A new book on roadside attractions by architectural historian Richard Longstreth prompts thoughts of family vacations past, present, and future; especially car trips to mountains or seashore. The book is called Road Trip (from Rizzoli) and shows more than 200
previously unpublished photographs of restaurants, gas stations, motels, and places of amusement built from the 1920s through the 1960s that are mostly no longer extant. It shows how exuberant these buildings were in the way they used pop imagery -- from gigantic boots and hats to teepees and dinosaurs -- to attract your attention and get you to stop the car and patronize their businesses. It's a good introduction to vacation time, and a spur to look for novel architectural experiences wherever you travel this summer.
One way to start might be to hook your car up to one of the fiberglass updates on the classic mini-travel trailer, called the HC1, from Happiercamper.com, shown at the top of this post (you can rent one!). The Adaptiv™ model, below,
comes with modular elements or "cubes,"including a kitchenette, so you can
configure the interior in a variety of ways or even move the sink outdoors (photos courtesy Happiercamper). Or consider the luxurious Hütte Hut, developed by an industrial design firm, using a marine plywood exterior
and other high-quality materials and finishes. The use of wood, and the aluminum automotive style space-frame recall "Woodie" station wagons of the 1950s (photo by Thomas J. Story, courtesy Sunset Magazine).
So now that you're ready for the road, what will you visit on your vacation? House touring options may be just an exit away. How about eclectic Hearst Castle by Julia Morgan, built for publishing tycoon William Randolph
Hearst on his 125,000 acre cattle ranch at San Simeon on the Central California coast. Or the early modern
floating glass pavilion known as the Dr. Edith Farnsworth house in Plano, Illinois, by Mies van der Rohe, and now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (photo courtesy Farnsworthhouse.org). Or George Washington's iconic Mt. Vernon, overlooking the Potomac River in Fairfax County,
Virginia, which produced numerous architectural descendants in the 20th century (photo courtesy Mt. Vernon.org).
One of the most famous roads is the original Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Opened in 1926, it was the first transcontinental highway. According to Candacy Taylor in The Guardian: "The highway’s soundtrack, (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66, written in 1946 by Bobby Troup and first recorded by Nat King Cole, has been covered by more than 50 musicians, from Aerosmith to the UK Subs." Taylor says 85% of the road survives. Tune your ipod and step on the gas!
Summer roads and house touring beckons!
To see a collection of unusual and unique house plans click here.
previously unpublished photographs of restaurants, gas stations, motels, and places of amusement built from the 1920s through the 1960s that are mostly no longer extant. It shows how exuberant these buildings were in the way they used pop imagery -- from gigantic boots and hats to teepees and dinosaurs -- to attract your attention and get you to stop the car and patronize their businesses. It's a good introduction to vacation time, and a spur to look for novel architectural experiences wherever you travel this summer.
One way to start might be to hook your car up to one of the fiberglass updates on the classic mini-travel trailer, called the HC1, from Happiercamper.com, shown at the top of this post (you can rent one!). The Adaptiv™ model, below,
comes with modular elements or "cubes,"including a kitchenette, so you can
configure the interior in a variety of ways or even move the sink outdoors (photos courtesy Happiercamper). Or consider the luxurious Hütte Hut, developed by an industrial design firm, using a marine plywood exterior
and other high-quality materials and finishes. The use of wood, and the aluminum automotive style space-frame recall "Woodie" station wagons of the 1950s (photo by Thomas J. Story, courtesy Sunset Magazine).
So now that you're ready for the road, what will you visit on your vacation? House touring options may be just an exit away. How about eclectic Hearst Castle by Julia Morgan, built for publishing tycoon William Randolph
Hearst on his 125,000 acre cattle ranch at San Simeon on the Central California coast. Or the early modern
floating glass pavilion known as the Dr. Edith Farnsworth house in Plano, Illinois, by Mies van der Rohe, and now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (photo courtesy Farnsworthhouse.org). Or George Washington's iconic Mt. Vernon, overlooking the Potomac River in Fairfax County,
Virginia, which produced numerous architectural descendants in the 20th century (photo courtesy Mt. Vernon.org).
One of the most famous roads is the original Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Opened in 1926, it was the first transcontinental highway. According to Candacy Taylor in The Guardian: "The highway’s soundtrack, (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66, written in 1946 by Bobby Troup and first recorded by Nat King Cole, has been covered by more than 50 musicians, from Aerosmith to the UK Subs." Taylor says 85% of the road survives. Tune your ipod and step on the gas!
Summer roads and house touring beckons!
To see a collection of unusual and unique house plans click here.
