The Old Underwood & Petty Service Station – Strawberry Plains, Tennessee

One of the stars on my Google Map that was close to where I stayed one night in Tennessee, was the old Underwood & Petty service station in Strawberry Plains. I’m not sure where I first saw a picture of the old station. It may have been something in my Instagram feed. Shunpikers, roadtrippers and backroad ramblers are great sources for this sort of thing. But I suppose the where I saw it is immaterial when the why I saved it is obvious.

But there is the other why. Why would I ride with a purpose to lay eyes on a crumbling old facade? I can’t buy it, fix it, save it. I can’t stop time. What is the purpose of going to see it or any of the other ghost stations I might visit?

That I do not know.

What is it that I’m hoping to see when I peer through their old windows? Some type of magic or a secret; treasure, maybe?

The decrepit old pump standing sentry. It’s pump handle in everlasting salute.

Underwood & Petty

I see you, old girl. You’re still beautiful to me.

On Google Maps

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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5 Responses

  1. Mike Ross says:

    Some people travel all over the country to take photos of abandoned things. If nothing else its a great excuse to get out of the house. If you feel something or learn something that’s a bonus. Awesome pics!

  2. Wuzzie says:

    There seems to be a romance in the vintage…it portrays a gentler time, a slower pace, a trust and comrodery that is not always present today. It’s awsome to step back in time and capture the feelings. Love your pics and enjoy your writing….keep going.

  3. Chris says:

    That’s cool! When you figure out why you ride to see such things let me know, then I maybknow why I do 🙂

  4. Jane Derrick Fonh says:

    Thanks for sharing Biker Girl. This was actually my Dad (Petty) and His nephew’s (Underwood) store. I spent endless hours there as a child pumping gas & 3 gallons for a dollar, drinking small Cokes with a pack of salt peanuts carefully dropped in and listening to tall tales spun by the local farmers as they sat on nail kegs. Loved those simple times.

  5. Jane Derrick Fong says:

    Thanks for sharing Biker Girl. This was actually my Dad (Petty) and His nephew’s (Underwood) store. I spent endless hours there as a child pumping gas & 3 gallons for a dollar, drinking small Cokes with a pack of salt peanuts carefully dropped in and listening to tall tales spun by the local farmers as they sat on nail kegs. Loved those simple times.

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