Things that say you're "Home"

amazinblue82

amazinblue82

Old Man with a Hat
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When you've been away from home for a while, or not but just had a rough time away, what is usually the first thing you see that let's you know you're "home?"

Other than family or you own house of course, some "thing" .. a structure, a natural formation, whatever. As soon as you see it .. it just brings a smile of recognition to your face.

Could also be in a place you grew up but don't live anymore. Also, could be in a place you associate a big part of your life and hopefully good times spent there.

We'll see how far this goes. I have a few of these so this thread'll get 4-5 posts from me to see if it gets any traction. :)

Here's one.

The Uniroyal Tire -- today
00-1-2-6.jpg


1967 - How it looked the first time I saw it (stock photo).
00-1-2-7.jpg


1964 - When it was a ferris wheel at the World's Fair in NYC
00-1-2-8.jpg


A great chunk of my adult life after age 23 was spent at the Detroit Metro Airport. The Uniroyal Tire, a Detroit landmark since 1966, was one of the first things that says to me I was home.

First time I saw it was in June 1967 from the "front row" of the skylight of a Scenicruiser from Chicago (yes, my beloved PD-4501). We didn't live in Detroit then but were visiting relatives. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen at the time.

Eight stories tall, on I-94 Eastbound just past the airport. I have had good feelings associated with it for 50 years :)
 
The Dominion Grocery Stores Clock Tower on the west side of the 427 highway in Toronto was just such an icon for me.

When A&P (now Metro) bought Dominion they sold the building to which the tower was attached, and the new owners were going to tear it down but there was a huge hue and cry.

A deal was reached with the new owners of the property, and it was refurbished with the Metro brand name, and remains to this day.

An "I'm Home" icon for me for over 50 years.

I can't find a picture of it anywhere, but perhaps someone else can post one.

I went on Google Street View and came up with this:

Doc1.jpg
 
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amazinblue82 said:
The Uniroyal Tire, a Detroit landmark since 1966, was one of the first things that says to me I was home.......I have had good feelings associated with it for 50 years :)
Click to expand...

I'm surprised that you haven't gotten "TIRED" of it by now! :)





Sorry, just couldn't help it. :rolleyes:
 
QEW East, a few kilometers past Hamilton. The break in the Niagara escarpment right around St. Catherines.

When austerity measures grounded the company jet, I frequently made the drive between Detroit and Buffalo.

Before I got used to the drive, the "break" (subject to bridge traffic) meant I was 45 minutes from home.

Stock photo
00-1-2-6.jpg
 
Interstate 70, between Topeka and Kansas City. The Lawrence Service Center (rest stop). The water tower.

First recollection about 4 years old .. theres a family pic of us in our DeSoto at approximately this location in 1964 or so.

We stopped on the way to KC to get treats/bathrooms (only after 15 mins of driving but it seemed really long) and then one the way back (sometimes we stopped/sometimes not) it meant we were more than halfway home.

those were fun times 1964-1971 before we moved to Michigan. Every trip home we fly into KC and drive to Topeka .. I am looking for this Tower each way -- 50 years later just like it was yesterday. :)

00-1-2-6.jpg
 
Stade DeFrance (yeah, that one :(), Paris, A86 Westbound (lower left) near St. Denis.

00-1-2-7.jpg


Either coming home from work OR some brutal business trip after landing at DeGaulle Airport, when I saw it, I was 20 minutes from home. From the A86, you could see the "tentpoles" sticking up, and even hear the games.

If coming back from a trip, the kids would wait up (they were both under 10 then) to see what I brought them from some exotic location. Always was a Sno-Globe and a T-shirt. ALL of it they still have-- 40 globes each, and including few T shirts they are gonna give their kids one day, :)

Also, and this is kinda humorous, near here one day there was traffic jam at 6:30 am and well earlier than the usual "embouteillage" (traffic jam).

We're creeping along, and i am expecting to see its an accident at the source of the "bouchon" ( the "plug"). Not. It was two dogs, way off by the side of the road .. er .. makin' puppies. Darn French .. they love a good peep show :)
 
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Every time I'm in Pittsburgh...
Primanti-Bros_logo.jpg

The sandwich seems to be the only thing left that hasn't changed dramatically... the kids working the franchises don't even know it's supposed to be an all night trucker's diner with a grille behind the counter.

This hasn't changed too much in my lifetime... first memories are about 3 blocks back from the top.
duquesneincline.jpg


I did get a little nostalgic when I got to use the 1950's single post, in ground lift I started my career with on the way to 2016 Carlisle...

The only landmark in Florida that has consistently meant I was nearing the end of my journey is the Seminole County rest area on I4 westbound. I almost always seem to stop there on my way home when driving back from out of state... including 1996, when I managed to get into the I95/I4 interchange just after the Daytona 500... slept in the car there that night... took 3-4 hours to get that far @ 5-10 MPH.
 
I don't get away much but when I do I know I'm approaching the homeland because of the traffic, congestion and anxiety I feel when entering the zone
 
Lived in Boston for a bit. Coming in from the airport seeing the Citgo sign from Storrow Drive

When I saw it, it calmed me after the ALWAYS harrowing, "pre-Big Dig, Old Boston Garden still standing next to it" exit from Sumner Tunnel to get to Storrow Drive. Any of you Boston locals know what I mean :BangHead:.

00-1-3-0.jpg
 
I knew the Uniroyal tire was a ferris wheel but I did not know it it was originally built to look like a tire. I just assumed it was a ferris wheel frame that was later clad with the tire panels. Thanks Ray!
For many years as a kid the only time we left the suburbs of Detroit was for the weeks vacation "up north" at Higgins Lake in the 9 passenger wagon. I don't remember any landmarks that indicated we were getting close to home coming from the north but I do remember some landmarks on the trip. Here's the Zilwaukee bridge in my earlier memories and it's replacement in the second photo. It was about the halfway point.
IMG_3151.JPG
IMG_3152.JPG
 
Car starts going thumpety-thump as soon as i cross the Ohio-Michigan border headed north. Every car i've owned had the same symptoms. Amazin'
 
amazinblue82 said:
When you've been away from home for a while, or not but just had a rough time away, what is usually the first thing you see that let's you know you're "home?"

Other than family or you own house of course, some "thing" .. a structure, a natural formation, whatever. As soon as you see it .. it just brings a smile of recognition to your face.

Could also be in a place you grew up but don't live anymore. Also, could be in a place you associate a big part of your life and hopefully good times spent there.

We'll see how far this goes. I have a few of these so this thread'll get 4-5 posts from me to see if it gets any traction. :)

Here's one.

The Uniroyal Tire -- today
View attachment 139637

1967 - How it looked the first time I saw it (stock photo).View attachment 139638

1964 - When it was a ferris wheel at the World's Fair in NYC
View attachment 139639

A great chunk of my adult life after age 23 was spent at the Detroit Metro Airport. The Uniroyal Tire, a Detroit landmark since 1966, was one of the first things that says to me I was home.

First time I saw it was in June 1967 from the "front row" of the skylight of a Scenicruiser from Chicago (yes, my beloved PD-4501). We didn't live in Detroit then but were visiting relatives. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen at the time.

Eight stories tall, on I-94 Eastbound just past the airport. I have had good feelings associated with it for 50 years :)
Click to expand...


I sort of hate to claim one that's already been used, but 100% "the big tire". I hated when they ditched the whitewall and hubcap. I'm sure this sign is iconic for millions of Detroiters given its proximity to the airport and "the Detroit Industrial Expressway" (to use the civil defense name). I made sure to point it out to a friend from Phoenix visiting Detroit for the first time.

So speaking of Phoenix, I'll submit this for my adopted home. My view from I-17.

shamrock_farms_best_neon_signs_phoenix.jpg
 
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