A visit to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI

Bob,

You need to eat at the Eagle Tavern when you visit Greenfield Village.  Eat real Roadfood at an 1831 Clinton, MI stagecoach stop.  It may bring back memories of your youth.

Jim

This "Allegheny" 2-6-6-6 steam locomotive, which the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway ( now part of the CSX system ) used to haul long trains of coal out of West Virginia, is one of the largest ever constructed. It was built in 1941, weighs six hundred tons, and had a top speed of 60 mph.

And now the exhibit that I've really been looking forward to...

During the 1950s and '60s, my family made numerous roadtrips down to Kentucky and North Carolina to visit relatives on both sides of the family, and many of my happiest childhood memories are of those highway journeys. Most of these trips were made in the "pre-Interstate" era, which is why my love for the open road is limited to the US and state highways, especially two-lane roads. Here's a very familiar highway icon from many years past...     

Here's another long-gone icon of the American road; this one's from the '30s and '40s...

Here's a real blast from the past: the drive-in movie theater. At one time there were thousands coast to coast; today there's only a few hundred left.

Remember these? The few drive-ins left no longer use speakers; the film's soundtrack comes over your car radio.

Many years ago, these "See Rock City" birdhouses blanketed much of the eastern US. Rock City is a tourist attraction on top of Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga. I've been there, and it's worth a visit if you're in the area.  

I love old advertising signs, especially metal ones. Here's several of the signs on display at the Ford...

This small single-service bay Texaco gas station is a classic from the 1950s. I imagine that it had to be taken apart and reassembled inside the museum. When I was a kid, Texaco stations could be found in all 50 states, and it was the only brand of gas that my dad would put in his car.

This World War 2-era tank truck is a real beauty.

nocarolina


During the 1950s and '60s, my family made numerous roadtrips down to Kentucky and North Carolina to visit relatives on both sides of the family, and many of my happiest childhood memories are of those highway journeys. Most of these trips were made in the "pre-Interstate" era, which is why my love for the open road is limited to the US and state highways, especially two-lane roads. Here's a very familiar highway icon from many years past...    

I suspect that HI's current signs are more energy-efficient but they just don't pack the punch of the classic version.  When I was young and riding in the car at night there was something about seeing it emerge from the darkness, even if we weren't stopping there.
 
I wonder if there still might be 1 or 2 in use somewhere...
 
EDIT: Doesn't look like it.  A little bit of research turned up this and other articles, and apparently all of the "Great Signs" were destroyed.
 
Brad

I feel the same way, Brad. The "Great Signs" at night were truly a sight to behold, especially to a wide-eyed little boy who drank in every wonderous sight the open road had to offer ( who, me? ) Holiday Inn is currently in the process of phasing in still another new logo, and, compared to the Great Sign, it's dull and lifeless.

More old advertising signs ( I never get my fill of them! )...

Remember back when most A&W outlets were simple roadside stands with gravel parking lots and this once-familiar sign? What they were serving back then was a heck of a lot better than the stuff A&W's serving now.  

Back in the 1960s, I loved McDonald's hamburgers. Couldn't get enough of them. There was a McDonald's about two blocks from our apartment in Chicago, and I think that at least 50% of my paper route earnings ended up being spent there. By the mid-'70s, however, it had become apparent to my tastebuds that Mr. Kroc & Co. had been fiddling around with the product; they just didn't taste the same anymore. I've since learned that 1973 was the year that McDonald's switched from fresh to frozen beef. This classic sign brings back fond memories of the McDonald's that used to be ( along with the price that used to be! )

Talk about incompatible concepts!... 

Here's what is probably my favorite exhibit in the museum. Lamy's Diner was built in 1946 by the Worcester Lunch Car Co., and was located in Marlborough MA for many years. The Ford acquired it in 1984, and spent three years restoring it to pristine condition. The diner is simply gorgeous; entering it is like going back in time.