Creepy or cute? It’s a fine line. I found these dolls in a shop in Bedford, Pennsylvania and really couldn’t decide.
You can be the judge!
It’s A Fine Line
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Category Archives: Adventure
The BIG Coffee Pot
With the rise of automobile travel in the early part of the 20th century, so came the rise of novelty architecture and attempts to attract motorists into businesses along the road. Travelers through Bedford, Pennsylvania may notice this giant coffee pot which is a remnant of that era.
Built in 1927, this coffee pot was a gimmick to draw customers to a service station and restaurant owned by David Bert Koontz. According to a historic marker next to the coffee pot, the early menu included hamburgers, ice cream and Coca Cola. Not only did this quick fare appeal to motorists on the Lincoln Highway, Greyhound passengers took advantage as well when they stopped at the bus depot next door.
It was actually built in another location than its current one but was purchased by the Bedford County Fair Association, relocated to the county fairgrounds, and restored for future generations to enjoy. That was in 2004.
At 18 feet high and 22 feet in diameter, it’s hard to miss and a real treat for us vintage roadside junkies who pretty much live for this kind of thing.
You can’t go inside anymore but it’s free to walk around outside. Here’s a fun fact: if you filled it with coffee, it would hold 819,000 8 ounce cups of coffee!
While it doesn’t serve coffee, it does serve a great lesson in roadside history and the value of creative marketing during the early days of car travel.
Back Home
I’m home after a few days of adventures with my Pittsburgh pal. She gives me the insider tour of her city and, this time, we also took a day trip over to historic Bedford, Pennsylvania.
This was my first real adventure of the year and it didn’t come a moment too soon. I was feeling restless, deprived, and yearning for something more interesting than my own four walls. I have a good life but it’s better when I step away occasionally to see what else the world has to offer.
We did a book crawl, ate at a historic tavern, and looked at art and historic buildings. We shopped, contemplated the sacrifices made by our veterans, and browsed a middle eastern food market near her home.
It is never lost on me how different her life is from mine because of where we live.
There are about three dozen independent bookstores in the Pittsburgh area. There are radio stations that play more than top forty country and pop music. I listened to some jazz radio while in the area and was sad to lose the station as I traveled away from the city. There are markets and restaurants that cater to ethnic cuisines and her very nice neighborhood of tree lined streets is filled with people who have come from afar. There are more jobs, more money, more educational opportunities, more museums, more of everything really.
The contrast between urban and rural is surprising sometimes.
Yet, where I live is beautiful. We have a shared sense of community that comes from everyone attending the same high school, shopping at the same grocery store, and being so small we tend to know each other.
Where I live in the country, there are no sidewalks or streetlights. There’s also no traffic unless you count school buses, farm equipment, and the occasional road construction.
I can hear a variety of birds and frogs in my yard and my closest neighbors are far enough away I don’t really hear them.
Quality of life is awfully good in many ways here but it’s also nice to leave and to have different experiences.
At one point, I stood before a mirror in the ladies room at Bedford Candy. My hair was a mess and I had the wild eyed look of someone who was so busy running around and looking at stuff that time didn’t matter.
It’s true, I spent almost the entire trip without any idea what day it was or what time it was. I was in my element and didn’t give a gosh darn what the clock said.
I have missed that version of myself. Planning and schedules have nearly crowded her out.
Yet, all good things must end. I’m home safe. The people in my life are thrilled to have me back. My little house panther couldn’t be happier. I keep catching him staring at me like he just wants to make sure I’m really here.
I am really here, a country mouse tucked away in my country house with a few stories to share and a mess to clean up. Not only do I need to unpack, there are groceries and fun purchases that still need to be put away today.
For now though, I can take my time, enjoy my little cat’s company, and savor the memories of experiences that helped me remember who I am.
Silent Sunday: Friends
The One That Got Away
When we travel, we often see things that look intriguing but that aren’t accessible to us at that time. There’s simply never enough time. When I was in Colorado Springs for a conference last year, we got to venture out for a couple of side trips including a ride on the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway. We also were supposed to take a Jeep tour of Garden of the Gods.
Neither of these things went as planned thanks to an absolutely wonderful snow we received the night we arrived. I found the snow magical in this already beautiful place but there were consequences. The top of Pike’s Peak was closed so the train didn’t make it to the top. Plus, Garden of the Gods was closed as well.
Our Jeep tour guide handled it like a champ, taking us to places that were accessible including around Manitou Springs and telling us stories about the area.
The original plan was better but this was a great plan b.
One of the places we went was to Glen Eyrie, an English tudor style castle. This historic castle was built in 1871 by General William Jackson Palmer. General Palmer was a Union General during the Civil War and was the founder of Colorado Springs.
It’s open for tours and has a nice little cafe and gift shop with clean restrooms and a delightful view – at least when blanketed by snow!
We weren’t able to take a tour because the timing simply didn’t work. We had to get back for the conference and flew out early the next morning.
We did, however, get to look around the grounds some and learn interesting things about the place. Our guide talked about how it was quite advanced for its time. Some features include fire hoses stationed around the castle in case of fire and a primitive intercom system. I thought it was fascinating that there’s a system that uses a lever to direct smoke, depending on the direction the wind was blowing, to send the smoke out of the valley.
With hundreds of acres, the property is home to much wildlife including a large herd of bighorn sheep, birds of prey, wild turkey and deer. There are also places to stay around the property including in the castle.
It is owned and operated by a worldwide Christian organization called The Navigators.
Incidentally, Eyrie means Eagles nest and the property is still know to be home to Eagles.
Maybe I’ll get to see inside someday. Meanwhile I’ll continue thinking of it as the one that got away!
Happiness Is
Happiness is a little bit of kitsch and vintage fun when you least expect it. Regular visitors to Presque Isle and Erie, Pa may recognize this scene at Sara’s Restaurant near the park entrance. They have a lot to look at and enjoy!
Happy Wednesday, friends. Go find something that makes you happy.