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Archive for February, 2009

Volo Auto Museum at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show



Don’t you love old cars? The cool colors, the fun lines, the unique angles! Despite all the retro throwbacks that have come on the market in recent years (my absolute favorite being the new Dodge Challenger) they certainly don’t make them like they used to!

Each year at The 2009 Chicago Auto Show (going on NOW until February 22) the Volo Auto Museum sets up a display of some of their collectible cars. While I have yet to make a trek out to the museum itself, their display always provides a unique glimpse into what the museum is all about. Here is a selection of classic cars from their collection this year:

1914 Ford Model Speedster from the Volo Auto Museum exhibit at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show
“1914 Ford Model Speedster — Early in the history of the automobile all the cars were open. This one is a custom built speedster. Very sporty and stylish.”

1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster from the Volo Auto Museum exhibit at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show
“1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster — a wealthy playboys car of the 1930′s. Note the golf bag door behind the passenger door. Built for the rich and movie stars to drive to country clubs”

1961 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster from the Volo Auto Museum exhibit at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show
“1961 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster — The corvette was created as an economical sports car for young adults. Built in limited numbers.”

1969 Shelby GT 500 from the Volo Auto Museum exhibit at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show
“1969 Shelby GT 500 — Very Rare, only 335 built. It was also Carroll Shelby’s favorite. Because government regulations and insurance company’s Carroll Shelby decided to end the Shelby Mustang in the fall of 1969.”

Event: 2009 Chicago Auto Show
Location: McCormick Place, 2301 South Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60616
Cost: Adults $10, Seniors (62 and older) $5, Children (age 7-12) $5, Children (age 0-6) Free.
Date: February 15, 2009 (The yearly event runs until February 22, 2009 — February 13-21, 10:00AM-10:00PM; February 22, 10:00-8:00PM)

Site: Volo Auto Museum
Location: 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo, IL 60073
Cost: Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, veterans with Veterans Universal Access ID and active personnel with military ID, $5 for children 5-12 and free for kids under 5 and military personnel in uniform. Special group rates are available.
Hours: The museum is open six days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed Mondays (open Memorial Day and Labor Day), Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Date: February 15, 2009

p.s. Later this week I will be featuring some more photos of silly sites from this year’s Chicago Auto Show!

p.p.s. Later this week I will ALSO be featuring some silly sites from the Chicago Auto show of years past!

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Silly World – Prague – Dancing House



A friend of mine sent me a link today to 50 Strange Buildings of the World. Every one of these went onto my long, long list of “things to see immediately.” While I have yet to witness all of them in person I thought I would share one of my favorite buildings in one of my favorite cities in the world. Today we will venture outside of the United States to Prague, a breathtaking old-world city in the heart of the Czech Republic.

Dancing House/Tancící dum/Fred and Ginger Building in Prague

The Nationale-Nederlanden building aka the Dancing House aka Tancící dum aka Fred and Ginger proves that just because something is a built for function doesn’t mean it can’t also be art!

Standing tall, overlooking the Vltava River, the building was designed beginning in 1992 by Yugoslavian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunic and architect Frank Gehry (designer of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles; Experience Music Project in Seattle; and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, amongst many others).

The curvy, modern glass and concrete building was unveiled in 1996 and has been dubbed “Fred and Ginger” as it resembles the two icons — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — embracing “cheek to cheek” in dance. The unusual shape and deconstructivist architecture of Dancing House is not only unique but also in sharp contract to all the surrounding architecture of Prague. In fact, it is just a short bridge walk away from the 9th century Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) which is the epitome of gothic and Romanesque design. Set amongst other Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings, the non-traditional design caused much public debate at the time it was built.

Luckily they didn’t call the whole thing off because nowadays they just face the music and dance.

Site: Dancing House (Tancící dum)
Location: Rašínovo nábreží 80, 120 00 Praha 2 (Prague), Czech Republic
Cost: Free to see
Hours: Always visible
Date:July 7, 2006

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Silly America is on Facebook!



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Giant Spider made from a Volkswagen Beetle



What do you get when you mix a spider with a beetle?

Giant Spider made from a Volkswagen Beetle car in Avoca, Iowa.

Giant Spider made from a Volkswagen Beetle car in Avoca, Iowa.

This large spider in Avoca, IA is a Volkswagen bug with legs! I saw him this summer on my road trip to Mount Rushmore!

Site: Huge Spider made from a Volkswagen Beetle
Location: Chestnut Street, Avoca, IA
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Visible at all hours.
Date: September 1, 2008

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