Googie signage

The lovely Miss Ginger wonders, "Why is it called 'Googie' signage and 'Googie' architecture?"

Excellent question, Miss G., and although I think I may have written a little about Googie before, it was some time ago and I don't think I wrote a ton about it. This is one of the finest signs I saw on our recent trip. I love the starburst/sun rays at the top, and when lit, they light in sequence. Very cool!

Googie is part of futurist architecture, and originated in southern California. It takes its name from Googie's Coffee Shop, which was demolished in the late 80's. Googie was prominent from the late 40's through about the mid-60's, and was inspired by car culture, and the Space and Atomic Ages. Frequent design elements were geometric shapes, boomerangs, atoms, starbursts, and flying saucers; roofs were often triangular and upswept, indicating speed and energy; and materials included glass, steel, and neon.

Googie architecture and signs lost their appeal in the late 60's, and many buildings and signs were torn down. In the 90's, efforts began to preserve these unique examples of a short-lived style in American architectural history. I love them because they seem happy and cheerful to me, and as you know, I loves me my retro stuff!

There is a great book by Alan Hess dedicated to nothin' but Googie (Googie Redux), and some great examples of Googie can be found at Roadside Peek. Next time you're out and about, see if you can spot some signs that you think might be Googie. You're looking for triangles, sphere, starbursts, etc. Neon is a plus, but not a requirement. If you find a good one, take a picture and put it up on your site and leave a comment here about it. I always love seeing new signs! It can be a new game: Spot the Googie! More Vegas signs to come as soon as I can get busy on a slideshow.

Lord have mercy, I'm a Bethsicle! It was cold enough when I went out to get the mail--thank goodness the postman had already come! This afternoon, I turned on the TV to watch CNN while I did a little ironing, and I couldn't get the channel. No CNN? ACK! *swoon* I started messing with it, resetting the receiver, etc., and eventually I couldn't get any sort of satellite info at all. I took a look out back, and sure enough, the dish had a whole bunch of snow piled up on it. I had to take out the garbage, too, so I bundled up and headed out. Ski suit topped with my parka. My core stayed toasty-warm, but my face was freezing, even with my hood up!

And wow, it's pretty deep. It was definitely close to my knees, so I'd say at least a foot total. I brushed off the dish, took the garbage can out to the road, and by the time I was done, I had worked up a sweat! And there was a happy ending, because I 'm watching CNN right now. Huzzah! As for the temps, we're still on track for 13 below tonight, so all I can say is that I hope that those who don't have a home make their way to shelters tonight. It is dangerously cold.

Source: "Googie architecture." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2008. Answers.com 15 Jan. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/googie-architecture

Some pics (and kicks) from Route 66

On our way back from Ken's mom's place in Springfield, Missouri, we stopped in Lebanon for a few pictures. Lebanon is the home of the Munger Moss Motel, and I've heard that it is well-maintained; our friend Laurel knows the owner, and assures me that it is a fine establishment and a great place to stay! It has an interesting history, and you can read about it on their website. I think the story of the creation of their pool is a neat one! There's also a gorgeous picture of the famous sign all lit up at night. It's a beauty!

Just from our quick look-see, the Munger Moss really is beautifully maintained. The red brick looks brand new, and the grounds look clean and well-cared for! Old motels, not just along Route 66, often get rundown and end up quite seedy and creepy. There were several in Illinois that Shane and I would have loved to stay at back in 2001, but after a drive-by, we realized it was not a very good idea at all! Even the beautiful Coral Court in St. Louis, which had an amazing architectural design, ended up a "no-tell motel." (I still want to write about the Coral Court, and how sad I am that it was demolished. Stay tuned.) Anyhoo, it's a pleasure to see one of Route 66's iconic motels so lovingly maintained, and alive and well!

Doesn't the sign look similar to the Holiday Inn signs? I don't know who designed the Munger Moss sign, but it came well before the Holiday Inn signs. Copycats! I'm including a larger picture here, because the slideshow is fairly tiny. Note that at the bottom of the classic googie sign is one of those yellow rental signs that says, "The Mother Road lives forever here." My caption for the picture is that it lives forever in our hearts, not just at the Munger Moss! (Also note that they offer free TV! Sweeeet!)

I was also pleased to see a few other old motels right around the Munger Moss, including the Forest Manor and the Holiday Motel. Those didn't look quite as well maintained, but I'm always happy when I get to see an old courtyard motel and some great signage, no matter how rundown! I had also totally forgotten that Wrink's Market is in Lebanon, so I had a moment of excitement when Ken said, "Look at the old market," and when I looked up, I said, "It's Wrink's! I've read about it!"

Ohhh man, I love the history of it all, and the way it fires my imagination! Does anyone have a clue as to why this fascinates me (and others) so? What is the lure of Route 66? What brings people from all over the world to travel what is left of the Road? All good questions, and I'll soon ponder my obsession passion while our brief foray is still fresh in my mind.