The building - two tall golden arches flank a slanted flat roof, and red and white tile wrap around the bottom. Walls of glass allow guests to walk up to the window and place their orders. The Speedee sign to the left.

The World’s Oldest McDonald’s

August 22, 2018, 7 Comments

Right here in Southern California, in the LA suburb of Downey (a place my father lived during part of his childhood), is the world’s oldest operating McDonald’s. It’s a unique claim to fame, and one some may pay no attention to, but, like it or not, fast food is an invention of America, and thus,…

Linbrook Bowl's sign, with "Bowl" spelled out on the left, and a large bowling pin reading that they offer 40 lanes.

Linbrook Bowl: Anaheim’s Neon Gem

May 19, 2018, 2 Comments

I won’t lie, I have a soft spot for bowling. I mean, who doesn’t love throwing a ball to try to knock over things? Anyway, I have been meaning to check out Linbrook Bowl, Orange County’s oldest bowling alley (according to the OC Register) for sometime, and earlier this week we finally made it with…

Americana Along Beach Boulevard

April 9, 2018, 4 Comments

Photographing old signs has long been one of my favorite passions. And California has a plethora of them. Just the other day I decided to drive down Beach Boulevard (also known as California Route 39) through Buena Park, Anaheim, Stanton, Westminster, and Huntington Beach to take pictures of the fair amount of signs this short…

I Brake for Vintage Neon

April 20, 2017, Leave a Comment on I Brake for Vintage Neon

Throughout our entire trip there was lots of yelling “I’m pulling over!” or “Pull over!” depending on who was driving. Sometimes it was quite frantic. I have been called “dramatic” at times. But I just can’t help myself when I see a good vintage neon sign! And boy were there a lot of good ones!…

The Art of Reno’s Old Motel Signs

April 18, 2017, 5 Comments

I literally took thousands of photos on our road trip, 3322 to be exact. Most were of abandoned buildings and killer vintage signs, which are my two favorite things to photograph, and our road trip was full of them! So much so my photos are coming to you in three, yes, three, separate posts! First…

Remnants of Vegas’ Glitzy Past Live on at the Neon Museum

April 12, 2017, 8 Comments

If you only go to one museum in Las Vegas, it should be the Neon Museum. The Neon Museum is rich in what made Las Vegas famous – neon. That spectacular glow of gases swirling inside glass made the lure of Las Vegas so bright and people flocked. Sadly though, over the years, many motels, hotels,…

Museum of Neon Art

June 21, 2016, 6 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I spent a day shopping in Burbank (I came home with quite a few goodies which will show up sooner or later on the blog, I’m sure) followed by a visit to the Museum of Neon Art. I would likely say that signage from the mid-20th century is my favorite…

Not so Royal Anymore

January 10, 2015, 4 Comments

On our way back, we stopped in Baker, mostly because I was starving. There isn’t much in Baker, though it is home to the world’s largest thermometer, and just before getting back on the freeway I eyes caught sight of one of my favorite things about road trips, abandoned Americana. There among dead, decapitated palm…

The Remains of The Wagon Wheel

August 17, 2014, 11 Comments

Yes, we are still in California! Although the Disneyland portion of our trip is over, we still have lots of plans! Meanwhile I want to share with you our detour to the Wagon Wheel. As some readers of this blog will already know, I am a complete and utter sucker for roadside Americana. Seriously, I…

The Ruins and Oddities of Route 66

March 18, 2014, 21 Comments

It’s no secret that I am a fan of roadside Americana. While I love to see these 50-plus year old businesses alive and well, my real passion is photographing the abandoned Americana. I love seeing what time and nature does to man-made structures and objects. So when my dad said he wanted to drive down…