Author Archives: Jim Hejl

Fishers Freedom Festival

By | | Inflatables, People, Sports
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We were at the Freedom Festival event in Fishers, Indiana and ran across Master Yoo’s booth. This Big Inflatable caught my eye. I tried my best but I don’t think I have a future in Tae Kwon Do. I would like to get one of these costumes/robes or whatever you call it.

karate

Fisher’s Freedom Festival

Muncie T-shirt

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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We were in Muncie, Indiana on a nice June Saturday to attend my niece Caitlin’s wedding. We got there early and were on our way to meet my sister, Catherine and Dale her husband at Oakurst Gardens, a very relaxing park in Muncie. Traveling down N. Wheeling Ave we spotted this Big T-shirt promoting the Outfitter Screen Printing and Embroidery shop. Catherine had to wait.

t-shirt

Muncie T-shirt

Erica’s Chicken

By | | Animals, Chickens
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We were in Detroit for Erica’s graduation party in June. She is the youngest of the “cousins” and on her way to Grand Valley State University. Deb and I went to the Chicken Shack in Royal Shack to pick up the chicken and ribs for the party. On the way back to Meg and Greg’s house we spotted this special chicken outside Blossoms, a florist located at the intersection of Woodward and S. Adams Rd in Birmingham, MI.

chicken

Erica’s Chicken

By | | Food and Drink, The Rest of the Food
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A trip to, or, in our case through Cincinatti, would not be complete without a stop at Jungle Jim’s International Market. It is a superstore unlike any other. With 1 1/2 acres of produce, 75,000 international grocery products and cigars from 70 countries, there is much to discover. At least that is what their web site says. These veggies were outside by the entrance from the back parking lot.

veggies

Jungle Jim’s Veggies

Inside Jungle Jim’s

By | | Corn, Food and Drink
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Once inside Jungle Jim’s International Market a whole new world opens. There really is a lot to look at, things that you can’t find at your local Kroger’s no matter how much they try to update and restyle their stores. Also, I’ve never gotten a Big Picture inside a Kroger (although I did get the Kissmobile outside a Kroger) but never inside. Here at Jungle Jim’s I got a two-fer!
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Jungle Jim’s Corn

soup

Jungle Jim’s Soup

Tennessee Cross

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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Sometimes it’s funny how you find Big Things. As we were on our way for a Spring Break trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee we stopped to get a photo of a patriotic chicken on Exit 141 at I-75 in Tennessee (see Big Animals page.) Once we were back on the interstate going South we immediately spotted this Big Cross. Figuring to get it on the way back we continued on. Four days later traveling back home I was surprised to remember this cross. Nice looking but neglected. It stands on Old Kentucky Road about 0.4 miles south of the exit next to the defunct Royal Blue RV Park.

cross

Tennessee Cross

Knoxville Big Rubik’s Cube

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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Sometimes getting photos of Big Things can be stressful and this is a case in point, not that you would know. This Rubiks Cube is located in a lobby area of the Holiday Inn Select in Knoxville, Tennessee. Getting there was quite an adventure. Once we arrived we spoke with Richard, who worked for the hotel. He escorted us to this object. A nice man who represented the hotel with pride, thanks Richard.

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Knoxville Big Rubik’s Cube

 

Women’s Hall of Fame Basketball

By | | Objects, Sports
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We had some difficulty getting to the Rubiks Cube, but sometimes good results follow in unexpected ways. This is a case in point. We were off target (thanks GPS) and pulled into a hotel parking lot when, lo and behold, Deb spotted this Big Basketball. Turns out we were next to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, in Knoxville. An appropriate location considering this is the home of Pat Summitt. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men’s or women’s team in any division. She has been coaching since 1974, all with the Lady Vols, winning eight NCAA national championships, second only to the record 10 titles won by UCLA men’s coach John Wooden. In 38 years as a coach, she never had a losing season. On April 20, 2012, the White House announced that Pat Summitt would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. What a great person!

basketball

Women’s Hall of Fame Basketball

Pigeon Forge Bull

By | | Animals, Cows and Bulls
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Early Friday morning we were traveling from our mountain-top cabin in Gatlinburg through Pigeon Forge on our way home and spotted this Big Steer. Naturally we circled back and grabbed this opportunity. I love getting these unplanned Big Things. In this case it was a restaurant featuring beef and fish. Looked like a nice place from the outside, unfortunately we spent our time in Gatlinburg and didn’t get a chance to sample the menu here. If you stay in Pigeon Forge you might want to try the “Bullfish Grill.”

bull

Pigeon Forge Bull

 

Pigeon Forge “Mt. Rushmore”

By | | Other Big People, People
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Also in Pigeon Forge is The Hollywood Wax Museum, currently under construction but looks to open soon. Despite the construction we were able to get this image. We guessed the profiles were John Wayne, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. Do you agree? There appears to be more Big Things to come on this site.

UPDATE: I later received the following e-mail from a finishing artist on this project, this is what he has to say.

Jim,

I helped as the finishing artist on this ‘Mt Rushmore’ at the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge. It’s unique as it was computer sculpted in Styrofoam and then hard coated with 2 unique hard coats. One is a wall spray ‘concrete’. The other is my own invention: Flex-a-Rock… A flexible cement-like sculpting paste. Flex-a-Rock is the only material that can make a faux brick or stone wall on canvas or Tyvek and be shipped rolled up like a poster. It will, I believe, change the way textures and decorative surfaces will be applied in theme parks, zoos and as faux finishes.

Sincerely, John Votel

rushmore

Pigeon Forge “Mt. Rushmore”

 

 

Pigeon Forge Hot Dog

By | | Food and Drink, Hot Dog and Hamburger
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I think just about everything in Pigeon Forge is along Rt. 441. At the 3 Bears General Store I hit a trifecta. A Big Bear (Animals), a Big Santa (Seasonal) and here a Big Hot Dog (Food & Drink). Lots of places with multiple subjects generally stay within the same genre. The 3 Bears General Store also offers a wide range of offerings. Stop in and see what I mean.

hot dog

Pigeon Forge Hot Dog

Pigeon Forge Cone

By | | Food and Drink, Ice Cream
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Maybe by the time you get to Pigeon Forge this ice cream stand will be finished, it was pretty well along the way to completion. Next door to Fantasy Golf, it will be a good place to stop and enjoy a soft serve cone, maybe dipped in chocolate with some jimmies on top.

cone

Pigeon Forge Cone

Tennessee Pirate

By | | Muffler Men, People
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This was a planned capture during our Spring Break trip to the Smokies in Tennessee. This guy is located on Veterans Parkway, on the first block east of Rt. 441 in Pigeon Forge. If you continue on this street you will end up in Dollywood. This poor guy still stands in front of a closed minature golf course and needs some help, maybe I’ll set up a “Big Things Rescue Program” for guys like this. I think with a little love he could be a treasure. What do you think?

pirate

Tennessee Pirate

Pigeon Forge Boot Factory

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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Surprisingly, this is the only Big Object we spotted in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. There were many more “Animals” and “Food and Drink” big things. On our way out early Friday Deb spotted this Big Boot. I slammed on the brakes and pulled in to get this photo. This is on the porch of the Boot Factory Outlet on Rt. 441, everything in Pigeon Forge is an outlet. The Boot Factory wasn’t open at the time, too bad I may have purchased my first pair of boots here, with a couple free to “boot.”

boot

Pigeon Forge Boot Factory

Adventure Golf Octopus

By | | Animals, The Rest of the Animals
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A little farther up the road we hit a jackpot with multiple Big Thing hits. It was early in the morning when we stopped at Adventure Golf. This octopus was guarding the second hole. Pretty scary, sure to throw you off your game. I got a little too close but thankfully was saved by the groundskeeper, the only person nearby at this time of day. I didn’t get his name but did leave him with one of my business cards. Hopefully he get in contact. What a lifesaver!

octupus

Adventure Golf

Big White

By | | Animals, Fish
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Not learning my lesson escaping from the octopus I immediately nearly fell victim to this Big Shark. He was ready to chomp down on my leg as you can see here. Fortunately Chief Brody, Professor Hooper and Quint were vacationing in Pigeon Forge and saved me from this Big White. Some set of jaws, (get it?)

shark

Adventure Shark

Tennessee Dragon

By | | Animals, The Rest of the Animals
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Our last Big Animal on the Spring Break trip to the Smokies. Actually we noted this on the way down just south of Exit 134 along I-75. Take the exit in Caryville, TN go east about 100 yards and turn south on John McGhee Blvd, Rt. 116. John McGhee was the son of the railroad magnate Charles McClung McGhee active in railroad building in eastern Tennessee. Anyway, this dragon is south about 1/2 mile, just past the Motel 6 at the site that was once the Thunder Mountain Fireworks. We didn’t see any sign of Thunder Mountain except a concrete pad. Oh well, the dragon still looks pretty good, enjoy!

dragon

Tennessee Dragon

Pigeon Forge Bear

By | | Animals, Bears
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Pigeon Forge was loaded with Big Thing opportunities. Case in point was the 3 Bears General Store. A shopping landmark since 1979, the store gives you many opportunities to spend your money. Among them are the Mine Your Own Gemstones, Make UR Own Bear, and the NASCAR store. They really do cover all the bases. I don’t know why you would need to shop anywhere else. If they added a miniature golf course it would be a complete experience. They even have a hot dog stand. See the Food and Drinks page.

bear

Pigeon Forge Bear

Basket of Eggs

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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Wandering through the stores in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which is like Ocean City, NJ only with the shops on both sides of a street rather than a beach on one side of a boardwalk and shops on the other. A lot of duplicate shops, (how many henna tattoo shops can stay in business?) There was an interesting little mall of quality shops and in the midst of this was this basket full of eggs. We had to stay a while to get this photo since it was popular with the children.

baslet

Basket of Eggs

Gatlinburg Golf

By | | Objects, Sports
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We went to a putt putt course in downtown Gatlinburg since we had a two for one coupon from our rental agency. It was a course designed for minimal space, we played our way up a hillside and down the back nine. I was doing pretty well midway through the front nine only to be ambushed by 3 holes in one by Deb on the back nine. I had to buy dinner that night due to my confidence after the 6th hole. Oh well, it was a nice dinner, first week of April and we ate outside, I had trout (the local speciality fish.)

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Gatlinburg Golf