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Daytime views of the White Sands Motel signs on the Strip. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 3889 S Las Vegas Blvd
Sign details: Just south of the Tropicana Hotel Casino, the white Sands Motel begins the stretch of decaying properties that comprise the south end of the strip. In the parking lot outside a small low rise office, and rows of rooms the distinct pylon sign for the White Sands Motel faces north/south.
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: Two legs, in the shape of an "A" with a pole running up through the center, support a black, internally lit message center. The face of the cabinet is two sectioned with a larger portion sitting below a smaller section. The smaller top section has neither a face nor a backing. The interior parts lie exposed to the elements revealing the internal workings. Growing out of the center of the cabinet, tall thin internally lit rectangular cabinet runs into the sky approximately fifteen feet. The cabinet is designated into twelve sections by steel borders. Plastic red letters, reside inside this row of panels, horizontally spelling "White Sands" in all capital letters, with one space between the two words and one below the last word. At the very peak of the sign, a triangular shape, with a rounded top, appears to be back lit also. A smaller section sits on top of this as well. The tall cabinet, the peak, and the top antenna, are lined on the edges with raceways and incandescent bulbs. The resultant effect all of the pieces together is an image of a rocket or missile. Next to the drive on the streets edge, a small red, internally lit, message center faces north /south. The white flexible plastic face is treated with red text, and a logo for the establishment. Across the top of the cabinet "Entrance" is spelled and "Motel" across the bottom. The White sands logo is a red half circular shape with a white silhouette of palm trees, and "White Sands" across the top edge of the half circle.
Sign - type of display: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit
Sign - media: Steel; Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Graphics; Paint
Sign animation: Chasing, flashing, oscillating
Notes: The text, which resides on the southern wall and reads "Casino," is filled with incandescent bulbs that all illuminate at the same time, and oscillate. They then shut off at the same time, and then repeat. The raceways of incandescent bulbs chase each other while the neon, which surrounds the back lit, plastic, screens on this wall flash on then off. The bottom two raceways sandwiching the reflective panel chase from left to right, while the remainder of the raceways surrounding the signs, run right to left. The incandescent bulbs on the pylon chase each other gracefully up the length of the pylon. The animation is patterned so as to appear as if a section of several bulbs are pulsing its way up the towers, hugging the edge of the bulbous tops. The raceways continue around the east face of the building. The umbrellas in the plaza behind the pylon, also are animated with incandescent bulbs chasing each other downward along the raceways.
Surveyor: Joshua Cannaday
Survey - date completed: 2002
Sign keywords: Chasing; Flashing; Oscillating; Pylon; Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Paint; Graphics

A color image of the neon sign for the Westerner Motel on West 4th Street in Reno, during the day. Site Name: Westerner Motel (Reno, Nev.)