Roadside Americana

The octopus is an incredible creature. Unlike any other animal, these highly intelligent problem solvers are simply fascinating. Take the arms: they’re considered to have their own ‘mini-brain’ not just because they are so packed with neurons but because they also have independent processing power. For instance, an octopus escaping ...
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What is a Whispering Giant? The Whispering Giants are a collection of sculptures created by artist Peter Wolf Toth. Toth, who was born in Hungary, began his mission to create a statue honoring indigenous peoples, who were often victims of injustice, in North America. The project began in the 1970s ...
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Patch Whisky and Ghostbeard MnstrSqd Mural in Bushwick, Brooklyn - 2020 Walking the tightrope between being an evangelist and a flat out psycho is tricky. And I’m not quite sure if one persons evangelist is another persons psycho but, I have my suspicions. Stop and Take the Picture! I like ...
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Take a stroll through a downtown, and you might just find yourself transported to another era by the faded letters and graphics of a ghost sign. These vintage advertisements, often painted directly onto brick or stone buildings, and sometimes in more rural communities on barns, offer a glimpse into the ...
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What was Warner's Macaroni? While researching this weathered old advertising barn I'd seen, I inadvertently fell down a macaroni shaped rabbit hole. It's funny how that happens when you try to find out more about the things you see while out exploring. Warner's Macaroni was a brand of dry pasta ...
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Mail Pouch Tobacco barns and ghost signs stay firmly in my top 10 must-see or favorite sights while I'm out bumming around. Because part of their enduring appeal is directly correlated to familiarity and the use of the same imagery or logo, you might be inclined to think if you've ...
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Traveling through central Pennsylvania towns, I felt a sense of anemoia wash over me. Anemoia, a term coined by John Koenig in his Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, is defined as "a pang of nostalgia for times you've never experienced." And that's exactly how I felt standing in the gray mist ...
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Carlisle, Ohio While visiting Ohio in the fall of '22, I stopped to see the double Futuro UFO House in the town of Carlisle. To the best of my knowledge, which isn't much, this is the only instance of conjoined Futuros. Looking around the web, these two had previously appeared ...
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Well? Now you know. Bigfoot has some junk in the trunk. He got them Applebottom jeans, the boots with the furrrrrr... To be honest, I'm not sure why wondering about the goings on of the big man's hindquarters hadn't plagued me sooner, but here we are. Cryptid butt cheeks reveal ...
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Ford City, Pennsylvania This restored Mail Pouch Tobacco wall ad in Ford City, Pennsylvania sure is a looker. It is clear that love and care went in to making it vibrant once again. There is so much detail on the packaging - it's just lovely. It warms my heart to ...
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Over the last 5 or 6 years there have been several occasions when I'd been traveling and thought, "oh, well, while I'm in the neighborhood I'll just swing by," in reference to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. Though I was closer to the city than I would have ...
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Have a Rice Day 2018 - OG Slick Worcester, Massachusetts is a city which has jumped in with both feet when it comes to public murals and art. Under the stewardship of the POW! WOW! Worcester program, dozens of murals grace the walls of the city. This mural 'Have a ...
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The Shell Oil Spectacular Sign in Cambridge, Massachusetts is a Moderne vintage signage dream. Erected in 1933, this beloved sign has been blazing for a incredible 90 years! In 1994, the sign found its way onto the National Register of Historic Places. built in 1933 by Donnelly Electric Manufacturing Company ...
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On Thursday morning, I stood outside of the old Bloch Bothers Mail Pouch Tobacco factory in Wheeling, West Virginia waiting for the sun to rise. The Ohio River, silently snaked behind me while I snapped far too many photos of the ghost sign printing on the brick building. A little ...
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This happy halfwit Mortimer Snerd style Muffler Man and his super-cute giraffe friend can be found standing outside of Arnold's Family Fun Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. Is it just me or does this muffler man look kind of shrug-y? Like his neck is too short. Or maybe his traps are ...
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As I stood looking at the Cincinnati Toy Heritage mural, a sing-songy flow of words stumbled drunkenly out through the creaking saloon doors of my memory dedicated to the 1980's. "I'm the Peculiar Purple Pieman from Porcupine Peak." Uh, what? “Peculiar Purple Pieman.” Yes, I heard you. I don’t know ...
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The Coffee Pot or sometimes referred to as the Koontz Coffee Pot after it's 1927 builder, is roadside American royalty. Calling Bedford, Pennsylvania home, the Lincoln Highway giant is a whimsical treasure. It handily earns it rightful place on many a "must-see roadside attractions" lists. As the elder Griswold would ...
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Looking for some place to road trip to? Why not pick a place that combines two magical options - ice cream and a muffler man? Say hello to Chip, the ice cream scoop wielding giant who welcomes you to The Inside Scoop in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. This place is a roadtrippers ...
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Zipping along on I-40 East, I saw the white geodesic ball of Area 66 come into view. "What the...?" escaped my lips as it drew closer. There was nothing that would have stopped me from exiting the highway to get a look at this nonsense. Besides, my fingers were frozen ...
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The Gemini Giant is on Route 66 in Wilmington Illinois: 810 E Baltimore St, Wilmington, IL 60481 Muffler Man - A Roadside King Muffler Men are the handsome superstars of the American roadside attraction universe. With their chiseled good looks and steadfast perseverance they are a welcome sight to many ...
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Zacmax Strikes Again! Over the course of a lifetime, can you imagine how many highway exits you will pass and never take? Each of those untaken exits is home to lives lived, history made, untold highs, lows, curiosities, and facies tickled. The split second decision to take or not take ...
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Welcome to the Parksville Pharmacy There's been a pin on my Google map at the location of the Parksville Pharmacy, in the Sullivan County town of Parksville, New York for years. I first noticed the old building's hunter green panels and weathered signage on Instagram. The look of the old ...
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Throughout the fall, winter and the cold parts of spring, I spent a lot more time driving than I did riding. Putting the heat vents on your feet, wearing gloves and a hat make driving with the top down on the convertible really lovely. Even down into the 40 degree ...
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This spring I took a drive to Scranton, Pennsylvania to visit Steamtown National Historic Site. While I was there, strict COVID protocols limited access to some of the indoor spaces and displays, but I was able to enjoy walking around outside in the train yard. I'm not what you would ...
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Winter has settled in with its icy temperatures here on Long Island. There hasn't been any riding for me in many, many weeks now. For the most part, I haven't missed it. I suppose the love for it is a state of mind more than anything else. I've been keeping ...
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