All Over The Map
Continuing on with the travel series,
here is Dave with some pictures that crack me up!
A real taste of Americana seen through the lense of a comic!
A real taste of Americana seen through the lense of a comic!
I can't wait to hear what he has to say about these!
All Things Possible!
Chris
posted by Christopher Showerman @ 10/24/2005 04:27:00 PM
8 Comments:
At 7:43 PM, October 24, 2005 ,
Anonymous said...
Yep, that's my ever expanding forhead in the first picture. I'm waiting in line to purchase discount Broadway show tickets at the Times Square "Tkts" booth operated by the Theater Development Fund - which supports that preservation and renovation of historic theaters in New York City. The line is long but it moves fairly quickly and if you are not picky about which shows you want to see a great way to get tickets (you meet some interesting people in line, too). Though I'm a small town boy at heart I enjoy visiting "the big city." There's something electric about all the people and the commotion in Manhattan. And speaking of electric, on of the most interesting things about Times Square is that because of all the electronic signs it's almost as bright at midnight as it is at noon!
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5
And there are more interesting things around than even Shakespeare could have dreamed of - and this past summer I decided to see some of them. So on a tour of oddities and light houses along the southern shore of Lake Erie this past Labor day weekend I found, among other things, the "World's Largest Easter Basket." That's me in my "Green Lantern" shirt sitting by it in the picturesque town of Lorain, Ohio. The basket, which is made out of concrete, was built in 1937 by David Shukait who was asked by city officials to make "something special" for the new park entrance. At Easter the basket is filled with giant brightly colored Easter Eggs!
By the way, for those who might be interested, Lorain is also home to the longest Bascule, or lift, drawbridge in the United States - and the second longest in the world.
So many oddities and curiousities to see and so little time...
Dave
At 9:14 PM, October 25, 2005 ,
Anonymous said...
Dave, the Easter Basket has to be one of the most unique town attractions in the world! It must be quite a sight filled with eggs during the holiday. I, too, love visiting lighthouses. And while we've seen a few on Michigan shores, we've never been to any in Ohio. What are some of the ones you'd recommmend seeing? MBP
At 9:34 PM, October 25, 2005 ,
Christopher Showerman said...
Dave!
These are great!! I think everyone should also know that you sent pictures of the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as well as a spiffy Popey statue which I wasn't able to upload. Did you do all this traveling just this year?? You were coast to coast across the USA! I bet you got some frequent flyer miles out of it all!
All Things Possible!
At 5:06 PM, October 26, 2005 ,
Anonymous said...
MBP - I've never seen the basket at Easter - but I bet it is a sight when filled with eggs. Apparently, at one time the eggs were made out of cement and weighed over 100 lbs each, but they are now made out of lighter materials because they used to be popular targets for theft and people, mostly teens playing pranks, kept hurting themselves when they tried to steal them.
This trip along the southern coast of Lake Erie - Ohio's "North Coast" as it were - was my first though I have lived nearby my entire life. There are several lighthouses and a couple are open to the public including one in the town of Ashtabula that sits on a hill in the center of town with a commanding view of the lake and surrounding area and a museum is attached in the light house keeper's house.
Chris - I hadn't thought of it, but yes I've been coast to coast over the course of this past year and from north to south as well (Michigan to Florida). I enjoy traveling and seeing new/unique things as well as finding the best roller coasters! My next goal is to try and get to Europe in the next year or two.
Dave
PS the Popeye statue is in Chester, Illinois and overlooks the Mississipi River. Chester is the birthplace of Elzie Segar, Popeye's creator. On this same trip I also saw the world's largest Superman statue in Metropolis!
At 7:04 AM, October 27, 2005 ,
Christopher Showerman said...
Is there really a city called Metropolis??
At 10:07 AM, October 27, 2005 ,
Anonymous said...
Yes there really is a Metropolis in Southern Illinois - just north of Paduch Kentucky. Metropolis is the only city so named in North America (possibly the world?) and tries to tie in the name with the fictional comic book city as much as possible. Superman appears on "flags" throughout the city, there is a privately run Superman musuem (two or three store fronts filled with memorabilia from the comics, television, and movies) and a giant statue of the Man of Steel himself - it's about 10 or 12 feet tall!
Dave
At 10:10 AM, October 27, 2005 ,
Anonymous said...
Oops, I meant to spell Paducah not "Paduch" in my response. I hope the citizens of that fine Kentucky city forgive me!
At 5:43 PM, October 31, 2005 ,
Anonymous said...
Yes, Metropolis is a trip! It's the only city in the U.S. by that name. One of the local ministers gets into the leotard and cape for festive occasions. Evidently the town gets a small but steady stream of D.C. comic fans bringing tourist dollars. It's a nice little town, with a real sense of humor about the whole thing. And it's a lovely part of the country to drive through.
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