While the concept is similar to the likes of RoadsideAmerica and RoadsideOnline, the clean, easy to navigate, vintage-inspired web design is what caught our eye. Travel Retro is a very new website, but a personal-project nearly a decade in the making. Already up to 43 locations, and gaining ground fast, Travel Retro is a convenient tool you can use to build your own retro adventure. The drop-down menus and dining, lodging and attractions options lead you to still-functioning mom-and-pop stops in the city of your choice. Travel Retro offers links, maps and photos of each location, as well as a button to book a room for the motels. While still in its early stages, we suspect fellow travelers of the road will give the creator, Mark Thomas, some stellar suggestions as the site makes the rounds! Being a VERY young site ourselves, we chatted with Mark recently to get the scoop on how everything is going…
Fading Nostalgia: First and foremost, what sparked the idea for Travel Retro?
Mark Thomas: The Travel Retro idea is about 10 years old. Taking over the [Thunderbird Inn in Savannah] finally gave me the platform to launch the site. Also, 10 years ago, the web was still unknown to a lot of folks. The time was right about 2 years ago to begin the development of the site. We launched about 3 months ago.
FN: Just three months ago! Well so far so good! It’s tough to get ANY idea off the ground, no matter how great it is. Did you have some help with the early stages of marketing?
MT: I use the same marketing person that I have at the Thunderbird Inn, Sandy Traub. She is a marketing guru…her methods are honest, simple, and effective.
FN: I see you have a great presence in social marketing too…
MT: Travel is a social past time, so Social Media is a natural fit, especially when it is done effectively. We also partner with businesses that accent us, and we accent them. I want to grow Travel Retro as a word-of-mouth business so people that use it will know someone else that uses it. It will give us a more loyal fan base for our member businesses.
FN:That’s so true, which is why social media is so effective today. People trust their friends’ opinions and it’s all the better when those friends have even more friends to spread the word. From whom or where do you get your retro adventure tips?
MT: A lot of reading and stories from others. I want everyone to share their experiences so we can all benefit from each others adventurer spirit!
FN: As you mentioned, you own a beautiful place down in Savannah, GA, called the Thunderbird Inn. Taking care of something that big in your life, do you get to travel much?
MT: Ha Ha… No.
FN: Ha! Totally understandable, well what’s your favorite spot you’ve found when compiling the locations for your site?
MT: That is a tough question…As I research new areas to include in Travel Retro, I find fun styles of retro that are all unique and exciting. I love the Doo Wop of the Wildwoods [New Jersey] area, but my all time favorite is Art Deco of Florida.
FN: And where would you love to go if you could get away tomorrow, all expenses paid?MT: I want to have tons of time to take my family on Route 66. That is the mother road of American travel. I want my kids to understand that America is a collage of uniqueness, not a cluster of strip malls and big box buildings.
FN: We are one in the same on that mission statement, friend! The first time either of us hit Route 66, it was definitely an eye-opener! We LOVE old motels, especially when people breathe new life into them. What sets the Thunderbird Inn apart from other lodging in Savannah or even in the general southern US?
MT: We are all about a “southern retro” experience. From Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the morning, to a MoonPie and RC cola in your room in the evenings! The Tbird is the only restored vintage motor-court style inn in Savannah. The rest have been turned into dorms for the local art college SCAD or have been so transformed, there is nothing of their original glory. The Tbird offers a touch of nostalgia with out giving up modern necessities like Wi-Fi, nice beds, quality linens, and a well trained staff who knows the city well.
FN: You had us at Krispy Kreme and MoonPie! Reason enough to stay at the Tbird! Seriously though, when we hit up the south, now we know exactly where to stay. Same goes for Travel Retro, we can’t wait to use the site and see how it develops!
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Super thanks for chatting with us, Mark! Keep up the stellar work! PS, living in Wisconsin, we HAVE to shout out at least one retro stop to perhaps add to your site. Frozen custard is a Wisconsin staple and Leon’s Drive In is a Milwaukee landmark! Nostalgia at its finest!
Be sure to check out Travel Retro and of course, follow up on the site’s recent additions on its Facebook (recently hit 1000 likes!) and Twitter pages. And above all else, if you’re heading down to Savannah, remember that the Thunderbird Inn is NOT to be missed! Check out the classic motel style web design featured on the Thunderbird Inn site. The light switch that turns the whole site from day to night is just too rad. Follow updates on the Tbird’s Facebook and Twitter pages as well. Thanks for following on this beautiful #FollowFriday!
