These are some pictures I took yesterday at Shady Brook Farm in Yardley Pennsylvania. It was a pleasant surprise to see this classic California scene. Sure ,the classic car was nice, but what really caught my eye was the Bob's Big Boy tray and the drive-in movie speaker on the car's door. Immediately, wonderful childhood memories flooded in.
Bob's Big Boy was a huge part of the Southern California food culture, In-N-Out Burger is another. When I was growing up, Bob's was the go-to restaurant for a good Big Boy hamburger or even a delicious stack of pancakes. They also had wonderful milkshakes. There was always a larger-than-life, colorful statue of Big Boy (like the mini one in the tray above) in front of every restaurant. Sometime around the 1980's Bob's started to disappear.
The original Bob's Big Boy is still in Burbank, CA, and I see that Big Boy restaurants without the Bob are popping up around the country. I'm not sure I would trust the nouveau Big Boys sans Bob.
Is there any American over 40 years old who doesn't have fond memories of drive-in movies? What happen to them? I don't know if they were popular in other countries.
I mentioned In-N-Out Burger, which in my opinion has the best fast food hamburgers, fries and shakes in the world. They can only be found in and around Southern California. I look forward to my next trip home in January. :-)
The car is gorgeous and in mint condition, the tray is so absurd that has to be something precious.
ReplyDeleteI understand that I miss most of the mystic of these things, but I have dreamed many times as a kid, watching am American movie, to drive a car like this on the roads of California...
une partie du rêve américain de ma jeunesse ;o) superbe
ReplyDeletea party of the American dream of my youth ;o) haughtiness
I miss Big Boy! But we just had a Sonic open up...in Massachusetts! And they're catering on roller-skates, to boot. Long live "retro"!
ReplyDeleteJust like VP and Olivier, this is the "American Dream"! Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteOh what fun memories! All the Big Boys are gone around here and most of the drive-in movies.
ReplyDeleteAll I could think of when I saw the speaker was the announcement they used to make at the movies, should you accidently forget it and drive off...Please turn the speaker in at the concession stand!
It was such a fun place for families, all the kids in their PJ's.
The good old days!
Sunny :)
James, thanks for the comment but your photos show far more imagination, yes? I had a '67 Impala( very briefly ) but not a convertible. Had to keep myself from drooling on the screen, when I saw these-LOL!
ReplyDeleteIn Southern California in the 1970's we cruised Van Nuys Blvd, ate at Bob's Big Boy and went to the drive-in movies. When I moved to Tucson 15 years ago, I noticed there weren't any Bob's Big Boys or drive-ins.
ReplyDeleteI love these pictures and so remember Bob's Big Boy. We have one here in Honolulu that I believe is still open. I'm going to have to check that out real soon. I loved there food. I remember going to the University of Arizona in Tucson and that was our main place to go and eat. Excellent. And Great photos :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a drive-in (not Big Bob's though) about 30 minutes drive from here, it is sweet! Best burgers ever...now I am hungry! I remember the drive-ins, I think here in Maine there is only one left that is still in business. Ah the good old days!
ReplyDeleteWonderful nostalgia. Our local paper just had a special section on nostalgia today, talking about the Big Pixie (like Bob's Big Boy) and the drive in theaters. Things of a simpler time.
ReplyDeleteTara and I found a drive in theater in FL, it was a 1 1/2 hr drive. We went to see Star Trek. She loved it. There is one about an hour from my home that I hope to visit some time soon! (Becky's Drive In) PA has the 2nd highest number of drive in movies in the country!
Cool cars and photo. We have a Bob's Big Boy in next door, in Temecula, CA.
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with you on In-N-Out. The farthest one north in California is Redding, CA and we like to stop there since it is either the first one coming from or last one going to Washington.
ReplyDeleteYes...I used to love the drive in movies..wish we still had one close by....
ReplyDeleteI haven't been in a Bob's in a long time..i guess they have disappered....and In and OUt is by far the best, we where there last weekend....Animal Style!!
I'll send ya one.
thanks for stopping by.
That is one cool classic car.
ReplyDeleteI can´t remember any drive-in movie theatres in Finland but drive-in restaurants live well and prosper here.
Those are cool classics! One drive in theatre in Van Nuys had been converted to a Middle School. And Bob's Big Boy is just 3 miles from me....
ReplyDeleteMy main blog is here.
Oh, I wish we had drive-ups still! Now, only drive-thrus.
ReplyDeleteIn the Toronto area, there are still drive-in theatres! With the traditional double-features!
Well James, what can I say now...I love hamburgers, fries and shakes too , unfortunately I think it's hard to find the good ones here. I think only in America!
ReplyDeleteCool nostalgic post dear friend
Léia
I wish I could eat by
ReplyDelete"Bob's Big Boy"
Its not in our country !!
He is only
Mac Donalds & Burger King ;)
Great shots :)
This brings back some great memories for me! We had a Big Boy restaurant here in Tallahassee, only it was called Frisch's Big Boy and had that same giant colorful statue of Big Boy out front. They had the drive-in area out back and you are right, the hamburgers were delicious. It was a favorite spot for weekend morning breakfasts too. I was so sad when they tore it down and built a Ruby Tuesdays in the same spot. I also have fond memories of the drive-in movies. For an extra 50 cents you could get a hose that hooked onto your window next to the speaker and it blew cold air inside the car.
ReplyDeleteThis is a "very american" post! In Europe, we could see such scenes only in movies: the car, the restaurant, the drive-in,even the hamburgers..It was part of the "american way of life" that made us dream, the kind of life we all dream to discover, because we had not such things here.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I saw a Mac Donald , it was in Germany,and I was 14 years old; They arrived much later in France.
I understand your nostalgy: so much things disappeared in the last 40 years...
Some incredible car! I want one! lol
ReplyDeleteAhhh, what a memory trip you just took me on! Those were the good ole days. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful classic cars! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. :) Happy WW.
ReplyDeleteLife's sweets and spices
Nice! I love In-N-out too!
ReplyDelete