Neon Poisoning

Here and There: Vacation Recap

2009-07-18T10:08:00.007-05:00

Despite the large amount of time spent on the internet, I've yet to write a post-vacation follow-up since returning. So, here is a brief, bulletpoint list of the highlights, with websites and Flickr pictures.

If you're driving the 10 west of San Antonio, make a point of hitting the Bear Moon Bakery & Cafe in Boerne. The drive off the highway and into the cute little town was rewarded with some great Piggies, their superior version of a Texas kolatche. Random find.
El Paso - The House of Sugar. Gorgeous, meticulously maintained.

Las Vegas - Visibly affected by the economic depression. It's been taking a toll on both people and neighborhoods. Never did get a chance to take pictures inside Vegas Masonic Lodge #32, as I could have during a visit to their morning coffee club, open to the public. Also sad that time didn't allow for visits to either the Neon Graveyard or the Erotic Heritage Museum (nsfw). Happy to visit Johnstons Stables. Wished that someone answered the phone while I was taking shots outside, had hoped to get inside the expansive and intriguing grounds. Very happy to go to Frankie's Tiki Room. Leaving Vegas, had great subs (A "Bobbie" & "Slaw Be Jo") at the Boulder City Capriotti's.

Tinkertown, NM! A great off-the-beaten-track attraction. 3$ bucks well spent!

Visited Santa Fe, MN. Had inexpensive, good food at Harry's Road House and a great night at the El Ray Inn. The historic motor lodge was the hotel highlight of the trip. Would stay there again and recommend it to road-weary travelers. All found in the AAA guidebook.

Stayed in Holbrook, NM, a Route 66 town. Gave me a desire to do a trip along the Mother Road.

That was a lot of driving and I'm happy we are happily back in Houston (except for an upcoming short side-trip to Kentucky, 2,000 mile round trip). I'll have to get myself reaquanited with all the things I wanted to do in town. See if the Odd Fellows Museum in the Heights and the Gulf Coast Electronics Museum are open yet.

Nice to be back in town.

Pictures of Places: Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas, NM - Tinkertown, NM - Tucumcari, NM - Holbrook, AZ

2009-07-08T00:58:00.001-05:00

There will be some recap of the 5,300 plus miles traveled this summer, but not tonight. Instead, there are photos.

Luv-It Custard - Las Vegas, NV 1, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Tinkertown - Sandia Park, NM, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Holbrook, AZ 10, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Wigwam Motel - Holbrook, AZ, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Masonic Temple - Las Vegas, NM 1, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Del's Restaurant - Tucumcari, NM, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Men in Aprons... Powerful, Evil Aprons!

2009-07-01T21:00:00.005-05:00

Sam Houston, originally uploaded by Flagman00.

Anson Jones, originally uploaded by Flagman00.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Art Out and About

2009-06-24T21:00:00.001-05:00

Were (Houston Graffiti), originally uploaded by Marco From Houston.

Morelli House: Only in Pictures

2009-06-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

Sigh...

The lovely Morelli House, a saved-from-demolition Modernist beauty, was closed to the public. So, Flickr pix from Vegas photographer Roadsidepictures are my only consolation.

Morelli House, originally uploaded by Roadsidepictures.

Morelli House Entrance, originally uploaded by Roadsidepictures.

48 Years in the Making: Johnstons Stables - Las Vegas, NV

2009-06-22T16:10:00.001-05:00

A few shots of a North Las Vegas find. Word of this place came from a local friend who first posted pix of the place in 2007. All of my pictures of the ranch are here and all of Ms. Bonanza's here.

Johnston's Ranch Gate (detail), Johnston's Ranch - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

"Protect Your Animals", Johnston's Stables - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

"What We Are...", Johnston's Ranch - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Front Gate (detail 1), Johnston's Ranch - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Sue Eeee, Johnston's Ranch - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

East and North Walls, Johnston's Ranch - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

East Wall Panorama, Johnston's Ranch - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Shriners and Masons and Oddfellows, Oh My

2009-06-15T16:29:00.001-05:00

Brother and sisterhoods in Vegas.

Vegas Shriners - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Masonic Temple - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

A Trickle of Pix: A Couple of Sin City Photos

2009-06-13T17:18:00.000-05:00

More to follow as soon as they are taken, uploaded, edited, amended and blogged about.

This Way - Las Vegas, NV, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Las Vegas High School - Las Vegas, NV 4, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Vegas Vacation: Mild w/ Scattered Chances of Interesting

2009-06-11T18:19:00.001-05:00

Vegas is proving to be a surprise. The weather, almost sublime. Mild (80's/70's) and breezy.

Sporadic internet access has me blogging less than desired. Despite being a former 5-year resident, there are a few long-time attractions I never visited. Along with some new finds are some highlights worth posting about. Pictures and some tales of Sin City uniqueness will follow sometime soon.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, outside Houston

2009-06-10T21:00:00.001-05:00

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston, originally uploaded by Trotskii.

Summer Road Trip Sighting: Casa De Azucar - El Paso, TX

2009-06-06T09:28:00.006-05:00

Drive to El Paso, Texas. Go here. See the House of Sugar. Marvel at its beauty and craft. In the mean time, read more about it here.

House of Sugar - El Paso, TX, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Roadtrip # 2: Turning Day into Nighttime, Turning Night into Daytime

2009-06-04T12:00:00.004-05:00

"Viva Las Vegas, turning day into nighttime,
Turning night into daytime.
If you see it once
you'll never be the same again"

This blog was created while living in Vegas, and the name reflects an infection I got while in the city. Driving the desert or flying into the Vegas valley, if you see it at night there's nothing like it. It's not a good city or a healthy one. But I dig the place and was unscathed when we left. Now we are going back again. To see good friends, a wedding and some old haunts.

And finally, a game that the city deserves: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: The Board Game. A quote from Hunter S. Thompson's book of the same name:

"The trunk of the car looked like a mobile police narcotics lab. We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers . . . and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls . . . Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. And I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon."

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Night Light

2009-06-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

DSC_1457, originally uploaded by sabotai.

Roadtrip #1, Atlanta: Fun, But Thwarted

2009-06-02T00:29:00.000-05:00

The first of two Summer roadtrips was just completed this evening.

Atlanta was a success in the food and lovely-city departments, but a bust with the attractions. We both noted how gorgeous the city was, something I had forgotten in the time since we left it. But in that time, a favorite vintage antiques place went out of business and the Waffle House Museum was closed the day we rolled by. So, I consoled myself when we went to the world's largest aquarium.

Zoe & Jellyfish, Georgia Aquarium - Atlanta, GA, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Caroline, Zoe and Whale Shark, Georgia Aquarium - Atlanta, GA, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Rice U.

2009-05-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

Rice Rooftops HDR, originally uploaded by J-a-x.

And Away We Go: One the Road

2009-05-27T12:00:00.005-05:00

Like most trips, we were held up as scantily-clad women demanded to join us in our travels. As any blogger knows, groupies can be a nusiance. My wife shooed them away and we are now on our way.

Tales of the road to follow.

Best Photographs from the Federal Government: Eat and Sleep in a Wig Wam

2009-05-24T02:00:00.003-05:00

Just in time for summer roadtrip season, the Library of Congress posted this lovely picture of a still-standing roadside attraction on their Flickr page.

Cabins imitating the Indian teepee for tourists along highway south of Bardstown, Kentucky (LOC), originally uploaded by The Library of Congress.

Wigwam Village Cave City, KY from U.S. 31., originally uploaded by esywlkr.

village10, originally uploaded by Zapgun.

From the Wigwam Village No. 2 motel's website...

"... Wigwam Village Inn #2 was completed in 1937 in Cave City, and five more were built over time in Alabama, Florida, New Orleans, California, and Arizona. From the beginning, the Wigwam Villages were gathering places with an atmosphere of old-time neighborliness. The community area at the center of the circle of wigwams seemed to invite people to come and talk. Nowadays, our playground at the center of the teepees invites young folks to play and our new 16'x16' "Misting Deck" is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day - regardless of your age!...

...Of the seven original Wigwam Villages, only three remain: #2 in Cave City, Kentucky, #6 in Holbrook, Arizona. and #7 in Riallto, California..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wigwam Village No. 2, Cave City, Kentucky
601 North Dixie Hwy
Cave City, Kentucky 42127
Google Map

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

7 more Best Photographs from the Federal Government blog posts.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Ghostland Observatory

2009-05-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

Ghostland Observatory at SHRP, originally uploaded by Mark C. Austin.

So, What's In Florence, Italy?

2009-05-16T14:00:00.001-05:00

Because that's where we'll be spending a week this coming winter. I tend to like places where the creative impulses of the eccentric are encouraged. So is there anything weird or will I have to settle for stunning works of art and gorgeous, historic architecture?

My hit-or-miss research on the subject:

So far, not gleaning a whole lot from the above sites. Personal musings aside, I can't find much about the actual city. I hoping to fire off some emails asking the folks mentioned about their fair city.

Art Car Parade 2009 Pictures: Loads of Pix

2009-05-15T02:00:00.018-05:00

Houston gets my love in large part due to the annual Art Car Parade. Photo websites Flickr, Photobucket and Picassa all get flooded with great pictures of the event. My shots weren't great, but lots of locals took some great ones. Below are some of my favorites. B.S. Houston Art Blog posted some great panoramic shots of the parade by local photographer Chuy Benitez.

Lastly, I got to say I agree with NeoHouston,"...the show was great, but if they were going to change one thing, I’d have the parade somewhere between late March and mid April — or have it earlier / later in the day if it’s going to be held in May..." The heat drained me of my enthusiasm for the parade. Make it just a bit earier in the year and I think loads of people would be thankful.

Now, on with the show.

Art Car Parade 2009, originally uploaded by Tony A1.

Art Car - Bunnies (#12), originally uploaded by d-r-p.

Houston Art Car, originally uploaded by terribletype.

2009 Art Car Parade , originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

2009 Art Car Parade, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

2009 Houston Art Cars, originally uploaded by eschipul.

2009 Art Car Parade, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Art Car Parade 2009, originally uploaded by Tony A1.

2009 Art Car Parade, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Houston Art Car Parade, originally uploaded by SMercury98.

, originally uploaded by arnthora.

2009 Art Car Parade, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

Houston Art Car Parade 2009, originally uploaded by EdwardFotoLogue.

Art Car Parade, Houston, Texas, 2002., originally uploaded by its_rich.

DSC_0112, originally uploaded by House of Ocean.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: Waiting For the Night Train

2009-05-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

Jan11 094_2_3, originally uploaded by againtothefuture.

March6 085_3_4, originally uploaded by againtothefuture.

March1 004_2_3, originally uploaded by againtothefuture.

Live Life The Way It Should Be Lived: When Parents Give Good Advice...

2009-05-11T02:00:00.000-05:00

When parents give good advice, how can the kids not turn out great?

AIGA Houston Chip Kidd Event, originally uploaded by AIGA Houston.

Wednesday Night Photo Post: New = Improved

2009-05-06T02:00:00.002-05:00

Alien: The Director's Cut @ River Oaks, originally uploaded by luna715.

Jet Skiing Buffalo Bayou: Good Idea OR Great Idea

2009-05-04T02:00:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while, the idea of jet skiing Buffalo Bayou pops into my head. A video would be posted on YouTube, blogger fame would follow, and soon I would be rich. Since my wife admits to being a buzz murderer, this and many other flights of fancy will never be lived out. Thus leaving us no more destitute then before and just leaving me with a jet ski-shaped hole in my soul.

But a google search finds one couple that took that little trip. Back in '97, Karen and Will drove the waterway. That's all the info I could find. That and this picture. Nice.

Say what you want about the nastiness that is BB, I still think it a great idea.

Taking Aim at Dorothy Flood: Just Damn Gorgeous

2009-05-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

Ziegfeld Star - Dorothy Flood - 1920s - by Alfred Cheney Johnston, originally uploaded by Mr. Kimberly.

This photo of Ziegfeld girl Dorothy Flood has been floating around the internet on various sites. I just think it's one of the most gorgeous things. Normally, I wouldn't post a picture without more facts/credit/proof-of-ownership. But it's too lovely to leave alone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Also see: