Mystery Hill defies gravity — and the demise of roadside attractions
Finn Gerschwiler, 15, of Onsted, shows off his skills while leading a tour through the gravitational house at Mystery Hill, a roadside attraction in Onsted. Gerschwiler has been giving tours at Mystery Hill since he was 12, teaching himself many of the tricks he uses to impress his tour groups. Photo credit: Ella Miller/Bridge Michigan
From The Manchester Mirror: Growing up about 20 miles south of the Irish Hills, Nathan Wakefield was a regular visitor to “southern Michigan’s vacation land.”
The region along US 12 was filled with roadside attractions, where kids like Wakefield could climb towers, traverse a prehistoric forest and see blacksmiths and saloons in scenes that mimicked Western films.
Today, most of those roadside stops in Jackson and Lenawee counties have disappeared, casualties of changing tourism preferences and a steady decline in traffic after I-94 diverted motorists from what had been a primary route between Detroit and Chicago.
The World’s First Motel Is for Sale—and It’s Hidden in a Sleepy California Town That Helped Invent the American Road Trip
View of the “first motel” Motel Inn off of Route 101 in San Luis Obispo California. Credit: HUM Images/Getty Images
From Travel and Leisure: During California’s golden age of motoring, one Central Coast stop forever changed the American road trip. Nearly a century later, the site of the world’s first motel, built halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is looking for its next owner.
The Historic Motel Inn in San Luis Obispo has hit the market, offering the chance to reimagine a landmark of the wide open West that once blended ingenuity, thoughtful design, and distinctly American practicality with just enough Hollywood glamour to become iconic. The 4.2 acre property at 2223 Monterey St. is being marketed by Hayes Commercial Group.
The site comes with approvals for an 83 room hotel, though other redevelopment possibilities are also outlined in the listing, including mixed use residential or assisted living. The asking price has not been publicly disclosed.
Preserving a Place in History
The oldest Route 66 motel outside of downtown Flagstaff, the El Pueblo Motel, shown here in a 2019 photo, is eligible for listing as a national landmark. Photo courtesy of Phil Scandura
From Flagstaff Business News: If walls could talk, those at the historic El Pueblo Motor Inn on East Route 66 in Flagstaff would whisper a tale of innovation and bravery that led to a monumental contribution to victory for the Allies in World War II – the creation of the Navajo Code Talkers under the auspices of the U.S. Marines.
The El Pueblo is the oldest remaining Route 66 motel outside of downtown Flagstaff. The property itself is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a national landmark.
Historic Route 66 motel demolished in Springfield after emergency inspection
From KY3: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Demolition of the Shamrock Court Motel began last week following an emergency inspection that found the building was not structurally sound, according to city officials.
The motel, which operated along Route 66, came down just before the area’s birthplace festival.
Building Development Services Director Martin Gugel said the city conducts inspections when it receives complaints about a building and crews look for specific public safety hazards.
Tip Top Shoes Is Getting a New Sign, and It’s a Throwback
Tip Top Shoes today. Photo via Nash Design presentation to Community Board 7
From I Love The Upper West Side: Tip Top Shoes is replacing the sign over its storefront, and the new design is a deliberate throwback. Community Board 7’s Preservation Committee approved it unanimously on Thursday.
The shoe store, which the Wasserman family has run at 155 West 72nd Street since 1964, sits inside the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District, which is why a new sign needs sign-off at all. The vote was 5-0, and the committee’s recommendation now goes to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which has the final say.
Crystal River Cave in Cave City Restores Historic Sign While Preserving Arkansas History
From Arkansasradio.com: A weathered roadside sign that once welcomed travelers to one of Arkansas’ unique attractions is receiving new appreciation as restoration efforts continue at Crystal River Cave & Courts.
The historic sign proudly advertised “Electric Lights • Underground River • Temperature 55° • Drive In,” words that carried a special meaning for visitors during the early 1930s.
Route 66 is More Fun Than Ever—Here Are the Best Stops in Every State
From The Pioneer Woman: When Route 66 was created in 1926, no one could have imagined that it would become the coolest stretch of highway on the U.S. map. The original idea was simple: Americans needed an easy way to head west, and this took them from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean.
Soon after the “Mother Road” opened, tasty diners, fun hotels, and quirky pit stops popped up in small towns and big cities along the way, and a century of great American road trips followed.
While the 2,448-mile stretch has changed a bit since its inception, it’s still one of America’s most iconic road trips. The route today is dotted with iconic stops that hearken back to the golden age of car travel: bold neon signs that flicker to life at dusk, diners full of homemade pies and oddball attractions that pretty much force you to pull over and take a photo.
Lafayette city council opts to paint over the Coca-Cola sign
From apoliticalhobbyistinlafayetteco: Vicky Uhland has been doing fabulous work to keep us updated on what’s been happening, or maybe not happening, with the Coca-Cola sign on Public Road. Along with Doug Conarroe, she has been advocating for preservation and protection of the sign. Here’s her latest update.
After the city allowed the historic Coca-Cola sign it owns on Public Road to deteriorate for a decade, city council members decided Aug. 4 to replace the sign with a “rotating mural program celebrating Lafayette’s history, culture and community identity,” according to the council meeting packet.