The Shoe House

the Haines shoe house is an eccentric piece of art that dwells in Hellam, Pennsylvania. It resembles a 25x47x17 work boot, as they were originally sold by Mahlon Haines in the early 1900s. It also happens to be a right shoe, specifically. There is also a small dog house in the back, also shaped like a shoe, that was once 6ft tall, but has since sank into the Earth to become about 2 ft tall.

The story of Mr. Haines, as I discovered for myself, was a very unusual one. His sister owned a department store, and he worked for her after graduating from high school for quite some time. However, instead of being automatically promoted through the ranks, his sister made him struggle through the ranks, which eventually upset him to the point where he quit and decided to strike out on his own. He worked a bunch of odd jobs before landing a small gig in Ohio with his then fiance. She eventually left him, and all he had left to his name after losing both her and the job were his engagement ring, a couple of bucks in cash, his bicycle, and the clothes on his back. So, being originally from Southern Pennsylvania, he set out for home. His bike broke down, and he decided to sell his engagement ring and buy 10 pairs of shoes. He then set up a kiosk at a local market and sold the shoes, retaining his prophets and then increasing them. He became really good at making shoe deals, he realized he was on to something, and quickly started selling shoes that were refurbished from Hanover Shoe Outlet.

To promote his Empire, Mr. Haines spent an exuberant amount of time walking around town and giving out free pencils, mirrors, fans, and pocket protectors that had his business information on them. As of the early 2000s, some 1,500 fans had been recovered. needless to say, his business grew, he settled down and married, and eventually retired with several million dollars in assets. It was at this point in time that he was able to purchase a yacht and enjoy his life at sea, as well as return to the mainland to participate in community improvement projects and play with a softball team that was intended for individuals 75 and older. every time he got a home run, the team manager carved a bulldog for him, totaling a collection of 23 Bulldogs. eventually, he moved out of the shoe house that he built to advertise his business and open up for tours, and rented out two guest rooms. he hired a maid who also acted as a chauffeur, made some extra income off of renting out the shoe house rooms, and then built and lived in a house across the street from it. He passed away from respiratory failure on Halloween of 1962 in his 80s, settling 1.5 million dollars to various charities in the Boy Scouts of America, and leaving his widow with the shoe house, the house across the street from it, and enough money to live a comfortable retired life until she passed away.

When she passed away, the house set for a couple of years before an orthodontist purchased it to live in it. Eventually, he would come to pass as well, and although the house was left to some of his co-workers, they didn't know what to do to upkeep it. Eventually, Mr. Haines's granddaughter, who was an architectural contractor, purchased and restored the then rotting house to its former glory. It was rented out there on out as an ice cream store and tourhouse, and its history is preserved well into this day.

As for myself, I have quite a few impressions of this tiny house that I spontaneously explored one afternoon. First of all, they always have, and continue to this day, to sell wonderful ice cream. They also having a lot of cute souvenirs, and the tour of the house itself is very affordable at $5 per person and free for children. This makes it a great spot for both tourists and locals to visit. if the house was not designated as a tourist attraction, it is one that I would honestly consider staying in for a night. I hope that this shoe house has inspired other unusual houses to pop up around the globe. I know that there are glorified bunkers and treehouses, but I really want to see more things like the shoe house.

Although there typically isn't a whole lot to see in south central Pennsylvania, going for a day hike and then replenishing your battery with ice cream and a tour of the shoe house is a perfect way to spend an afternoon. the story is a lot more complex than just a fairy tale about the lady who lived in the shoe, although it is another wonderful metaphor. Go check out the shoe house today!

Kings and Queens of Prussia

Just before visiting my friend in East Greenville, I decided to swing by the King of Prussia area to visit my friend Kelly who lives there. She also went to York with me, before transferring out to go back home to finish undergraduate studies. It was a very quiet little area, but still worth mentioning on here.

My friend lives in a small town called Phoenixville, about 10 minutes from Valley Forge National Park in about 15 minutes from King of Prussia Mall. Valley Forge is a very nice Historic Park, and although I got to drive by it, it was dark out, so I didn't really get to set foot inside the park. It was quite a phenomenal location to visit, as there are lots of trails to hike inside the park and statues and memorials and whatnot. Visiting my friend this summer and getting to swim in her pool with one of her friends was an incredible gift. And now for the main event, King of Prussia.

King of Prussia at the time that I visited it was the second largest strip mall in America. Plans were released to expand the mall completely by 2020, effectively making it the largest mall in America. It has a plethora of stores between three floors, spans 300 yards, and overall is a good place to spend an afternoon and burn some daylight. Many patrons from far and wide to travel to this area to see what this part of Pennsylvania is like, as there's also hotels and lavish casinos nearby.

When I stepped inside the mall for the first time to visit my friend, I walked to the nearest Starbucks, which was bigger than most stand alone stores that I visited. There were a few other stores Incorporated clothing, pop culture, and other things into their store. It is a good place to spend money and find any sort of store imaginable, and I noticed this almost immediately. I met up with my friend and her friend Kim, and we went for a little walk around the mall. We went to Wegmans after that, which was the first Wegmans that I've ever been to. My initial impression? The stores are much bigger out here on the east coast of Pennsylvania.

Although I personally don't spend a whole lot of time in malls because I'm more interested in geographical destinations, you can plainly see that this mall has a lot to offer everybody. I also try to conserve my money as much as possible, so I didn't spend a whole lot of time browsing the stores. No matter what you're into, you can always get exercise and simultaneously shop at King of Prussia.

Marketeering

iI there is one thing that people in central Pennsylvania are good at doing, it is going to markets. The benefit of going to markets is that you can meet a lot of humble people that have worked their fingers into the Earth to provide a quality product free of contaminants and pesticides. It will also make some friends just by interacting with these people, and understand that there really is a subculture behind going to Market.

Now, some of you may think that it is odd for me to be talking about going to Market on a travel blog. However, this is also a culture blog, and I will be talking about stories from people and places. And in central Pennsylvania, this is one of the closest things to culture that we have (save the Amish).

In central Pennsylvania, there are lots of large markets that are open on various days of the week. In my hometown of York, there are three major markets; Central Market, Penn market, and Eastern Market. central Market, Penn market, and eastern Market.  Central Market is open from 7 to 3 on Tuesday Thursday and Friday, and features a lot of locally grown fruits, Agriculture, and spices. They also have a few nice cafes. Pain Market has similarities but focuses more on Antiques and old time things, and is open every Tuesday Friday and Saturday from 7 to 3. Eastern Market has a big emphasis on buying in bulk, and is open every Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Where is a flea market and Farmers Market open every weekend from about 6:30 to 3 or 4 depending on what stalls you go to. They have a big emphasis on fair trade and supporting the community.

Further away from me are Green Dragon and Roots, with Roots being open on Tuesdays and Green Dragon being open on Friday's all day. Both are run largely by the Amish, but have a lot of other individuals that come and sell their Wares. Further out is burkholder's in Renningers, which are both also open on various parts of the week. Depending on how you play your schedule, you can essentially visit a different Market within an hour drive one another every single day of the week and spend your entire day there.

If you see this sign, you'll know you're in the right area for GD.

When preparing to initiate in the market going culture, you must bear in mind timeliness and money. If you go earlier in the day there will be more products, but if you go later in the day, whatever products that are left, you will be more likely to get for a cheaper rate, as the farmers and salesman do not want their products to go to waste until the next week. For instance, I got a free pound of turnips and rhubarb when I shopped at Green Dragon because the Mennonite Farmers that were selling them running low on time and energy and trying to get home. However, one of the spice stalls cinnamon sticks ran out by noon, which meant that I had to get up closer to 6:30 to get there early enough. Whatever you do, make sure that you bring plenty of cash, and bring it in paper form. Although some Market Salesman take credit card, a majority of them rely on paper currency sales, as it is their non taxable portion of their income that they rely on.

Although there is now a growing initiative to promote local businesses and product producers such as farmers and Craftsmen, it is still a daily struggle for many more than you might think. Most of a farmer's income comes directly from the products he is able to produce, and as such, their lives are pretty much tethered to their farms and living as cheaply as possible. You can read my post on supporting local businesses to get a clearer idea of why Market culture is so important.

iI you have a growing list of products to pick up and you want to spend less but get a good quality, then I highly recommend going to a local market near you. It doesn't have to be any of the markets in York Pennsylvania, as there are plenty of markets and every corner of the globe. But, for the same reasons listed in my other post, supporting the market culture is a sure-fire way to make connections and induce happiness.