Back then, the drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco couldn't be made in one day, what with the sorry roads and slow speeds and general 1925-ness of it all. So builder Arthur Heineman selected San Luis as the halfway point for a new enterprise, an alternative to pulling over for the night and pitching a tent by the side of the road. We know the term "motel" is a combination of "motor" and "hotel," but people back then seeing the sign just thought Heineman was simple and couldn't spell. So he had to get creative, first hyphenating "Mo-Tel," and then putting a smaller "H" under the larger "M." Travelers eventually said, "Oh, we get it!", and a phenomenon was born.
And now the amazing part -- the Motel Inn is still standing. Unfortunately, it is fenced off and abandoned, so it is no longer someplace you can stay for the night. Unless, ironically, you want to revert back to the days of a pitched tent by the side of the road.
flickr photo by Matt(mistergoleta)
1 comment:
My grandfather stayed there!
Post a Comment