How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Mesa: cockroaches, small town)

[baby sinister]

Originally Posted by aviator7777

One of our neighbors used to drive an ice cream truck in our neighborhood. His was the only one we could get red white and blue bomb pops, and watermelon flavored snow cones. On a hot day we would wait for him to stop by and allow us the chance to have 25 cent snow cones and/or bomb pops. Used to get snow cones at the public swimming pool also for a quarter. Summer is alomost here.

Seems like when we had money, the ice cream man was no where to be found.

[Desertspiritsteve]

In about 1960 a whole new ice cream man appeared in our neighborhood. Mr. Softee. Later he disappeared. They had really big catering trucks with modern florescent lighting on the outside. I don't remember what they sold. I only have a recollection of the trucks being surrounded by kids and large flying insects on hot summer nights. My understanding is that the ice cream trucks now are really territorial which sometimes leads to violence, and they sometimes sell more than dream cycles and milk nickles out of those trucks. I had a no-frills childhood so I could probably count on both hands the times we got something from the ice cream man.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Desertspiritsteve

In about 1960 a whole new ice cream man appeared in our neighborhood. Mr. Softee. Later he disappeared. They had really big catering trucks with modern florescent lighting on the outside. I don't remember what they sold. I only have a recollection of the trucks being surrounded by kids and large flying insects on hot summer nights. My understanding is that the ice cream trucks now are really territorial which sometimes leads to violence, and they sometimes sell more than dream cycles and milk nickles out of those trucks. I had a no-frills childhood so I could probably count on both hands the times we got something from the ice cream man.

The Good Humor man was banned along with all solicitors in some areas and cities, shame too. No one intended for the ice cream man to stop. I remember when I lived in San Diego that there was also a bakery man who sold pastries out of the back of an early 40's panel truck; there were beautiful mahogany drawers he pulled out with pies, turnovers and the like. I saw one of these panel bakery trucks in the basement of the Los Angeles museum a few years ago.

[Desertspiritsteve]

There are still ice cream trucks in my neighborhood. I should go out and buy something after I get my next Social Security check. Now that you mention the pies, I remember my Dad coming home with deals he got from vendors. It usually made my mother furious. In the not too distant past I have seen pickup trucks with chest freezers in the bed. Meat for sale. A common sight in my neighborhood now is the tamale cart, or payaso or what ever. They have a little bell that they ding as they push the things around. The ice cream truck plays digital Christmas songs in August.

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by trillcatz

I always thought it was tomatoes but I thought it was mean...unfortunately there were those who thought they were to 'bubble-gum' for the time. lol I always liked them.

Originally Posted by aviator7777

One of our neighbors used to drive an ice cream truck in our neighborhood. His was the only one we could get red white and blue bomb pops, and watermelon flavored snow cones. On a hot day we would wait for him to stop by and allow us the chance to have 25 cent snow cones and/or bomb pops. Used to get snow cones at the public swimming pool also for a quarter. Summer is alomost here.

ah yes, the sound of the ice cream man...what memories on a hot summer day...sidewalk sundaes

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by aviator7777

Remember stocking up at Smittys for a 4th of July weekend? Bar S hotdogs 1.00 a package, cans of Shasta cola and root beer 10 for a buck, Clover Club chips, yellow corn on the cob 8 for a buck and a big watermelon with seeds. A family of 5 could like like kings on $40.00 bucks those weekends and still have food leftover. Fireworks displays at ASU's baseball stadium, Maryvale, etc. The aroma of bbq chicken, hamburgers and ribs cooking over Kingston mesquite bricketts and realizing it doesnt get any better than this.

watermelon parties in the back yard on a hot summer evening...who could spit the seeds the furthest...growing watermelons where the evaporative cooler hose dripped.

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

Don't forget the parade of DPS and Air Evac helicopters (and Jerry Foster) going back and forth to and from the Salt and Verde rivers and Scottsdale Memorial and Mesa General.

Shasta black cherry rocked.

One thing I miss about summers in the Valley as a kid is how the soles of my feet would become leather-tough from running barefoot everywhere, even on hot asphalt streets, although the duration on the streets wasn't long. They'd look awful but we didn't care, although gravel yards weren't much fun when trying to catch cicadas off of palo verde trees. 1967 or 1968, don't remember which, was a great summer for cicadas.

eeewwww on cicadas...kenny davis and john o'dell made me hold one when i was a little girl and from then on i was scared to death of them...they'd flop around under the street lights...cover a screen porch if the porch light was left on. yuk!

how about RC Cola??? that dates me lol.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by trillcatz

ah yes, the sound of the ice cream man...what memories on a hot summer day...sidewalk sundaes

When I was a kid, I somehow got the idea to "charge it" with the ice cream man, not just for myself, always, but occasionally for a friend. Apparently, he knew where I lived, and would periodically come and collect from my mom. That was in the 50's and early 60's, long before consumer credit became so pervasive. I still shake my head over that one sometimes...

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by observer53

When I was a kid, I somehow got the idea to "charge it" with the ice cream man, not just for myself, always, but occasionally for a friend. Apparently, he knew where I lived, and would periodically come and collect from my mom. That was in the 50's and early 60's, long before consumer credit became so pervasive. I still shake my head over that one sometimes...

There used to be the snow cone carts as well, often old Cushman carts or buggies with a cooler full of shaved ice and various flavored syrups. No fancy tunes, just a driver who constantly pulled a string which rang a bell. It was a cheap treat (maybe $.20) but worth standing out on the hot pavement.

[Jim 1946]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

There used to be the snow cone carts as well, often old Cushman carts or buggies with a cooler full of shaved ice and various flavored syrups. No fancy tunes, just a driver who constantly pulled a string which rang a bell. It was a cheap treat (maybe $.20) but worth standing out on the hot pavement.

I don't remember any snow cone carts in my neighborhood, but I remember riding my bike about 2 miles to a snow cone cart that was stationed on the Southeast corner of 27th Ave & Camelback.
He used a corner of the gas station that was there.

Then there was another stand just a little of Northwest of Westown shopping center on 28th Drive.
That one stayed there quite awhile.