The postcard reads:

Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile, Ala.

Fountain and Courtyard, looking toward the Isle-Au-Oies River along one of the picturesque flagstone walks.

Pub. by Deep South Specialties, Inc., P.O. Box 1802, Jackson, Miss.

Color photo by WM. W. Lavendar

The letter to Mrs. Bejot reads:

Henrie has a 3 Day Pass, so we drove over here this a.m. to visit some of the interesting places. Went thru these 60 acres of Bellingrath Gardens this afternoon – really fabulous. Stopped at Pensacola as they came over, went thru old J. R. Pickens, etc. – will go back tomorrow. Is pretty hot here now but am so thankful for air conditioners – have a good one in motel where we are staying tonite. Hope all are well.

Love, Pearle

Pearle sent many postcards to Mrs. Bejot over the years and this one is beautiful. She must have been a devoted friend/daughter/sister. However they were related, Mrs. Bejot saved Pearle’s postcards with care.

Bellingrath Gardens still enthralls visitors today.

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Bellingrath Gardens
12401 Bellingrath Road, Theodore, AL
Phone: (251) 973-2217‎

Here is a slideshow of photos from the gardens:

The best way to win it big in Las Vegas is EASY. Here is the secret:

DO NOT GAMBLE!

If you go to Las Vegas, stay in a nice hotel for a low price, eat at the fancy restaurants for nearly nothing and enjoy the museums, exhibits and attractions without gambling, then you come out a winner every time.

Photo via: vintage_ads: Winning Big In Vegas

Here is the front of the card:

It reads:

Your pal, Mickey Mouse
Love, Minnie Mouse XOXO

Here is the back of the card:

It reads:

The best part of my job is seeing your child’s face as they meet their “best friend.” Don’t ruin it by rushing them for a pic. Hearing them talk is the best part!

I love knowing that the people who play the characters at Disneyland actually CARE about the kids. I had seen an inkling of it, watching them sign the autograph books for the children, but knowing that my thoughts are true makes me want to visit The Happiest Place on Earth again.

How long until I can go to Disneyland again?

PostSecret’s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

The postcard reads:

Logging Truck

One of the most thrilling sights in the West is these large diesel trucks hauling logs on mountain roads.

The letter to Mrs. Bejot reads:

Wed a.m.

Hi: Wish you were here! It has been warm and sunny. Watched the bowling games last nite. Melvin plays. Gail will be 13 tomorrow and we are going to her b.d. party Thurs eve. Mildred and I have just been to the store, they do have such nice grocery stores here and close enough to walk to. Will be leaving Seattle at 8 am Sunday.

Bye now, Maude

The postmark is from Everett Washington, which is a small town north of Seattle.

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Because it was so close to the Sands Expo Center, it was a convenient hotel for us. Unfortunately, that’s where the love for the hotel died. Geography and location are important for any real estate property, but CONDITION trumps it in this case.

The Imperial Palace looked like it was waiting for the implosion. From the stained carpets to the inattentive staff, the hotel had an air of resigned finality to it. I took the obligatory pictures of the Hotel SWAG and the room.

We stayed in room 17112.

Here is the Hotel SWAG:

You don’t need to pack a hair dryer:

Each room also has an iron and board so you can smooth out the wrinkles on your suitcase-squashed clothes.

I really hate it when a hotel assumes that I’ll steal from them. I know this sign has more to do with the kind of clientele that frequent an establishment than the establishment itself, but I HATE being treated like a criminal for no reason.

Worst of all, the toilet struggled to flush every time. It was so bad that Mike and I actually bought a plunger just in case. Considering how bad the maintenance was on the property, we had no hope that they would be able to provide us with a plunger if there was an incident. Here is a video of the toilet trying its best to flush.

To be fair, the toilet never plugged up and we didn’t have to use the plunger. However, the toilet wasn’t the only thing having trouble draining. The tub and sink had slow drains as well.

The whole hotel felt like it was just waiting to die. According to Wikipedia, it is:

• Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

During a conference call with investors on November 20, 2005, the Chairman for Harrah’s, Gary Loveman, noted that both the Imperial Palace and neighboring O’Sheas “are going to require very substantial modifications or complete tear-downs and rebuilds” in order to make room for a Harrah’s and/or Flamingo expansion on the Strip.[1] However, since then, Harrah’s has invested millions of dollars into refurbishing both the hotel rooms and the casino itself.

In July 2009, Harrah’s announced new plans for the area around the Imperial Palace, O’Shea’s, and Flamingo casinos, confirming that the Imperial Palace will not be demolished at this time.

Since the economy tanked, Harrah’s just seems to be waiting to do ANYTHING to the hotel, even clean the carpets. I liked how close it was to the Expo Center, but considering its tenuous grasp on life, I think I might have to say goodbye to the Imperial Palace.

The postcard reads:

Seattle World’s Fair from Queen Ann

Color photo by Mike Roberts

The letter to Mrs. Bejot reads:

Dear Grace,

I hope all is well with you but I know it’s a big worry with Gene sick. I went to the fair one day and want to go again. Was clear up on top of the tall Space Needle. Wonderful views up there. Nearly 4 million folks have been there all ready. Is not expensive as was rumored. I’ll write soon.

Love, Calla L.

The Space Needle has become Seattle’s most recognizable landmark, but it was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. You can find out more here:

• Century 21 Exposition – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World’s Fair) was a World’s Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington, USA.[1][2] Nearly ten million people attended the fair.[3] Unlike some other World’s Fairs of its era, Century 21 ran a profit.[3]

As planned, the exposition left behind a fairground and numerous public buildings and public works; some credit it with revitalizing Seattle’s economic and cultural life (see History of Seattle since 1940).[4] The fair saw the construction of the Space Needle and Alweg monorail, as well as several sports venues and performing arts buildings (most of which have since been replaced or heavily remodeled). The site, slightly expanded since the fair, is now called Seattle Center; the United States Science Pavilion is now the Pacific Science Center. Another notable Seattle Center building, the Experience Music Project, was deliberately designed to fit in with the fairground atmosphere, but was built nearly 40 years later.

You can still visit the Space Needle today and go “clear up on top.”

• Space Needle – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From the top of the Needle, one can see not only the Downtown Seattle skyline, but also the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay and surrounding islands. Photographs of the Seattle skyline often show the Space Needle in a prominent position, even appearing to tower above the rest of the city’s skyscrapers, as well as Mount Rainier in the background. This occurs because the tower, which is equivalent in height to a 60-story building, stands roughly four-fifths of a mile (1.3 km) northwest of most downtown skyscrapers.

Where: Space Needle‎
400 Broad St, Seattle, WA‎ Google Map
Phone: (206) 905-2100‎

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The postcard reads:

Looking down Logan Canyon, near Ogden and Logan, Utah

Only a few minutes from the business center of Ogden, this canyon is one of the main scenic attractions of Utah. Fully paved, it affords a beautiful route to Snow Basin and Monte Christo parks in the recreational area.

Pub. by Ogden News Co., Ogden, Utah
Natural color post card made in U.S.A. by E. C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis. – (EAL)

The letter to Mrs. Natalie Donovan reads:

Hello Natalie,

Passing thru Utah now. Mountain scenery is gorgeous. Wish you were along with me.

Will write later, and tell you all about everything.

Love, Evelyn

Logan Canyon is still a pretty mountain drive, even today. You can read more about it here:

• Logan Canyon – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Where: Logan Canyon, Utah

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The postcard reads:

VULCAN – GOD OF METALS. This Gigantic Statue, the largest cast figure in the world, is located in Vulcan Park atop Red Mountain overlooking Birmingham, AL. The Statue is made of Birmingham iron and stands 55 feet from foot to outstretched arm and weights a total of 100 tons. The head alone weighs 6 tons, its foot 5 tons and the thumb 170 pounds. It is mounted on a base 124 feet high made of Red Mountain Limestone quarried from the mountain on which it stands. The total height of the base and statue is 179 feet. The statue was sculptured by G. Moretti and cast in Birmingham in 1903 from iron ore taken from Red Mountain and was sent to St. Louis in 1904 for exhibit during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Upon its return it was placed in the Fair Grounds where it remained until 1935, at which time through the work and co-operation of the Birmingham Kiwanis and the City Commission it was placed atop Red Mountain where it stands today, a symbol to the Magic City, Steel Center of the South. VULCAN holds a torch in his uplifted hand which burns green when there is no traffic fatality in metropolitan Birmingham and burns red for 24 hours when a traffic fatality occurs.

The letter to Mrs. E. P. Bejot reads:

Mon. 11 am

We are on our way home from Decatur, Alabama. 90 miles north of here. Came up Sat. and had a grand visit with Lois and John Skuba. Harry came with us. We have a little one. 300 miles to go yet. Wonderful country up here – different from any we’ve been yet. Hope you are all fine.

Pearle

Heince took pictures of this state.

Lois and John were so glad to see us as they are far from home – don’t get to see many friends from very often.

Vulcan is STILL the largest cast iron statue in the world and it is still in Vulcan Park in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1999, it was in a state of disrepair and a huge renovation project took five years to restore it. You can find out more information here:

• Vulcan Park and Museum – About Vulcan
• Vulcan statue – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ironically, the postcard from Pearle to Mrs. Bejot didn’t show the statue in its best light. You can see much better photographs of it on Flickr:

Where: Vulcan Park
1701 Valley View Drive
Birmingham, AL 35209-1214 Google Map
(205) 933-1409

Vulcan Park and Museum – Home

I love how the seagulls can just hover right next to me, waiting for me to throw the next morsel. When that gull actually took the food right out of my hand, I laughed out loud with joy.

What a beautiful moment!

The seawall was built after the hurricane of 1900. That hurricane devastated the island and is still the deadliest natural disaster to strike the United States. Rather than leave the island uninhabited, they built the seawall and raised Galveston by as much as seventeen feet in some areas. The seawall has protected Galveston ever since.

Last year, when Hurricane Ike hit, the seawall held, but the winds and water snuck in through the bay on the other side of the island and drown the island with eight feet of water. Everywhere we visited, each shop, restaurant and museum had a mark on their wall where the water level was. They all had small photo albums that they pressed into my hands to show the damage. It was like they were proud of what Ike had done to them and they survived it all.

For more information:

• 1900 Galveston hurricane – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Hurricane Ike – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Hurricane Ike Slideshow: Galveston Bookshop