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Herr Gessler
On the corner of Main Street and Otsego Avenue in Gaylord, Michigan, stands a statue of Herr Gessler -- the evil 14th century Swiss ruler assassinated by William Tell.
According to legend, Gessler hung his hat in the town square and demanded that the townsfolk bow before the hat. William Tell and his young son refused to bow to the hat, and were arrested. Gessler told Tell that he and his son would be spared from execution if Tell would shoot an apple off the head of his son. Tell accepted the challenge and split the apple with an arrow from his crossbow.
The legend claims that Tell later killed Gessler and took his place as ruler. However, the townfolk of Gaylord, Michigan, disagree. They claim that Gessler escaped to Gaylord and now tries to ruin their annual Alpenfest by demanding people bow to his hat.
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| A 1500 pound statue of Gessler carved from a cottonwood tree |
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| Ben and Sophia refuse to bow to the hat |
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| Herr Gessler refused to smile for a photo |
Hiawatha: The World's Tallest Indian
In the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Ironwood stands a giant -- a 52 foot tall fiberglass statue of Hiawatha, leader of the Iroquois Confederacy. This statue was erected by the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce in 1964 in hopes of attracting visitors to Ironwood's downtown businesses.
The Big Indian is one of the few roadside attractions I remember from my childhood. It probably helps that there are photos to help me remember. Maybe I remember the photos more than the visit itself. I do, however, remember walking up those stairs. Like many things from my childhood, they are bigger in my memory than in real life.
Regardless of whether the photos of the childhood visit or the visit itself are stronger in my mind, they do example the value in photographing the places one visits. Take photos. Put them somewhere you and the others involved can see them. Photos are great cognitive aids that can help retain and recall memories -- memories of both what's in the photo and the experiences around it.
Although the Hiawatha statue was not exactly on the way to our next destination, memories of the childhood visit begged me to make a detour to Ironwood. Hiawatha was still standing there as I remembered from my visit four decades ago -- only this time, a little bit less magical. I am happy to have gone out of the way for a new visit and new memories.
The Big Indian is one of the few roadside attractions I remember from my childhood. It probably helps that there are photos to help me remember. Maybe I remember the photos more than the visit itself. I do, however, remember walking up those stairs. Like many things from my childhood, they are bigger in my memory than in real life.
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| Ben standing on Hiawatha's foot in 1974. |
Regardless of whether the photos of the childhood visit or the visit itself are stronger in my mind, they do example the value in photographing the places one visits. Take photos. Put them somewhere you and the others involved can see them. Photos are great cognitive aids that can help retain and recall memories -- memories of both what's in the photo and the experiences around it.
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| Sophia standing on Hiawatha's foot in 2015. |
Although the Hiawatha statue was not exactly on the way to our next destination, memories of the childhood visit begged me to make a detour to Ironwood. Hiawatha was still standing there as I remembered from my visit four decades ago -- only this time, a little bit less magical. I am happy to have gone out of the way for a new visit and new memories.
Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty
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| A giant billboard enticed us to stop... or maybe it was that it was that we should have eaten hours before. |
In the Great Northwoods of Wisconsin, in the town of Minocqua, is a tourist trap of a restaurant that lures hungry travelers off the highway with a giant cutout billboard and giant fiberglass figures: Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty.
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| Giant fiberglass figures are a common art medium of the Great Northwoods |
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| Some view the figures as playground equipment... or maybe mountains to be conquered. |
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| Sophia poses with Babe. I wonder if they have blue ox on the menu. |
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| I pose with babe. |
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| This sign said to pay as we enter. We paid as we left. |
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| The dining room was mostly empty; as might be expected for late on a Sunday night. |
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| The Lumberjack Feast provided both quality and quantity nourishment. |
