Now That's Just Sad
I'm thinking that this blog is starting to give the impression that Kathy and I are just going to be jumping from cheesy tourist trap to cheesy tourist trap. Which is not the case, really. We're mostly visiting national parks and some cities we've never been to and some friends we don't see very often. But I don't think our Great American Road Trip would be complete without visiting tourist traps like Carhenge, Graceland, and Wall Drug. What can I say, I've become kind of fascinated by tasteless, over-the-top American cheesiness. What that says about me, I'm not sure.
But there are limits.
One place that I've read about but that we will NOT be visiting is Riverside, Iowa. Riverside is an otherwise normal small Iowa town whose claim to fame is that it is the "Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk". Captain Kirk from the Star Trek TV show and movie, that is (just to clarify for the pop culture impaired).
Yes, in 1985, the City Council of Riverside decided to declare itself the Future Birthplace of Kirk. We basically have to take them at their word, because Kirk's hometown was never mentioned in any of the books, movies, or TV episodes. But no matter. Riverside took credit.
I think since then, Riverside has been trying, mostly in vain, to turn their Kirk hometown status into big tourist dollars. There's a plaque outside a community center stating that this is the future site of the Kirk family home. The community center sells (unlicensed) Trek memorabilia including authentic "Kirk hometown soil", at the bargain price of 3 bucks per vial. There's a bar and grill that has a plaque by the pool table stating that it is, I kid you not, the future "conception site" of James T. Kirk.
They've also have a "USS Riverside", which due to copyright laws, is only allowed to look marginally like the USS Enterprise:
To me, this picture is simultaneously hilarious and sad. Mostly sad, though.
posted by Dave @ 5:09 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Love the Roadside America website. You didn't mention that the same place that has the five-legged cow also has a six-legged steer, along with an 8,000-pound prairie dog!
Also some nifty souvenirs, such as the following:
"Snake Balls
... lacquered spheres of reptilian skin. Kids love 'em! So do adults. Carry one in your pocket as a key chain, toss it over the office cubicle wall, wrap it for a holiday grab bag!"
If we make it over to "Prairie Dog Town", I'll be sure to bring back a snake ball for ya. Snake ball equals office fun.
Dave and Kathy,
You may be happy to know that one locale of "Captain Kirk" is already on your itinerary... and my alma mater. William Schatener is locally known for dropping out of McGill University in Montreal. In fact, back in the early 90s, there was a student petition and then an initiative in the student elections to rename the student union building the "William Schatener Building". However, Bill publicly declined this acclaim, and it remains the "University Centre".
You can check out the building (and surrounding downtown campus) on rue McTavish, just downhill from ave. Docteur Penfield: http://www.mcgill.ca/maps/?Building=172
Eric -- You also share your alma mater with one of Kathy's favorite songwriters, Leonard Cohen. Probably a bigger draw to Kathy than William Shatner. Also Burt Bacharach and Samantha Bee from the Daily Show. Oh how I love Wikipedia!
Keira -- Thanks for the cool web site! I love the term "Commercial Archaeology". That'd be a cool-sounding profession: I'm a commerical archaeolgist.
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