Not nearly so hot today.  Maybe high in the low 80s?  A couple rough hours but I think if this keeps up, we’ll tough it out and not lose a day over the AC problem.  Not super blue skies but rather muted with clouds.  Good enough!

Found lots of streams for the dogs.  In fact, I think Grem alerts at every bridge now thinking we’ll be pulling over.  And a new problem with Nik and ducks.  He will not give up on them and spent nearly 20 minutes today chasing a Muscovy duck.  The duck really didn’t mind — but I did!  No matter how much I shouted, Nik was oblivious and just kept chasing him.  Finally, he was exhausted enough to come ashore.  And his brand new spiffy toy was gone (way downstream).   I’ll be on the lookout for ducks & geese and avoid those spots as this is really a huge time-waster.

No food photos today.  And overdue on dog photos (I’ll see what I can do tomorrow).  I’d hoped to dip into the Dallas area stuff today but running behind — despite some ruthless decision-making and skipping quite a number of stops.

The photo-taking started in Killeen today.  I’m guessing this sign (actually two signs) probably had neon originally:

A fun little building and sign.  Maybe a chain?  The pizza chef character isn’t as sophisticated as many are — but still awfully cute:

Still in Killeen.  This one’s a stumper.  The arch is very Burger Chef (see last night’s post) but the building otherwise is all wrong.  Now vacant, apparently last use was as the “Widow’s Son Barefoot Diner”:

Shooting lots and lots of theatres on this trip.  Many in nice shape — but also many in sad shape.  This one is in Marlin:

Some good stuff in Corsicana.  Slipcovers — you either love them or you hate them.  I’m a fan — usually.  I think this one is saved from dreariness by the nice orange sign:

Fantastic little entry design:

and, of course, they had a pin sign.  Could it have been orange originally? (see peeling paint):

Getting back to the Genie Car Wash discussion of a couple nights ago — I should mention that there are also a number of plastic versions around.  So, yeah, I’m glad the H2O people didn’t replace the neon signs in Austin with these:

Waco has tons of great stuff.  Here’s a sampling of some signs:

 

I don’t know what this Art Deco looking building was built as — possibly a church?  Maybe just retail?

I’d love to know what this building was used for originally.  The tower is sort of theatre-ish.  But maybe it was just a substantial restaurant:

And last one for the night, also Waco.  This is still a liquor store.  But you’ll have to use your imagination for the original paint job and text.  Maybe even a point missing above “Liquors”?

Another sunny forecast for tomorrow.  I’m gonna get to bed early tonight as I think tomorrow (and the next few days) are going to be very hectic with traffic and gazillions of stops.

It was hot, really really hot.  90s.  We need to get this AC fixed before we die.  Guess that’ll have to be bright and early Monday wherever we are.  Tomorrow’s a Sunday so I don’t think we’ll find anything open.  And we’re gonna be in really dinky towns.  I stopped in at a Firestone in Bryan today and he said, without looking at anything, that it could be a quick fix — but most likely will be a big deal since the lines are not easy to get to.  Christ.  I have to get the AC repaired every year and have dumped thousands of dollars into it — is this normal?  Found streams here and there for the dogs.  But this is just far too exhausting for me.

Everything else is good so let’s roll ’em.  Lots of stuff from Austin.  This tower is at the old airport site — looks like they’ll be keeping it – yay!

 

Nearby is this giant spider sculpture from 2008:

 

This guy is on the roof of the Wheatsville Food Coop:

 

More changes in town.  This former Burger Chef building housed a Hill-Bert’s Burgers place when I was here last.  Note the plastic panels around the roof and the basic shape still revealed the building’s origins:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42444189@N04/4020061950/

 

And from today — my, oh, my!

This new canopy has a wedge shape which mimic’s the old Burger Chef roof.  Some of the old BC locations did have a canopy somewhat like this (well, without the cut-outs and exaggerated poles, of course):
http://agilitynut.com/eateries/bchef.html

 

Moving on to some signs in Austin.  Milkshake Media has adapted an old sign.  Sorry, don’t know what the original was or looked like.  The bullnose parts (the rings on the edges) flash in a 3-part sequence.

 

An adapted old Arby’s hat sign (covered wagon building long gone):

 

I don’t know how I’ve always missed this until today — since 1964:

 

Some funkier Austin signs for you.  What remains of the building is more interesting than the whitewashed sign now:

 

Apparently, started out as NOT the Texan Motel:

The secondary Texas Motel sign.  Weird faded peeling character at lower left.  I had to leave the old VW buses in.  So Old Austin.  I had a couple of these vans back in the 1970s.  They didn’t have air conditioning OR heat.  But I lived near the beach then and never drove them to Texas!

 

Austin-ites — what the heck was this building originally?  Sort of  Polyneisan IHOP-y meets Stuckey’s.  It’s on Airport Blvd. across from Lamme’s Candies:

 

A mix of plastic & neon:

 

I can check this off the list.  Finally, a kolache.  Actually I bought three.  This is the raspberry & cream cheese.  To sample later will be apricot and… forgot the other flavor.  They had maybe 10 choices plus the meaty choices.  They were bought at the “Kolache Capital Bake Shop” in Caldwell.  So I assume they’re pretty authentic.  Nothing tremendously special but good.  Reminded me of the danishes that we had back in California — which were soft — not crunchy like the NY versions.  We used to get packs of a dozen that pulled apart looking like this.  They had cinnamon with gooey white icing, cherry stuff in the center like this:

 

Neat old hardware store in Bryan:

 

Also in Bryan:  the Queen Theatre.   Very sad — but it looks like some locals are trying to save it:

 

More food!  But not mine.  This was at the Hullabaloo Diner (see my Flickr posts tonight).  I asked the couple if I could take this photo of their “Elvis Fries”.  That’s sausage gravy under the cheese.  Not my thing since I’m vegetarian.  But I did get a strawberry shake to go.  Haven’t had one of those for maybe 15 years but with the heat, it made sense today.

 

Last one for the night — a really fun building (don’t know if there are any others) in  Liberty Hill:

 

So, tomorrow — more scooting around between Austin & Dallas.  I know Waco stuff is on the list tomorrow.  There were six “packs” of TX stuff for this trip.  I’m about 3/4 the way through Pack #3.  Dallas/FW is in Pack #4.  I doubt I’ll even touch #5 and #6 in the remaining alloted week for TX.

The first third of the day was spent doing more driving than shooting.  Headed west of San Antonio and worked northward, then east into Austin.  Some things that I could not live without shooting so it was worth the time spent getting there.  It was a mix of sun & clouds but mostly just sunny and HOT.  Easily in the 90s.  I was always on the lookout for water sources so the dogs could cool off.  Nik chased some geese in the Medina River in Bandera for about 20 minutes at top speed though he never stood a chance of catching them.  Then later in Junction, Nik and Grem thought they might do better with ducks.  But the ducks always stayed at least five feet in front of them and never seemed concerned.  Grem had given up here and was heading back to shore.   Grip & Fix, the two seniors, never venture that far out.

At the end of the day, more swimming at a most awesome spot in Austin — the Red Bud Island Dog Park — which is more like a huge area surrounded by water rather than fencing.  Big enough that no other dogs bothered my dogs at all.  Tons of shade & completely foresty setting – just perfect!  May have to go back tomorrow morning.
http://www.doggoes.com/parks/texas/austin/red-bud-isle-off-leash-dog-area

En route to other things, I checked out Stone Henge II which was moved recently from Hunt to Ingram.  In fact, they’re still working on getting it fully assembled:
http://www.statesman.com/life/travel/a-texas-stonehenge-will-move-from-hunt-to-848808.html

A few stops in Fredericksburg — and this was another diversion.  I had thought this hotel was an adapted hangar at the airport.  But it turns out, it was just built to look like one:
http://www.hangarhotel.com/

On to the Austin stuff.  I believe this neon sign is new — as so many are in town.  This is at the Nutty Brown Cafe:

One of my fave new signs that I’ve always been stuck shooting in lousy weather.  Finally today, sun & shadow.  At Ed’s Bluff Springs Auto:

An oldie.  With its neon removed but the colors are still as bright as ever:

A brand new one at Home Slice Pizza:

I still haven’t forgiven Austin for letting this happen.  These old Genie Car Wash signs were replaced with new ones last year when new owners took over the chain.  There are still a few old ones outside of Austin that were spared (independently owned).  It looks like Roadhouse Relics, a sign shop in town, has possession of one of the old signs.  It’s installed on a trailer near their store:

And here’s one of the new signs:

For night time comparison —
old:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/onefivedoor/2347687134/

new:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amandagillispie/4935861827/

OK — so it’s better than a plastic box.  But still.  I really like the old guy so much better.  And that new font is awful.

The Threadgill’s restaurant on Riverside has a lot of nice old signs inside.  Here are just a few (the rest will go to my site eventually):

This one flashes, alternating between “Beer” in red and “Jake’s” in green:

I SO deserved this today!  The “Mix” (chocolate & vanilla frozen custard) from Sandy’s Hamburgers.  It nearly melted into soup in the two seconds it took me to take this photo:

Can never shoot Kruger’s enough.  Above & below:

And let’s end with another oldie from Austin:

I should be able to finish up Austin tomorrow morning.  Lots of smaller cities east and north.  Hopefully, by Sunday start on the Dallas-Fort Worth area which will take about three days I think.  I hate to waste time getting the AC fixed but it sure would make life better for all of us — especially with three weeks to go yet.

The weather started with dark annoying clouds — but by the middle of the day a mix of sun and clouds.  I took more photos today than any of the trip so far (about 250).   I worked my ass off actually.  At least 150 stops.  All that without air conditioning!  I turned it on around midday when it got into the upper 80s.  But it was maybe 75 degrees on full blast inside the van.  Better with the windows open and a breeze.  So I guess the freon is gone already and I can go to a garage and the dye will tell where the leak is.  Not about to give up precious time and sit somewhere today though.  Maybe in a smaller town where it won’t be an all day wait.

I usually take on average about 150 photos per day — and basically use about a dozen or so for the blog.  The rest, just about every single one of them, end up at the site.  I’m not one of those people that take 4 shots of something and decide later which one.  I usually take just one, maybe two, and move on to the next thing on the list.  Most stops, I’m only out of the van for less than 10 seconds.  So if you’re doing the math, averaging 120 shots per day x five week trip = about 4200 photos per trip.  That’s usually bumped up to at least 5000 photos per trip since some stops require multiple shots (mini golfs, carousels, pet cemeteries, etc.).  So that’s why you’re only seeing a fraction of the photos I shoot at Flickr and here, only one angle of a building, etc.

Early in the day, I had a quick meet-up with a Flickr pal, Stu_Jo.  You know I’m not one to miss daylight shooting time on people — but, hey, there was a promise of homemade baked goods.  And he’s been kind enough to share lots of tips re: gas stations & other buildings — it was the right thing to do.  Plus the dogs got a good romp around his mostly walled-in workplace garden.  Seemed to entertain his co-workers and not too many heirloom roses were destroyed in the process.  Stu_Jo even posted a photo of moi & Sparkle at his stream — more photos of me have been taken on this trip than in the past ten years!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatafarce/5598827774/

Anyhow, here’s my selection from the Filling Station Cafe across the street from his workplace.  Yes, that’s coconut cream pie on the dash.  For breakfast.  Now that my stomach’s healthy, I have no shame.

 

Alrighty then — on to more serious matters.  Here’s one of my photos of the Santikos Mission 4 Drive-in Theatre from 2006.   The drive-in closed a year later and it was announced that a library and park would be built on the site.  At least they are preserving the screen tower in some way (the second photo from today):

 

OK – how about a mini slideshow of signs:

 

We’re sure a long way from home (NYC) — where it’s 40 degrees cooler right now:

 

From the Alamo Music Center downtown — a nice bit of pure tube bending:

 

Over-the-top Texan pride I guess.  At the Buckhorn Saloon & Texas Ranger Museum:
http://www.buckhornmuseum.com/

 

A really neat “glass sidewalk” (my term, don’t know the real word(s)).  If you’re unfamiliar, these glass squares brought natural light into basements during the day.  And I believe they were also lit from below at night for pedestrians.  There are still some in SoHo in NYC — and there must be more elsewhere.  What made these extra special was they weren’t clear but purple-y:

 

Creepy but great:

 

Can never get enough sun!  I can’t find an “established in” date for this company at Google.  But the building looks at least 1930s (the green sign probably 1950s):

 

Last one for the night is a modern sign — in the style of the old:

 

I haven’t a clue yet which direction we’ll be heading tomorrow.  There’s some stuff west of here that I really wanted to see.  Also some stuff east that’s clumped together and enticing.  If I were sensible, I’d head straight on up towards Austin.  I’m too tired to listen to the pleas of my inner child tonight so I’ll have to make decisions in the morning.

Oh, and for those of you that liked following the “bubble” at Flickr (on the map page), I’ve resumed that practice tonight at the agilitynut stream.  I’ve had two people say they missed it — so maybe there are others.  It allows you to find out at a glance where Sparkle is at for the night.  Just hover over the map for the note square which I move when we park each night:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/5500148977/

 

 

 

We’re rolling now!  Blue skies and a settled stomach.  When I looked at the maps & lists in the morning, I finally got sensible and started yanking out stuff that would have to wait until the next time.  Always so hard to do since you have to worry what will really be there “next time” and what will be destroyed.  Instead of heading west, I headed north.  Lots of small towns and then early evening arriving in San Antonio.  If I have an ounce of strength left tonight, I’ll go see if I can find some lit neon.  I have a list of about a dozen signs that should be on and waiting — but I’m pretty much a wreck even before writing this post.  I must think about taking a night off soon.  The only planned “date” (night off to socialize) isn’t til OKC and that’s a long way off.

I found a nice big lake in Cuero for the dogs.  Otherwise, running in empty fields in this heat wore them down pretty quickly.  The upper 80s have returned.  I tested the AC and that really was a nice luxury.  It knocks the dogs out like a tranquilizer within seconds.  I have turned the engine on and restarted again maybe six times — not a problem once.  So, I’m not going to stress about it — just be careful I don’t turn it off in some remote or scary place.

Tons of photos to share — hard to narrow them down.  From Tuleta — if you like your gas stations on the crusty side:

From Kenedy — no roof or building behind this one:

Another from Kenedy.  I believe this was a gas station / restaurant combo.  If these walls could speak!

In Runge.  Even the backs of Humble Oil gas stations were beautiful:

a column-top detail:

This drug store in Yorktown has been around since 1928.  Surely, there would have been a neon navy & orange neon sign where the plastic one is now:
http://www.agilitynut.com/signs/rex.html

This sign is also from Yorktown (motel no longer open):

From Edwards Furniture in Gonzales – still in business:

From a great, restored Mobilgas station in Gonzales.  This pump appears to be vintage but was probably brought from somewhere else for display.  What intrigued me was the plastic lettering.  The metal pump is cut-out in such a way so that this embossed plastic piece fits behind it.  A light bulb behind it (still there!) would have lit the letters at night:

The Rock-a-Bye Motel in Luling.  I don’t know if this place is being worked on — or if they’re just trying to keep people out.  This was one of those courtyard affairs with garages for each unit.  Looks like various additions over the years but most likely the units shown here are from the 1920s:

Also from Luling — the cutest dressed-up oil drilling pump EVER.  Oil driller?  I grew up with these things all over in Ventura and I can’t remember the name!  No time for Google to save my ass tonight.  Anyway, the wings open in the down position and close in the up position:

A couple of heartbreaking transformations.  This one from Lockhart.   So simple and pure back in 2006 when it was still the Glossserman Chevrolet dealership:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/114129190/
At least they saved some of the letters — but that NAPA sign is disgustingly overwhelming:

And one of my favorite San Antonio buildings rather botched up by a church now.  Why, oh, why did they have to throw their letters in there?  Back in 2006 when it was still the NCOA Building:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/114120552/

A couple signs from Seguin:

And while in Seguin to reshoot the World’s Largest Mobile Pecan — I had to make a little purchase at their store.  I was reluctant about the praline thing but these are out of this world good!  I was only going to have two just in case my stomach was not up to it.  But I could not stop myself and think I had eight or so in rapid succession.  Imagine a chocolate covered pecan with really, really good milk chocolate that you cannot hold for more than two seconds or it starts to melt.  Then imagine that pecan covered with the thinnest of praline candy coating so you don’t notice anything but extra crunch.  That’s this!  Posted on the Mobile Pecan — sorry no scale.  But I thought you’d like the ingredient list.  Each piece is about an inch and a half long.

Let’s end this post with a couple ratty but wonderful signs from San Antonio.  Either one of them might get ripped down tomorrow.   This one’s motel is already leveled.  The coin on the other side of this one has Liberty’s head:

This one probably much prettier in its day with neon I’d think and lots of blinking lights.  Please direct the sun my way tomorrow since the forecast is for clouds (frown):

 

Tomorrow, I’ll try to bang through the entire stack of San Antonio stuff & start heading north by evening.  I know Austin & Waco are in the next batch after some diversions.  Wish me luck out there in the dark tonight!  Since’s it’s already 11pm, I don’t know what might be still lit on a Wednesday night.

Yes, the weather was incredible.  Lots of pretty photos — and incredible distances covered.  My stomach is getting a bit better — still lots of troubles.  But I took a big chance on a half a burrito tonight.  Just dying for something real and warm to eat — regardless of the consequences.

Sparkle running great.  But.  Two little new items of concern.  The tiniest of brake grindy sound that I think I hear.  Just had all new brakes and rotors installed before this trip.  Have heard this before years ago — a caliper or something?  Something dragging.  Will stop in at next dealership I see and see what they think it is and if it needs immediate attention.  The other thing, more worrying, is two times in a row late this morning when I turned the key, nothing happened, turned again & started fine.  So after that, I resolved not to turn the engine off even for gas.  That’s about the only time I ever turn the engine off anyway except for extended dog romps.  So upon stopping for the night, I turned the key, started fine.  So I will be extremely careful where I turn the engine off.  Most likely a starter.  Can’t be a battery (turns over just fine).  I think this will be harder to diagnose until it stops working.  I dread losing another day or two somewhere on this trip with repair delays.

The dogs got three good beach runs in before noon.  I gave them extra time since I know we won’t be near any beach for a long time.  Certainly not on this trip unless we score some lakes & rivers.  Nothing beats ocean or Gulf beaches though.  Although the Great Lakes are pretty awesome.

On with the photos.  I got settled late and am fading fast.

Corpus Christi is mid-century heaven.  I’ve been there maybe three times now and am still always finding new goodies.  Here are just a few random things.  A parking garage:

combo office space & condos?

with what I call corduroy concrete:

a bank:

A few other things from Corpus Christi  — a closed furniture store:

I don’t recognize this building as part of a chain.  Looks like a super skinny Pizza Hut roof.   It just had to be SOMEthing:

This must have been a drive-in restaurant originally.  Had a classic drive-in style canopy.  But now seems more like Mexican take-out:

A local icon (or eyesore depending on your point of view).  This “For Sale” statue done by a local artist has been at this intersection since 1984:

A modern Whataburger has painted this storage building like an old walk-up stand:

This mind-boggling display is on North Padre Island.  The place is known as the “Ocean Treasures” gift shop:

This one from Kingsville.  I don’t know if this was originally a movie theatre marquee — or if the sign was just built to look like one.  I could look it up… but since it’s 2am right now…

A few signs from Harlingen.  Those appear to be neon loops around the canopy edge:

And finally, a couple shots of my companions at Seven Seas in Los Fresnos.  I used the same photo-op a few years ago — but it was freezing cold and grey skies:

Tomorrow, if the starter works, we’ll be hitting a bunch of small towns for quickie stops and hopefully by afternoon arrive in San Antonio.  I think I have about ten days left for the Texas part of the trip.

After ten excruciating hours at the dealership getting Sparkle worked on, we’re back on the road with a vengeance.  My stomach is slowly but surely getting better.  Only eating small nibbles of things for now.  I didn’t post anything to Flickr tonight but I didn’t want to let my loyal blog readers down.  So I did sneak in some quick shots on the three hours-ish trip down to Corpus Christi.  The van ran flawlessly so I’m psyched to get back to work here.  And I hear it should be gorgeous tomorrow.   Here then are my meager offerings for the night.

My pre-trip fantasy was to eat burritos every day I was in Texas.  So far I haven’t had one.  And I think I’d better wait awhile yet considering my tender tummy.   I love humanized food signs!  And note the entirely perfect blue skies that I missed today.  I really felt like crying.  This guy is in Refugio:

 

The former Rialto Theatre in Sinton.  At least that big-assed truck isn’t covering much.  In fact, it’s and improvement and not bad contrast in this case.  Maybe I can sell some of my shots from this trip to truck manufacturers for their advertising?

 

I’ve been following the saga of the Rockport crab for years now — and finally got to meet him.  Sort of.  This guy is not the real vintage deal — but a replica.  Hey, a piece of history kept alive through tribute is better than nothing!  And this guy is wonderfully homely in his own way — not the generic giant fiberglass crab:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1296

And yes, that’s the WATER in the background — insert insane barking & shrieking sounds here — my ears are still ringing.  Newcomers to my blog & dogs might want a peek at this quickie video — only it’s gotten about 100 times worse and all 4 are participating now.  The smell or sight of any watery body sets them off — far worse than cows or squirrels.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/4458334235/

Just minutes after this crab photo, I got these dogs some beach time.  The wind was fierce so the waves were bashing Nik about like mad.  But he did not care.  It only made getting his ball more fun and challenging. Maniac.  The girls have far more sense.

 

A little Streamline Moderne from Rockport – sunset coming on:

 

I’m feeling better already seeing this! (also Rockport)  Yes, tomorrow’s gonna be a great day!

 

More Streamliney goodness from… uh-oh.  This was south of Rockport — might have been Aransas Pass.  Maybe someday I’ll join all you GPS-ers out there.  Right now, I’m just a really, really good notetaker.  Usually.

 

Score of the day (well, a very short day of driving).  Looks this was probably a drive-in restaurant sign originally.  In Aransas Pass – I’m sure of it.

Remember that old Jimmy Cliff song…  “it’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright sun shiney day…. I think I can make it now the pain is gone… nothing but blue skies…”  Pardon my optimism, I’m just on a beach high with the dogs tonight, palms swaying in the breeze (sorry to rub it in Northern pals) and happy to have escaped from that dealership waiting room prison.

OK — so maybe some not so itty — but certainly much smaller than Houston.  And not so much directly south.  Lots of westward movement.  But we are on a southward plunge.  Back to the beach bay-bee!  But this will probably take me longer than it normally would.  Finally, Sparkle’s check engine light came on.  Or as she puts it “service engine soon”.  Which is a good thing!  Hopefully, this stuttering behavior can be identified and fixed.  Since I know the problem well from Fort Wayne last summer, I did not panic when the light came on.  At first I tried to find a garage — but no dice, on a Sunday, esp. not in remote central Texas.  So I just got used to the amber glow and kept a constant eye on the oil pressure &  temperature gauges which did not budge.  The bucking was worse in the morning but got better-ish as the day went on.  I’ve already got myself stationed in a city (Victoria) with a Chevrolet dealership that opens at 7am.  But I know how these things go.  They might give me a story that they can’t even look at it til Tuesday.  I will try begging.  Maybe crying.  Maybe even bribery.

As for my health, if you’re interested.  The barfing has stopped and the illness has now progressed to the other end of me.  Which has made for some stressful moments and sheer physical stamina heretofore not been tested.  I ate half a plain croissant for breakfast.  Maybe not a good idea since that wasn’t in me for long.  Way more than you want to know!  But I didn’t let the inconvenience wreck my day.  How many people can say they lost weight on vacation?  I was determined to get as many photos in as I could because I might be stuck in a garage for a day or two.  Perfectly enough, this Chevy dealer, if they’ll have me, is right across the street from a McDonald’s where I can get free wifi and stay in touch with you all.  There’s also a big grassy field behind the building so I can entertain the kids.

So, sick car, sick me… and I got my first (hopefully, my last) speeding ticket of the trip.  It was really not fair!  Coming into Sealy for a one-stop-shot of a fairly boring theatre.  Speed zone changes from 55 to 35 pretty quick and I got radar-ed at 49.  Just seconds after I made an emergency pit stop at a McDonald’s.  So not right to pick on me when I’m at my lowest.  First thing the cop said was “are you having a medical emergency?” which really gave me pause.  How could he know?  No, of course he didn’t.  He just wanted to see if I had an excuse for speeding.  I only said that I hadn’t noticed the sign and just then noticed things had gotten more downtown-ish and slowed down.  He showed no mercy.  But when I think of how much “excessive speed” I’ve been doing, this is really inconsequential.  Folks drive REALLY fast in Texas.  Like 90 on interstates where the limit is 70.  Even the country roads have a 70 mph speed limit.  This is getting me probably a dozen more cities in per day.

Let move on from the hardship and onto what it’s really all for.

From Navasota:  a simple but stunning blade sign for Miller’s Theatre.  The beaten-down Masonic globe sign in the background is not attached — just looks that way here:

From La Grange — the Cottonwood Inn.  I’m sure this must’ve had a nice sign at one time — now just the standard plastic box:

From Schulenburg, TX.  Car repair was on my mind.   I love faux front buildings — very movie set!

Another in Schulenburg.  I think this is too tiny to have been a gas station.  But I have no other explanation.  It’s set back from the road, on the commercial strip.

From Columbus.  Oil derrick reference?  Never seen anything like it:

From Eagle Lake.  Usually these Masonic signs embedded in the buildings are just done in relief.  While loads of Masonic neon signs still out there —  I’ve never seen an embedded one like this decorated with neon:

From Eagle Pass comes this mystery building du jour.  Could this Dairy Delite be a severely altered Sandy’s Hamburgers (or copied their style a bit)?
http://agilitynut.com/eateries/sandys.html

I asked the current owner that was there but he knew nothing about its beginnings.  Only that there is another location in Sheridan.  I didn’t get a chance to go — but glad I didn’t since checking at Google shows it to be just a boring boxy building.

Two neat signs from Wallis:

This Firestone sign was especially interesting to me since their signs are always red and white.  I’ve always been looking for other blue examples of Firestone signs or buildings to explain the supposedly-original blue and cream Firestone building in New Albany, IN:
http://agilitynut.com/tires/fin.html

From Rosenberg:

A faux lighthouse from Rosenberg — to join the others when I get home:
http://www.agilitynut.com/mim/lighthouses.html

OK, are you still with me about Robo-Washes?  I found another today in Rosenberg at a used car lot.  Note the track & plastic paneling around the roof.  No sign here though:

and just in case there was any doubt — the embossed name:

From Richmond:

and lastly — this is what the next map looks like after the dogs have been playing in the muddy Brazos River.  Good thing my upholstery is a browny shade of grey!  Luckily nothing bad happened with them today.  Okay, so yes, I’m driving with half a hand and shooting with the other at 65 mph.  Something wrong with that?  Note the soothing amber light beneath the radio of Sparkle’s desperate plea for help:

Once we get moving again…  we should be passing through Corpus Christi and hopefully arrived at the tippy tip bottom of Texas.  After that, it’ll be a zigzag path back up through San Antonio, Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth (and a gazillion little cities between all those).  Then I’ll have to assess whether we have to split for OK or whether we have time for points more west.

An extra long post tonight since I suspect tomorrow’s will be slim on photos.

Still feeling like crap but I’m not about to waste a day wallowing in misery.  Thanks for all your concern and comments to get better soon.  I’m trying!  I haven’t eaten a thing today.  Switched over from Diet Coke to water — which is a major hardship for me.  Threw up a few times.  Luckily not while driving!  The only thing that would stop me would be snow & not very likely here.  Highs in the upper 80s again today (AC still on the fritz).  The sun didn’t come out til 5pm so this will be another monochromatic batch of photos.

My stomach pain fluctuates from mild to the hospitalization type.  I was grateful to get out of Houston where I could sit a spell and just drive between stops instead of hopping out every two minutes to shoot.  Some of the photo targets today required a block long walk from the van and that trek was in slow motion agony.  BUT, tonight feeling a tiny bit peppier and hoping for a full recovery tomorrow.  I’m contemplating what would be safe to eat.  My stomach’s such a wreck that I’m not even hungry yet though after a day and a half.

No change with Sparkle — mostly fine.  4,000 miles on this trip so far so maybe she’ll make it back home like this.  The dogs are fine.  I think I’m going to bypass dog parks for the rest of the trip unless they sound super enormous or are super convenient.  Nik is getting picked on by big dogs and it’s not pretty.  Most people just stand around and yak and ignore their dogs.  I’m the only one throwing balls so naturally all the big galugs come over to try to steal Nik’s ball or just plain bite him.   We managed to find ponds & lakes in some really swank areas today.  I got some glares for running my dogs around and tossing balls in the water.  But they were really just 10 minute necessary stops because of the van climate.  I would think not an arrestable offense.

Enough chatter — let’s start with Houston stuff.  Here’s what the Weingarten’s Big Food Market looked like in 2006 — shuttered and in bad shape:

and today:

Another Streamline Moderne beauty in need of help:

a close-up of the sign:

Downtown Houston — still there… for now:

I love faux castles.  Just about none are too tacky for me:
http://agilitynut.com/mim/castles.html

I’m happy to report that this Alamo Plaza Motor Hotel is still there — and about the same shape as it was back in 2006:
http://agilitynut.com/overnight/alamo.html

This one’s in such a strange position.  Set back from the road, stores in front of it with lots of chain link.  All by itself.  I can’t see how it would have been useful advertising where it is and the pole seemed not to have been moved.

A fun / strange billboard shot just as I was leaving Houston:

 

Four cool cats which must live at the Sam Houston Statue Visitor Center in Huntsville.  These two were wrestling in a loving way for several minutes while I stood there.  Notice cat behind fence giving me stink eye:

So you already know I’m crazy.  But I just had to drive an hour out my way to visit one of the few remaining Robo Washes in Grapeland.  There might be more still out there going by different names — but I only know of one other sign that survives (in Hot Springs, AR):
http://www.agilitynut.com/modarch/carwash.html

The place is no longer in business.  The red and white plastic dealies that would have been around the roofline are gone.  But the special track for the robot (car-cleaning device) is still there:

And as the sun was setting in the West….  in Crockett, TX, I came upon another ranch gate.  Really fancy with more figures along the fencing left and right as well (not shown here):

We’ve settled in Huntsville for the night and will be gradually heading south towards the tip of TX.  Way behind schedule.  I haven’t done exact calculations but it’s not looking good at all for West TX stops.

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Houston kicked my ass today.  I don’t know if it was the heat or possible food poisoning but I’m getting this post off to you in the wee hours because I needed a nap.  Still not feeling right.  It got to around 90 today and although I spent thousands on A/C just last year, nothing at all coming out today.  I stopped at several dog parks today so the dogs could soak in ponds.  This afternoon there was a breeze at least which really helped.  Maybe if Sparkle ever does break down on this trip, I can get the A/C fixed at the same time.

Basically, my stomach is in knots and I feel like I could barf at any second.  Weak.  And I feel like my whole body’s been beaten up.  Kind of like after you do a big move and every muscle aches.  I did get in and out of the van a few thousand times today so maybe that’s it.  I was trying desperately to make a good dent in the TX list.  Didn’t get started til late because there was intense fog in the morning.  Weird.  I should be able to finish Houston tomorrow if I’m feeling right.

Early in the day, I stopped at THE Shipley’s on Ella Blvd.  This is the one with the old neon sign and I think make better donuts than the rest:

So I got two — time for the Dashboard Donut shot:

Cherry and nut (walnuts — no wimpy peanuts here).  I ate them both.  And that’s I think when my problems started.  I haven’t eaten anything since because I feel like I’m going to explode.  But I don’t blame Shipley’s.  Could be just a bad combo of heat, dehydration, and maybe too much sugar at once given that scenario.

Let’s move on to some signs.

Still an operating Sears — different location from the bus shelter than I posted over at Flickr tonight:

This place is gone:

Its building is still there:

This little strip mall has been luckier:

A cute little survivor.  The sign is nicer in person — sun was really glare-y here:

This fried chicken place had a sign I’ve not seen before.  Could this be an early Church’s or something?

This place caught my eye with its turrets and freestanding sign:

The owner came out & shared some of his vintage photos of the place.  Sadly the pylon part of the building to the right has been remodeled (no more pylon):

One last quirky building for tonight:

Back to bed.  Hoping I can sleep this thing off.