Is it August already?
One of my favorite months has begun.
(August, September, October are my favorite months)
I have a lot of old photos that were all taken in August. I want to put them on one post - - but I decided to start by doing the Jack Rabbit on a separate post.
The first time I ever saw the mysterious Arizona Jack Rabbit I was three years old.
The second time I was six.
Over subsequent years, during numerous family trips to Arizona, I saw the Jack Rabbit countless times. I have photos taken there at a variety of different ages - - but so far I only found two.
And, yes, both photos were taken in August.
My first visit to Arizona happened when I was three years old. My parents took a trip out west from New Jersey. The original, unblemished old Route 66 was intriguing and amazing back then - - especially for unsuspecting easterners.
Billboards along the often-deserted highway were always a source of entertainment - - especially the ubiquitous humorous Burma Shave signs.
There were also occasional wooden crosses along the roadside - - sober reminders where people had died in car accidents.
Somewhere around Missouri, a series of strategic, mysterious signs began appearing, and they became more numerous as we entered New Mexico and, later, Arizona.
They were small signs along the road that merely had the silhouette of a black rabbit and the distance.
200 miles
95 miles
56 miles
Having no clue what it was intended for, the signs became more and more intriguing.
The suspense knew no bounds when we were nearing the mystery in Arizona.
20 miles
10 miles
And then a huge sign that announces
HERE IT IS!
Seemingly out of nowhere - and in the middle of nowhere. On Route 66, five miles from Joseph City, Arizona.
It was the Jack Rabbit Trading Post. A curio shop/gift shop and tourist attraction.
Perhaps a slight letdown, but definitely an interesting landmark.
At the time when I was three years old the Jack Rabbit Trading Post was completely unknown. Miraculously it has survived all these years and is still in existence. Nowadays you can find information about it on the Internet.
The place opened in 1949 (before my time, boys and girls). When the original owners bought the building, they found a large black statue of a rabbit on the property and that became their trademark.
The original black jack rabbit remained there for many years, before it slowly began to deteriorate (it was still there when I was in my twenties and thirties). It has since been replaced by a new rabbit - which is no longer black.
The original trading post building hasn't really changed at all - - except it seems to have a new roof. The paintings on the sides of the building are the same as when I was a child.
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The first time I saw the Jack Rabbit when I was three.
I was six when this photo was taken. We were in the process of moving from New Jersey to California. I was wearing a Mickey Mouse t shirt.
The rabbit that has now replaced the original black jack rabbit.
Darling photo of you and your pretty mom! Believe it or not, all the time I lived in Arizona not once did I visit Route 66 -- or the Jack Rabbit. I've always been a sucker for tourist traps, but there's no way I want to go back. All that signage, wow. Someone was a brilliant marketer for that time.
ReplyDeleteThe old, original Route 66 always fascinated me, and I'm glad I'm old enough to remember it. Things have changed drastically over the years, but the Jack Rabbit Trading Post remains almost as it was when I was three. The present owners are related to the original owners.
DeleteReminded me of trips to Florida when I was a kid. All those 'gift shops', which I insisted we stop at each and every one. Oh, the merchandise! The Last Supper designed with seashells (that was partially bad, especially when they threw some glitter on it). Pocketbooks with seashells, plastic palm trees surrounded by seashells (more glitter).
ReplyDeleteConch shells as lights (more glitter). Oh, let's not forget the stuffed alligators....no glitter there that I remember. They were charming. I loved it all. And no, I wasn't born in a trailer park. Then the Howard Johnson restaurants. They had gift shops, too, and we probably saw the inside of every one of them. I can still hear my dad muttering 'Jesus Christ' under his breath when he saw one as he knew we'd be stopping. I used a 'pee break' as an excuse. I learned early! . I'm sure my parents were thrilled when we got home and re-thought 'vacations'. It sounds like Jack Rabbit Trading Post might have appealed to me, too. Did they sell jackrabbits with glitter? Your trip to Arizona sounded fun.... especially with the Jack Rabbit Trading Post at the end of the trail! Glitter or no glitter!
Paranormal John
We traveled a lot when I was a kid. I was fascinated by the Howard Johnson gift shops. Out west in New Mexico and Arizona they had a chain-place called Stuckeys which was very similar to Howard Johnsons.
DeleteThe seashells and glitter was undoubtedly a Florida trademark. The trading posts in the west had lots of Indian items, novelty items (like fake rattlesnake eggs and Mexican jumping beans), cactus candy, postcards, etc. I loved all of it. I guess these places were a kid's dream back then.
I enjoyed your detailed comment!
Goes to show you how LITTLE I have traveled in my lifetime! I have never heard of the Black Jack Rabbit, but it sounds interesting enough. Hell, I would shop there if I visited Arizona! lol
ReplyDeleteCute pic of you BTW! :-)
Actually, the Jack Rabbit Trading Post isn't much different than any of the other ones in Arizona - - but they became famous because of all the clever advertising. Those rabbit signs that were posted for hundreds of miles really piqued the interest of the tourists. You'd probably enjoy shopping there, because they have a lot of interesting and novelty items.
DeleteJon, you have a great memory and this was another fun post and more so because of the photos of you and your mom.
ReplyDeleteThese signs reminded me of an attraction called South of the Border off I-95, south of the border between NC and SC which is heavily advertised in billboards along the highway featuring Pedro, a Mexican bandit. This attraction includes an amusement park, lodgings, mini golf, gas station, video arcade, gift stores and more. I can recall a stop there about 20 years ago but was unimpressed to remember more. On a recent road trip, I noticed the signs have been redone, so apparently it is still around. We didn’t stop because there wouldn’t be anything of interest, but maybe on a future road trip it would be worth a detour.
I do have an extraordinary memory. Believe it or not, I can remember things when I was only a few months old!
DeleteThe Pedro the Bandit concept sounds amusing. I'm wondering if billboards and signs have as much impact nowadays as they did long ago. When I was a child, the signs along old Route 66 really did pique the interest of (gullible) tourists. People seem to be much more indifferent today.
Thank you so much, Jon, for the road trip down memory lane! I grew up in New Mexico and we'd see all of those Jack Rabbit signs every time we drove out Route 66 to visit my grandparents in California. My siblings and I made a game out of counting them, which would keep us occupied and mostly quiet for miles at a time. I also liked seeing all of the fancy neon signs along the way once it got dark.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Karen. Most of my relatives were from New Jersey, but my mother had numerous relatives who moved to New Mexico and had ranches there (I'll write a future post about them).
DeleteThose mysterious rabbit signs were among the most intriguing aspects of Route 66. It's nice to know you remember them as a child.
I love off the wall places like this, so much to see and ponder. When we lived in Colorado, a small town of mostly hippies called Manitou Springs was my go to place. I surely had seen those signs when we traveled through New Mexico.
ReplyDeleteJo
I'm surprised that some people still remember those rabbit signs. I'm also wondering if they still exist - - I haven't been in New Mexico or Arizona for a long time. I love off the wall places, too. They seem to be getting rather scare nowadays. Thanks for your comment. Jo.
DeleteI'm wondering what a statue of a jack rabbit was doing there in the very first place.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question, Jenny. It seems like a rather odd relic to be abandoned on the property.
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