The sun finally came out which made things a lot more pleasant and productive. I had a long haul through back roads across the whole state of Georgia so am feeling pretty wiped out. Let me get these photos up this morning so I can get a little nap in before hitting the road again.

Let’s start with a mid-century building from Abbeville: the Henry County Courthouse:

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Abbeville’s little downtown theatre, the “Archie”, is unfortunately closed as are many other theatres that I’ve seen on this trip:

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The facade is all that’s left of the Walker Theatre in Fort Gaines. The box office looks out onto a vacant lot. The owners are working towards making it an “open air” theatre with only one third of the building having a roof.

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The Blakely Theatre (in Blakely) is closed but undergoing renovation:
http://www.early.k12.ga.us/earlycounty/community_life.htm

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Here are a couple signs that caught my eye. This giant boot sign in Albany is abandoned (the shoe repair is long gone):

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Ashburn mixes humor and civic pride. In addition to its giant peanut on I-75, the town hosts this annual festival:

It rained again for most of the day but I finally got a break in the afternoon. I managed to squeeze in the northern Alabama stuff I had to skip earlier in the trip and still stay on schedule. No hitches or glitches to report. I’ve got more photos for the blog today than for Flickr, so let’s get started!

I stumbled across this little mid-century “roundie” in Irondale and while it’s no architectural masterpiece, some folks might enjoy it. I don’t know what it was originally but for now, it’s a dentist office.

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Now if more modern businesses took this approach to signage, the world would be a better place. This giant calla lily and sculptural fence are from Birmingham:

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Miss Electra looks down on Birmingham from atop the Alabama Power Company Building:

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Here’s the first group shot of the four world travelers together (well, IF I’m keeping her). This was natural posing — not the greatest composition. But what’s noteworthy is that at least little “you-you” has learned that when the van doors open, you have to wait for the “okay” to jump out. That’s a step in the right direction even if she hasn’t learned her name or how to pee/poop on-leash yet.

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Are you hungry? Here’s a new one on me. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Southern delicacy: the moonpie. Personally, I think you have to be born here to enjoy these mushy and tasteless snacks. But I couldn’t resist sampling this orange version that I hadn’t seen before. It was better than the original flavor since it had a little more punch to it. A step above soft cardboard and I love the color. Hey, what do you want for 59 cents?

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But I did find some tastier items at Priester’s Pecans in Fort Deposit. Priester’s has this huge candy & gift shop and another location in Perry, GA. I’m a sucker for any kind of nuts. Suffice it to say, I scored enough goodies to last me the rest of the trip – and then some. They have a huge mail order / on-line business so you need not feel left out. I can whole-heartedly recommend the “pecan fiddlesticks”:
http://www.priesters.com/shop/dispProductDetail.cfm?Product_ID=106

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There is an overhead viewing area where you can watch the nuts being roasted and the candy being made.

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And I just love this display — who knew there were so many different kinds of pecans?

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Just a little further down the road is the Bama Nut Shop. How could I resist a place with signage like that? I got a huge bag of peanuts for the dogs. They love shelling the peanuts themselves and making a big ol’ mess.

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While we’re on the subject of nuts, I should mention the cute little figures scattered around Dothan. This town hosts the annual National Peanut Festival. Here’s a patriotic little group representing the various armed forces – and more characters if you’re interested here:
http://www.dcmi.com/peanuts/photo3.html

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The Byrd Drug Company in Troy is half pharmacy and half lunch room. It’s not the classic counter & stools ice cream parlor arrangement. But the counter and tables set-up still has an old-fashioned feel. The signage is great and includes a neon bird in the sign affixed to the corner as well as etched glass birds on the door.

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Burger Chef fans can add this one to the list of “survivors” (well, partially anyway). This sign/building are what’s left of the Ozark location.

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Getting gas down South is sure a lot more fun with these kangaroo and bunny stations. This “Hop-In” station features rabbits and bouncing colored balls on the pumps and inside the store. Sorry for the blur — I’m not sure what happened:

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And lastly, a couple signs to lead us out of today’s program. This cutesy billboard was in Luverne. I don’t think it’s advertising anything in particular (the other side was a painted American flag).

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This plastic sign from Birmingham is a knock-out. Apparently, this business is still in operation in some form as there was still an office inside the building. But I don’t know if they still answer the phone for you.

It was much more of a soggy day than a bloggy day. It has rained now for three days and I have forgotten what the sun looks and feels like. It was all I could do to shield my camera from the water for the “real” photos for the website so I only have one photo for the blog today. The weather report looks a little better for tomorrow. The other thing that sucks about this weather is that I lose an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening of shooting time because the light is so bad.

Here’s today’s mini contribution then from Pell City, AL. A modern sign but a very nice effort to be different and artistic:

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The big event today I guess was when Nik went after some funny-looking ducks in a stream. The duck he singled out eventually won the game by ducking (is that how they got the name?) underwater when Nik would get close and then reappearing someplace 15 feet away. This taunting only made Nik nuttier and he didn’t give up til he was near hypothermic. The water was cold and he was in there for what seemed like 20 minutes. There’s not much I can do at times like this as he get so frenzied he just tunes my screaming out. I do my best to investigate the “wildlife situation” before letting him off-leash to run but sometimes critters turn up unexpectedly. He’s never gone after ducks before — so now I know better.

Lots of miles between stuff and it rained all day. So not the most productive day for picture-taking. But the stuff I went out of my way for was very much worth it. I only have a couple pictures for the blog this time.

The Joy Theatre in Arcadia, LA looks like it hasn’t been open in years. All the businesses in this little downtown have steps leading up to them. Very old Wild West to me but maybe it has something to do with flooding. Note the water spots on my lens: it was truly a sucky day to be shooting.

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I often get asked how I have the energy for this rigorous road-tripping pace. Here’s my secret: about three bottles of Diet Coke and at least one sugary snack per day. Preferably ice cream in summer and donuts in winter. Here’s today’s indulgence: a bursting with goodness raspberry-filled donut from Haskell’s in Monroe, LA. You know a donut will be good if it’s assymetrical or deformed in some way.

A rainy and miserable day so I did what I could with the camera. At least we missed the tornados (I understand they were here last week). Lots of really economically depressed areas here in northern LA. I’m usually comfortable hopping out of the van anywhere to take pictures but there have been a couple places that gave me pause. My shiny white van makes me look like I might have money I suppose but my grunge-wear is hopefully a give-away that I ain’t got nuthin. I usually have big muddy footprints on me from playing with the dogs. And I usually wear my oldest jeans and t-shirts on this trips.

I’ve started the backtrack towards home though I’m taking a different route. Another whole week to go. I’m pretty wiped out from the intensity of this schedule and try to imagine what next year’s two six-week trips will feel like. That’s gonna be some gas bill on the credit card. On average, I go through a tank and a half per day, at about $50 per tank, that’s… I’m afraid to do the math.

On with the photos!

The day started with copying Milks’ Roto-Sphere index cards. Note each card contains the date shipped, the company they went to, and some “specs” information. I’ll sort all of these by location when I get home. Right now, they are sorted by sign shop name.

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Lots of sign photos for ya. You can’t drive around Bossier City without wondering which signs Milks created or inspired. Here’s an example of what must’ve been a fun animated neon piece (the plastic box sign surely was added later):

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This one is also from Bossier City. It’s on top of a new made-to-look-kinda-old Mexican restaurant (Posado’s, a chain). I believe this “sign topper” is old and repurposed – probably found in a junkyard or taken from a building about to be demolished. I have seen a number of these cylindrical things with neon rings around town and asked Milks if they had a name (he doesn’t think they did).

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Here’s another example from Bossier City on top of a recycled-many-times-over-looking sign:

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And another one on a rusty/crusty sign in Shreveport that has vertical stripes:

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Speaking of stripes, here’s another oldie (the “Pin Stripe”) with a funky building in Shreveport:

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Here’s an abandoned sign from Shreveport. Its shape qualifies it as “googie”. There! I used the word that makes my skin crawl but in this case its accurate. the word “googie” is used way too loosely for just about anything. I also cringe at the word “retro” which is used to mean old when it really means fake old. They are both fun words and I think people just want to use them. Can we just be simple or stuffy and say “vintage”, “old”, or “mid-century”? Enough with my pet peeve!

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And for some non-signs… Shreveport has some nice Art Deco buildings although they are not in great shape. Here’s the Salvation Army building:

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and an anonymous gutted building across the street:

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Also from Shreveport, this must’ve been a gas station at one point. Great hand painted signage for “Era’s Turkey Leg”:

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And now for some possibly big news: I may have acquired a new dog. While I was in Logansport, LA, I spotted this obviously lost and bewildered dog on the main street (which isn’t much since Logansport is not a big town). I saw her almost get hit twice. Luckily, she was friendly and came right up to me. I asked around and no one seemed to recognize her. It was pouring rain and she was drenched and shivering. So. I popped her in the van, much to the objections of my dogs, and pondered what to do. I could turn her into a shelter or I could keep driving. Knowing what most rural shelters are like (concrete floors and usually full with long-term residents), I decided to bring her along on our journey. She seemed sweet with dogs and people and, worst case, I have a friend upstate with a shelter that is always looking for small dogs with good temperaments. But I just might end up keeping her. She’s obviously an Australian Cattle Dog — the stocky, short-legged type with a docked tail. She reminds me of a little bear cub. She’s super kissy and just lays there in the back of the van. When they other dogs bark at people and motorcycles, she just lays watches (course that could change). I can’t quite place her age — something I’m usually very good at. She seems puppy-like with her big paws and general dumbness. But she has some muscle and sense about her. Must be young at least and maybe still growing some. She’s already clinging to me with adoration after less than 12 hours. My troops seem to be adjusting quickly since she’s so mellow. I’m calling her U-Turn for now (“you-you” and “u-ie” for short).

A busy day but not a lot of photos for you here. I went straight from dock diving near Jackson, MS to meeting Mr. Milks in Bossier City, LA. I pretty much yanked Warren and Dorothy Milks from their house to get some photos in the daylight with Warren and a Roto-Sphere in Shreveport (just a couple exits away).

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Warren Milks, in case you don’t know, invented these spinning neon signs. I have information and examples from around the country at my webpage:
http://www.agilitynut.com/sca/roto.html

Dorothy made us a little supper while Warren showed me a CD he had made from his old movie reels. It shows many of his signs including the Turn-Star, Roto-Ring, Roto-Sphere, the famous bowling pin Roto-Sphere, as well as a number of other big, impressive signs he created. Bossier City was a little Las Vegas during the 1950s/1960s and Warren made a lot of signs for the “honky tonks”. I will get this CD up to YouTube when I get home so y’all can have a look.

I have one other sign for you from Jackson, MS that won’t make the cut for my website but deserves a momentary pause here:

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Today (I’m writing this blog the morning after), I’ll be back on the road. I’ve got some stuff on my list for Shreveport & then it’s down to Alexandria and other Louisiana things. There will be a bigger “misc.” package here tonight.

I took a couple days off from blogging to sleep, socialize and dock dive. Friday, I met up with Shani in Rome, GA which was great fun. I had only knew her through her photos at Flickr. Just a few hours later, I met Tim Hollis, the author and modern culture historian, near Birmingham, AL. He gave me a tour of his massive collection of pop culture stuff which fills two houses. So this did cut into my picture-taking time but it was good to recharge and meet some folks with similar interests. Yesterday and today, the camera and van will get more rest while Sputnik jumps in a pool (dock diving) here in Pearl, MS. Then we’ll be “back at it” this afternoon — heading to LA for dinner with the Milks.

Here are some photos taken between all these events.

This neighborhood in Chattanooga, TN has these sweet street sign toppers:

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In downtown Chattanooga, this is part of the Creative Discovery Museum:

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Mosaics from the Riverwalk in Chattanooga:

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A crusty old supermarket shopping center sign. I bet this one won’t be around too much longer:

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I’ve seen these real estate billboards all across the South with people’s faces on them (much like politican ads). This is the first time I’ve seen a car wrapped this way (from Rome, GA).

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I love it when companies take their sign-making so literally. This real dryer (and sign) are from Fort Payne, AL:

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A couple building shots from the Golden Moon Casino in Choctaw, MS. It was designed by Architectonica and opened in 2002:

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Cruising on I-20 at 80mph with this hay bale truck in front of me — made me a little nervous:

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A big Halloween “hi” from this hay bale creation just south of Dectaur, MS:

I was too wiped out to blog last night so I’ll catch up this morning. I’ve taken a good look at the stack o’maps and the list since it’s time to prioritize. Only one more day to play since I’ve got to be in Jackson, MS Saturday morning (dock diving with ‘Nik this weekend). At the moment, I’m near Chattanooga so that leaves a lot of miles & sights to bang out today. I don’t mind being stationary for a couple days in MS though as we all need to recharge & take some long naps.

On with the photos — just a few for today.

A sweet metal teepee at the Arrowhead Motel in Whittier, NC:

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Northwest of Hendersonville (Edneyville) is a faux Wild West sort of place known as Bub Huder’s Ranch. There are some roadside giants which will be appearing at my website and Flickr (a classic Muffler Man, an Indian Muffler Man, a Chip’s Hamburger character statue, a couple steakhouse steers), old signs and whatnot.

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Also at the Ranch were, of course, lots of cattle. These guys were all very wary of me.

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The Smoky Mountains area has no shortage of hillbilly and Indian imagery. This big gas station/convenience store chain uses this comic/offensive image:

I am really rolling now — hitting cities & small towns all over the map, checking things off the list — but still, I’m about a day and a half behind. Going to have to nix a whole lot of my GA & AL plans. Tomorrow night, I’ll figure it all out. Right now, it’s nearly 1am and I just finished getting stuff up a Flickr. So without further ado…

Before leaving Bristol VA/TN, I took a few more photos — here are a couple of a Spirit of Progress-looking building (see below). I guess they removed the central figure at the top of the building when they installed the sign.

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How about some more architecture? A nice Art Deco specimen from Elizabethton, TN:

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from Kingsport, TN, a former Montgomery Ward “Spirit of Progress” building:

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an unidentified motel on the outskirts of Asheville:

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a building detail in downtown Asheville:

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While in Kingsport, TN, I just happened to be driving by as they were re-installing this theatre marquee:

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For the parking lot lights Flickr group which maybe I’ll have time to start when I get home… These seemed to be used solely at gas stations. I believe they have a specific name but I just can’t remember it now:

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OK — now for a little focus piece. I went to see Memory Lane today: Otis Eldridge’s private collection which contains representatives of all the roadside classics. This mini village has a simulated diner, a mini drive-in, a few neon signs, a simulated theatre, a Lustron house, a restored gas station, etc. I put photos of the Roto-Sphere and the Texaco up at Flickr but here are some other shots:

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No tickets or drainage ditches today. But just before getting onto I-40 for a long haul to Asheville, a warning light came on: “Service Engine Soon”. WHAT? I had never seen that before and I’m religious about my 3,000 mile oil changes and all around maintenance. I felt the blood drain immediately from my body when I saw that light come on. Naturally, I thought about the ditch yesterday and was preparing myself for purchasing a new engine, getting a rental van, etc. Luckily, I spotted a Chevy dealership just down the road. One of the guys hooked up the handheld computer and pinpointed the problem as “emissions related”. Again, I figured it was probably my exhaust system that I must’ve ruined yesterday. But no, the guy assured me that it was probably just “bad gas” and he reset the computer. He explained something about ethanol and summer gas vs. winter gas but I was too stressed out to listen/understand him. I’ve driven another several hundred miles, running fine and no more warning lights. So I guess all is well. I’m just a little paranoid right now.

I’m at least a day behind schedule at this point. Traffic here and there, underestimations about mileage from point A to point B, and one other “complication” that I’ll get to in a minute. Tomorrow, finally, across the VA state line where I can resume my leadfoot ways. On with the photos!

Started the day off in Roanoke. A big new building going up downtown. I thought it looked very Frank Gehry (more so from the back, not shown here). Sure enough, a student of his, Randall Stout, is responsible for the design. More about the building here:
http://www.artmuseumroanoke.org/index.php?do=the_future:fact_sheet

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Also in Roanoke, I paid a visit to the Mini Graceland. It looks tidied up from when I saw it several years ago. More about the place here:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/VAROAelvis.html

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I had VW Bugs and vans for years and still have a soft spot for them. This nicely restored Transporter called to me.

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A couple signs for you. A painted wall sign (actually several layered on top of each other) in Radford, VA. At least I think it’s old and not painted to look that way.

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This rusting-away sign stands next to an apparently closed restaurant.

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And now, for today’s big event. I was already running behind but I was resigned to that and not rushing or anything. I was at the Moonlite Drive-in just backing up to make a turn to go up a hill. Maybe doing 3mph and looking in all three mirrors. When all of a sudden the ground opened up and nearly swallowed us. I swear that hole came out of nowhere! It was so deep, I had to get out the passenger door. A drainage ditch with about a three foot sloping drop, not visible from my position, had been directly behind me. The van was pitched precariously onto the driver’s side rear. I wanted to get a photo but the camera was inside and I was afraid of making things worse by climbing back in. The dogs were obviously freaked about the situation — well, two of them anyway. Our gradual plunge was enough to spring open one of Nik’s toy chests and he was busy inside with a very noisy squeaky toy through the whole ordeal. I was so stressed and he was so happy.

Things didn’t look good for the axle, the exhaust system and god-knows-what else. The whole left side of the van was about four inches away from a concrete wall. So I called AAA and chatted with a trooper who’d pulled over to investigate. The trooper was giving me hotel information because “you ain’t driving away from this one” and he was saying something about a crankshaft. It was humiliating to give him fodder about female drivers (and dumb Yankees).

About an hour later, a guy from “Exit 7 Towing in Bristol” arrived. I had to climb in and keep the wheels straight while he skillfully eased Sparkle back up onto level ground. I held my breath and agonized over a couple creaks as the towing cable moved a bit during the slow-motion pull. The van went perfectly straight (sparing any body damage against the conrete) and came up just as slowly and easily as it went in. The driver and I crawled around on our bellies a bit to inspect the undersides and other than a small dent to the muffler, it all looked and sounded good. I’ve been driving for a couple hours since without any problem. Damn, these Chevys are built tough! I do have one souvenir dent to the back bumper from a stump in the hole. Maybe I’ll just leave it as an annoying reminder to be more careful when backing up.