World 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 never dream of mixing HO with N.

All’s fair in love, war, and child’s play, however, so friends and I often mixed scales while enjoying our model trains and other toys. It made things more interesting.

Yacht dwarfs Venice, Italy (photo by Tui Snider)

Dwarfed by Modernity

Under these circumstances, Barbies could take on Amazonian proportions, terrorizing entire cities, with rampages that could only be ended by an even larger entity, such as a maniacal Teddy bear, or some other creature. Fun stuff!

I was reminded of all this as our cruise ship pulled out of the harbor in Venice, Italy. So many luxury boats there were clearly out of scale with that ancient Italian village. One yacht featured not just one, but two helicopter pads. I guess it is for those moments when one helicopter is not quite enough.

You know the feeling, right? ;p

Everything's to scale now in Venice, Italy (photo by Tui Snider) — Everything’s to scale now in Venice, Italy (photo by Tui Snider)

Super Sized Nightmare

Despite my childhood fun, the violation of scale I witnessed in the Venetian harbor annoyed me. I didn’t like seeing all those HO -sized yachts snuggling up against my sweet little N-scale Italian village, the floating city I had dreamt of visiting since I first saw photos of it in National Geographic decades before.

Now that I had finally made it to Venice in person, I didn’t want to see it attacked by 50-foot-tall Barbies from Hell. It already suffers enough from acqua alta and the steady onslaught of tourists. I simply wanted la citta serenissima, the city of serenity, to get some peace for once.

Don’t you?

Want to read more?

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best selling travel guide: Unexpected Texas.
For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best selling travel guide to haunted places: Paranormal Texas.
For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out: The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber. Happy travels!

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Tui Snider having fun on a Texas road trip!

UFO Shaped McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico

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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.

Roswell, New Mexico UFO McDonalds (photo by Tui Snider)

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 McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico:
720 N Main St
Roswell, NM 88201

Typical McDonald’s Menu

While this venue doesn’t feature “out of the world fries” or milkshakes for the “intergalactose intolerant,” there are alien shaped stenciled parking spaces and a mural with Ronald McDonald riding on a rocket.

Plus, on the morning I visited, the staff was friendly and the service was prompt.

Roswell: A UFO Themed Town

Keep your eyes peeled as you drive through Roswell; there are UFO sculptures, murals and museums all over the place. The Roswell Kentucky Fried Chicken, for instance, has a large (life size?) green alien figurine standing by its front door. I’m not sure what the story is behind the the glowing probe in its hand, though!

For more alien-themed photo ops throughout this little town, check out: My Close Encounter with Roswell, New Mexico, and if you happen to be abducted on your way through town, tell ’em Tui sent you!

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my Amazon Best Seller, Unexpected Texas.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my recently-released travel guide to haunted places, Paranormal Texas. Happy travels!

Hemingway Cats in Key West, Florida

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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 many cats shared Hemingway’s Florida home, his affection for cats is well documented.

Check out Ernest Hemingway and his Cats for some really cute photos. I can’t tell how many toes the cats in these photos have, but I love how they’re wandering around, sitting on the author’s typewriter and writing projects. There’s even one of Hemingway sharing a piece of corn on the cob with a kitty!

Hemingway’s Cats Protected in his Will

Although Ernest Hemingway committed suicide back in 1961 while living up in Idaho, his will stipulated that his polydactyl crew of cats down in Florida continue to be cared for after his death. Today, more than 50 cats dwell in his Key West home, which is also a museum in his honor. Since Ernest liked to name the cats after movie stars and famous historical figures, the Hemingway Home and Museum staff (which includes a veterinarian as well as cat-caretakers) continues this playful tradition.

Hemingway House Museum in Key West, Florida (photo by Tui Snider)

Hemingway Cat Law Suit

In December of 2012, the Hemingway Home and Museum lost a lengthy legal battle with the United States government. As a result, the museum is required to obtain a Federal Animal Welfare License for the cats and have them regulated by the government as if they were circus animals. I haven’t delved into the legalese too deeply, but it seems a bit strange. When I visited, the animals were happily lounging, looked healthy and seemed well-fed, but they certainly weren’t performing by any stretch of the imagination; they were just being cats!

Hemingway cat in Key West, Florida (photo by Tui Snider)

Other Bloggers Love Hemingway Cats, Too!

I’m not the only blogger who is enchanted by the Hemingway cats. Check out these wonderful posts I found on the web:

Jacob over at The Carpet Bagger visited the Hemingway Home and Museum and noted that, “The historical tour pretty much degenerated into tourists petting and snuggling with cats while ignoring everything the guide had to say.”

Lucy Burdette who writes at Jungle Red Writers befriended one of the cat caretakers at the Key West museum and describes the behind-the-scenes tour she took when she visited.

Christina Hardcastle of Christina Hardcastle Photography shares a great set of photos she took when she visited the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida.

Hemingway cat in Key West, Florida (photo by Tui Snider)

What about you?

Have you ever been to Key West, visited the Hemingway Home and Museum or seen a polydactyl cat?

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my Amazon Best Seller, Unexpected Texas.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my recently-released travel guide to haunted places, Paranormal Texas. Happy travels!

Venice Enchants – Even During Flood Season

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High Tide in Venice Italy

Venice is known for seasonal flooding called Acqua Alta. This “high water” is especially strong when wintry high tides coincide with a Mediterranean wind called a scirocco.

Normally, I would avoid traveling to a city during a flood, but Venice is different. Acqua Alta is something Venetians have dealt with for centuries, and visiting the city during this time makes you feel like part of some ancient rhythm.

As you can see in the photo below, they sell rubber boots for travelers who show up unprepared. I like how they made that W, too. Does anyone know if that’s a common European way, or was the sign maker just having fun with their own handwritten font?

Rubber boots for sale in Venice, Italy (photo by Tui Snider)

I included the photo at the top of this because it looks as if the knights are huddling together to stay warm, or to keep from falling into the knee deep water that has filled Saint Mark’s Square!

The last shot in this trio shows you what the walkways look like in Venice during Acqua Alta.

Sure, it’s chilly and wet, but Venice still enchants during Acqua Alta. I would love to go back and experience it again!

Venice, Italy during Acqua Alta (photo by Tui Snider)

Follow me on Instagram – I follow back!

I’ve gone from turning up my nose at the idea of cell phone pictures, to being an avid iPhone photographer. If you are on Instagram, I’d be delighted to follow you. Simply follow my photo feed (@TuiSnider) on Instagram and I’ll follow you back (unless you are a scammy spamster, of course!)

For more, check out my collaboration with Morgan Dragonwillow. Morgan used my iPhone photos to accompany her poems in a book called Wild Woman Waking. Check it out!