First the Hilltop Steak House, now the Orange Dinosaur!

Cafe Society
1

The Hilltop Steak House on Route 1 in Saugus has finally been knocked down, leaving only the giant cactus (which will be retained, and repaired) to mark what will be some sort of multi-use shopping area. That was bad enough. (The herd of fiberglass cows is gone)

But now comes news that the Route 1 miniature golf course, with its iconic fluorescent orange T. Rex (with fluorescent green eyes) has been sold, and will be torn down, as well. The other dinosaurs and 50s-era decorations will go as well, along with the batting cages and the soft ice cream stands:

The Full of Bull restaurant was the first to go. Then Hilltop. The Fern Motel was torn down recently, too:

http://www.lileks.com/motels/MA/3.html

But the Orange Dinosaur is different! Roadside America claims it’s a protected landmark:

It marked the beginning of the Strip of Tacky Route 1, which proceeded north from where route 99 joined it. The other side was marked by what had been Weylu’s Chinese Restaurant, which looked like an immense Chinese Castle, on the east side of Route 1.
Speaking of which, the Weylu’s palace (later Jin’s) is slated for demolition, too

http://saugus.wickedlocal.com/article/20150812/NEWS/150819072

They’re tearing down all the wonderful 1950s-era tacky in Saugus! All we have left is

The Kowloon giant Polynesian Hut restaurant

Prince Restaurant with its leaning tower of Pisa

The Ship Restaurant in the shape of – well, a ship. Right next door is a Christmas Tree shop that was built to look like the New England fishing village the ship docked near.

And what do they replace it with? Full of Bull was replaced with a run-of-the-mill McDonald’s. The Hilltop is supposed to become a bunch of stores. A vacant lot turned into a WalMart. We’re becoming just like every other stretch of industrialized shopping center in the US. Pretty soon there won’t be a neon sign left.

2

The old trading post is closed, the building boarded up, but the rampaging terra-cotta dinosaur is still on the roof, on the 371 (Cahuilla Road) about two miles north-east of Aguanga.

Sorry will be the day when he falls.

3

I haven’t been miniature golfing in years, if anyone wants to go once before they close.

I wouldn’t be heartbroken if the Kowloon restaurant went the way of all things. I’ve had their food a couple times; anything built there would have to be an improvement.

4

I moved to Orlando just in time. We’ll never run out of that great crap here.

5

Wait, what’s Route 1 doing anywhere near Route 99? Shouldn’t those be on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, respectively?

6

U.S. Route 1 meets up with Massachusetts Route 99 north of Boston. U.S, Route 99 runs (or to be exact, ran) through Washington, Oregon, and California. It’s several miles inland though, running through Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, etc. The coastal road is U.S. Route 101.

7

Ah, OK, I was expecting some sort of difference in nomenclature between US and state routes. Though I suppose that when you’re in Boston, any route numbered 99 would have to be state, and so wouldn’t need specifying.

8

I think if you lived someplace where it was ambiguous you’d need to specify, something like US 1 or MA 99.

The signs are different, although I don’t know how many people pay enough attention to notice. Massachusetts state routes are a white sign with black numbers and a black border. (Google Maps shows them as an oval with a number in it.) Other states seem to go with a stylized border, so the white portion resembles a keystone or silhouette of the state. U.S. route signs are also black on white, with the white portion forming a shield.

Sorry for the hijack, but this is the one place in my life where such thoroughness is (sometimes) appreciated.

9

I’m really bummed by this, although I haven’t golfed there in ages. Friends online are blaming it on The Palace’s closing as the beginning of the end, which was gone before I was old enough to go to. :frowning:

10

Nothing is sacred anymore ! I love the herd of fiberglass cows and orange dinosaur . :frowning:

11

Actually, the Pacific Coast Highway is California State Route 1 running from Dana Point to Leggett, which is at some lengths coincident with US 101. The o.p. is initially confusing (at least to me) because there is also a Saugus in California which was incorporated into Santa Clarita, CA (on I-5, including Six Flags Magic Mountain).

Anyway, the greatest cultural loss to American development is clearly The Gobbler. Nothing else holds a candle to “The grooviest motel in Wisconsin!” (Although the Madonna Inn comes closest.)

Stranger

12

Well, at least the Citgo sign is still around.

I count myself among those who stared dreamily at it (in my case,looking from various MIT fraternity bedrooms) in the late 1970s.

13

you think you’re confused? I know of Saugus beng in California, in the San Fernando Valley.

Turns out it’s named after a town in Massachusetts, though.

14

There is more to the Pacific Coast than just California.

15

Bwahahahahahahaa

Not.

mrAru spent some time there on hold waiting for a school at NTSC Orlando back when there was stil a large Navy presence there. We were back a couple years ago touristing, and he was commenting on all sorts of things that were missing, closed down, replaced, torn down etc …

16

The Hilltop Cows have their own Facebook page - Where are all the Hilltop Cows?

Three of them are at Market Street in Lynnfield, I don’t know if they’ll be targets there.

17

The Ship is historically considered part of the Saugus strip, but it’s actually in Lynnfield.

18

I know, but you can see why.

Other Route 1 oddness – At Gaeta’s Shell Station (which is technically in Peabody) there’s a tiny graveyard, which the gas station people maintain in beautiful order. There are a lot of little “vest pocket” graveyards around (there’s another tiny one not far from a Peabody Fire Station, essentially in someone’s side yard). But this one isn’t hidden away – it’s right out there on Route 1

There used to be a Rotary (“Traffic Circle” to most US drivers) at Exeter Street and US 1 in Saugus, but it’s been turned into a standard cloverleaf-style bridge. There was a big Howard Johnson’s there - one of the earliest. But it was long gone before I moved here. the circle reportedly had an awful lot of accidents, which is probably why it isn’t there any more.
Another Saugus Route 1 casualty is Route One Racquet and Fitness – my racquetball club, even before I moved to Saugus, now closed for over four years. I haven’t found an adequate replacement (No way I’m going to LA Fitness down on 99)

19

Frankly, I am puzzled for the nostalgia for the Hilltop. It offered huge portions of low quality food, in a cattle-barn like dining room. I ate there twice-both times i could not finish-the salads were enough for 3 people. The first time I have a decent (though tough) steak. the second time was as disaster-the steak was tough and tasteless.
Now, I admit it-a lot of people loved the place-I just could not understand why.

20

The food quality really went downhill after Frank Giuffrida sold the place and retired - that’s what ultimately drove the place under. The nostalgia is from an earlier time.