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Dreams Do Come True: Visiting the Haines Shoe House

There is no rhyme or reason why some things take up residence in your imagination. For years now, I have had a hankering to visit the Haines Shoe House.

Kenny and I passed it once while heading down Route 30 about 5 years ago but never doubled back to visit. Since then, it has been a big boot-shaped ghost in my mind. I’ve been haunted.

Well, baby… I’m happy to report that I have FINALLY set foot inside the big shoe and it was wonderful. ::weeps::

The fabulous Wendyvee of Roadside Wonders once mentioned something on Twitter to the effect of “they serve ice cream in the heel.” As I took my helmet off and excitedly squealed those words to Kenny, he looked at me like I was an idiot. You’d think I would be used to that by now.

It is worth the trip. Shoe house, I love you!

197 Shoe House Road
Hellam, PA 17406
http://goo.gl/maps/vnus

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A Brush With Greatness: Meeting the Wienermobile

Some dreams are gigantic, epic undertakings that take a lifetime to complete if they can ever even be completed. Then there are other dreams that are just simple bits of whimsy. Wishes, if you will.

On the surface those wishes may appear to have a small scope but their impact can bring a smile to your face long after they are realized. That makes those little dreams and wishes just as important as the big ones, in my book.

One of the wishes I’ve long held close to my fuzzy little heart has been to see the Wienermobile up close. Dumb? Probably. But, so what?

Last week – A Dream Realized:

The giant hot dog came wheeling onto Long Island and I was there.

Has ever a finer vehicle ever graced the highways and byways of this world? I don’t think so. It seems to emanate happiness from its hotdogginess.

The Wienermobiles were hand crafted by Icelandic unicorns. Before the unicorns sent the giant rolling wieners out into the world to bring joy to the masses, they infused them with baby otter farts and cookie dust to give them a little extra sparkle. True story.

Inside the belly of the beast:

You can stalk track the Wienermobiles to find out where to have a brush with lunchmeat greatness.

The Wienermobile is the grandaddy of all “Greatest Cars in the Universe.”

LOVE IT!

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Muffler Man: Checking in with the Jackson, NJ Halfwit

Over the last few weekends my travels have added two more checks in the “Visited” column of my Muffler Man to-do list. There are still plenty more to see but I’m enjoying picking them off one by one.

Sometimes I think about those places that I’ve visited, towns I’ve passed through before the time I cared even the tiniest tiddly-boo about the Muffler Man. I think about what might have been…

But, no sense in crying over spilled milk. I prefer to not see those trips as missed opportunities. Someday I’ll go back. I just hope the mighty muffs will wait for me.

The Muffler Man Halfwit of Jackson, NJ:

Though he could use a fresh coat of paint, overall he’s in pretty good shape. He’s also mounted on a trailer which if you think about it is pretty handy. Who wouldn’t want to bring their muffler man to the Stop & Shop or to the park, maybe swing by the in-laws for lunch?

One thing to note however is that his arms are a little veiny and those hands are a wee bit strangle-y. But, judging by the hat he’s Amish so it’s probably nothing to worry about. He might’ve just gotten done with a barn raising.

See in street view

Interested in finding Muffler Men out there on the road? Check out Roadside America.

More Posts About Muffler Men:

Muffler Man: Mohawk Motors Indian of Shirley, Ma.

A few weekends ago I took a ride with some friends who wanted to stop in to the open house at MotoMarket in Acton, Ma. Since I had no interest in buying anything I let the guys know I would be excusing myself for about a half an hour while they ate lunch.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m just going to check something out.”

“It’s a muffler man, isn’t it?”

They know me too well :)

This big guy stands outside of a used car dealer, waving to the traffic that goes by.

Upon closer inspection he too needs a fresh coat of paint. The poor fella is has a serious case of the peels. And something isn’t quite right with that raised arm. And… well.. there’s this:

 ::tsk:tsk:: Poor guy. It looks like he’s wincing.

See in Street View

Interested in finding Muffler Men out there on the road? Check out Roadside America.

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What Is It About Harley-Davidson That Makes Them So Polarizing?

In the Town of Port Jefferson there is a parking lot that has stalls marked for motorcycle only parking. There are a few picnic tables and benches in this area to allow people to sit and hangout. When the weather is nice the lot attracts many motorcycles.

A few months ago I snapped a picture of one of the benches on which someone wrote “Harly’s Suck.”

Do we need to talk about the murder of grammar and spelling here? If you’re going to try to insult someone, I think you should probably try to get your shit straight.

While in town yesterday, I saw that another bench has been marked up, this time with “Harly < ; BMX.”

Again, poor spelling but I have to give them an ‘A’ for consistency.

It got me to thinking~

What is it about Harley-Davidson that is so polarizing?

Harley-Davidson seems to be one motorcycle brand that many people are very vocal about their love or dislike of.

There are the diehard brand loyalists who buy and proudly wear their branded gear, bandanas, t-shirts from dealers afar. Some riders get tattoos of the company logo, have stickers on their cars and trucks and seem to see Harley-Davidson as a facet of the American dream.

And then there are the people who are pretty vocal about hating everything HD stating reasons such as – outdated technology, poor performance and peddling a lifestyle above all else.

I cannot think of another brand of motorcycles that divides people so clearly. But why?