This week’s postcard was sent to Mrs. Eugene Bejot in Ainsworth, Nebraska on October 1963.
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.
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:
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.
Update 06-15-11: 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.
Update 01-03-12: According to Wikipedia, The Imperial Palace has been renamed The Quad Resort and Casino:
On September 17, 2012, Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced that Imperial Palace will be renamed “The Quad Resort and Casino.” The official conversion was completed on December 21, 2012.
Here is a picture of what the new casino should look like:
This week’s postcard was sent to Mrs. E. P. Bejot in Ainsworth, Nebraska on July 11, 1962.
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:
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.”
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.
This postcard from PostSecret made my blood boil with anger.
It reads:
I take these signs off of the doors in all the hotels I stay in.
I find the thought of awkward encounters for cleaning ladies truley amusing!
I wanted to slap that dork back into the seventh grade where he/she belongs.
Hey, give me some freakin’ PRIVACY PLEASE! I put those signs on my door because I don’t want the hotel staff in my room while I’m not there. I don’t lock up my laptop, camera or journal because I trust that they won’t come into the room.
When morons like you steal my sign, the hotel staff come into my room when I don’t want them there!!!
While I’ve never had trouble with hotel staff stealing my stuff, I don’t want to worry about the fact that I didn’t pick up my underwear off the floor or that I DIDN’T TIP THEM!!!
Keep your sophomoric paws off my Privacy Please sign!
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.
This week’s postcard was sent to Mrs. Natalie Donovan in Cleveland, Ohio on October 23, 1943.
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:
This postcard was sent from Birmingham, Alabama to Mrs. E. P. Bejot back on March 5, 1958.
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:
I saw this advertisement for Greyhound yesterday and it sounded like traveling on a bus might be better than it used to be.
It reads:
The future of bus travel has arrived. Well ahead of schedule.
Introducing the brand-new, redesigned Greyhound bus. Learn more about the specific amenities our newly redesigned motorcoach has to offer.
New Amenities: Wi-Fi, outlets, legroom, safety and eco-friendly.
Being able to be online while traveling might make riding the bus better than flying or driving it myself, so I thought I would check the prices.
To ride from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, it would cost me $107 and take me 8 hours (which is three hours longer than driving it myself). For comparison, I checked Expedia to see how much it would cost me to fly from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas and it was $133 and take me only an hour and a half.
Why would anyone take the bus when flying costs only thirty bucks more?
I thought that maybe there would be better savings if I tried comparing a bus ride and flight from Salt Lake City to New York. There IS a better savings ($100 VS. $278), but the difference in travel time is 53 hours VS. 8 hours. Is it worth $178 to save 2 DAYS of travel time? To me, it is, so I wonder how Greyhound stays in business. They can barely compete on pricing and lose EVERY time when they compete on travel time.
The future of bus travel? Sorry, Greyhound. Wi-fi and electrical outlets just can’t compete with saving TWO DAYS of travel time. In fact, the future of bus travel looks a lot like the past…
This is one of my favorite moments in Galveston. After eating at The Spot, I saved my waffle fries and taco salad bowl to feed to the seagulls. Watch as they take the fries right out of my hands.
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.
While we were in Galveston, I took a quick video of the ocean at the seawall.
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.
