Though the advent of the Internet has revolutionized the pornography industry, in certain areas of the United States, strewn along long stretches of highway, there are small colonies of porn shops and hole in the wall strip joints. Vanessa Sanchez’s photographic series documenting these establishments takes viewers on an alternative road trip to the seedy places many of us simply bypass in our cross-country travels.

Sanchez gives a comical feel to these locations by photographing them in the daytime and by omitting any presence of human life. A bright blue strip club-advertising showgirl Entertainment along a frontage road stands undisturbed against a blue, sunny sky. It appears to be a perfect part of the landscape of the rural highway.

Another image showcases a tiny shack of a store, barely larger than the shed next to it, and the focal point of the image is a bright red coke machine, inviting customers to purchase a cool beverage in addition to their more questionable purchases. Another sign reads Cafe Erotica. This fine location is smartly photographed with a neighboring Arbys sign in the image. Cafe Erotica appears to be just another place to get a snack while traveling.

Perhaps the most interesting image is that of the adult bookstore set amid a snowy landscape. At first glance the trail of footprints through a light blanket of snow looks as though it might lead into a forest or a cabin. However, it leads to a ramshackle building sporting bright yellow signage advertising adult books. The empty lot shows a lack of customers yet the trail of prints belies one very desperate patron. The humor is subtle and the image is striking.