CHAD'S STORE VISIT: MANREADY MERCANTILE, HOUSTON TX.

Last spring on my trip to Texas and the South of the USA, I stopped by a local hero called Manready Mercantile.

Located in the heart of the Historic Heights in Houston, Texas. They become the ultimate general goods store with unique offerings and Texas hospitality unlike no other you'll find in the world.

Created in 2012 by Travis S. Weaver, a small town guy originally from Zephyr, Texas. The store quickly become a premier general goods store and manufacturer in Houston built upon values of honesty and hard work. When you combine these two traits, you can't help but get quality service and products. 

Work hard, Live well!

CHAD GOES ROAD TRIPPIN' USA

So everything is packed and Chad is ready for his road trip. This trip will start in Minneapolis, MN

and ends in Scottsdale, Az. via the Plains and the Rocky Mountains. I will keep you posted of my adventures.

GHOST TOWN OF BODIE, CALIFORNIA

I've been several times to the Ghost Town of Bodie and every time I wondered, how is it possible that this town was abandoned from one day to another.

Bodie is an original mining town from the late 1800’s. What’s left today stands in a state of “arrested decay” and is maintained by the California State Parks System, who took over the town in 1962 to make it a State Historic Park.

In 1859 William (a.k.a. Waterman) S. Bodey discovered gold near what is now called Bodie Bluff. A mill was established in 1861 and the town began to grow. It started with about 20 miners and grew to an estimated 10,000 people by 1880! By then, the town of Bodie bustled with families, robbers, miners, store owners, gunfighters, prostitutes and people from every country in the world. At one time there was reported to be 65 saloons in town. Among the saloons were numerous brothels and ‘houses of ill repute’, gambling halls and opium dens – an entertainment outlet for everyone. (text by bodie.com pics by Chad's Drygoods)

THE NEON BONEYARD PARK - LAS VEGAS, NV

When I think of Las Vegas, my memories are going back to its glittering lights. Plus I think about the world's most famous neon attraction. Designed by Betty Willis, the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada" sign has been greeting visitors at the southern end of the Strip since 1959.

Neon signs, introduced in Las Vegas in 1929 at the Oasis Café on Fremont Street, enjoyed their heyday between the 1930s – 1980s. But as LED and LCD screens began taking over the Las Vegas Strip, many of the old signs were removed. About 20 years ago people from the Allied Arts Council and Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO), the manufacturer responsible for creating a number of the city's neon pieces, began collecting and preserving the old signs.

The Neon Museum was officially established in 1996, the city allocated space in downtown on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard for the Neon Boneyard. YESCO then donated its retired signs to the fledgling organization. About 40 percent of the Neon Museum's collection originated there, and items from newly imploded or remodeled properties are added continually.

The Neon Museum's visitors center is located adjacent to the curated collection of signs at the boneyard. The center is in the rehabilitated La Concha Motel lobby, the seashell-shaped, Mid-Century Modern building designed and built by architect Paul Revere Williams. The La Concha used to be located on the Las Vegas Strip next to the Riviera. It was saved from demolition in 2005 and relocated to the Boneyard to become the visitors center.

Book your tour ahead so you won't be disappointed as there are a limited tours per day. This time i went for the morning tour at 08.00, next time I will go for the evening tour.