Now that the Spring Equinox has past and the days are getting longer, I have begun a Ghost Sign Harvesting trip across the US.  I am planning to arrive in Providence RI in time for the April 20th show opening that includes one of my photos.  I left my wife and her visiting cousins at home while I go on a mad dash across the country.

One of the primary ghost signs I was hoping to get, and photographed yesterday, is this one in El Paso, TX.  It was exposed over a year ago.  “Buy your Winter Coal Now – We answer your burning questions.”  I was able to lift my camera over the protective fence and get the entire sign in very high resolution. I had been to El Paso before, but as usual, I was able to find even more signs on this visit.

One can estimate the age by the telephone numbers – 586 and 587.

Most ghost signs are not quite as impressive, like this sign for Phillips 66 gas in Malaga NM.  I ran into some impressive storms.  I was going to get a sign in Artesia NM but there was a severe weather warning for extreme flooding, high winds, and expected severe hail damage for vehicles.  I went a different route.  The images on the news later showed cars in Artesia half deep in flood waters, and there were impressive smashed windshields.  I chose wisely.

I thought I would include some other photos from along the way. I don’t remember seeing warning signs for scorpions, like this sign in Arizona, for rest areas back East. The ones back east should have warnings for ticks.

Leaving Los Angeles, there was some new snow up on Mt. San Jacinto from a storm we had a couple of days ago.  The vertical rise from where I am to the top of the peak is over two miles.

Ads for Roadside Attractions continue to exist in the best tradition of the good old days of road travel.

I found this misspelled bit of Nazi SS propaganda in El Paso.  Interesting, the bridge crossing across the Rio Grande River to Ciudad Juárez was very busy in both directions.  I almost got diverted by road construction into crossing the river.