One of the things that I love about digging through boxes of slides is being able to accompany folks on their vintage road trips through the country in their wood-paneled station wagons. That was something that a LOT of people did on their vacations back in the 50's and 60's; and I always enjoy looking at photos of little hotels and motels, gas stations and burger joints; little oases along endless stretches of roadways.
Both of today's photos are from the same lot, and are from Somewheresville, USA. I really don't have a clue what state we are looking at (though it looks pretty arid - the southwest perhaps).
I like the funky look of the Ideal Motel, complete with Texaco gas pumps out front. But the Cliff Motor Lodge is OK too! And from the looks of the parking lot, there are plenty of vacancies. If there's a TV in my room, and an ice machine that goes *clunk* every few minutes right outside my room, I'm good.
This could be the same location as the first photo, or it could be hundreds of miles away. Who knows! The Holiday Lodge has Coca Cola, which you can't find anywhere! A bowling alley next door is always a plus. Next to that is a restaurant called "Restaurant", and then the Siesta Lodge, and finally, a Dairy Queen. Mmmm, Diary Queen! When I used to visit my grandparents in Minnesota, it was always a big deal to go to the local DQ to get a hamburger and onion rings for lunch, followed up by a chocolate-dipped soft serve cone as an added treat. Everything just seemed to taste better there for some reason!
This could be the same location as the first photo, or it could be hundreds of miles away. Who knows! The Holiday Lodge has Coca Cola, which you can't find anywhere! A bowling alley next door is always a plus. Next to that is a restaurant called "Restaurant", and then the Siesta Lodge, and finally, a Dairy Queen. Mmmm, Diary Queen! When I used to visit my grandparents in Minnesota, it was always a big deal to go to the local DQ to get a hamburger and onion rings for lunch, followed up by a chocolate-dipped soft serve cone as an added treat. Everything just seemed to taste better there for some reason!
These were on Spruce Street in Rawlins, Wyoming. Time has not treated these cool examples of Googie design well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, D ticket....I searched Google Maps inputting the info you provided and found the Ideal Motel at 1573 West Spruce Street. It's now the Budget Inn, but the new sign is mounted on that same concrete block in the middle of the gas pumps (the gas pumps are gone now). I love "then and now" comparisons!
ReplyDeleteThese are cool pics, Major!
Now I found the bowling alley at 1943 West Spruce Street (address approximate!) It appears to still be a bowling alley called "Memory Lanes".
ReplyDeleteAwesome detectives you have here, Maj!
ReplyDeleteAs I was telling Viewliner at his blog (plug!) I find these sorts of "mid-century" pics of motels etc fascinating. I like to live in them for a few moments. :)
nice work! it looks like a town may be in the background of photo number 1...with all of these places to lodge, there must have been something worth seeing in this sleep little place.
ReplyDeletea nice pair with lots of very nice signs!!
D ticket, you win a whole box of chocolate cigars. How the heck did you figure out that this was Rawlins, Wyoming? Amazing! Also, are both pics from Rawlins?
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, I'm going to have to go to Google Maps as well.
Chiana, I know what you mean. Those old motels aren't glamorous, and yet they somehow hold a lot of charm.
Nancy, when I check out Google Maps I'm going to have to see what is near Rawlins. Maybe it was just a convenient oasis in the middle of miles and miles of nothing!
Hey Major. This is Rawlins, Wyoming!
ReplyDeleteOH!!! Sorry.. I guess I am a little late. Ha Ha Ha! LOL! Happy Birthday Lucy!
These are in Rawlins.....oh dang. I'm always late to the party. Found it on a postcard on eBay.
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party too! Thought I was gonna be cool and let you all know that this is Rawlins, WY. Oh well!
ReplyDeleteI took a picture of that same bowling alley (now called Memory Lanes) while passing through in 2006. We were on our way to Mount Rushmore at the time.
BTW, there are postcards for both the Ideal Lodge and the Cliff Lodge on sale on eBay right now. Don't let them get away!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Unused-pc-Cliff-Motor-Lodge-Rawlins-Wyoming-/110106154640?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19a2d69690
http://cgi.ebay.com/PC-Ideal-Motel-Rawlins-Wyoming-/360085239814?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53d6c0b806
OK, this is just weird. How does everyone recognize this sleepy little pit stop in the middle of nowhere?!
ReplyDeleteBecause it had the coolest looking street back in '65. Tokyomagic has the right addresses, I saw those too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chocolate cigars, just like the ones real detectives smoke.
Submitted for your approval. A simple post, a simple blog, written by one Major Pepperidge. What he doesn’t know is that this post will soon open a door to another place and time. For tomorrow morning the Major will wake up and find he has a job working at the snack bar of a bowling alley in the little town of Rawlins Wyoming. A town just a few miles away...from the Twilight Zone.
ReplyDeleteMajor, I know your last comment wasn't written to be funny, but I still laughed out loud when I read it.....and then again at the Twilight Zone comment made by "Anonymous".
ReplyDeleteI really like these two pics today. If you have more "Anytown USA" pics like this, you could post them and then see if your readers know or can figure out where the pics were taken. You could then give away a brand new car to the winner. Or a chocolate cigar. Or nothing at all!
Anonymous, I can't decide if that scenario would be OK, or not! I figure if I knew what I know now, 1960-ish could be a very cool "place" to be.
ReplyDeleteTM!, the comment was supposed to be a little bit funny! It seems that every reader looked at the photos and knew they were from Rawlins.
And I do have some other roadside photos that I would love to have identified!
Hot dog!!! What a cool post! Yay! More road trip pics, please!
ReplyDeletethis was fun, like when my mom used to put a new jigsaw puzzle out on the dining room table every Sunday after dinner, and everyone came by and worked on it thru the week so we finished it in time for next Sunday dinner.
ReplyDeletethanks to the Major and some keen junior detectives, we now have all been to Rawlins, Wyoming!!
Love it, Major. Just love it.
ReplyDeleteToo cool for words.
JG