Comments (1)

"Point 7" or "The Castle"

“Point 7” is the official name of “The Castle” in Wilson Park, Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was designed and built by Frank Williams in 1979, after Williams was given the contract as one of several public art displays commissioned by the Arkansas Arts Council. Since that time, The Castle (as most of the locals know it) is a traditional site of graduation and wedding photos.

The existing concrete structure over the spring was reminiscent of small play fort. It was used by the local kids for just that purpose and I thought what better solution to this challenge then a fantasy play castle sculpture garden; in this case to be a little more interesting then the existing situation.

In concept my idea originally for the grotto design to the west of here, and then in the subsequent Point 7 designs was to replicate an architectural relic of the sort you might see in Europe or Asia.

The city was forced to give Williams some land in Wilson Park but they made it clear they didn’t want to have to maintain a work of art, beyond mowing the lawn around it (insert your favorite Redneck art joke here). Williams had other obstacles in his path:

I had no idea how difficult it would be to motivate much less train 5 inexperienced 16 to 21 year old kids; who just needed a job! All were from varying backgrounds, unemployed and none processed labor-intensive construction work experience; which is initially what we had to do.

With few exceptions neither did they have much concern, about what I wanted to do artistically. Most of it at that point was in my head anyway! That was how I approached this project. It’s how I approached my art back then and to some extent even now!

Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Castle in Fayetteville wasn’t fully appreciated in its day.  But now, just try to take either one away–neither city would be the same!

Comments (1)

Comments (0)

Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum

The Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum in Rockport, Indiana doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot to do with Abraham Lincoln himself, other than a hutch made by his father. But, the name sells and this IS the “land of Lincoln!”

So, the attractions don’t have much to do with Lincoln and the log cabins aren’t original. The museum has a lot of old “stuff” you see in other museums. This is just basically someone’s dream to milk your tourist dollar. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting or worth a stop if you’re in the neighborhood.

Honig met many obstacles. But he persisted, saying: “The citizens of Spencer County will see the vision, then we will build a historic memorial to Lincoln that will visualize the Spencer County environment in which Lincoln lived during the 14 formative years of his life, from 1816 to 1830.”

Honig made the blueprints for the buildings after long and careful research, then superintended the construction of the village.

Comments (0)

Comments (0)

Although I’ve been to most of the places I post, I haven’t been everywhere in the country and I need to rely on tips or Internet searches to find some of my content.  And, since I like to spread my posts around the country, I recently tried to find something interesting to see or do in Connecticut.  I couldn’t find anything!  Do you live in Connecticut?  Have you visited it?  If so, please give me some suggestions for interesting places to visit there!

Comments (0)

Comments (0)

Concrete Penguin

The Penguin in Cut Bank, Montana, is the world’s largest talking, concrete penguin.  It’s 27 feet tall.  And, I guess that’s all I have to say about that.

Comments (0)

Comments (1)

Tinkertown

Tinkertown is in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  It’s a collection of animated carvings that bring an Old West town to life through fun and humorous scenes.  Some of the creations require a quarter to operate but most of them are worth it.

It took Ross Ward over 40 years to carve, collect, and lovingly construct what is now Tinkertown Museum. His miniature wood-carved figures were first part of a traveling exhibit, driven to county fairs and carnivals in the 1960s and ’70s. Today over 50,000 glass bottles form rambling walls that surround a 22-room museum. Wagon wheels, old fashioned store fronts, and wacky western memorabilia make Tinkertown’s exterior as much as a museum as the wonders within.

Comments (1)

Comments (0)

Ave Maria Grotto

Ave Maria Grotto, in Cullman, Alabama, is the life’s work of Brother Joseph Zoettl. The Grotto is comprised of models of buildings, primarily religious ones, made with concrete, seashells, stones, costume jewelry and other miscellaneous trinkets. The buildings aren’t to scale nor are they particularly accurate or proportional. Still, it’s rather interesting to see.

The builder of the miniatures at the Ave Maria Grotto was a Benedictine Monk–Brother Joseph Zoettl, O.S.B. Born in Landshut, Bavaria in 1878, he was maimed in an accident that gave him a hunchback, but luckily it did not hurt his ability to bend over and build the miniatures. He came to Saint Bernard Abbey in 1892. After becoming a Brother in the Benedictine Order, he was appointed to the power plant for the Abbey, and while there he developed his hobby of building miniature shrines.

Ave Maria Grotto

Comments (0)

Comments (0)

The Batmobile from Historic Auto Attractions

Historic Auto Attractions in Roscoe, Illinois doesn’t really sound that interesting. It doesn’t look very interesting from the outside, either. So, why would anybody go inside? Because it has some of the coolest cars ever created inside it, that’s why!

Check out this small sample of the eclectic collection:

• The Batmobile from the 1960s TV show and the one from Batman Returns
• Sanford and Son’s truck
• Limos from world leaders: U. S. presidents to Adolf Hitler
• The station wagon from National Lampoon’s Vacation
• Various racecars driven by famous drivers
• The ambulance from Ghostbusters
• The DeLorean from Back to the Future
• The car from the Flintstones movie
• Andy Griffith’s police car
• The Grateful Dead’s tour bus

The 36,000 square foot museum has a world-class collection, started by an autoworker turned businessman who uses his business to finance this fine collection. There’s something for everyone here; if someone in your family doesn’t care about cars, he or she may enjoy some of the other displays like Jackie Kennedy’s dresses, actual White House furniture and the JFK assassination display. But if you’re a car buff, this is a must see location!

Comments (0)

Comments (0)

Conjoined Twins (or Two-Headed Child)

When Thomas Dent Mütter donated his collection to College of Physicians of Philadelphia, he didn’t intend it to be a freak show. Indeed, he wanted other physicians and students of medicine to see and learn from artifacts from people with strange diseases and deformities. And for many years that was its primary purpose. But today, it attracts tourists like a P. T. Barnum sideshow.

Some of the pieces in the collection include a plaster cast of Ying and Yang, the famous Siamese twins, from which the common name for conjoined twins came; the “soap lady” whose flesh turned into a soap-like substance; hundreds of skulls with various abnormalities; skeletons of “two headed people” (a type of conjoined twin); and a woman with a horn growing out of her forward. The museum also contains many old medical instruments that were likely very effective in “curing” people, once the patient saw them (“No, doctor, really. I feel MUCH better now!”). And, there are more normal exhibits from famous people like a cancerous growth removed from President Grover Cleveland.

Gretchen Worden is the woman “credited” with moving the museum from a place of medical science seen by a few hundred people a year in 1975 to more than 60,000 tourists a year when she died in 2004. No word on whether or not she became an exhibit herself!

The Mütter Museum

Comments (0)

Comments (0)

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

The Denver and Rio Grande Railway founded Durango, Colorado in 1880 and track was soon laid to haul gold and silver ore to Silverton. Eventually, the mines played out, a fire destroyed much of Silverton and later the Spanish Flu killed 10% of the town’s population. But the trains continued hauling passengers through the scenic mountains and Hollywood later discovered the railroad and used it in several movies including Around the World in 80 Days, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and others. Today, the railroad is called the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway and is a popular destination for railfans of all ages.

Today the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad continues to provide year-round train service, operating a historical train with rolling stock indigenous to the line. The locomotives used to pull today’s train remain 100% coal-fired, steam-operated. The locomotives are 1923-25 vintage and are maintained in original condition. The coaches each feature bathroom facilities and are heated during the winter months for passenger comfort. Open gondola cars provide a panoramic view of the mountains. Concessions are available on every train.

Comments (0)

Comments (0)

Silver City, Idaho

Around the turn of the last century, Silver City, Idaho was the county seat of Owyhee County with 75 businesses, a population of 2,500 people and 300 homes. Although most similar mining towns of the era either grew up or burned down, for whatever reason Silver City remains the same; a true ghost town, high up in the Owyhee Mountains. Some of the remaining buildings include a church, hotel, schoolhouse and over 70 other structures. There are also four burial areas with some fascinating gravestones.

As run down as it is, there’s a museum in the schoolhouse, some of the houses are available to rent as cabins and hot food is available in the hotel/bar. The town itself is about 65 miles from Boise, near the Idaho/Oregon border.

Today people come to see the abandoned buildings, go horseback riding, collect rocks and arrowheads or otherwise enjoy the surrounding mountains. Outfitters and guides are available to help you find your way around. Note, although you’re welcome to walk around and see the sights, much of the area is still private property so treat the area with respect. Believe it or not, some people still live there.

Comments (0)