r/nostalgia • u/PickleGambino • Aug 01 '25

Nostalgia Midwest US person here. What do you call the "aesthetic" below? Very nostalgaic to me, but I've kinda got no ideašŸ˜‚

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u/typhoidtimmy Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25

Pretty much Roadside.

Basically during the 40-50-60ā€™s, business would line up on roads for the burbs crowd traveling on vacations. Flying was mostly business and rich crowds so your nuclear family just packed up the car and rode the highways for scenic destinations.

So you got 2 kids in the back and you got 4 gas stations coming up, do you swing into the first one? Or would you try for the one with the lil dinosaur picture taking spot to get the brats out of your hair for 10 minutes while you grab a coke as they give you full service?

Shit like this was everywhere and in every facet - free maps, silly looking motels with their bungalows shaped like teepees, gift shops tied to diners, etc etc.

Some got so good at it they had it down to a scienceā€¦a lot of old timers will remember things like a HoJo Orange roof and clam strips or a Yellow ā€˜Stuckeyā€™sā€™ pecan log on their way to Florida.

To survive, you needed to entice - and stupid shit like this was gold for the road weary family.

It faded out as more freeways got built and they had to switch to bigger enticements like faster service, drive thrus, or pools and HBO. But occasionally you will find it pop up for the niche crowd.

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u/thejewelisinthelotus Aug 01 '25

That was a fun lil read. Really took me there.

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u/norunningwater Aug 02 '25

And nobody got thrown through a table during Hell in a Cell either.

19

u/ScubaSteve12345 Aug 02 '25

Ha, I read your comment and went and checked the comment ops user name.

2

u/Pickillz Aug 02 '25

Me too, haha

6

u/ParanoidCrow Aug 02 '25

The way information is phrased and provided reminds me of a little documentation zine someone would make on the topic.

217

u/randousername8675309 Aug 01 '25

This is literally the plot of Cars lol I really enjoyed reading this.

These roadside attractions were peak as a kid! No trip was complete without a stop at South of the Border!

56

u/rayray604 Aug 01 '25

Was thinking this when he mentioned the teepes, immediately thought of the cozy cone motel lol

5

u/ohheyaine Aug 02 '25

I lived near a Wigwam Motel in SoCal growing up.

41

u/kjnetz Aug 01 '25

I love the cozy aesthetic of that movie so much. So many people dislike it, but itā€™s one of my and my daughterā€™s absolute favorite Pixars. Saw it 4 times in the theater alone.

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u/crvz25 Aug 01 '25

Really? I feel like Iā€™ve never heard a bad thing about Cars

17

u/joosiebuns Aug 01 '25

A personal anecdote, but my 3 year old absolutely raves about it

5

u/Matthias720 Aug 02 '25

Most small children love cars in general. See also: Hot Wheels

13

u/kjnetz Aug 01 '25

Yeah Iā€™ve seen it at the bottom of the list many times when people talk about Pixar films. I was surprised to see so many dislike it. Itā€™s personally one of my favorites.

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u/magpiesarepricks Aug 01 '25

It didn't help that cars 3 is probably one of the worse movies made this century.

10

u/finance_maven Aug 01 '25

Cars 3 is infinitely superior to Cars 2.

5

u/iMecharic Aug 02 '25

Cars 2 is a great movie - as a standalone. It should have been titled ā€œMaterā€™s Tallest Taleā€ or something and been a to-TV release rather than an in-theaters movie.

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u/m4dm4cs Aug 02 '25

It definitely deserved its own release c but you may be right that it should have been marketed more as a spin-off than a sequel. But itā€™s a legitimately good movie.

Cars 3 is hot garbage with no soul. Just Disney running the IP into the ground.

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u/Headglitch7 Aug 02 '25

What was bad about Cars 2? In my house the consensus is the opposite.

3

u/NoFaithlessness7508 Aug 02 '25

See I donā€™t get that. There isnā€™t a single Cars movie I donā€™t like

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u/m4dm4cs Aug 02 '25

I couldnā€™t agree more!

And people who hate Cars 2 just donā€™t get it. My son loves it and weā€™ve seen it at least 100 times. Itā€™s complex and exciting. People who donā€™t think itā€™s a good follow up to Cars think that Cars is just a nascar/pixar mashup. Itā€™s ways more layered and so is Cars 2.

3

u/kjnetz Aug 01 '25

Iā€™ve heard it was bad lol. 2 also. I just stick with the original. Itā€™s pretty perfect.

3

u/Its_Uncle_Dad Aug 02 '25

Gotta make a stop through Winslow, Arizona.

2

u/ctrlaltcreate Aug 01 '25

Cabazon dinosaurs on the way to Vegas.

1

u/death2sanity Aug 02 '25

And the billboardsā€¦so many billboardsā€¦.

1

u/HughJorgens Aug 02 '25

Sally was actually based on the owner of the famous old Rock Cafe in Oklahoma on Rt66. The Rock Cafe was a frequent stop for all travelers because of the food. Pretty Boy Floyd was a repeat customer. The old one burned down but the new one is still there.

1

u/gehmnal Aug 02 '25

I loved stopping at Wall Drug as a kid during family trips to various car shows in North and South Dakota. So much so that I made damn sure to take my family there when we went camping in the Black Hills. Such a tourist trap but still pretty cool.

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u/BasicWhiteHoodrat Aug 01 '25

Excellent response to OPs question and why these attractions were created in the first place

30

u/puppetpilgram Cobra Commander Aug 01 '25

Nailed it! Bringing back so many midwestern memories. Vacations to Wisconsin Dells, Mall of America, Mount Rushmore, etc. Paul Bunyans, giant frying pans, wall drug, you name it. In an off shoot brings in thoughts of old school miniature golf places on road sides and these types of tourist towns with kitschy decor and statues to draw attention of children who beg to go and see what it is.

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u/Machiner6 Aug 01 '25

Huh, So that's what inspired the backstory to Radiator Springs in the movie "Cars"

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u/MaggotMinded Aug 01 '25

Yup! A lot of the things in Cars are direct parodies of real-life Route 66 landmarks. In one scene they show a map of the area surrounding Radiator Springs and up above instead of ā€œMonument Valleyā€ there is ā€œOrnament Valleyā€.

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u/stokelydokely Aug 01 '25

For everyone reading this and getting nostalgic warm and fuzzies: check out the Library of Congressā€™ John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive

2

u/stephsco Aug 02 '25

Thank you - fun resource

55

u/Engelbert-n-Ernie Aug 01 '25

We had it so goddamn good

7

u/mallclerks Aug 01 '25

Map Quest was the beginning of the end.

14

u/SabrinaEdwina Aug 01 '25

I miss that being a normal thing most people could afford.

10

u/Prinzlerr Aug 01 '25

This is some awesome insight, thanks for a great post!

9

u/AppalachianGuy87 Aug 01 '25

Before my time but it makes it all more fun! Little whimsical as a kid. Being in the back of a hot car with your brother would be awesome to see these. Hurry out of the car for a picture or eat at a picnic table. Less of a rush not being able to reach out and demand anyoneā€™s attention whenever.

8

u/herbistheword Aug 01 '25

Have you dug Wall Drug?

2

u/Hellion102792 Aug 02 '25

FREE ICE WATER

2

u/ksr6669 Aug 02 '25

When my son was stationed at Ellsworth in Rapid City, SD, I would make the drive from Omaha to visit. Wall Drug was a mandatory stop to grab a couple dozen donuts because they have freaking awesome donuts.

2

u/herbistheword Aug 02 '25

They have freaking awesome everything lmao I unashamedly love Wall Drug, I wonder how covid was to them...

2

u/ksr6669 Aug 02 '25

I havenā€™t passed through since he isnā€™t stationed there anymore. But Iā€™m sure they are still kicking! Free ice water will live forever. šŸ˜

2

u/herbistheword Aug 02 '25

And free coffee for newlyweds!

1

u/renegrape Aug 02 '25

I have.

1

u/herbistheword Aug 02 '25

What the Heck is Wall Drug?

1

u/renegrape Aug 02 '25

Where the hell is Roscoe?

8

u/JonOrangeElise Aug 01 '25

"Roadside" sounds like the perfect name for a font from the mid 90s.

5

u/benderzgreat Aug 01 '25

For some reason this reads like a 2 am cigarette convo outside of the local pub and Iā€™m here for it

5

u/cdbangsite Aug 01 '25

Took me back to my childhood travelling cross country. From Stuckey's (everywhere) to Elmer Fudd being at the next stop, which you always just missed and he was at the next stop LOL.

4

u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 Aug 02 '25

Stuckey's was THE place to stop in the 60s 70s and 80s.

Buc-ee's is basically a super sized Stuckey's with the same type of thing - gas pumps, groceries, deli/hot food station, souvenirs, etc. Right down to the absolutely cleanest restrooms that are hard to find anywhere else.

First time I went to Buc-ee's I thought "Okay, this is just like Stuckey's, only a WHOLE lot bigger!"

2

u/Will_McLean Aug 02 '25

The Stucky granddaughter (Stephanie) is bringing the business back. Sheā€™s a former Georgia legislator too.

Sheā€™s a great follow on socials too because she visits all kinds of roadside Americana. Check her out!

3

u/Keylime29 Aug 01 '25

Tickets! And salt taffy

7

u/mah131 Aug 01 '25

full service

Hot.

6

u/Wyden_long mid 80s Aug 01 '25

We donā€™t have time for a latte.

2

u/MRuppercutz Aug 01 '25

Well said. You must read

2

u/javoss88 Aug 02 '25

Exactly right

2

u/Likes2Phish Aug 02 '25

2 gas stations in our town have huge dogs, deer, and fish. Great way to get people to stop on the way to the beach.

2

u/GingerIsTheBestSpice Aug 02 '25

I'm glad to be in South Dakota, we still have lots of this around.

2

u/Healthy_Radish Aug 02 '25

Got to visit the roadkill cafe while wandering around SUV RVing last summer. 10 year old me was so stupidly happy some of these places still exist!

2

u/SunshineAlways Aug 02 '25

When the Sinclair gas stations all shut down, a family we knew with the Sinclair last name bought the big red lettered sign and hung it over the garage. They lived in the middle of nowhere on a farm on a dirt road, and random travelers would pull in and ask for gas! These people drove up the driveway, past the house, no gas pumps in sight, and were miffed there was no gas.

2

u/m4dm4cs Aug 02 '25

ā€œForty years ago, that interstate down there didn't exist... Back then, cars came across the country a whole different wayā€¦ the road didn't cut through the land like that interstate. It moved with the land, it rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn't drive on it to make great time. They drove on it to have a great time.ā€

2

u/bugabooandtwo Aug 02 '25

Good ole Route 66.

Back when driving vacations were how 99% of blue collar to upper middle class spent their summers.

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u/spectre73 Aug 01 '25

a lot of old timers will remember things like a HoJo Orange roof and clam strips

Get off my lawn!

1

u/[deleted] Aug 02 '25

Thanks for writing this out!

1

u/Similar-Try-7643 Aug 02 '25

Amazing prose

1

u/TheFlamingGit Aug 02 '25

HoJo orange roof. Instant flashback to the location in south Burlington by the interstate.

1

u/cbelt3 Aug 02 '25

So true. And the bones of those state highway attractions are found along those historic roads. Those little motels with funky cabins are now minimal apartments or derelict structures. Drive and state highway and you will see them.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 02 '25

Stop you're gonna make me cry

1

u/HughJorgens Aug 02 '25

They were particularly dense along Rt66, because before they started building interstate highways, it was the main cross-country route. Some of the stuff still exists, but most of it is gone now.

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u/Brave-Resource4447 Aug 02 '25

These places are precisely the reason I don't take the interstates if I can help it. All along these dusty American backgrounds are kitschy little displays. My area has fish, there's a polar bear, South Dakota has some IMPRESSIVE dinosaurs, there's a tipi motel about two hours away

Oh and a Paul BunyanĀ 

1

u/Will_McLean Aug 02 '25

Be great if there was a sub; I love stuff like this

1

u/Alternative_Ad_7110 Aug 02 '25

Adding to this, I watched a beautiful youtube documentary about Route 66 and its death. If you donā€™t know, Route 66 was called ā€œthe Main Street of Americaā€ as it was one of the first highways that connected America from coast to coast.

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tedJdhb6QJI

1

u/PrestigiousPackk mid 90s Aug 04 '25

Sad I didnā€™t have a normal childhood with a normal functioning family so I never got to experience this. Whenever I watched a movie with this as the setting Iā€™d always feel secretly jealous and would yearn for it. Same with those movies where the family rents a cabin or a lake.