The Morrison Hotel, Chicago, Until 1965

This postcard shows the Morrison Hotel of Chicago, with a nice "x" marks the spot showing "our room."

The hotel was 46 stories high and stood 506 feet above the sidewalk, and every room had a bath, circulating ice water, and grille-protected servidor until 1965, when it became the largest building ever to have been demolished up to that date.

Tel Aviv Beach, circa 1971

Here's a nice view of the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, from 1971. I'm posting it in honor of our son, who just returned from there this week after volunteering in a free health clinic for 5 months (and living a 15 minute walk from the beach!).

The back of this postcard has a very interesting message written by the sender, who was apparently non-Jewish but observant about the atmosphere in the country several years after the Six Day War in 1967. She says "there is a wonderful feeling of optimism here, despite the war, for the Israeli knows where he is going -- so different from the Western world!.." Regardless of our religious or political views, this "real" artifact of social history is intriguing!

Beautiful Post Offices of the Past

The United States Post Office building in Augusta, Maine, was designed by Mifflin Bell. Built of masonry and granite, it is a rare example of Victorian-era architecture in Maine. When first opened in 1890, the Portland Transcript called 295 Water Street “one of the most picturesque public buildings that the government has bestowed upon any city in the Union.” Built of Hallowell granite and complete with a corner tower, Roman arches, a winding staircase, and 32,000 square feet of space, it was built in response to the growth of Augusta’s publishing industry. It served as the city’s main post office until the 1960s. The original building, a classic example of American architectural style Richardsonian Romanesque, was altered in 1910, making the tower the center point, then again in the mid-twentieth century, adding a south wing. Now known as The Olde Federal Building, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Traffic on the Turnpike

The Turnpike ride at HersheyPark, Hershey, Pennsylvannia. The traffic is at the tollbooth, waiting to get on the ride --a half-mile tour in a little sports car.

Drive safely!