Design

Western Flavor

A gallery of unusual signs from three small Southern California towns

Published

15 years ago

February 9, 2009

Steve Aust Signs of the Times March 2009 Issue

I admit that my tastes often run counter to popular trends. While in suburban San Diego recently to conduct the International Sign Contest judging and assist with the presentation of ST’s Signage and Graphics Summit (SGS), I had a free afternoon. The SGS itinerary including an afternoon golf outing, and I’m not a patron of the links.

However, rather than heading for the beach or San Diego’s lively Gaslight District, I wandered east. Once one ventures away from the coastline, San Diego County’s topography offers remarkable diversity and towns with distinct character. Acres of rolling farmland and grazing livestock envelop Ramona and Santa Ysabel. Roughly 20 miles east of Santa Ysabel, the Palomar Mountains elevate Julian to more than 4,000 ft. above sea level before they descend quickly to the east and lead to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

As is my wont on trips, I snapped a few photos of signs that provide local color and remind us of unvarnished, small-town life. Some offer simple majesty, others a strong dose of nostalgia or kitsch, while others merely deserve a chuckle. Enjoy.

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