Yours Truly: Tucson, Arizona's Truly Nolen Nash Metropolitan

Note the muffler man and cool Leo's Auto Supply sign in the background: a retro roadside trifecta.

I've done a few posts about Tucson, Arizona's awesomely retro North Stone Avenue, and one more treasure to be encountered on this boulevard of dreams is the Truly Nolen Nash Metropolitan parked near the corner of Glenn Street in front of Don's Hot Rod Shop. Having never been to this region before, the name Truly Nolen was a mystery to us as we kept encountering it painted on the sides of classic old cars throughout the area. Was it a car dealership? A politician? And what was so true about this Nolen, anyway? Well, it turns out Truly Nolen is a pest control company, and a pretty big one at that. They use personalized classic cars as a promotional device. They also have a fleet of yellow VW Beetles bedecked with large mouse ears to simulate vermin.

You don't realize how small a Nash Metropolitan is until you're standing next to one. It's not much bigger than today's new-fangled Smart Cars but it's much more stylish. You half-expect to see a cartoon dog driving this car down the street, or a dozen circus clowns pile out of it. I'd love to have one of these in my driveway but I'm not sure I'd want to commute in one during rush hour on I-95.

And it turns out Truly Nolen is named after its founder, Truly Wheatfiled Nolen, who started the company in 1938. The company has 83 locations and 100 franchises in 41 foreign countries (thank you, wikipedia) and is still family run today.

And as an incredible retro-tastic bonus, there's a muffler man and a cool old neon sign all within eyeshot of the Nash. Truly incredible.

Come and listen to a story about a shop named J.E.D.'s: J E D's Rock Treasures of Tucson, Arizona

On your way to (or from) Tucson, Arizona's cactus-tacular Sonora Desert Museum, you'll pass by an unassuming but delightful eccentric roadside attraction on North Sandario Road: J E D's Rock Treasures. I'm trying to get a fix on the correct spelling of their name -- the letters J, E and D are usually capitalized but not always and sometimes they're followed by periods, as if they're abbreviating a proper name or phrase. But not always.

J E D's is a mineral, sea shell, fossil, crystal, jewelry and gift emporium of the highest order, surrounded by a funky rock garden strewn with antique implements and a table and chairs shaded by what looks like an ingeniously inverted former TV satellite dish. Mixed in with the agates, polished rocks and geological wonders are a quirky assortment of earthy objet d'art, many with a Arizona desert theme, and all at reasonable prices.

I did an internet search on J E D's and found this sad note posted on 5/26/10 attached to an EBay classified ad: "These people lost their home to a lightning strike. They can use any sales they can get. I am posting this ad to help them. The rock shop escaped damage, but their home was gutted. Thank you for your help. They would never ask."

Places like this are a true treasure, indeed, and we hope the proprietors of J.E.D.'s get over their troubles and will continue to rock on.

Raising cane: Tucson, Arizona's candy cane-wielding Muffler Man

We had the good fortune to take a nice trip to Arizona last January, before the state became embroiled in its current and ugly immigration-related controversy. I had heard about a fine muffler man in Tucson, and we spotted it on the corner of Glenn and Stone in the parking lot of Don's Hot Rod Shop. During most of the year, this Bunyanesque specimen clutches a big ax, but since we were still in the afterglow of the holiday season, we got to see him holding a large festive candy cane and sporting a yellow stocking hat. He's a little worn looking but still packs a friendly wallop to those passing by this retro stretch of pavement. In fact he's one-third of a retro roadside trifecta, all on the same corner: a muffler man, a fine old neon sign, and a Truly Nolan Nash Metropolitan. I'll get to the neon and Nash in the next post. In the meantime, bask in the holiday cheer of Tucson's friendly version of Citizen Cane. Rosebud......

A pressing invitation: Mid-century marvel Sparkle Cleaners of Tucson, Arizona

We've posted about a few of the swell eccentric roadside attractions along the North Stone area of Tucson, Arizona, a cornucopia of mid-century architectural wonders. Another gem is the gloriously retro Sparkle Cleaners, which was established in 1961 and is re-pleat with vintage dry cleaning greatness. It's got outside walk-up service under a brightly festooned overhang and their street sign is also a retro marvel. The best touch is the tri-toned laundry counters with blond wood and diamond pattern. This must be where Jane Jetson dropped off George's shirts while they were staying in Tucson. On the left side of the building is more 50's Googie-tecture, perhaps Sparkle's sister outfit Mendel's Wife the Tailor, where right angles are strictly optional. The nice thing about a place like this is that it just seems to be going about its business without trying to be hip, cool or vintage. They are who they are, no fuss no muss. It's nice to see a great old place like this still going strong after 49 years... I'd be mighty steamed if they were ever to fold.

Signs of the times: Tucson, Arizona's Mid-century Neon

On our way to finding a celebrated Tucson muffler man (watch for a future post), we passed by some eye-popping mid-century signage. The North Stone area of town must have been a swingin' place, Daddio, back in the early 60s, if the remaining signs are any indication. It's always fun to stumble across living bygone road history, when a sign wasn't a sign unless it was neon, buzzing and huge.