Postcard: Soldiers Field and Field Museum, Chicago

"Erected to the memory of Chicago's soldiers at a cost of $6,000,000. With a seating capacity of 150,000, it is the scene of great spectacles, pageants, music festivals, athletic events, and national gatherings."

This postcard was postmarked in 1947.

Postcard: Downtown Lexington 1908

I REALLY love old postcards showing downtown Lexington! This one looks to be postmarked 1908! Check out the buggies and the street cars!

I recognize the big building on the right. The new farmers market sets up near it. I think most of the others are gone. I know a parking garage is on the left now too.

Postcard: Owensboro Motor Inn

I have memories of seeing this building in Owensboro, but it is not there now. I can't remember when they took it down, but I am thinking it must have been some time ago.

Postcard: Holiday Inn of Cincinnati Riverfront

Holiday Inn in Covington.

Postcard: The Soldiers and Sailors' Monument, Indianapolis, Ind.

This is another great icon that I have several postcards of, but here is another new angle.

This card is postmarked 1944! The back description reads:

located in the heart of the city is recognized as one of the finest colossal sculptures in the United States. It is 284 feet tall and is dedicated to the Indiana heroes of past wars.

Postcard: Sanders Court and Cafe, Corbin

I really love this postcard from way back! Check out the color, and the cars!

The back reads-
Offer complete accommodations with tile baths, (abundance of hot water), carpeted floors, "Perfect Sleeper" beds, air conditioned, steam heated, radio in every room, open all year, serving excellent food.

Postcard: City Hospital, Cleveland Ohio

The sender of this postcard comments to the recipient that you can't tell how big the hospital really is from this view.

I actually used to visit this hospital professionally, and it still is big! There is much more to it now. The last time I was there, a parking garage was where the oval commons areas were. It has been some time, but a helicopter pad was added to or near one of the buildings. The far v-shaped building is a bit gothic looking if I remember correctly.

Uncle Lee's in Greenville

Have you ever been to Uncle Lee's in Greenville? If you have, then you know that it is a little hard to describe. It is unique.

I don't know how long it has been there, but I remember going there in the early and mid 90s. Then, it reminded me of a K-Mart with an emphasis on the needs of hunters.

So, they have a lot of the general things you might find at any store. They even have furniture in the back.

As you can see from the pictures, they have a lot of things a hunter would need. They have a lot of taxidermidied (is that a word?) critters too. In fact, I can't think of a bigger collection of stuffed animals. My dad loves this place.

Anyway, it is worth a bit of a drive off the beaten path to check out.

When I think of the western part of the state, I think about places like Uncle Lee's.

http://www.unclelees.com/

Postcard: World Famous Tree House

The back of this postcard, postmarked 1940, reads-

World Famous Tree House, Lilley Redwood Park, Redwood Highway, California

Featured by Robert Ripley as the Tallest One-Room House in the World, Diameter 33 feet. Circumference at base 101 feet. Ave over 4000 years. Hollowed by fire over 300 years ago, the tree is still vigorously growing. Believe it or not.

Anyone out there have more info on this tree? I can't find much information on it online.

Third Street Stuff and Coffee- Lexington

I love coffee and I love coffee shops. Third Street is one of the most attractive coffee shops around. It is colorful and nicely decorated. I would love to decorate my house in a similar way, but my wife won't let me. That's Ok though, I can go to Third Street Stuff and enjoy their decorating skills.

They have a cool hand made jewelry and other nic nac type store in the back. You will have to check that out on your own. It is hard to really describe the items they have. It is a great place to find a very unique gift for someone.

The shop has info on upcoming events too. Concert posters, gallery postcard, local free mags are easy to find here. Some other coffee shops have stopped allowing community info like this inside.

Oh, and the drinks are good!

Postcard: Indiana State Capital Indianapolis, Ind.

No description on the back, but it is postmarked November of 1945! What a good time to be in Indianapolis!

Random Thoughts On Friday

It is cold here! Which means it is a great time to fantasize about summer trips!

Lately, I have been thinking about Pittsburgh. I spent time there during the 00s. I feel a real love for the town, and their sports teams. I was pulling for the Steelers at the Super Bowl, but I admire the other guys too. I like Aaron Rodgers a lot. He has a good attitude, and he can obviously keep it together during stressful times. I wanted the Steelers to win, but if a team had to beat them, I am glad it was the Packers.

Still, I had to buy my Packers fan friend Rick dinner the other night because of the game. Second year in a row I lost a dinner bet on the game.

I lost interest in the half time show. It made me think about how great recent acts like The Who, and Tom Petty were.

I was watching a playoff game in Pittsburgh earlier, and I saw Billy Gardell at the game. I immediately remembered having a conversation with Billy some years ago about Pittsburgh!

If you don't know who Billy Gardell is, you should. He is a great comedian that pops up in movies and shows all the time. Currently, he is the co-star of "Mike and Molly." By the way, I love that show.

I saw him do stand up several years ago and really enjoyed his set. In fact, I have probably watched over 200 comedians live at various times, and Billy is one of my all time favorites. He would easily make my top five list, and he might be at the very top of that one. Thea Vidale and Billy would be the two top ones.

I was wearing a Pirates shirt the night I saw Billy's act and after the show, I asked him for an autograph. He very kindly gave me one, and then we talked for some time about Pittsburgh, both agreeing that it is a great town that, at times, doesn't get the credit it deserves. It was nice talking to Billy about how great the area is.

Some people get their own shows, then act too good to be from an area. I like the fact that Billy takes pride in being from this great spot. He is an asset to Pittsburgh.

http://www.billygardell.com/

Jay's Burgers in Calhoun

When I think of going somewhere just to get a burger, I think of Calhoun Kentucky. The little town is not far from Owensboro. I always thought of it as being between Owensboro and Greenville, but I never really mapped it out.

Calhoun is small. There is a grocery, a post office, and a few other businesses here and there. I remember, as a kid, my dad going to a business where you could "trade" a cow for some burgers in Calhoun!

Speaking of burgers, going to Jay's Drive In in Calhoun has always been fun. My dad and I had burgers, shakes and some fries for about $11 there recently.

Calhoun is a scenic town. I wouldn't describe it as hopin' but it is pleasant. It is a small enough town that directions to Jay's are no problem. Drive to Calhoun, and drive towards Green River. You are there.

I do enjoy looking out at the river and the bridge. My dad swears he saw a fish the size of a car in this river once. In fact, he first thought it was a car that had gone into the river, until its tail flopped out of the water.

Clark Hunt- Chairman and CEO - Kansas City Chiefs

There are many areas that I absolutely love. Two of my favorites are Columbus Ohio and Kansas City Missouri.

I have spent a lot of time in Columbus. I have sung the praises of that town many times on this blog.

I visited KC this past year for the first time and immediately felt that the area was very under appreciated.

I sent a note to someone recently who has a strong connection to both of these great areas.

Clark Hunt is very involved with two of the major sports teams in each area. He is mostly known for his involvement with the Chiefs in Kansas City, but he also owns the soccer team, the Columbus Crew.

Mr. Hunt VERY kindly took a moment to send me a note commenting on his work in both areas.

"My family and I enjoy our ties to those cities, and it's great to watch our teams interact with the communities."

"To answer your questions, I am an avid fan of both football and soccer, and I enjoyed playing both sports when I was growing up. My favorite place to go in Kansas City is the New Arrowhead Stadium for Chiefs home games. There is nothing better than experiencing the pre-game tailgating, tasting the barbecue, seeing the sea of red in the stands and hearing the roar of the chanting fans- fans that have earned the reputation as the loudest in the NFL, I might add."

Mr. Hunt continues about Kansas City.

"In addition to Arrowhead, a great place to stop if you are planning a trip to Kansas City is Country Club Plaza. It's an outdoor mall located near downtown that is filled with many popular shops and restaurants. It's a very nice area to walk through while enjoying the fresh air and sites."

How cool is it that Clark Hunt took the time to send me a note? Obviously, he is very busy.

We are hoping to make it make to the area soon, and we LOVED Country Club Plaza on our trip last year!

Book: lost Caves of St. Louis

"Lost Caves of St. Louis" is a really fun book to read, even if you are not familiar with the city.

I love hearing about lost and forgotten places. I enjoy hearing the legends of places that were accessible at one time, but they are not now.

Of course, when I hear about a place that you could get to before, but you can't get there now, I want to go to it!

I think stopping to take a tour of a show cave is always exciting. I find myself in several a year and I enjoy each one.

It makes me a bit sad to know that the amazing city of St. Louis has the potential to add show caves to its extensive list of tourist attractions.

"Lost Caves of St. Louis" talks about the many caves in the area. It seems that most were originally used to store beer by the many breweries. The author and his wife get permission to explore most of the caves around the 60s.

Sadly, the openings to the caves have been destroyed for different reasons, and the entrances are no longer around!

I really would love to see St. Louis open up a couple again! It seems that roadways were the main cause of cave entrance destruction, but surely some access is still available.

I would love to hear from anyone with photos or more info on the caves.

This book is a fun one because of the great documentation of the caves by the author before they vanished. It is interesting hearing about the condition of the caves and how they were used at different times.

Pro Football Hall of Fame- Canton Ohio

I realized recently that I have never mentioned the Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio!

There is a ton of info out there on this place, and I am actually not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to the sport, so I will keep this short.

If you are in the northern part of Ohio, you really must make the stop here. Even non-football fans will enjoy learning about the history and seeing the relics.

I can say that the staff there, at least when I visited, was extremely friendly. Also, they allow photography. These two facts alone make this Hall of Fame and Museum superior to any other similar museums near Cleveland.

There is a very sincere respect for the game and the fans. I personally enjoyed looking at the exhibits on the defunct leagues. The display of Super Bowl rings is one of a kind too.

Plus, probably because of the friendly staff, this museum seems less formal than some. You don't have that feeling that some security guy is following you around for no reason the way you might feel at other museums. The staff seemed more helpful than uptight.

http://www.profootballhof.com/default.aspx

Columbus Zoo

Easton- Columbus Ohio

Columbus has one of the all time nicest shopping areas. I think this might be the first area that I remember being called a "lifestyle center."

I don't like that term. I still think of Easton as a really nice, classy traditional indoor mall with a ton of cool shops and shopping strips right outside.

We used to go to the area on a 2 or 3 day weekend and get a room at one of the near by hotels. Yep, you can spend DAYS here. With the movie theater, comedy clubs, arcade, and plenty of restaurants you are covered.

Ripper Owens Tap House- Akron Ohio

What do Jimerado and the former lead singer of Judas Priest have in common? VERY little, but I think we both appreciate good wings.

Tim "Ripper" Owens has put together a really cool bar with a focus on wings. God bless him.

I rememeber going to this place back when it was Scorchers 7 or 8 years ago.

A couple of friends recently told me that the local legend, Owens, started this new business.

I am not a heavy metal fan myself, but you have to admire Tim Owens. If you are not familiar with him, look him up. He was singing in cover bands when he was asked to replace Rob Halford in Judas Priest. He had a great run with them, and his career has been very successful since departing from Judas Priest. The movie "Rock Star" was inspired by Owens.

Tim's story is unique and interesting. In interviews he comes off as intellegent, and very serious about his music. He has been a great representative of the Akron area.

Back to Tim's wing peddling business. I tried 3 different flavors of wings at my visit and they were all great. There are THIRTY different flavors of wings, and he does have a "World Tour of Wings" going for those who want to try all of them.

Tim has some cool displays on his walls, incluing instruments, photos, and other cool rock memorabilia. I can look at that stuff all day.

We went on a Sunday, and I did see people wearing Steelers jerseys there to watch football. Another reason to give this bar a positive review.

This will be a "must stop" on future Akron visits.

http://www.ripperowenstaphouse.com/

Book: A Time of Terror- by James Cameron

I really want to keep my blogs family friendly. I try to avoid topics that are not suitable for everyone. I would like to think a 9 year old or a 90 year old can check out this blog. I want this to be a blog that anyone interested in travel and other topics can come to and relax.

I like to include a scan of the cover of a book when I mention it, but I just couldn't do it this time.

"A Time of Terror" by civil rights activist James Cameron gives the story of a 17 year old James, as he starts to rob a couple at gun point with two of his friends in Marion Indiana. The year is 1930, and James and his two friends are black.

James changes his mind about the robbery, and runs away. His two friends, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, go ahead with the crime, and one of the victims ends up dead.

That evening, all participants are picked up by the local authorities.

James gives his account of being beaten by the police until he signs a confession.

Later, James watched from his cell as his two friends are beaten and killed by a mob.

The mob then takes James from jail. They also beat him. As Shipp and Smith hang from a tree, the crowd prepares to hang Cameron too.

James says that for reasons he cannot fully explain, the crowd changed its mind. He claimed to still have scars on his neck from the rope that was to be used for his hanging.

The rest of the book talks about James' trial, his time in jail, and his life after that day in 1930.

I search for a copy of this somewhat hard to find book after hearing a rebroadcast of an interview with James Cameron on NPR. James sounded humble and kind. Sadly, his passed away in 2006.

It looks like this book was last published in 1994, and it is begging for a reprint. It deserves to be in print now.

The cover of the book is a famous photo taken of Shipp and Smith hanging from a tree with mob surrounding them. It is a very graphic picture. It inspired the Billie Holiday song, "Strange Fruit."

If you can find a copy pick it up. This is an almost unbelievable 1st hand account of a lynching.

Steve Galgas and Mike Altman- Columbus OH Mural

Columbus has the very cool Short North Arts District. Lots of nice places to eat and fun art shops can be found here.

Anyone who has traveled through the area has notice the variation on "American Gothic" painted on the side of one building.

Steve Galgas and Mike Altman did the mural, and they have moved on to work on some other great art projects! I sent them a note recently, and they very kindly responded!

Steve responded, "Thank you for contacting us about our mural! We're really flattered that you took the time to write us!"

Concerning their careers and current projects, Steve says, "I'm currently developing artwork for Facebook games at a company called Playfish."

He tells me that Mike is working as a modeller (digital sculptor) at Pixar! They both worked on the very cool short "Day & Night" which played before "Toy Story 3"! Mike also did many backgrounds in next year's "Cars 2."

I am so excited that these two very cool artists are still doing some great work! I personally love Toy Story 3 (I have a Lotso doll sitting on my desk right now!).

Check out Steve and Mike's sites for more info on thier careers and projects!

mike-altman.com
galgas.com

Goodyear Blimp- Akron Ohio

I spent some time in the late 90s working in Akron, I think I have mentioned that before.

Anyway, I would see the Goodyear Blimp all the time. It seemed to be out and about a lot.

In fact, I spent one day in Akron recently, and the blimp went right over my head!

I know there are actually a few Goodyear Blimps scattered around, but it is so cool seeing one in person.