Those of us who tour the nation's roadside attractions on a budget depend on many of the amenities offered by those who provide us lodging: free shampoo, free coffee, free breakfast and enough towels to wash off a long day on the road.

According to an article published yesterday by The Wall Street Journal, however, chains are starting to eliminate many of those freebies in response to the weak economy. Some items are simply being moved behind the front desk, others like towels are being reduced, while still others like free coffee are being cut entirely.

Most of the hotels mentioned in the article carry names like Marriott, Wyndham and Ritz-Carlton — not the sort of places we detourists usually settle down for the night — but you can bet the budget motels will be following suit. The good news is they're reportedly cutting their rates, as well, hoping to draw more motorists back out on the road. Let's just hope they don't start charging for all the free wifi they've installed the last few years. ... Continued

Entertainment Earth, purveyor of fine collectibles like the much-beloved Big Lebowski action figure, has recently announced the release of a new Cryptozoological Play Set.

The five-character set includes Mothman, the Jersey Devil, the Chupacabra, Nessie and, of course, Bigfoot.

According to their Web site, the set won't be available until next month, but they're taking orders now. Listed price: $14.99.

Roadside Resort reader Neil has reminded me of a terrific blog featuring articles from the now defunct Modern Mechanix, a science and technology magazine first published in the late 1920s to compete with the already successful Popular Science and Popular Mechanics.

Many articles, like those of its competitors, were simply outrageous. Two of Neil's favorites cover a 1934 plan to dam up and fill in the Hudson River to reconnect Manhattan Island with the mainland and a 1932 proposal to convert city intersections to two under-over levels topped by a high-rise, eliminating traffic signals (and also, apparently, left turns). ... Continued

Few vehicles capture the classic midcentury spirit like the Italian Vespa, a time-honored mode of transport that has maintained its stylish and practical design even into the 21st century.

If my circumstances permitted, I'd get my hands on a classic model myself and use it as my primary source of transportation. Unfortunately, the sprawling layout of Texas just doesn't accommodate the use of such a practical vehicle.

Still, that won't stop me from enjoying Huro Kitty's collection of vintage Vespa imagery as recently featured on D+R.

And if you like those, you'll also like the photographs of the exhibits and collections from the Piaggio Museum, the official museum of the Vespa's manufacturer located in Pontedera, Italy.