Monthly Archives: August 2013

Now that you’ve read my book, Glamping with MaryJane, you need to find a fabulous place to get your campin’ glam on.

We’re back for the 11th day of where to glamp in 2013.

The open road, a map, glasses, the kids in the back, and a Mercury station wagon. Where are you? Route #66, of course. Oh, and it’s 1952.

This historic scenic byway was the route of travel from 1926 on, taking travelers from Chicago to Los Angeles, until the Interstate Highway System began construction in 1956.

After stopping to see The Blue Whale, Cadillac Ranch, or the Gemini Giant, an overnight stay at a Wigwam Village was the only logical way to end the day.

Wigwam Village Inn #2
Kentucky – Cave City
Four hours from Route #66

Wigwam Village Inn #6
Arizona – Holbrook
Along Route #66

Seven Wigwam Villages were constructed between 1936 and the 1950s. Now, with only two left in operation, Wigwam Village #2 and #6 are persevering and still hosting weary travelers who want to stay in a wigwam.

Courtesy of SO-KY. http://www.so-ky.com/wigwamvillage/wigwam-idx.html

Yes, they’re actually tepees! Upon patenting the model for his first village, Frank A. Redford felt the word “wigwam” was more interesting than “tepee.”

During its heyday, Wigwam Village #2 boasted having the largest wigwam in the world, which served as the lunchroom. Now, it’s open to visitors as a gift shop.

Courtesy of SO-KY. http://www.so-ky.com/wigwamvillage/wigwam-idx.html

The classic structure of these wigwams is arguably one of the most recognizable along Route #66.

After losing revenue, Village #6 spent time as a gas station before reopening with an added museum detailing the history and significance of its placement on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Wigwam Motel #6, Holbrook, Arizona, USA; Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; Raleigh Muns

Below are more pictures of Wigwam Village #2, in Kentucky. You’re sure to feel just like a character from the show Mad Men staying in either of these two locations.

This photo of Wigwam Village is courtesy of TripAdvisor. Wigwam #2

This photo of Wigwam Village is courtesy of TripAdvisor. Wigwam #2

Have you ever been startled by an unbidden alarm from your cell phone?

Well, here’s a little “FYI” that was news to me …

Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEA, are emergency messages sent by government agencies through mobile carriers to alert the public of imminent safety threats in a given geographic area.

According to the National Weather Service, there are four types of mobile alerts you might receive:

• Extreme weather warnings
• Local emergencies requiring evacuation or immediate action
• AMBER alerts
• Presidential alerts

If only cell phones had been around in Dorothy’s time …

Illustration by W. W. Denslow from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz via Wikimedia Commons

A WEA will look like a text message, showing the type and time of the alert, any action you should take, and the agency issuing the alert.

How do you sign up for these alerts?

You may not need to.

The WEA messaging system is activated by default on most new smartphones or iPhones (iOS 6). In June, AT&T added WEA messages for iPhone users.

Don’t worry—you’re not charged for WEA alerts, and they don’t count against your messaging plan. But,

if you want to check the WEA status on your iPhone, you can access the menu by going to Settings > Notifications > and scrolling to Government Alerts at the bottom. You can also disable the alerts if you don’t want to receive them.

No alerts found on your phone?

Check with your carrier to see if your phone is capable of receiving WEA messages, and make sure you have the latest operating system.

For more information about WEA capable phones, visit FCC.gov.