(If you are here for a followup to the award winning 19 part series on motel accessibility from our last big trip, check the end of this post)
Here we are, already on day eight of our latest driving adventure, but our somewhat driven pace (pun intended) hasn’t left me time to write. Here is a map of our journey (click image for a larger view),
We wanted to start the trip putting as much distance as possible under our wheels and backload the trip a bit more so the return trip didn’t seem so punishing. Plus we have travelers joining us for segments — cousin William from Ohio to DC, our Kurdish friend Heval from DC to Massachusetts, and finally Tony and Joy with us from Chicago all the way back to Ashland.
It’s a different kind of travel for distance, sticking to the interstate at the expense of enjoying backroads. But middle American offers a number of great diversions just off the road. Or should I say “greatest” diversions.
We saw the “World’s Largest Easel” in Goodland Kansas, which is better described as a giant work of art on the worlds largest easel. Note John sitting in the van down at the bottom left for scale
Look for it next to “Bubba’s Meat Block and Wild Game Processing” and “Bill’s Shootin’ Shop”
Then there’s the “World’s Largest Ball of Sisal Twine” in Cawker City Kansas. Some 43 feet around, over 8 million feet of twine weighing in at over 20,000 pounds. Started by one man, it was adopted by the town after his death and added to by townspeople and visitors.
Note that this is NOT the largest ball of twine by a single person, as has been pointed out by someone who cares 🙂 That honor belongs to a ball in Darwin, Minnesota.
Next comes the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois. However, skeptics must ask — can it claim to be the world’s largest catsup bottle if it contains no catsup, only water? We think not!
Finally in our “greatest” lineup, is this wonderful office building and world’s largest basket, the former headquarters for the Longaberger Basket Company now sadly out of business.
Fellow explorers Kathleen, William, Kathlyn, Carolyn and John. (click image for a larger view)
Two other special stops. This large and quirky Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument was at a Rest Area just east of Laramie Wyoming. A 12.5 foot bust of Abe sits atop a 30 foot granite pedestal. It’s rather impressive gazing in person, and looks a little less like a giant robot Lincoln.
Our favorite roadside attraction was the Kaskaskia Dragon in Vandalia, Illinois, built by a local propane expert for the hardware store of the same name.
Buy a dragon coin at the mart across the street and here’s what you get:
Another great thing we saw … there were lots of warnings about watching for animals in the hilly parts of eastern Nevada, but a number of these bridges as well … they are animal crossings!
Finally a parting shot, John with a friend at Little American, Wyoming.
A tale of accessibility, part 20
In this trip I have decided to omit remarks about the homes so generously opened to us by friends and family en route. It’s the to-be-expected steps and doors and has been hardly been an inconvenience. One place lacked a bathroom on the main floor, but a nearby rec center provided a fabulous accessible shower in a private cabana.
So only two motels to comment on. I give both low marks for handicap parking (the few spaces were filled by the time we got there somewhat late) but high marks for interiors. Wide doors with no thresholds, rooms easy to get around in and good bathrooms:
The Microtel Inn and Suites in Salt Lake City
The Best Western Plus in Columbia Missouri
A closing story about the second motel. I checked in at the desk, giving my name and saying we had a prepaid accessible room. “No problem Mr. McRae” … we got our key and went to the room, and no way was it accessible. You’d be lucky to get a wheelchair even into the bathroom. So I went to the front desk, to the very same person I had checked in with only 10 minutes before, and asked if we had been given the right room because we needed accessibility. Here I paraphrase for brevity:
“Oh,” she said, “I’m afraid the accessible room is booked”.
“Someone is in it”, I asked?
“No, but it was prepaid.”
“And no one is in it?”
“No, they haven’t shown up.”
“Is the name on that reservation ‘McRae’?”
You can guess the rest.