Road Trip Continued: Marfa, Texas+Prada+Tonka Toys!

Almost to Palm Springs! 

I picked up my new car aka the "Tonka Toy" (To tow my Airstreams- not my clients!)  

in Houston 

and ended up driving through Marfa, Texas today. 

I had to make a stop at the art installation "Prada Marfa" and photograph 

my new purchase! 

Of course, I found some vintage cars:

These shots almost look like they could be from the 1971 movie

"The Last Picture Show" 

Next Stop: New Mexico, and then home!

More Vintage Car Porn from the Oldsmobile Homecoming Show!

For Father's Day Weekend I was at the Oldsmobile Homecoming Show and Swap Meet with my Dad  - a fellow car enthusiast (Where do you think I learned everything from?)

Here's a few of the cars amongst many that caught my eye!

If that's not a cool front with sex appeal, I don't know what is. 

You definitely can't say that about too many cars on the road these days.

A Prius, sexy? I think not. 

I would say for me, this is probably the second happiest place 

next to  Disneyland. 

I love the gold toned cars. Perfect for the Desert. 

The two tone gold and black works really well on a vintage car. I can't really see it working on a new model. 

The attention to the details on the back and front ends is something that's sorely lacking these days in car design. Such a shame. 

Red is definitely one of the more popular colors for vintage cars. 

Though, there was this minty green. 

And this cool blue...

And then, I saw a WAGON. 

I'm thinking this wagon will be good for Silver Suitcase® #4 AKA "The Country Cottage"

Right??

But look at this detail:

Incredible! Country-ish, no?  

I think the Joshua Tree Clientele would love tooling around in this wagon with a picnic to go!

Sandwiches, some cocktails...

Pretty snazzy!

If you're a vintage car enthusiast, (and even better if you're an Oldsmobile enthusiast) I highly recommend going next year! You won't be disappointed. 

Info HERE

And, BIG news about the airstreams coming this week!

(Hint: One flew the coop, and another one is ready for its debut!)

Vintage Oldsmobiles + Airstreams = Michigan!

A sneak peek how I spent Father's Day Weekend with my Dad:

At the Oldsmobile Homecoming in Dimondale, Michigan.

Can you imagine hooking up one of theairstreams to these cars?

Oh, I can.

Beautiful, pristine, and fully functioning!

Seriously, my head was going to explode from all the incredible cars. I'll post more pics tomorrow. I need to go lie down now.

Midcentury Mates: Palm Springs Architecture and Goldie, My Oldsmobile

Goldie and the Distinctive Block Pattern at Robinon's

I've been driving Goldie, my 1962 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight six-window hardtop sedan (that's a mouthful!) this week.  I so enjoy just looking at this car parked in different places, and swung by the former Robinson's department store on Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs for a quick snapshot.  The Robinson's store (now The Alley) was designed by architects Pereira & Luckman (Pereira also designed the Transamerica Tower in San Francisco).  



A little bit about the building from Palm Springs Preservation Foundation:
Constructed from 1957-1958 at a cost of $280,000 on land purchased from Palm Springs pioneer Pearl McManus, the J.W. Robinson Department Store Building was designed by the Los Angeles-based architectural firm of Charles Luckman Associates and William L. Pereira. Located on the southwest corner of South Palm Canyon Drive and West Baristo Avenue, the pavilion-style modernist building is dramatically elevated from the street level by four long horizontal concrete steps that create both a sense of arrival and impart a sense importance to the building. The building  won the AIA’s “First Honor Award” for 1958.

This structure was declared a Class One historic site in November of 2012.

Photo of Robinsons from approx 1966

The Happy Traveler: Trailer Park Living

You see the most interesting combinations in rigs come through The Happy Traveler.  This converted bus was towing a late 70s/early 80s Mercedes 240.  I was seriously in love with these as a kid in the early 80s.  The neighbors next door have a Volkswagen fetish:  A Karmann-Ghia and a Microbus!

Where Are You Going To Put All Your Stuff?

Well, for starters, have you ever looked at closet space in a Palm Springs midcentury home?  I have a massive wardrobe, and the closets here were designed for a few weeks' use, not a lifetime.  I've been in the desert clotheshorsing around for about ten years, so I've always had an air-conditioned storage unit for my clothing, but had to upgrade to a 10' x 10' unit.  I sold off the furniture that I thought was replaceable, and have almost filled it up.  There's still room for a few more trips to The Rose Bowl Flea Market. 

My 1962 Olds Ninety Eight (it's the champagne gold one in the back RT corner has moved to an air-conditioned facility with some very fancy Italian machinery (and a couple of vintage American cars.  It's only about a ten-minute drive to pick the car up if I want to drive something older than my 1988 Olds Custom Cruiser Wagon.