NEW JERSEY-THE GARDEN STATE

It was a gray and dreary day as The Diner Hunter and I set out for an impromptu road trip to the Garden State. Although many folks associate New Jersey with refineries, turnpikes and the likes of someone named Snooki, we chose to view a different version of the Jersey shore, although our journey did ultimately lead us to Seaside Heights, to see the roller coaster and surrounding damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy. Once off the highway, New Jersey is home to a huge diversity of small towns, scrub pine forests and cranberry bogs. Along the way we saw our usual roadside collection of abandoned buildings, darkened neon and diners. Jersey is the repository of hundreds of diners of every shape and style and we barely made a dent in the list.

After breakfast, Wildwood was one of our first stops. A piece of beachfront history suspended in time, every manner of so called “DooWop” motel and retro signage exists here, and their amusement park’s roller coaster rose out of the morning mist like a vision from a bygone era, a hole in the old space/time continuum.

If you love vintage style neon, this is THE place to be-

More retro neon in Wildwood – I need a shower, now!


The Caribbean ( design art from the Library of Congress)

This part of New Jersey is also home to re-purposed Muffler Men & all manner of strange creatures from the Land of the Giants- must be all those chemical mutations

The most beloved giant of all is Lucy, The Elephant who has made her home in Margate, New Jersey since 1881.

American Roadside architecture at its zaniest- Even the municipal offices are cool

Pennsylvania seems to be the state that my wanderlust feels compelled to visit, so for the second time in a week, I’ve laced up my traveling shoes, cranked up the old jalopy, and headed west to the Keystone State and a new adventure out along America’s highways and byways. This was a leisurely journey, with no real destination or objective in mind, so my beautiful traveling companion and I settled for the scenic area around Lancaster county, home to a substantial community of Amish and Mennonite families, as well as Jennie’s Diner, in Ronk’s PA.

Jennie’s is THE place to go if you have a hearty appetite and appreciate friendly service and delicious food.

Although only a minute from strip malls and an amusement park & putt-putt golf, you’ll see the old ways practiced directly across the street from this busy diner.

Another few minutes down the road and you’ll run into the Strasburg Railroad, and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, always fun for young and old alike!
And darn, wouldn’t you know it ( because, after all, this is a blog about neon & diners & roadside stuff) we luckily happened upon some great old neon and motel signage along Rt. 30, The Lincoln Highway


This is Amish country, and, as anywhere around the world, kids will always be, well, you know…..kids! The Amish are private people, and generally avoid photographs, so this was taken from a discreet and respectful distance.

On a sunny spring day like this, all the other cultural rituals play out as well, and this wedding party in downtown Lancaster seems to be having a great time clowning around prior to the big event.Beauties every one!

The many styles of architecture in Lancaster County

Of course, no roadtrip would be complete without ending the day as it started…..at a great diner.

SIGNS OVER AMERICA

The late Lady Bird Johnson was never big on the art of the roadside sign. In fact, she devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to rid America of the pox of neon signs, billboards and other bits of the art of commerce along our Nation’s highways and byways. Ultimately, we are better for it, and I applaud her efforts. Today, of course, we are smothered by the crushing weight of electronic advertising, and the simple regional attempts at exterior self-promotion lay rusting on their own walls, forgotten reminders of a less sophisticated time. Ah, but plenty of examples still remain, in small towns and cities across our great country, and I am always on the lookout, along with my fellow commercial archaeologists! Here’s a quick romp in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

ROADTRIP EATS

This week’s roadtrip was to the beautiful, yet chilly town of Newport, Rhode Island. As is my usual custom, breakfast was always at whatever diner was close at hand, a haven of coffee, bacon and homefries, served by a friendly, yet saucy waitress, in my mind at least always going by the name of Bernice or Flo. Here is a brief photo essay of breakfasts served up on the frost of those brisk New England mornings.


It’s all about where you sit your weary butt down.

Variations on a theme of bacon and eggs

Al Macs ( awaiting re-opening ) Joe’s and Bishop’s

SEASON’S GREETINGS

For all of you who didn’t receive an actual card this year, please accept my wishes for a Happy Holiday & Prosperous New Year-

KUPPY’S DINER

It’s always a good day when I can go out exploring the great American roadside with my son, The Diner Hunter. This has been a tradition of ours since he was but a lad, and now that he’s an acknowledged expert in the field, it is all the more fun. As a pre-Christmas holiday treat, we headed to the Harrisburg, PA. area for a return trip to Kuppy’s, a great little Ward & Dickinson diner which opened in 1933. It was a hoppin’ place on a chilly Thursday morning, full of spirited local conversation, but we warmed right up with some hot and tasty coffee, and a breakfast which couldn’t be beat. Spencer had the baked oatmeal, with brown sugar and blueberries, a regional Amish delight and I tucked in to a traditional bacon & eggs, with plenty of perfectly crisp bacon. Yum, yum! It must make old Carelton Towers’ mouth water just to think about it. Diners of Pennsylvania writers Brian Butko, Kevin Patrick and Kyle Weaver like it here…. and so do we.
Not much to look at on the outside, but a great neon sign
Owner Greg Kupp keeps things happening behind the counter
Getting hungry again just thinking about it!
Keep your sunnyside up
Don’t forget to try a Grilled Rachel

CHARLESTON

Charleston, South Carolina A city of mystery, of beauty, and of the type of charm only the American south can offer. I recently made a short stop in this enchanted town, sharing its joys and wonders with some dear friends. I’ll let the images speak for themselves.

15th ANNUAL GREASEBALL PART 2

Here we are again, strolling through the gentle hills in the storied Baltimore neighboorhood of Dundalk, land of a thousand enchantments, and home to the most beautiful and stylish women, and of course, their equally verile and handsome gentlemen. The Mobtown Greaseball gives the kar kulture community a chance to step out and strut, showing off their fabulous sense of style and fashion, their stunning and wide array of tattoos and body art, and of course the reddest lipstick this side of 1956!
Enchanting beauty and style to boot!
Dig that crazy beard, man.
Wicked cool shades- A shame to cover up all those beautiful eyes!

PHILADELPHIA

Another roadtrip, this time to the city of brotherly love. Didn’t see the Liberty Bell. Forgot the “Rocky” steps. Bypassed City Hall. Missed Jay-Z & PearlJam at the “Made in America” Festival. But, after all that, the city known as the cradle of our fair republic did manage to yield a few surprises for this roadtrip traveler. Future postings will appeal to those that love my cemetery musings (Oak Hill) and fondness for abandoned architecture (Eastern State Penitentiary), but for now, let’s take a little stroll through a bit of the rest of Philly.

After all, it is all about the neon, is it not?
I could have spent the day just looking for electric crosses!
Philadelphia is filled with fabulous architectural detailing
OK, OK, I did make it to one tourist area, but, unfortunately it was closed up due to the holiday, but, nevertheless, still not lacking for photo material, and hey, “I’m big on the pig!”

THE MARCH OF TIME

“Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives.” If you know that phrase, you are either too old, or too housebound and need to get out and experience the world more often. Celebrating a birthday yesterday that puts me in the dirt: older than category, I hit the highway with my son the Diner Hunter for a birthday road trip in celebration of my inclining years to scenic Pennsylvania. After a most enjoyable ( and cheap) breakfast at the Prospect Diner outside Columbia, PA. we headed to the National Watch and Clock Museum for a bit of reflection on the nature of time, mortality and just some really stunning examples of the watch-makers art. Then in was off to Ephrata for lunch at the Cloister Restaurant Diner and a meeting with fellow diner aficionados Mike Engle and Glenn Wells. My whole internal debate on aging was put soundly in perspective when charming and feisty octogenarian diner owner Elva Stauffer joined us for a dessert of the Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy corn pie, as well as the house speciality of home-made peach pie and treated us to tales of her world travels and exploits as an ambulance driver,which she continued to do till she hit 80! A life like that puts in all into crystal clear focus, so we finished our pie, bid a fond farewell to our new friends, and once again took to the open road for a trip home to the warm bosom of dear, dear friends and family, lit the candle and made a wish for world peace, lots of love, and a million new experiences in the many years ahead!
The Prospect Diner in Columbia, PA. & the fabulous breakfast special
THE CLOCK & WATCH MUSEUM
THE CLOISTER RESTAURANT DINER & some disreputable diner guys
THE VERY CHARMING ELVA STAUFFER