Highway 39

August 26, 1963 

Hi - Guess who stayed here on your recommendation? Nice place. Wayne loves the pool. Since Saturday afternoon have seen Knotts and D.land - Oy, my poor feet! Going to go to Marine land today-
Gerri, Art, Milana and Wayne

Photo credit:  http://michael5000.blogspot.com/2012/05/wednesday-post_09.html

As a boy of 7 or 8 years old, I can remember being in the back seat of the car heading down Beach Blvd. (back then, it was "Highway 39"). The anticipation of getting to the beach was almost unbearable, and I would look out the window for familiar landmarks.

Photo credit: http://occinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/highway39-drive-in.jpg

I knew when I saw the Hi-way 39 Drive-In that we were at least half way there, and not long after I would be able to smell the salt air. Back then, Highway 39 was a highly desirable vacation destination, and people from all over the country would come here and stay in one of the motels that line the street. Like the postcard says, "3 minutes to Knotts Berry Farm, 9 minutes to Disneyland; near beaches". The perfect family vacation!

Fast forward 50 years, and these quaint motels are looking pretty run-down and not so quaint. They're really interesting from a photography point-of-view, but I probably wouldn't stay in one with my family! They appear to cater to long-term renters who rent by the week or month, tend to be down on their luck, and can't scrape together first and last for a traditional apartment. As I was driving home from the beach last weekend, I stopped to photograph a few that are still standing.

The Starlite

The Tahiti

The Riviera

The Sahara

The Robin Hood

The Covered Wagon. These folks came out to make sure I wasn't with the press!

I had some nice blue twilight skies in those 

first three photos, so linking to Skywatch Friday. Have a great weekend, and get out there and take some photos!