Washington Roadside Attractions: Buddy Holly's Tour Bus

Exactly 62 years ago to the day that I’m writing this and posting this blog, an event known as “The Day the Music Died” occurred. On February 3rd, 1959, an airplane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed young musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper (JP Richardson), alongside pilot, Roger Peterson. Holly (age 22), Valens (age 17), and the Big Bopper (age 28) were all on a “Winter Dance Party” tour throughout the Midwest. Also on the tour were Dion and the Belmonts. During tours, it was typical for artists to travel by tour bus but being winter and enduring the cold conditions of the Midwest, the musicians were tired of getting sick and coming down with the cold and flu. The tour busses in those days did not have the great amenities of today’s busses and often the long trips between towns could get cold and be miserable – especially when the bus broke down which happened on February 1^st, 1959. Already sick, Richardson got a seat on the plane, switching with Waylon Jennings (a member of Buddy Holly’s band). Ritchie Valens won a coin toss with Tommy Allsup (also a member of Holly’s band) and got a seat on the plane. After a concert in Clear Lake, Iowa, the four men boarded the plane while the remaining band members and musicians traveled on bus to their next destination in Moorhead, Minnesota. Due to poor, windy and winter conditions in the dark, the pilot lost control and the airplane crashed, killing all four on board immediately.  

In Issaquah, Washington, sits Buddy Holly’s tour bus. It is unknown how many tour busses he actually had, but sitting in the back of a parking lot, forgotten and unnoticed by the typical passerby, sits his tour bus he used, including in 1958 and 1959. The paint fading and rust creeping throughout, if only the bus could speak, it would tell many great stories of travel but also, regret. It’s a sad sight seeing the bus on a chilly day, knowing that not only did great up and coming musicians pass away, but also such a historic bus sitting, suffering itself through elements of nature and time when such an item should be preserved in a right way.

Contract Signing – Another Chapter in the Life of an Author

There are many aspects to being a writer. Some authors do it for the money, some do it for the fun, and others like me use it as a creative outlet as well as stress relief. If anyone says they don’t do it for the money, that doesn’t mean the money wouldn’t be nice. I haven’t sold a lot so hence, I’m not rich but it’s not about the sales but instead, the satisfaction. It would be nice to have more sales and watch my books climb the ranking and get bigger royalty checks – easier said than done.

One satisfying aspect of completing a book is getting it published. There are numerous ways an author can take to get their book into the hands of a reader. The most popular in today’s age and society is self-publishing. Many companies such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble offer print on demand. If a book is sold on their website, the company will print off a copy and mail it to the buyer. Print on demand helps an author as well as publisher since gone are the days of having to store hundreds or thousands of books for when, or even if, one sells. Many authors self-publish because it’s cheap and easy. One problem with self-publishing is the market is flooded with a lot of bad books. Not that the author put out a bad product intentionally for the most part, it’s just many of the books are horribly edited (if edited at all) as well as have bad presentation and overall look, story, etc. Most self-published books would not have been published by a publisher so the author did what they had to. Another way to get a book published is using a vanity press which is the worst an author can do in my and many other author’s opinions. A vanity press is simply the author paying a company to publish their book. I’ve never done this and never will. The problem with this scenario is once the book is out, the company already got their money so the less likely they’ll need to sell any copies – they were already paid. A traditional publisher gets paid when a book sells so they want to sell books just as much as the author. Traditional publishing (even hybrid publishing) is the hardest to accomplish but the most satisfying. I say the most satisfying because finding a traditional publisher is tedious and hard to do since so many authors get numerous rejections before finding or being lucky enough to find a publisher. Famous authors have no problem finding a publisher since they’ve proved their books can sell. Numerous authors use agents to find the best publisher for their work but then again, finding an agent is just as hard, if not harder, than finding a traditional publisher.

I’ve just signed my third contract to work with a publisher for one of my novels. Like I’ve written in the previous paragraph, I haven’t always been able to find a traditional/hybrid publisher for a book so I have had to self-publish but with one work specifically, I self-published to have free reign over the decisions of the book. Working with a publisher, they take control of your book for two, even three years. So, signing the contract yesterday for my latest novel was very exciting and makes me excited that a manuscript I wrote is good enough in someone’s eyes to take the time, effort and money to publish. Now, after signing my book into almost existence, keep on the lookout for Soul Hunters – The Collector’s of Fear.

My Least Favorite Job

I was going to use the words, “My Worst Job” in the headline but thinking about it, there can really be no worst job since I am fortunate to even have a job. So, instead, using the words least favorite, I’m going to talk about which job that was. I’ll just start by going into the job at... Chapel Hats.

For those of us who've had more than one job, there will always be a least favorite. I’ve worked for numerous companies and held a variety of jobs and positions the past fifteen plus years. For one day in my life, I worked at Chapel Hats in what was formerly known as Downtown Disney in Florida. I remember coming across a job opening on Craigslist. Why not, I said since I needed a job and it was legit. After promptly hearing back and having a face to face interview with the manager as well as district manager who was visiting from California, I was offered the job and I accepted. The pay was much more than minimum wage at the time so I was optimistic. My first day was the following day. Now, needing a job at that time, I didn’t mind the hour plus drive from Orlando. But, the drive wasn’t any fun. My first day, I walked into Chapel Hats and got straight to work. Meeting a couple of nice co-workers, they showed me a few things and customers constantly came in. I don’t have a Disney personality and Chapel Hats, you need a positive and uplifting personality to have people try hats on. They sold numerous styles of hats and at the time, were the most profitable store in Downtown Disney. I sold sporting goods for ten years prior and now, persuading people to try numerous hats on, including a Pirates of the Caribbean hat that cost nearly $500 was not my cup of tea. It was a long eight hours and yes, I was able to wear the hats as well, it was not enjoyable whatsoever. I put on a false façade and had people try on hats, take selfies and so forth to make a sale. We weren’t paid on commission but if the store made more, the employees got paid an additional dollar or two on the weekly paycheck so we tried our best. Well, I tried my best for one day. The following day, only getting about fifteen minutes from home before my second shift, I called and threw in the towel. I dreaded the job and couldn’t push through working another day. Those who have the uplifting and positive personalities definitely would enjoy the job but it’s not for everyone. Luckily, it didn’t take long before I found a different job.

Looking back, any job is a good job. I feel lucky to be where I am now and in the position I am now with the wonderful department I work for. I love the challenges this job brings and feel good driving home when there are days that I know I made a difference. I have zero complaints and looking back at all my jobs, if there’s a lesson to learn, it’s remember where you come from. Remember those who you made contact with, including the bad bosses that you couldn’t stand working for, and learning from their mistakes. Progress through your jobs and continue feeling fortunate that you have a job when there are so many people who do not.

Sleep Historic

Whenever traveling anywhere where a hotel is needed, my preference has always been staying at a historic hotel. Not that a luxurious spa or hotel wouldn’t be nice, there’s something about the historic value of staying at an old hotel that connects to me. Numerous old hotels remain today, competing against the hotel chains that are the same no matter which state you go to. Older hotels, on the other hand, are unique in their own ways. The architecture and style are different, the interior design is different, and the stories are different. Like I’ve said in a previous blog, walls can talk. History in these buildings remain and the preserved hotels bring uniqueness to each not only story, but memories that remain as the years pass by. Yes, some often have ghost stories. Possibly they are indeed haunted (look back at the blog: The Jerome Grand Hotel – A Ghostly Tale) while others are not. Some claim to be haunted to keep tourists coming to their establishment while others are truly haunted – in my opinion anyway. Whether or not haunted, the historic value of each differs where whenever I travel, I’d much rather prefer staying at an old and historic hotel than the standard hotel chain that is everywhere throughout the United States and world. In regards to historic hotels, I’ll share the ones I’ve stayed at with a little history and photograph of each.

Connor Hotel 

Jerome, Arizona

Jerome was a large mining town in Northern Arizona and once had a population of nearly 5,000 people but today, less than 500. Built in 1898, the Connor Hotel has interior features including brick walls and a slanted floor due to settling throughout the years. The hotel is next door to the old theater in Jerome, directly down the old and historic main street. A beautiful, small hotel.

Copper Queen Hotel 

Bisbee, Arizona

The Copper Queen Hotel was built and opened in 1902 in the thriving copper mining town of Bisbee, Arizona. Many guests have signed the guest list including John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and many others. Being the longest operating hotel in Arizona, the hotel has kept a lot of its original design and been preserved well throughout the years.

Delaware Hotel 

Leadville, Colorado

During the late 19^th Century, Leadville had a peak population of around 15,000 but today has less than 3,000. Being a former hub for mining due to the rich ore around Leadville, many people came here in hopes of riches and fortune. Built in 1886, the hotel feature historic photographs and furniture in each room and the hallways. The rooms have a lot of historic Victorian value and original charm to keep its authenticity.

Hotel Congress 

Tucson, Arizona

The hotel resides in the heart of downtown Tucson, directly across from the Rialto Theatre. The hotel was built in 1919 but is best known for the fire in 1934. John Dillinger was staying here and was able to flee during the fire from the third story (which is now gone) but was soon captured. The rooms are preserved to look as they did when the hotel was first built – even using the hotel’s original phone switchboard.

Jerome Grand

Jerome, Arizona

This building was built in 1926 as the United Verde Hospital, owned by the United Verde Copper Company. It was said that 15,000 people died in the hospital before closing in the 1950s. Many died due to the town’s mining and diseases such as black lung. After standing 44 years unoccupied, it re-opened as a hotel in 1996. The hotel features the still operating Arizona’s first self-service elevator by Otis which was installed in 1926 and the original Kewanee Boiler, also installed the same year. Known to be very haunted.

Peck House

Empire, Colorado

The historic Peck House was originally built in 1863 and was built by James Peck. Throughout the rest of the 19^th Century, additions were added and the building became a hotel in 1872. P.T. Barnum and many Civil War generals stayed in the hotel and the Peck House was Colorado’s longest continuous hotel until it was closed in 2014 to become a private residence.

Manresa Castle 

Port Townsend, Washington

The building was constructed in 1892 as a private residence. With walls that are twelve inches thick, construction was built to last. In 1927, after being vacant a couple of decades, Jesuit priests purchased the building to use as a training college to study ascetic theology. In 1968, the Jesuits left and the building became a hotel, featuring many upgrades while keeping the historical value intact to the beautiful building.

My First (and Hopefully Last) 1-Star Review

I received my first one-star review for one of my books. It happens, but thankfully it wasn’t for the content but instead, how the work transferred over to someone’s Kindle device. I’m not very technological so I don’t know how the final manuscript looks on theirs but when I used mine, it was fine. Indicating the light was too bright, I’m not sure what could have caused that. What I do understand is that all books are not meant for electronic reading. Ones that have a lot of pictures are nice to share on devices such as Kindle so the pictures can be color. Printing color books cost a lot of money which is why you usually see black and white when the focus is on the text over the photography. This book does feature some photographs where I figured a Kindle or other e-reader device would be nice to show the photographs in color as well as to be able to zoom into certain pictures. Well, not every book was meant to be shown electronically but I’ll keep working on a way. 

With what I just said on my mind, I wanted to mention the importance of reviews...well, good reviews, that is. So, with a one-star review hindering future sales, the importance of reviews is key to increasing not only sales for an author, but exposure. Please remember, if you read a book and enjoy it, please share the love with the author and let them know by leaving a review. Also, the more reviews a book gets, the more willing the company, for example, Amazon, will promote the work – in essence helping the author make more sales. And hey, if you don’t like the book, let them know kindly with constructive criticism. What I learned early in writing and taking writing courses was constructive criticism, even though less harsh, helps not only tell the author what they did wrong but more so a reasoning behind it and what they could do better next time. You can’t fix something if all someone does is bash it so even though the one-star review hurts and I wish they would have been more lenient in the rating, the criticism being as constructive as it was, helps me better the book and final product. But, also, please help an author (like me) and if you’ve enjoyed something you read, please leave a review. 

History of the Sprouse-Reitz Five and Dime Store

I was always curious of this former retailer's history since coming across an abandoned storefront in the old main street of Lowell, Arizona. The red tiles brought me to a mid-century time when people walked main street and shopped for everything they needed – much different than going to big box retailers and malls today.  

(Photograph available to purchase via www.benjaminmollenhour.weebly.com)

Robert A. Sprouse founded Sprouse-Reitz five and dime store in 1909. Robert Sprouse started out as s a traveling peddler but being unable to carry all the merchandise his customers wanted, he decided to open up his first store. The company’s headquarters were first in Tacoma, Washington but moved to Portland, Oregon in 1919. There were over 350 stores within twelve western states at its peak. The average size of each store was between 14,000 and 15,000 square feet. 

Sprouse-Reitz continued to expand by the 1960s and a store opening in Healdsburg, California, an advertisement promoted, “Two checkout stands for your shopping experience,” in a building that had air conditioning. During the mid to late 1980s, the company began its decline. In 1989, Sprouse-Reitz rebranded by changing its name to just, “SPROUSE!” In the middle of the following year, then CEO, Robert Sprouse II, who owned 80% of the company votes, changed the company’s focus in an attempt to rejuvenate sales. 

Before, Sprouse-Reitz had numerous departments including candy, notions, drugs, shoes, tin ware, crockery, plastics, and even pets. In 1990, within 287 stores, Sprouse changed the departments to include only six areas he and others in the company thought that other retailers were lacking. These six departments were housewares, home furnishings, apparel, crafts, toys and paper products (including greeting cards and wrapping paper). Robert Sprouse stated that, “What we’ve had to do is reposition our merchandise mix and work a little harder on our presentation.” 

During the early 1990s, some of the stores branched off to become independent while others turned into Ben Franklin stores. The change of direction did not help enough and they continued to struggle. Sprouse-Reitz was sold to SR Partners Incorporated for $22.9 million. Sprouse family members remained advisors after the sale. A couple of years later in December 1993, Sprouse liquidated and closed its last eighty-four stores. By early of 1994, all stores were closed after they were unable to find a buyer in time before filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy.  

Quarters a Plenty in the Arcade

Penny arcades is where the aspect of arcades began. During the beginning of the 20th Century, these penny arcades sprouted up throughout the country and cost one penny to play – hence the name. There were a variety of types of not only games, but also moving pictures. The variety of games included the fortune teller, shooting games where a metal ball would shoot at targets, and even a cabinet you could look into a viewer and watch as pictures flipped quickly to give the sense of a moving picture. I remember years ago going to a museum in Stone Mountain, Georgia where they featured a handful of penny arcade attractions. I remember watching an old boxing match as well as a few other types of these moving pictures. You would put the coin in and watching into the viewer, the picture would flip quickly and the light turned on for a short amount of time. Suddenly the light dimmed and the pictures stopped rotating. The more you paid, the more you could watch.  

It wouldn’t be until the 1970s when arcades began featuring actual video games. With the introduction of game companies such as Atari, and games like Centipede, arcades instantly gained popularity. More games continued to come out and kids, as well as adults, fled to these arcades that sprouted up in every town and city. During the 1980s, more gaming competition led to even more games, such as Pac Man and Donkey Kong being released which led to the peak of arcade popularity. Better graphics, sound and play ability brought players into these arcades where they used their allowance to play as many games as possible. Not only were games featured in arcades but also places such as restaurants and bowling alleys. Sadly, though, going into the 1990s, popularity of the arcade began to dwindle. Easier access to games at home led to the decline of the need to have to go to the arcade. Many companies shut down and arcades closed. Some remain today and have games such as at the bowling alley, bars, and there are still a few traditional arcades remaining. 

With changing times came changing games. Throughout the 90s, games began producing tickets where players could collect a certain amount of tickets to exchange for prizes. Games such as Skee Ball and others were popular for gameplay. Coming into the 2000s, retailers/restaurants such as Chuck E Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza were still popular amongst kids and parties where children were still able to play a variety of games. Even retailers like FYE, as I remember going to in the early 2000s, had a large arcade in the back of the store in the Oviedo, Florida mall (sadly now having been shut down for a while).  

Today, Chuck E Cheese and those alike are beginning to struggle whereas newer fusion restaurants geared towards adults, like Dave n Busters, still remain a hangout where adults can play numerous styles of games. The games have changed drastically since the beginning penny arcades and even the early 70s games. A lot of games today feature less gameplay but more attraction of winning a prize (even though nearly impossible). Some of the retro video games still remain popular and a name stay for arcades that are still operating to bring that sense of nostalgia back to those who play. Some bowling alleys still have games and even some pizzerias still have small arcade sections. Numerous pinball locations have popped up the last decade and have gained popularity. So, next time you see an arcade, head inside and bring back some memories. Throw a few quarters in the machines and go back in time as well as support the small business. The next time you’re in a restaurant and you see a lonely arcade game back in the corner, think of the attention that game once got and how hungry it must be for a quarter, so after you eat, take a few minutes to enjoy the game.  

Arcade games have gained in popularity recently due to the ability to purchase smaller versions for home use. Many traditional and popular games have been produced and many more will come in in the near future. These games still feature the joystick and original gameplay but not being in the arcade surrounded by your friends with all the noise echoing throughout the room just isn’t the same but for most, where there are no arcades, it can be a great alternative. It is always fun watching an old film from the 80s and watching a scene take place in the arcade and wishing to be able to go back there for a day. 

Here’s an arcade down main street Renton, called 8-Bit Arcade that is still operating today that we go to when able. Games are still a quarter and there’s ample games, pinball, and even a bar with food and drinks. I’ve spent a lot of quarters throughout the years in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade, as well as later on with gunplay games such as the House of Dead II and T2, so I make sure to keep a few quarters in the car just in case I want to go back in time for a few minutes.