The construction of interstate highways took their toll on bypassed small town businesses. In this case my grandmother's brother, Dave Frey. Actually back in 1972 when I wrote this, I projected him from a failed lodge nearby towards Idyllwild, Ca. for I'd seen what happened to the motels in Beaumont when 'when the freeway came through in '62'.
This version of this oft recorded song is a bit more laid back.
Another version of mine appears on my 'Hangtown Fry' album on Blue Night Records, and another on the Old Glory Inside album from 1976, and Saloon Tunes II, releasing in October 2020.
Pretty sure 'Moonlight' in the title came from the Motel Moonlight in Anaheim, Ca.