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Tag: Quirky Travel

Does this yacht make my ancient village look fat?

All’s Fair in Love, War & Child’s Play A trip to Venice, Italy got me thinking about the model train set I had as a kid, and how it taught me the meaning of scale. For those who have never played with model trains, they come in two different scale sizes: N and HO. HO is the larger of the two, with a ratio of 1:87.1, while N gauge ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. Because of this difference in scale, an HO caboose seriously dwarfs an N caboose when sitting side by side. Serious model train aficionados (i.e. adults) would…

Quirky Texas: Jesus in Cowboy Boots

Quirky Statue in Paris, Texas The following is an adapted excerpt from my Amazon Best Seller: Unexpected Texas. Enjoy! The north Texas town of Paris is home to a quirky statue known locally as the “Jesus in cowboy boots.” This statue is actually the 20-foot grave marker honoring a man named Willet Babcock, who died in 1888. While impressive, it would hardly be the quirky tourist attraction that it has become were it not for the unusual footwear worn by the cross-bearing figure it depicts; instead of the bare feet or sandals one often associates with Biblical folk, this one…

UFO Shaped McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico

McDonald’s Worth a Road Trip Detour I usually avoid McDonald’s restaurants on road trips, simply because I want to taste local flavors and support small, non-franchised family restaurants whenever possible. Plus, we all know what the menu is like, and if we’re really craving one of their burgers, we can always get one at home. Alien Themed McDonald’s Address That said, if you ever travel through Roswell, New Mexico there is one McDonald’s fast food restaurant worth visiting, not for the food, but for the architecture: this particular McD’s looks like a flying saucer! Here’s the address for the alien-themed…

Hemingway Cats in Key West, Florida

The Old Man & the Polydactyl Cat Not only was Ernest Hemingway fond of cats, but his name has become synonymous with a particular feline genetic mutation, one that causes cats to have extra toes. While these polydactyl cats are not an actual breed, they are often referred to as, “Hemingway Cats,” in his honor. It all started down in Key West, where Ernest Hemingway lived in the 1930’s with his second wife, their kids and, rumor has it, a polydactyl Maine Coon named Snowball. The cat was given to him by a local sea captain. While it’s unclear how…

Azle, Texas: Where Chuck Norris Buys his Toys

The following is an adapted excerpt from my Amazon Best Seller: Unexpected Texas. Enjoy! Wild West Toys in Azle, Texas If you enjoy retro collectibles, Wild West Toys in Azle, Texas will knock your socks off. This funky shop is stocked with vintage playthings from the 1950’s and 60’s, as well as specialty sodas (sarsaparilla and the like), candies, turquoise jewelry, western-themed dishes, housewares, and play clothes for kids. Made in the USA Wild West Toys is also the only place in the USA to manufacture metal cap guns. They must be top notch, too, because even Chuck Norris owns…

Wichita Falls, Texas: The World’s Smallest Skyscraper

The World’s Smallest Skyscraper Built in 1919, the Newby-McMahon Building in downtown Wichita Falls (701 La Salle, Wichita Falls, TX) is more commonly referred to as “the world’s smallest skyscraper.” Here’s the story behind this quirky structure and how it got its nickname: J.D. McMahon was an engineer and oilman from Philadelphia who breezed into Wichita Falls with blueprints to build a high-rise building in the downtown area. McMahon must have been a good talker, because it didn’t take him long to raise $200,000 (a fortune for that time) from local investors. The Difference Between Feet & Inches At a glance, it appeared…