Kicks: Day Eleven (Laundry day)

We slept in a bit this morning, but eventually got up and around and downstairs for our workout. (Great fitness center at this hotel!)

Since we were staying in Albuquerque an extra day, our plan was to get into a place that had laundry facilities so we could get that done. Despite the great workout area, they didn’t have guest laundry, so we headed out in search of a laundromat. Neither of us were looking forward to it, because I recall laundromats being hot, creepy places. But I’m happy to report that it was a relatively pain-free experience, and we were out of there in about an hour with two carry-on suitcases full of clean clothes. Yay!

Then it was time to grab a bite to eat, and we found a place called Kelly’s, which is in a ‘30s-era Ford dealer building. Decent food and local brews in a neat building.

We took another drive down Central Avenue so that I could get some of the signage in the daylight. The skies were overcast, so I didn’t get that beautiful blue sky background that looks the best, but I still got some great sign shots (at least I think so!). Some of these are from last night, with the gorgeous neon blazing. The sign that heads up this blog is not a new one, but it is a fantastic addition to the great signs along Central. This is the mascot of the Octopus Carwash, and is that the cutest (and most helpful) octopus you’ve ever seen, or what??




The Premiere has a nicely lit sign, and notice the “No Vacancy” is lit! A lot of these little places are now used as weekly or monthly rentals, and are not places you want to stay at.



The Tewa Lodge has a great sign. I love the jagged red additions on the side!




This is not a great picture (pardon the blurriness), but I’m posting it for two reasons. It was a blinking sign, and it took me four tries before I got a shot of the whole thing lit up! Ken was like, “Okay, NOW!” And I’d miss it. He said, “NOW!” And I missed it. When I finally got it, I said, “Take that, Kurt’s Cameras!” I also noted the “Camera Corral” in smaller size, and shame on Kurt for not going the K route. It should be Kurt’s Kameras, with “Kamera Korral” in the smaller font. Kome on, Kurt!



I don’t recall the name of this motel, but the starburst at the top is great, as are the alternating colors and circular letters that spell out ‘motel.’




I also love the Desert Sands sign. Note how the yucca (I think that’s a yucca) at the top is echoed in the vegetation at the bottom of the sign!




The Pioneer has a great sign with a nice, swooping arrow. It lights up nicely at night, and left turns are okay!




The Zia Motor Lodge sign has both a wonderful starburst at the top as well as the New Mexico sun symbol. You see this symbol everywhere out here, and I think it’s neat. I don’t know the origin of it, and I’m guessing it’s a Native American symbol of the sun. If anyone knows, feel free to leave a comment!




I’m sorry to report that the Aztec Motel has been demolished. I’m not sure exactly when that happened, because my guidebook (the latest edition) mentions the motel’s “funkydelic” exterior and paint job, and its great neon sign. It is indeed a great sign, but it is no longer lit, and it stands in front of an empty lot. I understand that sometimes these older motels are no longer structurally sound, and cannot be renovated. I hope that someone will preserve the sign, though.

De Anza Motor Lodge VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

On a happier note, the De Anza Motor Lodge is a different story. I read an article in the weekly newspaper, Alibi (great name!) about the efforts to preserve this motel. Apparently what saved it from demolition is the murals in the basement by a Native American artist. (The newspaper is packed away, so I can’t check the name.) These are rare paintings, and because they are on the cement block of the basement, they cannot be removed without great expense. The tribe is partnered with the city of Albuquerque in preserving and renovating this motel, and both will share in the profits.

Oh snap! I just found the article online. I highly recommend this very good article about saving the De Anza Motor Lodge and about the guy who built it. It’s a fascinating story, and things are looking promising for its rebirth. I was able to get a shot through the fence that surrounds the motel, and it looks like a very cool place. These old motels are architecturally and historically significant, and need to be saved if possible.

This evening, we strolled back down to Central Avenue (definitely not as busy on a Monday night) to grab a brew, a bite to eat, and to watch the Oklahoma City-San Antonio game. It seemed like most people were cheering for OKC (as were we), and we had a nice chat with one of the guys who was also very involved in watching the game. He was really nice, and wished us a safe trip! Awww! A nice way to end our brief sojourn in Albuquerque, and it’s been such a nice place both as a city and in our dealings with people that I really will enjoy coming back here eventually.

Tomorrow’s destination is another city in the song, Gallup, New Mexico. I am really loving New Mexico so far!

Kicks: Day Seven (Thanks, Mister!)

This morning, we got a brief workout in (I definitely could have slept another half an hour, but it was worth pushing myself a little bit), and then headed out. We tooled around Oklahoma City a bit and I was able to get some more great signage. In fact, I got even more today, so this entry is going to go heavy on the googie. Laurel and Ron told us that the Oklahoma City Memorial was very moving and worth seeing, so we headed downtown to see that.

It is definitely recommended, if you’re ever in the area. The most poignant memorials are able to touch you and evoke memories and emotions; this memorial did both. The expanse of empty “chairs” were a reminder of how many were lost that day, and the Gates of Time were powerful. 9:01, the minute before the explosion, represented innocence. 9:03, the minute after the blast, represented a loss of innocence. Very moving, and I’m glad we went.

That first picture up there is from a hamburger joint in Oklahoma City. I’m not sure how old the sign is, but it looks like it has some wear and tear on it. Even if it’s a fairly new sign, it’s a dandy. It’s huge, and I love the happy little chef! (As always, click on any picture to embiggenize.)


 
I don’t recall exactly where Mutts Amazing Hot Dogs is at, but it’s in either Warr Acres or Bethany. This is possibly a newer sign as well, but if so, they’ve done a good job on it. The “bubble” strip on the side, the stunted starburst at the top, and the atomic sparkles are all great elements, and it’s a very pretty sign.


The Carlyle is in Warr Acres, just outside of OKC, and it’s in good shape, with some nice slanted rectangular forms.




The Western Motel is in Bethany, and this has the stone base, with some slanted rectangles, and it’s all topped off with a sassy cowboy hat! Oh, and it’s air-conditioned!



The Glancy Motor Hotel is in Clinton, and it’s also another large sign. Nice amoeba and arrow/boomerang on this one. The railings on the balcony of one section of this motel also had some nice detail, with multi-colored diamonds as part of the rails. I would have gotten a picture, but this was a long-term rental place, and there were people sitting out on the stairs. I don’t want to seem too creepy or intrusive when I’m taking these sign pictures. These old motels are often converted into apartments.

Canute motels VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Canute sits a little to the south of OK 66, but the old route goes through downtown, and it’s worth the little side trip just for the Cotton Boll and Washita Motel signs. I love the Cotton Boll!

We got to our final destination today, Elk City, in time to walk through the Route 66 National Museum. We were both a tad disappointed. The state park visitor’s center in Eureka, Missouri had a better display of artifacts. This museum was more of a staged display of situations than a true, detailed history. We also felt that the two staffers we encountered were a little on the chilly side. Ken said that that’s the difference between it being your job and being something you love. I think that hit the nail on the head. We’ve encountered so many nice people so far, and they truly love the Road and are enthusiastic about it, and are happy to chat with you. These ladies were like yeah, whatever, three bucks, go through there. I have to say that the Route 66 National Museum needs to think about public relations, and get some people in there who want to engage the public and be good ambassadors instead of soulless automatons. It left a bad taste in our mouths, and I think that’s the first time that has happened on this trip so far.

To backtrack a bit...El Reno was a neat stop outside of OKC, because we stopped at a little place called Gilmore’s Pub for lunch. Just a little hole in the wall kind of place, with huge ashtrays on each table...yuck! At least no one was smoking right around us. But they have a kitchen next door, and we had some really good sandwiches—a ribeye steak sandwich for Ken, and a grilled chicken for me. I had potato salad instead of fries, and DANG, was it good! (One of the cooks took our order, and after he took mine, he asked my name. I said, “Beth,” and he wrote that down. He took Ken’s order, and asked Ken’s name. Ken said, “Ken,” and the guy said, as he wrote it down, “Kenny.” heeheehee) For some odd reason, one of the guys at the bar bought us both a beer (thanks, mister!). We thought it was this one guy, and thanked him on our way out, but he said, “Oh, that wasn’t me...it was that guy down there.” We thanked HIM on the way out, and we still have no idea why he bought us a beer. But if you ever stop in El Reno, go to Gilmore’s Pub, because they seem to be a pretty friendly bunch!



Almost the entire Road out of Oklahoma City was some of the best we’ve encountered so far. The majority of it is the original Portland concrete (I really need to look that up, if I haven’t mentioned that already), and much of it has the rolled curbs, which you can see clearly in the above picture. This is 1930’s-era original pavement, and it is still in incredible shape. There were so few cars on this stretch that we were able to stand out in the middle of the road and get pictures...including one of this fellow who stopped in the roadway. That’s a buzzard, and I wonder if he was trying to tell us something...!

Kobel's Place 1 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

One of my favorite things today was encountering the ruins of Kobel’s Place, at the intersection of 66 and 44, near Foss, Oklahoma. It was a gas station/cafe/bus stop back in the day, but it is very dilapidated now. The concrete of the lot is still there, but it is buckled and broken by the large tree; the roof has fallen in on most of it. I walked around the back—sending dozens of grasshoppers hopping and flying away as I walked—and saw that it has a basement (spooky!!), but the floor has also fallen in, so everything has just fallen through into the basement. I’m adventurous, but I wasn’t foolish enough to head down to that basement! Hey, I’ve seen plenty of horror movies!

Kobel's Place 2 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

One section of it sat on a slab, and although that roof was also in bad shape, I was able to get in there and poke around a bit. I didn’t venture in very far, though. If something looks unstable and unsafe (this was both...times two), I don’t take chances.


After a couple of nights of not enough sleep, I think we’re both looking forward to an early night tonight (not that there seems to be a whole lot to do in Elk City!). Tomorrow we’re heading for Texas—yeeeehaw!—and staying in Amarillo. We will be traversing the Llano Estacado, something I learned about from Shane. It’s been fascinating to see the different terrain as we continue west. I’m guessing that the switch to desert climate is really going to knock me for a loop!

A cool book

I'm pleased with myself today because I upped my exercise a little bit. I've been trying to increase a little bit every time I work out, and I'm up to 5 miles on the recumbent bike, and I've been slowly increasing the weights and reps on the weight machine. Feelin' good, baby! In fact, the 5 miles was almost easy--I'm going to keep increasing on that to build up my endurance. It's also a great chance to catch up on reading...it seems like the miles just fly by.

After that, I shoveled a bit on the driveway. There is one spot that we bog down in when we're driving the Mustangs, and Ken asked me to try to make that a little better today. I didn't shovel so much as scrape off the soft layer on top...I was sort of a little walking snowplow. I hope it helps.

I was really excited to get a new book in the mail today. After reading my numerous entries lately about Googie signage, our friend Laurel (who runs Afton Station on Route 66) recommended American Signs: Form and Meaning on Route 66, by Lisa Mahar. I was missing that one from my collection, so I ordered it pronto! Laurel said she assisted with some of it, and the first thing I did was turn to the Acknowledgements section, and there she was! Very cool.

I just paged through it a little bit, and I'm itchin' to get at it. It looks fascinating, with discussions of shapes, materials, construction, etc. It seems to be in the same vein as Alan Hess' books on Googie and on Vegas signage, and it is right up my alley. Laurel, thank you so much for the recommendation. I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy it immensely!

Speaking of books, I have a question for you all. Does anyone else love blank journals? I was at Target yesterday and found one on sale and had to snap it up. I don't know what it is about them, but if I see one on sale, I'm all over it. I use them to make lists, or write notes to myself, and whenever we go on vacation and Shane takes care of Sheeba, I leave it out with a note to Shane and he writes a little day-to-day diary of what goes on when he comes over. (And yes, I've saved them all, Shane!) I just love those blank books--maybe it's the thought of all the things I can fill it with--and although I don't buy them indiscriminately, I can rarely resist one that's on sale.

Is it just me?

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

Live, from the Springfield Public Library...

It's Nutwood Junction!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fun Thanksgiving. Sorry I haven't had a chance to update, but this is the first chance we've had to get online. This library is fabulous, by the way (she said, as she sipped her fruit smoothie in the library cafe).

We had an uneventful trip here, although we did notice that it seemed to be the annual driving outing of Teh Stoopid Institute, and all of them were on the same roads we were taking! What is with people? Our favorite was when someone would be riding our ass, so we'd slow down in order to get in the right lane and let them pass. Then they'd slow down, and we'd be boxed in. There were a couple of times when I thought Ken was going to spontaneously combust, but thankfully, disaster was averted.

I've mentioned before that I lived in Indianapolis for 7 years. It's been several years since I've been back, and that was the route we took--down to Indy, over to St. Louis, and on down to Springfield. I was stunned to see all the growth around Indy. I barely recognized the northwest side, where I lived when I first moved there, and the northern part of the city has sprouted tall office buildings like weeds. I guess it's an up-and-coming city, but I told Ken that I think I moved away at the right time, and I'm glad I did. I loved the city, but I enjoy the rural life a lot more.

We stopped in Terre Haute for lunch at a place called Cheeseburger in Paradise. I think this is a chain of restaurants, but we'd never eaten at one before. It was very good, and our choices were met with approval by Melissa, our "Islander," and holder of the title of World's Most Talkative Server. I'm not kidding, I have never had anyone talk us up as much as she did. The kitchen staff brought our plates, and there was Melissa: "Is everything okay? Can I get you anything else?" We said no, everything looked fine. I took 3 bites of my broccoli, and there was Melissa: "How is everything?" I had a mouthful of broccoli, so I just nodded and made the "okay" hand signage. She was very sweet and very attentive, but at that point, I wanted to say, "Melissa, I've had 3 bites of broccoli, which is indeed delicious. However, I haven't had time to smell my quesadilla, let alone taste it. Perhaps you'd like to let me take a couple of bites before I pronounce judgement on my meal." It was a little too much, know what I mean?

It gets darker much earlier now, so the last hour and a half or so, we drove in darkness. We were happy to get to Ken's mom's place and relax, believe me. (Apparently Teh Stoopid Institute outing was a 24 hour affair.) We had a nice time catching up, and then had a late dinner. Thanksgiving was a low-key day, and Ken's mom made a small turkey for the four of us, with all the usual sides. After a few errands today, Ken and I ended up here at the library, then it will be back home for turkey sammitches!

Guess where one of our errands was? Walmart! Ken's mom had to get a prescription filled, and we picked up a couple of things for weekend dinners. I didn't think I'd get anywhere near a store today, but I actually set foot inside of one! It really didn't seem all that busy, but the parking lot seemed pretty full there and at all the other shopping places around, so Ken and I speculate that Black Friday might not be outstanding this year, but most places will probably end up doing okay.

No pictures for you yet, but I'll get some. One thing I want to get a picture of us the lovely Munger Moss Motel sign. The Munger Moss is in Lebanon, Missouri, and is a Route 66 fixture. It's still operating, and is apparently a pretty decent place to stay. I could see the sign on the way down, and it was dark enough that the neon was lit--what a beautiful sign! So I'll get a little bit of a googie fix on the way back!

I've bonded with Scamper the Rotund, Ken's mom's cat. Scamper is a round mound already, but he also has incredibly long fur, so he looks incredibly fat! He's a good kitty, and he came right over to me when we first got there, so I think he remembered us! I miss Sheeba a lot, but I know his Uncle Shane is taking good care of him! Oh, and Ken's mom cracked me up this morning. She was reading the paper, and there was a picture of Rahm Emanuel in there. She said, "You know, I think that Rahm Emanuel is kind of nice-looking. In a sort of debonair way." So of course, I had to tell her about my Rahm Emanuel poll!

Ken is off at one of the library computers, so I'll finish up here and try to catch up on reading a few of your entries until he finishes up and comes back to collect me. I hope you're all having a lovely, long weekend! If I don't get back here before we leave, we'll be returning Monday evening, so I'll see you all then for sure. I may not get to very many of your blogs, so be patient with me, and I'll be back in normal operating mode before too long.