Retrologist Road Trip: Pennsylvania roadside finds (Pizza Hut, Hardee's, Mr. Peanut, 7 Up and much more)

Patron Premium: Three days in the Keystone State, with vintage wonders aplenty

Just.a sample of the wonders I saw on this recent trip. (All photos: Rolando Pujol)

I just got back from a two-day jaunt through Pennsylvania, and that follows a one-day trip I took the previous Sunday, so the Keystone State has clearly been on my mind.

A key feature I want to provide my patrons is insights into my travels and recommendations they can act upon to plan their own amazing nostalgia-fueled road trips.

To that end, I’ve put together a clip reel of the places I hit on these trips. Bear in mind, this is hardly meant to be a comprehensive list of places to visit out this way, and I will likely cover many of these places in greater depth down the road. So if you want even more details on these or other spots to see along the way, simply reach out. That’s a service I proudly offer to all of you kind enough to support my mission to document these places with a paid subscription.

We’ll start with the trip I took on Sunday, April 16. My goal was to get to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, where Plumb’s Drugs was closing the next day after 72 years in business. Based on when Plumb’s was closing for the day on Sunday, I knew I would not make it in time to go inside, but I made a point of driving out regardless because signs have a funny way of disappearing fast, and, as you’ll see from my return visit on Friday, April 21, Plumb’s was no exception.

And away we go!

Note: Map coordinates to these spots are linked in the copy.

Sunday, April 16

1.) In the ancestral homeland of Mr. Peanut, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Back in the late 1990s, I visited Wilkes-Barre and marveled at a mural of Mr. Peanut, the mascot of Planters Peanuts. It turns out Planters was founded in Wilkes-Barre in 1906, and while it had long ago left town, remnants remain.

Indeed, there were two murals featuring Mr. Peanut in this town. Perhaps there is one in our future as there is an effort afoot to open a museum showcasing Planters memorabilia.

And today, at the corner of East North Street and North Pennsylvania Boulevard, is a sign, above, celebrating Mr. Peanut, as well as a statue of the dashing fellow in the window. The property belongs to local businessman Thom Greco, a Mr. Peanut advocate leading efforts to celebrate the mascot’s legacy in the city.

Zoom in to see the Planters’ name on the pediment!

A good next step for the Planters’ enthusiast is the abandoned Planters’ headquarters building on the other side of town, which is very easy to miss. Indeed, I’ve missed it on earlier trips while marveling at this sign for Cook & Dunn’s Paints, below, (and a great Pepsi machine featuring the 1973 logo) next door.

The site features a historic marker honoring the co-founder of Planters, Amedeo Obici.

I’m a little obsessed with Mr. Peanut and I even picked up my second Mr. Peanut coin bank at an antique store in Bellefonte on Friday, so expect a much deeper treatment on the legacy of Mr. Peanut in a future post!

There’s much more to see in Wilkes-Barre — again, ask if you want to visit —but I had to keep moving. On the way out of town, I passed two interesting places. One is Peter’s Ice Cream, which features a 1970s-era Pepsi privilege sign, below. I snapped it from my car.

The second was a shock. The Skateway skating rink, which once had a gorgeous turquoise color, a fantastic sign, and cutouts of skaters, has been painted black.

BEFORE (12/23/18)

AFTER (4/16/23)

WHYYYYYY??????

It turns out there was a fire on the facade that damaged the sign, and there were plans (according to their FB page) to have a mural painted on this vast expanse of black wall. Be that as it may, it was jolting to see this, and I sure hope this is not the long-term vision for what used to be a very cinematic stop. Examine my before-and-after shots and you’ll see why I was so shocked.

2.) Weaver’s Ice Cream and Pizza, Allenwood, PA

I had driven past Weaver’s countless times on other photography jaunts and finally decided to pull over. Sure, you can satisfy your sweet and savory teeth here, but a veritable museum of iconic American brands is all around. My favorite vintage signs here include the ones for Bunny Bread, and the Wise Potato Chips Owl sign just outside. (If you’ve followed me long enough on Instagram, you know I give a hoot for Wise Owl signage!)

3.) Plumb’s Drugs, Bellefonte, PA

Plumb’s Drugs closed on Monday, April 17, after 72 years, 49 of those under the current management. I ended up visiting twice this past week.

On April 16, the day before the drug store’s last day, I was able to shoot the facade and signage, even though the store was closed for the day. Goodness knows I am relieved I did, because when I returned on Friday, the sign and Rx symbols had been stripped from the facade.

More in my entry from Friday, April 21!

4.) Omar’s Bar, Bellefonte, PA

I was delighted to stumble upon Omar’s Bar, which exudes dive-bar edge, right down to its privilege sign for 7 Up. I did not go inside — you never know when entering an unfamiliar dive bar unannounced, lugging a big camera, might backfire — but I wish I had because the bar is gorgeous.