Wisconsin State Fair Park in Milwaukee USA is home to the International Clown Hall of Fame. Here the art of clowning is celebrated in a fantastic and fun display showing plenty of clown memorabilia and is a extensive research facility for clown history. The hall of fame started in 1987 with the first induction in 1989, and since then over 60 clowns have been added to the award, with clowns from all around the world. In addition to the hall of fame the there is also an annual “Lifetime of Laughter Achievement Award handed out to clowns. The hall of fame is a living museum of clowning. There are clown performances, special events, seminars, community oriented programs, classes and this museum maintains a vast archive of clown artefacts and library and fun for all ages, a must for anyone after a bit of a laugh when in Milwaukee.
Well it’s the 4th of July so we are off to the United States of America today and we play tribute to the grand old lady of New York – the Statue of Liberty. Just about everyone is familiar with the statue so we thought we would feature some interesting trivia about America’s much loved monument. Did you know that she is probably America’s biggest lady with a waistline of 35 feet, she has a face 8 feet tall and from the tip of her torch to the ground is 305 feet. The seven huge rays on her crown measure in at 9 feet long and weigh up to 150 pounds each. The torch has been replaced several times and each time it has been in a different style, the current one was installed in 1986 and is covered in sheets of 24 k gold. You might think being such a huge statue the copper outer is thick, no it is actually only about 3/32 of an inch think which is less than the thickness of two pennies. After being closed for several years after the 2001 terrorist attacks the Statue of Liberty is now open for visitors, where people can once again walk onto the observation deck for spectacular views of New York City and the harbor. Read the rest of this entry »
We have had some weird attractions on Tripandom, but this one takes the cake. A factory tour of a pet casket manufacturer- how bizarre! Hoegh Pet Casket’s is in Gladstone, Michigan in the good old USA. They have been making coffins for pets since 1966 and now make 8 sizes and 21 styles fit for any dead pet. The caskets are made of a high impact styrene product and sell nearly 35,000 of them a year some even trimmed with lace and pillows. It’s not only dogs and cats who get buried in these beautiful caskets, ducks, pigs, rabbits, lizards you name it – there’s a casket for just about anything. They also sell a huge range of cremation urns and memorials. The Hoegh Pet Casket tours can be arranged Monday to Friday between 8 and 4, here you will not only see how the caskets are produced but visit their model cemetery
Now if it is 3 top things we like about traveling it would be fast trains, Disneyland and Las Vegas. Unfortunately you can’t combine all three in the one trip, but that may change in the future according to this Slashdot story. Apparently the Bush administration has approved 45 million in funding towards a 300mph maglev train to link Disneyland to Las Vegas in under 2 hours. Maglev’s have been touted as the future of train travel as their speed is comparable to an aircraft but by being a train can move more people to and from a central city spot. The biggest problem with maglev’s is building the track that allows the train to levitate magnetically is frightfully expensive. The Shanghai system in China (video above) cost around 1.2 million US to build a 30 klm track and experts predict that this money will never be recouped over the life of the train via its fares. Apparently the 45 million set aside for the US system is to pay for environmental studies on the first leg of the project. With the length of the proposed track being around 250 miles we hate to think how much the train will cost if completed. Perhaps Bush’s plan is to make it so expensive GM will never be able to buy it to close it down! What do you think great idea or white elephant? Hit up our comment form below. Read the rest of this entry »
We all love the King of Rock and Roll but there’s so much more to Memphis than Elvis, and there’s plenty of other great music. One place where you can find it is B B King’s Blues Club on Beale Street. B. B. King is one of the legends of the Blues and he now has three of these amazing clubs, the original here in Memphis, another in country music capital Nashville and the other in the home of theme parks Orlando Florida. There’s three things to do at B.B. Kings- Eat, Drink and Dance. The menu is great Creole Cuisine and plenty of it- ribs, steaks, bbq and fried chicken and gumbo- just what you need to build up your energy to dancing to the best music Memphis has to offer. Many big names play at the club and the resident bands are sensational, it’s one of the best nights out you could ever have.
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood would have to be the most famous and most recognisable theatre in the world. Opening in 1927 on Hollywood Boulevard the theatre still today is used by many huge blockbuster opening screenings, even it’s first film was a opening screening Cecil B DeMille’s The King of Kings. The theatre has even been a host of 2 Academy Award ceremonies. Many tourists flock to the court in front of the theatre to see the dozens of celebrity cement blocks which have signatures, feet and hand prints of many of Hollywood’s biggest names. Today the theatre is owned by the huge Warner Bros and Paramount Picture companies and recently was restored to its former glory.
The Queen Mary sailed the seven seas from 1936 to 1967 and has had a very interesting life both at sea and docked at Long Beach California. The vessel had served in World War II and even accidentally sank one of her escorts the HMS Curacoa. Adolf Hitler even had the equivalent of $25000 bounty on her for anyone who could sink her. She was just about on her way to Japanese scrap merchants in when a bid for her to be parked at Longbeach California was approved. In 1971 she opened to the public as a hotel and tourist attraction and didn’t fare to well. Disney took control of her during the 80’s with plans for turning her and the site into a new theme park which would have been similar to Tokyo’s Disney Sea, this didn’t go a head and a few later owners went bust trying to come up with new plans. Today the Queen Mary open as a hotel and function centre and various tours, there are plans are drawn up to turn the area into a large entertainment complex similar to Universal Studio’s city walk with cafes, small attractions and a tourist precinct. Read the rest of this entry »
The Creole Queen is one of the delights of New Orleans, chugging up the mighty Mississippi bringing back memories of a bygone era, no trip to the city would be complete without a ride on one of the city’s beautiful steamers. The paddle steamer was introduced into service in 1983 and is one of the largest paddle steamers on the river. The vessel is 200 feet long, 40 feet wide and has three decks and can handle 1000 passengers. The Creole Queen is an authentic paddle wheeler she has two 24 foot diameter paddlewheels and is fueled by a diesel electric engine. The interior of the craft is absolutely beautiful bringing all the beauty of the past with some modern comforts. The lovely Victorian draperies and fittings and parquet cypress floors help you step back in time.
Lincoln Park Zoo is as the name suggests in Lincoln Park in the heart of Chicago and dates back to 1868 when a pair of swans joined a bear cub. Today the zoo is home to about 1250 animals which popular exhibits include gorillas, monkeys, seals, birds of preys and reptiles. The zoo also has a huge children’s area where kids can get up close to farm animals. The zoo has a large conservation duty and also carries out an extensive school program where the young can learn about the animals and the challenges they face in their natural habitats. One of the highlights of the Lincoln Park Zoo is the Robert R McCormick Bear Habitat where you can see Andean Bears, Malayan Sun Bears and the beautiful Polar Bears. The Polar Bear exhibit features one of the largest exhibits in the world with a quarter of a million gallon tank for their pleasure. Visitors can see these massive and graceful creatures behind glass frolicking in the water. The zoo is open every day and best of all its free. Read the rest of this entry »
Liberace was one of the pioneers of entertainment in Las Vegas, he brought a new type of glitz and glamour to the strip with the most over the top and lavish stage shows ever seen. He arrived on stage in jewel encrusted vehicles and had rhinestone covered pianos and his costumes were the most amazing and outrageous with sequins, jewels and diamonds. Stripped away from all the flamboyance Liberace was one of the world’s greatest performers and his classical piano playing was second to none, but it was the glitz and glamour for what this mega celebrity will be remembered for. Today Liberace is no longer with us but his legend lives on in Vegas with a huge collection of his pianos and vehicles including a mirror tiled Rolls Royce and rhinestone laden roadster are on display with many of his costumes, the amazing jewelry and the entire story of his performing life. The museum itself is larger than life just like the superstar with huge neon piano on the roof. There’s a great gift shop and the trust which runs the museum puts the money into the Liberace Foundation which invests in performing arts scholarships for the young, a cause Liberace was so deeply involved in. Read the rest of this entry »
