Red Lion Motor Inn, Elko, Nevada 1983

This authentic 1980s color photograph captures a slice of roadside Americana at the Red Lion Motor Inn and Restaurant in Elko, Nevada, in 1983. The prominent multi-tiered sign features the Red Lion logo alongside “MOTOR INN” and “RESTAURANT” in bold red lettering, topped by a yellow Best Western crown. A smaller sign below promotes “Golden West Pancakes.” In the bright afternoon sun, a blue and white two-tone Ford F-Series pickup truck with a camper shell sits in the parking lot, alongside other period vehicles including a tan station wagon and a white hatchback. The architecture of the inn features dark wood siding and cedar-shingle roofing, set against a wide Nevada sky with soft wisps of clouds. This digital download is an excellent historical record of 1980s travel culture and automotive history, perfect to print for yourself as a piece of vintage Americana wall art.