Road trips are my most favored pastime, and the purpose of those trips is to seek out the glories of abandoned and historic America. I have shot thousands of images of forlorn motels, cafes, and gas stations, and my favorite relic of petroliana is seen here. This is a gas station located on the south side of I80 about halfway between Salt Lake City and Wendover in Utah. What makes it so spectacular is its display of the Googie architecural style that spread throughout the nation from Southern California in the jet-age ’50s and early ’60s. Countless restaraunts and roadside motels featured this style, but rarely did Googie design so overtly decorate a gas station.
While this station sat in plain site of the highway, I often kept its location secret in hopes that it would not be further vandalized. Thankfully I have some images to remember it by, as well as a few seconds to reflect upon it within the movie World’s Fastest Indian, as I understand that the location has been razed since the last time I was there.
Every day I am not on the road is another day of landmarks lost forever.
