| Super Signage |
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| MORE CALIFORNIA (page 2) |
| Little Bear Cottages Kings Beach, CA |
Crown Motel Kings Beach, CA |
Falcon Lodge Kings Beach, CA |
Pine Cone Resort Zephyr Cove, CA |
Tahoe Biltmore Crystal Bay, CA |
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The neon has been removed from the Little Bear Cottages sign.
The Crown Motel opened in 1957. It is now known as Ferrari's Crown Motel but this old sign still remains. The Falcon Lodge opened in 1958. The Pine Cone Resort opened in the 1940s. For more, see their website. The Tahoe Biltmore was built in 1946. This unusual sign is lit at night. For more, see this website. |
| Stardust Lodge South Lake Tahoe, CA |
Washoe Motel South Lake Tahoe, CA |
Foothills Motel Auburn, CA |
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The Stardust Lodge sign is brightly lit at night. Its lettering and design must have been based on the Las Vegas Stardust Hotel sign. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Washoe Motel sign is beautiful at night. For more, see this website. The Foothills Motel opened in the 1950s. Their signs were restored around 2006. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
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More South Lake Tahoe Signs:
Capri Motel Carriage House [gone] Sno-Flake Drive-in |
| Owl Club Roseville, CA |
Valencia Club Penryn, CA |
Happy Hour Club Auburn, CA |
California Club Auburn, CA |
Izy's Corner Pub Auburn, CA |
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The Owl Club opened in 1934. Their sign is beautifully lit at night. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Valencia Club sign is also still lit at night. For more, see this website. The Happy Hour Club opened in 1933 but hasn't been open for years. The California Club is right next door and is still open. For more, see this website. The peeling paint on the Izy's Corner Pub sign reveals that it was red at one time. For more, see this website. |
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More Roseville Signs:
West House: 1, 2 |
| Lou La Bonte's Auburn, CA |
Drive-in Liquor Auburn, CA |
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Lou La Bonte's opened in 1946. Their huge sign is lit at night. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
I'm pretty sure that this Drive-in Liquor store is owned by Lou La Bonte's as it is located directly behind the restaurant. |
| Broadway Liquor Chula Vista, CA |
Villa Capri Motel Coronado, CA |
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The Broadway Liquor sign features separate shapes for each letter. I'd love to know if the sign is still lit and if the letters are/were flashed in descending order.
The Villa Capri Motel, now the Villa Capri by the Sea, opened in 1956. The diving woman and the signage on the side of the building are lit at night. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| Balboa Pharmacy Newport Beach, CA |
U Drive Newport Beach, CA |
Toy Boat Corona del Mar, CA |
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The Balboa Pharmacy is still going strong but I don't believe the sign is lit at night.
The U Drive sign is from at least the 1940s. It was restored in the 1990s. Toy Boat, officially named "Toy Boat * Toy Boat * Toy Boat, is a local chain. The neon sign is probably from a pre-existing toy store at this location. |
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More Corona Del Mar Signs:
Harbor Photo [gone?] |
| Grove Motel Garden Grove, CA |
Vodie's Garden Grove, CA |
Vodie's Santa Ana, CA |
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The Grove Motel sign appears to be missing a large piece where the two poles are now. More than likely, this motel had a different name as well.
Vodie's is/was a local chain of auto repair shops. The bear signs were produced by Bear Manufacturing, a nationwide chain. Shops would hang them up to indicate that they were trained by Bear and used Bear wheel alignment tools. The yellow bear logo has been used by the company since the 1920s. He is often referred to as the laughing bear, happy bear, or dancing bear. The Grateful Dead rock band lifted the logo without permission. In the 1960s or 1970s, when Bear Manufacturing became part of Automotive Diagnostics, the company stopped producing the signs. However, they are now being produced again. Most of the remaining bear signs have been painted over numerous times. The Garden Grove sign had functioning neon at one time. For more, see |
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More Alignment Bears:
Lynwood, CA Torrance, CA various cities, CA Ida, MI Clovis, NM Brooklyn, NY Bedford, PA |
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