This is a big post from combing 55 very dense pages. And like so many of these winter posts, it’s mostly losses. But consider the hundreds of wonderful things in this section that I’m not reporting about that are still out there. For now.. Shoot ’em while you can!

From the Body Parts pages, this Giant Vertebrae in Metamora, IL is gone now:

This Giant Boot on top of a memorial in Gibsonton, FL is missing now:

From the Fake Castles pages — the Kidz Kastle building in Dothan, AL is gone now:

The former Beverage Castle in Riverview, FL:

has been painted black for the El Patio Hookah Lounge:

This cute little building in Lacombe, LA is gone now:

The castle buildings in Clovis, NM were demolished earlier this year:

The 2nd floor castle details were removed from this building in Albuquerque, NM earlier this year:

The Hot Dog Castle in Abilene, TX was built in 1975. It has housed many other restaurants since then and been repainted as many times. In 2011, as The Forge, the turrets were more prominent before the addition to the front:

Here’s the latest look from this year as Stonewalls Pizza Wings & Things:

The Leisure World giant globe in Silver Spring, MD:

has been painted bright green:

The property on which this giant globe resides in Savannah, GA was sold last year:

The buildings were demolished earlier this year and the moon mailbox is missing. There are plans to build a Parker’s Kitchen, a Starbucks and Chick-fil-A on the property. The globe will be staying!

This sign and giant cartridge in Roe, AR are gone now:

From the Icebergs and Igloos pages. It appears that the canopy roof of the Crystal Ice Company building in Pensacola, FL collapsed earlier this year. The building is listed on the National Register and has been protected behind chain link fencing for years. Here’s hoping that someone will get right on the situation and make the necessary repairs:

This Iceberg Ice & Water stand in Fredericksburg, TX was recently replaced with a boring box-shaped Twice the Ice stand. Fortunately, there’s another one of these in Rosenberg, TX.

The Giant Horseshoe in Kissimmee, FL is gone now:

The giant saw in Lafayette, LA is gone now:

In 2021, Public Storage bought the All Storage chain. The company’s giant cardboard boxes have all been repainted with the new name. Here are the two in Fort Worth, TX:

The box in White Settlement, TX:

And the one in Plano, TX:

From the Paint Cans page — this one in Springfield, MA is gone now:

The paint can in Tucson, AZ is also gone:

These paint cans in Anniston, AL are also gone:

From the Giant Ships pages, this building in Watkins Glen, NY is gone now:

This Giant Skate in Wilburton, OK is gone now:

From the Fake Windmills pages… recently, the sign at the Towne Crier in Clovis, NM was replaced and the windmills blades were covered with other new signs. The Towne Crier was built in 1970 as the Zuider Zee seafood restaurant. The Towne Crier moved into the building in 1984. Here are a couple of “before” photos:

and here is the “after”:

Let’s end this post with some good news. The Old Dutch Store in Salt Lake City, UT opened in 1978 and this windmill might have been built then:

In 2021, the building was repainted and the signs were replaced. A new windmill was under construction:

In September from the store’s FB page, no blades yet but I assume those are coming:

Moving on next time to Dinosaurs and Department Stores.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

I’ve only got a couple of signs to report on from the Donuts pages. The Dutch Girl Donuts shop in Detroit, MI closed in 2021 and this skeleton sign is gone now:

This Shipley Do-Nuts in Greenville, MS has closed and the sign is gone now. I believe the only sign like this left is the one in Houston, TX:

This Federal Electric sectional sign in Florence, AZ is gone now:

From the Pizza Chef page…. Earlier this year, this former Pizza Inn “Spin Man” (aka Jo Jo) sign in Littlefield, TX….

was repainted for the new tenant. It’s a real shame because I think that was the only surviving sign like this that was still on public display:

From the Reddy Kilowatt page… This store in Pasadena, CA closed in 2021 and this sign is gone now.

From the Sputnik Signs pages. This sign and sputnik in San Antonio, TX are gone now:

Moving on to the Tire Stores section. This Firestone in Crown Point, IN:

is now housing an antiques store and the Firestone signs have been removed:

This Firestone building in Brooklyn, NY was demolished earlier this year:

This sign in Grand Saline, TX is gone now:

It looks like the O.K. Tire chain has a new ultra-boring logo and that they have begun replacing their old signs. Both locations in Twin Falls, ID have replaced these:

with these:

I fear for the signs at the locations like this one in Wellington, TX which is still there right now:

The Pope Tire sign at the long closed store in Fresno, CA is gone now:

That’s a wrap for now. The next post will be covering Giant Stuff and possibly other sections.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

I have only one noteworthy item from the Drive-ins section. The Hilltop Drive-in in Joliet, IL closed in 2001. Here’s one of my photos from 2009:

Last year, it was hit by a storm and now it’s just a pile of rubble:

Moving on to the SCA section. For the past 15 years, I’ve been writing the feature articles about signs for the Society for Commercial Archeology. For most of the articles, I have built separate “companion” pages at my website. Since I can only include about 8 signs in each article, these pages provide more examples of the type of signs covered with more photos/history, links to examples of vintage signs that are gone, and all that.

The “companion page” section home page is here:

https://www.roadarch.com/sca/main.html

You can also buy back issues of the SCA Journal digital or printed publications here:

https://sca-roadside.org/sca-journal/

You also might want to become a member to enjoy the full benefits (Journals 2x year, RoadNotes newsletters 4x year, Zoom presentations on a variety of roadside subjects, etc.)

Starting out with “news” from the Bowling Signs pages. The article for this one will be out in the Spring 2024 issue.

The Golden Pin Lanes in Tucson, AZ operated from 1960-2019:

The bowling alley was demolished last year. But the curved rock wall and signs that were in front of the building will be preserved for the new Palm County Northwest Service Center. Here’s the rendering:

This sign in Cicero, IL is gone now. According to the guy that I spoke with just now, it was removed about three months ago. He said that the city made them take it down as non-conforming and it’s sitting in the parking lot now. It sounds like they are going to sell it:

The Creole Lanes closed in 2018 and this sign in Vincennes, IN is gone now:

The E-Town Lanes in Elizabethtown, KY became the B&B Lanes in February. Here’s the “before”:

and the “after” crappy makeover (the neon is gone and other changes made):

The Hy-Way Bowl in Union, NJ closed in 2018. Earlier this year, the building was demolished and this sign is gone:

The Sugar Bowl Lanes in Belen, NM closed in 2008. In 2021, there was a big fire. The building and sign are gone now.

The Hi-Roc Lanes sign in Saratoga Springs, NY:

is now known as the Saratoga Strike Zone and the sign has been simplified:

From the Diving Women Signs companion page, the diver at the Beverly Motel in Mobile, AL is gone now:

From the Clock Signs companion pages, this sign in Dixon, IL is gone now:

Let’s end this post on a positive note. The Gem Box Jewelers sign in Tampa, FL was just restored. Here’s what it looked like in 2020:

and now:

That’s a very faithful restoration. The domed Gruen clock at the bottom has been preserved. The diamond in the middle was recreated and even the paint color is standard for these mass-produced signs. For comparison, here’s this intact sign in Canton, MS:

Back soon with more signs from the SCA section… starting with the Donuts pages.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

There are only a couple of noteworthy changes to the Giant Foods section. This giant apple was at Rokeby Orchards Aylmer, ON. The business closed in 2020 and the apple is gone now:

This giant ice cream cone was on a front lawn in Corpus Christi, TX since at least 2007. It was decorated and painted for different holidays. It’s gone now:

From the Bus Stations section — the Greyhound station in Bakersfield, CA was demolished in July:

The former Greyhound station in Daytona Beach, FL was repainted earlier this year:

The former Greyhound station in Wichita, KS…:

has been remodeled and it’s not good:

Maybe it’s not done yet — but the plans don’t look much better. Why is grey such a popular color? And that wood siding – ugh! – why? and for an architectural firm no less!:

The long-vacant former Greyhound in Baltimore, MD is now being renovated for SquashWise:

The plans:

The former Greyhound station in Clarksdale, MS began housing a Wingstop earlier this year (as evidenced by the new pole sign):

Around 2020, this Greyhound station in Corvallis, OR closed and the sign was removed:

And now — remodeled as a State Farm office:

Moving on to the Bottling Plant section. This former Coca-Cola bottling plant in Frederick, MD is now housing the Cugino Forno pizza restaurant:

The Pepsi bottling plant in New Bern, NC was demolished in 2020:

I hope someone saved the mosaic:

The Coca-Cola plant in Paris, TX has replaced its signs. Here’s what it looked like before 2022:

and now:

The Coca-Cola plant in Tyler, TX might have also been getting some crappy plastic signs ready when the Google car shot it last in April. The metal letters in my photo below are gone now but the revolving pole sign is still there (for now):

I’ll be back soon with another post for Drive-in Theatres and some Signs (the SCA article companion pages section).

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Here we go — on with this next project: combing my website to find broken links and what’s gone/remodeled/repainted/restored. If you are new to my winter posts, this is how it works. I go through every page’s links and maps starting with the smallest sections — building up ever so slowly to the signs and midcentury modern sections (the two biggest). This project usually takes about 4 or 5 months of steady, daily work.

So, starting with the small ones first. The Paul Bunyan statues, Statue Collections, and Tiki sections went pretty much unscathed. But this detail on the side of the Freaky Boutiki in San Diego, CA (now a tattoo studio) is gone now:

From the Giant Containers section… these barrels were located at the La Botte Italian restaurant in Lompoc, CA were demolished last year when the restaurant moved across the street:

The giant wine bottle at the Boondocks Lounge in Tucson, AZ got a new paint job earlier this year. Here’s what it looked like in 2012:

And now at Google Street View:

The giant Coca-Cola bottle caps canopy at the Mellow Mushroom in Chattanooga, TN have been repainted. I don’t know if Coca-Cola corporate had any role in the decision. Here’s what they looked like previously:

and now:

The Coffee Pot Espresso building in Gleed, WA now houses a pizza place. The drive-thru building has been expanded but the coffee pot is still there.

From 2015:

and now:

The former Frostop in Tucson, AZ has housed at least four different restaurants since 2008. The building and mug were repainted for each new tenant. Here it is in 2008:

In 2012:

In 2017:

and now:

If you are wondering about those partially covered up poles on the building — this is what the building would have looked like originally — this former Frostop in Springfield, OH was demolished around 2018:

Despite the efforts of preservationists, the former Chili Bowl in Los Angeles, CA was demolished in February. That leaves only two of the 23 chili bowl-shaped buildings left (in Alhambra and Glendale). Here was the building with the original sign frame in 2013:

Here are the details:

https://esotouric.substack.com/p/chilibowlrip

From the Egyptian Revival section… the Pharoah’s Court Apartment Building in San Diego, CA has been repainted — here’s what it looked like until earlier this year:

and now:

That’s enough for now. Be back soon with “news” from the Giant Food, Bus Stations, etc. in the next post.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Whew! That was a heavy lift. These five-week trips take a solid, every day effort for four months. I’m happy to have another 4,000 photos up at my website and glad I can move on to the winter project (more about that later). So, let’s get on with the last batch of photos.

Some signs from Colorado Springs:

I don’t know the original businesses for these two:

This place was originally the 4-U Court:

The former Dun Rovin’ Motel has been adapted for the Dun Rovin’ Plaza used car lot:

From Lakewood:

From Denver:

Next door at Boulevard Liquors:

At the Red Pine Motel:

This sign-topper is at the Dive Inn:

Two from the Surplus for Less:

This sign was still fairly intact in 2015 — from Google Street View:

… but now:

A sad outcome but….maybe glass half full. I guess. The original…

… Now in the lobby of a new apartment building on the former site:

And now, for some non-signs. This giant rubber duck, aka Quackals, is at the Quick Quack Car Wash in Colorado Springs. There were 30 locations in Utah, Texas, California, and Colorado. I don’t know how many of these ducks were made but there were a couple of others in Amarillo, TX which I shot that seem to be gone now.

There are about 8 different Humpty Dumpty statues in downtown Colorado Springs:

The Riverboat Car Wash in Denver:

This teepee is at the corner of the Arapahoe Library in Centennial:

Lastly, a former Sinclair gas station (yes, the Phillips 66 design but they were Sinclairs in Colorado) in Denver that was adapted for the Snarf’s Sandwiches chain:

And with that… I’ll be moving on to the annual website updating project. This gruesome but necessary task will take every moment of free time until the spring. It’s part of my grand effort to keep my website as current as possible. I check all the external links to make sure they all work (delete the ones that have gone away), split up the pages that have gotten ridiculously long, and check all the clickable maps in the descriptions to see the most current views. If stuff has been demolished, remodeled, repainted, etc., I update the descriptions and add blog posts here with the “news.” Granted, it’s mostly depressing stuff but maybe it’s motivating as well to encourage you to preserve or at least photograph what’s out there while you can.

Some facts about this trip: in 33 days, we covered 19,971 miles (about 605 mi. per day). Gator consumed $5746 in gas, plus four oil changes, and two tires.

If you’re wondering where the “kids” and I will be heading NEXT June…. I’ll be heading back to Colorado and then moving on to Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois. Before all that, I’ll do some local California trips. In the spring, I plan on taking a four-day Reno roadtrip/roadtest to make sure that Gator is ready for the Big One.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

I think there will be one more post from this trip after this one. This one is pretty short but the next post will be on the long side.

This sign is from South Fork:

Here are a few signs from Salida:

The Park Apartments sign looking pretty rough now:

This wooden ice cream cone sign is in Poncha Springs:

I rarely shoot ghost signs but I liked this one in Victor:

This sign is in Florissant:

An Elks Lodge sign in Cripple Creek:

A couple of signs from Colorado Springs (more from this city in the final post):

An Art Deco storefront in Manitou Springs with stained glass and vitrolite:

A gold miner in Cripple Creek:

Back probably next weekend with the biggie final post.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Just a few more days to go on this trip. Day 29 was a low-shooting day (remote cities) so I’m combining with Day 30 for a nice juicy post. Pardon the grey skies for a lot of these photos.

This wooden sign is in Wray:

This motel sign is in Burlington:

This sign is in Springfield:

I believe these U Pump It stations are only in Colorado. This one is in Canon City:

I stumbled upon a sign collection with dozens of signs in Canon City. Here are just a couple:

I recognized this sign…:

… that used to be part of a larger sign in Fort Scott, KS. The owner in Canon City must have added back the neon:

One more sign from Canon City:

The rain let up just enough to shoot this sign in Rye:

This sign is in Pueblo:

These three signs are in Trinidad:

This add-on sign is at a Chinese restaurant in Walsenburg:

Also in Walsenburg:

This one is in Trinidad:

This Masonic Lodge sign, buried in the trees, is in Rocky Ford. It has backlit stained glass inserts:

This partial, former Tastee-Freez sign is in Fort Garland:

The Neon Alley in Pueblo has dozens of restored and recreated signs. One of my favorites is this plumbing faucet sign. I don’t know where it came from:

This is a recreation of a sign that was in Dubuque, IA:

The original sign is now in storage:

One more sign from Pueblo:

On to some non-signs. From Eads — this eagle statue is part of the welcome sign which reads “Home of the Eagles”:

This bank is in Fort Morgan:

This dome building is at Lamar Middle School in Lamar:

Five little domes in La Junta:

This quonset hut theatre is in Walsh:

Lastly, this cute little caboose food stand in Fowler:

I think I can wrap up this trip (and Colorado) with one more blog post by combining two short days and a long one.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Actually, this is the last full day in Nebraska. Then, we move on to Colorado for the remaining four days of this trip.

From a long-closed furniture store in Franklin:

This modern sign in Arapahoe is lit with LED strips:

This sign is in Lexington:

This former ALCO discount/department store sign in McCook. The Midwest chain was officially gone by 2015 so it’s surprising that this sign hasn’t been painted over yet. This store closed around 2014. The sign had neon originally. I love the lone UFO parking lot light:

These corrugated plastic signs are also in McCook. The family’s bakery business goes back to the 1500s in Germany. The company expanded to the U.S. in the 1800s. The McCook location is the only one left. It opened in 1957 and moved here in 1981. These signs are probably from then:

This Buffalo Bill sign at Fort Cody Trading Post in North Platte is from the 1960s. It’s been repainted a few times and the neon is gone. The bottom panels are modern now and the sign is closed to the ground. The gift shop is still going strong:

Some more signs from North Platte:

On the ground floor of the Hotel Pawnee. This bar has been closed since around 1974 but the owner is restoring the building and plans to revive this business as well as the Tom-Tom Coffee Shop a few doors away:

This place in Ogallala opened in 1963 but I’m not sure when the cheerful cowboy was installed:

The Chateau Theatre in Wauneta has an unusual projecting sign that combines neon and backlit plastic for the marquee portion. The theatre opened in 1937 and has struggled to remain open for decades. It is currently open. I can’t find any vintage photos but I would guess that this sign is from the 1950s.

This Rexall drugstore in Franklin was originally located next door. The sign remained there although the building housed other types of businesses over the years. In 2018, Franklin Drugs moved into this building and the sign was moved over:

This Bear Alignment sign in Holdrege originally advertised for the D&T Body Shop. It was adapted for Turner around 2016. For more about these signs, see this page at my website:

https://www.roadarch.com/signs/bear.html

This neglected beauty is in the little town of Imperial, population 2,000:

Moving on to some non-signs… This teepee building in Atlanta housed The Wigwam souvenir stand by the 1950s:

I don’t know when it closed but, by 2000, the building was housing the Husker Hut bar and restaurant. It appears to be in use as a residence or storage space now:

This double canopy, former gas station is in Benkelman:

This building in North Platte was built in 1964 and still has the original facade. It is known as the Belton-McDonald Building but I don’t know what business was located here originally:

Lastly, this elephant statue (and some little buddies) in Cozad has been at the El Paraiso Mexican restaurant since the 1980s. It may have been there from a previous business but I can’t find any info about it:

I hope you have enjoyed all of these Nebraska photos and posts. I’ll be back soon with goodies from Colorado.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

The last full day of Nebraska for this trip.

This sign originally advertised for the Hotel Leslie in Superior:

This sign in Grand Island advertised for Bartenbach’s Paints originally:

Another sign from Grand Island:

This sign is in Nelson:

This American Legion sign is in Fullerton:

This one is in North Loop:

This wooden sign with cleaver and meat is in Sargent:

This Masonic Lodge is in Kearney:

Another sign from Kearney:

This Superior Electrical Advertising bulb arrow sign is in Cairo at a closed junk shop:

This former Ku-Ku sign is in Gibbon:

It would have looked like this one in Miami, OK originally:

This Rexall sign in Minden now has LED rope instead of neon:

It breaks my heart to see the covered wagon and oxen in Kearney in such bad shape. They had been restored just a few years ago:

This former garage is in Central City. The terra cotta details were covered by a giant canopy until around 2018:

This former gas station is in Taylor:

This building in Hastings originally housed a First National Bank. The City bought the building in 1984.

This little folded plate building is just across the street from the former bank above. I can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t a companion motor bank:

This theatre is in Superior. The neon has been replaced with LED rope:

Lastly, this building in Hastings was built in 1949 for Mouer’s Restaurant:

It began housing Keith’s Drive-in Drugs in 1979. These signs must be from then:

Back soon with the last bit of Nebraska and then Colorado.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs