Ufology Research

Okay, we've mostly unpacked from our excursion to Wisconsin and back, and are now thinking back on our fond memories of our Weird Vacation.

Yes, we did get photos of the World's Largest Badger and Chet & Emil's Giant Chicken. We also ate at Paul Bunyan's Mess Hall, and dined very well at Vince Lombardi's Steak House. He spent time in the Houdini Museum in Appleton, and stopped in at the original Space Aliens Grill & Bar in Fargo.

As if that wasn't enough, we also visited perhaps a dozen or more bookstores and music stores (and antiques stores and knickknack stores) and bought far more than we should have.

I found about a half dozen UFO books I didn't have (remarkable if you know my collection). But this seemed to be the year of DVDs, particularly those with a UFO connection. I picked up the first season of The Greatest American Hero. (UFO Connection: Robert Culp calls the aliens who gave the supersuit to them the "green guys.") And the first two seasons of Green Acres. (UFO Connection: In the second season, Eb meets aliens from a flying saucer who impart the secret of life to him.)
Also, the first season of Sliders. (UFO Connection: Late in the season, the Sliders slip into an alternate San Francisco that has been overrun by Krangs from another planet.)

And many non-UFO DVDs, like the first season of Banacek (if you have to ask, don't) and the original Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds (superior to the Adam Sandler version). And the first season of the old Fu Manchu TV series. (Very cool)

One of the highlights of the trip was the Houdini museum in Appleton, Wisconsin. Among the displays, you could actually try out the wrist braces that he used to levitate tables and fool spiritualists into thinking that ghosts were moving the furniture. Awesome.

As for the Space Aliens Grill & Bar, this was the second I've been to, and Donna's third. (There are only six.) We took some pix which I'll put up when I have a chance. I highly recommend the pork bun. The arcade actually does have a game where you "Whack-an-alien" to get credits that you can exchange for UFO toys and souvenirs. I added greatly to my UFO/alien knickknack collection, unfortunately for my wallet. We now have an alien head cookie jar, matching salt-and-pepper shakers and a green alien M&M dispenser. That's in addition to pens, pencils, a UFO paddle-ball set, and a Space Aliens cap and mug. Oh, and while we were in a Goodwill store somewhere in the USA, I found a foot-tall stuffed K-9 from the Marvin the Martian theme.

Ya gotta love the UFO phenomenon, don't ya?