motel is, according to a recent Lake Erie Living article, “ a sliver of Americana capped with an orange and blue neon sign.”
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| The Maples Motel Sandusky, OH |
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| Red Mountain Inn Glenwood Springs, CO |
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| Jim Butler Inn and Suites Tonopah, NV |
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| Inn of Lancaster Lancaster, CA |
5. Coralville, IA; This motel no longer exists but was inextricably linked to Historic Route 6 and so I have to include it on this list. Blue Top Motor Court sat proudly on old Route 6 from 1952 – 1996. Twelve tiny cottages were arranged in a semi-circle around a swath of lawn that contained a grill, picnic tables and swing sets. It was spotless, comfortable, and each cabin had a walk-in closet “larger than my room at the Jefferson Hotel!,” according to one celebrity guest, Bob Hope. Generation after generation of University of Iowa students and professors, families of Medical Center patients and road-trippers returned time and time again – the Blue Top was a touchstone for many. Poet Laureate of the State of Iowa, Mary Swander, then an Iowa Writer’s Workshop student, stayed for months in The Penthouse – the dormer apartment above the motel garages and later wrote an homage to the Blue Top.
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| Replica of Cabin #1 at Blue Top Motel Coralville, IA |
