![[bizarre_valentine1.jpg]](bizarre_valentine1.jpg) |
Here's a unique and vanishing slice of roadside Americana. These tiny buildings with a distinctive boxy shape and red & white paint job are called Valentine Diners. Typically seating only 8 to 10 patrons, these pre-fabricated cafes were manufactured for several decades beginning in the 1940's by a company started by entrepreneur Arthur Valentine, and were eventually located across the country. Relatively few still exist; those that are still open for business are rarer still. Shown here are four of the six surviving Valentine diners in Arizona, and one in New Mexico.
|
|
At the time of my visit, this diner was closed and appeared to be undergoing an extensive renovation.
Directions: 924 E. Roosevelt Street (at 10th Street).
Last Visited: January 2010.
![[bizarre_66winslow_7421.jpg]](bizarre_66winslow_7421.jpg) |
This diner (aka Monday's Cafe, aka Irene's) is on Old Route 66. At the time of my visit, the diner was closed; it is reportedly for sale (the interior photos below were taken through the windows).
Directions: 300 Block of East Second Street (across from the La Posada Hotel).
Last Visited: April 2010.
Other views (click to enlage):
![[bizarre_valentine4.jpg]](bizarre_valentine4.jpg) |
This diner has been modified and expanded so extensively that it is difficult to even recognize as a Valentine, at least from the outside. At the time of my latest visit (April 2010), the diner was open but a sign in the window said "For Sale By Owner."
Directions: Arizona Parks Estates #26 (just east of the post office).
Last Visited: April 2010.
Other views (click to enlage):
![[bizarre_valentine2.jpg]](bizarre_valentine2.jpg) |
This diner on Old Route 66 and the adjacent trading post have been closed for years.
Directions: East of Flagstaff on the south side of Interstate 40 at exit 219, at the abandoned Twin Arrows truck stop.
Last Visited: April 2010.
Other views (click to enlage):
![[bizarre_valentine5.jpg]](bizarre_valentine5.jpg) |
This diner was previously known as the Little House Diner and the Albuquerque Diner, and was located at 8th and Central Avenue; it was later moved to this location and converted to an Albuquerque Police substation.
Directions: Triangle Park, Girard Boulevard and Central Avenue.
Last Visited: April 2010.
Other views (click to enlage):
Standard disclaimer: Sites are described for entertainment purposes only, as they were at the time of my last visit. I can not vouch for the current condition of the site or its accessibility.
