Tinselman

I Don't Mind If You Forget Me

flickr photo by tamjpn, with notes, click to enlarge

I recently stumbled upon upon a book about the artist Yoshitomo Nara and his +graf A to Z exhibit in Tokyo. While flipping through the pages in the book store, I could have cared less that I couldn't read a word of it... I was so captivated by the photos. Within an old cider brewery, Nara constructed (with the help of the design firm, graf media) a miniature town! And hundreds of his whimsical beings populate the town. Borne of his imagination, it attracts the very old to the very young.

I searched online for photos of the inside of the exhibit but found none. The book, which is only for sale at amazon japan is stuffed full of them. I've never seen an exhibit so inspiring or fantastic; I only wish I could see it in person!

• More flickr photos
• Official A to Z page

Tupperware Millennium Tower

If you get a chance to visit the multi-milliion dollar Tupperware headquarters, in Florida, don't forget to stop by their awe-inspiring Tupperware Millennium Tower. It's best seen at night, when it's lit from below below by numerous multi-colored lights, which this has led many to describe the abstract from as a "giant roasting flamingo". This 100 foot tall vision of loveliness has become a virtual Mecca for Tupperware lovers all over the world!

Boneyard

untitled by shadowplay

Where do old neon signs go to die?

Most get taken to the dump and are forgotten. But if a sign is lucky enough to cast its intoxicating glow over a Las Vegas blvd, then it will probably breathe its last breathe with honor. With dignity. At the Boneyard (a veritable jewel box for photographers!).

It's also known as the Neon Graveyard... three acres of dead signs!  You can get in to see the graveyard, but it costs some money, and you've got to schedule a tour or photo-shoot ahead of time (and that could be canceled at any time, for any number of reasons).

Or... you just make friends with the guard and then go in and wander around all you want!

Take a look at this amazing panoramic view of the Graveyard (click on photo, left). It gives at least a sense of being there.

Previous related posts:

• Ruins
• Roadside Attractions

top photo and middle photo by shadowplay© all rights reserved.
panoramic view by Sam Rohn© all rights are reserved

So Splendidly Small

This was the real little China if there ever was one. Spendid China opened next door to Disney World (Orlando, FL) in 1993 but was unfortunately beset with problems and closed on December 31, 2003. From what I can tell, the original Splendid China in Shenzhen, China, is still operational.

Don't wait for anyone to post photos of the abandoned park. After the closure, the detailed miniatures were sold to the highest bidder. So... I provide for your tinsel-enjoyment these photos of the pre-2003 park.

• Splendid China - Photoset I
• Splendid China – Photoset II

Fantastic Foods

Giant food. Including the famous Randy's Donuts.

Otherworldly Attractions

Miniature golf! I've always loved it (even though I stink) because I like the compactness of the courses. But there are some courses that are especially... otherworldly.

John Margolies captures the game in his comprehensive (but now out of print) book "Miniature Golf". If you can find a used copy, you'll discover a book stuffed fulled of photos of fantastic courses from around the country. It also contains a short history of mini-golf. And who can resist its authentic astro-turf cover?

Bulldog Colossal

Welcome to Bulldog Cafe, where discriminating diners feast away... on tamales and ice cream. What a classic combination! Is it the food or the charming dog-shaped building that keeps people coming back for more?

If you like these sorts of structures as much as I do, you can find more of them at the Strange and Unusual Buildings website. A number of them are downright historic.

   

Fascination with the Whale

Relax and look around... you are standing inside the stomach of the World's Largest Blue Whale. Built in the early 1970s by Hugh Davis as a gift to his wife (boy, I bet she was suprised), the Cartoosa Whale has been enjoyed by countless Route 66 travelers.

What is it with whales? We build them into mini-golf courses (Myrtle Beach, SC), fairytale parks (Schellsburg, PA), science centers (West Hartford, CT) and even amusement parks (Aneheim, CA). As if that weren't enough, we create inflatable whales and gigantic, metal whale-shaped things.

Roadside Sub-worlds

One man and his dogs has set about traveling on weekends, cataloging an array of roadside attractions. Be sure not to miss the miniature golf courses (above).

Big

Look closely. No, those are not shrunken people admiring this Sunflower painting. It's just a giganti-massive-mungo version of the famous work, and is only one small part of The Van Gogh Project, the goal of which is the eventual creation of seven of these, which will be mounted on equally gigantic easels in countries around the globe.