Day 4: Mostly Tucson

Moving on now from the Phoenix area — heading east. Here’s the Copper Mountain Motel in Superior, AZ:

A former Sprouse Reitz store in Superior. I’ve got a couple of others in better shape at my webpage here:
http://www.roadarch.com/dept/other3.html

This sign in Globe, AZ, has been repainted and some of the text changed. Here’s my photo from 2012:

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and from this trip:

This one in Coolidge, AZ. Remember when Mastercard was Master Charge?:

This sign in Casa Grande has been painted over but the neon detail on top is still amazing. I love the little loops on the ends. It must have been wonderful at night:

Moving on to Tucson. This sign was restored in 2013:

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I’ve shot the “Muffler Man” at Leo’s many times but I don’t think I’ve ever shot the sign:

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The Ye Olde Lantern sign, now in pieces, is displayed in Dirk Arnold’s yard:
http://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-oddity-lantern-sign-now-brightens-yard/article_cbbdde63-1cda-5fac-906f-dbc66f2f4529.amp.html

Here’s what the sign looked like when it was intact:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mwaters/111677515/

I’ve never seen pinatas in progress before — very fun!

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A quite famous sign in Tucson. I’m always relieved that it’s still there. Here’s what the Mayflower moving truck on top looked like originally:
http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southwest/arizona/azsign/azothersign/tucsonwarehouse.jpg

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The skeptic in me believed this was a retro (new made to look old) sort of place. But, no, it’s the real deal. The Shelter was built in 1961:

The building was redeveloped as apartments but they left the sign alone. The trees are consuming it now though:

The Buffet Bar sign is protected with clear plastic panels. An ugly trade-off for keeping it lit at night:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/33209314805/

The building next door but a little higher up and safer from vandals:

The T&T Market:

Too late in the day to shoot the other side properly. I had to find a gap in the tree branches to get even this:

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A miraculous survivor in Southwest Tucson on the Benson Highway:

Recently restored but the “San” was out on both sides of the sign:

At least the wonderful and warm opal glass letters at the bottom are lit. I think the backlit opal letters are even sexier and more romantic than neon. Very few are still lit at night:
http://www.roadarch.com/sca/opal.html