Utah Motels

A quick stop in Salt Lake introduces us to the City Creek Inn, but Jenny's more interested in Temple Square. The heart of Mormonism, Salt Lake visitors are treated to freshly scrubbed young adults in missionary attire (slacks and white shirts for men, subdued, modest dresses for women) who are eager to share the fruits of their lifestyle. Frequently, even after asking a technical question about the computerized genealogy system, I find myself facing an eerily psychoanalytic question, "How do you feel about that?" Avoiding religious epiphanies, we head out of town.

Taking Interstate 15 south from Salt Lake to Vegas (the highway to hell, one might say) we pour down the oily stretch of asphalt. Heat mirages rise like phantom steam ghosts under a cloudless sky. The crystal blue above is so sharp, you could cut yourself looking at it for too long. The Fillmore Motel draws us off the superslab, but only for a moment. Vegas awaits.

Fillmore Motel Robber's Roost Motel Sleepy Hollow Motel

Let's step back in time a bit to our first trip through Utah in 1996. Our brief drive through Utah, along interstates 15 and 70, reveals a state of striking beauty and contrast. The moon hangs over the horizon while the setting sun pours out an orangish-red watercolor. In the mountains, snow remains in patches, perhaps to spite the summer. There are ancient petroglyphs here, we've been told. We stop in Green River and visit the Robber's Roost. In the office, Bob talks about the name of his motel: "50 miles down in the Canyonlands [National Park], is an area called the Robber's Roost that use to be a hideout for outlaws like Butch Cassedy, the Wild Bunch, Kid Curry . . . Those guys would rob payrolls up here and steal horses, then go over to Silverton, sell the horses, then rob the payrolls over there and come back this way." I'm not sure how much of his story was made in Hollywood, but it's fun to imagine. You really have to want to live here; Bob tells us that folks drive sixty miles to Grand Junction, Colorado to do their major shopping.

Down the road at the Sleepy Hollow, we meet Jim. He's glad to tell us about his connection to Green River: "I have been here since 1951. Does that tell you anything? I came here as a teacher and I liked it ever since I drove in from the outskirts." A dog -- Jim calls him a Heinz-variety that's "older than Methuselah" -- sleeps under the glow of a quiet television set in the lobby. Outside in the city park, a full scale replica of an Athena missile points skyward. The plaque reads: "First launched from Green River, Utah, Feb 10, 1964 -- launch vehicle for U.S.A.F. reentry system testing."

The next morning, we stop in Thompson and visit the Thompson Motel. It's an ancient brick structure set in an old railroad town. The only noise is the sound of snoring in room ten. There's a stack of rusting batteries next to the sign, empty rooms under renovation (or deconstruction?) and two lazy German shepherds who barely move a muscle as we walk by. Our drive through Utah, punctuated by a brief night's sleep, is too short.

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Lynada Motel 2744 Washington Blvd. (U.S. 91-89-30 So.) Ogden, Utah - Phone: 2-4152 - 21 fully carpeted unites with combination tub and shower - tiled. Steam heat - kitchenettes - radios - garages - Two blocks from business district and City Hall.

Mission Motor Lodge 855 North Second Street Is located on U.S. Highway 91 in the heart of Salt Lake City There are 45 new, modern cottages built with beautiful surroundings adjacent to the Wasatch Springs Park and recreational grounds.

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Last update: August 15, 2000. All photographs copyright © Jenny Wood. Text copyright © Andy Wood.