Julius Sturgis Pretzels

After a lunch of Fish ‘n Chips at Bull’s Head Public House, a real style English pub we walked on down Main Street to the Julius Sturgis pretzel Bakery.  While no longer an active bakery it is the site of the first commercial pretzel bakery dating back to 1861.  Tours allow visitors to understand the history and to actually get a hands-on lesson in pretzel twisting.  Of course there is a gift shop and an opportunity to purchase pretzels.  Tom Sturgis Pretzels company in nearby Shillington, PA continues the family tradition.  This area of Pennsylvania is home to many pretzel companies.  The first annual Pretzel Fest was held last September in Reading and features a great number of bakers.  We were there!

pretzel

Julius Sturgis Pretzels

Antonio’s Burger

This Big Burger can be found in front of Antonio’s Pizza and Cabaret on Crescent Ave in Avalon on Catalina Island.  We had dinner on the deck overlooking Avalon Harbor.  This place is more than a pizzeria, although I’m not sure exactly how to describe it.  Also in Avalon is Original Antonio’s Pizzeria and Deli a few blocks away.  I don’t know the back story between the two Antonio’s.  It would be interesting to know.

burger

Antonio’s Burger

Catalina Island Ice Cream

In Avalon on Catalina Island I spotted this ice cream cone at Lloyd’s  on Crescent Ave. This cone entices visitors to enter into the sweet zone.  Lloyd’s has the mandatory vacation spot sweets: fudge, taffy, ice cream and all kind of sweets.  What a place.

ice cream

Catalina Island Ice Cream

LA Coca Cola Bottle

After visiting The Broad and having lunch at downtown’s Grand Central Market we were on our way to the Fashion District for a little shopping.  Along the way we passed the LA Coca Cola bottling plant and what did we spot but these decorative Big Coke bottles.  Had to stop and grab an image.

coke

LA Coca Cola Bottle

Mill Farms Market

On our way out of Kitty Hawk with all the vacationers ending their vacation on Saturday morning we spotted a couple of Big Things at the Mill Farms roadside stand. Had to pull over and get this Big Strawberry and Big Chicken.  It was good to take a little break from the non-stop traffic heading back home from their vacation.

strawberry

Mill Farms Strawberry

chicken

Mill Farms Chicken

 

Vineyards on the Scuppernong

We were making our way to Kitty Hawk and stopped at the Columbia Visitors Center off I-64 for a break.  Coming out of the center the Chief Photographer spotted this Big Thing across the street.  We crossed Elm Street to get this photo opportunity. A nice unexpected find.

grapes

Vineyards on the Scuppernong

Charleston Ice Cream

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Fleet Landing Restaurant on the waterfront.  We started with their specialty Fleet Landing Hush Puppies. Get this, they were a veloute of lobster, rock shrimp, leek, corn with a house made cocktail sauce,  maybe one of the best appetizers I’ve ever had.  I can almost taste it now.  Wow, I digress.  Anyway, on the walk back to the hotel we passed by the Savannah’s Candy Kitchen and found this big cone.  Looks like raspberry to me, what do you think?

ice cream

Charleston Ice Cream

 

Sweet Tea at the Charleston Tea Plantation

While in Charleston we decided to make a trip to the Charleston Tea Plantation, a short trip away.  The Plantation is the only tea plantation in the US.  Quite an interesting visit to see how tea is harvested and dried.  While there we found this Big Thing.  Seems it was exhibited in Summerville before it was replaced with a larger version and found its way to the plantation.

tea

Tea Plantation Sweet TeaTea Plantation Sweet Tea

Summerville Sweet Tea

On our way from Columbia to Charleston, after the eclipse, we stopped in Summerville, SC to get a photo of this Large Sweet Tea container.  On the way in to town we stopped at the Visitor Center.  We found about the Azalea Park which has walkways featuring a number of sculptures and azaleas and camellias in season, a nice park in a small town.  We also were recommended to a local treat, Eve’s Restaurant where we had great fried chicken lunches.  A real “local” place.  Oh, I forgot, the sweet tea image.  Here it is.

tea

Summerville Sweet Tea

Coffee Pot Art Building

On the way to the Transformer Man we saw the Coffee Pot building and decided to catch it on the way back.  It currently serves as an artist studio with many water sculptures in front.  We didn’t have time to go inside but it looks like a great place to visit if you have the time.  It’s on East Midland Trail in Lexington, Virginia.

Coffee Pot Building

Coffee Pot Art Building

Pocono’s Potato

For Father’s Day, Ben and Nate gave me a visit to the NASCAR Pocono 400 racetrack.  Known among race fans as the “Tricky Triangle,” a 2 1/2 mile test of drivers skills.  We (Ben, Nate, the Chief Photographer and I) went to the time trials on Saturday before the race. Interesting and much different than watching a Sunday race.  Cars in and out of the pits working on set-ups, tires, etc.  During one of the breaks we walked around some of the booths and I saw this Big Idaho Potato.  (It was first spotted by Olivia, the niece of my Number One Fan, when she was in Idaho – check out the Bird Dog page.)

potato

Pocono Potato

Tom Sturgis Pretzel Factory

After our trip to York to see a Time 4 Three performance (which Deb gave me as a gift) we took a route home leading through Reading, PA.  In Skillington, near Reading I had researched a Big Pretzel.  It is located in front of the Tom Sturgis Pretzel Factory on Lancaster Pike.  Truly a great pretzel, too bad it was a Sunday and we couldn’t get in the retail store to buy some of these pretzels.

pretzel

Tom Sturgis Pretzel Factory

Reading Terminal Market Ice Cream Cone

We drove into Philadelphia during the Democratic Convention, it seemed only fair since we were in town during the Republican Convention in 2000.  There was lots to do and at lunch time what better than stopping at Reading Terminal Market for lunch.  I had to have a cheese steak to celebrate being back.  While there we spotted this Big Ice Cream Cone.

cone

Reading Terminal Market Ice Cream Cone

86th Street Chili’s

We were running out of time to get this photo.  The house was sold, we were finalizing the move and knew about this chili out in front of Chili’s on 86th Street in Indianapolis.  Most Chili’s restaurants have this up high over the door.  Had to grab this before leaving town.

chili

86th Street Chili’s

Homewood Suites Apple

We found that with enough time on our trip to Philadelphia we could get to the Homewood Suites in Mechanicsburg.  It is a great property, left us only a few hours to Philly and we could eat at the Appalachian Brewing Company brewpub.  Great food and a cold malt beverage after a long drive.  This Big Apple sits over the dining area at the motel.

apple

Homewood Suites Apple

 

McClure’s Apple Haus Apple

The reason for our visit to McClure’s Apple Haus outside Grand Rapids, Michigan was to get this Big Apple previously sighted by my Bird Dog Erica.  What a great place to visit, very family friendly.  Pick apples, a corn maze, a bounce place, fresh donuts and cider.  This would be my go-to place in the fall if I lived in the Grand Rapids area.

apple

McClure’s Apple Haus Apple

Casey Main Street Corn

At the 100% corner in downtown Casey, shop sale IL there is this Big Corn.  We ran into another couple that visited the various Casey Big Things right before us.  They were from Ohio and were on their way west to see the sights. They were on the road with no predetermined return date. Free and Easy.

corn

Casey Corn