As a long-time collector of vintage postcards of motels, I was very happy to get several circa 1960 cards from the once-glorious Royal Manor Motel in Carlsbad, NM, when I checked in last night. When I awoke this morning, I tried to line up the same shot of the motel as that on the postcard in order to demonstrate the sad decline of this place. So here are, respectively, the original 1960 postcard (with pool inset), and how it all looks as of 12-28-07. P.S., the bathroom light cover fell to the floor twice last night as I slept, waking me in a panic. You'll note that the greatest loss in the intervening decades is that of the original signage.
2 comments:
I think I stayed there about 10 years ago while on a trip with my former spouse and children to visit Calsbad Caverns. I don't remember much about the room but the pool looks familiar. I think the 60's were a great time to travel out west as I still have fond memories of a trip my family made out west-from Indiana to California and back. Six of us in a Mercury station wagon. I actually recognized a Travel Lodge that my family stayed at in Las Vegas while watching the film 'In Cold Blood' (Robert Blake played Perry Smith, he was so much like him it freaked Truman C. out!) Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Peace!
Ouch, that moiré pattern hurts my eyes!
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