Rants

Turn Off, Tune In, Drop By

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Luckenbach, Texas was never a bustling metropolis. In 1904, its population peaked at a far-from-astounding 492. And by the 1960’s, Luckenbach was three citizens short of being a complete ghost town. Then, in 1970, a group of friends (Hondo Crouch, Guich Koock, and the normal-named Kathy Morgan) bought the entire kit and kaboodle for $30,000 [...]

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.

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