Roadside Americana

The Old Burke’s Garden Virginia Post Office

Following the very wiggly VA 623, will drop you into the upland valley of Burke's Garden, Virginia. When there, something about it feels like you're in a place cut off from the rest of the world. The local whitepages: My travels brought me to Burke's Garden because of a photo I'd ...

Snapshots: The Odd, West Virginia Post Office

Maybe I should just go ahead and have all my mail forwarded here 😉 I think that the first time I ever saw the name Odd, West Virginia was in a photo from David over at Less Beaten Paths blog. He always features great Americana from his travels on his ...

The Incredible Snoopy Barn of Nazareth, Pennsylvania

This Barn is a Must-See! Located at the Fairman Farm in Nazareth, Pennsylvania the Snoopy barn is sure to bring a smile to your face. Peanuts fans will love seeing the old boy as World War I Flying Ace atop his beloved doghouse. I'd stumbled across a photo of the ...

Paulverizer – The Cyborg Muffler Man of Buena Vista, Virginia

This ain't your mama's muffler man. No, this? This is somethin' else! You've got that familiar sturdy jaw and that manly mug but that's about it. And a nice little hat tip to the motorcycle. Unfortunately, with the sky so hazy and the crazy backlighting, I didn't snap very many good ...

Just Passing Through – Small Town, West Virginia

Rhodell, West Virginia - a place I'd never heard of prior to standing in front of the alternating colors of the post office's awning. Why would I have? It isn't a pass-through on a way to a bigger town. It isn't famous for anything. No, it's just a little tucked ...

Cubanola Cigar Ghost Ad – Radford, Virginia

The town of Radford, Virginia had a 1-2 punch of beautiful ghost ads. There was the Wine of Cardui, R. S. Carson Druggist and Cubanola Cigar combo. And then there was this. Hello, gorgeous! Cubanola 5¢ Cigars - All Havana Filler I don't know anything about tobacco and it's history ...

Radford, Virginia Ghost Ad – Wine of Cardui

In the town of Radford, Virginia there are two excellent walls with ghost ads on them. While appreciating the aesthetics of the ads themselves is one thing, falling down the rabbit hole of finding out what the olde tyme ads are for can be its own kind of fun. When I ...

Photo: Onego, West Virginia Post Office

The Onego, West Virginia post office on a Wednesday afternoon ...

The Mail Pouch Tobacco Ad of Grafton, West Virginia

One of my favorite Mail Pouch Tobacco wall ads is in downtown Grafton, West Virginia. There is so much going on, it is a feast for the eyes. Is it just me or is that gentle gradient on the Pianos & Organs part especially lovely? The whole thing feels like ...

2016 Kenny Scharf Bronx, NY Public Art Mural

On my way out to Pennsylvania on Sunday, I made a pitstop to finally see the Kenny Scharf Bronx, NY art wall that decorates the Third Avenue side of Krinos Foods. I'd seen glimpses of the artwork in passing on dozens of trips across the Cross Bronx Expressway. And during ...

Photos: Morning in Orange, Virginia

There are moments in the morning when the light that spills over everything feels special ...

Two Barn Murals Around Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

When I woke up in Wilkes-Barre, my plan for the day was to swing by Williamsport to see if I could find the repaired Whispering Giant, Woapalanne. Then I would turn my wheels south to make my way to Fredericksburg, Virginia for the night, where I was volunteering to staff ...

Roadside Snapshots: Take Two Cows and Call Me in the Morning

Along with dinosaurs and my favorite, the Giant Chicken Army, cows have to be one of the most abundant roadside animal statues. I saw two more big ladies of note while road tripping in September, both in Pennsylvania. The well-loved big cow of Wilkes-Barre. She's just up the road from ...

The Tiny Old Rockfish, Virginia Post Office

One for the tiny post office files. This little gem has been starred on my Google map of stuff to do for quite a while now. In September, I stopped by for a look: US Post Office Rockfish, Virginia 22966 Est. 1914 Closed 1974 Each photo that I've seen of ...

Apparently I Have A Giant Lobster Antenna

While puttering around the house on this rainy morning, the notion of posting some of the photos from my most recent road trip flittered in and out of my thoughts. That idea was swirled between the need to do laundry, buy dog food and have another cup of coffee. Needing ...

Photo: Bull Durham Tobacco Ghost Ad – Collinsville, Illinois

Found just 'round the way from the World's Largest Catsup Bottle on Main Street in Collinsville, Illinois. Location: Google Maps38.6701867,-89.9857204 ...

A Great Big Cup O’ Coffee in Wilkes-Barre

The city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is home to a giant coffee mug building. With its dirt-streaked yellow cladding and lovely handle un-held, this humongous cup of coffee sadly sits vacant on Spring street. A wonderful dream unrealized. Milling around in the parking lot, I contemplated the missed opportunity for happiness ...

Dragons, Elephants, and Lobster Cowboys

These photographs are an assortment of art and animal-things I've spotted in my travels over the last few weeks. They have no real connection to each other except that they are not connected. Now, in that un-connected connection, they're connected. Damn it! A very exciting-looking gas station, indeed. It almost ...

Been Thinkin’ ’bout the Lincoln

Over the weekend I plucked a book off the shelf that I've had for a few years now: Lincoln Highway Companion: A Guide to America's First Coast-to-Coast Road by Brian Butko. Flipping through its pages, makes me want to hit the road. I wish I could pinpoint what it was ...

Roadside Snaps: Captain Brown – The Big Fisherman of Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Literally just down the block from Big Bertha the Butt Tree, is the giant old salt fisherman, Captain Brown. He stands in the parking lot of Brown's Wharf Motel and Restaurant. At 15 feet tall, you can't miss him. Brown's must be pretty proud of him as he is heavily featured ...

Road Trip Inspiration: Hillbilly Hot Dogs Postcard

Recently, I wrote about my friend Chris and how he sends me postcards from the places he visits on his motorcycle. Last week I received a card from Hillybilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, WV. The card looks like a folksy representation of a roadside shack you might see being reclaimed by the ...

A Nod to Roadside Americana Staple – The Dinosaur

Over the weekend, I stopped and had a chat with this motley crew. Aren't they a handsome bunch? Dinosaurs are a hugely popular fixture in the roadside Americana landscape. Their popularity seems to transcend visitors' age, social rank, gender and every other qualifier I can think of. I have yet ...

The Old Denver-style Texaco of Unionville, NY

This little empty station sits in a spot in Unionville, NY that I've probably ridden by a hundred times. Up until this past Sunday, I never zeroed in on it or paid it any attention. Well, I finally woke up. Kenny and I stopped so I could peer in the ...

Hunting Ghosts: Mail Pouch, Uneeda Biscuit and the Circle Dot

On Sunday I stopped by to take a peek at the Mail Pouch Tobacco ghost ad on East Main in Beacon, NY. Though I'd been to Beacon before, I never saw the sign. It has a serious fade going. As best as I can tell the slogan call outs are ...

Ride Snaps: Recent Murals, Graffiti and Street Art

While I'm out cruising around, I like to stop and take a look at murals, graffiti and street art along the way. Here are a couple bright spots from the last couple weeks. I'm not sure why dueling grim reapers wearing oven mitts are partaking in a smash-up derby, but, okay. Also, ...