Union Terminal in Cincinnati was designed with an attention to detail that simply isn’t found much in modern architecture.
There’s a lot to unpack in the above picture- the lights, the jaw dropping mosaic tile artwork, the ceiling, the marble and the font on the directional sign “to trains” are all worthy of our study.
The space is both grandiose and simplistic. Ornate and streamlined. That’s the thing about art deco style – they keep the lines clean but make a big statement!
It’s a showstopper, isn’t it? Come back tomorrow. We will visit one of the museums that lives in this building!
We had a couple of those moments on this last trip that reminded us exactly why it’s so important to say yes when there’s opportunity.
We were headed down Route 285, a scenic route through the mountains we chose in lieu of the interstate when heading toward Durango. There was a sign for a Historic Railroad Roundhouse that pointed right. I asked “can we?” and Johnna said sure!
This choice took us to a spot-in-the-road called Como which I found positively enchanting. Less than a mile off the highway and in the Rocky Mountains, Como has the air of a ghost town. Yet, a handful of people do reside in Victorian era cottages and homes in this collection of dilapidated buildings.
There’s a restored train depot and an old hotel that operated until the owner became too ill to keep it open. The roundhouse is simply beautiful and is a hub for numerous restoration projects being undertaken by a band of volunteers who hope to transform the town into a tourist attraction.
Friends, it doesn’t look like much and you won’t likely find this place in any guidebook but Como is the source of some of my favorite memories of this trip.
First of all, it feels deserted but I got the sensation that if I turned quickly enough I might see some Wyatt Earp like person swagger by.
Plus, we met a man named Joey who showed us around and told us stories. Turns out, there were a few people working there to prepare for an event the following day so there was a lot of activity underway.
Joey took us inside, pointing out the holes in the ceiling where engine smokestacks would be positioned to release their smoke. He showed us an old rail car turned home that they fished out of a creek bed for restoration. He showed us another car that is the exact dimension of the boxcars Hitler used to transport Jews to concentration camps.
Meet Kate, a locomotive they are currently restoring.
Joey talked to us about the town which was a stop for the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad. The Depot was built in 1879 to accommodate the railroad. It’s hard to believe but this was a bustling town with hundreds of people employed by the railroad.
For nearly sixty years, the train’s daily stop was a highlight for locals whose businesses benefited from these strangers passing through and who received delivery of goods from the city and from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.
Sadly, the last passenger train left town in April 1937 and the tracks were pulled up the following year.
The old hotel remains but closed recently when the owner fell into poor heath.
Over the decades, the town deteriorated and so did its buildings. In the last twenty years, efforts have been made to salvage and restore what’s left.
While we toured the inside, there was bustling activity outside as a train car was pulled onto the turntable so that it could be moved into the roundhouse. When we asked how it worked, Joey said “hold on a minute and you can see!”
And then he had us help him turn the car so that it could be moved into the fifth bay of the six bay roundhouse!
By then, an older couple from Colorado Springs had arrived and they were enthusiastically listening to Joey’s tales.
The cherry on the proverbial sundae was when my friend and I, along with Joey and that other man hopped on the pump car for a short trip up the tracks and then back down the tracks.
I won’t lie – the trip back was vaguely terrifying as we were going down hill but it was magnificent all the same.
These are memories I wish I could send you to do but that I could never recreate. The truth is, you must go find your own adventures.
Say yes to those random turns and to conversations with people who are passionate about the things they do. Get out of the car and go looking for something different than you already know, something more than you had planned.
That’s why we travel. That’s why we explore our own backyards. That’s where the magic happens.
One of the most unusual streets I have been on in my small town adventuring is in the village of Shirley, Indiana. This former railroad town was founded in 1890. According to the U.S. Census, the town’s population peaked in 1910 with over 1,500 residents.
At just over 800 residents today, there’s not a lot left of the town. However, I had seen a picture on Pinterest of the Burger Man Statue which can be found atop a pole outside an old carry out on Railroad Street. He resembles a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon and is a sight to behold in person.
If you want to know more about Burger Man, I discovered that blogger and Indiana history extraordinaire Ted Shideler wrote about it. Read his story here. It’s pretty awesome.
But before I saw the Burger Man, I saw this mural. Isn’t it gorgeous?
And then there was this train car.
AND this old depot turned museum!
But wait! There’s more! Next door to the depot is this Octagon House!
The Jane Ross Reeves Octagon House is just one of a few octagon homes remaining in Indiana and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s open for private tours and I would like to arrange something next year. I have never been inside an octagon house before! Learn more about it at their website.
So! I went for a vintage advertising statue and got the statue, a train, a depot, a mural and a cool house! All in one block. What more could a gal want?
There are two kinds of people in this world – those who despise trains and those who think they’re great.
Can you guess which camp I’m in?
I delight at seeing trains go down the tracks. Its fun to count the cars, study the graffiti and muse about what they’re carrying and where they’re going.
Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey in “It’s A Wonderful Life” longed to be an explorer. Who remembers the conversation he had with Uncle Billy?
George: You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are? Billy: Uh-huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served, dinner… George: No, no, no, no! Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles.
I’m with George. A train whistle is one of the man made world’s most exciting noises.
We’re all so busy running from place to place, just trying to keep up with our own lives that we hate being slowed down or inconvenienced in any way.
Yet I would argue that being forced to slow down and daydream for a few minutes is actually a gift if we allow it to be. Sit back, catch your breath and enjoy watching the cars go by, friends. Whatever you’re trying to get to will still be there in three minutes.
If you ever find yourself in Douglas, Wyoming, be sure to stop by Locomotive Park, home to the community’s railroad museum and visitors’ center.
The 1886 era depot serves as the visitors center while the park hosts an assortment of rail cars including a dining car, sleeper, caboose and locomotive.
You can go inside most but there are a couple you have to just admire from the outside. Isn’t this lovely?
The dining car was my favorite.
I sort of expected to find Louis Armstrong playing his horn in the corner.
The town mascot is a jackalope. You’ll find one of their jackalope statues right here!
This museum is free but donations are accepted. There are tables here and some shade, creating a fun atmosphere for a picnic. It’s a great place for adults and train loving kiddos alike!
Everyone recognizes Henry Ford as an industrialist and pioneer in mass production who changed the way Americans travel.
In case you don’t know, his philosophies about production efficiencies extended to many areas of his business and are still used today. He also understood that a happy employee is a more productive employee and one less likely to leave. So Ford introduced the unheard of $5 a day wage, providing his employees a comfortable living and making it possible for them to afford to buy the cars they were building. It was a smart move because reducing turnover, cuts costs and improves efficiency.
What many people don’t know is this that Ford also was fascinated by science, technology and Americana. So in the twenties, he began collecting things for what would eventually become the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.
He plucked up important structures and items with historic value from around the country and began bringing them to Dearborn, Michigan.
This place has grown and is modernized for the 21st century visitor but remains true to Henry Ford’s vision.
I had been before but was feeling a real draw to go back for some reason. I spent most of a full day wandering around the museum, taking pictures, reading signs and admiring the collection so vast that it’s hard to see everything with one pass.
Anyone who knows me well won’t be surprised that I spent the vast majority of my day lingering over the cars and planes. If it has an open cockpit or tail fins, I’m probably going to be a fan.
Here are a few pictures for your viewing enjoyment.
Any vehicle with interesting lines and a cool color is A-ok in my book!
This little car was made by Crosley, the same people who gave us the Crosley Radio. We’ll talk a little more about them another day. And yes, it’s as tiny as it looks!
Combining my excitement for aviation and interest in reporting!
Check back. I have a couple of specific stories to tell you and we’ll go to some other areas of the museum!
There are two kinds of people in this world – those who despise trains and those who think they’re great.
I sort of expected to find Louis Armstrong playing his horn in the corner.
