All images courtesy Bob Worley
About the Vega Motel
The Vega Motel was built in 1947 by Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Pancoast. Originally called Vega Court, the business still has its original pink and red brick-look exterior and individual carports where travelers can pull in for the night. Each room faces the central courtyard, which features shade trees to keep off the sizzling Texas sun and benches where tired road warriors can rest their weary bones.
Don't miss taking the kids' picture with the Whaleys' Model T Ford, which evokes images of the speakeasies and wild young flappers of the Roaring '20s and, a few years later, the Dust Bowl migrants who passed through the Texas Panhandle in the 1930s on their way west down Route 66 in search of a better life in California. Like its surroundings, it's a throwback to another time.
According to the postcard at left, which dates from the 1960s, the Vega offers "Panel Ray Heat -- completely Air Conditioned. Vega's Newest and Finest." While such amenities may seem quaint or not worth mentioning now, there was a time not so very long ago when cars did not have air conditioners or reliable heaters, and a comfortable, climate-controlled room at the end of a long day's drive seemed like the ultimate in luxurious accommodations.
It isn't "Vega's Newest" any more, but to many Route 66 aficionados in search of nostalgia and adventure, the Vega Motel -- with its friendly hosts, reasonable prices, and clean, comfortable rooms adorned with vintage furniture -- will always be "Vega's Finest." But don't take our word for it -- come find out for yourself!