Anyone who knows us personally or has followed this blog for a while knows we are interested in everything. As “Begin Here” above says, we are easily amused — we are the people for whom “Alligator Farms” are built.
The Coffee Pot can be found right on Route 30 on the fairgrounds in Bedford, Pennsylvania. Bert Koontz built the building in 1927 to attract customers to his gas station on the recently built Lincoln Highway, a road across the United States built at least partially to encourage the sale of cement, automobiles and tires. Similar large buildings in Pennsylvania are the Ship Hotel and The Shoe House.
Koontz’ restaurant served ice cream, coke and hamburgers. He added a hotel in 1937. The Lincoln Highway Association renovated it in 2004 and moved it to the fairgrounds, but it needs some paint again.
Here are some photos of big things from previous trips:
Click on photos to enlarge.
World’s Largest tomahawk, Cut Knife, Saskatchewan, CanadaMontague, MI: 48 ft tall; 26 ft 2 inch arrow; 1869 Schooner Ella Ellenwood wrecked near Saginaw and the nameplate floated home two years later.5 Feb 11 New ZealandWienerlicioussss, Mackinaw Citiy, MI 23 Oct 2021The pie pan that held the record pie from 1976-1987, Charlevoix, MI 22 Oct 21Shelton, WA 5 Aug 21Winlock, WA 6 Aug 21Crab, Eureka, CA 15 Aug 21Bandon, OR 17 Aug 2126 Apr 12Huron, SD 7 Jun 12A voyager Sumten Auto Sales, Bushnell, FL 11 Oct 16Dublin, OH 30 Aug 18Mercer, WI 8 Sep 18Fraser, MN, 22 feet tall 11 Sep 18
Date of our visit: 16 Oct 22
Click here to visit Casey, IL which is known for its big things.
Ray and Alie (Ralie) are a retired couple who love to travel. Even during our working years, we squeezed a trip in whenever we could, often when we had to stretch the budget to do so.
We have been fortunate to vacation in all 50 states, all the provinces of Canada and one territory and a little more than 50 countries.
We like to drive, but we particularly love to travel back roads to find unusual sights, people, and experiences.
The country is filled with “big” items. One could probably fill a book with them. We had “Big John” in Cape Coral, a man with grocery bags in front of him that was originally a promo for a grocery store. Makes me wonder how Big John faired in Hurricane Ian.
Ray, I love roadside Americana, and frequently go out of my way to see these goofy sights. I’ve seen Paul Bunyan and Babe and remember it well. One’s travel life can’t always be about fancy museums. Good post. ~James
RalieTravels 
Familiar with the “Big Blue Bug” visible from Rte. 95, Providence RI ? Promo for pest control company.
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The country is filled with “big” items. One could probably fill a book with them. We had “Big John” in Cape Coral, a man with grocery bags in front of him that was originally a promo for a grocery store. Makes me wonder how Big John faired in Hurricane Ian.
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WOW!! I never knew there were so many “big” things to explore. We will have to start looking for big things as we travel. Thank you for sharing.
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Wow!! That is one awesome big pot!!
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Forgot to add you have so many “big” finds👍😃
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Great post Ray. Let’s see more (I hate to drive to waLMART ANYMORE).
jOHN ________________________________
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I still love to drive, but the key is that I love to drive back quiet roads.
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Love, love, love these! We also look for the quirky things when we travel. You have amassed quite a collection. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks.
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That’s a coffe pot I could relate to. 🤩
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Koontz served ice cream, coke and hamburgers – but not coffee? (Kidding.) I wonder how big the cups in the restaurant are?
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Ray, I love roadside Americana, and frequently go out of my way to see these goofy sights. I’ve seen Paul Bunyan and Babe and remember it well. One’s travel life can’t always be about fancy museums. Good post. ~James
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