Daytime views of the Desert Oasis motel sign. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 4445 Diamond Head Dr
Sign owner: Volunteers of America/HUD
Sign details: The Desert Oasis Apartments is on the south end of the strip, south of the Pit Stop. The low rise tan stone structure of the apartments sits just east of the strip separated by a small parking lot.
Sign condition: Structure 4 Surface 3 Lighting 3
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: The Desert Oasis Apartments is on the south end of the strip, south of the Pit Stop. The low rise tan stone structure of the apartments sits just east of the strip separated by a small parking lot. Just outside the main entrance, extremely close to the building, facing north south, two brown, sculpted, steel legs, support an internally lit message center. The two legs look to be representative giant Tiki heads. In the space between the legs, and on the bottom edge of the message cabinet, a clear plastic box hold neon sculpted into the words "Vacancy" underneath the word "No." The cabinet is painted a rusted color and the face is fluted plastic with vinyl lettering. Two square posts rise out of the top of the cabinet, a short distance, before they support a larger double backed internally lit cabinet. A center pole resides between the two legs, rising into the center of the cabinet as well. The cabinet is crafted out of a polished gold metal. The face of the sign is a graphically treated surface. Desert Oasis is written in red cursive script across the top of the sign. A small graphically painted green palm tree, sits just to the right of the text. The middle of the board is occupied by large all capital text reading "Motel," in black text. Two black horizontal scrolls flank the text. A band of red runs horizontally across the bottom of the sign, with white painted text reading "Apartments."
Sign - type of display: Backlit
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Graphics
Sign animation: none
Sign environment: The Desert Oasis is located between the Laughing Jackalope to the south and the Motel 8 establishment to the north. It stands very inconspicuous among the environment of the southern end of the strip, easily passed by the motorist or wandering pedestrian.
Sign - thematic influences: Even though the establishment fits into the genre of a roadside motel, the sign itself doesn't quite fit in to the motif. The building itself is reminiscent of standard architecture of the era and location, the sign itself has elements of a Polynesian flavor. The legs of the sign appear to be Tiki like figures, but the details are quite vague.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Pylon; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Graphics

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