Utah’s family-owned roadside motels of the mid-20th century were the first sign of the tourism industry that would come to define us as a state. These tiny business sprang up in response to better roads across the west, new national parks to visit, and an invigorating sense that Americans were on the move. Although the motels are now just a fading memory in the rear view mirror, they remind us of the optimism and energy with which Utahns braced for the waves of tourists to come.