Vintage Neon Signage Mesa AZ--incl. The Buckhorn!!! WARNING Image Heavy!!!

I'm sure anyone here who digs this kinda thing and checks out websites like Roadside Peek and Roadside America regularly has seen these places, but I was in Mesa Arizona recently, and I had such a blast cruising down the old Apache Trail (vintage Highway 60), checking out the great old motel signs, that I simply had to post about it.

Naturally, as a neon nerd I took pictures and I thought I'd put up a few for your enjoyment. Like Tucson (where I was similarly entertained a few years back), Mesa has quite a few intriguing survivors. (Damn, I just realized I forgot to photo the "Lost Dutchman Lodge"--next time fer shure!)

This is my total favorite. It is soooo HUGE. I was wishing I'd had some friends with to just kinda kneel at its base in awe...yes, it still lights up and apparently looks awesome, but I wasn't able to make it out that far after dark...THIS visit.

And it's for the Starlite Motel, too--my favorite vintage motel name of all.

Where the Seven Dwarves work??

A personal favorite:

And then...there's...

THIS:

My friend Erica's not even as into old things as I am, but she told me "you have GOT to see this, it blows my mind!" and she was so right.

According to Roadside America, the Buckhorn Motel and Mineral Baths started in the late 30's. The motel was apparently built in the 40's; the amazing "Wildlife Museum" was added; dozens of picturesque cottages are scattered around the beautifully landscaped grounds in addition to the main motel building (behind the one pictured.) The place is IMMENSE. It looks like their total land parcel amounts to at least several normal-sized city blocks. There are bath buildings, parking, a huge outdoor BBQ patio, little roads and thickets and gorgeous bougainvillea plantings and palm trees. They used beautiful old riverstones to delineate every path and garden bed, and the low walls in various places were made of original, carefully mortared Indian grindstones. Apparently a desert golf course was even once part of the deal. Not to mention, of course, the mineral baths:

Back to the main building:

Here's the lobby--they still sell vintage 40's postcards..."We Welcome U"!

And, further down the walkway...The Wildlife Museum. Sigh. I took a pic or two through the window.

If you go back around the lobby you find a lovely little garden and well...

Those original metal lawn chairs are all over the place; every cabin has one in fact. And the little stone castle--there are several more of those scattered around the grounds as well.

According to various online sources, the original owner of the Buckhorn still owns it and resides there (as of late last year anyway.) A couple of years ago, she got too old and tired to run the baths and museum and had to close them. She is apparently 98 years old. Word is her offspring have no interest in continuing with the business when she passes away.

So...we all know what's next.

The dreaded...Walmart. :cry:

This place is living history. It shouldn't die, but it probably will. If there's ANYONE out there who wants to buy it and live happily ever after there--please, please do. It's not just picturesque (although frankly I think the Buckhorn gives new meaning to the word!!!). It's not just vintage cool. There's just the most wonderful aura of peace and tranquility all around the place. That, and so much more I don't even have words for. It is a walk back in time. I urge any of you who can see it before it goes--don't hesitate, make time and do it.

And by the way, there's a "Big Apple" restaurant right back down the road for dinner afterwards! :) They're having their 50th anniversary this year and the both the Western decor and food--are GREAT!!! (Note shadowy Big Steer image above lit neon...MOO!!! Let's EAT!!!)

Tikivixen - I'm so glad this stuff is getting documented. Yes. I bet that diver looks great in motion lit up at night. In KC we used to have a neon washerwoman sign in front of a laundry - she was scrubbing on a washboard. That one's been gone for a while now.

...y'know...I was born in Mesa...

amiotiki

That place is soooo amazing! God - I hope it stays....

I know, Amio...I kept thinking of that while I was there...:)

I want to get out of the house more next time I go and do a whole "memory trip" if I can, for which I'd have to talk to you first. That town is getting BIG but there's still a lot of old Mesa left. This stuff is all within minutes of Erica's house!

XOX t-vixen

I bet that diver looks great in motion lit up at night.

It does; this is a time exposure:

Ever set up a tripod in that area at night? Not fun, but worth it.
I really need to learn to do some sort of animated effect for flashing signs. More night stuff of Phoenix Hwy 60: http://thelope.blogspot.com/2005/05/phoenix-area-hwy-60.html

[ Edited by: tikijackalope 2006-03-28 01:00 ]

Excellent post! I love stuff like this! It is really great to see that there are still people out there who care about old architecture and roadside mom and pop Americana. That is what is missing from our society, and vacations these days...
The Buckhorn Baths Motel is fabulous!!
Thanks for the great virtual "road trip"
:)

Great Pics! Makes me want to do another Southwest road trip to see what I missed last time. The Buckhorn is amazing!

I know, I'm going to do more exploring when I go back too...

Thanks so much TikiJackalope!!! It's a treat to see those signs at night, since my friends I visit there have a young kid and aren't really night owls anymore--too much breadwinning at horribly early hours of the morning.

I was bummed I missed the "Highway Host" too. :wink:

I love your Phoenix signs thread, too. I remember seeing that HUGE Courtesy Chevrolet sign last time I was there--quite a neon knockout.

"When Tumbleweeds Attack"...chortle. They are dangerous, though! Remember "The Outer Limits"??

tikivixen

Update as of last fall:

The Buckhorn Baths and Motel is now among the Mesa/Phoenix area's MOST endangered historical sites.

You guessed it....yep....the W word...WALMART looms on the horizon. AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHH Haven't they killed enough tiki restaurants?!? Must they take the Buckhorn TOO??

http://azmostendangered2007.blogspot.com/2007/08/buckhorn-baths-mesa-maricopa-county.html

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/97467

A lovely postcard image from the 50's, which shows how little this amazing place has changed:

http://www.vintagepostcards.org/mesa-arizona-route-roadside-motel-buckhorn-baths-p-4385.html

I've found some information from this spring indicating that the Mesa city council is interested in preserving the Buckhorn, but you know how the world works...without money....ugh.

Anybody else know anything?

tikivixen is back!!! YAY!

I live in Gilbert AZ and have lurked around the Buckhorn a few times--it WAs a spot where people would dump their garbage (NICE) so there used to be a LOT of palm sections there cut into CONVENIENT sizes for tiki carving...those have sort of depleted in the 5 or so years since I got a bunch of them...it is a SAD spot. When you poke around there checking stuff out, some hillbilly type guy & his son come BLAZING into the parking lot in a pick-up from one of the cabins out back and drill you as to what you are doing there..my guess is the cost to make that place actually WORK again would be astronomical. The bath houses look super decrepit and can't possibly be ANYTHING but a health hazard anymore...maybe if a Bill Gates wanted to piss a bunch of coin away on a pseudo frontier road hotel that would never make back even CLOSE to what it would cost to max this place out, that would be the only hope. There is a pretty creepy vibe out there...the area around it is run down ..lets just say it is a STRETCH to assume ANYTHING but a Wal-Mart would even be welcomed there..its pretty trailer out there. Best case scenario is the road stop & museum stuff gets there own building somewhere to preserve that but the whole area is a bit ripe for dozing and strip malling..mostly due to the whole redneck vibe in that part of the city.