When road tripping, I keep one eye on the road ahead and one on the rearview mirror. That’s so I know when it’s safe to slam on the brakes for fabulous sights like this one.
If you’re ever on Route 35 somewhere south of Muncie, Indiana, maybe you’ll slam on the brakes to see it too!
This little number can be found in Zanesville, Ohio. It’s a slice of Americana, a fun remnant of advertising past and the sort of thing I live for on my journeys. It’s sometimes shocking how little it takes to make me happy.
This sort of thing isn’t in any guidebook but it adds character to a community and makes me want to nose around a little longer.
There’s another advertising mural not far away. See that picture here.
Diners hold a special place in my heart alongside random vintage black and white pictures. This image was on Pinterest and is credited to Frank Bauman who made it for a 1960 Look Magazine assignment.
Other people like the photo because it features the infamous Vince Lombardi who was a Green Bay Packers coach. He was a regular here, often stopping on his way to the stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
But it holds so much more than a famous sports figure. First of all, that’s a rather unfortunate name for a restaurant. It would not do well in our 2020 germ nervous world of COVID-19. But look a little closer. Notice the menu overhead? It gives some insight into what people were eating and what it cost.
There’s a Kellogg’s display filled with single serve boxes of cereals you can still buy. Classics never go out of style. A Pepsi sign reminds us to please pay the cashier while the pie case is nearly empty. You can see the pattern of the countertop and style of dishes they were using in 1960. In fact, it’s all pretty familiar as I’ve been in a number of diners that resemble this one.
While the black and white is amazing, I’d love to see all this in color. Better yet, it might be fun to step into the picture and spend a little time.
Make the Journey Fun 