Every year during March I go on what I call My Walkabout. It’s off first to Winnemucca and Shooting the West, an unfortunate title for a symposium, especially one conducted in the Wild West where most trucks come equipped with gun racks and some of the folks may be packing heat. Nevertheless it’s a fantastic opportunity to listen to the luminaries of the photography world and to renew friendships with a bunch of truly nice people from all over the West, as far away as Illinois.
I always stay at Scott’s Shady Court Motel, a throwback to a much earlier time. Well, let’s face it so am I. I love these funky relics and search them out wherever I travel. The funkier the better. Just as long as the linen and towels are clean, the rug reasonably stain free, and the bathroom scrubbed I’m happy. I don’t even mind that Shady Court has no artwork on the walls. Tis better to have no art then some of the stuff you see in motels. The rooms are small, about the smallest you’ll find on the open road. How small are they? So small you have to step outside just to change your mind. Ah, but there’s a swimming pool. It’s indoor, which means winter or summer and all the times in between swimming’s a possibility. Don’t expect a continental breakfast, instead Louise, the owner, has a large jar of penny candy on the front desk. It’s a mystery to me how heat is delivered to the rooms. I have yet to find any controls and vents are not apparent. Luckily I like to sleep on the cool side. Run the hot water in the shower a few minutes and the bathroom heats up. The picture is from a few years ago when I was assigned to Room 58, Santa Catalina. 
The motel got its start in the early 1930s. It was used to house not only travelers, but World Progress Administration (WPA) workers as well. The dual purpose continues today; it's not uncommon to find seasonal workers in residence alongside the weary I-80 traveler.
I made a survey of reviews posted on the web....7 travelers gave the motel 5 stars, 7-4 stars, 2-3 stars, 4-2 stars and one 1 star. That averages out to 3.7 stars, which is pretty good for a funky motel. One person summed up their stay this way. “I rather sleep in my car. What a dump.” Another said, “...stayed at this place 8 times, it’s perfect for people who like charming rooms with really cool 1960s furniture.” Isn’t it amazing how opinions differ. And then there was this, “We might stay there again if we absolutely must, but we hope to not have to return to Winnemucca for anything.” Now that’s gone too far. It’s one thing to run down the Shady Court, but when you malign Winnemucca, them’s fighting words.
And that’s the way it is at Shady Court.
Oh, there’s been a FOR SALE sign out front for the past few years. No one seems to want to take on this millstone of a motel. I can understand why, there’s a whole lot of deferred maintenance that would reach deep into a new owner’s pockets. A friend tells me that he thinks whoever buys it will tear it down. I hope not. Would be a shame to lose this link to a time when the roads where less crowded and a cheap motel room cost under $5.
PS...If you go to http://www.rdmenzies.com/blog you can read my good friend Richard Menzies report on Shady Court.
Q
