Mesa Motels

Mesa, Arizona

 

 

These photos were taken east to west on Main Street in Mesa, Arizona, from Power Road back to downtown Mesa. Of course this was the old highway out of town, the old Highway 60, and these motels were arrayed to tempt the drowsy traveler not-particularly-looking-forward-to the long crosscountry drive across the tabula rasa desert east to Globe or south to Florence & Tucson.

Down towards Florence is where Tom Mix died on just such a drive, killed by his money.

 

 

 

 

 

The Buckhorn Baths is its own thing. In another city it would be legendary and protected. It's far older than the other properties around (1939) and you can tell by the separated motor-court cabins. I find them very beautiful. Once featuring mineral baths and a roadside museum full of weird tourist-trap treasures like a taxidermy collection and wagon-wheel furniture and a stuffed Buffalo called Old Renegade to amuse the snowbirds. Once the winter headquarters of the New York Giants (a web source says that Leo Durocher loved the place).

Now closed. Future uncertain. More information here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glad to report that the Starlite is still in business, apparently healthy, and the diver animation still works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2006 - 2010 Walt Lockley. All rights reserved.