Oct

Travel Inspiration on an American Road Trip

by Meredith Mullins on October 21, 2019

Butterfly Town U.S.A.
© Meredith Mullins

The Telltale Stories of Town Slogans

Sometimes, a city’s descriptive moniker is so memorable, it becomes a part of modern culture.

New York—The Big Apple
Philadelphia—The City of Brotherly Love
Las Vegas—What happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas.

One slogan like “The Big Apple” may not be enough for a city like New York (also represented by
“The City that Never Sleeps,” “Gotham,” and “I Love New York”).
© iStock/emyu

However, there is a unique universe to explore in the town slogans and welcome signs of some of America’s smaller cities. And the focus that each community chooses can be a travel inspiration.

Meet Butterfly Town, U.S.A. The sign at entrance to Pacific Grove reminds visitors and residents alike that this quiet California town by the sea is a haven for the Monarch butterfly’s winter migration. Every autumn the butterflies are welcomed by a hometown parade as they come to rest in two special groves of eucalyptus trees.

Pacific Grove has branded itself with one of the unique aspects of its identity—a wondrous natural phenonmenon that attracts visitors from around the world.

The Monarch butterflies entice visitors to Butterfly Town, U.S.A.
© iStock/LifeImagesbyGloria

The Magnetism of Town Slogans

As we travel from place to place, especially on the roads of the U.S., the town slogans that appear on welcome signs are not just an interesting read, but also a revelation of a town’s spirit. Oh, I see. They may also be a call to action.

When should we pause and turn off the highway? Why is this community significant? What towns should we visit . . . and why?

Why not visit Tombstone? The town will always be there.
© Tombstone Chamber of Commerce

A town’s motto, whether official or unofficial, originates with a number of questions. What makes a town unique? What is its marketable quality—for businesses, residents, and visitors? How should it present its essence in a brief slogan on a sign that people speed by? How does it get passersby to take notice in a world of fast-paced information and fleeting sights?

Collaboration with marketing firms, brainstorming sessions, chamber-of-commerce soul searching, market research, contests, and lengthy discussions all play a role in the creation of a community’s homespun brand.

The paths are varied—with history, location, humor, wordplay, unique qualities, friendly seduction, and just plain bragging rights presenting myriad possibilities.

Los Banos proclaims its importance.
© DMT

Gateways, Crossroads, and Centers (oh my)

Many town slogans take advantage of that all-important aspect of location—a gateway, a crossroad, or a geographical center.

For the “gateway” towns, it seems to pay to be at the entrance to something.

St Louis, Missouri—The Gateway to the West
Sioux Falls, South Dakota—Gateway to the Plains
Aurora, Colorado—The Gateway to the Rockies
Clarksville, Tennessee—Gateway to the New South

Why not promote your being at the crossroads or center of something? Anything?

Los Banos, California, seems special for its place “At The Crossroads of California;” and Milpitas, California, opens the door to the tech corridor as “The Crossroads of Silicon Valley.” But it’s hard to compete with Terre Haute, Indiana—the “Crossroads of America.”

Pittsfield, Wisconsin, is “The Exact Center of the State;” Belle Fourche, South Dakota, is the “Center of the Nation;” and, with all due humility, Boswell, Indiana, is the “Hub of the Universe.”

Can the “Center of the Nation” compete with the “Hub of the Universe”?
© DMT

There is also a displacement trend where towns become a tribute to other towns.

Carrboro, North Carolina—The Paris of the Piedmont
Decatur, Alabama—The Chicago of the South
Ouray, Colorado—The Switzerland of America
Muskegon, Michigan—The Riviera of the Midwest
Deland, Florida—The Athens of Florida

Size is relative.
© iStock/Andrei Stanescu

Size Doesn’t Matter

Many cities and towns allude to their size—whether big or small.

Reno, Nevada, is “The Biggest Little City in the World” (although it’s unclear who set the statistical parameters).

Manhattan, Kansas, is “The Little Apple,” and Denver, Iowa, is “The Mile-Wide City.”

Livonia, New York, puts things in perspective with “Some Bigger, None Better.” And Burkeville, Virginia (population around 500) proudly proclaims that it is “The Little Town That Could.”

They’re “Down to Earth” in Gravity, Iowa.
© Jeff Morrison

Humor Matters (As Well As a Touch of Wordplay)

Some of the best town slogans are the ones with humor. Travelers on the roads of America can always use a smile.

Some slogans perhaps fall short of Pulitzer depth, but are still a breath of creative air in the whirlwind of the more staid “biggests” and “bests.”

Gettysburg, South Dakota—Where the battle wasn’t.
Gravity, Iowa—We’re down to earth. (If gravity goes we all go.)
Drumright, Oklahoma—Town of oil repute.
San Andreas, California—It’s not our fault.
Walla Walla, Washington—The city so nice they named it twice.
Bushnell, South Dakota—It’s not the end of the Earth, but you can see it from here.
Knox, Indiana—Where opportunity knocks.
Hooker, Oklahoma—A location, not a vocation.

A highway smile
(Image Courtesy of the City of Gettysburg, SD.)

The Feel-Good Towns

Some cities and towns just want people to feel good when they visit or want to attract more residents through a rose-colored promise.

Hico, Texas—Where everybody is somebody.
Andover, Kansas—Where the people are warm even when the weather isn’t.
Happy, Texas—The town without a frown.
Eustis, Florida—The City of Bright Tomorrows
Boyd, Wisconsin—The friendly town. Why go by?
Gulfport, Mississippi—Where Your Ship Comes In

Sometimes, the promises become even less specific.

Wasko, California—A nice place to live.
Forest Junction, Wisconsin—You can get there from here.
Bellingham, Washington—Let us surprise you.
Metter, Georgia—Everything’s better in Metter.
Beaman, Iowa—You’re not dreamin’ you’re in Beaman

A town slogan so ingrained in Hershey, Pennsylvania, that even the lights on Chocolate Avenue
hint at chocolate.
© iStock/gsheldon

Town Slogans That Dominate A Town

Some towns dive deeply into their brand, carrying the theme through all aspects of community life.

Hershey, Pennsylvania, is “The Sweetest Town on Earth” and, of course, “The Chocolate Capital of the World.” Chocolate can be found everywhere.

Castroville, California, is the “Artichoke Center of the World.” The expansive fields surrounding the town confirm the title, as does the artichoke “cuisine” offered in the town’s restaurants.

Everything artichoke
© Meredith Mullins

Top Five for Travel Inspiration

Which towns won my heart from their town slogans . . . and made me curious enough to put them on my travel “to do” list?

Winnemucca, Nevada—The City of Paved Streets (Paving does seem enticing.)
Tombstone, Arizona—The Town Too Tough To Die (There will always be a future.)
Cherryfield, Maine—The Blueberry Capital of the World (although Hammonton, New Jersey, might challenge this assertion)
Bothell, Washington—For a day or a lifetime (One of my favorite slogans. No pressure. You’re free to do what you want.)
Knik, Alaska—Dog-Mushing Center of the World (The ultimate in unique experiences)

Which one provides some travel inspiration for you?

Thanks to Brad Herzog for his list of travel slogans.

And particular thanks to the Tombstone, Arizona Chamber of Commerce for showing the true meaning of hospitality.

For a review of additional town slogans, visit Offices Net.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 2 Comments

Art of Travel/USA

Oct

Travel Tip: See Chicago in Close-Up

by Joyce McGreevy on October 14, 2019

Chicago at night features surprising little details of America’s best big city, prompting the travel tip “slow down and focus.” (Image © by Jennifer Kleiman)

Chicago’s sweeping views are mosaics of historical detail.
© Jennifer Kleiman

A Big City’s Surprising Little Details

Poet Carl Sandburg called Chicago “The City of the Big Shoulders.” America’s third biggest city is known for big sights—as a few little details will show:

First skyscrapers? Sorry, New York. They started right here in the 1880s, soaring from 10 to 110 stories in nine decades.
That body of water to the east? It’s massive Lake Michigan, more of an inland sea.
A “world-dazzling” wheel that rivaled the Eiffel Tower? George Ferris engineered it for the 1893 World’s Fair. We know it as the Ferris Wheel. Today’s version at Navy Pier is a Chicago icon.

Face it, Chicago knows BIG. (Crown Fountain Millennium Park)
© Joyce McGreevy

Best Big City

This month, for the third year in a row Conde Nast crowned Chicago “America’s Best Big City.” Typically, travelers are in a big, big hurry to see it all. From Millennium Park to Willis Tower to the Architectural Boat Tour, Chicago’s big attractions draw big crowds.

But too big a rush makes for one big blur. So as a former local, here’s my travel tip: Slow down and focus on Chicago’s surprising little details.

Consider the Loop, for example, the heart of Chicago’s downtown. Only 1.5 square miles, it’s a world of magnificent architecture, parks, and public art. Seen close-up, it’s a detail lover’s dream, a mosaic of urban history. Here’s a sampler of Chicago’s best reasons to dwell on details.

Holy Cow, It’s Past-Your-Eyes!

Among the most photographed sights in Chicago is a cow.

The bronze cow sculpture at the Chicago Cultural Center tops travel tip lists in Chicago, America’s third biggest city. (Image © by Neil Tobin)

You may take the bull by the horns, but there’s good reason to look this cow in the eyes.
© Neil Tobin

This big bronze bovine stands right outside the Chicago Cultural Center. You can’t miss it.

A family pose with the bronze cow sculpture at the Chicago Cultural Center, a popular attraction in the Conde Nast “Best Big City.” (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

Visitors hoof it to see Chicago’s bronze cow.
© Joyce McGreevy

Ah, but there’s something most visitors do miss. Eager to get their photo and moo-ve on, they typically overlook two little details:

A surprising little detail, Chicago’s Water Tower, in the eye of the bronze cow sculpture at the Chicago Cultural Center evokes the travel tip “slow down and focus.” (Image © by Neil Tobin)

Etched in one eye is an image of the Chicago Water Tower.
© Neil Tobin

An etching of a Picasso artwork in the eye of a cow sculpture evokes the travel tip “slow down and focus” on surprising little details in Chicago, (Image © Neil Tobin)

In the other is an image of an untitled sculpture by Picasso.
© Neil Tobin

Oh, I see: The tiniest detail can be a rich repository of history.

Built in 1869, the Water Tower is one of the only buildings that survived the Chicago Fire of 1871. (The notion that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started the fire, however, is bull.)

Chicago’s Water Tower is linked to a surprising little detail in a sculpture outside Chicago’s Cultural Center that in turn inspired the travel tip “slow down and focus.” (Public domain image Afries52 [CC BY 3.0]

Here’s how to house a humble standpipe, Chicago-style.
© Afries52 [CC BY 3.0]

As for the Picasso, some people had a cow when it arrived in 1967. Chicagoan Gwendolyn Brooks, the first black author to win the Pulitzer Prize, anticipated the mixed response in a poem she delivered at the unveiling:

Does man love Art? Man visits Art, but squirms.
Art hurts. Art urges voyages—
and it is easier to stay at home,
the nice beer ready. . . .

People looking at a painting at the Art Institute of Chicago exemplify the travel tip “slow down and focus.” (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

At the Art Institute of Chicago, visitors are a study in the art of focus.
© Joyce McGreevy

Reading Between the Lions

Housing 300,000 of the world’s greatest artworks, the Art Institute of Chicago is clearly a place to slow down and focus. Those who do will notice fascinating little details even before they step inside.

For instance, two lions have guarded the entrance since 1894. Visitors choosing a lion to photograph often comment that they’re identical.

Only they’re not.

Sculptor Edward Kemeys loved animals and was famous for sketching them in the wild. Would such an artist turn lions into copycats?

One lion growls and prowls. The other, Kemeys noted, “stands in an attitude of defiance.”
© Joyce McGreevy

Ever Wonder “Y”?

Like animals in camouflage, some intriguing Chicago details hide in plain sight. Curiously, the most prolific detail may be the least noted—though many visitors unknowingly photograph it.

The Chicago Theater sign features a surprising little detail, prompting the travel tip “slow down and focus” in America’s Best Big City. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

“Hidden” in this popular landmark is another Chicago icon.
© Joyce McGreevy

Can you see it?

Zoom in.

It’s the Y shape behind CHICAGO.

Why the Y? It represents the three branches of the Chicago River, which splits north and south at Wolf Point.

Once you notice this symbol of civic pride, you start seeing it everywhere—on buildings, bridges, and even staircases:

The Chicago Cultural Center interior features surprising little details, prompting the travel tip “slow down and focus” in this Conde Nast Best Big City. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

Spot the Y symbol in mosaic above the Y-shaped staircase in Chicago’s Cultural Center.
© Joyce McGreevy

Eyes Up

It’s funny how pixels on a few square inches of phone screen can commandeer our attention. Meanwhile, 1.6 million of Chicago’s most spectacular details often go unnoticed—even by locals, reportedly.

What—where?

Start at the former Marshall Field & Company, now part of a national retail chain. Built in 1873, it was once the world’s biggest department store. Today, its five elegant stories still dominate State Street.

Enter at street level and walk through a warren of cosmetic counters until you reach the center.

Now look up.

The mosaic ceiling by Louis Comfort Tiffany at the former Marshall Field, Chicago (now Macy’s) inspires the travel tip “slow down and focus” in America’s Best Big City. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

Feast your eyes on the largest ceiling ever built with favrile glass.
© Joyce McGreevy

Little details of a mosaic by Louis Comfort Tiffany at the former Marshall Field, Chicago (now Macy’s) dazzles visitors who heed the travel tip “slow down and focus”. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

The iridescent glass was created by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who patented the process.
© Joyce McGreevy

Tiffany’s mosaics enchanted early 20th-century Chicago. Today you can follow the “Tiffany Trail” to 14 venues.

An Urban Mosaic

“In the Big City, large and sudden things happen,” wrote that master of surprise, O. Henry. True, but seen close-up, a big city’s little details can suddenly enlarge your sense of place.

That’s why my travel tip for Chicago is slow down and focus. Some of the city’s biggest surprises are found in the smallest details.

Shadows cast by ornamental ironwork links small details to the history of America’s third biggest city at the Chicago Cultural Center. (Image © by Neil Tobin)

Details of Chicago’s Cultural Center evoke the landmark’s rich history.
© Neil Tobin

Thanks to Jennifer Kleiman and Neil Tobin for their stunning images of Chicago.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy Comments

On Foot/The World's Art & Design/USA

Oct

Is Paris Disappearing?

by Meredith Mullins on October 7, 2019

Let’s not lose the magic of Paris life.
© Meredith Mullins

Change Comes to Four Cultural Icons

“Panta Rhei” wrote the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. “Life is flux.”

This prescient philosophy, from more than 2000 years ago, is more commonly known as “Change is the only constant.” A truth in 500 BCE and a truth today.

In a city like Paris, the process of change can affect the visible cityscape, as well as its cultural icons. We are the witnesses as we go about our daily rhythms of sitting in our beloved cafés, taking the bus, getting the news, and, yes, finding a restroom.

In quotidian life, we face the modern renditions of places that were once part of the cultural heritage of Paris—transitions from the past to the future.

I feel nostalgia for bygone eras, even as I continue to walk on cobblestone streets and admire the buildings and bridges of past centuries.

And that makes me ask, “Is Paris disappearing?”—a question worth contemplating as I sit for a while in a sidewalk café.

Leisurely Café Sitting or Fast Food?

Paris is not Paris without its iconic cafés. Parisians and visitors will never give up sitting on the rattan chairs, sipping an espresso or verre de vin, and watching the passing parade or talking with friends. Café sitting is the ultimate way to embrace a slower pace of life.

However, it is easy to notice that fast food has taken hold in the City of Light. From McDonald’s to Subway to Chipotle to Bagelstein to Burger King to Starbucks, a different kind of cuisine and culture is gaining popularity. It seems that some folks cannot get enough of America’s fast-paced habits.

The McCafé is not quite the same as the classic sidewalk gems.

Thank goodness, President Macron has recently allocated funds to keep the traditional cafés alive. It would be sad to see these testaments to the spirit of community disappear.

A Bus Stop is a Bus Stop is a Bus Stop . . . Not

The Paris bus stops are a welcome sight, some so conveniently close to each other that you can see the next one from the one you’re standing in.

But, as with many things, modernization came to the Paris bus stops. In 2015, the shelters were converted to a futuristic design, complete with streamlined roof (some with solar panels and some with planted greenery), charger stations, and a goal of energy efficiency.

In addition, the city added exterior signposts that indicate the buses that serve the stop and show how many minutes until the next bus. You know from a distance whether you have to pick up the pace or be prepared for some Godot-like waiting. The signs are illuminated at night, which makes them easy to see.

Form did not exactly follow function, however, as the new roof design does not protect bus patrons from the elements. You can get rained on, snowed on, or gusted by wind.

The old bus stops were a homey little cocoon with three sides—such an inviting shelter that many a vagabond called them “home.”

The city promotes the new “open” design, however, as more accessible for people with prams and for people with disabilities.

There’s more to come. The “Bus Stop of the Future” is in development. As new “community spaces,” these shelters will offer bus ticket sales, coffee, music, book borrowing, information on the neighborhood, bike rentals, and more. The RATP (Paris Transportation Administration) will begin to introduce these structures soon.

All the News that Fits

The newspaper kiosks of Paris are legendary. The dark green color and the carved metallic dome with a delicate spire make us sure we are in Paris (or, at least, watching a Paris film). Newspapers, magazines, and postcards burst forth from the tiny doors and spill onto the street.

Where else but here would you buy your Le Monde for the day’s news or your L’Officiel des Spectacles for all the events in Paris for the week.

Now, one by one, these traditional kiosks are being replaced by structures made of recycled glass and aluminum. The green color is similar to the legendary green, but the domes are a thing of the past, leading critics to call the new design a soulless “sardine can.”

The change is primarily to improve the working conditions of the news vendors and to allow more walk-in space for the patrons.

The structure can be heated. The enclosed space protects the vendor (and the merchandise) from the elements. It’s more like a shop, with shelves, so vendors don’t have to unpack their magazines and papers every day and repack them at night when they leave.

Many of the kiosks will have refrigerators so they can sell cold drinks, and some will have bathrooms for the vendors.

What will happen to the old kiosks? You can buy one if you want to own a little bit of Paris. Contact edouard.rayer@mediakiosk.fr for details.

It’s also nice to know that a few of the old-style kiosks will remain in place—preserved for history (and for filmmakers and tourists seeking selfies).

The Last Pissotière

Paris is famous for its elegance and style, but it must also be noted for the practical transition that has taken place in the development of public restrooms.

For many years, the public pissotières were a staple on the streets and boulevards, from three-stall rotundas to monolithic solo spaces. All were deftly designed to ensure the privacy of key body parts.

They were as much a part of the Paris landscape as the cafés and news kiosks. (Women, of course, were more discreet, using the toilettes in cafés.)

Now, the pissotières have been replaced by stainless steel ovals, with a forceful gush of water to clean them after each use. They are omnipresent (and free) . . . and a bit frightening if you have a fear of being flushed into oblivion.

The last pissotière on the rue Arago is the lone survivor, a functioning, gurgling reminder of a bygone era.

The Future of Change

More Paris changes are coming, especially as the city prepares for the 2024 Olympics. But, as some of the critics of past and present cultural changes have voiced: The city needs progress but also needs “guardians of the spirit of Paris of days past.” A disappearing Paris, erasing history and customs, is not the goal.

My “Oh, I See” moment: Let’s move forward, but let’s treasure the past and those cultural icons that are rooted deeply in heritage and customs.

Vive les cafés, les kiosks, les arrêts d’autobus, et la dernière pissotière.

Thank you to MessyNessyChic for information about how to buy a news kiosk.