House on the Rock

The House on the Rock

Spring Green, Wisconsin

 This curiosity defies description. It is a house, once the residence of a man fascinated by collecting artifacts that captured his fancy. If you have seen the series American Gods, then you will know what I am talking about. The world class carousel collection (the largest indoor in the world) alone is worth the price of admission.

The restrooms lived up to the reputation of the rest of the place. The first two images above display a fabulous glassware collection. You are apt to forget why you walked in. As you can see, the lighting is fairly dim, but it serves to highlight the wall of glass.

I could not find an accurate figure on the square footage of this compound, but it is at once dense, and sprawling. So logically, there are a number of public restrooms. I even peeked in one of the men's rooms. Here we have two more women's restroom displays. The upper one is a collection of music-playing figurines, mostly Asian. 

The second is a snowy diorama- the day penguins took over Wisconsin, or some such story.

If you find yourself in western Wisconsin, do not miss an opportunity to check out these beautiful restrooms. The rest of the place is fabulous as well. The House on the Rock - I can't begin to describe all of its features so check out their website.

And while I don't normally promote hotels but if you like the quirkiness of this place, you will appreciate the DonQ Inn just outside of Dodgeville. Each room has a theme - ours was tropical with its own sunken hot tub. And the lobby included a free standing fireplace surrounded by antique barber chairs. 

The Marland Mansion

Outside Oklahoma, there are very few people who are familiar with Ponca City, or the Marland family. Tiny, and relatively unknown, compared to Tulsa or Oklahoma City, Ponca City is a destination that engage you for an entire weekend, if you are open and curious.

One must-see is the Marland Mansion. A fabulous over-the-top estate that is a fraction of the original size, it was built on oil money (an estimated $80 million in today's money) and lost within a few years. It remains open for tours as they restore and document the history of those years.

One feature is a handball court, now closed, that still maintains its locker rooms as public restrooms.

Here is a peek inside.

A typical women's locker room for the wealthy, with high windows, tiled showers on the left and stalls on the right. The mirrored dresser was not original since there is an exit door behind it, but it lends a period flair.

The locker room is still in use as a restroom, and consequently has been updated with soap dispensers and other modern necessities, but the raised platforms for the toilets, (Watch your step) and tile work are vintage 1920s. I puzzled over whether the marble partitions are original, or whether they are part of a modern update. Given the very modern details that were evident throughout the house (uncommon for most people of the day, but within reach of the very, very rich) and a close look at the hardware (hinges, and handles for example) I imagine that they are originals. 

 

A time to laugh

Location: The Blind Tiger restrooms, Topeka, KS. 

There are times when statements like this make the feminist in me cringe a bit. It makes me feel like women can still be dismissed without a serious thought (just agree with the women in your life and your life will be easier).  But then again, sometimes a goofy statement is just that - just roll with it. 

Location: Shindigs Bar & Grill, Winfield, KS. 

This reflects my own quirky sense of humor. 

However, it makes one wonder about people who would seriously try to flush a sanitary napkin - are they the types of people who bother reading the sign in the first place?

A telling label

 

This lovely sign reveals more about its location than you might first suspect. 

The most obvious is the use of the name 'Joseph'. It is not a restroom only for people named Joseph. Instead, it is located in the lobby of a Lutheran church. The corresponding women's room is aptly named 'Mary'. The Lutherans clearly have a sense of humor. 

The second detail that I appreciate is the design of the sign. (I tell my Art Appreciation students that context adds so much more to one's understanding of an image.) I took this photo in the lobby of St Elizabeth Lutheran Church in Ekalaka, Montana, population 363. The church was the best location with the technology and size for the yearly Dino Dig event. What I specifically noticed was the sign's material - pierced black metal. Despite its isolation and size, Ekalaka featured a number of signs, and other outdoor art of the same material, and style. Together they signaled unity and pride in the identity of this small Western community. Simple, sturdy, designed to withstand the rigors of the environment, the pieces, including this one, make a statement about the people of Ekalaka. 

In the weekend we spent in this town in SE Montana, Robert and I were moved by the small town feel of community, openness and connection to both its past and future. The centerpiece of the community is the Carter County Museum, supported by a county mill levy and the passionate crew of young scientists and historians as well as the citizens themselves. The town has put resources into updating the schools (the only ones in this county of 1100) and rebuilding a grocery lost to a fire, not only mourning its shrinking population but determined to be clear-sighted and hopeful to its future. 

Beginning anew!

 I have missed updating this blog, and just writing, period. 

We have just returned from the first extended vacation (more than 3 days) in two years, and I have a lot of new material to share. The plan is to post twice a month, the second and fourth Sundays, so I hope you will check back to see what washrooms made me laugh, or intrigued me. 

Let's start with one of the most recent. This is the facility provided for our dinosaur dig outside of Ekalaka, Montana. It is a popup tent/toilet. No floor, obviously, and a bit short for the taller clientele.

Other features included a zip door, bucket with a seat, and a vent in the top - where said tall people could share their presence with everyone in the area. And supposedly, toilet paper.

About that last item. I did not use the facility, but I witnessed a cautionary tale. 

A woman in need, entered the toilet, zipped up and after a few seconds, unzipped to exit. "There's no toilet paper," she exclaimed. "I know there was some earlier, I saw someone toss a roll to a staff member," I noted. "I did too, but it's gone?" After exchanging a few remarks about how anyone could possible use a full roll in just about 3 hours, she found a substitute, and returned to toilet. A few seconds later, there was a yelp of pain. The early afternoon weather, with no shade mind you, had heated up immensely, and the seat was extremely hot. 

Later we discovered more about the mysterious TP disappearance. One digger discovered a T Rex tooth, and they needed to preserve it in plaster. The crew forgot to pack the plaster, and substituted wet toilet paper, an emergency papier mache instead. Without letting anyone else know. 

One more thing to include in your paleontological tool kit. Pickaxe- check, brush,-check, sunscreen-check, toilet paper-check.