VIEW FROM THE ROAD

Here are a handful of roadside sights that I witnessed over the past year; most of which were snapped on semi-local day trips...

Springdale, AR

This is one of those signs I've passed a thousand times, and every time I think, "I need to take a picture of that." Now that I've invested the 30 seconds that it took to pull in and snap the thing, I must say that I feel surprisingly accomplished.

Van Buren, AR

I cupped my eyes and peered through the glass to see what sad fate had befallen upon Emmert's Domino Room and so help me, I witnessed a room of old men crowded around tables, playing dominoes on a Thursday morning. It seems that our world is not entirely broken.

A monument to tragic decision making, the outcome of which is an off-the-strip freestanding Segway rental shop amid Branson, Missouri. I'm guessing investors figured that the Segway would provide a welcome alternative to gridlocked highway 76. In reality the majority of Branson tourists seem to prefer to "feel the excitement" from the comfort of a Golden Years tour bus.

Another Branson venture gone awry. The angular rock structure set against the treelined hillside is quite appealing to me. Are we to assume the musical ducks swam in the silver fountain? Now I'm sort of wishing I'd stayed there and found out.


When booking a room at the Branson Welk Resort (as in Lawrence Welk), one might expect to be greeted with lavish interiors bathed in thousands of bubbles. Well, I did and I was sorely disappointed. I've seen more glamorous Best Westerns, no exhaggeration. They really missed out on some major decorating opportunities. One of the few measly attempts at Welk-ness is the statue seen above.
However, I will give kudos to the staff for not batting an eye when we requested clubs, balls, and scorecards at 3 AM for use on their on-campus miniature golf course.
(And I was thinking the same thing, but no, the statue does not come to life in the middle of the night.)


Tulsa, Oklahoma is still a good town for the modern roadside enthusiast. Thanks to the oil industry, it seems to be one of the few places in the Midwest that had enough cash to really boom in the mid nineteen hundreds, and a good deal of mid-century aesthetic remains. Plus, old Route 66 runs directly through the city. The famous Blue Whale (above) of nearby Catoosa is a worthy landmark of the Mother Road and it's very well kept and totally free. Swimming is no longer allowed (note the slide going out the side), but it's a great place for a picnic.


The giant Golden Driller guards the fairgrounds which is appropriate being that it is the most valuable part of Tulsa. (okay, to me anyway.)


Miss Jackson's of Utica Square is the only thing on earth that makes me actually wish I were a rich older lady. Petty's Fine Foods, located on the same block, is where I would shop for cold cuts for my weekly Bridge club. Visit during December for pure retro Christmas magic.

Another Tulsan beauty.

More lovely googie signage in Huntsville, Arkansas.

And skipping all the way to San Diego, California we find this hodge podge of a sign that I liked looking at.


Dear Joy Motel of Eureka Springs, Arkansas: please never change. Seriously, don't.

Also in Eureka Springs we find the grand Crescent Hotel, ablaze in the afternoon sun. Those tree shadows on the wall are so great.


Well, I think I've definitely proven one thing: if you take a picture it really does last you longer.