Day 13: Slogging through Southwest Texas

Posted on May 8, 2012 by roadsidenut

Let’s just say it was a very challenging day. Pouring rain for most of it. I killed some time in the morning’s downpour by addressing the issue of my left front tire. Before I left NYC, I noticed some wear on the edge of the tire. I pointed it out to my mechanic who said it was nothing. Now 6,000 miles into the trip, it was obvious that it WAS something. Supposedly, an alignment and a new tire should take care of things. I hope so — for about $300.

That killed about two hours. I was about to leave — but then couldn’t. The mechanic had locked the van with the remote thing without me knowing it. The side door was open at the time he handed me the key. I let the dogs hop in, put my key on the floor of the van temporarily while I got the water jug to fill up and returned to find the dogs locked inside. So that was another half hour and another $30 to get Mr. Pop-A-Lock to come & let me back in. So I got rolling finally after noon — but it was such miserable weather that I really wasn’t all that irritated by the way the day was going.

Off to Ballinger, then south to dinkier towns — spaced far apart. And scary driving it was. POURING and keeping it under 40 mph a lot of the way which barely felt safe. Gripping the wheel because even though it was a major highway, it was not draining well and the channels of water were kind of pulling you around a bit. Glad to be settled in one piece!

Here in Alpine for the night — about 4 hours from El Paso. So, an extremely low volume day. I think I took about 40 photos total. Tomorrow, the forecast is not much better. I’d like to do El Paso right. I’m just not going to be down that way again for a long time and I have a fairly long list of things to shoot. So if it means sticking around another day, so be it. I’m pretty much on schedule so I can afford to be patient.

On with today’s tiny batch — from San Angelo in the morning. I wanted to get this oldie up closer — but as you can see — major flooding and I wasn’t going to risk it in the van or on foot:

Another sign in San Angelo — boarded up building:

Still San Angelo — on a sunnier day in 2008:

and today — note that they’ve painted over the mural and how dead it makes the building seem now. At least they left those fins and spiky balls alone:

From Marathon — a fun handmade sign:

So, that’s it for the night. Better luck tomorrow — with either quantity or weather — hopefully both!

Day 12: Working Our Way through Western TX

Posted on May 8, 2012 by roadsidenut

A pretty sucky day weather-wise. The sun finally came out at 4pm. Luckily, I was not in big cities with tons of stops that would have to be repeated in sun one day. But still, there were long distances between one-fer and two-fer cities that will need to be repeated in sun another time. So, I don’t know what’s more frustrating — same sort of time & gas money lost.

But we’re chugging along here. No exciting dog parks — not even swimming today (sorry guys). Some stickers that need to be pulled out of paws. Tonight, we’re in San Angelo and according to my calculations, if all goes well, we should be within range of El Paso by tomorrow evening. Which puts us right back on schedule. I shouldn’t say that because that’s usually when things go wrong.

Sparkle was well-behaved all day. Starting up just fine and running just fine. We’ve covered about 6,000 miles so far since we left NYC. But twice at stoplights in Odessa, she shuddered a little like she might stall. Instantly and instinctively, from all my early years of driving constantly stalling sports cars, I just gave a little nudge on the gas and the shudder stopped. I dropped in to a Chevy dealer to inquire about the symptom and what to do. And was basically just given a shrug. The old “until the check engine light comes on, we would only be guessing”. When I asked about fuel injection, they said I could put in an additive to see if that helped. But I don’t think I’m messing with additives — I’ve heard bad things about them. I’ll just keep on going. But I fear some time in the shop is coming in the not too distant future. I won’t be doing any night driving in the desert — not to worry!

OK – tons of photos for you tonight. Let’s start with Brownfield — lovely grey sky:

I love this hand-painted signage. The guy with the camo and the gun though is pretty scary.

This rooftop sign in Snyder:

From Colorado City. Now, sun would really help provide contrast for this one. I’ll include it anyway. I’m partial to any signs that are shaped like things:

From Big Spring. This one must be from 1974 when the restaurant opened. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sign with its own tile roof:

More Big Spring. I assume there was probably a neon sign originally where the corrugated plastic sign is now.

On to Midland. Somebody shoved another sign right in front of this one. And then I guess they closed and that sign was removed. Very odd indeed:

Also Midland. Extra points for scripty font:

On to Odessa. When one arrow is not enough:

More from Odessa. Heartbreak of the day. I guess I should’ve been prepared for this. The store was already closed when I took this photo in 2008:

And today:

To ease the pain, I had to make a stop at this place. How could you not? I included it already at the blog a couple years ago, so I’ll keep it brief:

I went with Banana Nut and classic Chocolate. These donuts are the super light crullery type. And melting in your hand as you ate them. I ate them both in one sitting like a pig. Banana Nut — that frosting was like the sweetest thing ever — but then I haven’t had much sugar recently so I’m not the best judge.

More stuff from Odessa:

These are two side-by-side marvelous buildings with signs:

A fun and strange midcentury number — note the extra goofy arrow sign:

This could’ve been a Dairy Queen — but seems to wide. I’m too fried to pin a fast food name on it. But anyway, quite the paintjob. I think that’s Jim Morrison & Jimi Hendrix on the side. Best I could tell from the signs near the door on the other side, this is one of those dirty magazines & videos shop. Although Google says it sells (or sold) discount records and tapes:

Up to Andrews — an arrow to nowhere and nothing. Love the triangulated frame:

Back down through Odessa. Is this a former Hot ‘n Now? The roof doesn’t have that slant back:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickm15/2379030562/

I assume it was SOMEthing originally – and is now elaborately dressed up as Yu Got It frozen yogurt place:

Love this one — esp. the bullet holes. But the kinda place I don’t linger. Notice Sparkle in the immediate pull out position. I’m sure you all would be shocked where I park her sometimes. In medians, on sidewalks, just wherever it’s easy and quick. If I’m in an especially ridiculous spot, I put the flashers on at least. No tickets yet!

Last one for the night. I was thinking today how much I’m craving Mexican food. Not the Taco Bell variety but the real deal. But this sign kind of killed that mood. Green not the best color choice for food signs. This was at Grandma’s Kitchen — which was painted on the other side. That hand with the plate is kinda creepy, too.

OK — now pray to your weather and car gods. I’d like to get to El Paso tomorrow night. I appreciate your help.

Day 11: Grain Silos & Gas Stations (northwest Texas)

Posted on May 7, 2012 by roadsidenut

I saw a whole lot of grain silos and depressing feedlots. Shot a lot of gas stations and theatres. Not quite as hot as yesterday. But it felt very dry and my eyes and throat are killing me. This is how I felt last year in this area when there were brush fires. But no brush fires around here that I know of. The grass is noticeably crunchy and I’ve seen a few cactus. So I’m keeping the dogs to manicured green grass which I seem to have great luck at finding. Those sand spurs are nasty and I really don’t want to encounter any rattlesnakes.

Sparkle gave me some anxiety this morning — well, technically, all day. She started up just fine this morning — but then after filling up at the gas station. It took three cranks to start her. That’s never happened before. Always fires right up. So, since it’s Sunday, I decided not to turn her off til the end of the day — no point in getting stuck somewhere and wasting a day’s shooting. Might as well be stuck near a mechanic on a Monday. But tonight — I turned her on and off a few times. No trouble starting at all. After running solidly for about 12 hours. Guess we’ll see tomorrow after sitting for the night. Maybe it was just a fluke? If all seems fine in the morning, I’ll still be cautious where I turn the engine off — and probably not often til I regain my confidence. I also noticed that Sparkle seemed quieter than usual all day. Usually when she’s in park or waiting at lights, in all the years I’ve had her, she idles with a pretty aggressive rev. But today, not so much. In fact, at lights, it almost seemed like I had stalled out she was so quiet. So, I can only guess that there’s a connection between the quiet idle and the starting up. But maybe not. What’s a roadtrip without some stress, right?

On with the pictures. It seemed like I was driving huge distances without taking many photos. Mostly tiny towns with just a couple of photos. But I guess I did just fine. Same quantity as a normal day. I think that blessed speed limit of 70 — which means 80 — really helps cover ground. And no city traffic and stop lights holding me back.

The day started in Amarillo — so let’s start with this former Burger Chef — a rare example of the long canopy and the “kite” rooftop sign:
http://agilitynut.com/eateries/bchef.html

I don’t know what these A-frame buildings were used for originally — but I saw two of them in Amarillo and I think another one in Plainview:

Some bad news — sometime between last April —

and today — they painted over this sign. Dammit!

Moving on to Plainview — there’s something fun and sad at the same time what’s happened to this store. All that tacky turquoise…

One of my favorites from today — a radiator shaped sign:

Obviously, the Nu-Griddle part is new. A cheap way to create a sign while unintentionally preserving the old one. We need more of these less ambitious owners:

These cow statues in town are part of one of those community art project things with different businesses adding their unique paint jobs. I love this blue Domino’s cow:

On to Muleshoe — a really sad, closed theatre:

From Lubbock:

I have a tradition of including at least one neon parking sign per trip. Finally found one! This one is from Lubbock:

A bowling alley turned antiques center:

And lastly for the night. A house in Ransom Canyon — basically across the street from the Steel House (see tonight’s Flickr photos). I find some other photos of it on-line tonight — with some people referring to it as the Mosaic House — but I don’t know if that’s the real name. I can’t find any info about the place with my last trickle of energy right now:

OK — truly trashed now — gotta sleep. Sorry if I’m less coherent than usual. Tomorrow, moving southward in TX. Would love to move on to NM by Thursday and be on schedule.

Day 10: Oklahoma, Check!

Posted on May 6, 2012May 6, 2012 by roadsidenut

It was a glorious day to be shooting — and having air conditioning. It was at least the upper 90s at one point. I banged through an extensive Oklahoma City list which took longer than I thought. But it could have taken way longer had it been a weekday. I just love weekends in major downtowns when you can make as many crazy U-turns as you want, roll the stop signs, drive down (short) one-way streets the wrong way, etc. Hey, I don’t want to jinx myself but I haven’t gotten a speeding ticket yet. I do have a little $25 parking ticket from Tulsa — when I had to go inside the zoo and walk what seemed like forever to get to the damned carousel. I had parked the dogs in the shade at a meter (with the engine & AC running) for about 20 minutes. Ah well — a small price to pay — and it was crowded with really no option.

So, yes, more sunshine — which was a real treat since last time I was in OKC, I had some crummy weather & had lots of stuff to reshoot. Done. Otherwise, Sparkle’s running great; the dogs are getting plenty of exercise and pond time.

Got a very late start here tonight at the computer — already 1:20am. But it was worth the interstate hustle to Amarillo to set myself up for tomorrow morning. Here’s the schedule for the rest of the trip. We will be in Texas for about 4 or 5 days. Then, I have planned about 9 days in New Mexico and 9 days in Arizona. Then a hustle back to Cincinnati for the American Sign Museum opening (and some Cincy shooting). Then it’s scurry back to work in NYC.

On with today’s photos. Some good news in Chandler, OK. Here’s how this Phillips 66 gas station looked in April of last year:
http://www.agilitynut.com/11/4/chanp3.jpg

They are not only hard at work on this building — but there are signs that they might start doing something with the Valentine diner behind it. There are green light poles or sign poles or something installed now next to it. This gas station was already restored several years ago — but I guess it was time for more attention:
http://www.oklahomaroute66.com/preservation/chandler_sta.html

Speaking of Phillips 66 stations, here’s a little complex in Edmond built recently in the same style:

And just across the street is this bank built in 1997 — inspired by Mies van der Rohe and Bruce Goff:
http://www.e-a-a.com/#portfolio/project&category_id=-1&project_id=13

Here’s a close-up of the bank’s Goff-like glass cullet window:
http://mid-century-modern.net/the-architecture-of-bruce-goff-in-bartlesville-oklahoma/

Moving on to Oklahoma City. This place on I-35, the northern edge of OKC, was built in 1963 as Truckers Village (gas, food, no lodging). Advertising claimed it was the largest truck stop in the world. Later, it housed a few other restaurants. More history and a photo of what the building looked like recently:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25726169@N03/3046698484/

Today, the place houses the Stone & Stucco Co. — which has “updated” the buildings a bit:

Some more good gas station news — just last April, this circa 1960 gas station canopy seemed doomed:
http://www.agilitynut.com/11/4/okcchamplin.jpg

Oh, and here’s a photo of what the station looked like originally:
http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/1448/june1960mv0.png

Later last year, there was talk that they were updating the convenience store and probably removing the canopy. But driving by today, obviously they have painted the canopy (well, all but the tippy top which I guess they couldn’t reach!). I asked the clerk and he said the canopy was staying. They are adding new below-ground gas tanks — that’s what all the police tape & plastic mesh fencing is about:

Here’s some nice modern artwork on the side of the Bradford Ink store building:

Let’s do some shopping, shall we?

This one, technically, in Warr Acres:

Back in OKC — this must be an adapted sign (and building). Does anyone know what it was originally? It’s lovely at night:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25726169@N03/4486928460/

From what I understand, Pipkin Cameras & Imaging moved to a smaller location after this one, and has since closed for good. It makes this building even sadder. Love those plastic letters under the canopy and the curved brick. Stuff like this will disappear too soon.

I’m thinking a name change is responsible for that inconsistent and drab plastic box sign on top:

Finally, moving on from OKC. This top heavy former gas station is in El Reno, OK:

A fun one from El Reno:

Some of my loyal blog followers may remember my post from April showing this place under construction:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidenut/5636401759/

And this is the final result — a Shell station as part of the Cherokee Trading Post & Restaurant complex:

And after having seen the countless billboards for the place’s souvenirs, etc. for miles — I decided to give that advertised homemade pie a try. For you all. A choice of about six flavors — I went with the most outlandish: peanut butter chocolate cream. This is the first sugar I’ve had since the March WV trip’s slice o’ pie at the King Tut which was far superior. I give this pie a B-. It was just not rich or remarkable. And I think cream pie should have a cream topping — not this meringue stuff. I will give pie another shot later in the trip. And ice cream.

As luck would have it, en route to Amarillo, I was able to catch the neon coming on at the former Conoco station in Shamrock. This is the modern ATM machine across the street built in the same style. Note the ATM arrow sign even mimics the “U Drop Inn” sign across the street:
http://www.agilitynut.com/11/4/shamgas3.jpg

That’s a wrap — 2:30am. Lots of Texas tomorrow — stay tuned.

Day 9: A Dip and a Dent (Arkansas & Oklahoma)

Posted on May 5, 2012 by roadsidenut

It’s getting harder and harder to come up with fun titles when I’m delirious with exhaustion. The “dip” means the little corner of Arkansas that we carved out en route to Oklahoma. The “dip” also refers to a big swim-fest for the dogs. We made a decent “dent” in the Oklahoma list. About 1/3 of the way through it.

Let’s start with Alma, AR. Where the local sports teams are known as the Alma Airedales. There was this rad-ly wrapped police vehicle on campus:

This forlorn sign is in Fort Smith:

A treasure trove of interesting signs in Fort Smith. I have no idea what this whitewashed sign advertised:

We’re nowhere near cactus yet in Fort Smith:

Still Fort Smith. In 2008, I took this photo is crummy weather:

I’m glad that I at least got that — because here’s what’s there now:

OK, a couple more signs from Fort Smith — bother open businesses:

This was pure bliss. Especially since it was already in the 90s by 11am. The Fort Smith Dog Park has FORTY fenced acres and a huge lake. We were the only ones there! Yes, all this is a dog park:

Grem and Fixie head for the floating treats on the water while Grippie stays close to Mama.

And my OCD dog, Nik, finds a nice muddy spot to play his diggy, diggy game. “It’s getting away, no, I got it. It’s getting away.” Barking and fantasizing. It would probably go on for hours if I let it.

Back to the buildings, signs & statues…. Moving on to Tulsa where I made very selective stops since I’ve been there a couple times already in the past couple years:

If you’re wondering what happened to the McElroy’s sign… This photo from 2006 (sorry, lousy weather):

The building was demolished in 2010. But the sign is stashed here at a business on Charles Page Blvd. The owner has no plans for it yet. The pylon piece which held the sign is also there.

This cute little former gas station in Tulsa will soon become a coffee house — or so the workers there today told me:

Two more photos for the night — from Bristow. This former Firestone Tire dealer from 1930 was recently restored:

The building now houses the Bristow Body Shop. This sign is apparently a modern creation, in an Art Deco style. Note the little Firestone logo at the top:

Tomorrow, there will be some OKC stops & other cities nearby — then a big chug on the interstate into Texas hopefully by the afternoon. Much coffee is planned.

Day 8: Whoosh Through Missouri

Posted on May 4, 2012May 4, 2012 by roadsidenut

I finished up St. Louis around noon, some stops along I-44 / Route 66, and then managed to get into Arkansas for the night. Two people with collections of stuff along the route that I couldn’t coordinate schedules with — maybe on the way home. The weather was just gorgeous again – quite a streak now! And it was hot — felt like 90 by 11am. So I headed for an award-winning dog park in Wentzville that I hadn’t been to before — with a LAKE. The dogs all got cooled off and nicely worn out. Here’s the scoop on the park if you’re interested:
http://www.doggoes.com/parks/missouri/st-louis/broemmelsiek-dog-park

Doggoes.com is my new fave site for finding dog park. I even have the application for my iPhone. But I rarely use it since usually I do pretty well just stumbling upon places for the kids to swim and run.

Got set-up very late here — internet trouble — already 12:45am. So let’s roll with the photos.

Starting with St. Louis. Once upon a time this sign was unobstructed. Neon glowing on both sides by day:

There used to be a lot of Congress Inn signs nationwide — now very few and most of them messed with quite a bit (plastic box replacements). Here’s what the original sign looked like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/illtakeyourphoto/3564073792/

Other than the nicer one in Nashville:
http://www.agilitynut.com/07/3/congress.jpg

and this one in St. Louis, I don’t think there are any relatively intact examples:

I don’t know what’s sadder: a closed mini golf or a closed bowling alley. This is the former AMF Strike ‘N Spare Lanes. I hope it can be saved but it seems so unlikely. More about the place and its closing:
http://www.beltstl.com/2011/12/goodbye-to-strike-n-spare-bowling-lanes/

More mid-century doom and gloom. The former Macy’s at the demo-ready Northwest Plaza:
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2011/07/northwest_plaza_to_be_auctioned_off.php

On a more positive note. Pete’s Drive-in in Wentzville is a former A&W Drive-in. And, how about that, our new friend (see yesterday’s post) Greg Rhomberg even has a page about the place:
http://www.antiquewhs.com/2007/Inside_STL/petes.htm

Yup, there’s the original fireplace:

And since it was HOT and I was saving the A/C for the Southwest… I broke down and got a root beer float. Here’s to you Sparkle — and the American interstate system!

This stop at the Indian Harvest Trading Post was not as pleasant. I do love faux teepees and have a section over there at the website for them. I don’t think I’ve shot these guys before. So I pulled in to the bottom of the driveway and walked up to shoot. Just as I did, a woman popped out and greeted me with one of those pushy “can I help you”s. I said that I just liked teepees and stuff. And she lashed into me with “We don’t appreciate people coming here and taking photos”. And I innocently said “why not”? She ranted that they spend thousands of dollars every year fixing the rock driveway every year because of people like me coming and taking photos and not buying anything. I said that I was at the bottom of the driveway and barely on her rocks. She kept ranting at me and I just calmly and quietly left. So folks, you might not want to stop here — or make it super quick. Or go into her little gift shop and pretend that you’re actually shopping.

I just googled the place and it seems she’s been screaming an lecturing and scaring people off for years! Now I’m highly amused and feel that I’ve experienced a unique part of Route 66!
http://legends.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=2777241

Back to cheerier — far less strange things. From Lebanon. I don’t know if this sign ever had neon. It’s huge — and hugely fun. That’s Sparkle’s ass — for scale:

Here’s a new and fun little Route 66 welcome center west of Conway. In case you’re not familiar with the Munger Moss sign, I posted it at Flickr tonight. These welcome signs (both east and westbound on I-44) were obviously modeled after the motel sign. I assume they’re lit at night:

Both east and westbound centers have cute little false-front picnic shelters modeled after buildings. My fave is on the westbound side — a Phillips 66 gas station:

On to Springfield:

The Best Western in Springfield kept their original sign with the bulb crown and have it on display:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrskpax/5002946470/

There’s also this oddball little sign tucked away there which looks old to me:

When I was in Springfield a couple years ago, the coffee cup still looked pretty much like an ice cream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidenut/4909698465/
This new paintjob helps. Kinda. Anyone know what ice cream stand was here originally?

Last photo for the night — also Springfield. I assume this was an adapted sign, god bless ’em for keeping the wild arrow:

Many interruptions — 2am here. Tomorrow — a short list for this corner of Arkansas and then on to Oklahoma. I’m about two days behind schedule. Not good. But the plan is — if I don’t finish Arizona stuff, I can attach that chunk onto the Colorado trip this summer.

Oh, in case some of you just joined us, I post simultaneously every night to Flickr — different photos — so you might want to bounce over there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Day 7: Socializing & Signs in St. Louis

Posted on May 2, 2012 by roadsidenut

I thought we might make it through St. Louis and be halfway through Missouri by now. But some very nice people got in the way. You’ll see. Tomorrow, we gotta lay down tracks!

Started out with some stops in Illinois. Oh, perfect weather all day — and HOT. 90s. Gave in and got a chance to test out Sparkle’s A/C in the afternoon. So far so good!

Firstly, a couple shots of the kids in Livingston, IL at the Pink Elephant Antiques Mall. I had to revisit since they have repainted the Futuro green recently. If you’re not familiar with Futuros, here’s my page:
http://www.agilitynut.com/modarch/futuro.html

From Collinsville, IL:

Also, Collinsville — sorry to report that not only has their swell a-frame building been demolished — but the sign has been reduced to being displayed in the window like this at their new location.
Here’s a shot of the previous location when the sign was installed on the pole:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrensnow/2538278537/

Also Collinsville:

When in Collinsville, I always stop to shoot the Eck gas station. Bob Eck, who I’m guessing is well past 60, wanted to take some photos of me but had never used a digital camera before. I showed him how and grabbed a couple dogs. Unfortunately, I had goofy or angry looking expressions in all the the shots taken in the sun. So this will have to do.

Moving on to East St. Louis. For the rusty crusty fans out there — this should provide a savory alternative to all those overly sweet neon signs I’ve been posting. I can’t make out the wording but it looks like there’s a crown in the circle. No building there at all now.

And into St. Louis we go. A random Art Deco detail:

Social visit #1: Ars Populi gallery exhhibit ” Art of the Sign”
http://www.arspopulisaintlouis.org/main/

Bill Christman, a sign designer himself, is “hosting” this assemblage of signs from various collectors. I don’t know how much longer the show will run — but if you live near St. Louis or are planning a trip there soon — I highly recommend checking it out.

Some stuff from there — including all the incredible neon signs, there’s this piece which features moving vehicles. It was displayed in a window in Waltham, MA — and local businesses would pay for the little adverts inside:

Bill Christman has collected a lot of signs, statues, and other stuff that decorate his bistro (next to the gallery) and his work space (here):

More of his collection — this Pizza Inn statue:

Social visit #2: up to St. Charles, MO (just outside St. Louis) to meet Dave Hutson, owner of Neon Time. He restores signs and produces new ones as well. Many of the signs he has collected are appearing in the “Art of the Sign” exhibit (see above). But there are still some other gems in his shop:

Social Visit #3 — Greg Rhomberg who has a huge sign collection – in the hundreds – just a sampling here:

This one was a heartbreaker since I just shot this sign less than two years ago. The owners were going to trash the sign — luckily, Rhomberg got there in time:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/4915177364/

Oh, and while we’re on a sad note, Rhomberg told me that Saint Louis University started tearing down the Pevely Dairy Building today. Bye-bye to the big brick building, the scaffold sign, and the little milk bottles.

http://www.agilitynut.com/10/9/pevely.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/10/9/pevely2.jpg

But it’s not just signs that Rhomberg collects — he’s got toys, vehicles, pinball machines, fire trucks, travel trailers, on and on. Warehouses full of stuff, all tidy and organized. He had plans to open his own museum at one point — but has no ambition for it now. He does lend stuff out to other museums.

So, although it set my schedule back at least half a day — and it was painful to be inside instead of outside shooting and driving — it was well worth the time hooking up with these guys. Next trip to town, I’ll have to set aside an extra day to check up on their doings.

Now, nearly 1am and I’ve got sleeping to do.

Day 6: Zoom Zoom — Ohio, Indiana, Illinois

Posted on May 1, 2012 by roadsidenut

A very productive day — got all the way to Effingham, IL tonight. I’m stopping at a reasonable time (10pm) so I can crank out some photos and shoot off a blog post after all. But I just set the alarm for 6am and it’s midnight now — so let’s get to it.

The day started in Dayton, OH — at one of my favorite dog parks. Which is right off the interstate. Not that my guys need dog parks much as they are mostly good (not perfect!) off-leash. I think there are seven acres. Three separate sections. Some pseudo-agility equipment in one of them. I’m told the dog park was built on a landfill — which is not very romantic. But it’s quite wonderful and we were the only ones there this morning.

I went back to get the camera & this is the look I got. Hey, don’t leave us here!

Quite the place, no? That’s Nik in the middle with orange ball:

More doggie photos another day — no action shots because Mama forgot to set the camera up right. Uh-hem.

From Hamilton, OH:

Moving on to Cincinnati — only to get a sneak peek at the American Sign Museum before the mobs descend for the Grand Reopening. I hope you’ll be there!! June 2 — book your flight — whatever it takes. And spread the word.

Tod and crew have been hard at work readying the new space. Recently, sign painters from around the country came to help create the Main Street theme — just fantastic — and a great story of the gathering here:
http://signmuseum.blogspot.com/

Here’s a sampling of the signs you’ll see. All eras & types. It’s dizzying, overwhelming — in a good way– trust me! You’ll need more than one visit.

And I’m sure there will be an opportunity for seeing the backstage stuff — the signs not ready for primetime. I think these two are new arrivals — I don’t remember seeing them before:

A neat one — and not just because my last name is Seltzer:

Back out into the real world. And it was not pretty. I had sun in the morning — but then en route to Indiana, things got ugly. Rain like I don’t think I’ve seen before. Just POURING. Here was a quickie out the window shot in Cumberland, IN:

On to Indianapolis — where the weather alternated every few minutes between pleasant and nasty. An unidentified liquor store (no sign other than this one):

And lastly (gotta keep it short tonight) — the perfect final photo stop of the day at the Pyramids (still Indianapolis). You either love them or hate them. I love them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pyramids_(Indianapolis)

The familiar view from the interstate:

The backside:

What I love about them most is the amount of grass and water behind them. Though it’s illegal I suppose, everybody heads home at 5 or 6pm and there it is all for the dogs and me. Still too cold right now for swimming — but, boy, the dogs had a great time tonight!

Onward to St. Louis tomorrow & hopefully a decent dent in Missouri after that. G’night!

Day 5: Just Another Perfect Day in Ohio

Posted on April 30, 2012 by roadsidenut

It didn’t start out very promising. Pouring rain and dark as night at 8am. I debated about whether to stay or go. Whether to head for Indiana. So I just did a little organizing and threw the ball for Nik 1000 more times — and then, the darkest part seemed to be over. So I stuck it out and it was gloriously sunny all day. Funny, things ended the same way they started — big bad clouds rolled in right about 8pm. The forecast was for thunderstorms all day — so I’ve just about given up on those so-called meteorologists.

Tomorrow is a reality check. I’m allowing myself a few more hours in Ohio — but the cut-off is noon. Period. Then I must hit the interstate and get us to Illinois or so. Since there probably won’t be many photos, I might just interstate all night and do a double batch the following night. And if it’s sucky weather when I get up, I might not even stick around Ohio. All unknown. But tonight — I’ve got gobs of photos for you.

We started out in Mansfield – things were still looking bleak. I see other photos at Flickr of this sign — but none at night. Bummer. The neon sure looks intact:

Still in Mansfield:

On to Columbus where we were 99% of the day. Behold the Mighty Spine! Yes, at the Columbus Chiropractic Center. A shout out and round of applause to the King of Ohio, aka scottamus at Flickr, who helps alert me to such things. Yes, a spine carved from a tree. And if that wasn’t enough — apparently that little light flashes at night to show where the pain is:

And, if that wasn’t enough — spine shaped parking lines in the lot:

Just magnificent in every way:

On to one of my traditional Columbus stops: the Krema Nut Co.:

Part of the store inside:

windows where you can watch the candies & that being made:

This caught my eye — unfortunately, the Nut Mobile was disassembled maybe five years ago. They sold the station wagon to a guy that really wanted to restore it. My fave part is the cashew hood ornament:

And my loot. Some peanut butter to take home & some nuts for the road (more exciting food shots another day, I promise):

The former Winder’s Chevrolet dealership building — now the Hubbard Grille. The trees don’t make it easy to shoot — and yes, that’s Sparkle’s butt there on the left:

The sign is obviously new — but it may have been built in the style of the Winder sign — or at least in a 1920s style:

Loads of fun signs in town:

Out of Columbus for a bit — this is from Pataskala. I remember one of my early roadtrips through here around 2001 when the Shamrock Motel was abandoned & seemed doomed:

Now fast forward to today. The sign is fixed up (okay no neon but still), the motel rooms renovated…

… and the big former restaurant (now gift shop & pizzeria?) looks fantastic. A LOT of work and money had to go into this place. I assume there was a gas station once upon a time here as well (the place was built in the 1930s):

Ever get that feeling you are being watched? Once in awhile, Nik peeks up from his remote location — the absolute back of the van. I don’t know how much longer I’ll see this expression. He’s blind in the right eye and the left eye is getting worse by the day. I’ve been to the eye doc multiple times & it seems surgery is way too risky. So by this time next year, he very well might be completely blind — which really sucks because he’s only about 8 and he’s so, SO, active. His left ear, by the way, was ripped up in some kind of thorny bush while retrieving a ball. He was stuck and just pulled to free himself. (and yes, more doggie photos later in the trip)

Back in Columbus:

I’m assuming the name came first (someone’s name?) and the other hands came later:

My apartment’s small but I think I could make room for one of these chairs:

Firstly, I love how they painted those protective pipes the same color as the sign itself. This sign may look familiar to you if you’already been over at Flickr & seen the Pierce Cleaners sign:

There’s also the People’s Cleaners sign in Kewanee, IL with a similar sign:
http://www.agilitynut.com/09/8/peoples.jpg

I don’t know if this was something sign shops could just buy pre-assembled or what the deal was. I think I have seen a couple other signs like this but my brain is fried right now.

On to Springfield. Oh, how I wish the owner of Reco Sporting Goods would reinstall the logs and the man — or even just hang the “RECO” part properly:
http://www.roadsidenut.com/reco403.jpg
Last time I spoke with him he said the rest was in the “garage”.

Last stop: New Carlisle. I posted this same sign over at Flickr tonight — but some of you might like this full-night shot better. I think I like the other one better since it shows the shape of the sign and the piano keys:

Alright then — I’ll report in tomorrow night, photos or not, from someplace hopefully other than wonderful Ohio.

Day 4: Now We’re Talking!

Posted on April 29, 2012April 30, 2012 by roadsidenut

Sun all day long — just a wee bit of haziness at the end of the day. Weather delightfully cool. I’ve got nothing to complain about. Finally wrapped up PA & made a good dent in the Ohio list. This will be a whirlwind tour of Ohio — some Columbus tomorrow and bearing south and west. Indiana & Illinois will be very brief. Missouri even briefer. I’m a day behind schedule already.

I’m late in getting settled tonight & have tons of photos. A nice big batch to Flickr tonight — so don’t forget about that parallel universe as well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Let’s start with this sign in Delmont, PA that I’ve been shooting and admiring for years. I assume the sign was once much nicer. But I’m just glad they kept the ballies on top:

From Butler, PA. These Humpty Dumpty statues usually appear at mini golf courses. But here he is on top of the roof of the Country Kitchen:

A super nice Art Deco building in Youngstown, OH:

From Akron, OH — a giant pizza at Luigi’s Restaurant. I think it’s about five or six feet in diameter:

This sign in Canton, OH had neon and secondary signs originally — but at least they kept it. Here’s what it used to look like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joannemariol/2719561844/

Also from Canton — a pretty cheery repurposed Fotomat booth:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/fotomat/pool/

Sadly unexpected — this former Tastee-Freez was still swinging as the Whipple Dari Drive-in when I shot it in 2007:
http://www.agilitynut.com/07/7/whippie.jpg

Now the sign’s painted over and looking pretty grim. Just as I was climbing back into the van after taking this shot — some guy came running — I mean RUNNING and yelling — so I just played deaf — and then I had to play blind as he nearly through himself in front of the van as I drove off. Sheesh! I guess it was the owner — either wanting to sell me the place — or wanting to scream at me for taking a photo. Crazy.

Whenever I’m in Canton, I stop to check on Willie the Whale. It’s a good distance from the road but I feel compelled to see what’s happened next. Not good. Willie was built in the late 1950s and is all that’s left of Mother Gooseland. Why can’t the city move him someplace where he will get the respect he deserves? Right now, it’s a standoff between vandals, homeless people and the City. The City bricked up the mouth to keep people from sleeping inside — and the homeless people just tore down the cinderblocks.

From Massillon, OH — the perfect combination: bowling and booze:

And let’s wind up with sundown in Dalton, OH. I’ll even let some people come into my photos for a change:

I hope you’re enjoying the ride so far. Many, many more days and nights to come. Just to spare you the disappointment, I might be taking a night off from blogging & Flickring soon. But I’ll make up for it with a double batch the night after. I will probably have to do a mad scurry westward at some point to get on schedule — like a 10 hour drive after shooting all day. If / when I do, I won’t have the steam left to be cropping & writing & all that. This could be tomorrow night — but more likely the night after that.