Fourth Of July Holiday—Some Trivia And A Fireworks Safety Quiz

July 4, American Independence Day holiday—on this date in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. The U.S. Constitution, the document that emerged from the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, is the oldest national constitution in the world.

This most American of holidays is normally marked by fireworks, parades, and backyard barbecues. Fireworks displays are common throughout the world and are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations. Fireworks were invented in ancient China to scare away evil spirits, as a natural extension of the Chinese invention of gunpowder.

With 4^th of July fireworks comes the concern for safety. A reality for the holiday is that fireworks cause thousands of injuries, and even some deaths, in addition to enough fires to make July 4 the day with the most reported fires across the United States according to the National Fire Protection Association.

This year, many 4^th of July fireworks shows are replacing traditional pyrotechnics with the newer drone displays. Hundreds of synchronized lights in the night sky creating the colorful pictures for everyone to enjoy without producing the immediate danger of fires from the fallout of fireworks. In addition to greatly reducing the fire danger, using the drones also helps prevent the danger of burns to people handling the flammable material.

So…how much do you know about traditional fireworks safety? Here's a 9 question quiz to test your knowledge. Correct answers are at the end.

1)  How hot does a sparkler burn?

            a:  212 degrees

            b:  600 degrees

            c:  950 degrees

            d:  1200 degrees

2)  What portion of 4^th of July fires are caused by fireworks?

            a:  10 percent

            b:  35 percent

            c:  50 percent

            d:  90 percent

3)  Which age group has the most injuries reported from fireworks?

            a:  under 20

            b:  20 – 40

            c:  40 – 60

            d:  60+

4)  You should skip buying fireworks in brown paper packaging as that could be a sign that they're made for professionals, not consumers.

            a:  true

            b:  false

5)  If a pack of fireworks has not fully functioned, you should cautiously relight it.

            a:  true

            b:  false

6)  What's the best way to dispose of used fireworks?

            a:  throw in trash

            b:  use hose or bucket of water to soak them then throw away

            c:  bury them

7)  What is the most common fireworks injury?

            a:  fractures and sprains

            b:  contusions and lacerations

            c:  ear injuries

            d:  burns

            e:  eye injuries

8)  According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission investigation, which of these were common reasons for fireworks injuries?

            a:  holding fireworks in the hand

            b:  mischief

            c:  debris or smoke from a malfunction

            d:  errant flight path from a malfunction

            e:  early or late ignition from a malfunction

            f:   all of the above

9)  Never light more than how many fireworks at a time?

            a:  1

            b:  2

            c:  3

And now, for those of you who want to see how well you did on the quiz—

1)         the correct answer is d…1200F degrees, hot enough to burn certain metals and ignite clothing.

2)         the correct answer is c…50 percent, when shooting fireworks keep a bucket of water or sand available.

3)         the correct answer is a…under 20, children 10 – 14 are more than twice as much at risk for fireworks injuries.

4)         the correct answer is a…true.

5)         the correct answer is b…false, any malfunctioning fireworks should be soaked in water and then thrown away

6)         the correct answer is b…use hose or bucket of water to soak them and then throw them away

7)         the correct answer is d…burns

8)         the correct answer is f…all of the above

9)         the correct answer is a…light just 1 at a time.

A happy and safe holiday to everyone.

9 All Time Unsolved Mysteries

A while back I saw a list titled 9 All Time Unsolved Mysteries.  The items listed…well, some were a surprise that they made an All Time list and I was curious about some that were left off the list.  This list consisted only of places and things with no mention of specific people.  I guess that explains why the mystery of Jack The Ripper's identity (actually, he was identified by a DNA match a few years ago), what happened to Amelia Earhart, and exactly who took that axe and gave Lizzie Borden's parents all those whacks didn't make the list.

Two of the items on the list were new to me—the Chase Vault and the Taos Hum.  I've been to Taos…didn't hear about this mystery and didn't hear the hum.

So, confusion in hand about what made the list and what didn't, I present—in no particular order—9 All Time Unsolved Mysteries.

9)  ATLANTIS—location unknown

Myth or reality?  The lost continent from ancient times [rather than the current Caribbean resort :) ] is one of the world's favorite legends.  Most of what we know about Atlantis comes from the Greek philosopher Plato who wrote about it approximately 2000 years ago although the story of the ancient civilization estimates its time at 9000 years prior to that.  He described Atlantis as a huge island where brave and virtuous people…a highly advanced civilization…lived in a kind of paradise.  He placed its location west of the Pillars of Hercules, known today as the Straits of Gibraltar.  The story claims that the physical disappearance of the actual island came as a result of a massive earthquake or volcanic eruption that caused it to sink into the ocean.  To this day debate continues about whether Atlantis was real or myth and people continue to literally search all over the world for the remains of the lost continent with several diverse and wide spread locations declared to be Atlantis. [NOTE: a recent news article claims that Atlantis has been discovered and in a very surprising place. I'm working on a blog about this, hopefully for next week.]

8)  ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM—Greece

Discovered in October 1900 in a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera, this machine contains the oldest known complex gear mechanism…sometimes referred to as the world's first analog computer.  It's estimated to have been made in the first century B.C. and appears to have been constructed on theories of astronomy and mathematics.  The device is believed to be made from a bronze alloy of 95% copper and 5% tin, but its advanced state of corrosion from having been in the ocean for almost 2000 years has made it impossible to perform an accurate analysis.  It's precise functions have not been scientifically confirmed.

7)  THE CHASE VAULT—Barbados

This mystery begins in 1808 in Barbados when the wealthy Chase family purchased an 80 year old vault to inter their dead relatives.  At the time they acquired the used vault, it contained only one occupant—Thomasina Goddard.  Col. Thomas Chase made the decision not to disturb Goddard, so she was not moved to another vault.  Shortly after that, young Mary-Anne Maria's body was added to the vault.  Then 4 years after that, the vault was opened to inter her sister's body.  Only a month after that, Col. Thomas himself passed away.  And that's when the legend takes hold.  Coffins had moved, some were standing on end.  Vandals were blamed.  Everything was returned to its original position and the vault once again closed and sealed.  From then on, every time the vault was opened to admit another coffin, the vault's contents would be in disarray, including Col. Thomas' heavy casket which took 8 men to lift.  No seals had been broken, no evidence of illegal entry into the vault, no evidence inside the vault of anyone being there as the sandy floor was undisturbed with no signs of flooding or earthquake.  The Chase family bodies were eventually moved to other burial sites in the cemetery and all incidents stopped.

6)  NAZCA (NASCA) LINES—Peru

The Nazca Lines were discovered by accident when a small airplane flew over the arid Peruvian coastal plains in 1927.  More lines were discovered nearby at the end of the 1980s.  The lines depict animals and geometric forms, many of them several kilometers in length with some of them only recognizable from an airplane.  The most outstanding shapes depict the figures of a spider, monkey, dog, small lizard, hummingbird, condor, and what appears to be an astronaut.  The lines were scratched into the desert between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D.  They are believed to have had ritual astronomical functions.  Others believe they were meant as sign posts for ancient extraterrestrials.  UNESCO named the Nazca Lines an Archaeological World Heritage Site in 1994.

5)  EASTER ISLAND—Chile (South Pacific)

Roughly 64 square miles in area and located in the South Pacific approximately 2,300 miles from Chile, Easter Island was named by Dutch explorers in honor of the day they discovered it in 1722.  It was annexed by Chile in the late 19^th century.  The mystery of Easter Island centers around the almost 900 giant stone figures that are centuries old and are distinctive from other stone sculptures found in various Polynesian cultures.  The purpose of the statues, how they were constructed and transported is still a matter of speculation.  Today, Easter Island's economy is based on tourism.

4)  TUNGUSKA EXPLOSION—Siberia

June 30, 1908, a mighty explosion occurred in this remote area of Siberia.  It was 1927 before a scientific expedition investigated the site.  They found 800 square miles of remote forest ripped apart, 80 million trees on their sides in a radial pattern.  They acted as markers pointing directly away from the blast's epicenter.  When the members of the expedition arrived at ground zero, they found the trees standing upright but all the limbs and bark had been stripped away, resembling a forest of telephone poles.  This phenomenon was seen again 37 years later at another massive explosion in Hiroshima, Japan, at the end of World War II.  More than a century after the Tunguska Explosion there is still debate over the cause, but the generally agreed upon theory is that a space rock approximately 120 feet across entered the atmosphere above Siberia at about 33,500 miles per hour, heated the surrounding air to 44,500 degrees Fahrenheit and self-exploded at an altitude of about 28,000 feet producing a fireball and releasing energy equivalent to 185 Hiroshima atomic bombs.  The majority of the asteroid was consumed by the explosion so there was no impact crater.

3)  PIRI REIS MAP—circa 1513

The Piri Reis Map is often cited as proof that civilization on Earth was once very advanced then for unknown reasons disappeared with man only now gaining any understanding of this mysterious cultural decline.  In addition to the map's historical interest, it contains details that no European could have known in the early 1500s.  The Sumerians in Mesopotamia are the earliest known civilization and appeared on the scene apparently from out of nowhere around 4000 B.C. but had no nautical or maritime cultural heritage.  Piri Reis' own commentary indicates some of his source maps in creating his map were from the time of Alexander The Great (332 B.C.).  The map shows that the makers knew the accurate circumference of the Earth to within 50 miles.  The depicted coastline and island shown in Antarctica are as they were prior to 4000 B.C. when they were ice free.  Debate continues with no clear answers of how Piri Reis could have created such an accurate map at that time.

2)  TAOS HUM—New Mexico

The Taos Hum is a low-pitched mechanical buzzing sound often heard in Taos, New Mexico.  Not everyone can hear it, but those who do say it's driving them crazy.  Apparently it begins suddenly as if someone had turned on a switch, never abates, interferes with their sleep, and is more noticeable inside the house than outside.  In 1993 residents requested that Congress carry out an investigation into the source of the hum, but no specific causes were uncovered.  In 1997, Congress asked various scientists from several elite research institutes to look into it.  So far, no concrete facts have been uncovered to prove exactly what is causing the hum or what it is that allows some people to hear it and others to not hear it.  I've been to Taos and did not hear any hum/mechanical buzzing sound.

1)  SHROUD OF TURIN—Italy

There is intense debate among scientists, theologians, historians, and researchers about the origins of the shroud and its image.  The shroud is housed in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.  It is a linen cloth showing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma of the type consistent with crucifixion.  This image is commonly associated with Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and burial.  In 1988 a multi-national scientific group did a radiocarbon dating test on small samples of the shroud and concluded that the samples they tested dated from the Middle Ages, between 1260 A.D. and 1390 A.D.  Since 2005, at least four articles have appeared in scholarly publications stating the cloth samples used were not representative of the whole shroud.  To this day, the shroud continues to be a much studied and controversial artifact.

Are there any unsolved mysteries of place or thing that you think should have been on this list?

The History Of Father's Day

Father's Day this year falls on Sunday, June 21, 2026.  Mother's Day was, indeed, the inspiration for Father's Day, but it was a long time before it became an official reality.  The governor of the state of Washington proclaimed the nation's first Father's Day on July 19, 1910.  It was not until 1972, 58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day an official holiday in 1914, that President Richard Nixon gave Father's Day its official federal holiday status.

The campaign to celebrate Father's Day did not meet with the same type of enthusiasm as Mother's Day.  One florist explained it as fathers not having the same sentimental appeal as mothers.  In 1909, a Spokane, Washington, woman who was one of six children raised by her father, a widower, was successful in establishing a day for male parents the same as the one Mothers enjoyed.  The state of Washington celebrated the nation's first statewide Father's Day on July 19, 1910.

The idea slowly spread.  In 1916 Woodrow Wilson honored the day.  President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father's Day, however many men continued to scoff at the idea claiming it was a sentimental attempt to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving and also claiming it was only a commercial gimmick to sell more products often paid for by the father himself.

In the 1920s and 1930s there was a movement to do away with both Mother's Day and Father's Day and create a Parent's Day instead, the idea being that both parents should be loved and respected together.  The gathering enthusiasm for this idea was basically stamped out during the depression.  Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father's Day a gift giving holiday for men.  With the onset of World War II, advertisers set forth the argument that celebrating Father's Day was a way to honor American troops.  By the end of the war, Father's Day was a national institution but not yet an official holiday. In 1972, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father's Day a federal holiday.

It's estimated that there are more than 72 million fathers in the United States and that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father's Day gifts. There are 110 countries world-wide that celebrate Father's Day. 

Salt Mine Tours

Taking a tour of a salt mine? On the surface, it seems like a strange way to spend a day. What could be so interesting about seeing miners dig salt out of the ground? After all, it's not like taking a tour of a location steeped in history such as the Alamo or the Tower of London. Or a famous government building such as the U.S. Capitol. Or a tour of an interesting city such as San Francisco or New Orleans.

But a salt mine? You'll be surprised…

WIELICZKA SALT MINE IN KRAKOW, POLAND.  I saw a segment on the Travel Channel about this unusual tourist attraction. The mine consists of a lot more than just the tunnels and pits where they have been extracting salt for approximately 700 years (one of Europe's oldest salt mines). It was opened in the 13th century with commercial mining discontinued in 1996 but it continued to produce table salt until 2007. This is a unique tourist attraction and is listed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.

The tour is spread out over the three upper levels of the mine complex, ranging from 64 to 135 meters (208 to 439 feet) below ground. You'll need to take nearly 400 steps down to the mine but there is an elevator that returns visitors to the surface. Tourists can walk the 3 kilometers (1.8 mile) trail through a collection of objects related to the mine and mining industry over the centuries. You'll see underground lakes. But perhaps the most surprising and fascinating feature of this salt mine is all the works of art made by the miners themselves over the centuries, hand hewn entirely of solid salt—statues, frescos, beautifully adorned chapels including one very large chapel with chandeliers and staircases made entirely of salt along with other hidden treasures. In addition to the spectacular works of art, the complex has a reception room used for private functions including weddings.

The salt mine reaches a depth of 327 meters (1065 feet) and is over 287 kilometers long (172 miles) with the tour covering only a small portion of this total area.

STRATACA IN HUTCHINSON, KANSAS, USA.  Interactive dinner theater below ground in a salt mine? Scout campouts below ground in a salt mine? A large Hollywood film storage/vault facility underground in a salt mine? An event center underground in a salt mine? Yes to all of these…and more.

This salt deposit was formed approximately 275 million years ago when the Permian Sea dried up. This is one of the largest salt deposits in the world covering 27,000 square miles in central and south central Kansas. Adjacent salt deposits extend the entire area to include parts of Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle and south eastern New Mexico for a total overall of 100,000 square miles. The purest portion of the main salt vein is 650 feet underground and is still being mined. Strataca (when first opened for tours was called the Kansas Underground Salt Museum) has access to about 300,000 square feet of the mined out area.

Salt was discovered southwest of Hutchinson in 1887 by a land developer who was drilling for oil as a means of increasing land sales. Instead of oil, he struck salt. Strataca is located in the original Carey rock salt mine.

Even though the mine tour existed earlier and a large storage facility had been there since the 1940s, in 1999 the Reno County Historical Society recognized the importance of preserving and presenting to the public the Hutchinson salt story. Today's museum is the result of a collaboration of the Historical Society and two businesses that already existed in the mine—the Hutchinson Salt Company and the Underground Vaults and Storage. In addition to storing a vast number of original Hollywood movies (such as the master prints of Gone With The Wind and The Wizard Of Oz), it also stores millions of documents and items from around the world in a secure and environmentally conducive atmosphere.

The newly revamped and renamed Strataca was opened to the general public May 1, 2007. Their first Murder In The Mine interactive dinner theater was held in 2007 as was their first underground scout campout. The Visitor Center opened in July 2008. And in 2013, they launched The Salt Safari Adventure Hike.

Strangest Roadside Attraction in Each State New Mexico thru Wyoming 3 of 3

This week is the third and final entry in my 3-part blog series presenting the strangest roadside attraction in each state. This week is New Mexico through Wyoming.

31. New Mexico

Strangest attraction: Very Large Array

Year built:1980

You probably don't know its name, but you've see it in movies such as "Contact," and "Independence Day." The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array consists of twenty-seven 25-meter radio telescopes deployed in a Y-shaped array. Astronomers have used the VLA to observe black holes and protoplanetary disks around young stars.

32. New York

Strangest attraction: Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

Year built: 1996

Once known as the Furniture Capital of the World, Jamestown is most proud of its best-known daughter, Lucille Ball. There's a lot to love here, including meticulous recreations of the "I Love Lucy" sets used for Lucy and Ricky's apartments in New York and Hollywood.

33. North Carolina

Strangest attraction: World's Largest Chest of Drawers

Year built: 1926

The World’s Largest Chest of Drawers is 38 feet high and was built to call attention to High Point as the Furniture Capital of the World. The original chest was a 20 foot tall building with knobs and served as the local bureau of information. In 1996, it was completely renovated and converted into a 38 foot tall Goddard-Townsend block front chest.

34. North Dakota

Strangest attraction: Tommy the Turtle

Year built: 1978

Turtles and winter are not a combo that comes to mind—certainly not a snowmobile-riding turtle. But the 30 foot tall Tommy the Turtle is the largest turtle of its kind in the world and straddles the largest snowmobile in the world (34 feet long) while guarding the entrance to Bottineau's municipal tennis courts. He's meant to be a symbol for the nearby Turtle Mountains.

35. Ohio

Strangest attraction: As We Are exhibit

Year built: 2017

It may be the ultimate headshot. The new exhibit, the As We Are exhibit, contains a photo booth capable of taking 3-D pictures. The pictures are then displayed on a construct of a head made from ribbons of ultrabright LED screens. The head is 14 feet high, weighs more than three tons, and displays the faces of everyday people 17 times larger than life.

36. Oklahoma

Strangest attraction: Big Beaver Statue

Year built: 1970

Beaver is known for its annual World Championship Cow Chip Throwing Contest in April. To commemorate the festival, there's a statue of a big beaver holding a large piece of cow poop. The beaver's home is a mobile trailer that moves around town at different times of the year. FYI: the record cow chip toss was set in 2015 with one chip flying 188 feet 6 inches.

37. Oregon

Strangest attraction: World's First Riding Mechanical Corndog

Year built: 2016

The Pronto Pup—a wiener on a wooden skewer that's dipped in cornmeal batter and deep fried—was created by George Boyington in the 1930s. It's honored today with a restaurant that is topped with a 30-foot fiberglass corndog as well as a mechanical, rideable corndog out front that costs a quarter for a ride.

38. Pennsylvania

Strangest attraction: Haines Shoe House

Year built: 1948

The Haines Shoe House was built by Colonel Mahlon Nathaniel Haines, the flamboyant "Shoe Wizard" for advertising purposes. It's 25 feet tall. The living room is located in the toe, the kitchen is located in the heel, two bedrooms are located in the ankle, and there's an ice cream shop in the instep.

39. Rhode Island

Strangest attraction: Green Animals Topiary Garden

Year built: 1872

Among the more than 80 pieces of topiary in the Green Animals Topiary Garden are teddy bears, a camel, a giraffe, an ostrich, an elephant, and two bears made from sculptured California privet, yew, and English boxwood. There are also pineapples, a unicorn, a reindeer, a dog, and a horse with his rider. Green Animals is the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States.

40. South Carolina

Strangest attraction: Mars Bluff Crater

Year built:1958

On March 11, 1958, a U.S. Air Force plane accidently dropped an unarmed 7,600-pound atomic bomb on this small community. The bomb created a crater 35 feet deep and 70 feet wide. The incident and the crater, which is now overgrown and on private property, are marked by a nearby historical marker.

41. South Dakota

Strangest attraction: Center of the Nation Monument

Year built: 2008

The Center of the Nation Monument—a massive map of the United States enclosed in a compass rose, designed by a local artist and made of 54,000 pounds of South Dakota granite isn't technically at the center of the country. The center, which is 21 miles north of the monument, is marked by a small metal pole stuck into a pasture, off of a gravel road behind a ditch.

42. Tennessee

Strangest attraction: Titanic—World's Largest Museum Attraction

Year built: 2010

Surprisingly, landlocked Tennessee is home to the largest permanent Titanic museum in the world. Half the size of the original ill-fated ocean liner, the museum lets "passengers" experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins, and grand staircase, while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers.

43. Texas

Strangest attraction: Cadillac Ranch

Year built: 1974

This Route 66 landmark features 10 Cadillacs facing west in a line, all half-buried, nose-down in the dirt. From the 1949 Club Sedan to the 1963 Sedan deVille, the Caddies' tail fins are held high. Created by The Ant Farm, a group of art-hippies who had a silent partner—Amarillo billionaire Stanley Marsh III—who wanted a piece of public art that would baffle the locals.

44. Utah

Strangest attraction: Hole N’ The Rock

Year built: 1952

Hole N’ The Rock began as a home that was dug, carved, and blasted out of the rock beginning in the 1940s. Today, you can tour the 14 rooms arranged around huge pillars. A fireplace with a 65-foot chimney drilled through solid sandstone, a deep French fryer, and a bathtub built into the rock are among the attractions. There's also a petting zoo with a zebra.

45. Vermont

Strangest attraction: Ben & Jerry's Flavor Graveyard

Year built: 1997

On a hill in back of the Ben & Jerry's ice cream plant, beyond the bulk milk tanks, are grave markers to dearly departed flavors such as Ethan Almond and Bovinity Divinity. It's a good final stop after a 30-minute guided tour of the ice cream factory. After sampling the still-living flavors, you can pay your respects to those no longer there to give you a brain freeze.

46. Virginia

Strangest attraction: The Great Stalacpipe Organ

Year built: 1954

The Great Stalacpipe Organ is located inside the Luray Caverns near Shenandoah National Park. Instead of using pipes, the organ is wired to soft rubber mallets poised to gently strike stalactites of varying lengths and thicknesses. Leland W. Sprinkle created the organ by finding and shaving appropriate stalactites to produce specific notes. It can be heard anywhere within the cavern.

47. Washington

Strangest attraction: Nutty Narrows Bridge

Year built: 1963

Everyone's seen dead animals along the side of the road. After seeing a deceased squirrel with an acorn still in its mouth, Amos Peters also decided to do something about it. The result was a bridge to give squirrels a way to cross busy Olympia Way without getting flattened by passing cars. Today, there are five such bridges throughout the city.

48. West Virginia

Strangest attraction: The Mystery Hole

Year built: 1973

The Mystery Hole bills itself as a gravity-defying wonder. It includes attractions such as balls that roll up hill and a Volkswagen Beetle chopped in half seemingly crashed into the side of the building. Original owner Donald Wilson "discovered" the hole's mysterious powers in the 1970s and set up a kitschy tourist attraction that fell on hard times in the 1990s, but new owners are restoring it.

49. Wisconsin

Strangest attraction: Sputnik Crashed Here

Year built: 1962

People remember when satellites and rockets go up, but not so much when they come down. On Sept. 6, 1962, a 20-pound smoldering piece of the Soviet Union's 5 ton Sputnik IV satellite fell from the sky and embedded itself three-inches deep on Eighth Street, in Manitowoc in front of the Rahr-West Art Museum. The spot where it landed is now marked on the street, although the fragment is no longer there. The museum has hosted an annual Sputnikfest since 2007.

50. Wyoming

Strangest attraction: Cody Dug Up Gun Museum

Year built: 2009

Take the name—Cody Dug Up Gun Museum—literally. Almost all the weapons on display here were dug up. Some were found by metal detecting, some were spotted sticking out of the ground, others were lying in dry streambeds, and some were salvaged from battlefield dirt. The collection includes a revolver dropped in a creek during a Civil War battle and a rifle that exploded in a homesteader’s hand.

The 50 roadside attractions I've presented over the last 3 weeks were not determined by me and might not be the strangest (especially considering that strangest is a subjective opinion), but they are certainly very strange.