Roadside Camps and Early Travel

On December 12, 1925, the first motel in America opened its doors. It had Spanish Mission style architecture, a red roof, and an orange tree outside each door. We trace the rise and fall (and second rise) of motels over the past century: the good, the bad, and yes, the seedy. 

Check out Megan McCrea’s timeline tracing the rise of the motel: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/insider/motels-history-road-trips-travel.html

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.