Tat’s Bizarre Travels

Bentleyville, PA - Big Jim is a giant brown statue of a cowboy with guns a blazin’ and crazy bulging eyes. He’s long and lean and standing guard at the entrance to the Best Western in Bentlyville. They should seriously think about making him the mascot. Seriously, he’s the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen at a chain motel. He also has a great view of the highway. The plaque on the statue tells you a bit more about him, and it reads:

Big Jim
The Cowboy
Gosai Park, Bentleyville, PA
Standing just shy of 20 feet tall and weighing 3.5 tons “Big Jim,” crafted in stunning detail out of recycled and antique steel parts, was erected in 1978 by artist/welder James Kurtz Sr. to recognise the cowboys of the old west and their contributions to American history. The statue stood guard in Twiglight Buro until 2007.
Restord and rededicated by Dr. Kamlesh Gosai
Best Western Inn June 9, 2007

Triadelphia, WV - There really is no place in the world like Cabelas. Except maybe another Cabelas. It’s not a unique sporting goods store, it’s part of a chain, and that’s what’s so bizarre about it.

Cabela’s is part 19^th century natural history museum and part consumer wonderland. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen so much taxidermy in one spot, including a natural history museum. There’s everything from “Conservation Mountain,” which takes up a good third of the store, to the Serengeti, complete with lions, rhinos and elephants. There is also a fair amount of carnage as stuffed beasts snarl with the remainents of another stuffed beast in it’s mouth. Oh, and the mounted heads. So many mounted heads.

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Moundsville, WV - When you go to visit the Official Marx Toy Museum get ready for an education. This isn’t a museum that you got to just to look at toys, it’s one where you get to learn about them. You can’t play with them, but considering some of the toys can bring in as much as $14,000 on the collectors market I guess that makes sense. So basically it’s the opposite of every principal a child holds dear. Well, at least it’s a fun education.

When you first come to the museum you’ll be met by the owner, Francis Turner. He has a whole schpeal that lasts a good half hour and includes a little ten minute video that tells you the rise and fall of the Marx empire. I happened to show up at the same time as some other visitors so we got the tour all at the same time, but something tells me he’ll give his talk to as few as one visitors. He’s an expert on the Marx toys and Louis Marx himself. And with thousands of toys that span the 60 years of Marx rule, you can understand how he could get a little attached.

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