Category Archives: Other Big People

Blue Earth Jolly Green Giant

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We were making the run home from the sights in South Dakota but decided to take time to slip off I-90 for a quick stop in Blue Earth, Minnesota, location of this 55 ft. Jolly Green Giant. It was worth the trip since it is REALLY BIG!

giant

Blue Earth Jolly Green Giant

Tires, Tires, Tires

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Tires, doctor Tires, Tires walks the walk and talks the talk. Outside their store on East Omaha Street in Rapid City, SD stands this tireman. Just the statement needed from a store that sells tires exclusively. There is another big tire man in Sioux City that I know about but it is not nearly as colorful or well mannered as this example. BTW, stop in for a sandwich and a malt beverage at Firehouse Brewery.

tires

Rapid City Tire Man

 

Johnny One Feather

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This is Johnny One Feather, immortalized as an immense advertising symbol. Used to draw attention to the the pan-for-gold attraction behind his statue. I didn’t go in to try my luck panning for gold, seemed like a tourist trap, where they salt the stream and gravel with some gold. Maybe I’m just too cynical. By the way he is located right next to a big Muffler Man. You can park in one spot and visit both.

miner

Johnny One Feather

Presidents Park

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Just north of Lewie’s Saloon & Eatery on US-85 south of Lead, South Dakota (see Big Bear holding a fish in the Big Animals section) we happened upon Presidents Park. It’s closed now but would be a mecca for Big Presidential Busts. This big bust of Honest Abe stands outside the park to lure tourists into the park.

lincoln

Lincoln Bust

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

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While it appears that Presidents Park is closed these three Big Busts are located in the area on SD-79 south of Rapid City in front of the Rockin’ R Saloon & Steakhouse which is in Hermosa, SD. I call this The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. I’ll let you decide which is which.

presidents

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

 

Bob Ruwart’s Cowboy

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After stopping at Fort Laramie in Wyoming and seeing Chimney Rock and Scott’s Bluff in Nebraska we were driving south on I-25 to get to Rocky Mountain National Park. This cowboy was on the northbound side of the interstate but fortunately the exits were only about a mile apart. A quick turn around allowed me to get this cowboy on the grounds of Bob Ruwart Motors in Wheatland, Wyoming. Take exit 80 off I-29. Bob sells everything, Chevy, GMC, Buick as well as Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep.

cowboy

Bob Ruwart’s Cowboy

Big Steel Guy

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Unplanned and kind of in the proverbial “middle of nowhere” we found this big steel guy probably created by some bored welders.  I have not planned on visiting. We were just driving across Nebraska on US-20 from Souix City, Iowa to Valentine, Nebraska. If you have never driven here I would urge you to make the trip. You drive through the eastern part of the Sand Hills of Nebraska. The Sand Hills is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state. (Thanks Wikipedia for this description). Anyway we stayed the night in Valentine, NE. A very friendly town, lot’s of authentic cowboys and close to Smith Falls, the tallest waterfall in Nebraska located on a small stream tributary to the Niobrara River. The state park there is very nice and was under-used when we visited.

steel

Big Steel Guy

Redfish Charlie’s Monster

By | | Inflatables, Other Big People, People
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Next to the Cocoa Flea Market in Port St. John, Florida is this Monster advertising Redfish Charlie’s Bayou Grill and Tiki Bar. Looked to be a pretty laid back bar. With a slogan like “It’s OK by Me, If it’s OK Bayou” who could not have a good time. Especially if you ride a motorcycle. They have a big BIKERS WELCOME sign as well. I didn’t have my colors with me or I might have stopped in.

monster

Redfish Charlie’s Monster

Gosai Park’s Big Jim

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Meet Big Jim. Jim was constructed by the Artist/Welder James Krutz Sr. in 1978. Big Jim now stands in “Gosai Park” which is the little lawn in front of Dr. Jamlesh Gosai’s Best Western Garden Inn in Bentleyville, PA. I may call my front lawn “Hejl Park.”

bigjim

Gosai Park’s Big Jim

10BigJim2

Southeast HS Spartan

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We were in Springfield, Illinois visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. It is the 200th Anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in 1809. After lunch at the Cozy Inn restaurant – “Home of the Hot Dog on a Stick” we went over to Southeast High School to get this shot of their Spartan mascot. It was raining pretty hard – Deb stayed in the car to get this shot (turned out not to be so good.)

spartan

Southeast HS Spartan

Meridian Street Ghost

By | | Inflatables, Other Big People, People
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Well I guess this image should be in the Big People tab.  We were driving down Meridian Street in Indianapolis, between 86th and 96th street when we spotted this Big Ghost. I’m not sure if a ghost should be on a Big People tab, but what is a ghost but the current state of a past person.

ghoust

Meridian Street Ghost

Wisconsin Farmer

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A planned shot. We traveled high and low to get this shot. I think one of the faults with GPS is that you don’t necessarily take the route that you would if you looked at a map. On the other hand the GPS takes you on a route that you would not usually take and you get to see a little country. If you’re in a hurry use a map. In this case the address I was seeking was the middle of a field We continued down the road a little and in the BP station we found this Big Guy.

farmet

Wisconsin Farmer

Mel’s Atlas

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A Wisconsin bonanza. Mel Schettl Sales in Oshkosh. I was able to get images to fit every category. There were Big Things inside the Flea Market and outside in Mel’s Garden. Overwhelming to say the least. You can see the zebra and giraffe in the background. I’m sorry that Mel wasn’t there when we stopped by, I guess he was out buying some more Big Things.

atlas

Mel’s Atlas

Antiques Mart Muffler Man

By | | Muffler Men, Other Big People, People
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Get this! At the “Pink Elephant Antiques Mart” in Livingston, IL (see Big Animals for the elephant) you can find the Bearded Lumberjack Muffler Man (left) inside and the Big Beachboy (right) outside. Somehow I think they got this backwards, the bathing suit boy should be inside and the lumberjack outside. After all it is cold in Illinois in winter. BTW, I have another Big Beach Boy below that I found more appropriately in a Water Park on the Jersey shore.

beach boy

Antiques Mart Beach Boy

muffler

Antiques Mat Muffler Man

Fred the Giant Farmer

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Meet Fred the Giant Farmer and his sidekick Clyde. They stand advertising the Sappington Farmers Market on Watson Road in St. Louis. We were visiting my sister and brother-in-law for Thanksgiving and decided to take some time for a Big Things hunt.

farmer

Fred the Giant Farmer

New Castle Jockey

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Outside the Ice House Tavern in New Castle, Indiana you can find this jockey, or at least I think he is a jockey. Not a muffler man for sure, check out the hands. He kind of like a large driveway jockey without the red jacket.

jockey

New Castle Jockey

Car Wash Elf

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I don’t know how to explain the number of Big Things at car washes in Southwestern Indiana. You have to go to Vincennes! It seems like every car wash has Big Things. This little, actually Big if the elf legend has any truth to it, Elf was around the back of a car wash. There were even more Big Things, note the buffalo in the background.

elf

Car Wash Elf

 

San Diego Kiss

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With the whole family together we decided to spend the day in San Diego. Annie and Ben, Julia and Deb went to the zoo. Andy and I went to the Midway aircraft carrier docked in the harbor. What an interesting experience. The Midway has quite a history. If you are in San Diego be sure to visit. Many of our young people spent time on this vessel. At the end of the tour Andy and I were looking South to a city park and noticed this very large sailor locked in an embrace. I don’t know if he was leaving on a tour or coming back, but he seemed glad to see her. The image is not great since it was taken at dusk, you get the idea nonetheless.

kiss

San Diego Kiss

LA Big Guy

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On our trip to LA at Christmas we went to the La Brea tar pits. I knew there was a Muffler Man nearby, when I found him, I was surprised to find someone sleeping nearby. California is great, the state is broke, there is no money to house the homeless, the mentally ill are turned out, but at least the weather is nice enough that a soul like this can sleep outside at 11am without being hassled.

big guy

LA Big Guy