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Through The Looking Glass

Mar 15

Posted by val in Trips, USA | No Comments

Fort Bragg, California

Glass Beach

People scavenge for glass on Glass Beach

People scavenge for glass on Glass Beach

There are some places on earth that blur the distinction of what is natural and what is man-made; other places where mankind’s disregard for the environment results in the creation of a place of unusual beauty, where one man’s trash truly becomes another man’s treasure. One such place is Glass Beach, in California’s Mendocino County. In the 1940s, residents used this small stretch of shoreline as a dump, a practice unimaginable today. Household items were discarded into the sea, from bottles and dishes all the way up to old cars. In the 1960s, the dumping was stopped and the state closed the dump, making efforts to remove what large waste items they could – nature took care of the rest. Over the years, the surf rolled and pounded the trash against the rocks and tumbled them in the sand until there was not much more than pebble-sized items left. Since a great deal of the trash was glass, it is the primary component of the pebbles that cover the entire beach, giving the beach its recent name. Read the rest of this entry »

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Oh, Sandy!

Feb 22

Posted by val in Trips, USA | 2 Comments

Steele, North Dakota
World’s largest sandhill crane (Sandy)

A quick history of Sandy the sandhill crane

A quick history of Sandy the sandhill crane

In the race to build the superlative beast, it appears that the contest for world’s largest sandhill crane is down to a field of one. The 40-foot tall sheet metal avian (“Sandy”)  stands watching for tasty cars passing by on Interstate 94 (North Dakota’s big beast highway) in Steele, North Dakota. Easily visible from the highway, Sandy seems to have nested in an unlikely location. Unlike the fanfare for her bovine and bison counterparts, there are no billboards or gated parks that indicate her home. Sandy stands at the end of the giant gravel parking lot of the Lone Steer Motel Restaurant and Lounge, a place that would look at home in one of those movies where the car breaks down and you have to spend a creepy night. Sandy’s grassy plot is not conspicuously marked – there’s no entrance booth or path, just a couple of wooden kiosks describing the life and migratory habits of the sandhill crane. The park is populated with local plants, bushes and trees that were donated or purchased through a grant from the North Dakota Forestry Department. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ice Water In Their Veins

Feb 1

Posted by val in Trips, USA | 2 Comments

Wall, South Dakota
Wall Drug

The sprawling cluster of buildings that make up Wall Drug

The sprawling cluster of buildings that make up Wall Drug

Have you ever been in traffic, maybe in Boston, Chicago or Atlanta and noticed a Wall Drug bumper sticker on one of the cars in front of you? Perhaps you’ve wondered, “What is this Wall Drug, and why does a drug store have bumper stickers?” The fact of the matter is that Wall Drug is a variety of things, least of which is a drug store. Part of its mystery and allure may come from the fact that it’s pretty far from anywhere. To find Wall Drug you’d have to either plan a trip out through the badlands of South Dakota or just happen to be passing through on Interstate 90. It’s impossible to ignore the signs along the highway for hundreds of miles in either direction, beckoning like The Thing on Interstate 10 in Arizona. Since there’s really nothing else around for miles, it almost makes sense to stop, which is exactly what Nebraskan pharmacist Ted Hustead and his wife Dorothy realized when they bought a little drug store in Wall, South Dakota back in 1931. What took a little time was to figure out how to get the lines of people heading down Interstate 90 to see the relatively new Mount Rushmore to stop in their little town. It was Dorothy who hit upon the idea to offer travelers free ice water, and as the saying goes, if you build it they will come. Billboards on the highway attracted travelers and business got so good that they grew from a storefront drug store to what amounts to a rustic, western-themed mall and entertainment complex encompassing an entire city block. Read the rest of this entry »

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Postcards From Hell

Jan 11

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Hell, Michigan

Greetings from sunny Hell

Greetings from sunny Hell

What could give your bragging about having been to Hell and back more street cred than a trip to Hell, Michigan? Think about the joy of having a point of reference the next time someone says, “It’s hotter than Hell today”, or to truly know what a snowball’s chance there is. Don’t let the name fool you – although it would be fun to provide pictures of Death Valley or Kilauea and let you believe this is what Hell looks like, this couldn’t be farther from the truth; I would liken parts of nearby Detroit as more befitting the name of Hell. The tiny town is about 20 miles from Ann Arbor as the crow flies (you can substitute a raven if you’d like) and as is true of much of that region of the Midwest it is relatively flat. The drive takes you through picturesque green rolling pasture and farmland, and while the road to Hell is assumed to be paved with good intentions, I am sorry to report that it is smooth, well-kept asphalt – not even brimstone! Read the rest of this entry »

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Right Is Right And Left Is Wrong

Jan 1

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Pasadena, California
Fork in the Road

The fork in the road at the fork in the road

The fork in the road at the fork in the road

The road to life often forks, leaving you to wonder which path to take. At the intersections of Pasadena Avenue and St. John Avenue in Pasadena, California you can only go right, but you may want to linger for a bit to admire the fork itself. Local artist Ken Marshall erected an 18-foot tall steel-reinforced wooden fork at the intersection of the two streets as a prank for the birthday of The Ice House founder Bob Stane’s 75th birthday during Halloween in 2009. A permit is required when erecting public art in Pasadena, but men dressed as CalTrans workers erected the sculpture surreptitiously in the middle of the night. Pasadena’s mayor has expressed no desire to have it removed, noting that it brings people to the area and has a positive impact on the community, but the traffic island is under the jurisdiction of CalTrans and may eventually have to be removed. The fork is painted silver, but the fact that it is made of wood may make it temporary anyway.

You can eat a lot of meat with this fork

You can eat a lot of meat with this fork

The fork is not the first of its kind, nor is it the largest. In 2000, artist Stephen Schreiber created a 31-foot tall fork from steel and aluminum, also located at a fork in the road in Milan, New York. A giant steel fork in Springfield, Missouri stands outside an ad agency – it was originally in front of an Italian restaurant but purchased and moved when the restaurant went out of business. Although probably the largest fork in the world, it is disqualified here since it not only doesn’t stand at a fork in the road, but also is hidden behind the building. The Pasadena fork can safely be called the largest wooden fork in the world. Recently a food drive was successfully conducted at the site of the fork, and with all the positive publicity it will probably be around for awhile, or at least until they’re told to get the fork out of here.

Forks in the Road:
Intersection of Pasadena and St. John Avenues
Pasadena, CA 91105
GPS coordinates: 34°7′51.81″N 118°9′17.27″W

Intersection of New York 199 and New York 308
Milan, NY 12571
GPS coordinates: 41°58′13.52″N 73°49′15.23″W

Large fork:
2215 W Chesterfield Blvd.
Springfield, MO 65807
GPS coordinates: 37°8′43.49″N 93°19′23.81″W

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These Buffalo Don’t Have Wings

Dec 18

Posted by val in Trips, USA | No Comments

Jamestown, North Dakota
World’s Largest Buffalo, white buffalo (Frontier Village)

No need for a sign to see the giant buffalo

No need for a sign to see the giant buffalo

As you may have gathered from the article on Salem Sue (world’s largest Holstein cow), North Dakota truly is the land of the giants. This becomes apparent in Jamestown, North Dakota, a mere 90 miles west of Fargo (oh, jeez!) when you catch a glimpse of the world’s largest buffalo from Interstate 94. You could be content to pull off to the shoulder, exclaim, “That IS a big buffalo” and head back on your merry way to see the world’s largest sandhill crane, but why not stop and see what makes Frontier Village interesting? Fight the urge to turn around at the gates, even though it looks like you’re about to enter Walt Disney’s version of F Troop. Ignore the wind vane decorated to look like a Native American headdress and pull all the way down the road to the parking area. From the parking lot you will have no problem finding the world’s largest buffalo – nothing stands between you and the behemoth except a dirt path. Normally by this point in the article I would have been using the beast’s name (e.g., Betsey the lobster, Sandy the crane, Salem Sue the Holstein, etc.), but for some unknown reason he (yes, the buffalo is anatomically correct) doesn’t have one. For the sake of this article we’ll call him “Bill“. Read the rest of this entry »

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Florida, Land of The Giant Carnivores

Dec 9

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Islamorada, Florida (World’s Largest Lobster)
Christmas, Florida (World’s Largest Alligator)

The largest spiny lobster returns to the Florida Keys

The largest spiny lobster returns to the Florida Keys

North Dakota is home to a fair number of the world’s largest beasts (at least in sculpture form), but Florida vies for runner-up status with several oversized local carnivores. Two of the more impressive are separated by almost 300 miles of U.S. Route 1 – Betsey (a contender for the title of world’s largest lobster) and Swampy (undeniably the world’s largest alligator).

Betsey was originally commissioned by a Florida restaurant in the 1980s and sculpted by local artist Richard Blaze out of fiberglass and metal. The restaurant went out of business prior to the work being completed, but was purchased by Tom Vellanti for his display outside his Treasure Village shops in Islamorada. Treasure Village itself had an interesting history – it was formerly Art McKee’s Treasure Museum, a place where diver and shipwreck recovery expert Art McKee displayed the treasures reclaimed from the sea. Betsey had stood guard for several decades until Treasure Village’s owner died in 2007; shortly afterwards Treasure Village was converted to a Montessori school and Betsey was dismantled and stored for sale on eBay.  Early in 2009, Mike Forster (owner of The Rain Barrel Artisan Village across from Treasure Village) purchased Betsey and began rebuilding her across the highway from where she formerly stood. At 35 feet long 25 feet tall, Betsey is a competitor in the category of World’s Largest Lobster, but faces strong competition from a lobster in Shediac, New Brunswick made of reinforced concrete. Although the Shediac lobster is the same length and shorter in height, they may be counting the sculpture’s base in the total size. Regardless, it is safe to say Betsey is the world’s largest spiny lobster, since the Shediac lobster is representative of an American (alternately Maine) lobster. Betsey’s visibility along U.S. Route 1 in the Florida Keys is assured for at least another decade, so don’t start heating the swimming pool and melting a bathtub of butter quite yet. Read the rest of this entry »

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Watts Up, Doc

Nov 30

Posted by val in Trips, USA | 2 Comments

Livermore, California
Longest Burning Lightbulb (The Centennial Bulb)

Centennial Bulb, shine a light on me

Centennial Bulb, shine a light on me

In 1901, U.S. President William McKinley was assassinated, succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt; Guglielmo Marconi made the first transatlantic radio broadcast; the first Nobel Prize was awarded; and, oil was discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas. Also this year, a hand-blown, 4-watt electric light bulb was installed in the ceiling of the firehouse at L Street in Livermore, California. What makes the installation of this bulb noteworthy is that it is still used today, over 108 years later, making it the longest burning bulb in the world. On its 100th birthday it was dubbed “The Centennial Bulb.” Finding it is a little tricky; essentially you have to be on your way somewhere else to get to it. As historic as it is, it is best attempted as a side trip, perhaps on a trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Livermore is relatively large, with Interstate 580 running right through it. A couple of turns off the interstate and you are there, at Fire Station 6. This is the bulb’s third and presumed final home (and yes, it was off while it was moved). The station generally isn’t busy; if the garage door is open where the fire trucks are housed, walk right in – they’re expecting you. You will likely be greeted with “You’re here to see the light?” The crew is friendly and helpful, but if you hear alarm bells, it would be prudent to get out of the way. 

Me and my wife Claudia beneath the Centennial Bulb

Me and my wife Claudia beneath the Centennial Bulb

The bulb hangs near the right wall high up on the ceiling; at 4 watts, it’s barely as bright as a night light. A small American flag is attached to a pipe just below in case you’re having difficulty identifying the clear glass bulb amidst the rows of fluorescent fixtures. The firemen on duty are quick to tell you that depending on which way you stand, the lit filament spells out either “ON” or “NO” – for maximum impact, go for the “ON” view. You are encouraged to sign the guest book (which I doubt is over 100 years old) on a shelf below plaques and certificates confirming the bulb’s authenticity. The firemen will even take your picture when requested with the bulb in the background (a difficult task given the height of the ceiling). 

A timeline shows events in the first 100 years of the bulb

A timeline shows events in the first 100 years of the bulb

A similar bulb in Fort Worth, Texas just hit the 100 year mark itself, but the Centennial Bulb still maintains the record and is the first bulb to break the 100 year mark. From a historic standpoint it is worth the diversion, but be sure to go during normal hours as you may not be able to get access after hours (although you can see it through the window). There is also a doorbell you can ring to get someone’s attention, but keep in mind it is a working firehouse. Unless you show up at a ridiculous hour of the night or the crew is preparing to respond to an alarm, you will most likely be cordially invited in. You can rest assured, like Motel 6, they’ll leave the light on for you. 

The Centennial Bulb
Fire Station 6
4550 East Ave
Livermore, California 94550
GPS coordinates: 37°40′48.69″N 121°44′22.14″W

More images from the Centennial Bulb in Livermore, California

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It’s Elementary!

Nov 24

Posted by val in Trips, UK | 2 Comments

Westminster, London, UK
The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Entrance to the Sherlock Holmes Museum

Entrance to the Sherlock Holmes Museum

When was the last time you went looking for a fictional place? 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield (Texas)? 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights (Midland, TX)? How about one of the most famous fictional addresses of all time – 221B Baker Street, London UK? For aficionados of Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” novels, this address is akin to Mecca. In 1990, a former Victorian rooming house somewhere around 237 Baker Street in London was converted to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The actual location where 221B Baker Street should be doesn’t exist, perhaps intentionally by Doyle so that people reading the stories back in the late 1880s wouldn’t flock to the address like crazed groupies and paparazzi (as they do now). The current location was officially given the address by the city of Westminster in London, which probably drives the mail carriers nuts. Getting there is half the fun, since many Londoners don’t believe it exists. Ask for directions and you may get, “There’s just a storefront there,” or “There is no 221B Baker Street.” The easiest way is by the Underground (Tube), taking the Hammersmith and City Line to the Baker Street stop. You’ll know you’re there when you see Sherlock Holmes profile baked into the tile lining the station.

The cluttered desk of a busy (fictional) mind

One of the very realistic dioramas on the top floor

Approaching the building from across the street, you notice the large sign over a modern storefront reading “Sherlock Holmes Museum.” A wave of disappointment may wash over you since we’re talking about a bookstore and gift shop. As you get closer, several things start to fall in place. For starters, a blue circular metal plaque was attached to the front of the building, similar to historic plaques throughout the UK used to designate residences of famous people. In this instance, the plaque reads, “Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective, 1881 – 1904). To the left of the gift shop/bookstore is a black wooden door adorned with old-style lanterns and the number “221B” lettered on the transom window. Life has truly imitated art. Upon entering, you are instructed enter the gift shop through the inside door on the right to purchase your ticket; you still may anticipate being admitted into a warehouse-like back room with displays about Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle. When you are directed to go back out the shop door and go up the stairs to the right, you realize that the game is afoot. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tipping Optional

Nov 18

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New Salem, North Dakota
World’s Largest Holstein Cow (Salem Sue)

Trust me, you don't need the sign to find Salem Sue

Trust me, you do not need the sign to find Salem Sue

Imagine a top-secret experiment in New Salem, North Dakota where a Holstein cow is saturated with gamma radiation to produce more milk. Suddenly something goes horribly awry, causing the beast to grow to a dizzying 38 feet tall and 50 feet long from nose to rump. The scientists flee in horror, leaving her on a lonely hillside high above Interstate 94 to await their return. Sounds like fiction? It is. But nevertheless, Salem Sue is a monstrous Holstein cow (not Brahma, nor Angus, nor Longhorn) that has overlooked I-94 half an hour west of Bismarck since 1974. As you approach New Salem from the east, you can make out her silhouette for 5 miles, finding yourself saying, “That can’t be it! No way!” Directions to Salem Sue are pointless – simply aim your car towards the giant cow.

Salem Sue keeping watch over Interstate 94

Salem Sue keeping watch over Interstate 94

Sue is at the top (almost) of a hill accessed by a well-kept dirt road that winds its way around. A small kiosk at the entrance has flyers giving Sue’s history, and a tube with a slot that asks for a voluntary donation of $1 per carload, delightfully deposited into a milk can below. Seriously, we’re talking about a dollar for as many people as you can fit in your vehicle (thrifty folks are encouraged to rent a clown car). Pay the dollar – it goes to making sure Sue always has a fresh coat of paint and can be enjoyed by future generations of milk drinkers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Who You Gonna Call?

Nov 12

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Bodie, California
Bodie Ghost Town

Very Rough Road is an understatement

Very Rough Road is an understatement

It is unusual for someone to want to visit a place where nothing happens, or ever will again, but Bodie, California is one of the best preserved ghost towns in the United States. The closest major city is probably Reno, Nevada, but I made the trip from the Los Angeles area through the Eastern Sierra Mountains, a distance of almost 400 miles. My only previous ghost town experience was Calico, near Barstow, California, and I can’t say it was a memorable one. The key difference is Calico was owned by Walter Knott (of Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park fame), who rebuilt and refurbished the tiny mining town with paved streets and gift shops that seemed to represent the ghost of Walt Disney. Bodie, on the other hand, is maintained by the State of California in a state of arrested decay, meaning that they nail a board back in if it comes loose, but they make no attempt to repaint, replace walls, etc., leaving the town exactly how it looked by the time the last residents high-tailed it out of there in the early 1960s.

The sleepy (dead) town of Bodie, California

The sleepy (dead) town of Bodie, California

Access to Bodie is via a 10 mile long winding road from US Highway 395, the last three of which is uneven gravel. I had reached the parking lot shortly before I was convinced the car was going to self destruct; the parking lot is on the outskirts so as not to detract from the abandoned look of the town. It’s recommended that you visit Bodie between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the climate can be fierce and cold, which explains the weather-beaten structures in the town. In heavy snowfall, the road in is impassable. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tipi, Tepee, Teepee!

Nov 6

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Rialto, California
Wigwam Motel

One of the places to get your kicks on Route 66

One of the places to get your kicks on Route 66

If you ever plan to motor west (or east from the Los Angeles area), why stay in a motel room when you can stay in a tipi. Technically, the concrete rooms at the Wigwam Motel aren’t tipis (alternately “teepees”), but they certainly aren’t wigwams (which are domed structures). Historically we’ve gotten the nomenclature wrong on all things Native American, not the least of which is the term “Indian”, a fact pointed out by Kumar Patel, the manager on duty on my visit. Blame Christopher Columbus, who assumed he had landed in India rather than pull over to a gas station to find out where he was.

There is no salmon fishing in the pool at the Wigwam Motel

There is no salmon fishing in the pool at the Wigwam Motel

If Columbus had taken old Route 66 through San Bernardino in 1949, he may have seen the newly-opened Wigwam Motel. This is one of three remaining Wigwam Motels built by Kentucky native Frank Redford, with one in Arizona and another in Kentucky still operating. The Wigwam had been a decaying slice of Americana since the Interstates diverted traffic from “the highway that’s the best.” An old sign (now relegated to the side of a small building at the back of the motel) beckoned, “Do it in a teepee,” a proposition not helped by the fact that there was a strip club operating on the opposite side of the highway (now an auto parts dealer). When the current owners bought the property, they began restoring the motel to its former glory. The property is clean and well kept, but according to Kumar, it has been a lot of work. The tipis are made of concrete and are 25 feet across, but remarkably roomy inside. There’s a small bathroom at the back that prompts disbelief that it actually fits inside. The room we saw was clean and looked comfortable and despite its kitschy atmosphere seems like a decent (and unusual) place to stay for the night. Read the rest of this entry »

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It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing

Oct 30

Posted by val in Trips, USA | No Comments

Hebron, Nebraska
World’s Largest Porch Swing

I throw the largest swing off-balance by sitting at one end

I throw the largest swing off-balance by sitting at one end

Hebron 4th of July Committee chairman Tim O’Callaghan had seen a 4-person swing in Kansas and had the brilliant idea to create one four times larger in Hebron. His intent was to have the swing ready for the 1985 Fourth of July celebration and so he asked Reinke Irrigation Company to design a 16-seater.  The swing was made from metal irrigation equipment parts, and at a cost of about $250 and with the assistance of about 50 people, the swing was erected in time for Independence Day. The swing holds 16 adults comfortably and allegedly up to 32 small children (or elves). In 1991 it was moved from its original location to the current one in Roosevelt Park. Apparently the record is a point of contention around Hebron – Guinness no longer has a category for the largest porch swing, but the point is moot since technically the swing no longer resides on a porch. When I arrived at the park there wasn’t another soul in sight, and I had to imagine 15 other people on the swing with me.

Easy to follow directions to the pride of Hebron

Easy to follow directions to the pride of Hebron

As long as I was in town, I decided to drive around a bit and check out the environs. At around 1 PM on a Saturday, there were only about 3 cars parked on Lincoln Avenue, the town’s main street. The street itself is fascinating – Lincoln Avenue and several of the cross streets are paved in red brick, once popular late in the 1800s and early in the 1900s. The brick makes for a slicker driving surface but eliminated the problem of sloshing through mud, neither one an issue on the beautiful sunny day. Only two buildings had some semblance of being historic, both across the street from each other on the corners of 4th Street and Lincoln Ave. Only one (the Brand X Saloon) appeared to be open, and there was little activity anywhere in town. The town center was once lined with historic buildings but a 1953 tornado devastated the town, destroying much of the older structures. Read the rest of this entry »

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Have Yourself a Ball

Oct 26

Posted by val in Trips, USA | 2 Comments

Cawker City, Kansas

World’s Largest Ball of Twine

Does Cawker City really need a sign announcing the World's Largest Ball of Twine?

Is there some other reason to visit Cawker City?

One man’s punch line is another man’s Holy Grail (Jesus’ wine cup, not the Monty Python film). The World’s Largest Ball of Twine has long been a comical movie reference, as in National Lampoon’s Vacation (“Perhaps you don’t want to see the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth, which is only four short hours away?”) and Michael (“I’ll get to see the world’s largest ball of twine.”), but as art often imitates life, such a behemoth actually exists. My pilgrimage took me to Cawker City, Kansas, and I call it a pilgrimage because it’s not easy to get to – you have to really want to see the largest ball of twine in the world. Since I planned to see all the other superlative sites in America’s heartland, I flew into Omaha, Nebraska and rented a car for the drive, ironically four short hours away.

Beautiful downtown Cawker City

Beautiful downtown Cawker City

Once you get out of Lincoln, Nebraska, you’re greeted with a relatively flat landscape comprised mostly of farms (corn and sunflowers being the most popular crops). Unlike The Thing on Interstate 10 in Arizona, you aren’t greeted with dozens of billboards leading up to it – you need directions, and they had better be accurate. Prior to my trip, I had called the city offices of Cawker City to get the details (What are the viewing hours? Is there an admission charge? Can I add twine to the ball? Do I need professional help?) and was told that the ball is in an open gazebo in the center of town, viewable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. As far as whether adding twine was permitted, they gave me the phone number of Linda Clover (the ball’s caretaker) and suggested I contact her. I called and left a message, but didn’t receive a call back, and so I planned to stand in its majesty instead.

As US 24 turns into Wisconsin Street in Cawker City, the excitement starts. The downtown area is about a solid block long, and most of the buildings appeared to be unoccupied. Just past Lake Drive at the end of the block on the left stands a red metal gazebo that I drove past before realizing that this was my destination, the reason for my journey. I banged a yooey (as they say in Boston) and turned onto Lake Drive to park the car. As I parked and took out my camera and tripod, two women approached slowly in a sedan and gradually stopped beside my car. I was preparing for a Midwestern drive-by when the driver leaned out the window and asked, “Would you like to add twine to the ball?” Read the rest of this entry »

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