Shields Date Gardens

"Jumbo Medjools: the richest fruit on earth."
Michael Stern






"You can’t leave Shields without buying a tub of dates and their superior pistachios."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch



"Very thick but not too rich, this sweet date shake surely hits the spot every time."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch



"To the left is the counter, to the right are the booths. In between are dates for sale as well as California desert souvenirs."
Michael Stern



"What was surely a real head-turning advertisement back in the ’60s is now a curious sign that hides a rather dry mini-documentary on date propagation."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch



"The motion picture advertised on Shields' exterior wall is shown in a small theater to the side of the showroom. It is hardly a sex film. It's more like a mid-1950s science movie crossed with a travelogue."
Michael Stern



"This huge streetside knight puts the Shields metaphor over the top."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch



"Arabian exotica in a suit of Medieval armor: what traveler could resist this huge sign?"
Michael Stern



"Once you finish your date shake and the movie, make sure you walk out back to check out the lovely scenery, which looks straight out of Lawrence of Arabia!"
Cliff Strutz