The Markeroni Blog
The blog of Markeroni, the Gentle Art of Landmark-Snarfing

This blog is part of Markeroni, the Gentle Art of Landmark-Snarfing — a site where you can find out about historical markers and historic landmarks, and even log your visits to them.

Here are thirteen of my favorite logged landmarks from April. It was really hard to choose! To view more details and a picture or pictures, click on the link. :)

1. Garrison Cemetery Garrison, New York

   I love the image of the gravestones sticking up out of the snow. The American flag is a flash of color and the cannon adds a hint of the past. (Logged by ember39.) (more…)

This blog is part of Markeroni, the Gentle Art of Landmark-Snarfing, a site where you can find out information about historical markers and historic sites, and log your visits there. To find out more, please visit!

Last weekend AmberLee and I headed out on snarfari. Actually, the excuse to drive out to Old Sacramento came in the form of a Geocaching gather, but after the gather was over we left to run slightly amok in the nearby city. ;) (more…)

This blog is part of Markeroni, the Gentle Art of Landmark-Snarfing. To find out more, please visit the site!

Here’s a continuation of a prior Thursday 13 post about traveling on Route 66. There were plenty of things we didn’t get to due to time constraints that make a return trip very, very worthwhile.

1. Wagon Wheel Motel, Cafe and Station
   This should be familiar to anyone who saw the ruins of the fictional Wheel Well Motel in “Cars.” Luckily, this Missouri establishment is still open.

2. Drive-In
   There used to be a time when drive-ins like this one in Missouri were plentiful. Most have died over time, but this one has hung on.

3. Miami Original Nine-Foot Section of Route 66 Roadbed
   It was well worth the bumps to drive this original 1920s stretch of Route 66 in Oklahoma. The story goes that they were tight on cash so they decided to complete the road at only 9-feet wide rather than do a wide road that was only half as long.

4. Route 66 Bridge
   This bridge in Oklahoma is just like what motorists on Route 66 drove on before the 1950s.

5. Oklahoma Route 66 Museum
   There are a lot of Route 66 museums on the route, but this one is a must-see. It’s run by people who have a true love of the Mother Road.

6. Leaning Water Tower
   This should be familiar to anyone who saw Luigi’s Leaning Tower of Tires in “Cars.” This Texas monument was built to lure in tourists. It works.

7. Midpoint Cafe and Gift Shop
   Located halfway on Route 66, this is a major milestone on any trip. I’ll admit to feeling bummed that this Texas café wasn’t open when we stopped by. I really wanted to try their famous ugly pie.

8. Aztec Motor Court
   You’ve got to figure that any motel named Aztec is going to look interesting. This is one of the many classic motels located on Route 66 in Albuquerque, NM that take you back to the road’s heyday.

9. The Snow Cap
   For pure fun, this Arizona spot ranked among the top parts of the trip. They’re known for their cornball humor, such as having two doorknobs on the entrances. The owners are constantly telling jokes, such as offering you rags when you ask for more napkins.

10. Oatman, Arizona (west side)
    As I mentioned in the prior post, you have to stop in at this town when you’re traveling Route 66 in Arizona. Aside from the wild burros on the street, it just exudes old-fashioned Route 66 life.

11. Wigwam Motel
    Its location near the end of the trip in California probably doesn’t help, but it gets less business than the other wigwam motel in Arizona. I’ve got to give the owner kudos for trying to restore this place’s reputation. The last owner was a slime who rented rooms by the hour and advertised the slogan, “do it in a wigwam.”

12. Rialto Theatre
    I was saddened to hear that this California landmark recently closed. There are times when you don’t want to go to a megaplex. It had the longest-running showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

13. Will Rogers Highway
    This marker is the no-brainer end to any Route 66 trip when you finish up in California. Some drunk recently smacked into the marker, but it survived.

    Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
    
    1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
    
    
    

    Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

    The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
    View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
    

To find out more about landmark-hunting, please visit Markeroni, the Gentle Art of Landmark-Snarfing. This blog post is part of that site.

Thirteen Useful Snarfari Preparations
(more…)

I feel very fortunate to have been able to travel along Route 66 with a friend earlier this year.

It was such an interesting trip that it was too hard to limit it to 13 items. This first group consists of my favorite sites on the trip. Look for more to come later.

1. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
   We started in St. Louis instead of Illinois so Drewes seemed like a most appropriate way to kick off the trip. In addition to great frozen custard, it’s been a Route 66 landmark for 78 years.

2. Rock Cafe, Stroud, Oklahoma
   This is a must for any fan of the movie “Cars.” The character of Sally was inspired by the owner of the café. She gave up plans to relocate to Costa Rica to stay in her hometown in Oklahoma.

3. Arcadia Round Barn
   You usually don’t expect to see a big round barn. But the Oklahoma barn, which dates back to 1898, is one of the most distinctive landmarks on Route 66.

4. Tower Building
   More popularly known as the U Drop Inn, this Art Deco masterpiece stands out even in Texas. It was formerly a restaurant and gas station.

5. Phillips 66 Service Station
   I was keeping my eyes out for this stop. Opened in the 1920s, it was the first Phillips 66 station in Texas. I’m glad to say it’s being restored.

6. Cadillac Ranch
   You’ll recognize this Texas landmark if you saw “Cars.” This eccentric millionaire planted 10 Cadillacs nose-first into the ground. He lets you spray paint them.

7. Glenrio Historic District
   This epitomizes a Route 66 ghost town. The town died soon after the I-40 diverted traffic away from 66. The most famous structure was The First in Texas/Last in New Mexico Motel.

8. Blue Swallow Motel
   I’m glad we stayed at the motel overnight in New Mexico. It’s a classic 66 motel with blazing neon. The rooms are big, clean, reasonably priced and have antiques such as rotary dial telephones.

9. Wigwam Village #6
   We unfortunately couldn’t get a room at this classic motel in Arizona. A group of German bikers had the place booked up. Europeans love traveling Route 66.

10. Wild Burros
    How can you not love a landmark involving wild burros? The burros were brought there when Oatman, AZ, was a mining town. They freed them after the mine closed. The burros are now a tourism draw.

11. Original McDonalds
    This was also must-see piece of Americana on Route 66 in California. This is where Mickey D first began. It’s about the only way you’d see me enter a McDonald’s.

12. Aztec Hotel
    This is a stunning building dating back to 1926 in California. I was heartened to hear that the hotel is being restored to its original splendor.

13. Santa Monica Pier This was a fitting end to the Route 66 trip. Located by the ocean in California, you get a nice boardwalk and a stunning view of the beach.
    

Thirteen snarfs in Ann Arbor:

Ann Arbor is a great place to go snarfing. The city boasts not only state historical markers, but an entire set of displays and plaques put up by the city as well as a series of University related plaques throughout the U of M campus. This week’s TT features some of the essential Ann Arbor snarfs and my favorites, too!

1. Michigan Becomes A State: This marker is out in front of the courthouse (an area ripe with snarfs), and tells the tale of how Michigan settled a border dispute with Ohio. Congress approved a plan that would give most of the upper peninsula to Michigan, while the area around Toledo would go to Ohio. Delegates from the state met at the first courthouse, rejected the proposal at first, but at a second meeting, the “Frostbitten Convention”, they assented and Michigan became a state in 1837.
2. The University of Michigan: These days, when most people think of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan comes to mind. This marker tells us about the beginnings of the University, how the legislature chose Ann Arbor for the University in 1837 and how it first held classes in 1841. There were 7 students and two faculty. We’ve come a long way since then.
3. Michigan Theater: The Michigan Theater is a wonderful place to visit. Not only is it interesting from the outside, the interior has its own history to tell. The theater boasts one of the last remaining organs still in use from its days accompanying silent films, and it has a series of wall plaques that give another perspective on the history of Ann Arbor and its founders. The theater often shows independent films and things you wouldn’t otherwise get to see, in addition to hosting concerts. You can learn more about it at their website.
4. The Diag: The Diag is really the heart of central campus. A wide, open square surrounded by campus buildings and paths criss-crossing from one corner to the other. You’ll often find students relaxing in the sun or holding any number of events during the school year. The land for the original campus was donated to the city, and the original diagonal paths emerged in 1850.
5. Law Quadrangle: The Law quad is another area that the University is quite proud of. If you take any tour through campus, you will undoubtedly see this area, with its beautiful architecture and its stained glass. The money for the law buildings was originally donated from an alumnus, William W. Cook. At the time of his donation, it was the largest gift from an individual. It allowed the university to create the four beautiful buildings surrounding the law quad.
6. Kennedy Defines the Peace Corps: On October 14th, after debating Nixon in New York, John F. Kennedy flew back to Ann Arbor and addressed the thousands of students waiting for him on the steps of the union. An impromptu speech, he challenged the students to donate their time to improve conditions throughout the world. While he never specifically says “Peace Corps,” the idea of his speech is clear. You can see the text of his speech here.
7. Michigan Central Railroad Depot: The Michigan Central Railroad Depot is quite an impressive building, and it signaled new opportunities for Ann Arbor. The Depot was host to many visitors, including presidents and the returning football team. Now, the Amtrak station is across the way, and depot itself is a seafood restaurant.
8. The Underground Railroad: This marker tells of Rev. Guy Beckley, who helped usher slaves on the Underground Railroad through to Canada. I’d honestly never thought much about the Underground Railroad in Michigan before, but it makes sense.
9. Social and Political Change on South University: This is one of the city’s glass displays that are scattered through town. They show older pictures of the area. This particular marker shows a student march and describes how the South University changed during the sixties. One of the things I found most interesting about this marker, is that in the picture you can see one of the businesses that still exists today.
10. Civil War Recruitment: This is a rather unique marker - it’s a bronze replica of an Ann Arbor newspaper that asks able-bodied men to join the 20th Regiment. The plaque isn’t one you’ll notice right away; it’s inside the planted area near the courthouse, as if it’s just a piece of newspaper that was tossed there. There are two other front pages in the area too, so they’re fun to see.
11. Politics and Processions on Courthouse Square: This is another marker in the courthouse square that describes some of the political spectacles that have happened at the courthouse. I was amused by the description of William Jennings Bryan’s visit to Ann Arbor while on his presidential campaign. His speech was eventually canceled after he was continuously heckled by several hundred students.
12. Hill Auditorium: Hill Auditorium is an Ann Arbor musical institution. Designed by architect Albert Kahn, he collaborated with an acoustical engineer from New York, giving the auditorium its tremendous acoustics. Many orchestras, singers, and speakers have performed there, and it is definitely worth visiting while in town.
13. The Clairvoyant Physician: This one is my favorite Ann Arbor snarfs. One of the city’s quirkier residents, Dr. Daniel Kellogg claimed to channel Native American medicine in order to see patients internal organs. He even offered mail-order diagnoses. All he needed was your name, age, address, and a fee, of course.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

by Scribe

Snarfing in New York City offers as much variety as you can handle. Here are some of my favorites from my recent trip home to the Big Apple.

1. The Brooklyn Bridge

The 1-mile walk over the bridge gives you a great view of the Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn skylines. It’s especially good on New Year’s Eve when you can watch them shoot fireworks on the East River.


(more…)

August is Tell Everyone About Markeroni month, a concerted effort to tell the world about our neat little corner of the internet!

ETA: (if you do kindly TEAMM with us, please try to give a link to our home page: http://www.markeroni.com because this is the blog, not the home page. :)

In that spirit, then, here are thirteen reasons why Markeroni is cool and we’d be so grateful if you could tell your friends and/or blog about the site.

1. You can find information about historical markers and historic landmarks in Australia, the USA, Canada and the British Isles.
   
2. We already have 80,000 sites in our database that you can find, and more are being added almost daily. (There are two numbers associated with Markeroni: the number of landmarks we have already found, and the number we have input for you to find.)
   
3. You can take part in our shared blog. More places to write–yay!
   
4. We’re friendly and mellow and don’t take ourselves too seriously. Markeroni is for anyone interested in history, who takes part in treasure hunting games, or who likes to have a nice day out.
   
5. You can get cute little stars after your name, like merit badges, for logging landmarks. What’s not to love? :-P
   
6. Our stated goal is to eventually be able to donate 10% of our profits to historic preservation. We need more members to reach that goal.
   
7. Eventually we want to expand to include landmarks everywhere in the world. Won’t that be cool?
   
8. Lots of families take part with their family memberships.
   
9. You get to run around the countryside wielding stuffed penguins, monkeys, Russian dolls and a variety of other mascots. (See: told you we don’t take ourselves too seriously.)
   
10. It’s the most fun you can have with historical markers. Really. Trust us on this.
    
11. If you have a competitive spirit you can be all competitivey. If you don’t, you can just landmark-hunt for the sheer joy and interestingness of what you learn.
    
12. You really start to get a sense of your local history as you start to visit museums and piece together the individual snippets of history.
    
13. You get to go to some really cool places, like this and and this and this.
    

    
    Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

    1. Susiej
    2. O So Mo Love
    3. Buck Naked Politics
    4. Puss Reboots
    5. West of Mars
    6. Kitchen Table Chatter
    7. Single Parents Unite
    8. Bending the Twigs
    9. Momma Writes About Books
    10. Colloquium
    11. While Sleepwalking
    12. Nancy Bond
    13. Vixen’s Den
    14. One Green Bus
    15. Around The Island
    Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

    The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
    View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
    

Thirteen Things #3 13 Snarfs in Scotland

All the links open in a new window and load on top of one another, so you can keep two windows open and see them one at a time.

1. Ullapool War Memorial
   A very unusual war memorial, in the guise of a clock. The east coast town of Ullapool is so remote that this memorial is not just for Ullapool, but for the entire valley. The names are written on the base. Next time I’m there I must remember to get a better photograph.

2. Beauly Boer War Memorial
   Here’s something you just never see in the USA. The Boer War was fought in South Africa from 1899 to 1902…primarily over gold. Actually, this is the first Boer War memorial that I ever recall seeing.

3. Cawdor Castle
   No kidding. It’s that Cawdor Castle. Of course, the Macbeth story was sheer propoganda designed to make a writer’s king happy. Macbeth was a perfectly capable, non-murderous king. Cawdor Castle is pretty, and has giant thistles in the garden. It also has the distinction of being the only castle where I have read all the interpretive panels while going through. They were funny.

4. Duntulm Castle
   On the Isle of Skye. It’s slowly vanishing into the sea, I think. I’m sad because when I first went here, one could actually go right in. The second time, it was blusteringly windy and we were the only visitors. Signs warned that it was dangerous, but you still could go right in. Now, you cannot.

5. Aviemore Ring Cairn and Stone Circle
   Nestled slap-bang in the middle of a housing estate, this ancient monument still contrives to keep a stillness about it. It’s like stepping in time. The tree is a rowan, and was bristling with red berries when I was there.

6. Hugh Miller Cottage and House
   Hugh Miller was a famous writer and geologist born in Cromarty, which happens to be one of my favorite places in Scotland. The cottage where he was born is teeny-tiny and as cute as pie.

7. Urquhart Castle
   Urquhart Castle is well-preserved and perched precariously on the shores of Loch Ness, very grand for monster-spotting. The visitor center is awesome and has a flair for drama–you’ll see. My parents have taken disabled friends there; they offer golf carts and flat paths if you can’t walk too well.

8. Dun Troddan
   A bronze age broch. These structures were living places and strongholds for people in the bronze age, and three of them can be found by going down the narrow road of Glenelg.

9. Beauly Priory
   Isn’t this gorgeous? Beauly derives its name from the French “beau lieu,” which is apparently what Queen Elizabeth the I remarked when she came here. It was built in the 13th Century. The rose-colored stone is typical of this area.

10. The Cleopatra Sails
    Written by Hugh Miller, this historical marker/prose talks of those who emigrated during the clearances, and how they went with mixed feelings–hope for a better life, and pain at leaving behind and being left behind.

11. The Eagle Stone
    Carved with the symbols of an eagle and a horseshoe, this 6th century Pictish stone may have been a meeting place. It is steeped in legend.

12. Kilvaxter Souterrain and Homestead
    On the Isle of Skye, this was an unexpected and exciting find. It had only recently been excavated. Souterrains were long, winding, very low tunnels used for storage. A flashlight had been left out for exploring. I got creeped out when I lost sight of the doorway, and walk-squatting didn’t do much for me either. But I felt like a Real Live Historian while crawling along in these ancient tunnels.

13. Deep Freeze Mountains
    Part of the Knockan Crag trail, Knockan being where some people finally figured out how geology “worked,” this shows a wonderful view with a picture in front showing how much used to be under ice.
    

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

1. Amy’s Random Thoughts
   
2. Momma Writes About Books
   
3. Buck Naked Politics

On the 17th of July I visited the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for the umpti-umpth time. Santa Cruz is one of my favorite places and it celebrated its 100th birthday this year. Apparently, it did this by unveiling a new historical walking tour. This week’s Thursday Thirteen picks out thirteen different snarfs from among the two dozen or so available just by walking the Boardwalk end to end.

Click the boardwalk tag to see other Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk landmarks.

1. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
   The entire Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is State Historic Landmark #903. You can play and be all historically appreciative at the same time.

2. Original boardwalk boards
   Some of the original boardwalk boards were preserved.

3. Looff Carousel
   This is one half of a double National Historic Landmark, the crè de la crè of Stateside landmarks and by far and away my favorite ride.

4. Looff Giant Dipper
   This is the other half. A thrill on a “rickety” old rollercoaster. It was recently awarded landmark status by the American Coaster Enthusiasts.

5. Santa Cruz Seaside Company
   The boardwalk started life as a casino with dance hall etc. It burnt down. The original company went bust and this one took over in 1915. They’re still going strong.

6. Before the Boardwalk
   The story of the original casino which burnt down.

7. Boardwalk Goes Hollywood
   Several movies were filmed here, including one of my all-time favorites, The Lost Boys.

8. Beauty and the Beach
   Various beauty pageants were held here, with or without scandal.

9. Daredevils
   The beach was also a playground for people who liked to hang from thin ropes and other feats.

10. Dancing Through the Years
    There was a dance hall here, and many events were held over the years.

11. The Plunge
    One could also swim, though perhaps not at the same time as dancing.

12. Whiting’s Foods
    I liked the giant ice cream cone, actually.

13. A Love Story
    The couple who now run several shops here met as teenagers in the Summer of Love. They’re now a two-generation business.
    

Other Thursday Thirteeners

1. Bad Jokes and Oven Chips
   
2. Soliloquy: That’s Life
   
3. Momma Writes About Books
   
4. The Accidental Novelist
   
5. A Lady’s Diversion
   
6. Vixen’s Den