Big Boots to Fill

We're currently on a cross country road trip from New Hampshire to Oregon and posting about sites along the way. This post is about stop in MN and NV.

If a giant even needed boots, the place to go would be the Red Wing Shoe Company. That's where we found this one-of-a kind boot, and it is just a single boot, no matched pair here, so a really BIG giant would be out of luck.

The GIANT of a boot is the star exhibit at the Red Wing Shoe Company in downtown Red Wing, MN. In 2005, the Red Wing Shoe Company celebrated its 100th anniversary by crafting the world's largest boot which can be seen on the first floor of its flagship shoe store  on Main Street. 

Aside from its enormous size, the world's largest boot was built using the exact same design and materials used to build the Red Wing Shoes classic style number 877. 

Over 60 volunteers worked 13 months to design, engineer and build a 16-foot tall replica of the  company’s classic work boot. The giant boot took 4,000 hours to design, engineer and fabricate.  It’s even too big for the Statue of Liberty to wear. Here's the specifications of this oversize footwear:

Size: 638 ½D (US), 638 (UK), 850 (EUR) 

Length: 20 feet (6.096m)

Width: 7 feet (2.133m)

Height: 16 feet (4.876m)

Of course, we had to take our photo next to this boot (who wouldn't?) It was a challenge to get the entire boot and ourselves in the shot, but we did.

This wasn't the only oversize footwear we saw on our road trip. Not to be outdone, the Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum and the Western Folklife Center, both in Elko, NV, had these big boots — western style. These boots were on a smaller scale, but still very large.

If you're wondering about that boot inscription, I was as well. Turns out there's a very big connection between crooner Bing Crosby and Elko, NV. 

Crosby is said to have caught Western fever after starring in the 1936 B&W cowboy musical Rhythm on the Range. In 1944, he purchased the Quarter Circle S, the first of seven Elko cattle ranches that he owned until 1958.  Crosby made Nevada his "home away from home" in between records, concerts, movies, and radio performances. He developed a reputation as a seasoned cattle and horse rancher. In 1949, Elko named Crosby honorary mayor — the first one in Nevada history. Crosby has been credited with helping to raise the town’s profile by holding the world premiere of his 1951 film Here Comes the Groom in Elko.

And now I know, and so do all of you.

Scene on the Road, NV, UT and WY

We're currently on a cross country road trip from New Hampshire to Oregon and posting about sites along the way. This post is about road scenes in UT and WY.

After spending a  few days visiting with friends in Oregon, we started the return trip to NH. Below are some of the road scenes as we drove Utah and Wyoming.Most of the photos were taken while Grenville was driving. The posted speed limit on Interstate 80 varied between 75 and 80 mph.

Nevada was the first state we travelled through after leaving Oregon. Our first stop was Reno, and then next was Elko. I-80 is the Interstate highway that most closely approximates the route of the historic Lincoln Highway, the first road across the U.S.

Interstate 80 (I-80) traverses the northern portion of Nevada. The interstate serves the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area and passes through the towns of Fernley, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Elko, Wells and West Wendover on its way through the state.

When it completed construction of the stretch of I-80 spanning the state in October 1974, Nebraska was the first state in the nation to complete its mainline Interstate highway system. The state has over 80 exits along Interstate 80 and is about 430 miles long and 210 miles wide.

Utah followed Nevada and the portion of I-80 in this state is 196.35-miles long through the northern part of the state.

I don't know the name of these mountain ranges, but they were very impressive.

I-80 extends for 402.8 miles through the state of Wyoming and reaches its maximum elevation of 8,640 feet above sea level at Sherman Summit, near Buford, which at 8,000 feet is the highest community on I-80.

We stayed in Rock Springs, WY and stopped at the Old Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins.

Farther west in Wyoming, the Interstate passes through the dry Red Desert and over the Continental Divide.

At a scenic pullover we stopped to admire this scenic view of a reservoir, where there was a lot of water sports activity. We're not sure, but It might have been in an area known as Curt Gowdy State Park.

Luckily, the skies were fairly clear the day we were traveling and the views were quite spectacular. Unfortunately, I don't know the names of any of the these mountains. 

We were in awe at so many landscape changes driving through these three western states, but there were many stretches of repetition (and boredom) as well. We saw a lot of brown (and more brown) and cattle (and more cattle), plus lots of sage brush but not a single buffalo or cowboy on the range. 

Eats & Treats OR, NV, UT

While on a cross country road trip from New Hampshire to Oregon, we're sampling foods along the way. (Eating out while traveling is calorie-free, isn't it?)  Here's a sampling of places we've tried in OR, NV, and UT.

Prince Puckler’s Gourmet Ice Cream is a local, family owned business that's been dishing up homemade treats in Eugene, OR since 1975. This gourmet ice cream and coffee shop has gained quite a reputation and is located a few blocks from the University of Oregon. Knowing our fondness for all things ice cream, Nancy and Thomas, our Oregon friends treated us (and so we couldn't say no).

All the ice cream flavors are handmade daily by the owner and his daughter in a nearby warehouse, then shipped to the store in five-gallon containers. The shop’s inside is simple and classic with a counter and tubs of the various flavors and sampling is allowed, because it can be so difficult to choice. My selection was a chocolate malt flavor and Grenville had mocha expresso chip, which is one of his standard favorites.

There’s over 40 flavors to choose from. Picking one is a tough decision, but we managed to select a chocolate malt (for me) and mocha cappuccino for Grenville.

Along with traditional ice cream flavors, there's some unusual flavors like Oregon bing cherry, banana brownie, raspberry truffle, chocolate cheesecake, Mexican mocha, tiger stripes, , velvet hammer, Oregon chai, mandarin chocolate, bittersweet nugget, muddy river, chocolate lover’s chocolate, cup or “Joe”  and muddy river.

Thomas and Nancy remember bringing their now grown children here. It was a one-time visit for us, as it's too far to return.

Nibbley’s Cafe in Klamath Falls, OR, has a slogan “When a nibble just isn’t enough." This local favorite has been in the area over 40 years since it opened in the 1970’s. It’s also relocated four times and its loyal customers always return. The interior is a relaxed, old-fashioned looking environment. The extensive menu features American-style meals and homemade desserts. Walls are adorned with a collection of quilts. The cafe is known for both its food and homemade desserts.

Entering the dining area, you're "forced" to walk pass cases filled with treats that can be difficult to pass up. We were there in mid-morning. My choice was a loaded oatmeal. Grenville ordered coffee and a homemade cinnamon roll. He didn’t count on it being so large as it filled the entire serving plate.

Unfortunately, we forgot to take a photo before he was half-way through eating the treat, which he wasn't able to finish. So, here's some of the homemade treats we bypassed.

The Pig BBQ & Pub in Winnemucca NV, was a lunch time stop on our way to Salt Lake City, UT. We saw it on advertised an interstate billboard and since we were hungry and needed a rest and gasoline stop, it was perfect timing.

Since Winnemucca is located just off a busy Interstate in a small dessert town in northern NV, it has many national chain eateries. We prefer eating in a local place whenever possible and lucked out here. The Pig BBQ & Pub opened 6 years ago and is already one of the town’s busiest eateries with four smokers operating daily. The building it’s in was built 23 years ago and began as a bank, then was a law office. House craft beer is made by a Bend, OR brewer.

Our mutual choice from the extensive selection of ribs and sandwiches was a pulled pork sandwich with the house sauce. We  had it “Memphis style” which means the coleslaw is added on top of the sandwich. A roll of paper towels is provided on each table and is definitely needed. You can't be very neat when eating pulled pork. Every table also has a selection of sauces (hot, spicy, sweet, tart). Try one or all, and FYI the hot one is very HOT.

What's a pulled pork sandwich without fries, only here you ask for "pig tails" and these curly fries are also homemade. And, you do get way too many!

The Tin Angel Café in Salt Lake City, UT, is one of a kind. It was the recommendation of the hotel front desk and within easy walking distance too. It’s eclectic and comfortable and extensively decorated with a collection of treasures and some unusual local art. 

The menu here focuses on high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients. It's housed in a converted 19th-century house with an enclosed dining room, that opens onto a patio. It's been attracting downtown diners and visitors since 2007.

While it's a casual dining establishment, prices are moderate to slightly more so. If you’re hungry now, there’s no need to read further.

My entree was Sage, Artichoke and Roasted Chicken Pasta with slow roasted chicken and fettuccine in a white wine, sage, and garlic cream sauce, roasted tomatoes and artichokes (see photo).

Grenville had Smoked Trout Salad, which include house-smoked Utah rainbow trout served over organic greens, and fennel, red onion, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, goat cheese, pine nuts and topped with a house made cucumber dill vinaigrette.

These were some highlights of a few places we enjoyed during the fourth and fifth weeks of our cross country travels. There's (lots) more to come.

Saddle Up in Elko

We're currently on a cross country road trip from New Hampshire to Oregon and posting about sites along the way. This post is about a stop in Elko, NV.

The Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum opened in downtown Elko, NV in 2018 to showcase traditions and culture of cowboys of the American West. It's housed in the former shop of leather and silver craftsman, G.S. Garcia whose leather and silver work is prized and collectible western memorabilia. 

Guadalupe S. (G.S.) Garcia is considered the most notable silversmith, saddle maker, engraver and leather craftsman in the American West. Born in Mexico in 1864, his family moved to California and by 1880, he apprenticed at the Arana Saddle Shop in San Luis Obispo, CA, which was then regarded as one of the finest in the west.

Garcia moved from California to Elko, NV with his saddle-making tools and opened the G.S. Garcia Harness Shop. In 1907, he moved into the building that now houses the museum.  Elko was a town on the Union Pacific railroad and soon became a business and social center. Garcia’s quality work became sought after by cowboys throughout northern NV. Within three years, he produced a mail-order catalog that expanded his customer base across the West and other U.S. states.

Garcia became famous for creating the only saddle in history to win two gold medals. In 1904, he entered a saddle decorated with precious gems and intricate silver work at the St. Louis World’s Fair. The same saddle won a second gold medalAt the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, OR.

The wins brought more attention to his products which become highly valued. “Cowboys were willing to pay two year’s wages and to wait their turn on a two-year waiting list to purchase and own one of Garcia’s saddles,” according to the museum’s website.

The downtown Elko shop was a gathering spot for ranchers, miners and local businessmen. In 1912, Garcia built a 2,000 seat rodeo grounds on the southern end of town and organized the first Elko Rodeo; well-known rodeo performers from throughout the West came to perform. (Garcia is at the right in the photo below.)

Garcia died in 1933. His two sons continued the popular leather business until1935, when they relocated the family business back to CA. 

The two story wooden frame building was purchased in the 1930s by the Elko Lamoille Power Company. For the next 77 years, it served as the business and operations offices of the utility company later renamed NV Energy. In early 2016, NV Energy relocated to a more modern facility. The former Garcia Shop became available was purchased as a non-profit organization, The Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum.

Founded in 1980, the Western Folklife Center is housed in the historic Pioneer Building in downtown Elko, NV,. The center is a local and a regional non-profit cultural center with an exhibition gallery, 300-seat theater, historic saloon and gift shop and is dedicated to preserving the rich culture and spirit of the American West. 

The Pioneer Building was one of Elko’s oldest saloons. It opened in 1913 at a cost of $50,000. The saloon featured tiled floors, metal ceilings, mahogany furniture, and a mirrored-back bar. 

Upper floors were later converted to a hotel. Remodeling in 1981 closed the saloon for the first time in 112 years. In 1992, the building was purchased by the Western Folklife Center which sponsors the annual National Cowboy Poetry Reading.

Formerly called the Elko Gathering, the event was a way for Western ranchers and cowboys to gather to share poems about their lives working cattle. It's now a week-long celebration of life in the rural West, featuring contemporary and traditional arts rooted and focused on today’s rural West. The event takes place during the last week in January. 

The real thing for cowboys was how a New York Times article once described the J.M. Capriola Company in Elko, NV. The store attracts just as many "city slickers" as cowboys. 

The two-story shop was opened by and is named after Joe M. Cabriola, one of Garcia’s apprentices. t quickly became known for its inventory of authentic Western gear, including hand-crafted saddles. The store caries gear to outfit working riders with displays of silver bits, spurs, ropes, clothing, hats, boots and more.

Its leather products from custom-made saddles to belts and wallets are made in-house.  Each Capriola saddle is stamped with a unique number which is logged with details of the saddle, including the maker and buyer. If a saddle changes hands that number always provides its history.

If you're ever looking for western gear, then definitely make Elko, NV a destination.

Harrah for Vintage Autos

We're currently on a cross country road trip from New Hampshire to Oregon and posting about sites along the way. This post is about a stop in Reno, NV.

Reno, NV calls itself "The Biggest Little City in the World." As the second most populated city in the state outside of Las Vegas it's just as well known for gambling and casinos and as birthplace of Harrah's Entertainment.

That's a connection for our visit — not to gamble at a casino, but to see some of the fabulous auto collection of William Harrah (1911-1978) an American businessman and the founder of Harrah's Hotel and Casinos. Harrah assembled the largest and most historically significant automobile collection in the world. It numbered about 1,450 vehicles in its heyday.

The National Automobile Museum in downtown Reno displays historic automobiles from the late 19th century and from throughout the 20th. Most of the vehicles displayed (but not all) are from Harrah's former collection. and the museum is often called The Harrah Collection. 

Most of Harrah's collection was stored in warehouses in Sparks, NV, and it was open to the public. When he died unexpectedly in 1978 after heart surgery, Holiday Inn purchased his hotel-casino business, then bought the auto collection in 1980. 

A year later in 1981, Holiday Inn announced it was selling the entire collection. This was not a popular announcement. The decision received great public opposition in NV. Then Nevada governor Robert List intervened and tried to delay the sale by working on a plan to have the state enact legislation to save the collection. A prominent entrepreneur, led a group that wanted to buy the collection. These efforts failed and a nonprofit group was formed to keep the cars in NV. That effort did succeeded and resulted in construction of the museum funded by donations, with help from the Reno's Redevelopment Agency, and an appropriation from the State of Nevada. 

Holiday Inn ultimately donated 175 autos and the research library that Harrah had assembled on the cars to the nonprofit group. Back then, this was the largest corporate philanthropic gift in U.S. history. Another 60 vehicles were donated by private owners.

What about the rest of the collection? Holiday Inn sold those autos in three separate record auctions in 1984-1986 as well as through private sales.

We only had a day in Reno and happily spent it at The National Automobile Museum. The $10 (senior) rate was weak worth the admission price. Not only did we see a fabulous auto collection, but watched an informative 25-minute film in a comfortable theater and had a free 90-minute guided tour. 

The museum has 3 galleries all on one floor and is easy to navigate as the three galleries are clearly marked. There's a lot of information presented on each vehicle. Taking photos is permitted, but there's a lot of glare which bounces off the highly polished exteriors.

Near the first gallery, there's a workshop where cars are worked on for restoration. It’s a miniaturized version of the large workshop-machine shop that was in the Sparks warehouse(s). On the day we visited, a Mercury sedan featured in the 1955 James Dean film, Rebel Without a Cause, was in the shop.

There's another movie connection. The 1912 Rambler featured in a dock scene in the 1997 blockbuster film, Titanic, is also on display. 

The museum has a small number of celebrity cars which don't dominate the collection. There's one of the first 1953 Corvettes given by GM to John Wayne (Wayne couldn't easily fit in the sports car and donated it to Harrah's collection.) Also, Frank Sinatra's 1961 Ghia, Elvis Presley's 1973 Cadillac Eldorado, and a Dusenberg re-creation owned by Sammy Davis, Jr. 

A highlighted display is the 1908 Thomas Flyer, which won the 1908 New York to Paris Automobile Race around the world race, traveling over 22,000 miles over land and sea. Thomas automobile sales increased for awhile, but the company ultimately failed and the car was sold in a 1913 bankruptcy. After years of neglect and in poor condition, Harrah purchased it in 1964. His restoration shop of over 40 expert craftsmen restored it to the same condition as after the race finish (it does look a bit worse from wear).

We found a connection to our home state of NJ in this yellow Mercer Type 35 Raceabout built from 1911-1914 by the Mercer Automobile Company in Trenton, NJ, which was funded by the Roebling and Krus engineering company, known for building the Brooklyn Bridge.The earliest Mercers were renowned for performance and reportedly could be taken from the showroom to the race track without modifications.

The 1930s street gallery recreates a city street, including a movie theater marquee that displays, Gone With The Wind. Parked at the curb, among other cars, are a blue 1938 Packard convertible, a blue 1930 Jordan 7-passenger touring car, and a vintage Lincoln.

Another display featured vintage autos in an early "used" car lot, but the autos being offered for sale hardly very used.

There's not just cars in the museum, but also displays of vintage gasoline pumps and logos of various car manufacturers.

After the museum opened, it was reported to have set the standard for automobile museums around the world. It’s received numerous praise, including recognition as one of 10 best U.S. auto museums. Ironically, it’s within walking distance of a Harrah’s casino.

This is the second vintage automobile museum we've visited this month on our cross country trip. Previously we stopped at the Studebaker Automobile Museum in South Bend, IN. 

It would be unfair to compare both auto museums as they were evenly priced and offered a wealth of information. However, our preference was for the Reno, NV auto museum as it laid out on a single floor (compared to 3 floors at Studebaker) and while the collection seemed smaller, there was more diversity. (We never realized how many different automobile companies there were within U.S. states in years past.) However if you're ever in either IN or NV, you should visit them and make your own decision.