Vintage Roadside loves neon Vacancy signs

There are few things we enjoy more here at Vintage Roadside than going on a road trip. Part of the fun is not knowing just where along the road you may end up for the night. "Will they have a neat vintage sign?", "Will they have a restaurant nearby?", and most important after a long day of driving, "Will they have a vacancy?". However we've noticed something missing at many motels (mainly the "chain" motels) recently. We seem to have quietly lost an old roadside friend while we weren't looking. The friend we refer to is that beacon in the night: The neon Vacancy sign.


Next time you're traveling along a major interstate take a look at those motel signs lining the exits. You'll recognize the majority of them as you see the same signs at just about every major freeway exit across the country. They're big, they always seem to be in fine repair and many even tell you what you'll be paying for a room. However there's one critical point they're missing: Do they have a room tonight? I'm sure many hours of research went into these sign designs that don't incorporate a "vacancy/no vacancy" feature, but no one enjoys navigating a series of off-ramps at 2:30 am only to be told there are no rooms available. Nor do many people find the suggestion that driving 48 miles back the way you came to get a room very helpful either. I realize some might suggest a reservation to solve this issue, but to me the entire spirit of the road trip is discovering new places - perhaps I spent 2 extra hours at the local historical society, or went 50 miles out of the way to find a mom and pop drive in? At that point I want to head off down the road until I'm ready to call it a night. This method of finding lodging worked for decades and I hate to lose this magical part of the journey.


The next time you're out on the road and need a place to stay take another look at those mom and pop motels. Sure they might not have wireless internet or free HBO but you'll be able to spot that vacancy sign from a mile down the road!

Vintage Roadside at the Portland Rod & Custom show.

We wanted to invite all in the Portland & Vancouver area to come see us at the Portland Rod & Custom show being held at the Portland Expo Center this weekend. We'll have our usual assortment of items featuring authentic graphics from roadside businesses from the 1930s - 1960s on display along with the debut of our newest shirt - The Slick Chick Drive In! The Slick Chick Drive In was located along Chicago's bustling North Lincoln Avenue in the late 1950s. We're excited for everyone to see this one - we think it turned out wonderful.

Stop by and say hello - we always enjoy chatting with everyone about all things roadside.

Vintage Roadside t-shirts now available at Sacramento So-Cal Speed Shop!

We're thrilled to let you know that you can now find a selection of Vintage Roadside t-shirts at the Sacramento branch of the world famous So-Cal Speed Shop.

Coming up this weekend, Dan & Nathan will be at the Sacramento Autorama held at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds. This will be the 58th year for this great show and Dan & Nathan's booth always features an abundance of incredibly cool stuff. We've also heard they'll have a few cars on display and maybe a special guest or two that you won't want to miss. If you're planning on going to the Autorama this weekend, be sure to swing by the booth, say hey to the guys, and check out the Vintage Roadside t-shirts, along with other very cool merchandise.

Watch for upcoming news regarding the grand opening of the Sacramento So-Cal retail store. The guys have been working hard on the space and it's going to be great.