Tokay Bowl (Demolished)
Lodi, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Lace up the bowling shoes and check out Tokay Bowl in Lodi, or at least the wonderful marquee that once stood along Cherokee Lane. Its sweeping shapes and oversized lettering gave motorists on old Highway 99 something to notice besides the traffic. Even after the lanes went quiet, the sign made this look like a place where something fun ought to be happening.
Tokay Bowl opened in June 1960 with 24 lanes inside a modern “bowling palace” designed by local architect Edward Merlo. The property had previously been used for grape packing and shipping, so bowling balls were quite a change from the produce moving through here.
There was more to the place than strikes and gutter balls. The Cathay Room offered Chinese food, and the Tiki Room lounge arrived in 1964, adding a little Polynesian atmosphere to an evening out in Lodi. Over the years, other restaurants occupied the dining space, including the Cosmopolitan, Jeannette’s and Buck’s Steak & Seafood.
Lace up your shoes and head out to Tokay Bowl in Lodi,
and check out the unique marquee while you're at it.
Tokay Bowl (Demolished)
Lodi, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The alley even attracted national attention by hosting a Professional Bowlers Association tournament within its first few years. Between the bowling, dining and lounge entertainment, Tokay Bowl was quite a gathering spot along the old highway.
UPDATE: Well, it seems like most of the unique sights along the road have disappeared
due to what some define as "progress". Don't know about that,
other than the fact that one of the more unique bowling alley signs has
faded to a memory. The place now sits empty, and has been for the last
couple of years.
UPDATE: Bowling ended in 1997, and the building sat vacant for roughly six years before being demolished in June 2003. The distinctive roadside sign is gone as well. Rancho San Miguel Markets now occupies the site, trading lanes and lounge seating for grocery aisles. 09-26
Valley Center Bowl
Salinas, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
The Valley Center Bowl in Salinas is still a place to lace up the rental shoes and try for a strike along South Main Street. Its low-slung building and big exterior lettering have that familiar old bowling-alley look, back when an evening out could mean a few games, something from the grill and a little friendly competition. No need to leave town or make an elaborate plan. Just pick a ball and see what happens.
Dating to the bowling boom of the 1960s, the center has been owned by the Svetich family since 1980. Thirty lanes give bowlers plenty of room to work on their game, whether that means chasing a league average or simply keeping the ball out of the gutter. Some nights, that second goal is ambitious enough.
Valley Center Bowl
Salinas, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Places like this have long been neighborhood gathering spots, bringing league regulars, families and occasional bowlers through the same doors. The sounds are familiar: a ball rumbling down the lane, pins scattering and someone insisting the next frame will be better. Even with newer scoring equipment, a night of ten-pin bowling has not changed all that much.
The family invested about $1.1 million in a renovation completed in January 2011. Along with other improvements, the former billiards area became a 3,200-square-foot arcade. That gave visitors another place to test their luck when the bowling pins were not cooperating, and helped the old center adapt to a broader family crowd.
Valley Center Bowl
Salinas, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The Valley Center Grill offers a bite between games, while the 11th Frame Sports Bar provides somewhere to settle in after the score is final. An appropriately named stop for anyone not quite ready to call it a night after ten frames. Bowling, food and another game on television make a pretty convenient combination under one roof.
UPDATE: The Valley Center Bowl features neon lettering on the side of the building as it opens its doors for those looking for a few games of bowling. 09-08
UPDATE: Valley Center Bowl remains open at 1081 S. Main Street, offering bowling, arcade games and dining. Its familiar exterior lettering survives, while modern lanes and automated scoring keep the games moving inside. Nice to find an old bowling center still welcoming another round of bowlers rather than waiting for the wrecking crew. 09-26
Century Bowl (Demolished) Merced, CA Photo courtesy Jimmy Bowman
The old Century Bowl sign in Merced looked as though it was still waiting for the next league night, even after the bowling alley had closed. Its dated roadside styling recalled a time when a big sign, a parking lot and the promise of a few games were enough to bring people out for the evening.
Built around 1965 at Childs and Parsons avenues, Century Bowl offered more than somewhere to roll a strike. The complex also housed the Ponderosa Smorgasbord and later Mulligans. Work up an appetite on the lanes, then wander over for dinner. Quite a handy arrangement.
The bowling alley closed around 2001 and sat vacant for roughly 15 years. Graffiti, weeds and deteriorating structures gradually replaced the activity, leaving the old sign advertising a place where nobody was bowling anymore.
UPDATE: Demolition began in August 2016, and both Century Bowl and its vintage sign are gone. The site was redeveloped with a gas station and fast-food businesses. Whether the old sign was saved or scrapped remains unknown. 09-26
Bellevue Bowl
Atwater, CA Photo courtesy Jimmy Bowman
The Bellevue Bowl in Atwater is still welcoming bowlers near the old Highway 99 route. Take a little detour from the highway and there is another place to lace up the rental shoes, pick a ball and see whether tonight brings strikes or a steady collection of gutter balls.
The center has 24 lanes and has kept up with changing tastes by adding an arcade and laser tag. Quite a few ways to challenge your friends under one roof. For those who prefer watching the action, there is also food and a bar where the final score need not be the main topic of conversation.
UPDATE: Bellevue Bowl remains open on Bellevue Road, with its familiar sign still in place. Bowling, arcade games and laser tag keep the old neighborhood entertainment stop busy, rather than leaving its lanes waiting in the dark. 09-26
Tokay Bowl (Demolished)
Tokay Bowl (Demolished)
Valley Center Bowl
Valley Center Bowl
Valley Center Bowl
Century Bowl (Demolished)
Bellevue Bowl
