Signs: Good, Bad, & Missing
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Day 13: August 8, 2014 Signs: Good, Bad, & Missing Comment via blog |
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This is the wash where movie star Tom Mix died in 1940. Not far away is a
small park with a monument to the actor. I've visited the monument before
but this may have been the first time I've stopped at the wash. Aside from
a little more rust, the monument looked the same as I remember but there
was a small addition. A newspaper article from the fiftieth anniversary of
the Mix's death was taped to the side. Another half dozen copies were
available held down by rocks on a nearby table. I didn't take one but I
took a picture.
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In Tucson, the Roadside America app alerted me to a 30 foot neon cactus. I
saw it but didn't take a picture. This cactus looks about the same height
to me and there are plenty more just as tall. I have no idea what, if
anything, the motorcycle sculpture is supposed to mean. It does kind of
stand out, though. There aren't too many bright things to distract you out
here.
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The only thing on my radar as I drove through Mesa, Tempe, and Phoenix was
a motel sign. This isn't it but the big Bickhorn sign is pretty hard to
miss. I'd definitely like to see it at night.
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This was the sign I was looking for. I'd heard about its crash to the
ground in 2010 and its
resurrection in 2013 and that made me want to see
it in person. It went onto the agenda as soon as I realized that it was on
the route for this trip. I still haven't personally seen it at night which
means I haven't personally seen it in action but I can now better relate to
nighttime video. I can also relate to the Starlite
Motel a little better now that I know there is much more to it than a
fancy neon sign. It really does look like a place I'd like to stay.
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Between today and my last visit to the Gillespie bridge and dam in 2011,
an interpretive plaza has come and partially gone. There is now a nice
parking area on the south end of the bridge and a pedestrian ramp leads to
some nice views of both dam and bridge. I was becoming increasingly aware
of the interpretive plaza's lack of interpretation when it struck me that
those three metal posts looked as if they might have once held something.
An internet search turned up
evidence that they did and that what they once held
was very interpretive. I'm guessing the panels were stolen but I've found
nothing th support that.
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A couple of favorites from Gila Bend.
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Following a recommendation from three years ago, I spent the night at the
Yuma Cabana
Motel. Although I ended up quite happy with the place,
my room was not very welcoming initially. The
reason, which probably won't be a huge surprise (It's August. It's
Arizona.) was temperature. The 1960ish Yuma Cabana is cooled and heated by
a central unit. Each room has only a fan control. It was off and turning
it to high brought relief at a pace that prompted me to walk to dinner in
104 degrees rather than wait in the room. I understand and accept this.
Cooling a building of empty rooms in this weather would no doubt be an
outrageous expense. Updating to more responsive individual units would be
even more outrageous. As I said, I understand and accept this but I can't
ignore it.
Nor can I ignore the condition of the sign and I'm not quite as accepting of it, either. The Cabana has a wonderful sign. I've seen pictures of it glowing at night and looked forward to taking some of my own. But there was more burned out neon than there was working neon so I didn't even bother. |
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