One of the most famous landmarks along Historic Route 66, Roy’s Motel & Cafe in Amboy, California, is Route 66 history come to life. Until 1972 Roy’s was a busy cafe, motel and service station in the bustling town of Amboy, California. Population (then) 700. Then came I-40 which bypassed the town of Amboy, California. Population (now): 70. You could say that Amboy and Roy’s and other bypassed towns were the inspiration for the hit Pixar movie “Cars”. All these cool little towns and their unique and quirky ways were bypassed and isolated by “that new highway” (I-40 in real life). The good news is that Roy’s Motel & Cafe plans to put the ‘Motel’ back into Roy’s Motel & Cafe and refurbish the white bungalows to accommodate overnight guests. People have been rediscovering classic American roadside attractions and Route 66 is celebration it’s 100 year anniversary in in 2026.
ROY’S MOTEL & CAFE PRINT
$150.00
ROY’S MOTEL & CAFÉ 20” X 24” giclee fine art print on acid-free archival paper with non-fading pigmented inks. One of the most famous landmarks along Route 66, Roy’s Motel & Café in Amboy, California is one of the most visited stops along the Mother Road. City folk like to say that Roy’s 1950’s -built guest reception center is an example of “roadside, Mid-Century Modern Googie architecture” with an “inclined roof flying over a glassed wedge.” When you add Roy’s fifty foot high “neon boomerang” neon sign, you’ve got all kinds of architectural goings on out there in the California desert. At one time Amboy was a boom town, and by the 1950’s, right after WWII, Roy’s employed 70 people and Amboy had a population of 700. 1959 brought the erection of the aforementioned Roy’s famous 50 foot neon boomerang sign, which could be seen for miles. From the 1950’s until 1972, Roy’s Motel & Cafe enjoyed it’s “Motel Era”, when business was booming and motel beds were full. Then 1972 brought the opening of Interstate 40, which bypassed Route 66 and the town of Amboy. Roy himself lamented “Business went dow to zero!” Roy’s family owned the business until 2003, when Roy’s was sold to philanthropist Albert Okura. Currently Roy’s is experiencing a comeback with a restoration of the cafe and plans to have the motel bungalows open for business soon. Every ROY’S CAFE fine art print is reproduced on acid-free archival paper with non fading pigmented inks. Just like Roy’s Motel & Cafe, this print will never fade.
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