The Oldest McDonald’s - Downey, CA

We visited the quintessential fast-food restaurant in Downey, about a 15-minute drive southeast from downtown Los Angeles, CA. This is the oldest McDonald's restaurant in the world.

The sign features one massive yellow parabola coming out of the ground instead of the iconic "Golden Arches."The towering neon chef "Speedee" was McDonald's first mascot and he symbolized fast, efficient service.

This McDonald's was opened in 1953 by Roger Williams and Bud Landon. It was the third restaurant franchised by Richard and Maurice McDonald, who founded the chain in 1948. The Downey restaurant, then, is the fourth oldest McDonald's but remains the oldest still standing today.

There's a large sign in the window above the counter comparing the prices of things in 1955 to those of today; gas used to cost 20 cents per gallon, now it costs $3.40. A loaf of bread used to cost 18 cents, not it's $3.50. The McDonald's hamburger, which used to cost 15 cents, now costs $1.00. 

Then, in big, red, bold letters: "Our $1.00 Hamburger is a better value today than it was in 1955 when it was 15 cents! [sic]"

The building is mid-century style architecture with windows across the front for customers to walk up and place orders Next to it is a building to provide indoor dining and a small museum showing many very early McDonald's historical items. The drive-thru was not added until 1916. The restaurant was open for food sales the day we visited but the indoor dining was closed. However, I was able to take some zoom photos.

About McDonal's see photo below:

When people think "McDonald's" they don't typically think "innovative," but they should. McDonald's paved the way for Americans' obsession with inexpensive, expeditious food. It pioneered the whole red-and-white tile burger-joint aesthetic that California made famous and lives on today in franchises like In-N-Out.

If you're hunger after reading this, go out a get yourself a McDonald's or In-N-Out burger. 

Thanks for traveling with us.

Blessings!

Liberty Sculpture Park, "Fight for Freedom," in Yermo, CA

Driving north from Los Angeles, CA we stopped at the Liberty Sculpture Park off I-15 exit 194 in Yermo, CA. This patch of land is dedicated to art by Weiming Chen, that spreads the message for freedom.

The Park promotes democracy, freedom and human rights by the Chinese overseas, and a memorial ground for communist victims.

As we parked and walked toward the park, the first noticeable sculpture is a 16-foot-tall likeness of Chinese activist Li Wangyang. He was imprisoned for 21 years following the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

There by the garish ice cream sundae water tank, is a wired fence with the plaque "Lennon Wall." Here we saw many wooden plaques of individuals stating their opinion/understanding of the Chinese Communist.

The massacre took place on 6/4/1989. The numberers are 6.4 meters tall (20.0094 feet), and they are set at a 64-degree angle and the sculpture is 6,400 miles from the massacre site in Tiananmen Square.

Title "Tank Man," it's a life-size version of the famous photograph of an unidentified man, holding a briefcase, defiantly standing in front of a column of Tiananmen Square tanks. Chen made the men out of 1,300 pounds of bronze-painted concrete. He wanted a real tank, but last-minute delays forced him to build one from scratch out of steel, wood, fiberglass, plaster, and plastic foam.

Staring down the tank in front of Tank Man.

Crazy Horse, is a 15-foot-high head of the Native American leader.

My understanding is that the artist Chen will dedicate one or two sculptures every year at this Liberty Sculpture Park. When we visited there was no one else around, we hope as people drive on I-15 will see the sculptures and stop for knowledge as well as be encouraged to fight for freedom.

Thank you for traveling with us.

Blessings!