The Coolest Retro Motor Lodges Around The United States

There’s nothing quite like an open road and a sense of adventure to come together to create the perfect road trip. You can enjoy the sunny backroads of California, explore the rural highways of New England, or pretty much anywhere else across the US highways — but one of the best part of these road trips includes stopping by motor lodges that have incredible retro feels along the way. Here are some great motor lodges you can visit along the way.

Cuyama Buckhorn – New Cuyama, California

This is certainly one of the coolest motor lodges that can be found in the US, and of course it’s in California. It was built in 1952 by the architect who also built the Flamingo in Las Vegas. New Cuyama is a ranching outpost that’s about two hours away from Los Angeles. It fully embraces cowboy culture so you can find plenty of cowhide rugs, buckhorn chandeliers, and cattle brand designs.

Motel Safari – Tucumcari, New Mexico

This motel features patterned breeze blocks, atomic-era boomerangs, and pink flamingoes, making it perfectly Mother Road kitsch. It has kept the 1960’s vibes fully intact and rooms feature late 1950’s construction. There’s also a camel found on top of the sign, which was inspired by the 22 Tunis-impoted camels found in Edward Fitzgerald’s 1850’s expeditions.

Drift Oceanside Inn – Camden, Maine

Drift Oceanside inn is found along the stretch of the Coaster Route 1 and is one of the lovely non-chain throwback-style lodgings you can find in this part of the state. It’s stands perched on a ledge along the water, providing amazing views to lodgers that include fishing eagles on the coast, lobster boats, and the sounds of the crashing waves.

Starlite Motel – Kerhonkson, New York

You can find the Starlite Motel in the Catskills, which are about a two hour drive from New York City. There are plenty of nearby hiking trails, nature preserves, wineries, farmland, and stone cliff waterfalls. The 1960’s feel of the motor lodge is immediately apparent including the retro neon sign that glows over Route 209. The interiors have been updated and there’s even a vegan food truck on the weekend.