When, in September 2017, I published my first Art On Wheels essay, I doubt if I’d have guessed I’d still be tracking down artistically decorated vehicles nearly seven years later. But I am. Why? Because after my second or third expedition in search of same, I knew for certain that I get big kicks from the endeavor. It’s fun. And, even though your correspondent is older than f*cking dirt, having fun remains high on his These Are Important Aspects Of Life list.
And so, on the final morning of April 2024, I found myself in the center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, having been transported there by a commuter train I’d boarded in my suburban-Philadelphia town. The hunt was on. Based on past experience, I was confident that a large number of excellently adorned trucks, vans and other wheeled assemblages were out there. The question, as always, was how many would cross paths with me. I was hoping for at least ten.
Well, I walked and walked and walked, covering about five miles of territory. In the two and one quarter hours I was on the street, I aimed my phone’s camera at 16 wheeled objects and then snapped their portraits. I enjoyed pretty much every minute of the treasure hunt. The fact that the adventure took place in a fascinating locale sure didn’t hurt. Believe me, I know I’ve oohed and aahed about Philadelphia time and time again in Yeah, Another Blogger. But I just can’t help myself, as this city truly has got what it takes. Philly is a winning combination of the old and the new and the in-between, of the chic and the stately and the funky. Plus, the sections of Philadelphia I traversed that day were popping with people whose collective energy rocked the air. I was in my element.
Now, all of the 16 wheeled subjects looked fine to me. While caught up in the excitement of the chase, however, I wasn’t precisely sure which were the standouts. Since then, though, I’ve examined and graded the vehicles, using the photos I took, and have whittled down the 16 selections to my top five. I have no idea how the 11 omitted carriers are able to make their presence known right now, but I hear them cussing at me. “Up yours, Neil! We deserve to be included in your story!” they just shouted in unison. I understand their pain and frustration. I empathize. Nonetheless, here’s what I have to say to them: “Tough shit, guys! Deal with it!”
Although my five faves are displayed on this page, I now will limit my commentary to the two that, in my book, tie as the gold-medal winners. No offense, of course, to the trucks promoting JDog junk removal and hauling, Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka, and White Claw Hard Seltzer. They look very cool, but I feel they don’t quite reach the heights achieved by the graffiti-covered truck and by the Tea Around Town bus.
The graffitied wonder struck a major chord with me the moment I spied it in Philadelphia’s historic district. The truck was parked about one block from where Benjamin Franklin, one of the USA’s so-called Founding Fathers, lived. I can’t get enough of its composition’s controlled wildness. The design is an invitation to visit, mentally, unusual realms. Seeing that voyages not of the ordinary appeal to me, I’ve accepted the invitation several times. The resultant trips, short though they were, delighted me.
As for the Tea Around Town bus, my eyes opened wide when I spotted it on a block near Rittenhouse Square, one of Philly’s finest neighborhood parks. I’d never seen this behemoth before. My best guess is that Tea Around Town is a new business venture. A quick look at the company website showed me that Tea Around Town offers, for $80 and up, a bus tour of downtown Philly, during which teas and pastries are served. And what a bus it is, blessed with exterior artwork as delicate and sweet as a butterfly. I’m at heart a softie. Not surprisingly, then, the Tea Around Town vehicle made me go a bit weak in the knees. I was smitten. Its style of painting, an excellent example of classic beauty, never will go out of style.
That does it for today, folks. I’d be interested to learn your thoughts about the art on view in this story. Goodbye till next time!
Yeah, Another Blogger 
It’s definitely important to have an “important” list that’s also fun. Great finds, Neil.
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Thanks, Lynette. The streets of Philadelphia came through for me once again.
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very cool. Why don’t I see any trucks this interesting in Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky?
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Hi. Is this Denise? I don’t know the answer to your question. Maybe the east coast, for some reason, has an abundance of well-decorated vehicles.
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I think your top two picks are THE ones, Neil. Sort of a study in contrasts too. I think I like the tea bus best.
I’d rank the other 3 like this: #3 White Claw, #2 JDog, #1 Surfside.
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The tea bus has gotten a lot of votes. It’s a beautiful vehicle.
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These pics are so much fun! I can’t choose a favourite because I keep changing my mind.
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A case could be made for each of them, for sure.
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Great to have another instalment of Art on Wheels. With you 100% on your top two!
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We think alike!
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Love this series, and thanks for the latest edition of beautiful buses. My favourite is JDog.
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JDog definitely is cool. This was the first time I saw a JDog vehicle in Philadelphia.
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I love the Tea Around Town bus; I wouldn’t mind a ride on it myself: what a splendid idea 🙂
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I came up short when I first saw it. I could hardly believe my eyes.
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As a fan of the Rainbow Flag, the second truck photo grabbed my attention immediately. Yet for some reason, the “J Dog” work is my choice–partly because it looks like camo at first glance. I’m not a fan of camouflage stuff in general, but in the case of the truck with the bulldog logo, it is pretty cool.
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I only now noticed this: In terms of color and placement, the trees in the JDog photo mesh perfectly with the vehicle.
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Agree with the two . . . and I’d so be into doing a bus-tea tour. What fun.
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A bus tour, with tea and pastries, is a pretty cool idea.
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These photos are all brilliant, and I find it challenging to pick just one. I’ll go with Live Your Wave as in a way it symbolizes abundance, strength, and good vibes. Thanks for sharing and have a good day. Aiva xx
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Aiva, I like the way you describe that truck!
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🥰🥰🥰
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The Tea bus has a lot going for it. Not only in appearance. I think I would also love to tour around in it drinking tea and eating pastries.
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Hi. Taking that tour definitely would be fun. I hope the tour catches on. Maybe it already has!
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I, too, love the “Tea Around Town” truck. It always amazes me how your artistic eye sees things that might elude someone clueless like me. But what caught my eye as well, on these photos, were the old and probably historic buildings in the background. They’re absolutely beautiful! I need to visit Philadelphia sooner rather than later and soak in that beautiful history.
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Philly really is a fine city. It’s enormous, and many sections are worth exploring.
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what a great group! I am leaning toward jdog but the tea one is so delicate for a big bus! I enjoyed seeing Philadelphia too, I’ve never been there but it looks like a nice blend of old and new. Thanks for posting!
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Tea Around Town has gathered quite a few votes. Whoever created its exterior painting did an excellent job. It’s like a mural.
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These are great, I have a post on one I saw. Since I worked in sales, I call it marketing on wheels. You found some fun ones.
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Hi. I hope I’ll continue to find well-adorned vehicles in Philadelphia, for future installments of Art On Wheels.
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Oh you will. Hey, I mentioned YOU in my post today. Same idea, a van marketing bagels.
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And thanks for mentioning my article in your post. Appreciated.
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Oh, glad you saw that.
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It’s fun to be important, but it’s more important to be fun! You’ve given me an idea for my photo assignment, which is man-made signs.
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Hello. I like your comments, but I don’t know who wrote them — they are posted as being from Anonymous.
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I’ll vote for the wild graffiti truck that longs to impale itself on the fire hydrant. Why? Because I don’t know what it’s advertising, if anything, and so edges closer to “art.”
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I wonder if the truck ended up getting ticketed for being in front of a hydrant. There’s a pretty good chance that happened,
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These are great. I love the ´Tea Around Town´. Thanks for sharing.
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Tea Around Town is a knockout.
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Fine job as usual!!!! My 2 favorites are JDog and Tea around town.
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Hi Joyce. Have you ever seen any of these trucks in Philadelphia, or elsewhere?
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No l haven’t Neil!
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The tea bus is adorable and they have a winner in their concept of tea touring. I’d go for tea and pastry and sights 🙂
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I know the company has the same thing going in New York City. Maybe the idea will spread to even more cities.
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I like that tea bus!
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Hop aboard!
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J Dog…well, it’s a dog, isn’t it…. but the tea bus is a lovely idea.
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JDog is something. It’s hard to ignore that truck!
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Tea Around Town!
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It’s way ahead in the vote count. For now, anyway.
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Philly really needs to make you a city Ambassador. Really.
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Write to Philly’s mayor!
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I’d pick the graffitied bus because of its chutzpah……just daring someone to add to it! I enjoy these sorts of posts!
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Thanks. Art On Wheels expeditions please me a lot.
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Thank you, Neil, for sharing the Art on Wheels; it is interesting and amusing and adds something special to my day! I love the tea bus, a brilliant idea!
Thank you, Neil, for your excellent photography!
Joanna
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Hi Joanna, and thanks. I appreciate what you said.
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Thank you, Neil, and you are more than welcome!
Joanna
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The vehicle with the graffite is probably the most interesting but i failed to decipher the writing which annoyed me – my failure, I’m sure.
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I can’t decipher it either. I’m not sure if those shapes are letters. Anyway, it’s quite a truck.
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Saw that Tea Around Town bus while on a city bus, and several of the other passengers commented on it favorably and looked up the website. A good advertisement for sure. But my preference among the trucks is JDog, for sure.
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It’s hard to take your eyes off of JDog. That truck has presence.
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Isn’t it interesting how the Tea Bus and the graffiti truck can both be favorites, though so different? There must be a life lesson in this observation.
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Maybe it means I’m complicated!
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That graffiti truck is very cool.
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I’d like to do an Art On Wheels story about graffiti trucks. But I don’t see all that many of them, and few of them are anywhere near as striking as the one in this story.
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Yeah. That would be cool. I didn’t even know this was a thing.
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We have a tea bus, but it’s basically just an old red London bus, so nothing special. I like yours better.
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The one in Philadelphia is really something. I’m glad I crossed paths with it.
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I’m leaning towards ‘J Dog”. It’s my Looney Tune roots. I feel the ghost of Sylvester.
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Sylvester was/is cool!
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Hi Neil, Always good hearing. Easy peasy to choose my favourites. How could I resist Tea Around Town? Exploring and eating delicious cakes is a huge lure…with jdog on Walnut Street a good second. Such fun to do, searching out who knows what surprises? Thanks for your efforts! Those feet are made for walking….I used to walk many miles as a child and teenager, which I loved; and we never had a family car as Dad enjoyed walking too, and cycling. We had a tandem at one time and I explored many counties with him, as Mum didn’t enjoy cycling. Unfortunately, I can’t walk too far now, but don’t do bad for an old ‘un, and we have a thousand happy memories of places we’ve either driven to or walked in the past. Keep it up,Neil. There’s nothing like curiosity for keeping you young at heart. Cheers. x
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Joy, your comments are always better than my stories!
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You
You always say the sweetest things. Gee, shucks… Thank you.
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Neil, the Tea Around Town bus is also my top favorite. Just love it! Should I ever have the opportunity to visit your “chic and the stately and the funky” city, I’d be sure to take a tour with this bus. Besides photos of the great Art on Wheels, you got an excellent workout during your five-mile walkabout 🙂
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Walking in my neighborhood kind of bores me, overall. But when I’m in Philadelphia I get energized and love to walk and walk.
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Same here. A change of scenery is always energizing 🙂
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the first two
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Hey there, Martie. I believe that the Surfside beverage is made in Philadelphia.
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Tea Around Town is my favorite … cool concept and graphics!
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Tea Around Town is getting lots of votes. It’s a great-looking bus.
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I liked the Tea Around town bus!
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Tea Around Town keeps on accumulating votes. For good reason!
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Live Your Wave is the one for me… 😉
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That artwork has a lot going for it. Hi, and thanks for casting your vote.
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Sounds like you’ve mastered the art of attracting art trucks! The word is out and now …. they find you.
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You might be right! Is this Jan? — the reply was posted as being from Anonymous.
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Loved the Tea around Town bus! That would be fun…
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Tea Around Town has gotten way more votes than the other vehicles.
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Probably because we all want to give it a try!
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Graffiti is my favorite but I want to go on Tea Around Town.
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Hi. I’d like to take a Tea Around Town tour too. By the way, who is this? — your comments were posted as Anonymous.
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Not only do I adore the sweetly-decorated tea bus, but I’d love to take one of those tours if I ever get to Philly. Such a cool business idea! I also love the Surfside truck for its cheerful colors. I tried to see why you like the graffiti truck so much but it just doesn’t do much for me — isn’t it interesting how we’re all so different in our tastes? I love seeing the city through your eyes, Neil.
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Hi Kim, and thanks for adding your input. To me, the graffiti truck is abstract art., which is a type of art I’ve always liked much of.
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No question–the tea bus takes the cake! It’s a great concept, artistically and culinarily(?).
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Tea Around Town is waiting for you to sign up!
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I can’t choose between your top two.. they are definitely two sides of the same coin if you ask me. And both are fun so that can also be ticked off the list
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Hi. It’s a tough choice. If I had to pick between the two, I probably would go with the graffiti truck. On the other hand, . . .
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The Tea Around Town bus is soooo pretty. That one gets my vote!
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Hi Eden. Maybe the Tea Around Town people will expand their operations into Toronto. One of these days it might happen.
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I love the bulldog on the truck. Veteran owned, too. Pretty cool.
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Hi Mark. It’s a cool truck. It’s ready for action!
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Hi Neil. My favorite is the White Claw Hard Seltzer ‘Live Your Wave’. It reminds me of the ocean and anything that does that is a winner in my book. LOL
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Hi there. I see what you mean. By the way, who is this? Your comments are pasted as being from Anonymous.
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Your trucks aare certainly more interesting and creative than ours. Vancouver’s trucks are boring in comparison. Cheers, Muriel
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The nicely decorated trucks and vans in Philadelphia and its suburbs have given me something to write about!
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JDog has the best mascot, hands down. Tea Around Town gets props for all that pink, because, how can you NOT notice a giant pink bus? The graffiti truck.. nope, just don’t get the appeal (and points taken off for illegal parking). End of the day, my vote goes to Surfside. The product is an easy-read advert even if the truck were flying by, and those rainbow colors take me straight back to childhood summers on West Coast beaches. Nostalgia wins every time. Thanks, Neil. The truck tour is always a bunch a fun.
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Hello Dave. You make a strong case for Surfside! It definitely is a great looking truck.
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