Monahans, Texas is the self proclaimed "Oasis of the West Texas Desert" according to the official website of this small West Texas town, between Odessa and El Paso. Oasis may be a fantasy, but due to the oil and gas boom, the town in the middle of nowhere is actually growing. Big hotel chains have now planted several big hotels into the town.
But the boom didn't come early enough, I guess, the Sunset Motel being a casualty and only a decaying rusting sign being a reminder that old US Route 80 once ran through the "oasis". By now the stretch through town is called Business Loop I-20 or simply Sealy Avenue. Calling it a loop is kinda funny, as I-20 is looping around Monahans to the south.
By the end of 1992, the motel was obviously still open as it was used in the movie "Flesh & Bones" with Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, James Caan and Gwyneth Paltrow. IMDb knows that the hotel was "owned and operated by Doris Barker. Daughter Jeanie Barker Scott's stepdaughter got a walk-on role when a young actress called in sick."
The most famous son coming out of Monahans is probably singer/songwriter Guy Clark who passed away 75 years old last year.
I need to go back and stay there for a couple of days and let that West Texas feeling sink in and shot some more - just driving through the oasis didn't cut it.