Tuesday, January 8, 2013
AAA Tour Book 1968-69
We're still traveling around and looking for fun places to stay, fun things to eat, and fun things to do. And this AAA Tour Book of North Central (includes America and portions of Canada) from 1968-69 just might do the trick... it's definitely full of super fun advertising design and incredible illustrations! I seriously want to hear from people that have been to any of these places-- especially Flintstones Bedrock City (which is still operating, click HERE!)
There were two guidebooks my mother always had in the car when we traveled across country: AAA and Duncan Hines. The AAA was for places to stay; Duncan Hines was for restaurants.
ReplyDeleteI'd sit in the backseat looking through the AAA book hunting for places to stay, but never getting to choose. Finally, one time only, my folks left me pick one in I think Nebraska. It sounded so incredible in print: outdoor movie theatre, miniature golf course, swimming pool, driving range, and more that I can't remember. It was a kids dream come true and turned into the motel I never lived down.
There was a pool. Indeed there was a pool, but it didn't have any water. The miniature golf and driving range were down the two lane highway about a mile and both were nothing but weeds. Now, as to the outdoor movie. Please try to refrain from laughing. The movie showing the night I was there was a Jerry Lewis movie; I don't remember which one. Here's the deal, you sat outside overlooking the empty pool, across the two lane highway, through a fence, and watched the drive-in across the road. There was a speaker, just like you put in your car at the drive-in, attached to a pole at the motel. So as long as you didn't mind trucks and cars driving by blocking the screen and barely able to hear the movie you could indeed roughly call it an outdoor movie theatre. I was very disappointed and my folks couldn't stop laughing. We sat outside next to the speaker for a short time before returning to our room. I then stood looking out the window across the empty pool, the highway, the fence, and the cars in the drive-in to watch the movie until even I had to call it a night. This was back in the early '60s and like I say, I haven't lived it down.
Haha! Ah, a whole new way to have your innocence shattered at a motel... thanks for sharing! Sort of reminds me of the ribbing I still get nearly 40 years later for a Stuckey's "Mystery" Grab Bag I insisted upon buying once when we stopped there for some gas and food. $1 got me a set of tiny plastic salt and pepper shakers shaped like donkeys, covered in red fuzzy felt that was already starting to peel off. Everyone was laughing at me but deep inside I really liked them... Hell, I'd actually kill to have them today!
ReplyDeleteFound my donkey, except he was red flocked instead!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tias.com/cgi-bin/item.fcgi?itemKey=3923477489
great story! and that s&p shaker set is so cute!
ReplyDeletewhen i was a kid we mostly went up to Canada and my family wasn't the roadside attraction type unfortunately. but i did go through SD back in the mid 90s and saw the 50 miles of Corn Palace signs along the highway but i think it might have been closed when i got there.
cool post! i seriously would not have given this book a second look based on the cover.
Never judge a AAA Tour Guide booklet by its cover, oh Crafty One!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I'd have killed for the flocked donkey.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to start a flock blog called KILL FOR THE FLOCKED DONKEY.
ReplyDeletethat sounds like some kind of euphemism for something.
ReplyDeleteNo, you must kill for the donkey.
ReplyDeleteok. but i meant the donkey.
ReplyDeleteKill for it!!!
ReplyDeletealright, alright! i'll kill for it already!
ReplyDeleteKill, Muthaflocka, Kill!
ReplyDeleteyou're killing me!
ReplyDelete...softly with his song?
ReplyDeleteI said FLOCK, not FLACK, Roberta...
no...softly with his....damn! i can't think of anything that rhymes with song!
ReplyDeleteCheckmate.
ReplyDeleteCurtain.
You win.
:)
Wait-- softly??!!
ReplyDeletethat's what the song says. and i'm not gonna argue with roberta.
ReplyDeleteRoberta doesnt flock around!
ReplyDeleteDid they close Reptile Gardens due to cruelty to tortoises?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, did they?
ReplyDelete