Nostalgia

Road Trip!

A few weeks ago on my podcast The Mason Minute I was reminiscing about one of my favorite childhood restaurants Shakey’s Pizza.

Growing up I used to love going to Shakey’s to watch them make the pizza (both tossing it and baking it), listen to the Dixieland and Ragtime band, and take home one of those fake straw hats to wear.  Plus, did I mention that the pizza was real good too?!  I think you could consider Shakey’s the 1960’s and 1970’s version of Chuck E. Cheese before there was such a thing.

But by the late 80’s and early 90’s the restaurant world had changed greatly and Shakey’s were closing throughout the U.S.  The last one I remembered seeing (and eating at) was in Bloomington, IL when I lived there in the early 90’s…. that was until a few weeks ago!!!
Pictures From Shakey's in Auburn, AL
Pictures from Shakey's in Auburn, AL
While I was doing some research about Shakey’s for my podcast, I noticed that their Wikipedia page indicated that there were still some Shakey’s open in America…. and that one of them was just a few hours away in Auburn, AL.  So I grabbed my wife and did what any red blooded pizza loving guy (without kids) would do.  I hopped in the car and took a road trip to Alabama.

And as you can tell from the pictures above, we had a great time; and best of all the pizza tasted just like I remember it did!  The modern Shakey’s did a  great job of displaying the brand’s history by using some of the old wall signs pictured above, and they also had display cases filled with mementos from years gone by.

I chatted with the store manager and he told me that this location had been open for a few years, and he didn’t know if there were plans to expand into more states.  Right now there are nearly 60 locations in the U.S., and roughly 50 of those are in California, so finding a Shakey’s near you could be rough.

I mentioned to him that I had eaten at Shakey’s many times throughout the years (and literally from coast to coast). When I mentioned that most of the American Shakey’s had disappeared for a decade or two, he was shocked. I guess some days it pays to be an old-timer!

I don’t know if we’ll get back Auburn anytime soon, but if you find yourself near one of their new locations make sure you stop in for lunch or dinner. You’ll be glad you did!

If you’re an old time Shakey’s Pizza lover like me, I’m sure you’ll love the picture we found from back in the day…

An Old Time Shakey's

It’s Yesterday AND Today

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http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/retro-gaming/e762/I was scrolling through my Twitter feed this afternoon, when I saw one of my friends post a link to the above item.  I thought it was too good to be true, and in a way it was…. for now!

After doing some research, I found out that the overlords at Think Geek posted this as an April Fools joke back in 2010, but obviously someone thought is was as brilliant an idea as I do, so they have actually produced it.  It’s called the iCade and it turns your iPad into a classic (and I do mean classic) video gaming machine.  It like the technology of yesterday has merged with the technology of today.  Check it out HERE.

Sadly, we’ll have to wait a few more months.  They’re currently in production and are expected to be ready by sometime in June.  The Think Geek gang teamed up with Ion (the folks who bring us the USB turntable) to make this cool gag a reality.  They’ll cost about $100, but I think they’ll be well worth it to ancient gamers like me.

Atari has already jumped on board to make available some of their most loved video games from our youth.  Supposedly they already have Asteroids ready to go, and hopefully will also be bringing us classics like Centipede, Space Invaders, and Missle Command.  I’m sure video game legends like Pac-Man, Ms Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong won’t be far behind.

I’m just hoping that there’s some way that they can recreate Tempest!  I promise to post pictures once mine arrives.

Truth In Advertising

For a few years back in the late 1980’s, I lived in Huntsville, AL.  To say it was an interesting few years would be an understatement.  While Huntsville is home to the world famous Space and Rocket Center (Home of Space Camp), and at the time had the third highest number of PhD’s per capita, it was also a city where you could still see a George Wallace for President bumper sticker nearly 15 years after he had last run for the office.

Now this post isn’t actually about Huntsville, but a unique place close by.  The reason I reference Huntsville, is because one of the things that I remember about living there, was hearing stories from some of my co-workers about a gentleman’s club up the road that they used to spend “frequent” time visiting.  I’m not a big fan of gentleman’s clubs (or strip clubs if you prefer).  Sure, I’ve been to a couple over the years, but it was usually for a bachelor party, or I was dragged to one with a bunch of people.  I don’t personally, have any issues with them, they’re just not my thing.

But the one gentleman’s club that my Huntsville friends always had stories about truly had one of the most memorable names; the Boobie Bungalow! The Bungalow (as they called it in mixed company) wasn’t actually located in Huntsville, it was situated about 25 miles north of town on the Tennessee side of the Alabama/Tennessee border in what I think is technically Elkton, TN.

Exotic Dancing Show Girls

I hadn’t actually heard about, let alone thought about the Boobie Bungalow for years. But recently, my wife and I were heading south on Interstate 65 and lo and behold, off in the distance just off Exit 6 was the bright yellow and red sign. The Boobie Bungalow was still around! I had to stop and take a couple of pictures (outside of course).

I had seen the signs before, back in the days when I was making frequent trips from Huntsville to Nashville; never once being curious enough to stop. But this time I had to. I had to stop long enough to snap a couple of pictures of this southern entertainment legend.

Gentleman's Club Go-Go Girls

We were passing through about 4:30pm on a Saturday, and from the looks of things, they were probably getting ready to open at 5. Both the signs and the building itself, looked a little worn, and probably would benefit from a new coat of paint, but it made me chuckle to think that “the Bungalow” was still there after all these years. I asked the wife is she wanted to stop in for a drink, but she passed. I’m not surprised.

If you’re ever in the neighborhood and stop by, let me know how you enjoyed yourself. Or at least share the details you can. You can’t miss the Boobie Bunglaow. It’s the first building just past the giant chicken.

Oh, the giant chicken? That’s a story for next time!

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I Went UP To The Crossroads

Eric Clapton once sang the lyrics… “I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees”… Of course, if you’re a fan of the blues, you know that those words were originally sung by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson.

Obviously the crossroads that they were singing about were different than the crossroads I found a short time ago.  I don’t think that they were talking about the Crossroads Of America, Schererville, Indiana.

Schererville, IN

Awhile back, my wife and I stopped for breakfast at the Round The Clock Family Restaurant in Schererville.  As we were leaving we found this mural…. on the back of the building.  I couldn’t find any explanation why it was there, and more importantly, why it wasn’t displayed somewhere more prominently.

The mural depicts the history of the area.  From the famed Kiddie Land, and Iron Bridge to Lincoln Way and Indianapolis Blvd.  I had to stop and get a snapshot.

Oh and if you ever find yourself in Schererville, stop by the Round The Clock.  I highly recommend the Buttermilk Pancakes and the Grecian Omelette!

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Larger Than Life #2

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Today we have update to our ongoing series of picture posts that look at some of my favorite attractions and oddities across America.  If you missed my first Larger Than Life picture post, you can check it out right here.

Today, we’ve got a look at what could be considered a cousin to our first oddity, Mr Bendo.  Actually, if you’re a fan of these kind of oddities, you might know them as kin to the “Muffler Men”.

Muffler Men are these giant statues that were created in the late 60’s to early 70’s and were used as promotional tools for a variety of businesses all across the US.  Many of the Muffler Men are long gone, and the ones that still exist have morphed into a wide variety of similar giants.

Both Mr Bendo and today’s “Larger Than Life” statue are considered part of the Muffler Men family to those in the know.  But if you’ve ever traveled through Tennessee on Interstate 65, you might have encountered this giant and not known the Muffler Man connection.  Today we focus our spotlight on a giant that we call the Cross Plains Indian.

Unlike Mr Bendo, this statue doesn’t have an official name, but since he’s located in Cross Plains, TN it sort of makes sense to call him that.  The Cross Plains Indian is located at the Sad Sam’s Fireworks Outlet (and BP Gas Station) just off Interstate-65 Exit 112.  This exit is second exit before (or after) the Kentucky border depending on which way you’re travelling on I-65.

From what I’ve been able to find on the internet, the Indian used to be located across the road at the Red River Antiques Mall.  It closed down a couple of years ago, but fortunately the folks at Sad Sam’s valued him as much as his fans, and he was moved across the road.

He was down for awhile after he was damaged in a severe storm.  The repairs even included replacing one of his arms which had been stolen.  Once he was repaired, he was given a fresh coat of paint and now looks great!

Some people online also mention a Loco Joe’s Fireworks stand that he may have been a part of, but I don’t know if they were confusing that with Sad Sam’s, or that perhaps another fireworks seller was once in the area.

Every time I travel North out of Nashville on I-65, I always make sure to check him out as I head his way…. The Cross Plains Indian:

The Muffler Man The Muffler Man

The Muffler Man