The Whistle Stop & Expedition

Perry's Victory and International Peace Monument

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:35:44 GMT

Dave's recent post about the British ship found in Lake Ontario gives me a chance to mention Perry's Victory and International Peace Monument a monument 317 feet tall on South Bass Island in the village of Put-In-Bay.

One can take an elevator...

Expedition to Woodleigh Gardens, PEI Canada

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:46:38 GMT

A trip to PEI in Canada must include Woodleigh Gardens one man's tribute in scale replica of landmarks of England. Ernest Johnson in a 50 year period built numerous castles, buildings out of stone in a wonderfully landscaped area that had been a farm. This place is one of wonder and seemingly part of the land and thankfully pure of commercialization.
http://www.woodleighreplicas.com

Expedition to Tour-Ed Mine

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:22:16 GMT

Tour-Ed Mine outside of Pittsburgh is an old mine one can tour via a coal car half mile deep into a mountain shaft. It is a very interesting tour and more so for claustrophobiacs. Make it part of a visit to the Pittsburgh area.
http

Closed until...

Zoombeezi Bay Opens

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:11:41 GMT

Zoombeezi Bay part of the Columbus Zoo has opened as a water park. In addition Jack's Landing, in honor of Jack Hanna director emeritus, has several dry rides. The Columbus Zoo is now one of the nation's better zoos.
Colo the first gorilla born in captivity in 1956 still holds court in the zoo. Rocky should bring Adrian here.

Geauga Lake bites the big one

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:58:50 GMT

Geauga Lake in NE Ohio has closed and some of it's roller coasters are up for auction this month. Geauga Lake had been around for a hundred years and once was neighbors with Sea World of Ohio. Sea World went under but became part of Geuaga Lake. It became a water park in process which remains open but the classic coasters are now no more.

Expedition to the Shawshank Redemption Prison

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:21:07 GMT

In reality the former Mansfield Reformatory near Mansfield Ohio. This decaying prison is open for tours and at Halloween time one can go through it at night in the dark which is interesting. Supposedly haunted and looking for all the world like a place frequented by those of the underworld both mortal and beyond. Worth the trip and one that won't be forgotten.
http://www.mrps.org/#

Expedition to Gone With The Wind Themed Hotel

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:35:47 GMT

Clarion Inn Willow River, a Sevierville hotel is a very nice hotel close to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Each room includes photos from GWTW and the certain structural features of the hotel resemble the Tara Manor Home. It is a nice place to stay and nicely priced much of the year.
http://www.openlist.com/sevierville-tn_clarion-inn-willow-river/265612397

Speaking of Tara...

Expedition to Andy Griffith's Mt Pilot

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:03:50 GMT

There is no Mayberry nor is a Mt Pilot two towns made famous from The Andy Griffith show. But Andy Griffith's hometown Mt Airy is real as is the ominous massive landmark Pilot Mountain sitting by itself among small hills near Mt Airy.
Pilot Mountain is very distinctive and towers 1,500 feet above surrounding countryside. I can attest there is a great view from the climbable section of the mountain in this NC State Park. I can't say it is worth a special trip but if you see it...

National Train Day...

feeds@yuku.com (rhomak) — Sun, 04 May 2008 06:57:43 GMT

May 10 is National Train Day

http://www.nationaltrainday.com/about-train-day

All Aboooaaarrrdd!
rhomak

Hoppyland

feeds@yuku.com (Ram Singh) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:58:02 GMT

Hoppyland was a short lived amusement park in California attempting to cash on the Hoppy craze of the day. It lasted 3 seasons. It was a 70 acre park and pretty ordinary for day. Very few photos of it survive,
http://www.lilesnet.com/memories/past/hoppyland.htm

Expedition to the Ruins of Detroit

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:46:28 GMT

Is the Detroit the portent of things to come for country? The near total destruction of one of formerly America's greatest cities is presented in this monumental website The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit. Is the present mayor of Detroit hopeful? No he's indicted.
http://www.detroityes.com/toc.htm

Unterseeboot 505 Nazi Sub in Chicago

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:13:39 GMT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:U505wide.jpg

The only German submarine captured in WWII has been restored and can be seen at the Museum of Science and Natural History in Chicago. By going through this cramped boat one can get a strange feeling out of what in meant to be in the Silent Service of any nation. The whole crew except one fatality was captured in 1944 along with code books so this captured...

The Last American Lighthouse

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:22:01 GMT

Actually the last fully staffed(not automated) lighthouse in the USA is Boston Lighthouse. It has long history dating back nearly 300 years. Providing guidance for the outer Boston Harbor Islands it remains staffed by the US Coast Guard.
http://lighthouse.cc/boston
http://www.rickslighthouses.com/boston_light.htm

The William S Hart Museum

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:33:12 GMT

Here is a short video tour of silent Western King William S Hart's former home and ranch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld5Hr25_wf0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmR_ZfAkeIs&feature=related

Resident Evil 0 Train Wreck

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:41:45 GMT

Resident Evil 0 is a game that is part of a series of games that would fall in the haunted house zombie genre. A great train wreck of a 50's type diesel caps an early portion of this game. The game is violent to a degree just because of blood spilling when zombies are shot. Disney's Haunted Mansion is much more violent but no blood.

Expedition to The Parthenon USA

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:01:39 GMT

Down South in Nashville TN is a full scale replica of the Parthenon of Athens Greece. But this one is not a ruin but a replica of the Parthenon when first built. Nashville's Parthenon is now 111 years old but still is in great shape at part of the Nashville Park system. It was originally built for Tennessee's Centennial in 1897.
http://www.nashville.gov/parthenon

Mystery Spots

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:38:13 GMT

I have asked my wife where "The Mystery Spot" is and her unfortunate answer is St Ignace MI. And she is correct with this firm declaration as she would have been if she had said Santa Cruz CA. These are old fashioned tourist attractions designed to create optical illusions of gravity defying balls, slanted floors and the reality that your wallet will be a tad lighter. Prices in MI are $7 for an adult, cheaper surprisingly in CA $5 but that one rips you off $5 for your 30 minutes...

Expedition to Odd America Multi-Storied Outhouses

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:19:25 GMT

Technically multi means more than two but the vast majority of outhouses, johns, are one floor plans but there are a few that are of a two story variety and at least one is a three-peat job.
Two story SH'S
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/outhouse.html

Three Story SH

A Passage in India

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:59:51 GMT

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - A newborn baby girl survived an ignoble birth after slipping down the toilet bowl of a moving Indian train onto the tracks when a pregnant woman unexpectedly gave birth while relieving herself on Tuesday.

"My delivery was so sudden," said the Bhuri Kalbi, the mother of the infant, born two months prematurely. "I did not even realize that my child had...

Backyard monorail

feeds@yuku.com (Tony Bolton) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:52:08 GMT

I almost put the plural but as far I can find there is only one backyard monorail. Built by the president of the Monorail Society it is a testament to a man's dedication to his interest.
http://www.mirabilis.ca/archives/001616.html

http://www.monorails.org/tmspages/NMM01.html