While many of you were grillin’ at backyard picnics this weekend, the dogs and I were grilling ourselves in the Sacramento area. It was 90s on Friday and 100s on Saturday. I had had enough by Sunday, had miraculously finished my list, and scurried home to the beach just as fast as I could. Today is delightfully foggy. I’ve got lots of photos for you so I’ll split this into two posts — one for each day.
Let’s start with this one in Tulare. It looks like there was a word there before “The” — maybe someone’s name?
From Visalia — these plastic mortar & pestle signs were mass-produced but are very rare now:
A couple of signs from Fong’s in Fresno — a nice old 1930s/1940s blade sign and a cocktail sign. I don’t know what the vertical text was on this. Probably “Restaurant”:
These plastic clock signs are getting scarcer these days. I can’t think of any others in California. This one is installed above a closed Kung Food studio in Fresno. There’s also a green version:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10707024@N04/2699049299/
One of the day’s big heartbreaks. I wanted to reshoot this U Save Liquor sign in Fresno since I inadvertently chopped off the neon arrow under it when I shot it last year: 
Well, I guess when they finally got around to repainting it, they decided to replace all the neon with backlit plastic letters. Uff! What a shame! 
Adrian’s is a cute little walk-up take-out stand. It probably went by another name originally. But the stand is looking a little beat now and the cute pole sign is covered with ugliness. At least this nice little porcelain enamel sign remains on the roof:
Just next door is this sweet sign for Ann’s Beer Mug which I think is closed. The bulb bubbles must have flashed originally:
I can’t find any history for the El Prado Nightclub in Fresno. It’s a huge building and has a 1940s look. I love the little guitars and tacked on blue cocktail: 
The Sequoia Super Market is in Ceres. The “La” was added in later years:
I’m all for recycled buildings — but this one disappoints me. A lot. The wavy roofed Dairy Queen in Davis closed in 2013. Lots of examples of these buildings at my page here:
http://www.roadarch.com/eateries/dq7.html
In 2014, the Davis building was stripped to its frame in preparation for the remodel. The box at the back was the kitchen & order window set-up. Everything in front of it would have been dining area with tables originally:
And now… the finished product as an architects’ office. For architects, I expected more: 
At least they kept the wooden beams inside (shot through the window, best I could do): 
Some much better news. The Mercury Cleaners in Sacramento moved across the street and had their sign restored and installed at the new location just a couple of weeks ago:
http://sacmod.org/historic-mercury-cleaners-neon-sign-re-installed/
Here’s a photo I took of the sign in 2008:
And here’s what the sign looks like now (crappy light, I got a better shot on Sunday which I posted to Flickr). I don’t know why it was painted blue but I’m assuming that was the original color. I’ll make calls when I upload to my website. I’ve also never understood what the winged red disk represents. I suspect that might have been a Mercury dime originally? I’m glad they kept that little “Drapery” sign underneath:
OK – that’s enough for this post. I’ll cook up Day 2 next.
dj
