Landscape Vernacular
In probably the most recognizable example of the crossroads mythos in popular media, The Eagles’ song “Hotel California” uses elements of liminality to cement the lone roadside motel’s place in pop culture as something out of the Twilight Zone.
"On a dark desert highway / Cool wind in my hair”
“Up ahead in the distance / I saw a shimmering light / My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim / I had to stop for the night”
“You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave”
This fictional “Hotel California,” as described by Don Henley, is an excellent conceptual example of a vernacular landscape. This is something defined by the Cultural Landscape Foundation to be a “cultural landscape evolved by the people whose activities or occupancy shaped [it]. Through social or cultural attitudes of an individual, family, or a community, the landscape reflects the physical, biological, and cultural character of those everyday lives.” These are often places made for a single purpose that develop through their use over time. The Hotel California’s desert setting, “shimmering lights,” and “mission bell” capitalize on regional themes, conjuring images of Spanish missions, renovated and lit by neon to attract travelers off of the road and into its rooms – for eternity; and why shouldn’t it? After all, functioning as landscape vernacular, it’s “such a lovely place.”
“The motels along the two-lane highways were for travelers and businessmen and cars full of restless kids, usually on their way somewhere else and simply looking for a comfortable place to spend the night,” Toby Jurovics reminds us in Vanishing Vernacular: Western Landscape's concluding essay. “What was to differentiate one motel with air conditioning, color TV, and in-room telephones from another?” (Fitch/Jurovics). To coax weary travelers off the highway and into their parking lots, roadside businesses would use elaborate neon signs, capitalizing upon regional history and geographic features to establish a certain theme. These one-of-a-kind signs were made “in down-to-earth workshops where glass blowers and sign writers produced these new signs using their breath, mouths, and hands and all their own acquired knowledge and skill” (Ribbat). Steve Fitch points out that many had names or designs that related to the place where they were located. These regionalisms added a touch of personality and authenticity to the businesses they advertised. If travelers seeking the ‘real America’ need a place to stay while exploring the southwest, surely their experience was enriched by the unique, localized atmosphere provided at places like the Westerner Motel or the Canyon State Motor Lodge.
Margolies, J. (1987). [Westerner motel, Albuquerque, New Mexico] [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/item/2017710293/.
Highsmith, C. M. (2018, March 13). [One of several classic neon signs in Tucson, Arizona, saved from destruction by preservationists and moved to a spot near Pima Community College] [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/item/2018663144/.