Greetings from Metropolis and Superfriends

Greetings from Metropolis...Illinois, home of the Superman
Meet his sidekick Superquilter...

And the Superfriends.

Is Superman's alter ego Clark Kent or is it "Big John"?

I love roadside attractions and could not wait to stop in Metropolis to see Superman. We stopped off at 8:30 in the morning and had to wait our turn to take a photo with Superman.

There is something to be said for the lure of these giant cultural icons. It brought us into the quaint downtown area and if the shops had been open we would have stayed to browse. I'm thinking of suggesting this to our town council to try to get more tourists to stop and stay. What kind of cultural icon would you bring your grand kids or kids to see?

To see more or my favorite stops, click on the Roadside Attractions label just below this post.

Greetings from the Crazy Horse Memorial

I've been meaning to write this entry since we returned from South Dakota earlier this Spring. The highlight of our trip was the Crazy Horse Memorial. This project was started 60 years ago when a group of Native Americans including Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear invited sculptor Korzak Ziolkowski to create a monument in the Black Hills to a Native American Hero.

Here is a view of the Crazy Horse Memorial from the viewing deck and a scale model of the completed sculpture. The monument is one mile away.

In this picture you can see the former outline of the mountain and the work that is in progress on the horses head.

I did not re-size these photos before posting. You can click on each photo to explore them. In the photo above there is man in a hard hat just under Crazy Horse's chin. He is looking below toward a person who is repelling down the rock face. In the lower right hand corner there is a large excavator.

The work on this project is funded by private donations. Ziolkowski was a firm believer of private enterprise, turning down funds from the government. The progress on the project is directly related to funds collected. The foundation has three major goals: the mountain carving, the Indian Museum of North America, and the Indian University (and Medical Training Center) of North America.

The scale of this project is mammoth. Korzak Ziolkowski worked on this project for years, both alone and with the help of his family. I loved the presentation that accompanies the viewing of the work in progress. My favorite part of the presentation was seeing the pictures of his children helping him load dynamite. Ziolkowski Korczak worked for nearly 36 years and refused to take any salary for this memorial. He worked on the project until his death October 20, 1982, at age 74. His wife and children continue his work.

We came to this monument not knowing what to expect. We ended up spending 4 hours more than we had planned. The museum collections are wonderful. I especially enjoyed the beadwork displays. It took a few months to write this post because I left this place feeling so many different emotions. I will not share these thoughts as I think everone should expirience this place from their own point of view. If you ever make it to this part of the world do not miss a chance to see this work in progress. You won't be sorry.

“You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.” - Richard Bach

Greetings from Vergas and Perham, MN

Greetings from Vergas, Minnesota, Home of the world's Largest Loon. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know I love roadside attractions. I can't resist stopping to take a photo. I love the call of the loon. There is nothing quite like it. Robyn, this link is for you. Click here to link to a website with various loon calls.

Vergas is always a favorite stop for shopping. I love to stop in at Coco's Bait and Tackle shop and the Quiet Cricket to start my Christmas shopping.

On the road again...

My real mission on this trip was to visit the Bay Window Quilt Shop in Perham, MN. I had heard such wonderful things about the shop and I was not disappointed. I walked in to a small quilt shop full of bright fabrics from batiks to contemporary/trendy and 30's reproduction fabrics. Much to my surprise there was so much more to see. The shop is comprised of at least two adjoining store fronts. Earth tones, primitives, holiday & Civil War reproductions are in another room. Don't miss the flannels, wool and Minkee fabric in the basement. This store is well organized. Plan to take some time on your trip so you can see everything. It was easy to find coordinating fabrics to use in an applique project that I have had on the back burner. This shop was well worth the trip out of the way to find. Perham has a lot of nice shops to visit and I hope to get back someday for an extended visit.

Greetings from Wall South Dakota

What would a trip to South Dakota be with out a stop at Wall Drug? We've always wondered what there was to see there and they had more than we imagined. Lots of places to shop under one roof and kitschy fun, just the way I like it. Matt & Whitney tame the wild Jackalope, a wall of Jackalopes and more Jackalopes?

Greetings from the Hill City South Dakota and Points Southeast

We spent a day traveling between Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park and the Crazy Horse Memorial. I have a lot to tell you about Crazy Horse but will save it for another blog. It was our first trip to the area and I just fell in love with the scenery and the people we met along the way. If you plan to see Mt. Rushmore I suggest approaching through Custer State park on the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. Not only is the scenery beautiful but you get a glimpse of Mt. Rushmore not once, but twice through rock cut tunnels. Very cool.

Custer State Park was a great place to explore. Plan on taking one to two days to see everything. The buffalo herd is vast and you run into them in the most unexpected places. We also enjoyed the Needles Highway with it's high lookouts and switchbacks. I did notice my brake pads getting a bit overheated on the way down. Stop often to enjoy the view!

Greetings From the Moon

Okay, It's not really the moon but it sure feels like it. We are in the Badlands of South Dakota. I have never been anywhere like this. It is a very surreal place. The hills are composed of bentonite clay that has hardened and eroded over time. The Badlands hold the fossilized remains of prehistoric camels, horses and rhinoceros dating from 37-28 million years old. It's a great place to photograph. The light and shadow are constantly changing. This is a place you must see in your lifetime.

Greetings from the World's Only Corn Palace

Here are some photos from the first stop of our trip out west. The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota has been around for over 100 years. Every May the exterior of this concrete structure is redecorated with a new theme. This year's theme is "Everyday Heroes." The exterior is covered with locally grown corn and grains. 500,000 people tour this facility yearly. Yes, this building does serve as a giant bird feeder. That's me with my Husband Mark on the left. Mark, Matt (my son the ham) and his friend Whitney are in the bottom right photo. One thing that you should know about me is that I love kitschy places. I dream of having my picture taken in the mouth of the giant Muskie in Hayward, Wisconsin.