Today was AC day.  So, I lost a half day hanging out at a Pep Boys in El Paso.  I’ll tell you one thing, an 8AM appointment made two days earlier doesn’t make a difference.  They will pull your vehicle into the bay and then proceed working on whatever other cars are ahead of you.  The waiting on a sunny day was painful.  If I hadn’t been the pushy New Yorker that I am, I’m sure it would have taken a couple hours longer.  I plunked the $333 for a new AC valve kit & vacuum hose on my credit card and I was on my way.  I was warned that I might have more trouble with the AC later since there was no way that the amount of freon missing could have leaked out of those parts.  So, I waited for the next shoe to drop but the AC worked fine the rest of the trip.  Fine, for a Chevy Astro van, that is.  Which means, during intense big city traffic, it’s about 80 and the engine sounds like it’s gonna stall.  And freeway driving, esp. if there’s a hill involved, you have to let up on the gas pedal to let the cool air flood in.

So, this will be a short post since shooting was limited.  Let’s start with some El Paso shots:

I hope that a new tenant is never found as I’m sure that the signs and probably the bulb lines, maybe even the canopy, will be ditched:

 

Bell Gas stations are all or mostly gone but there are still some of these signs around.  This one adapted, but not so clearly, for a car repair place or used car lot (can’t remember which):

 

This sign is tucked away behind the Robin Hood (mobile home) Park.  I’m sure there was more to the text on the panels but those little sign-topper thingies are wonderful:

Moving on to Alamogordo, NM where the Satellite Inn sign which I shot in 2012:

is now resting in the unused pool.  When the motel became a Rodeway Inn about a year go, the owner moved it there.  If things don’t work out with Rodeway, they might put the sign back.  Or move it somewhere else on the property.  Or…. who knows…

From the little town of Carrizozo, NM, this sign hangs over an antiques store.  I’m not sure if it’s vintage or new but the script letters are wonderful:

Last one for this post, another pretty sign from Carrizozo:

Lots more to come…
dj & the dogs

So, I got home yesterday morning and all is well.  The plant sitter took good care of my “other” babies and the post office actually held my mail for the first time.  The very last post of this series of daily posts will contain all the stats (money spent, miles driven, etc.).  But, as a preview, I shot just shy of 3,000 photos on this 28-day trip and drove more than 12,000 miles.  Most of the time was spent in Texas but there was a little Louisiana and Oklahoma, too.

Sparkle hung in there despite being pushed 12 hours a day with most days over 100 degrees and humid as hell.  The AC was mandatory from 8am til the sun went down and shooting stopped. I had a few mechanical problems which I’ll detail as these posts go.  I probably lost about two days worth of shooting for that.  The dogs had a great time and got to run and explore frequently.  Mostly in the mornings before things heated up.  Then, a few times each day in the frequent and ample undeveloped lots and golf course-quality lawns at various churches and schoolyards throughout the day.  I survived mostly on iced coffee, Diet Coke, nuts, cheese, cookies, and ice cream.  Whatever it takes, right!?

I had to tough out this day without the AC (and it was HOT) since the last time that it was worked on was last summer at a Pep Boys.  Hoping for a warranty situation if the same parts/labor were needed. No PB in southern NM so I had an 8am appointment at one of the El Paso locations on Monday.

On with the photos — here’s one from Tucson.  This B-R is long gone but this sign is still standing for now.  Very few of these left:

A break from the heat to meet up with Jude Cook and see what he’s putting together for his Ignite Sign Art Museum which will be opening in Tucson in October.  He’s storing the Moe Allen “Happy Bear” sign from Phoenix at his shop for now:

 

Also in storage at Jude’s sign shop (Cook & Company Signmakers) is the atom (?) feature from the top of the long-closed Mr. Quick Hamburgers sign in Tucson.  The building was adapted for a Domino’s.  My photo of the sign in 2012:

And the sign in storage:

For vintage photos of the sign and building, here’s this:
http://web.archive.org/web/20120930012824/http://captainerniesshowboat.com/mrquick.html

The 15 cents part of the Mr. Quick sign was restored (fast, flashing bulbs) and is now inside the soon-to-open museum:

Jude has made and is selling miniatures of some famous, vintage Tucson signs.  Here are just a few:

Here is part of the clock display:

Some other signs that will be installed soon.  My memory is fried at this point but I think he said this one was originally in Salt Lake City:

Some local signs that will be displayed inside:

Moving on now… from Bowie, AZ — love the length of the first and last letters of “Skeet’s Tavern”:

Moving on to New Mexico — Lordsburg, to be specific.  This sign originally advertised for Oscar’s Liquors — my photo from 2012:

Repurposed & neon removed recently:

 
Let’s close with a now rare, mass-produced classic motel add-on sign at the Balboa Motel in Deming, NM:

LOTS more to come!  Don’t forget the other sampling of photos from each day over at Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

dj & the dogs

 

The journey begins!  I’ve got four weeks to play in the summer heat.  This trip will be mostly Texas but there will be other “surprises” as well (a little bit of Louisiana, New Mexico, and Arizona).  Right now, I’m stuck here in Conroe, TX at a car repair waiting on tie rods for Sparkle.  So, I might as well make the most of it and get in a little photoshopping and posting.  I was actually stopped here for an increasingly noisy exhaust sound.  Turned out to be “donuts” (of all things!) and they also discovered the tie rods were shot (original, 450,000 miles, so no surprise).

So far, the weather has been mostly kind although it’s been ungodly hot and humid.  Actually, central Texas is bearable (80s) vs. Arizona and southern TX (110s).  Lots of clouds which is a mostly a good thing (pretty backgrounds) but irritating when you have to stand there waiting for them to blow away and not block the sun.  Clouds move pretty quick in Texas so it usually just means a few minutes of standing there.  But I’m a very impatient person with much to shoot and thousands of miles to cover so…

I drove through the night on Friday so I could start the day off across the border in Yuma, AZ.  Woke up to sun and no A/C.  I had to tough that out for a couple of days which nearly killed me and the dogs.  Nik is 15 so I was pretty nervous about him (older dogs don’t handle heat as well as the young’uns).

On with the photos!  Hello from Yuma.  Surely, the three light bulbs on the left (when they were all there) must have flashed hypnotically alerting you to pull in and stay there:

 

More from Yuma:

 

The Bow & Arrow Motel:

 

The Yuma Cabana Motel as I shot it last year:

Now, an EconoLodge — but at least they kept the sign as it was except for the top panel:

 

Neon’s gone & text was probably changed but still a delight:

 

The Mel’s Diner sign in Phoenix is looking pretty beat now.  The signs at the Bryan, OH and Fort Lauderdale, FL locations don’t look much better:

The former Aero Bowl sign in Phoenix is still hanging in.  Benign neglect…  Sparkle makes a cameo in the background:

The Watson’s Flowers sign in Mesa continues to lay on the ground behind the store, waiting for a miracle. It was nearly knocked over by the wind and destroyed shortly after this photo was taken in 2012:

Here’s hoping that the Mesa Preservation Foundation can help out and help raise enough money to get this one back up.  They recently acquired the local Dairy Queen sign and the Sally’s Fabrics sign and plan to build a little sign park in town.

One more from Mesa:  the Hambone Sports Bar & Grill:

Let’s end with this one from Tucson.  I don’t know what it was originally but I’m betting there might be porcelain panels under the vinyl coverings:

 

 

My parts should be here “any minute now” and then I’ll be flying off to Navasota.  It’s a nice sunny day and sitting here is KILLING me.  The dogs are crashed out and are happy anywhere.  There’s a lesson to be learned from them.

I’ll be back in July (hopefully not sooner!) with lots and lots of posts and glorious photos.  In the meantime, I put a few different photos over at Flickr from this “Day 1”, if you care to look:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Back on the road soon!
dj & the dogs

I’m gearing up for the big summer trip (4 weeks, mostly Texas) starting Friday night.  I took Sparkle in this week for a thorough checkup.  Some front brakes and a water pump.  I went down to L.A. & O.C. today to make sure things are up to snuff.  I was alarmed by a burning rubber smell and even a little smoke at one point.  I checked with a couple of auto shops “smell this please!” and I was assured that it’s normal for new brakes.  Gee, after all my years and numerous brakes being replaced, I never experienced this.  I called my mechanic and will probably pay a visit just to be sure.  I think the smell went away after about 5 hours of driving but maybe I just got used to it?

Anyhow… I got some decent shots in the morning but then things clouded up.  So, it was not the most prolific photoshoot but I’m glad I went.

For you dingbat lovers, here’s one in Beverly Hills:

A few signs in Long Beach:

And a couple of signs in Pico Rivera — too bad about the grey sky — former Barney’s Coffee Shop:

I was surprised to see the SoCalGas gate open.  Since I’m always there on weekends, I’ve been stuck shooting through the gate.  There was some special event going on so the security guard cut me a break and let me shoot the old gas flame from downtown L.A.  Maybe I’ll get lucky another time and get an open gate AND sun:

Stay tuned for lots & lots of photos.  I doubt I’ll have the energy to post here or upload to Flickr during the trip unless I hit crappy weather (sure hope not!).  Come on back in July when I’ll get busy sharing the goodies.

dj & the dogs (yes, of course they are coming!)

This will be a quickie post since this was a slow roll home and there were only a few pre-determined stops.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t shoot the sunny side of this one in Paso Robles because of that pole directly behind it.  Noted to return in afternoon…

A former TraveLodge sign in Paso Robles.  Here’s a postcard of the same location showing what the sign looked like originally.

A rusty crusty from Paso Robles.  You can see the patched tubing holes indicating that this sign had neon at one time.  It was originally the Trees Motor Lodge and the sign probably a pretty paintjob:

The Paso Robles Inn Coffee Shop roundy-ness continues inside with a round counter:

 

Let’s take a break from the signs for the giant milk bottle in Templeton which was restored last year.  The bottle originally advertised for the Rossi Dairy along Highway 101.  It is now located at the Templeton Historical Museum Society.  Here’s a photo that I took of it in 2014:

and now:

Last stop for this post — in Santa Cruz.  For those of you familiar with the nicely restored sign at MONA (Museum of Neon Art in Glendale) which came from the Green Frog Market in Bakersfield, this sign will look familiar.  The MONA sign:

And here’s a twin sitting outside a yoga studio.  There were several Green Frog Markets but I didn’t know there were identical signs and that any others had survived before I found out about this one:

 

I will be back before you know it with lots and lots of posts.  I’ll be on a major roadtrip for the month of June and will be shooting like a maniac in Arizona, New Mexico and (mostly) Texas.

Until then, Happy Trails!

dj & the dogs

This is a quickie post since it was a day short on shooting.  The Neon Symposium fell pretty much in the middle of the day and I wanted to allow plenty of time to find parking to have the dogs nearby.  This was my first real foray into public speaking as well other than the presentations I do at work.  I brought lots of facts & photos & was, of course, very organized.  But so as to not screw up and get the most info in, I pretty much read the whole thing.  Maybe I’ll be more relaxed next time.  It went well and I met a ton of very nice people (and I don’t like people!).  The other presentations were all completely fascinating and inspiring as well.  You gotta GO next year!

Anyhow — let’s start with this nice pair in Oakland.  They appear to be recent replicas:

 

And now on to San Francisco.  Too bad about the protective, plastic box:

For the rusty/crusty fans:

This guy is inside Miller’s East Coast Deli on Polk.  Sorry about the lights:  the sign is on top of shelf & difficult to shoot:

And lastly — I never get to shoot this wonderful plastic sign at the right time of day.  Always tree shadows.  I’m a little worried that it might disappear.  Note the deteriorating, rusting bottom panel which might tear away at some point soon:

One more day & post to go.  Lots of nice photos from today over at my Flickr account:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

G’night,

dj & the dogs

 

 

I was very sad to see another sign defaced.  This one in Vallejo still had neon until at least last summer.  My photo from 2014:

And now….

 

These embossed Schwinn signs used to be everywhere — now there are just a few scattered around the country.  The one is in Fremont:

I stopped by Bell Plastics in Hayward to see a few of Bruce’s new acquisitions.  This fiberglass boy with a burger is a mystery to both of us.  I suspect it was a one-off since I’ve never seen one before:

 

Bruce just got this guy from Moody, AL.  These Pioneer statues were produced by International Fiberglass, the makers of so many recently so-called “Muffler Men.”  More about their Pioneer statues at this page at my website:
http://www.roadarch.com/giants/ifother3.html

You might notice the half globe on the left.  Yep, Bruce has also got an Atlas statue or two now.  He’s got a lot of restoring to do!

This towering sign is also in Hayward.  If you’re curious about the cool building next door, I’ve got info about Caspers Famous Hot Dog locations here:
http://www.roadarch.com/eateries/hotdogs2.html#Hay1

Moving on to Oakland.  I’ve never been able to catch this sign in full sun.  My last photo from 2015:

And now… Another one destroyed with backlit plastic:

I’m so glad that this florist sign in Oakland is still hanging in there — even though there’s now a coffee shop below it (Black Spring Coffee Company):

And then it was over the bridge to San Francisco for Day 1 of the three-day Neon Symposium.  An incredible gathering of neon sign fans & experts.  If you missed it, mark your calendars for this time next year & get tix early (it sold out this year).  This was the first of, hopefully, many more to come:
http://sfneon.org/

I’ll probably be back tomorrow night with Day 3 of this trip.  In the meantime, don’t forget about the some other photos from this trip over at Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Good night,

dj & the dogs

A busy weekend of shooting & schmoozing.  The Neon Speaks Festival and Symposium took place Fri, Sat & Sun in San Francisco.  It was simply fantastic.  If you are into neon signs and you didn’t make it, there are plans to do it again next year.  Mark your calendars to check in at the website in maybe March of next year so you can get tix (sold out this year):
http://sfneon.org/

I took Thursday off to get up to the Bay Area & grab photos on the way.  The first few hours in the Bakersfield area, the sky was one big cloud — making for crappy photos.  So, these will have to do for now until I can revisit & reshoot.

This one was recently restored but, unfortunately, the panels & neon are covered with plastic protection.

 

A couple of places on the Bakersfield/Oildale border:

 

A blasted out sign & what seems to be 1960s-era drive-in:

I don’t know how long the place has been Young’s Drive-in.  The crappy rooftop food signs were added in recent years:

Moving on to Fresno — and sun for the rest of the trip!  This arrow sign is at Jim’s Chinese Restaurant:

A couple more signs from Fresno:

And this modern sign is awfully cute — at Pismo’s Coastal Grill:

 

In Carmichael — this bowling alley has been demolished.  I don’t know how much longer this sign will be there.  Plastic signs don’t get no respect.

A close-up of the flames:

From Madera —  for you rusty/crusty fans.  From the shape, I’m betting that the “MOTEL” panel was originally painted as logs:

Lots more to come from this four-day weekend trip.  Probably back with another post tomorrow night.

dj & the well-traveled dogs

I just got back from a little two-day trip to San Diego, the desert, and a little bit from east of L.A.  I would’ve stayed longer but the sky became one big grey cloud and the forecast was for nothing better the following day.  The dogs got to run in city parks, dirty sand, and among Joshua Trees and cactus.  I subsisted on lemon cake, bananas, and lots of coffee.  Oh, and since I was passing through Westmorland — a wonderful date shake.  It was HOT.  I tested Sparkle’s AC  for a few hours and it seemed to work fine. Hoping the best for the big 4-week trip to Texas in June!

Let’s start with San Diego.  The Corvette Diner a bunch of vintage (and not so vintage imposters) displayed inside.  This one is differently vintage.  Although I have my doubts about the neon swirl on the right:

A couple of Chevrolet “OK” signs.

This Dr. Pepper sign might be vintage-ish.  Not sure.  Possibly, the neon added later:

This “5 Cents a Dance” window “skeleton” sign tubing looks vintage to me:

Only partially lit but a classic Rexall sign.  I don’t know where this one was installed originally.  I’ve got five pages of Rexall signs from around the country here:
http://www.roadarch.com/signs/rex.html

The restaurant moved to this location in 2009.  At the old place, this muscleman panel (no idea where he came from) was installed on top of the text panel.  The ceilings are not as tall here, so the sign is displayed in two pieces:

I was disappointed to find these game machines blocking the animated bowling sign.  Here’s how it was displayed at the old place:
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/dsought/media/bWVkaWFJZDoxODU2OTM5Nw==/?ref=

 

Back out into the real world (away from the loud 1950s music, screaming kids, etc.)  I went to see this sign at Chito’s Shoe Repair new location (which is  few years old now).  The owner had a semi replica made when the City would not allow the original sign to be moved.  This one has different colored tubing but it was never animated.   The tubing is installed on a piece of plastic which is installed in the window (therefore, the glare – sorry). The neon worked for awhile but no longer.

The  original sign hangs above a coffee shop now.  When it finally came out of storage after restoration, it was lit at night.  But I’m told that it no longer is.

 

Bye-bye sun.  I shot some things anyway for now.  These two signs are in La Mesa.

There’s another  Baskin-Robbins sign like this one in Hollywood.  I don’t know of any others:

 

After the San Diego area, I headed over to the deep desert border town of Calexico since I missed shooting a few things the last time I was there.  This sign is probably not all that old but merits blog-inclusion.  I’m guessing 1970s?

 

In El Centro:  Originally, the Imperial Motel, later Imperial Apartments:

 

On to San Bernardino for a bit before giving up on the grey and heading home.  One Stop Liquor:

And, next door, a painted over classic Rexall sign (like the one at the Corvette Diner shown above).  From the orange & navy porcelain peeking through at the lower left, I’m betting that this hideous grey paint can be removed and the sign would be as good as new.  Those tube light bars above facing both panels were standard for a lot of these Rexall signs.  I’m sure the neon versions cost more money and this method was also easier/cheaper to maintain:

Lastly — this place is still open.  The wiring is unfortunate, but hey…

I’ll be back in a few weeks with photos from the Bay Area.  I’ll be speaking at this action packed three-day Symposium in San Francisco — details and tickets here:

For more photos from this weekend’s trip (the purtier ones), head over to my Flickr account.

Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

dj & the dogs
RoadsideArchitecture.com

 

I headed down to Glendale, CA last night for the Grand Opening of the Museum of Neon Art’s new dual exhibit:  “There’s More to Neon Signs Than Liquor, Motels and Live Nude Girls” and “Motel California”.  A stunningly beautiful display as you shall see.  A lot of freshly restored neon signs were on hand — some which have been in storage for many years, others that were only recently taken down.

The Mission Motel sign was built in 1950 and was originally displayed in Oakland, CA; the Anchor sign from 1963 came from the Seaport Marina Hotel in Long Beach, CA; the Dining & Banquet Room sign from the 1950s came from the Bel Air Motel in Fresno, CA:

A close-up of the rapid-fire animated bells on the Mission Motel sign:

 

One of the stars of the show is this dragon — one of two originally installed in 1957 at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.  The animation moves along from the tail to the head of this 40 foot long sign.  It took years to restore this beauty:

Here are a couple of quickie videos that I made to show you the animation:

The other dragon is in storage at the Hollywood Heritage museum.  This photo shows what the dragon looked like when it was still installed at the theatre:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/79761301@N00/10769343373/

***********

Some photos from the “Motel California” part of the exhibit with advertising signs and a Magic Fingers display from Heather David’s collection:

 

A close-up of the Chief Motel sign (built in the 1950s, originally located in Long Beach):

The Western Motel sign from 1955, originally in Venice, CA; the Seal Beach Motel sign also from 1955, originally in Seal Beach, CA.  A painted lasso border surrounds the Western Motel panel.  The ball on the seal’s nose moves in three-part animation.

 

Some former motel signs in Anaheim, CA, courtesy of the UC Berkeley photo collection:

Loads of other motels and motel signs appear in Heather David’s new book:

which is available here:

http://calmodbooks.com/#buy

 

The Tinder Box was built in 1953 and was installed in Santa Monica:

These contemporary signs were based on vintage signs:

 

The Hofbrau sign was built in the 1950s and was installed in Oakland.  The Tip Top Inn sign is from the 1940s and was installed in San Francisco:

A close-up of the animated, layered neon on the Hofbrau sign:

The Winning Wire sign with ripple tin panels was built in the 1930s.  The original location is unknown:

 

The cocktail glass is from an unkown bar in the Bay Area.  The sign was built in the 1930s:

The Peepshow signs are set behind a wall, simulating a display window.  They are mostly contemporary replicas.  The nude woman on the left might be vintage (ca. 1980s).

More photos from the Opening of this exhibit over at my Flickr account:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/
I’m planning on a little Los Angeles area trip next weekend (if the weather is right) and then a San Diego area trip at the end of the month.  So, more photos coming up soon enough.

Also, you might be interested in this big 3-day event taking place in San Francisco (April 20-22).  Yours truly will be one of the speakers at the “Neon Speaks:  Festival & Symposium”.  More info here:

http://sfneon.org/

Back with more photos soon,

dj & the dogs