Flight attendant going bonkers? Here’s one hilarious explanation

by Jamie Rhein on

For Gadling’s day of posts centered on Vintage America, Scott treated us to 10 vintage airline commercials. Those commercials put airlines and their personnel in a positive light. Here’s a video with another version of air travel thanks to one very cranky flight attendant.

Thankfully, this is a commercial for a product other than an airline, but it perfectly captures the worst aspects of travel –plus, it’s hilarious. Haven’t you had times on an airplane when you wish you could behave this way? The passenger version of these scenarios would be funny as well.

For a bonus there is a video of three other commercials after the jump. You’ll recognize other flight attendant pet peeves.

Vintage candy making in Maine

by Jamie Rhein on

Ever since 1915, Haven’s Candies has been making hand-crafted candy in a traditional way, much like the company’s founder Herbert Haven and his wife did when they first started making candy in their kitchen. They sold their confections from the parlor of their house on Forest Avenue in Portland, Maine.

Now there are three Haven’s Candies locations. The company’s flagship candy making facility, that includes a retail and wholesale store, is in Westbrook, Maine. Other retail locations are in Portland and Scarborough.

If you’ve ever wondered how candy is made the old fashioned way, this video clip of Haven’s Candies covers it. From peanut butter cups to coconut haystacks to candy canes, it’s all here. By the end, you’ll have a sweet tooth craving.

It is possible to see Haven’s Candies being made in person. There is an open house at the candy factory every year on Columbus Day. Guided tours are also available at other times. Plus, the candy making area of the Westbrook location has glass windows. When the store is open you can watch the candy production.

Ten vintage carousels with a romance side

by Jamie Rhein on

What is it about painted horses that follow each other around and around in a circle that’s so compelling? Ever since carousels first became part of New York’s Coney Island boardwalk scene in 1886, their appeal hasn’t waned. Head to almost any amusement park, carnival, zoo, fair, or boardwalk and you’ll find one. Many are the centerpiece of a public park or a downtown looking to attract travelers.

Perhaps part of their appeal is because so many people have childhood memories of a carousel ride. My earliest carousel memory is of the one that used to be at the Coney Island outside Cincinnati. That one was moved to Kings Island when that park first opened.

There’s also the user-friendly aspect. A carousel is the one ride that everyone can climb aboard. From babies to grandparents, to dating couples and all ages in between, no one looks out of place when sitting on a wooden horse carved to look like it’s prancing or galloping.

Another appeal may be the way carousels test the push and pull between children and adults. First, there are those years when the child sits on a horse with the parent or caregiver firmly holding the child in place. Then, as both become braver as the child grows, the adult is at the other side of the rail–waiting, watching for and waving over and over again as the child disappears and reappears around the corner again and again. A carousel ride is one of the first tests of independent travel. It’s the proof that if one goes out into the world, he or she will come back, and that the people who love us will be smiling at the door with outstretched arms to say welcome home.

Because their appeal has not diminished over the years, many vintage carousels still exist. Here are ten that are perfect for reliving a childhood memory. Each have a romance side.

Some of these carousels are open year round. Others are seasonal. All of them are vintage and have carried riders over the years. Each have a romance side–all carousel animals do. The romance side is the front that the viewer sees. At the back side, although the animals are painted, they don’t have elaborate carvings or designs that the front sides do. Check this out the next time you ride one.

1. Flying Horses Carousel, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Supposedly the oldest carousel in the United States, the Flying Horse was built in 1876.

2. The Antique Carousel, Casino Pier, Seaside Heights, New Jersey. For over 90 years, these carousel horses have followed each other to the music of the Wurlitzer Military Band Organ

3. Bishop & Breinstein Carousell (B&B), Coney Island, New York. This carousel is the only one that remains of the 25 that used to be located at this famous boardwalk. The word carousel has two l’s because that’s the way the frame builder spelled it.

4. Bushnell Park Carousel, Hartford, Connecticut. This carousel, built in 1914, is located in downtown Hartford. It used to be in Canton, Ohio. Although it’s only open to the public seasonally, you can rent the carousel for private parties any time of the year.

5. Fall River Carousel at Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts. Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1920, this carousel graced Lincoln Amusement Park for 70 years until it was brought to Battleship Cove. Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the famous people who have ridden on this one.

6. Dentzel Carousel, Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, Maryland. near Washington, D.C. This 1921 beauty is one of the few vintage carousels in the United States in its original location. Called a menagerie carousel because it has other animals as well as horses, this attraction was restored to its original brilliance in 2003. It’s the only carousel owned by the National Park Service.

7. Olcott Beach Carousel at Olcott Beach Carousel Park, Olcott, New York. This 1928 Hershell-Spillman carousel is not the original one of this location but it is similar to the one that used to be here.

8. Santa Monica Pier Carousel, Santa Monica, California. This carousel is one of the 70 remaining wooden vintage carousels that continue to operate. The building that houses it was built in 1916 and is on the National List of Historic Places. Perhaps you’ve seen this one in a movie or two.

9. Central Park Carousel is in a location that has had a carousel since 1871. The original one was “powered by a blind horse and a mule.” The current carousel replaces one that was destroyed in a fire in 1950 and has the largest carved figures ever made.

10. Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round, Tilden Regional Park, near Berkeley, California. Called a merry-go-round because it features other animals besides horses, this ride has been located in a variety of places ever since 1911 when it was first made. It arrived in Tilden in 1948.

A Classic West Virginia Resort Returns to its Roots

by Kendra Bailey Morris on

Once commonplace in society, the ultra-luxurious retreats of the South were in abundance and served as the ultimate vacation spot for the well-to-do. Often found in off-the-beaten-track locales, such as sprawling alongside a private beach or set atop a lonely mountaintop, these lavish resorts served as private escapes for a variety of distinguished guests, from Presidents to wealthy businessmen.

Today, many of these bastions of lavishness live on, and in spite of a hefty economic downturn, have not only managed to stay in operation, but continue to offer their trademark impeccable service to those who can afford their hefty price tags.

Recently, one of the more notable resorts, The Greenbrier, has returned to the hands of its home state, West Virginia, after being purchased by West Virginia businessman, Jim Justice in May of this year, essentially rescuing the landmark from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Originally owned by CSX Corporation and about to fall into the hands of hotel giant Marriott International, Justice, a Marshall University graduate and former CEO of Bluestone Coal Corporation, says he is committed to, “bringing back the treasure”.Justice firmly believes in taking a hands-on approach, and has started off his new role on the right foot, at least according to The Greenbrier’s employees, which number roughly around 1300. One of Justices’ first orders of business was to reach agreement with the unionized employees by sweetening their health care packages, 401(k) plans, and offering smaller perks such as daily free meals.

Next up has been Justices’ newest project, the Prime 44 West Steakhouse, which was created to honor West Virginia NBA Legend Jerry West. This October, Prime 44 has finally opened its doors to culinary critical acclaim. Under the direction of Chef de Cuisine, Michael Treanor who comes to The Greenbrier after several Ritz Carlton stints, and is himself a graduate of The Greenbrier Culinary Apprenticeship Program, the restaurant seeks to enhance the resort’s elegant yet cozy, mountain atmosphere by offering guests a classic steakhouse menu that boasts a bit of a diner’s club experience. In addition to eats, the decor of Prime 44 pays homage to West by displaying the largest public collection of his personal memorabilia, including the gold medal he won in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

When it comes to Treanor’s menu, local specialties are emphasized, such as a West Virginia Blue Ribbon Pork Duo, pinto beans with Virginia ham, and Cathy Justice’s own, “Best in Show Blue Ribbon Cornbread”. However, it’s the prime cuts that take center stage, ranging from an 8-ounce Wagyu tenderloin to the behemoth, Jerry West 44-ounce Porterhouse, which boasts an equally over-the-top price tag of $130 bucks.

In addition to The Greenbrier’s nine dining options, other culinary offerings are on tap for 2010, including The Greenbrier’s famous BBQ Mastery culinary series. Yet, it’s the 80,000 square foot Monte Carlo-styled casino Justice has planned for spring of next year that really have tongues wagging. Designed to bring a taste of James Bond (shaken not stirred) to the West Virginia mountains with 38 gaming tables and 320 slot machines along with plenty of live entertainment, the casino is sure to draw attention. In the meantime, until the gaming complex is built, guests can hit The Tavern Casino for an evening of money making (or losing) excitement.

Without a doubt, Justice has made his fondness for both his home state and his treasured resort abundantly clear, and many of us West Virginians are excited to follow along as one of our own takes our “crown jewel” into the next era.

—Kendra Bailey Morris

Marblehead–colonial jewel of New England

by Sean McLachlan on

In a country dominated by big box stores and strip malls, it can be easy to forget our past, but there are occasional spots that are so well preserved they overwhelm you with a sense of another age. Marblehead, Massachusetts, is one of them.

Founded in 1629, Marblehead soon became a prosperous fishing village. In the 18th century it was home to privateers (a politically correct term for pirates sponsored by the government) who attacked British shipping in the Atlantic. When the American War of Independence started it was Marblehead men who crewed the first ship in the American navy, the Hannah. The town also supplied crews for the boats that ferried Washington over the Delaware river. You don’t get more Yankee than that!

But that promising beginning did not lead to greater things. Marblehead became a sleepy fishing and yachting backwater. This was just what it needed. “Development” generally passed it by, allowing the Colonial houses and winding, cobblestone streets to survive intact. I’ve been all up and down the New England coast and I can think of few places that evoke the 18th century like Marblehead. When antiquarian and horror writer H.P. Lovecraft first saw it in 1922 he was so taken with its beauty he used it as inspiration for his fictional town of Kingsport, the setting of several of his stories. Don’t worry, there are no sinister denizens summoning up unclean gods, just wealthy New Englanders with an appreciation for the past.

The best way to see Marblehead is to simply wander in the old town center, where historic homes cluster around the harbor. You’ll spot buildings that are two or even three centuries old, and while you may be familiar with this sort of architecture, seeing so much of it is what’s truly impressive. It’s a bit like a Yankee Pompeii, where the vistas once admired by periwigged gentlemen can still be seen and entire blocks once inhabited by America’s early merchants are still preserved. The homes of 17th century fishermen and the cemeteries of Revolutionary War heroes are much as they were. Don’t forget to stop by the J.O.J. Frost Folk Art Gallery to see the work of the famous local artist and the Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum. These two stops will give you some historic background to the town.

Marblehead is great for history buffs, but it’s a popular fishing and yachting destination too. I’m not much of a sailor (although I did catch a sand shark off Cape Cod once) so I don’t have any first-person experience with this side of the Marblehead experience, but the beautiful harbor and numerous yacht clubs show a lot of promise. Vicarious landlubbers can get a splendid view of the harbor from Fort Sewall, dating back to 1644.

[Photo courtesy Judy Anderson]