Sometimes odd things catch my eye, and then I can’t get them out of my mind — no matter how hard I try.  That’s sort of been the case with the Giant Baked Potato at the Idaho Potato Museum (formerly known as the Idaho Potato Expo) in Blackfoot, Idaho. While I like a spud as much as the next person, in Blackfoot it’s elevated to the status of royalty.  Not surprising for the Potato Capital of The World.  The expo claims to enlighten you with information about the agricultural, historical, social, scientific, educational, artistic and economic aspects of the world-famous Idaho potato.  Here are just a few of the “spud-tacular” exhibits full of information and fun, if a little corny as well: Equipment displays The World’s Largest Styrofoam Potato – a popular photo site A tribute to Mr. Potato Head […]

I wasn’t sure if it was true, or an urban legend, but there really is a large ball of string, claiming to be the World’s largest.  I don’t know if it really is the largest in the world, but this hulking ball of string is located in Weston, Missouri (500 Welt Street) at America Bowman Restaurant. The site was the location of the former West Museum, located in a barn on the property.  One of the artifacts proudly on display in the museum, was a huge ball of string, measuring 19 feet in circumference and weighing in at a cool 3, 713 pounds.  This is pure string, which means that no materials of a thicker composition (like yarn or twine) are in the ball.  No one has been able to answer the questions as to the origination of the ball, or the owner […]

The Astoria Column overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River from its vantage point on Coxcomb Hill, Oregon’s highest hill, in Astoria, Oregon.  The 125 foot high tower was built in 1926, at a cost of a little over twenty seven thousand dollars, with funding from Vincent Astor (great grandson of John Jacob Astor for whom the city was named) and the Great Northern Railroad. The monument has 14 pictorial scenes reflecting, in chronological order, the history of the Pacific Northwest Coast:  the arrival of the European settlers, the westward expansion, and the development of a continental nation.  The earliest scenes are at the base of the column and progress upward. The location on Coxcomb Hill is the site of the first permanent American Settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.  Although the site itself boasts spectacular views, even more spectacular are the views […]

  The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, linking the city to Marin County. I’ve written before about the Golden Gate Bridge, but noticed that today was the 70th anniversary of its opening. ____________________________________________________________ Tags: architecture, b5media, California, flight attendants, Flyaway Cafe, San Francisco, travel, travel blogs, vacation, Golden Gate Bridge

Today is Admission Day for Vermont, our 14th state, admitted to the Union on March 4th, 1791. Vermont is located in the northeastern part of the United States, an area typically referred to as New England.  With a colorful, independent-thinking history, Vermont was once an independent nation known as the Republic of Vermont.  Today, Vermont is a small state, both is total area, 45th of 50, and population, 49th of 50 (only Wyoming has less people). Vermont is frequently called the Green Mountain State, although it is unclear where the name comes from.  One theory is that it is called that because the state is more heavily forested than neighboring states.  Another theory is that the name came about because of the existence of green-hued shale.  Whatever the official explanation, fall brings about beautiful panoply of color.  The state capital […]

Today is Admission Day for Ohio, our 17th State, admitted to the union on March 1st, 1803.  The date of admission was actually determined retroactively, because no formal date of statehood was set by the original legislation.  It wasn’t until 1953 that the date of admission was set as March 1st, 1803, the date that Ohio’s first legislature convened.  (Photo above of Ohio Statehouse) Back in 1835, Ohio fought a war with Michigan, known as the Toledo War.  Somehow, my US History class missed this important battle, but as a result of it, Michigan got the western part of its Upper Peninsula as part of its state boundaries, and Ohio got the Toledo Strip.  Located in the Midwestern United States, and part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio is a heavily populated state (ranked 7th in population).  Its largest city is […]

Today is Admission Day for Nebraska, our 37th state, admitted to the union on March 1st, 1867. Located in the middle of the United States, on the Great Plains, Nebraska has a history deeply rooted in farming.  In the 1860’s homesteaders arrived in Nebraska, claiming free land granted by the federal government.  These first settlers staked out their plot of land, and turned the Nebraska prairie into a land of ranches and farms. The state’s largest city is Omaha, followed by the capital city of Lincoln, but small cities and town’s dominate the landscape. I’ve not been to Nebraska, and must confess that prior to doing a little research about it, didn’t know much about the state other than it was located in the middle of the U.S., in an area called Tornado Alley.  I would guess, that unless you […]

Location:  Napa Valley Vineyard. One of my most enjoyable weekend trips is to spend time wine tasting in the Napa Valley (California).  While several large, major wineries are located in Napa, I’ve found that some of the most fun are the smaller, limited production, family wineries. Photo:  Aaron Logan ____________________________________________________________