They'll Keep the Light on For You
How some creative minds are working overtime to keep the love of neon alive
👋 Welcome to the August 20th issues of The Jaunt—the newsletter that strives to give you curated content and our personal insight about people and places shaping travel in America.
✅ This week we travel to Hollywood Blvd., visit little-known Indiana river towns, discover some incredible Frank Lloyd Wright houses you can stay in, and learn how some folks are keeping the neon shining bright.
📆 Coming soon—we’ll feature our interview with an Iowan who is trying to run in every single town in the state. You won’t want to miss this!
📈 Our growth depends on word-of-mouth. If you know someone who would enjoy reading this newsletter, please share it with them!
Hollywood Blvd Sees Rise in American Tourists | Via: Los Angeles Times
Hollywood is enjoying a surge in U.S. visitors who are splurging on high-end digs, souvenirs, food and big-ticket attractions. That is good news for Hollywood business owners who have lost out on the revenue from big-spending international travelers due to pandemic travel restrictions.
The loss has been significant: International visitors such as those from Europe or China spend an average of $4,200 per visit to the U.S, while American tourists spends much less—about $600—per trip.
Business owners say they’re seeing U.S. tourists with hefty bank accounts, which they attribute to more than a year of deferred travel and government stimulus money. Many travelers got the greenlight to visit when California ended most pandemic restrictions in June, reopening and lifting capacity limits at theme parks, beaches and restaurants.
“I think Americans are just happy to get out of the house,” said Jen Ryan, general manager of Funko, a toys and collectibles business on Hollywood Boulevard, where sales are exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Exploring Indiana’s Best River Towns | Via: Indianapolis Monthly
At the confluence of charming and accessible, Indiana’s river towns make great weekend getaways. From whitewater kayaking in South Bend to hydroplane races in Madison, thrill seekers will have no problem getting their feet wet. Indianapolis Monthly lays out the perfect itinerary for the spots you need to hit up should you find yourself cooling off in the late summer rivers of the Hoosier State.
Road-Tripping to In-N-Out Hamburger Museum | Via: SFGate
The In-N-Out Museum in Baldwin Park, in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, is a recreation of the very first In-N-Out location, started by Harry and Esther Snyder in 1948. It’s only open for a few hours in the middle of the day, and just a few days a week, but it’s a popular (and free) attraction. In the time I was there, which wasn’t all that long — like I said, it’s tiny — two other groups came by to tour the inside kitchen space and take photos in the drive-through window.
Rent These Insane Vacation Homes | Via: Vice
Plan a weekend you’ll never forget (or remember) at these mid-century masterpieces from the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and others. Rarely have you ever had. the chance to get into properties like these with architectural features that are worthy of museums.
Vacation Rentals Become Profitable Side Hustle | Via Wall Street Journal
Every summer when Trevor Plencner, 24, was growing up, his family would take a trip to New Buffalo, Mich., where they’d rent a house on Lake Michigan. Year after year, Mr. Plencner became increasingly intrigued by the notion of owning a vacation rental property himself—so much so that he decided to give it a whirl.
In February 2018, when he was 20, Mr. Plencner purchased a vacation rental in Lake Geneva, Wis., about an hour northwest from where he lives in Hoffman Estates, Ill. While there are multimillion-dollar houses on Geneva Lake, through persistence and good timing, Mr. Plencner bought a 1,200-square-foot cottage a few blocks off the water for $111,000. He put 3.5% down using a Federal Housing Administration loan. Six months later, after painting and furnishing the interior and renovating the basement, Mr. Plencner put the cottage on booking websites. In the summer, his nightly rate is around $400; in the winter, it is closer to $175. To his delight, the three-bedroom home’s rental income started covering the mortgage, and then some. In June 2019, he bought a second Lake Geneva property with a friend for $85,000.
They’ll Leave the Lights on For You
The last three articles all revolve around one awesome theme: Neon.
When you get off the beaten path and explore local roads, the chances are you’ll encounter aged neon signs of yesterday—the beacons that drew in travelers long before freeways and interstates. These neon works of art graced the courtyards of motels across the country and were unique ways to represent the hotel and its location.
Today, as the ubiquity of freeway motels and restaurants become indistinguishable from the next, neon signs and the history they tell become all the more important to record and salvage. These stories highlight people working overtime to keep that history alive.
Photographer Captures Vintage Neon in Project | Via: Fox 13 News
Todd Bates documents the evolving history of American roadways. Ten years ago, the St. Petersburg graphic designer started the Vintage Neon Project.
He photographs old signs that represent a bygone era of Florida tourism.
"When the car was king and the family summer road trip was the way that people went on vacation," he explained.
Most of the signs Todd shoots are motels on old tourist routes, like the Sandman on 34th Street in St. Pete.
"It's just such a whimsical sign. That’s the way people used to get to the Skyway when they were driving through St. Pete," he said.
Todd says decades of wear and tear add to the allure of them. "It’s really a lost art form. I love seeing the decay and the fading paint. It’s just really beautiful to me."
The project started locally, but now it's gone national.
"Before you know it, I’m flying out to Los Angeles or to parts of Route 66. Just recently I flew out and did a stretch of Arizona and New Mexico," Todd continued.
San Jose Guide to ‘Save the Neon Signs’ | Via: San Jose Mercury News
There’s a lot of attention on downtown San Jose right now, especially with plans moving forward for Google’s big Downtown West development over the next decade. So why not draw some attention to the eye-catching and often historic signs that still exist in the city center?
That was the idea behind the San Jose Signs Project’s new Downtown San Jose Walking Tour guide, a booklet stuffed with photographs and background information about the signs we may walk or drive past every day. It includes the big, obvious ones like the rooftop signs for the Hotel De Anza and Westin San Jose (known for decades as the Sainte Claire Hotel); the Original Joe’s neon that brings a whole corner to life at night; and the towering blade sign for the California Theatre, a near-perfect replica of the original 1927 vertical sign.
But the guide also puts a spotlight on some of the smaller gems that you might not even notice, like the Firato Ravioli sign on Santa Clara Street that may be the oldest existing sign downtown or the funky metal letters of the Caravan that have greeted bargoers since 1964. It also includes some newer “retro” signs that fit in with the historic inventory, such as San Pedro Square Market’s 140-foot long sign with 6-foot-high neon letters and the neon “Diving Lady” sign at the Dive Bar.