Coffee Shops and Eateries

Pull over for a bite at Southern California’s classic coffee shops, diners, and roadside eateries. From counter stools to colorful signs, there’s plenty to take in while waiting for the food.

Roadside Motels

Follow Southern California’s old highways past motor courts, roadside lodges, and colorful motel marquees. These familiar stops offered travelers a place to park for the night and rest up for the road ahead.

Roadside Signage

Keep an eye above the storefronts for Southern California’s vintage roadside signs. Towering pylons, bold lettering, and arrows gave passing motorists plenty of notice that a stop was coming up.

Roadside Neon

Take an evening drive through Southern California’s roadside glow, from motel signs to neighborhood eateries. A familiar daytime corner can have a whole different look once the neon comes on.

Roadside Architecture

Explore Southern California’s roadside architecture, where sweeping rooflines and buildings shaped like familiar objects made businesses hard to miss. Sometimes getting there meant driving right through the attraction.

Automobile Alley

Head down Automobile Alley for Southern California’s old dealerships, service stations, car washes, and repair shops. These places kept motorists moving, with plenty of roadside style along the way.

Grand Theatre

Step beneath the marquee for a look at Southern California’s classic movie houses and grand picture palaces. From elaborate entrances to towering signs, a night at the movies began well before the opening credits.

Drive-in Theatres

Remember the evenings of speaker poles, snack bar visits, and a double feature beneath the stars. Take a look at Southern California’s drive-in theatres, where the family car came with the best seat in the house.

Ten Pin Alleys

Head back to the lanes at Southern California’s vintage bowling alleys. Colorful signs and familiar buildings recall nights of falling pins, rented shoes, and one more game before heading home.

Skating Rinks

Lace up for a look at Southern California’s old roller skating rinks. From roadside marquees to the buildings that housed the hardwood floors, these places bring back a few memories of making the rounds.

Roadside Americana

Meet the oversized figures, unusual attractions, and neighborhood characters of Southern California’s roadside. These are the sights that give an ordinary drive a few unexpected stops.

Retrolook

Take a look back at Southern California’s old shops, historic hotels, faded landmarks, and bygone retail. Photographs and postcards recall familiar places and everyday stops from another time.

Roadside Peek San Diego

Explore San Diego’s roadside scenery, from coastal motels and neighborhood eateries to classic theatres and colorful signs. There’s plenty to look for beyond the familiar waterfront view.

Treasures of the Desert

Follow the desert roads through Palm Springs and the surrounding communities for vintage signs, roadside stops, and mid-century architecture. There’s more out here than open highway and a place to fill the tank.