The First Motel 6

And speaking of motels . . .

       Did you know that the very first Motel 6 was founded in my own backyard?  Why, you may wonder, am I so amazed by this?  A bland, no frills motel whose icon is plastered all over America's highways?   Who cares? 

Once the Federal Aid Highway Act was passed and interstate highways were constructed to connect the West Coast to the East Coast, the mom and pop motels of the previous decades were being crushed by corporate motel chains.  Howard Johnson's, Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn--they all swooped in for the kill.  They jacked up their prices and before we even knew what happened, the middle class could no longer afford to travel yet again.

Now, Santa Barbara is not a cheap place to stay.  Beautiful as all get out, but not cheap.  Yet, it was here in 1962 that two local building contractors, William Becker and Paul Greene, decided that an alternative motel needed to be built--a bare bones, affordable place with no restaurant on site.  And you guessed it.  Only $6.00 a night.  The first Motel 6 was built behind the more expensive strip of motels that line Cabrillo Boulevard.  It is located at 443 Corona Del Mar. 

Other economy lodges followed and the traveler once again had an affordable place to stay.  It's no longer $6.00 a night, of course, but the chain boasts that they still offer the lowest price of any motel out there.  It's a good value if you're on a budget.  And to think, it all started in Santa Barbara.  Amazing.