Sag-A-Bay Retreat Motel Caseville 1940s

A woman and child stand beneath the neon sign for the Sag-A-Bay Retreat Motel, located on M-25 near Caseville. Known locally as the Sag-A-Bay Drive-In and Retreat, the roadside stop once offered overnight lodging and light lunches to travelers along Saginaw Bay. The location is across from today’s True Value Hardware.

This 1940s photo captures a quiet moment beneath the sign for Sag-A-Bay Retreat, a combination motel and roadside diner on M-25 just outside Caseville, Michigan. Known to many locals as the Sag-A-Bay Drive-In, the stop catered to early automobile travelers and summer vacationers heading to Saginaw Bay. Alongside modest cabins for overnight stays, the drive-in gained a following for its steakburgers and giant hot dogs, drawing hungry visitors off the highway long before fast food chains dominated the roadside.

Strategically located along one of Michigan’s first scenic routes, Sag-A-Bay offered the kind of casual comfort that defined mid-century travel—affordable lodging, classic diner fare, and a shady place to rest just minutes from the beach. Though the business is long gone, it remains a fond memory for those who remember simpler summer vacations in the Thumb.