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The plaque
shown below commemorates the historic nature of the
establishment which was named from a combination of the words
"motor" and "hotel." In the early
years, a neon sign alternately flashed the words
"Hotel" and "Mo-tel" so that motorists would
know that here was a place they could park their bodies and their
automobiles.
***
The following piece is posted here with the kind permission of
Brian Dalessi, who has provided his personal reminiscences about
1950s life in San Luis Obispo and fun times at the Motel Inn:
"In the
mid-to-late '50s, postwar America was in the midst of a
remarkable bloom. In many places the condition ran unchecked as
life laid out its promise in iridescent attractions. Growing up
in San Luis Obispo, it seemed certain the prizes in this life
were all around me. I was six years old in 1957, and I could
ride my bike anywhere in town, day or night. I lived five
minutes from Cuesta Park, and made that the focal point of many
of my journeys. There was such a sense of freedom and abundance
about everything--those days are the bedrock of my memories.
"My
father had a small road construction business, paving roads
throughout the county and competing for jobs with Alex
Madonna--they were high school pals. At some point my father
acquired the building that housed the Obispo Theatre and various
other shops on the corner across from the county courthouse. On
the very corner of that building and directly adjacent to the
Obispo Theater was a cocktail lounge. This little establishment
soon took on my father’s name (“Dan’s”) for Dan Dalessi, and
became the focus of all his time and energy. The bar’s business
was bristling in those days--Dan’s was just a working man’s bar,
but it collected the best of the downtown’s business people
throughout the day and night.
"Two
good friends of my father’s were Al and Marge Caulkins, the
owners of the Motel Inn. Most of the clientele that frequented
Dan’s made their way to the other end of town and the Motel Inn,
and back and forth. The Motel Inn had a very special flavor
about it, a spirited buoyancy where the local ranchers could mix
with the downtown crowd and the occasional traveler. Al and
Marge were quite the hosts, always warm and friendly, making
sure your food and drink needs were met. The food was tremendous
there, the only barbeque that could rival Jocko’s in Nipomo.
"When
I was six, seven, or eight years old, what I saw most of was the
pool and patio area of the Motel. It was always so busy, always
with a lot of boisterous activity going on in the pool. People
would take lounge chairs off the diving board with drinks in
hand; rollicking games of pool volleyball were the norm, and oh
yes, there were hamburgers I could barely hold with two
hands. All of this as the music and vocal activity from the bar
washed over the pool area.
"When
we kids weren’t having lunch or swimming, we would find our way
around the Motel grounds. They had a horse stable out back, and
a radio station on site. I don’t remember the station’s call
letters, but I do remember going through the dumpster beside the
radio station on occasion and finding demo 45s to take home. And
at night there was always a lively game of hide-and-go-seek.
"As I look back, I knew my
surroundings were something out of the ordinary, something to
covet. I’m so thankful for my beginnings in San Luis Obispo--I
witnessed the halcyon days of an America that is no more."
--Brian Dalessi, ©2006
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