Farewell to John Margolies, who glorified the diners and motels of roadside America

http://www.latimes.com/ ^ | 8/8/16 | Christopher Reynolds

[V K Lee]

Travelers, let us now raise a glass--or perhaps a curvy old Coca-Cola bottle, freshly pried from a vintage service station fridge--to John Margolies, author, photographer, lecturer, road-trip royalty.

Before Margolies came along, there was a little less love in this country for drive-through doughnuts and neon sombreros. But Margolies, 76, who died of pneumonia on May 26 in New York, spent most of his adult life seeking, snapping and celebrating the commercial imagery of America’s Main Streets and blue highways.

His books, including ”Roadside America,” “Home Away From Home” and “Pump and Circumstance,” delve lovingly into an America of neon signage, threadbare motels, sun-baked gas stations, faded resorts in New York’s Catskills, drive-in theaters, miniature golf courses, and all manner of vernacular architecture and design

[Albion Wilde]

That’s clever. The photo is probably one of those free postcards they gave away to customers. Good times! I wouldn’t eat seafood the way my mother “cooked” it, but I would always order flounder or scallops at Howard Johnsons.

[V K Lee]

Those roadside parks were used often. In some states they were no more than a trash barrel with parking alongside. Others could be found with a concrete or metal roof over a small area with the picnic table and benches underneath. We would stop for lunch, pull out the portable Coleman stove and cook or if too tired make sandwiches. Of course there was also rest rooms available as well...both Men and Women. They were used for sleeping, too. Can drive no further, pull into one, find yourself with several autos, truckers, doing the same; lock the doors and take a snooze. Then there were no hesitations to attempt this. Today would be an entirely different story.

Howard Johnson was always a favorite = they made delicious New England Clam Chowder. Directly across the freeway from our office was a HoJo, and every Friday the crew would be found there eating NE Clam chowder The chowder, fried clams were big favorites for lunch

Traveling from Nova Scotia is not a short trip! Envy your trip to Virginia and that portion of the states. Mount Vernon was never seen. Nor the smoky mountains. This country has so much to see and views to take in. Canada was traveled a good bit. Fishing in Cranberry Portage in Manitoba...could go no further north unless one went by air. An enjoyable 3 weeks of camping, fishing and clean, cold fun. The biggest fish ever seen. Northern Pike, Walleye, the moose roaming around the area close to the lake. Our fish limit caught and shipped back to Texas awaiting a fish fry when we returned home.

[V K Lee]

Another for you
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

[Daffynition]

I opine those little pull-outs by the backroads. We'd pull in with our ginormous metal Coca-Cola cooler, dad would pull out the Coleman stove and we'd cook a hot lunch of dogs and burgers. Nothing more than a picnic table, IIRC you had to use the woods if you had *business* to do. Connecticut abandoned all these wonderful little respites; a very few remain.

A little bit of planning saved the middle class [when there was one] a lot of maoney; and the food was aleays btter. ;)

A sweet gentleman purchased one such rest stop from the state, and has a lunch wagon [with pretty good fare] things for kids/families to do and has single-handedly preserved a bit of Americana. He calls it *Frog Rock*. It's in the middle of NOWHERE

https://www.facebook.com/FrogRockEastfordCt

[Daffynition]

And those wonderful *Burma Shave* signs.

As a kid, I thought that was the best part of the South. :)

[V K Lee]

Vacation always included a bit of camping for the family. An Enormous tent, blow up air cushions (which were of no help in the ‘heat’ department when used in cold weather (ie northern Canada in the summertime. Coleman lantern, and Coleman stove. If visiting relatives, we’d spend some time in their homes and found ourselves setting up camp nearby for the fishing. Texas still has ‘rest stops’ though not as opulent as they might have been in the 1950’s. Back then the their decor here was more often several small, fake oil wells with a large picnic table and adjoining concrete benches. ROADSIDE AMERICA has a web site which might interest you. USA has so much to see one could spend a lifetime attempting to take it all in.

Those Berma Shave signs were always a favorite and until another Freeper mentioned them I had completely lost that memory.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

[JoeProBono]

[HandyDandy]

I know that exact location. There’s a Burger King there now. They had the best hot dogs. They served clam strips (not bellies). 28 flavors of ice cream?

[V K Lee]

What is the cost of sending a post card these days?

Thank you JPB Built in an era when even service stations had character and charm; not to mention gas being sold at 17 cents a gallon for regular.

[Albion Wilde]

28 flavors of ice cream?

Wow. That brought back memories.

[Little Ray]

The ones I remember, when riding with my father, were wooden buildings with big front porches, and a roof connecting the porch to the two pumps (not glass, but sort of rounded).
Inside, along with groceries, they had the old “maze” type coke machine. It had bottles hanging on rails in a tub full of ice. You put in your money (a quarter back then, I think - a week’s allowance for me) and ran the bottle down the rail and through the gate.
Barnum & Bailey’s animal crackers were also a big treat.
My dad liked vienna sausages and saltines for a snack, esp. while fishing.
These come to my mind’s eye when my brain is idling. I miss my dad so much.

[V K Lee]

The maze Coke machine. These were always detested. To retrieve a bottle one would suffer for days with cuts on the fingers from the bottle cap edge digging into flesh. Then the more ‘modern’ machines. Bright red, the rounded top and an embedded bottle opener on the door.

Animal Crackers. My Lord, haven’t remembered those in years. LOL Always began at the head of the cracker and progressed from there. They came in a ‘mini’ box with a string atop (purs-like), and the box print was that of a circus animal train car. Cookies were good...not too sweet.

Saltines and Vienna sausage became a fast lunch many times. Then there was only one type of Vienna sausage, not what is found on the shelves today. Choices of BBQ and other flavors. For snacks and eating a favorite would be ‘goose liver’ (Braunschweiger) used as a dip/spread on Lays potato chips. German heritage shining thru. My Dad loved his liverwurst sausage. And salami :)And if he could eat this with a beer in hand would have him very pleased and content. He loved to fish as well. As a family we often spent time camping and fishing. Nothing better than fresh catch frying on an open fire lakeside. Fond memories!