Western Motel neon sign, El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California.
Photographed August 2004
(Scanned 35mm color negative)
Tags: 500+ views Western Motel neon sign neon electric sign advertising night shot El Camino Real ECR Santa Clara California Santa Clara CA Santa Clara California film color film color negative sign signs sign of the times
For decades, this nursery sold landscaping plants and supplies on El Camino Real in Santa Clara, California. For some of its last years in operation, the owner made the cockpit and forward fuselage of an A-7 Corsair II the centerpiece of his outdoor sales area. I once spoke with the owner, who told me why and how he acquired this cockpit, but I can't remember the story.
In the years since I took this picture in 2003, the nursery went out of business. The cockpit is long gone, but I'm glad that I took a picture of it.
Tags: Ling Temco Vought A-7 Corsair II LTV A-7 Corsair II Vought A-7 Corsair II LTV A-7 Corsair Vought A-7 Corsair LTV Vought A-7 Corsair II US Navy naval aviation attack aircraft boneyard El Real Nursery Santa Clara CA Santa Clara El Camino Real 500+ views
The El Real Nursery on El Camino Real in Santa Clara, California closed several months before I took this picture in 2012. The small buildings that the business occupied stood empty for quite a while, but now (2014) the lot has been cleared of everything except this sign.
Tags: El Real Nursery El Camino Real Santa Clara CA Santa Clara Closed Out of Business Sorry We're Closed sign signs sign of the times
Seemingly post-apocalyptic remains of Starving Musician music store, Santa Clara, California.
This great music store operated on El Camino Real for well over twenty years before moving to a larger location. They still give away bumper stickers that read "PLAY AN ACCORDION, GO TO PRISON - that's the law."
Tags: music store post-apocalyptic Santa Clara CA Santa Clara El Camino Real Closed Sorry We're Closed Out of Business Starving Musician sign signs sign of the times
El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California. Photographed April 17, 2014.
Tags: Kings Hwy Motel Kings Highway Motel sorry we're closed closed motel decay El Camino Real ECR Santa Clara California Santa Clara CA Santa Clara