Weekly Roundup Ep. 5: Hayrides, Mint Cookies, Motel Garages & Dracula
This week’s Weekly Roundup travels from autumn hayrides and a prize-winning mint cookie to old motel garages and Horror of Dracula at the Terror Glow Drive-In.
Why Did Old Motels Have Garages Beside Every Room?
Why did old motels have garages beside every room? These early tourist courts and motor courts were designed around the automobile, giving travelers a private place to park just steps…
Weekly Roundup Episode 2: Flour-Sack Masks, Cake Yeast & Roadside Lunch Rooms. Odd Traditions and Forgotten Stops
This week: creepy flour-sack Halloween masks, the mystery of “one cake of yeast,” forgotten roadside lunch rooms, and a darker-than-expected night at the Terror Glow Drive-In.
Podcast Episode: Odd Histories And Old Curiosities
This week on A Little Off the Ordinary: musical cows, the old gas-station ding-ding hose, the mystery of sweet milk in vintage recipes, and a stop at the Terror Glow…
How Did People See the Screen at a Drive-In Theater? Those Parking Ramps Had a Purpose
How did everyone see the screen at a drive-in theater? The answer was built into the parking lot, where raised ramps and graded rows tilted cars toward the screen and…
Did Drive-In Movie Theaters Sell Mosquito Coils?
Why did drive-in movie theaters sell mosquito coils at the concession stand? They were a simple answer to summer-night bugs, open car windows, and outdoor moviegoing. Here’s how the coils…
What Were Those Little Burning Pots Along Old Road Construction?
Remember those little black pots with flames along old road construction? They were kerosene-burning warning torches, including the famous Toledo Torch, used to mark trenches, barricades, and hazards after dark.
Why Did Roadside Picnic Areas Disappear?
Those little roadside picnic pull-offs used to be everywhere. Here’s why so many disappeared—and why a few are still hanging on.
Why Did Old Highways Have Radiator Water Stops?
Early motorists sometimes had to plan for radiator water just as carefully as fuel. Here’s why old highways had water stops—and what happened to them.