Oh boy, here was an unexpected treat. On the way to Charlevoix to get the Big Cherry Pie with the Davidsons (see Food and Drink) when fate struck and we got this Big Swan. Outside the Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce building was this Swan (don’t call it a Goose! Right Meg?). It has a history going back to 1966 when it was built to carry Miss Elk Rapids in the Cherry Festival and Harbor Days parades.
Big Swan
We were at the Davidsons and were getting ready to go Up North when we spotted this inflatable out with a GTO show. Not exactly one of my best finds but I am addicted to Things Big and couldn’t pass up the shot. We blocked the parking lot at the Starbucks while getting the shot. I was humming a Jan & Dean tune.
GTO Tiger
My first trip to the new Comerica Park in Detroit and here were some Big Tigers and Baseball Bats. 2 hours before the game and there were all these people. I may have to come back in February (brrrr!) to get a photo without the fans. The Tigers lost to the Bronx Bombers 5-1 who had 5 hits and 5 home runs. I miss Tiger Stadium where you were so close to the field but I liked the rest of the new ballpark.
Detroit Tiger
We were going to the airport to pick Julia up on July 3rd. In case you didn’t know, Indiana is fireworks state. You can buy all sorts of fireworks here. You just have to be careful since you cannot take the fireworks on the plane with you if you are leaving the state on a plane. You would be much better off driving your purchases out of state.
Patriotic Eagle
For Crying Out Loud is the title for this Field Art as we call it in Indiana. My best Birddog, Melynda told me about this Hippo a while ago but I didn’t get it until recently. It’s on a field belonging to a now retired auctioneer. We pulled into the muddy field and finally I found a reason for the 4-wheel drive on my Cherokee. I don’t know if this is larger than life but it’s pretty camp.
For Crying Out Load
We were leaving England and had some time at Heathrow before the flight. (I won’t mention how much time Ben and Annie had due to flight delays) but anyway where else is there a store like Harrods in an airport. It would be like having a Neiman-Marcus at Kennedy Airport. At any rate this shop had cavier, chamapign and many of the finer things in life. I went to the 7-11.
Heathrow Bear
We were in England and left our tour group to go to the Tower of London, search you know where Cromwell spent some time enjoying the hospitality of the Crown. As usual we included a trip to the gift shop and right outside was this Bear Guard. What a surprise! Not quite a Beefeater Guard but I did get him to smile.
Tower of London Guard
With my update of the website I found some images that go back a way, to 2003, which were never posted. Here are two. We were up in Detroit for Thanksgiving with the Davidsons and instead of shopping on Friday my brother-in law, Greg and niece, Erica ventured out on a cold, rainy day to get some Big Things I had researched around the city. As we were on our way to this mini-golf course to get these Big Animals Erica spotted a Big Apple atop Blake’s Big Apple Orchard. Check out the Erica’s find on the Food and Drink page.
Riverbend Golf Cow
Riverbend Golf Steer
We had just started out on our drive to Michigan for some vacation time when we spotted the Sirius Satellite Radio Dog being set up in front of hh gregg on 96th Street. We pulled into the parking lot and got this image. The fellows setting this up asked if I knew the ex-RCA crowd now at Sirius, it wasn’t until later that I wondered how he knew I was an RCA guy.
Sirius Dog
Well, we made it “Up North” and were enjoying our vacation on Lake James outside Prudenville. I made a trip into town to go to Ford’s hardware and spotted this chicken outside the Lake Break snack shop. You can get Ice Cream, Pizza, Ribs and of course Broasted Chicken.
Prudenville Chicken
My Uncle Ed told me about this big cow in downtown Elsie, Michigan. On our way home from Prudenville we stopped at Ford Cemetary where my folks are buried, as well as many other family members. Aunt Libbie and Uncle Frank lived close by so I spent time as a youngster in Elsie. I didn’t remember this cow, but it’s right on W. Main outside the Elsie village hall.
Elsie the Cow
Muncie Indiana seems to have more Big Things per capita than most cities that I’ve visited. This Big Frog outside Dick Carnel’s Ceramics, Tiles and Carpets at 2001 Cranville Ave is an example. Time your visit here right and you can go across the street to Miss Kitty’s for karaoke on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Thanks to Steph for this sighting.
Muncie Frog
Sometimes it takes the cooperation of other people to get the special Big Picture. I owe the sighting for this big Terrapin to Julia since she sighted it at a Univ of Maryland football game. She saved it for me until Parents Weekend. Then Deb talked to a couple of special people who were the ushers that allowed us to go onto the field in the endzone to get this image. Thanks Sid, you guys showed a great sense of humor! Update: I received a nice note from Sid a little after I originally posted the image.
Maryland Terrapin
Julia and Deb were on their way from Maryland to Indy when Julia eyed this beauty at Exit 62 on I-70 (which just happens to be US-40, the National Highway. Rainbow Industries rents inflatables, tents, etc and this gorilla stood out front. We got this image on the way back after dropping Julia off at UMD.
National Highway Gorilla
It was early Sunday morning so I knew that I what I was seeing really was a Pink Elephant! This cute guy stands outside Wagon Wheel Liquors on SR67 in Fortville, IN complete with glasses and a martini. Melynda, who told me about the chicken in Noblesville (see below) cued me in on this beauty.
Pink Elephant
We were winding up our “Big Thing Trek” and were looking for the big bull that our real estate agent Gail had told us about. Melynda included it on her map and we thought we had it with this cow outside Cohron’s Manufactured Homes on SR67. Something didn’t ring true since this cow and calves were in great shape, not as Gail described them.
Pendleton Cow
Now here is the bull that Gail told us about. She said it is painted regularly and my guess is this one fits the bill. It was also dead-on with where Melynda has it one the her map. It stands proudly(?) outside Karmon’s Produce on SR67 between Franklin Road and Post Road. Update: I’ve been by this bull many time since and it seems to be a different color each time.
Gail’s bull
We were on our way from Indy to Prudenville along I-69. Right after I told Deb and Julia they had to keep an eye out for Big Things, Deb spotted this inflatable at the “Huge Car Sale” near the US127 exit in Ithaca, MI. We got off at the next exit and circled back for this photo opportunity.
Car sale Gorilla
I recently moved to Indianapolis so there is a entire fresh stock of Big Things. Melynda, a co-worker, told me about this Big Chicken. And since I have a special affinity for chickens (see below on this page) Debbie and I had to hustle out to the Chanticleer Cottage in Noblesville Sunday morning to get this chicken. Update: there’s been a change of hands, this chicken is now painted a bland white color, blah!
Noblesville Chicken
I really don’t know why it’s taken so long to have an image of Nipper and me on this web site. I’ve been surrounded by Nippers for years, many of them BIG but I never had my picture taken with one, must be taking for granted what you have. Trust me, don’t take what you have for granted. I would like to have one of these BIG nippers at home but don’t know where I would keep him. Maybe Julia’s room.
Nipper!