OK then — found my second wind.  On with today’s photos from Bakersfield.  Let’s start with a little streamline building:

 

and some signs:

 

 

The Tower Motel has three signs:

 

The lettering here is pretty skewed to one side — inexperienced signmaker?

 

 

Had to do it.  Note Sparkle’s brand new rear bumper — just got it done Friday (after she was blasted from behind in Atlantic City several weeks ago).  Didn’t cost me anything…. but time.

 

 

This old Shell sign is at a petroleum company:

 

 

Random mid-century modern fun:

 

Some more streamline:

 

I’m pretty sure this is relatively new:

 

 

There are a couple of neon signs at the Mexicali — but I think this plastic saguaro is the best:

 

 

A former IHOP — with a rare pretty-much-intact sign:

 

 

Odd barn building / bail bonds combo.  Maybe adapted from another use?  Maybe “The Bail Barn” originally?

 

 

Streamers & shadows:

 

 

At least three Jolly Cones in town.  But this is the only one with the fun sign:

 

And to pay my respects — and it was HOT today.  A half & half.  Sparkle blurred in the background which conceals her worst feature — that nose job she got in New Mexico, thanks to me.  I asked the guy at Maaco how much it would be to paint that  bumper — only $250.  So maybe when .  I get a job… and an apartment… I’ll splurge on that.

 

 

Fun disco skaters — Skateland.  Huge rooftop sign.  Shameless self-promotion –>  I wrote about this sign, among others, in a Skating Signs feature for the SCA (Society for Commercial Archeology) — it’s not listed on the site yet, but it’s Volume 29 #2 (Fall 2011):
http://sca-roadside.org/sca-journals-store

 

 

A swap meet dino:

 

 

On to Taft — which like Bakersfield — is big oil country:

 

 

From Maricopa.  The neon reads “Open” below the 76 sign — but the station is very much closed:

Ran out of sun in Fillmore — just enough to get this shot of “Ernie’s Auto” (a former station):

 

OK — I’m back at the job hunting this week — but I might grab you a few more shots next weekend.  But no big or far trips planned at this point.  If you’ve got a job, count your blessings!  I’ve been witnessing lots of folks who have a far worse situation than mine.