Written by Alexandra Charitan
Although the neon sign's heyday has long passed, the colorful roadside advertisements (or to some, art) have beckoned tourists and locals from rural back roads to the centers of big cities for decades. They lure travelers with their seductive glow, urging them to stop, have a cocktail, eat a spicy footlong, or share a brownie sundae served in a clamshell. Without uttering more than a constant, barely audible buzz, they encourage roadtrippers to make it to “Tucumcari Tonite!” or simply ask, “Have you slept in a Wigwam lately?”
Glass tubes bent by the whims of a nimble fabricator take the shape of white t-shirts, blue swallows, or red stilettos. When vacuum-sealed, with electrodes affixed on each end, a neon-filled tube glows reddish-orange; argon glows blue with a little help from mercury (making repairing old signs a tricky, and sometimes dangerous process). But no matter their size, shape, or color, the following signs prove that when it comes to classic neon, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—or even if it is, please don’t replace it with something new and uninspired.
These are some of the best places to find the most iconic neon signs across the U.S.
145 Shoreline Drive, Mary Esther, Florida, United States
If you’ve ever crossed from North Carolina into South Carolina on 1-95 at night, there is no way you missed the glow of South of the Border’s dozens of neon signs (or the billboards that precede the exit for hundreds of miles). This kitschy souvenir mecca may be no more than a quick restroom pitstop for some, but fans of fiberglass statues, fireworks, and flashy neon will be in heaven—and if you stay the night during the off-season, you might just have the entire place to yourself. If you get caught in a summer rainstorm while roaming the sprawling attraction (like I have), just take shelter under one of the motel carports and listen to “Thunderstorms and Neon Signs” by Hank Williams III: “I've got fond memories of the way things were back then. The warmth of the neon when a bad storm was moving in […] Cause I sure love thunderstorms and neon signs.”
1301 South Scott Street, Arlington, Virginia, United States
1000 Mountain Rest Rd, New Paltz, New York, United States
Lake George, New York, United States
This popular resort area in upstate New York is bursting with vintage roadside charm and classic neon. You can’t go wrong staying at one of the many remaining mid-century motels or cozy cottages (the A-frame accommodations at the Amber Lantern are pretty perfect). Eat soft-serve cones and cheesesteaks as big as your head from Martha's Dandee Creme, see a movie at the Glen Drive-In, walk through a haunted wax museum, and play mini-golf at one of several courses in town including Gooney Golf and the Around the World Golf Course (featuring U.S. landmarks and a Muffler Man from the New York World’s Fair).
Banner Photo Credit: Alexandra Charitan
Douglas Palmeri
Traveling the US and Canada - searching for points of interest and new destinations.