Coca-Cola Building
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Ever see an ocean liner in the middle of Los Angeles? Check out the Coca-Cola Building, where portholes, railings, and a ship-like bridge give Central Avenue an unexpected bit of waterfront scenery. This vessel seems content to stay at the curb.

Architect Robert V. Derrah gave the plant its Streamline Moderne appearance in 1939, bringing existing industrial buildings together behind a nautical exterior. The long horizontal lines help carry the illusion, while the Coca-Cola lettering makes the cargo easy enough to guess. And to think, there’s no chance of getting seasick looking at this one.

UPDATE: The ship-shaped building survives and is a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. Its distinctive exterior continues to make this former roadside discovery look ready for a voyage, provided someone can find enough water. 10-26

The Parasol (Closed)
Seal Beach, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A hot meal beneath a giant umbrella? That was part of the attraction at The Parasol in Seal Beach. Check out the broad roof, giving this coffee shop a look that was hard to confuse with anything else along the road. If only every parasol came with a place to order lunch.

Opened in 1967, the restaurant brought a little space-age imagination to the everyday diner stop. The roof did much of the showing off, spreading above the building like an umbrella left permanently open. Quite a shelter for a cup of coffee.

UPDATE: The Parasol closed in 2006, but a preservation campaign helped save its distinctive roof. After a brief run as Mel’s Drive-In, the building became a Panera Bread in 2010. The menu has changed, but the big umbrella still covers the stop. 10-26