The Travelin’ Grampa Touring the U.S.A. without an automobile

Focus on fast, safe, convenient, comfortable, cheap travel, via public transit.

Vol. 3, No. 12, December 2010

This house where the 1983 classic film was shot still stands in and has been visited by more than 100,000 tourists. The RTA #81 bus goes there from downtown.

Classic film’s hero’s home really exists The home of Ralphie Parker, the boy hero of the classic movie A Christmas Story, is on Rowley Avenue in Cleveland, , not on Cleveland Street in some fictional town in Indiana., where author had placed it in a story he wrote. Shepherd grew up in Hammond, Indiana, where he graduated from high school and worked as a mail carrier and steel worker. Later, he became a radio broadcaster in Cincinnati, Philadelphia and New York. Grampa remembers listening to him on station KYW and chucking at his tall tales. Shepherd also wrote short stories, among them A Christmas Story. The movie’s producer looked at a half dozen cities and towns and decided to shoot its exterior scenes in Cleveland, because Higbee's Department Store there was willing to cooperate in the film’s production. It’s mere coincidence that the name of the street in Hammond where Shepherd grew up was Cleveland Street.

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Pictures credit: A Christmas Story House Museum; Jennie Moore Cray.

‘Christmas Story’ house in Cleveland. Grampa’s granddaughters and leg lamp.

You & grandkids can explore ‘A Christmas Story’ house Restored to its movie splendor, the house in the merry A Christmas Story film is open to the public all year around, but not on Christmas Day. Located directly across the street on Rowley Avenue is A Christmas Story House Museum. This displays costumes, props and memorabilia used in making the motion picture, plus hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes photos. These include items seen in the movie such as: toys from Higbee’s department store’s window, little brother Randy’s snowsuit and toy zeppelin airship, a chalkboard from Miss Shields’ classroom, and the Parker Family’s car. In an adjacent gift shop, you can buy replicas of the Major Award Leg Lamp, bunny rabbit pajamas an aunt sent Ralphie as a Christmas present, etc. Admission price to the house and museum is $8 adult, $7 senior, $6 child 7-12, child 6 & under no charge. For more info: achristmasstoryhouse.com or call (216) 298-4919.

Ride trolley from near Higbee’s to Ralphie’s home Trolley Tours of Cleveland, which does tours all over , operates Lolly Trolley that goes from to the A Christmas Story house and museum. Along the way, the trolley takes you on a 1½ to 2 hour tour around popular Cleveland tourist spots, including Public Square, Ohio City, and Tremont. This trolley runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during December. Prices: $22 adult age 13 and up, $14.25 child age 7-12, $5.50 child age 6 and under. No rides or tours Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Reservation required. Trolley Tours of Cleveland claims it will conduct a tour for any number of tourists, whether it’s one or 1,000. For more: www.lollytrolley.com or call (216) 771-4484.

Photo by Byron Filkins, from Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University.

. Crowd at an actual Higbee’s Christmas parade at East 6th & Euclid in Cleveland in 1955.

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Ralphie got stage fright while sitting on Santa’s lap, and said he just wanted some “tinker toys” for Christmas, but at right he’s pictured looking up at Santa and shouting he really wants a Red Ryder air rifle. Santa replies, “No! You’ll shoot you eye out, kid!”

Grampa actually shopped in Higbee’s department store In the 1983 black & white movie A Christmas Story, the Parker Family goes downtown to watch the annual Higbee’s Department Store parade, complete with Santa’s arrival. Next day, little Ralphie Parker goes to Higbee’s to tell Santa he wants for Christmas a Red Rider BB gun, to which, Santa says, “You’ll shoot your eye out kid!” Higbee's building still stands at 2000 Ontario Street, adjacent to Cleveland's downtown Public Square and the famous Union complex, where, times Grampa flew to Cleveland, he got off the Rapid train from the airport. Higbee’s building still stands, but gone is the giant department store that was there from 1931 to 2002. Grampa remembers lunching during the 1970s with someone in Higbee’s 10th floor Silver Grille restaurant. The first three floors now are occupied by a convention & visitors bureau and a local civic organization. The Silver Grille has been restored and is used for special events.

Photo credits: GCRTD; Brandon A. Shaw, Lake County RTD; GCRTD

Cleveland waterfront llight rail line, Laketran Park-n-Ride bus, and subway/surface train to airport.

Public transit goes from downtown to Ralphie’s home Route #81 buses marked Tremont take about 30 minutes to go from downtown Public Square to the A Christmas Story house and museum at 3159 W. 11th Street. Get off at W. 14th & Rowley and walk about five or ten minutes to 11th. This is one of 84 bus routes of the Regional Transit District. Nearly 500 buses ply these routes, picking up passengers at more than 850 bus stops, 1,332 with shelters. Including its rail lines, RTD is boarded some 50-million times a year. Its railways include an 18-station Red Line and a 34-station Blue/Green Line, including a waterfront branch. RTD also operates 80 paratransit vehicles and two downtown trolley routes. Its latest addition is 20 rapid transit buses that run along bus-only lanes. The Green and Blue lines evolved from a railway built by the developers of suburban Shaker Heights, to connect that community with their downtown Terminal Tower project.

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Sequel movie to ‘A Christmas Story’ was a spectacular flop Believe it or not, Rene DuPont, who produced A Christmas Story, made a sequel about Ralphie Parker and his family. The first was a wintertime comedy; the second, a summertime comedy based on a story by the same writer, Jean Shepherd, who narrated both films. It also had the same director, Bob Clark. They titled it It Runs in the Family. After it flopped at the box office, they changed its name to My Summer Story and it flopped again, grossing a total under $71,000, a financial disaster. Shepherd's story was shoddy. The acting was pathetic. It had only one performer from the original film, the actress who played Miss Shields, Ralphie's teacher. Before he directed A Christmas Story, Bob Clark mainly made horror films. My Summer Story turned out to be one.

Laketran carries suburbanites to Higbee’s vicinity From suburban Lake County, you reach A Christmas Story house via Laketran bus to the vicinity of the Higbee’s store building downtown, where you switch to a #81 Cleveland RTD bus to 14th & Rowley. Laketran has six regular and five commuter express bus routes, the latter all going into Cleveland from Park-n-Ride lots in Madison, Mentor, Painesville Township, Wickliffe and Eastlake, and from Lakeland Community College and Willoughby Hills shopping center. Single ride fare on all six fixed routes is $1.75 adult, 75¢ senior/disabled and child. Ten-ride ticket is $17.50 adult, $7.50 senior/disabled, child age 2 and under no charge. Commuter Express single ride is $3.75, seniors/disabled and children $2.50. Dial-a-Ride within the county is $10 for one ride and $100 for a ten-ride ticket.

Missed Macy NY parade? There’s one in Florida, too If you weren’t among the 45 million who watched this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, or wish to see a repeat, you more or less can – at Universal Studios adjacent to Orlando, Florida. Admittedly, this parade is not as big as New York City’s, which draws 2½-million or so onlookers and more than 10,000 participants, plus many fabulous floats and giant character balloons. But the Orlando parade is a pleasant substitute, with nicer weather. Universal Orlando holds Macy’s parades this year from Dec. 5 and thru New Year’s Day, featuring some of the most popular balloons and floats from the New York parade, plus many festive street performers and marching bands from across the country. After the parade is a fabulous tree-lighting ceremony.

Grampa no stranger to Macy’s 34th Street store For a few years, Grampa worked in Manhattan, and shopped in Macy’s 34th Street store, sometimes having lunch there. His latest to that store was with granddaughter Julie, who was visiting from Tampa, Fla., which, ironically, isn’t far from Orlando. Julie and he rode subways and buses uptown and downtown all day, to Central Park, a few museums, and Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty. They ate lunch at Mindy’s off Times Square and dinner in a Subway sandwich shop, located on the second floor of a building facing City Hall and its park. They went into the Empire State Building, too, but decided to forgo the tower. It was a very cloudy day and virtually impossible to see whether King Kong was up there or not.

Best subways to see the Thanksgiving Day parade If in New York for the parade next Thanksgiving, best ways to get to a good watching spot include: the D subway line to 34th St./Herald Square station or 59th St./Columbus Circle station, or the C train to 42nd St./Times Square, 50th St./8th Ave., 59th St./Columbus Circle, 72nd St./Central Park West, or 81th St./Central Park West. Or, take the #1, #2 or #3 train to 42nd St./Times Square or 72nd St./Broadway. Amtrak, NJ Transit, Long Island Railroad, New Haven Railroad and a zillion bus lines converge on Manhattan from every direction.

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Universal Hollywood (see page 6). Macy’s Parade and Grinch at Universal Orlando.

Grinch’s Whoville really exists; it’s in central Florida Annually, its mayor proclaims the city of Orlando “the city of Who-Lando.” This zany proclamation coincides with pronouncement by an official of nearby Universal Studios Resort and theme parks that “Grinch-mas” season has arrived. Accompanying the mayor is the Grinch himself, who invites everyone to join him in having their hearts grow by three sizes during this “Who-ol-a-days” season. From Dec. 4 thru Jan. 1, celebrations are resort-wide across Universal Studios, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and City Walk, and three on-site Loews hotels. New for 2010 is a Holiday Village bustling with laughter and cheer. Grinch welcomes all visitors to sing along with Universal Orlando’s holiday music, performed live every night, featuring the Mannheim Steamroller on December 4th, 11th and 18th, and beautiful a cappella arrangements by Sounds of the Holidays on other evenings.

Public transit buses go to Whoville Universal Orlando is served by Lynx public transit buses #21, #37, and #40. Lynx is an abbreviation for Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. (What? You think CFRTA would be better?) They stop at most area attractions and hotels. Fare is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors age 65 and above. Exact change required. A weekly bus pass costs $16. Route #21 links downtown Orlando with the I-Drive corridor, passes through the Major Boulevard hotel area and stops near the Hub in Universal Orlando. Getting from Walt Disney World to Universal is tricky, but possible. Take Lynx #50 from Disney’s Ticket & Transportation Center to SeaWorld and switch to the I-Ride Trolley. Lynx will issue a new Rider’s Guide in early December. CFRTA (Lynx) has nearly 300 buses on 65 routes covering 2,500 miles of Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties of central Florida. The Lynx nickname is derived from the word links, meaning routes. For more: www.golynx.com or call (407) 841-5969.

Photo credits: Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

Super Star Shuttle. Grinch disposing of tree. Lynx bus at Universal stop.

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Lynx bus every half hour from/to Orlando airport A Lynx #11 public transit bus departs every 30 minutes from Orlando International Airport and heads to downtown Orlando and International Drive. Sundays and holidays they tend to run less frequently. Hours of operation are 5:30 am to 11:30 pm. For more: golynx.com or phone (407) 841-2279. Linx #40 buses run between Linx Central Bus Station and Universal Orlando, stopping at the Amtrak rail station en route. Lynx #25 buses go to Orlando’s Greyhound bus terminal at 555 North John Young Pkwy. Visit www.greyhound.com or call (407) 292-3440.

Handy I-Ride trolleys stop along International Drive Folks whose lodging is along the International Drive corridor can catch an I-Ride trolley to Universal Orlando. You get off at the corner of Kirkman Road and Major Boulevard, which is stop number five on I-Ride’s main line. The trolleys run from 8 am to 10:30 pm. Fare: $1.25 adult, 25¢ for senior, free for child age 12 and under with a paying adult. All-day and multi-day passes are a good deal and available at hotels and retail stores along International Drive, but not on the trolleys. For more info: iridetrolley.com or call 1 (866) 243-7483.

Free shuttle connects Orlando lodgings to Whoville, etc. If you stay someplace outside Universal Orlando’s complex, try a Super Star Shuttle bus. About eight different routes go there from many hotels/motels, and to Sea World, Wet ’n Wild, etc. Hotels far away as downtown Orlando and along the Route 192 corridor in Kissimmee sponsor these shuttle buses. The ride is free or nominal, depending on where you get on. Non- sponsoring places usually will direct you to a nearby sponsoring place. In theory, you be staying at a sponsor hotel/motel/business to ride free, but drivers hardly ever ask for a payment. Don’t be surprised if your hotel/motel hasn’t a list of which Super Star Shuttle routes go where. If you look, you usually can find a schedule in any hotel/motel lobby, however. After arrival at Universal Orlando, you can stop by its bus station between the parking garages and City Walk and get bus schedules, maps, etc. These shuttles run all day, more in the morning, fewer in the afternoon. Return trips from Universal Orlando start about 4 pm.

West Coast Whobilation celebrates Grinch-mas Not to be outdone by Orlando, Hollywood’s Universal Studios celebrates its own merry Grinch-mas and happy Who-ol-a-day season, complete with – believe it or not – ice and snow. On Dec. 18, a Whoville Whobilation will be launched there on the actual movie sets where the Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas was turned into what’s become a classic holiday film. On hand, of course, will be the Grinch himself and his faithful dog Max, both trotting around in tons of freshly manufactured snow. From Dec. 11 to Jan. 2, there’s a nightly tree- lighting, plus celebrity readings of Dr. Seuss’ Grinch Stole Christmas story. "'Because we expect very strong attendance during Christmas week, we're adding five dates to this year's 'Grinchmas' schedule in response to its growing popularity," said Larry Kurzweil, president of Universal Studios Hollywood. Grinchmas attendees will be able to examine close-up the original Whoville film sets used in making the How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie as they ride along on the theme park’s renowned behind-the-scenes Studio Tour. As the tram stops amid fanciful "Whoville" buildings, visiting tourists can experience a one-of-a-kind performance by Whoville residents re-enacting favorite scenes and songs from the film. For more: www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com

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Goodman Theater. Scene from ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Rudolph and his Chicago birthplace.

What the Dickens is going on at this Chicago theater? Seeing Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater during the holidays is a tradition for many Chicagoans. It’s playing there again, this time as a musical drama starring John Judd, popular Chicago performer. Over its 44-year run, at least a million theater goers have seen A Christmas Carol at the Goodman. Judd is the seventh actor to play Ebenezer Scrooge proclaiming "Bah, Humbug!" there at least 20,000 times. Cameron Conforti, from suburban South Elgin, is the 27th actor to play Tiny Tim. For our few readers who don’t know the story plot by heart, it’s about miserly Scrooge, a Victorian-era businessman in London, England. He despises holiday cheer and is indifferent to the sufferings of the poor. After falling asleep on Christmas Eve, he is visited by ghosts from the past, present and future who convince him of his folly. This delightful musical drama version features character actors playing the merry-making Fezziwig couple, the Ghost of Jacob Marley, kind-hearted clerk Bob Cratchit and family, and, of course, Tiny Tim exclaiming, “God bless us, everyone!”

Alas, Rudolph’s birthplace in Chicago is gone Besides Higbee’s and Marshall Field’s, the most popular store in Chicago probably was Montgomery Ward’s at 6 North Michigan Ave. It was the birthplace of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. At Christmastime each year, this store gave children a free coloring book. In 1939, writer Robert L. May created Rudolph for one of these. It was an instant hit. At this store and Montgomery Ward branch stores, its first edition “sold out” 2.4 million copies. He wrote the story as poetry in the meter of the classic poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Johnny Marks, his Jewish brother-in-law, turned the story into a song, first sung by crooner Harry Brannon on a New York City radio broadcast in 1948. The next year, popular singing cowboy star Gene Autry recorded it – and it again became an instant hit, this time worldwide.

Photo at right: Margaret Bourke-White, Cleveland Memory Project, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University

Scene from ‘A Christmas Story’ Higbee’s display window in 1934.

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Grand Canyon Railway a most authentic Polar Express If any train resembles the one pictured in the popular Polar Express 3D movie, it’s one running every holiday season to the Grand Canyon from its depot in Williams, Arizona, a quaint little town. This time of year, there’s usually plenty of ice and snow around, and its route may be the closest thing any current railroad comes to duplicating the scenes seen in the movie. This Polar Express ride stops at someplace called North Pole village, which sparkles with many Christmas lights. It’s where Santa waves and later boards the train. This ride is extremely popular and usually sells out early. So, this year it’s being continued into January. A reasonable holiday tourist package includes a night and meals at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel across the street from the Williams train station. Amtrak’s Southwest Chief that runs between Chicago and Los Angeles stops at Williams Junction, three miles (4.8 km) east of Williams, from where an Amtrak motor coach takes passengers right to the Grand Canyon Railway’s station. Also, Greyhound buses go to Flagstaff, 30 miles away. From here a shuttle bus runs to Williams. For more: www.thetrain.com

Seems there’s a zillion Polar Express trains Grand Canyon Railway has no monopoly on Polar Express imitators. The California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento and a multitude of other railway venues provide similar, though generally shorter, versions. All seem to have dancing waiters dispensing “hot-hot-hot” chocolate and cookies – and a wise and friendly conductor. Many have a ghostly hobo. On all, the Big Man Himself comes aboard, giving each kid a “first gift of Christmas!” This usually is a tinkling sleigh bell. Adults probably get one that makes no sound when shaken. Kids are welcome to wear their pajamas. Polar Express ride presenters this month include: Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. Nevada Northern Railway, Ely, Nev. Great Smoky Mtns. RR, Bryson City. N.C. Mount Hood Railroad, Hood River, Ore. Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Utica, NY. Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR, Colo. Chehalis, Wash. Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia. Fox River Trolley Museum, South Elgin, Ill. Delaware River Railroad in Phillipsburg N.J. Glen Ellyn Park, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, Calera, Ala. North Glenview Metra Train Station, Ill. Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, Portland, Me. Monticello Railway Museum, Monticello, Ill. Berkshire Scenic Railroad, Lenox, Mass. Morton Grove Park, Morton Grove, Ill. Conway Scenic Railway, North Conway, N.H. Indiana Railway Museum, French Lick, Ind. Hobo Railroad, Lincoln, N.H, Whitewater Valley Railroad, Connersville, Ind. Providence & Worcester RR, Cumberland, R.I. North Shore Scenic Railroad, Duluth, Minn. Newport Dinner Train, Newport, R.I. Branson Scenic Railway, Branson, Mo. Green Mountain RR, White River Jctn., Vt. Dennison RR Depot Museum, Dennison, Ohio. State Railroad Museum, Sacramento, Calif. National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, Wisc.

Scene from The Polar Express movie. Santa and kids on Grand Canyon Railway.

8 Photo credits: Louis Van Winkle, mc.net; Finding Dulcinea.

At right, Chris Van Allsburg, writer and illustrator of the book The Polar Express, upon which the movie is based. At left, the Amtrak station at Grand Rapids, his boyhood home town.

In what town did Polar Express movie’s Billy live? East Grand Rapids, Mich., probably best resembles where Billy, hero of the film, boarded a train going to the North Pole. This was the boyhood home town of Chris Van Allsburg, who wrote and illustrated the children’s story book on which the movie is based. He lived in an old brick Tudor style home set-back from a street strikingly similar to that pictured in the movie. "The houses weren't big,” he told an interviewer. “They were nice small houses for families of four or maybe five." He has written and illustrated 20 books. “The Polar Express was the easiest of my picture book manuscripts to write,” he recalled. “I created only one draft and had to make only a few changes to the text. Once I realized the train was going to the North Pole, finding the story seemed less like a creative effort than an act of recollection.” “I felt, like the story's narrator, that I was remembering something, not making it up."

East Grand Rapids has only one lone bus line The population of East Grand Rapids, a suburb of Grand Rapids, is 11,315. It has only one public transit route, the #6 bus. This runs between Woodland Mall and downtown Grand Rapids. It’s operated by the Interurban Transit Partnership, an agency of Kent County, popularly called The Rapid. Besides regular scheduled buses, The Rapid has GO!Bus vehicles that service senior and disabled riders and county residents who are distant from the regular bus routes. This agency also coordinates car and van pooling.

Airport bus doesn’t go downtown and doesn’t run weekends The Rapid #17 bus serves Gerald R. Ford International Airport, the Grand Rapids airport. However, it doesn’t run on weekends. It also doesn’t go downtown. To get downtown, you have to transfer from the #17 to a #6 bus at Woodland Mall. To ride a GO!Bus you need an ID card issued by the county, and reserve it at least the day before. The Rapid also participates in RideLink, a network of volunteers who transport persons age 60 and up “to any necessary destination, including medical appointments, recreation and shopping trips, etc. Riders usually pay $2 a trip. If they can’t pay they still can ride. Route #8 and #18 buses stop at the Amtrak station. The #8 runs to/from downtown and Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grandville. The #18 goes to/from the city’s West Side. Greyhound buses go right into The Rapid’s Central Station, a big new terminal for intercity and numerous local buses and, maybe someday, Amtrak trains.

9 Find out if the grandkids’ home is transit friendly Visiting out-of-town grandkids this holiday season? Is where they live convenient to mass transit? Thanks to a new free online tool, you can find out. Called Transit Score, it rates places for closeness to public transportation. It’s a companion to something similar called Walk Score that rates the walkability of stores, theaters, schools, historic sites and maybe even where your grandkids call home. So far, it applies only to places in and around more than 200 big cities, including: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Duluth, Flagstaff, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul,, Modesto, Newark NJ, Orange County CA, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh NC, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington DC. Introduced by Front Seat, a Seattle software company, with financing from the Rockefeller Foundation, it's easy to use. Simply type in an address. It was developed to help regular riders calculate and better control commuting costs. Transportation often is a household's second biggest expense, says the Rockefeller Foundation. For more: http://www.walkscore.com/transit-score.php

Photo credits: ; Holland America Lines.

Higbee’s department store, circa 1955. Holland America’s Zuiderdam cruise ship.

Panama Canal shut, delaying some cruise ships Ship traffic through the Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, was suspended December 8-9 for 17 hours. A few cruise ships were delayed, including Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Norwegian Star, Holland America's Zuiderdam, and Princess Line's Coral Princess. Celebrity Line's Infinity arrived at the canal just after reopening. The temporary closing was due to the heaviest rains in recorded history filling to overflowing Gatun Lake, the canal's main water-supply. Lock gates were opened to allow floodwater and debris to exit to the sea via the canal, making ship transit impossible. This was the only time in its 96-year history the canal was closed due to bad weather conditions. It closed in 1989 when the U. S. Army invaded Panama to depose drug lord Manuel Noreiga, then its president. The only other closings were soon after its 1914 opening, to clean up landslides. While in the U.S. Army, Grampa spent nearly two years, including Christmases, in Panama and its Canal Zone during 1953-55. About 5% of all international trade passes through the 50-mile canal. About 40 ships, plus smaller boats, transit the canal daily. Many cruise lines offer Panama Canal voyages. Princess Cruises alone scheduled 40 this year. They sail from a variety of U.S. ports, including Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in the east and Seattle, San Diego, and Los Angeles in the west. Among the niftiest cruises is a 7-day 6-night canal adventure on a 24-passenger catamaran named Discovery. It has a crew of ten.

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Why Santa is seen mainly as a white guy It’s only natural most Americans see Santa Claus as a jolly white-bearded light-skinned European guy whose home is at the North Pole. His name is an Americanized version of a Dutch person pronouncing the name Saint Nicholas, likely the first Christian saint revered in the New World. Vikings in Greenland in the 12th century named their cathedral for St. Nicholas, who is the patron saint of seafarers. They were light skinned from the far north. Heck, the Irish call them Norsemen. Much later, in December 1492, after Christopher Columbus landed in Haiti, he named a port town there St. Nicholas. Still later, on Dec. 6, 1602, Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno, sailing near what’s now the city of Los Angeles, spied a tiny island. He named it San Nicolas, as it was the saint’s feast day. Likewise, about 1740, Spanish soldiers in Florida named a settlement there San Nicolas. Today, it’s a nifty neighborhood of Jacksonville.

Santa of color in Baltimore is jolly as jolly can be Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore is the USA's oldest indoor shopping mall. Luke Durant Jr. plays Santa Claus there every Christmas season. Despite his skin color, he's the most authentic Santa you can imagine. It's not only his genuine white beard; it's his wonderful jolliness and philosophy. He personifies the spirit of the holiday as envisioned by most Americans. Luke is one of the center's proprietors. His business, Somethin' Good, sells candies, popcorn, nuts and other goodies. More than 20 years ago, the center's management wanted a Santa Claus on whose lap kids could sit and tell what they'd like for Christmas. Durant volunteered and has fulfilled that task beautifully ever since. “I take my hat off to all the guys who play Santa Claus,” he says. “To do this, you really have to love people. Sometimes you read in the paper about the Black Santa, the White Santa, the Asian Santa. Just be glad when whoever puts on that suit. Accept him for what he is. His love for humanity. His love for people. Not get swept up into this race thing.” “Key is, you have to cater to mommy and daddy,” he adds “People have to feel happy after they leave you, happier than when they approached you.” He reminds the older kids: “Remember, Christmas isn’t all about Santa Claus. Jesus is the reason for the season.” You can see him in action at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aHAzQANPL4&feature=related

At right, Luke Durant Jr., for 22 years the wonderful Santa Claus at Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore. At left, an Afro American Santa figurine that bears a remarkable resemblance to Luke Durant. It’s called “Santa is Out“ and is marketed by PossibleDreams.com. It also offers a Caucasian version.

11 Photo credits: 20th Century Fox; Passaic News; Cleveland Chamber of Commerce.

Scene from Miracle on 34th Street. Macy’s 34th Street New York store. Higbee’s building in Cleveland.

Rudolph the Reindeer at Camden’s Aquarium Until January 2, you can take your grandkids to see a genuine red nosed reindeer named Rudolph at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J. “Here, the sights, sounds, scents and warmth of the season are around every corner!” say its ads. You can shoot pictures of the kids while they pose alongside this reindeer amidst a forest of white glowing trees. Or as they stand next to the aquarium’s newest Xmas-related character, Bumble the snow monster, who lights a big Christmas tree upon which he places on top – what else? – a beautiful star. On December 4, 5, 11 and 12, there’s a pancake breakfast with Scuba Santa, Bumble, Gill the Shark and other characters, at which the kids get to enjoy fluffy hot cakes, arts, crafts, and a great view of a new and unique 550,000-gallon Shark Realm exhibit. Photo credits: CBS-TV, Paramount Pictures, RGRTA.

Frosty at RR ticket window. Scene from ‘It’s A Wonderful Life.’ Seneca Falls NY STS transit bus.

Bedford Falls not easy to reach by a non-driver Bedford Falls, portrayed in It’s A Wonderful Life is a duplicate of Seneca, Falls, N.Y. To get there without driving, you can take a Greyhound bus to Geneva, ten miles away, then hop aboard an STS #4 bus, operated by Seneca Transit Service. Seneca Falls hosted, in 1848, America’s first Women’s Rights Convention, chaired by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. As for Frosty the Snowman’s home town, Grampa has been unable to locate it. All he could ascertain is that it has a railroad station, where Frosty tried unsuccessfully to get a ticket to the North Pole. ------© 2010, all rights reserved. The Travelin’ Grampa is published monthly by John A. Moore Sr., Freelance Journalist, P. O Box 636, Clifton Heights PA 19018. One year (12 issues) subscription by e-mail: $75. U. S. residents age 62 and up can get a 66- 2/3% discount.

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