Design: Vintage Cars

Vintage cars have always been one of our big obsessions. Jonathan was raised around vintage muscle cars, and I spent a ton of time on the West Coast where these cars are everywhere. If there's a vintage car show, we're going to stop and check out the cars. If we see one on the road, the person who isn't driving is taking a picture of it. Yep, we're crazy like that. While we love all vintage cars (and currently own a 1972 VW Super Beetle), we have a pretty big soft spot for American cars from the 50s, 60s and 70s. For us, those decades were the heyday for American cars and a time when everyone was hitting the highways with their families to take in the sights. When we see these cars, we think of diners, vintage hotels/motels, campers and national landmarks. Do they conjure up those images for you as well? We want to start singing, "See the USA in your Chevrolet!" Life seemed so much more simple back then, didn't it?

The incredible colors and design details also make our hearts skip a beat. In our opinion, they just don't make cars like this anymore, and we'd much rather have one of these babies than any 2013 car or truck on the road. Better yet, we'd like one of each of them.

Do you own a vintage car? Which of these is your favorite?

[gallery type="square" ids="1060,1061,1062,1063,1064,1065,1066,1067,1068,1069,1070,1071,1072,1073,1074,1075,1076,1077,1078,1079,1080,1081,1082,1083,1084,1085,1086,1087,1088,1089,1090,1091"]

South Main Street in Memphis

Today On the Road with Gerald & Joan stops in our adopted hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The South Main Arts district is one of Memphis' best-kept secrets and is home to such legendary sights as the Lorraine Motel (home of the National Civil Rights Museum), The Arcade Restaurant and Ernestine and Hazel's. You'll want to try The Arcade for pancakes and Ernestine and Hazel's for the soul burger and/or late night parties. We're also fans of the new Central BBQ (try the BBQ nachos or the portabella burger), Hoot and Louise (they carry adorable vintage goodies) and the Memphis Farmers Market (which boasts the biggest selection of locally grown produce in the city). Whether you visit the area on foot (the walk from Beale is an easy one) or by trolley, you won't be sorry you made the trip. The art galleries, the crumbly old buildings and unique dining and shopping options make the district a favorite with locals and tourists alike. If you visit on the last Friday of the month, you can participate in the South Main Trolley Night (the trolley is free, the businesses stay open late and there is wine and music). While we enjoy Trolley Night, we prefer South Main on quiet weekends when we can window shop and imagine what the area was like when Elvis did his first radio show at the Hotel Chisca. So fun...

[gallery type="square" ids="955,957,958,959,960,954,956"]

Photo Archives

The cornerstones of Gerald & Joan are family, history, heritage and classic design. These photos are of Gerald and Joan and their families, and they offer a glimpse into their lives in Mississippi, Ohio and California from the 1940s to the 1970s. By studying these photos, we learn so much about the past -- the cars, the hair, the clothes, the furniture and appliances. Each image tells a story and reminds us of what is lasting and truly important. We plan to make our photo archive posts a regular feature on the Gerald & Joan blog. If you have family photos you'd like to share, please feel free to email them to us at geraldandjoandesign (at) gmail (dot) com.

[gallery type="square" columns="4" ids="679,668,670,665,673,667,674,666,672,671,664,676,669,675,677,678"]

Old Fayette County

Come along with us as we explore Fayette County, Tennessee and some of its cities -- Rossville, Moscow, La Grange and Grand Junction. The area is filled with historic buildings and homes, many of which predate the Civil War. The cities are tiny -- more like villages -- and seem to be frozen in time. [gallery columns="4" type="rectangular" ids="623,624,622,621,612,611,613,618,610,620,614,616,615,617,609,608,607,619"]

Of the towns, Rossville offered the most -- The Rusty Propeller, a really fun antique store filled with primitive Americana goodness and the Wolf River Cafe. Sadly, it was only 10:30 a.m. when we arrived in Rossville, so we didn't have lunch there. Instead, we walked around the three-block downtown area, and saw each of the beautiful old homes up close.

Next up was Moscow, a town with one antique store, Miss Ann's Antique Treasures, as well as some really neat old buildings with lots of potential. Unfortunately, all were empty and rather sad looking.

From there, we drove to La Grange. This charming village is the home of Retro, a cute consignment and antiques store. When we walked into Retro, no one was in the store (although the door was open -- very creepy!), but fortunately the owner popped out of the Town Office (located next door), just as we were leaving. He told us the building was originally his grandfather's, and he had always wanted to turn it into a store. It was so charming and even had a potbelly stove in the center of the room!

There were several other quaint stores in La Grange, but none of them appeared to be open. We later discovered that Cogbill's was open. We'll definitely check it out next time.

After we left La Grange, we headed to the Ghost River boardwalk. The area served as the inspiration for the local Ghost River Brewing Company. You can see where they got the idea for their logo! The Ghost River was so peaceful and beautiful but also a bit eerie.

Grand Junction, the next town, continued that slightly creepy pattern. It was quite literally a ghost town -- the buildings and signs were all in place, but everything was boarded up and abandoned.

As we headed back toward Shelby County and the twenty-first century, we talked about the potential of Fayette County and how cool it is that so much of its prewar architecture is still intact. We loved that so many families had restored the lovely homes and that several businesses were thriving. It was very inspiring for two people who love the past like we do!