Rants

Ironworld Loses Its Mettle

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Back in the 1990s, a tourist attraction named Ironworld U.S.A. was a popular stop in Chisholm, Minnesota. It had a teepee, a goofy-looking dinosaur, and a train ride along the rim of an open-pit mine “to enjoy the scenic wonder of an open-pit mine,” according to its brochure. It wasn’t technically accurate (cartoon dinosaurs rarely [...]

Cost in Space

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Plain old earthbound tourism has seen plenty of price-cutting and bargain hunting in recent tight-fisted times. But when it comes to Space Tourism, the price is skyrocketing! Russian Space agency Roscomos announced that it is nearly doubling the cost of a trip to the International Space station. If you want a seat on the Soyuz [...]

The Last Temptation Of A Souvenir

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

If a tourist attraction succeeds, thrives, and endures long enough, it accumulates a storeroom full of old brochures and souvenirs. While many owners toss yesteryear’s marketing into the trash and merchandise into the 25 cent bins, some hold onto their creations. They open a “museum” about the attraction’s past, to put tourists in the proper [...]

Step Counting in Your Road Trip Future?

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

It never occurred to us that travelers need to know — in advance — the step count at a tourist attraction.

Stealth Statues Evade Picky Zoning

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Let’s say that you own a business, and you want to erect an eye-catching roadside statue to pull in customers — but laws in your overly regulated community say that you can’t.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Is the American Dream running out of time?
Downtown merchants across the country are saying “No!” by erecting over-sized, fake, olde-timey clocks. Pole-mounted timepieces, according to the Christian Science Monitor, are elevating shopping districts above their rivals in neighboring towns (at least until those towns get their own clocks). One businessman told the Monitor, “The clock [...]

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