The prominent neon sign mounted atop the front of Lucky Boy restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

It was closed when I visited, but from the outside it looks like a classic dive, with Chinese food and hamburgers offered. And sure enough, the Yelp reviews confirm it. “It’s about as divey as you can get without totally scaring away your customers–which I mean in a great way, because the places that haven’t ever changed are the places who have a loyal customer base. They don’t need to change!”

Or: “Lucky Boy is one of THE strangest places I’ve ever eaten. The first time I walked in, I seriously considered running out of the place screaming. It looks dirty. There are no decorations on the walls. There is a large bucket with soapy water that you are expected to bus your own silverware to upon completion of a meal. In spite of that, I was intrigued, so I placed my order… and I’ve been going back ever since.”

I think I need to try it next time I’m in ABQ.

Art’s Treasure Trove on Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Across the parking lot from Art’s is Garcia’s, a Mexican food restaurant with a great neon sign that was featured on Breaking Bad. Anyway, I ate lunch at Garcia’s and had a friendly chat with the waitress, who recommended the brisket taco plate, which was very good. When I was done I decided to walk over to Art’s to see what it was. What it was was a bit of a disappointment. It’s nothing more than a garage sale these days. I bet in it’s heyday it was pretty cool, though.

As I was walking back to my car and decided to use the restroom in Garcia’s. When I was done, I headed out the door when the waitress stopped me asked if I had paid for lunch, apologizing for even insinuating that I might do such a thing. I thought for a moment, and realized she was right. Not only that, I planned to have huevos rancheros there the next morning. They would have though, “here comes that deadbeat!” She said she couldn’t believe I had walked out; I just didn’t look the type. I couldn’t believe it, either. 🙂 I paid up and stopped by the next morning, as planned.

So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Whenever I’m in northern New Mexico, I try to swing by the small town of Los Ojos. And every time I notice the old Chevy parked in the front yard of one of the homes. I’ve never photographed it because I didn’t want to invade the owner’s privacy. But earlier this month I was shooting a neighboring business when a lady came out of the house to see what I was doing. I motioned that I was taking pictures, and she didn’t seem to mind. When I was done, I decided this was the perfect time to photograph the car. I walked over and knocked on her front door to ask permission. She opened the door before I knocked, and said it was okay. So I finally got to shoot the Chevy at Los Ojos.