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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Mister Ed's Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium- A Wonderful Pennsylvania Roadside Attraction

About 12 miles West of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,  nestled on the side of the Lincoln Highway, sits Mister Ed's Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium. This roadside oddity is an eclectic collection featuring more than 12,000 elephant figurines, circus memorabilia, toys and much more; not to mention the candy!!!!


The first thing you'll notice is the gardens around the shop which contain a plethora of vintage elephants, toys, decorations and other objects transforming the entire grounds into a kind of magical toyland! We visited in winter so I can only imagine the gardens abounding in color and in full bloom! Maybe next time…




Each area in the garden has its own theme.


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After wandering the grounds, once you do enter the store, you can's help but experience a bit of sensory overload at all of the sights and smells!!! Where to go and what to do first? 

Candy bins galore!!!!!!

Pez fan?  Mister Ed's is the place to go!!!!


The museum contains not only elephant figures, statues, photos, paintings, stuffed animals and just about any other type of representation you can imagine, but also many books as well, including, of course, Dumbo, and this GOP cookbook as well!!!

Dumbo is prevalent throughout the store; none more striking than this version, appearing to have just flown-in direct from Fantasyland at Disneyland!!!

Looks like a miners helmet-- maybe for navigating the isles of candy in the dark for a sugary midnight snack?


 What elephant museum is complete without peanuts!!!




The shops proprietor, Mister Ed, was on hand to greet us and talk about his fascinating store and museum, and was gracious enough to pose for a couple photos!  He was a wonderful character who seemed to thoroughly enjoy what he does and  to enjoy meeting the people who stop by to see his collection!!

If you are ever in the Gettysburg area, a side trip to Mister Ed's is well worth your time!!   Here's a link to Mister Ed's website and facebook page where you can learn a lot more about this fascinating experience!! 


Also, this site has a nice brochure for Mister Ed's: 

 http://www.gettysburg.travel/visitor/member_detail.asp?contact_id=18548

Monday, December 23, 2013

Christmas 2013, in Downtown Gettysburg, PA.

Christmastime in Downtown Gettysburg, PA.

We stayed at the Brafferton Inn, a stone home built in 1786, which is the oldest continuous residence in Gettysburg.  If you are planning a trip to visit the battlefields and are looking for a great place to stay, I highly recommend this quaint Bed & Breakfast.


Labels on the Brafferton Inn.

Angel and shadow above the York St. Nativity Scene. 

The Gettysburg Inn. 

Window displays. 



Lincoln Square, the center of town. 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Autumn 2013- Fall Color on Government Island


Several times a year I try to get out to Government Island in Stafford, VA, to get some seasonal shots.  These were taken November 2, 2013.

(If you click on a picture, they will open in a larger viewer.)












Saturday, October 12, 2013

2013 Rockabilly Hot Rod Rumble


The Rockabilly Hot Rod Rumble is an annual Fredericksburg, Virginia event spotlighting pre-1972 vehicles and the lifestyle that goes with them; from hot rods to bikes to music to pin-up's, this event has it all!   We attended last year and the resulting photos were some of my most viewed photo blogs ever.   Last year the weather was great and I got a lot of pics.  This year it was rainy and kinda dreary but we still went and enjoyed an afternoon of nostalgia.

The photos below were shot in high resolution and look best blown-up.  The easiest way to do that is click on one and a new window will open allowing you to scroll through large shots with the mouse wheel.  There are links to last years pics at the end of the blog.  I hope you enjoy the shots......







I always enjoy a nice rat-mobile!

This may be in B&W, but I bet you know what color those flamingos are!!!!


Just didn't know what to make of this car!

I thought the broken rear windows made for some interesting shots.

Last year there were Boozefighters and this year there were Boozefighters.


Another interesting broken window.














Here are links to last years pics:



Check back next October for the 2014 Pics!!!!!