what is the southern motel?

The Southern Motel is not as much of a place as it is an idea. It is a piece of our history that is slowly being lost to progress and urban sprawl. Gone are the days of highway vacationing and stoppping at some roadside mom and pop establishment with a glowing vacancy sign promising a warm bed and a good night's sleep. We are pawns of the Marriotts and Microtels , spas and golf resorts, time shares and vacation clubs promising us luxury and convenience that we never needed at prices we never deserved. We have traded our stale coffee and vending machines for cappuccinos and mini bars selling $5 Coca-Colas. One day we will look down from the window of an airplane and wonder what once inhabited those vast barren stretches between metropolises, never knowing what we missed.