Day 22: More Florida (Tampa to Bartow)

Merry Christmas! What else would I be doing for the holiday (and my birthday) but working on my website and other related stuff.

Let’s start with a bunch of signs from Lakeland. The best part of this Sunset Motel sign was the giant sun panel on top which was removed in 2011. If you never knew that was missing, this is still pretty nice:

The Reececliff Restaurant opened in 1934 and is still operating. This sign could be from then but I’m guessing more likely 1940s:

Love this one — also still operating. The panels had been repainted just two months before I took this photo:

The panels and paint colors have changed over the years. Originally a used car dealer, I believe from the late 1960s:

The Luell Motel sign was obviously all neon originally — you can see the tubing holes on the block letters:

The Silver Moon Drive-in from 1948 — yes! — still operating. The structure on the left is the backside of one of the two screentowers:

Moving on to Tampa. This sign looks very old but with modern panels and bulbs slapped on top (notice the Deco-ish details peeking out at the top beneath “Cafe”):

These Greyhound bus signs were everywhere (early 1960s?) but only a handful are left now. Part of the reason is that Greyhound always takes their signs down when they close their stations. For more bus station buildings and signs, see my website:
https://www.roadarch.com/bus/1.html

Probably not the original colors but I can’t find any vintage postcards to indicate what it might have looked like:

The Gem Box Jewelers sign is pretty far gone and I’m worried it will disappear one of these days. It sill has the Gruen Watches clock at the bottom:

This sign in Canton, MS shows you what this sign would have looked like originally. There is only one other like this that I know of (Willoughby, OH):