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By Doug, July 18, 2010 15:06

The "Door to Nowhere" on the Winchester Mystery House

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California is a monument to one woman’s obsession with avoiding death. Sarah Winchester, the heiress to the Winchester gun fortune, had her carpenters working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year adding to her huge mansion. All of this was because her child, Annie, died in 1866 and her husband, William, died 15 years later of tuberculosis. Greif stricken, and sitting on a fortune estimated at $20,000,000.00, she consulted a spiritualist, like any normal, sane person would do.

The spiritualist, a medium from Boston, convinced her that her family and her fortune were being haunted by spirits of American Indians, killed by the Winchester rifles her husband’s family had invented. Since her daughter and husband had already been taken, naturally the medium convinced Sarah that she would be next. The only way to avoid this horrible fate was to move west and begin construction on a great house. This would appease the “spirits” and as long as construction continued on the house, Sarah would be safe.

Construction on the house continued for 38 years, until Sarah’s death in 1922. What was left is a massive mansion containing 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms and 6 kitchens.

Exploring this weird, wonderful place is a great way to spend an afternoon, or even longer.

Winchester Mystery House

Further reading:

• Museums in Santa Clara County, California: Ames Research Center, Winchester Mystery House, Forbes Mill, Villa Montalvo, New Almaden
• Haunting of Winchester House
• America’s Castles – California Dreamers: The Winchester Mystery House and Scotty’s Castle

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By Doug, July 17, 2010 07:41

Big Red Wagon Sculpture in Spokane, WA.

Located in Spokane Washington’s Riverfront Park and commissioned by the Jr. League of Spokane, this giant wagon is the work of artist Ken Spiering. According to an article from Washington’s Outer Limits:

… artist Ken Spiering’s ideas for a bronze sculpture had dried up – he knew it the instant he drew a sketch of a child urinating in a pond. So, after six weeks of struggling to devise the perfect piece of interactive public art, he gave in. He quit. But just days before the submission deadline, Spiering had another vision. This time, the child was pulling a red wagon. That’s it, he said to himself. A big red wagon. What could be a better symbol of childhood? He quickly devised a plan and submitted it.

We arrived in the middle of George Dubbya’s visit to Spokane for a $1,000/plate benefit for a local politician and all the hubub was just two blocks away from the lil’ red wagon. Luckily, after swimming through waves of protesters and supporters, the wagon was being enjoyed in its intended way – a hoard of kids were sliding and running and yelling and enjoying life at a really big wagon!

Built in 1990 from 26 tons of steel and reinforced concrete, the 12-foot-high, 27-foot-long Radio Flyer Wagon can hold as many as 300 people. Spiering worked six to seven days a week for a year building the $36,000 sculpture, for which he received a $30,000 commission.

Related reading:

• Spokane: A Guide to the Hub of the Inland Northwest (M.E. Buckham) (M.E. Buckham)
• Spokane & the Inland Empire: An Interior Pacific Northwest Anthology
• Vintage Postcards from Old Spokane
• Shattered Silence– The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter

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By Doug, July 13, 2010 21:55

For those looking to relax and just enjoy the ocean, Kure Beach, North Carolina has everything to offer.  With clean beaches, friendly people, and a real laid back attitude, Kure Beach is ideal for family fun. The crown jewel of this picturesque little town has to be the Kure Beach Fishing Pier.  Built in 1923, it is the oldest fishing pier on the Atlantic coast.  From April to November this 712 foot pier offers fishing, fabulous views, and if you’re lucky, a new friend.

I am one of those fortunate enough to make a special friend at the pier.  While enjoying the sights and smells of the ocean, I noticed a rather large pelican just sitting on a nearby table.  He was looking for scraps I’m sure and was quite comfortable with all the people bustling by.  I couldn’t resist this photo opportunity so I set to capturing him on film.  After a few minutes and several up close shots, my pelican friend decided to take over as director.  He flapped his wings and in the process knocked me in the head.  I nearly lost my hat and my glasses.  Needless to say I was a bit startled by his sudden outburst.  I’ve always heard a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case a whack on the head!

Kure Beach Fishing Pier.com

Related reading:

• Cape Fear Beaches (NC) (Images of America)
• North Carolina’s Outer Banks & Crystal Coast: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide
• Fishing Piers in America
• Sea Fishing From Land And Pier

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By Doug, January 22, 2010 22:03

Do you love clowns or hate them?  What about dolls, like those creepy ones in movies?  What about clown dolls!?  It’s enough to send shivers down your spine.

The Klown Doll Museum in Plainview (its full and proper name) houses a collection of 4,500 nightmares-in-waiting that’ll provide you with countless sleepless nights.  If you like clowns and you like dolls then the Klown Doll Museum (in Plainview) will satisfy your horribly strange and spooky obsession.  I mean, seriously, can you imagine walking through this place at night with nothing but a wax candle to light your way?  Can’t you just hear the pitter-patter sounds of those grotesque clown dolls as they move through the shadows, lurking, ready to pounce?  All those creepy dolls staring at you through those messed up, unblinking eyes looking straight into your soul?  How could you turn your back on any of them—they’d drive a butcher’s knife right through you!  Over and over and over again. 

Sorry, my mind drifted again, but those things are really bizarre.

Oh, and why do they call it the Klown Doll Museum (in Plainview) instead of the Clown Doll Museum (in Plainview)?  Apparently there was a Klown Band in the town 50 years ago and the unusual spelling stuck.  Klowns or clowns, if you want to see them, go to Nebraska.  Happy dreams.

Related reading:

• The Klown Doll Museum of Plainview
• Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls
• Clown Sticker Paper Doll
• Dolls in Motion

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By Doug, January 13, 2010 21:50

Seneca Falls, New York, is the home of the National Woman’s Hall of Fame where their motto is “come stand among great women.”  Well, here are a few of the “great women” one can stand among:

Amelia Earhart is famous for her trip aboard a Lockheed Electra L-10E, where she attempted to circumnavigate the globe but got lost, crashed and died (along with her navigator) instead.  But what many people don’t know is that before that fateful trip, on March 22, 1937, Amelia prepared to take off from Luke Field in Hawaii for a similar attempt to fly around the world.  But, she overloaded her plane, ground looped it and crashed.  Pilot error was cited.  Crashing seemed to be a nasty habit of hers.  Incidentally, Wiley Post (arguably much less famous than Amelia Earhart) was the first person to circumnavigate the world (solo) in July, 1937.

Helen Keller is another famous woman in the NWHF.  Helen is famous for being deaf, dumb and blind.  But more importantly, she is the inspiration for a number of wonderful jokes like “if Helen Keller fell down in the woods, would she make a sound?” and “Why can’t Helen Keller drive—because she’s a woman!”

Sacagawea (or however you want to spell/pronounce it).  In spite of what others have said, if you actually read the journals of Louis and Clark, Sacajawea provided interpretive services for the group and helped guide them during their trip through her native lands.  Other than that, she was basically along for the ride.  Considering Lewis and Clark were able to navigate and communicate effectively during other parts of their journey where Sakakawea wasn’t able to provide services, her actual value is questionable.

Naturally, there are a lot of women in the National Women’s Hall of Fame who have provided great value to society (Lucille Ball, Julia Child, Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks) and are not just “the first woman who…”  But, there are plenty of figureheads in the NWHF for those who are interested in woman who are famous for any reason whatsoever.  Unfortunately, what’s truly missing from the museum (excuse me, hall of fame) are countless women like the pioneers who crossed the country in covered wagons, giving birth along the way and hardly stopping long enough to squat.  But, glory seems to have more to do with good marketing than actual achievement.

National Women’s Hall of Fame

Related reading:

• When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present
• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (Vintage)
• Wise Women : A Celebration of Their Insights, Courage, and Beauty
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl

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By Doug, December 26, 2009 14:32

What do Dale Earnhardt and Pink Floyd have in common?

Before we get to the answer, let’s take trip to North Carolina and see Dale Earnhardt Plaza, a one-acre park in Dale’s home of Kannapolis.  This is where Dale learned to drive fast and turn left around Idiot’s Circle, winning the hearts and minds (?) of the NASCAR-centric Southeast.

The center of the one-acre park showcases a 9-foot tall, 900-pound bronze statue of Dale created by Arizona artist Clyde Ross.  Dale stands there, bigger than life, with his muscular arms crossed and a knowing grin on his face.  Though not wearing his iconic sunglasses, he is sporting his 1970’s era, pornstar-style mustache.  Surrounding Earnhardt are various subtle tributes to the number three, his seven Winston Cup Championship (smoke ‘em if you got ‘em) trophies and more.

As long as you’re in town and you’re a fan of Dale’s (why else would you be there?), you might at well visit some of the other Dale Earnhardt places of worship like the nearby Dale Earnhardt Tribute Center, located just one convenient block away from the plaza.

Oh, what do Dale and Pink Floyd have in common?  Their last big hit was the wall!

Dale Earnhardt Plaza

Related reading:

• Dale Earnhardt: 23 Years with The Intimidator
• The Earnhardts: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)
• Dale Earnhardt: Rear View Mirror
• Dale Earnhardt: Always a Champion

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By Doug, December 20, 2009 15:03

The UFO Museum and Research Center, Roswell, NM.

The UFO Museum and Research Center (no, it’s not just your average tourist trap, this place does some legitimate science!), along with all the other UFO-related crap that makes up Roswell New Mexico, is an attempt by a small-town-in-the-middle-of-nowhere to capitalize on the mania surrounding the claims of a flying saucer crash in 1947.  Yes indeed, little green (or rather, gray) men from outer space traveled many light years through the galaxy but somehow managed to crash into the desert just as they were about to reach their destination and you can find out all the juicy details at the UFO Museum.

Nobody knows exactly why the saucer crashed but many theories have surfaced including female aliens at the helm “freshening up” their faces in the rear-view mirror, distraction by an intergalactic cell phone call and (perhaps the most plausible) the aliens believing there would be another gas station just up the road a bit (if you’ve ever driven through New Mexico, you can understand their mistake).  There are other theories but if you’ve got a better one, hey, leave it in the comment box below!

Flash forward half a century and little green men are the biggest industry in town.  There’s a UFO festival and the whole town seems to be trying to get their share of the tourists’ money.  The little green man seems to be everywhere!

Roswell is 200 plus miles from any large city including Amarillo, Lubbock and El Paso, Texas, Albuquerque, NM and Las Cruces, NM. A majority of our visitors make a point to come to Roswell to see the museum and be in the city where the best known UFO crash and cover-up occurred. While in Roswell, they in the least buy gas and a soda or they may spend a week learning about the phenomena and Roswell.

The UFO Museum itself starts out with a map of the world where you can place a pin on your hometown.  Next up, various World War II-era black and white photographs of people and airplanes.  But, things start getting good when we get to the room of war-surplus equipment with a model of the flying saucer crash site (think model train layout and a paper plate painted silver).  Naturally, we get to the part of “The Great Cover Up” where we learn how the evil government is hiding all this wonderful technology from us because we just can’t handle the truth.  Then, there’s an entire room full of proof (no, not physical evidence, newspaper clippings!) aliens exist including crop circles, Area 51, etc.  Finally, there’s the big finale:  an ACTUAL alien autopsy mockup!  It doesn’t get any better than this.  No, really, it doesn’t get any better; that’s about all there is to this place.

Now, you’d think the gift shop would be world-class (can you say “My dad was abducted by an Alien in Roswell and I all I got was this stupid T-shirt” T-shirt?) but their stuff is mostly quite unimaginative.  It’s mostly your run-of-the-mill stuff (hats, coffee mugs, key chains, etc.) with “Roswell” and/or the classic alien head printed on it.  However, there is a rather clever T-shirt along the lines of “born to ride.”

Whether you believe in flying saucers or not, a trip to Roswell and the UFO Museum and Research Center is fun and campy.  Be sure to check out their plans for a new museum—it looks like a cross between Seattle’s Experience Music Project and Disneyland’s Space Mountain!

UFO Museum and Research Center

Related reading:

• Messages: The World’s Most Documented Extraterrestrial Contact Story
• UFOs: What Scientists Say May Shock You! (24/7: Science Behind the Scenes)
• Dark Object: The World’s Only Government-Documented UFO Crash
• The Greatest Deception: The Bible UFO Connection

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By Doug, December 5, 2009 20:45

The Mona Lisa, made from Legos, at the Toy and Plastic Brick Museum in Bellaire, Ohio.

The “Toy and Plastic Brick Museum” in Bellaire, Ohio houses the world’s largest collection of Lego building sets.  So, why isn’t it called the Lego Museum?  Ask a lawyer.  Apparently, Lego didn’t appreciate anybody else using its name for profit.

Sure, you can go to Legoland in California or see great Lego displays at Disneyland or Walt Disney World but that would be mundane.  Why not spend just 10% of the price to get into Disneyland and see a bunch of old Lego building sets!?  Uh, maybe you shouldn’t consider that value proposition too closely…

I think Legos were my favorite toy as a kid.  How about you?  What was your Lego masterpiece?

Toy and Plastic Brick Museum

Related reading:

• Forbidden Lego: Build the Models Your Parents Warned You Against!
• LEGO: A Love Story
• The Art of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT-G Programming
• 10 Cool LEGO Mindstorms Ultimate Builder Projects: Amazing Projects You Can Build in Under an Hour

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By Doug, December 4, 2009 21:24

Santa Claus House, North Pole, Alaska

Ho, ho, ho!  No, it’s not the Green Giant (this time) it’s good ol’ Santa Clause and he’s at his home at the North Pole!  North Pole, Alaska that is.  You (and your kids) can visit Santa, his 50’ plastic statue and some of his reindeer while staying at the nearby, luxurious-by-Alaska-standards, Santaland RV Park! 

Christmas Eve. The sharp, pungent scent of pine. The reflection of twinkling, colored lights in every window and mirror. The scent of gingerbread. Stockings carefully hung. Milk and cookies left for Santa. The joyful anticipation of unknown treasures when morning finally arrived. The temptation to stay up into the wee hours of the night, to catch a glimpse of Santa’s cherry red coat or team of magical reindeer.

If you can’t fly all the way to Fairbanks you can at least send Santa a letter and he’ll send one in return, for about $10.  Hey, those elves don’t work for free!

Santa Claus House

Related reading:

• Jolly Old Santa Claus
• Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years
• Yes, Virginia: There Is a Santa Claus
• Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus

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By Doug, December 4, 2009 19:56

The Lunchbox Museum, Columbus, Georgia.

We all had them, didn’t we?  Those cool metal lunchboxes we toted to school every day with our peanut butter and jelly sandwich and maybe, if we were lucky, a Jell-O pudding cup!  Mine was a school bus with Mickey and his friends but I remember other kids who had Scooby and the gang, Bugs Bunny or maybe Barbie, if you were a “yucky” girl.

He [Allen Woodall] began collecting lunch boxes a mere four years ago, because, as he puts it, “they’re just so neat!” He now has more than 1,000 lunch boxes and related items, including thermoses, coolers and even tobacco tins that doubled as lunch boxes.

Of course, if there’s something to collect, someone will collect it and eventually decide the world needs a museum to house the prized collection.  Lunchboxes are no exception!  The “World’s Largest” lunchbox museum is in Columbus, Georgia (conveniently located near the old farmers’ market in the historic downtown area).

The Lunchbox Museum

Related reading:

• Lunchbox: Inside and Out
• Lunch boxes: a closer look.: An article from: Antiques Roadshow Insider
• The Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox: Easy and Exciting Ideas for Your Child’s Lunches
• The Healthy Lunchbox