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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

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By Doug, July 16, 2009 03:25

W'eel

Looking like something out of a 1950’s “B” horror movie, W’eel is a giant turtle statue situated comfortably near the Turtle Mountains in Dunseith, North Dakota.  It was erected in 1982 by George Gottbreht to draw people to his nearby store.  It’s made entirely of wheel rims, welded together and the head is mounted on a pivot so it can bob up and down.

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By Doug, July 14, 2009 04:30

Bull Run Castle

Proving once again that one man’s pile of trash pile is another man’s castle is Bull Run Castle in Aldie, Virginia. Built by John R. Miller from bits and pieces of scrap he procured for the task, the castle is a real fortress designed to withstand the inevitable Armageddon that’ll certainly take down civilization soon. Inside, John has (or more correctly, “had” since the castle has been sold) an armory, supplies to last until the inevitable looting dies down, strong defenses and secret passages.

In addition to the castle, people can visit the antique store inside. Better yet, why not spend the night? The castle is also a B&B so when the “big one drops” you can be safe and cozy inside. At least until you’re kicked out into the marauding hoards!

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By Doug, July 12, 2009 03:08

Salvation Mountain

What can you do to make an ugly desert God just plopped down in Imperial County, California look nice? Pile up some junk and clay then paint it, of course! And, Leonard Night is doing just that so we don’t have to look at the ugly desert anymore.

Salvation Mountain is Leonard’s tribute to God and his gift to the world with its simple yet powerful message: “God Is Love.” Leonard’s passion has lovingly created this brilliant “outsider art” masterpiece resplendent with not only biblical and religious scripture such as the Lord’s Prayer, John 3:16, and the Sinner’s Prayer, but also including flowers, trees, waterfalls, suns, bluebirds, and many other fascinating and colorful objects.

Leonard became a Christian in 1967, on a Wednesday, at 10:30 in the morning while sitting in his van. He was 35 years old and had held various odd jobs including fighting the Korean War for 10 days. Leonard went around to various churches trying to enlighten them on how to properly worship Jesus but for some reason met resistance. Moving on, he was then inspired to make a hot air balloon to help spread the Lord’s message and began collecting bits of fabric and sewing them together. That occupied Leonard for the next 14 years but apparently it wasn’t God’s will to have Leonard fly in his balloon to spread the Word as it (the balloon, not the Word) kept collapsing on itself when he tried to inflate it. Although he persisted, eventually the balloon began to rot and Leonard looked for other ways to spread the Word.

Leonard decided to leave California but wanted to spend one extra week in the area to make a small memorial with a half bag of concrete he had lying around. Weeks begat months begat years and after tons of junk, sand, concrete and paint were assembled, Leonard had the 50-foot high creation he was after! Until it collapsed on itself.

Undaunted, Leonard rebuilt the mountain, this time using native adobe clay and straw. He applied paint liberally to keep the elements from washing away his work. Over the years, Leonard has applied well over 100,000 gallons of paint to his mountain of clay and debris as (he hopes) a lasting tribute to God.

If you stop by, bring some paint for Leonard!

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By Doug, July 11, 2009 22:09

Coral Castle

Ed Leedskalnin was set to marry his one true love in his hometown of Riga, Latvia but she stood him up one day before the scheduled nuptials. Now, I’m not sure which was the cause and which was the affect but old Ed went a little coo coo. He moved to Homestead, Florida and started building a castle out of coral. Big chunks of heavy coral. Being a creative sort, Ed named it Coral Castle.

The castle, was started in 1920, took more than 30 years to complete (Ed’s death being the point of completion). Because the undertaking was so massive (and Ed only weighed in at about 100 pounds) and because he was very secretive about his work, lots of strange rumors about floating massive rocks like helium balloons and using a “perpetual motion machine” began to surface. If asked, Ed would simply explain that he knew the secrets of the pyramids. In reality, others have reproduced his work with simple machines.

But, even if he knew the secrets of the pyramids, Ed didn’t know the secrets of good eating habits and he died of malnutrition at age 64.

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By Doug, July 9, 2009 20:20

The Dover Speedway in Delaware is known as the Monster Mile so what better mascot than Miles the Monster? In 2000, the management decided to build a giant monster breaking out of the racetrack and grabbing a car. It’s a great photo op and that’s why you only see the top half of Miles; if the entire creature were erected he would have been too tall to photograph well!  Miles also has his own comic book; he’s quite the celeb.

Miles cost $6m, is 48 feet tall and weighs 20 tons. He’s hollow so it’s actually possible to go inside him, climb up to the car and sit in it! It must be one heck of a view but unfortunately it’s not open to the public. Whether you like NASCAR or not, it’s worth a visit to Dover Speedway to see Miles!

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By Doug, July 8, 2009 02:59

A wall of brooms from the Main Street Museum

The Main Street Museum in White River Junction, Vermont is a collection of, well, junk. As far as I can tell, it’s a bunch of junk arranged in a museum-like setting. I’m talking about “normal” junk, like you see in other museums and “real” junk like you might find in your kitchen “junk drawer.” But, they package it nicely and that apparently makes all the difference:

The Flora and Fauna collections represent invasive species from the infrastructure of an economically marginal Vermont downtown. Our dried cats are not true mummies; they are merely dehydrated. Our local collections of knotweed, dogweed and loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) are presented alongside historic and geographically significant specimens representing the various cultures of the earth. Paving stones from Rome and cobblestones from our local railroad underpass are preserved here as well as asphalt from Los Angeles, New Orleans and Baltimore. Coffee cups and aspirin bottles from now defunct work places in White River Jct. are displayed alongside bricks from Monticello, masonry from the Alamo in Texas (and the Forteleza in San Juan), and dried rose specimens (family Rosaceæ) from Robert Todd Lincoln’s—and Jefferson Davis’s—houses.

…

Assigning values to artifacts is increasingly difficult in the environment of most major collecting institutions. The neutrality of theoretical systems utilized by any museum is currently being called into question. As a small independent repository the Main Street Museum has the flexibility—indeed the mandate—to examine the layered and ever changing meanings of objects and their relationships to their surroundings. As the uses for objects are more or less continuously in flux, we analyze these uses through traditional disciplines (art historical, scientific and qualitative methods), but also through psychological analysis as well. Our emotional relationship with objects is formed abstrusely. Therefore the meaning of objects is unlocked only through similar cryptic means.

So, it’s a bizarre, one-of-a-kind museum that’s worth a visit if for no other reason than to form your own opinion of the place.

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By Doug, July 3, 2009 06:36

"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!

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By Doug, June 30, 2009 10:06

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.

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By Doug, June 28, 2009 09:25

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