A small single story Streamline Moderne style building, abandoned with collapsing wood frame.

Lonesome Spots along California Backroads

June 29, 2023, Leave a Comment on Lonesome Spots along California Backroads

Today I’m rounding up California sights from our road trip, including many more abandoned buildings, neon signs, and even a Twilight Zone filming location! Rustic Oasis Motel, 2005 U.S. 395, Olancha. “Temporarily Closed” according to Google. Airflite Cafe, US-395, Olancha. Abandoned. Invisible Theme Park cited a CalTrans survey (although I could not locate the survey…

Overall view of the front building, which is a single story building, curved ever so slightly with square pillars supporting the overhang. Turquoise diamonds are painted on the pillars, while the rest of the motel is covered in graffiti. In the distance a sign features a palm tree and reads "Arnie's Royal Hawaiian Motel"

A Return to the Abandoned Royal Hawaiian Motel

June 27, 2023, Leave a Comment on A Return to the Abandoned Royal Hawaiian Motel

Back in 2015 en route home from Vegas, Patrick and I found ourselves in the tiny town of Baker, home to the world’s largest thermometer. We also happened upon Arnie’s Royal Hawaiian, an abandoned motel. We snapped photos of it back then, when there was still a fence around part of the property, but a…

An ameba shape neon sign reads "Sky Ranch Motel" with a moon and stars on the top.

The Neon Spectacle of Las Vegas

June 21, 2023, Leave a Comment on The Neon Spectacle of Las Vegas

Las Vegas became famous for its casinos that boasted glitz and glamor with big, brilliant buzzing neon signs. Sadly, these days many have switched to LED, and while some signs have had a second life at the Neon Museum, there is still plenty of neon to be seen in the wild. From the massive kicking…

Overall view of the Perish Motel" a Googie style sign reads "Perish Motel TV" in red and white with a large white arrow pointing toward the rooms.

One-of-a-Kind Roadside Sights from Oregon, Idaho & Utah

June 9, 2023, 2 Comments

After Nevada, we continued briefly into Oregon before arriving at our destination of Idaho. While visiting with my mother, we still took some time to drive around and I found so many great signs and more! After wrapping up our visit, we drove into Utah before eventually arriving in Vegas. So today I bring you…

A massive neon sign features a cowboy on horseback being chased by a Native American with a bow shooting arrows, and below reads "Pony Express Lodge"

More than Las Vegas: Neon Gems of Nevada

June 5, 2023, Leave a Comment on More than Las Vegas: Neon Gems of Nevada

Never go on a road trip with me unless you’re prepared to pull off the road whenever I see a neon sign, abandoned building, or something weird. When Patrick and I weren’t on freeways, we took many backroads and old highways during our trip, and even though we had made this drive before, we still…

Small, single story, boarded up adobe buildings sit just past a sign reading "Casablanca Inn"

The Remnants, Remains, and Random Snapshots of 2022

February 1, 2023, 1 Comment

Sometimes when Patrick and I go out we find ourselves pulling over when we spy a vintage sign, or a unique or abandoned building. Often these places never have enough meat to them for their very own post (and more often than not, the photos get forgotten about as a result), or they get relegated…

A gas station doing in an ornate Spanish Revival style, with a small cupola at the top. Faded letters read "Barnsdall Oil Co. and Rio Grand Oil Co." Blue and white tile frame old doorways and windows.

I Pulled Over for This! Neon Lights and More from our Bay Area Road Trip

July 19, 2022, Leave a Comment on I Pulled Over for This! Neon Lights and More from our Bay Area Road Trip

Sometimes when out and about I stumble across a neat sign or abandoned building, a place really cool to look at, but perhaps not much more than that and doesn’t need a blog post all to itself. This is always the case with road trips, so today I bring you a round up of some…

To the right stands the tall sign reading "Motel Inn" and to the right is the one remaining, Spanish Revival style building, with the lone wall from the restaurant in the middle in the distance.

Remnants of the Motel Inn, the World’s First Motel

July 14, 2022, 3 Comments

Just off Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo sits a tall sign reading “Motel Inn Restaurant & Lounge First Motel in the World” but pull over and you’ll be welcomed not by a jolly proprietor, but instead by a chain link fence and only one building and a lilting facade just beyond it. This is…

A blue and red roof tops off a stone wall with a carved wood sign that reads "Jenny Rose Restaurant" In the distance a large neon heart frames a sign that also reads "Jenny Rose Restaurant"

The Deserted Jenny Rose Restaurant of Yermo

April 22, 2022, 4 Comments

En route to Calico Ghost Town you pass by the Jenny Rose Restaurant. With its massive neon heart sign, it certainly catches the eye, whether you’re on Ghost Town Road or on Interstate 15. But don’t expect to grab a bite to eat here, as a burger hasn’t be served here for sometime, and the…

A red painted building sits behind overgrown bushes. A large sign out front reads "Gene Valla's Blue Gum Luncheon-Dinners." A neon martini glass tops the large sign.

Photo Essay: Americana Through the Eyes of a 16 Year Old

January 26, 2022, 8 Comments

Recently Patrick and I went did a massive clean out and reorganization of our garage. Part of it involved me sifting through boxes of photos. Yes, real, glossy, shot on film type of photos. Growing up in the infancy of digital photography means my early memories were captured on film, and I learned the ropes…