You Light Up My Life
The beauty of the neon sign was that you could twist those glass tubes into any shape you wanted. And as America took to the highways in the 1950s and 1960s, advertisers took advantage of that, spangling the nighttime streetscape with colorful whimsies touting everything from bowling alleys to ice-cream stands to Tiki bars. Good old-fashioned neon lighting has been outmoded by fiber-optic technology. The good news is that preservationists are working to save neon signs for future generations, either on-site or in museums. After all, what would America be without a few giant neon donuts around?
Photo Caption: Leon's Frozen Custard Drive In in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Electric City, Scranton, Pennsylvania
In 1910, in the pre-neon age, this flashing electric circular sign was erected eight stories high atop the steep-gabled Victorian-era Scranton Electric Building proclaiming Scranton as the electric city. Its purpose: to promote the fact that Scranton was the first U.S. city to install electric streetcars. The sign went dark in 1972, but it was restored and relit in 2004.
More Info: tel. 570/ 963-5901
Photo Caption: Erected in 1910 and restored in 2004, the Electric City sign in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
The Stinker Station, Twin Falls, Idaho
Opened in 1936, this Idaho gas station chain made the most of its era's penchant for whimsical roadside advertising. Original owner Farris Lind based his success on low prices that undersold the competition, so naturally he developed as his mascot a black-and-white neon skunk. There are still neon skunks adorning a few outlets around the state, but the biggest and best is at 1777 Kimberly Rd. in Twin Falls.
More Info: tel. 208/734-6560
Photo Caption: The Stinker Station in Twin Falls, Idaho.
The East Gate, Los Angeles, California
This pagoda-shaped California landmark turns on enough lights to illuminate a small town in China. It opened in 1938 in Los Angeles in an enclave modeled by a Hollywood set designer to serve Chinese Americans displaced by the building of Union Station. The East Gate was the entrance to a mini-mall that housed 18 stores (now known as Old Chinatown Plaza, 1100 N. Broadway). There are other vintage neon buildings on-site, making it a bright destination for travelers stopping in Los Angeles.
More Info: www.oldchinatownla.comPhoto Caption: The East Gate entrance to the Old Chinatown Plaza in Los Angeles, California.
Leon's Frozen Custard, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
It's said that this vintage burger and custard stand at 3131 S. 27th St., opened in 1942, was the model for Al's Diner in the TV show Happy Days. While other local eateries dispute this fact, this Milwaukee landmark with its radiating strips of neon under the carports and its unmissable roadside marquee is worth visiting just for the signage -- though the burgers and malts are a delicious bonus.
More Info: tel. 414/383-1784
Photo Caption: Leon's Frozen Custard Drive In in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Superdawg Drive-In, Chicago, Illinois
With its neon-studded canopies, the Superdawg drive-in
The Seven Dwarfs, Wheaton, Illinois
Though several tubes are burned out, the fabulous neon sign at the Seven Dwarfs Restaurant and Fountain, 917 E. Roosevelt Rd., still welcomes customers with a friendly waving pig wearing a chef's hat. As for Snow White and the dwarfs, they show up on murals inside this friendly family diner.
More Info: tel. 630/653-7888
Photo Caption: The Seven Dwarfs Restaurant and Fountain in Wheaton, Illinois.
The Elephant Car Wash, Seattle, Washington
With 380 blinking lights, the big pink elephant in the jaunty hat on the Elephant Car Wash sign at 616 Battery St. in downtown Seattle has been a source of delight since the early 1950s. Although the carwash chain now has nine locations in the Seattle area, the downtown branch is the one with that iconic revolving sign.
More Info: www.elephantcarwash.comPhoto Caption: The Elephant Car Wash in Seattle, Washington.
Tulsa
Rancho Grande Mexican Restaurant, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Along Route 66
Western Hills Motel, Flagstaff, Arizona
Neon was the perfect medium for beckoning weary drivers off the road at night into roadside motels. Farther west along Route 66, this low-slung fieldstone motel (with a pool!) is still in operation at 1580 E. Rte. 66 behind its classic roadside marquee featuring a red covered wagon and horses, which apparently were once animated. The name of the motel glows blue above the unmistakably huge word "motel" in yellow.
More Info: tel. 928/774-6633
Photo Caption: The Western Hills Motel in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Crescent Bowl, Bowling Green, Kentucky
In a town named Bowling Green, you'd expect a few bowling alleys, right? Well, bowling is by no means as popular a sport as it was in the mid
