If there’s ever been a more bizarre brand name than the Marhoefer Happy Wiener, I haven’t encountered it. I was born too late to sample one firsthand, but if you grew up in the right part of Indiana and hit the proper age bracket, odds are that name still rattles around in your brain. As if “Happy Wiener” wasn’t enough, the company briefly ventured into truly surreal territory with a tabletop hot dog cooker known as the Marhoefer Spe-De Wee-Ne.
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Railcar spotting: the best of three years
From 2023 through just last month, I shared my favorite pieces of graffiti I spotted when I worked at a place that received most of its material by rail. That chapter recently came to a close- and with it, the series itself. Flipping back through those photos reminded me just how much fun the hunt had been, though, so I couldn’t quite let it end there. Here’s one last look back at the standouts in a retrospective send-off for a series I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to.
Continue reading “Railcar spotting: the best of three years”The best of railcar spotting: 2025
I really enjoyed tracking graffiti during the three and a half years I worked at a factory that received most of our material by rail. What started as a few casual iPhone snaps of the most interesting railcars rolling into work somehow grew into a full-blown series! Unfortunately, the series has come to an end: I was let go in a massive reduction in force on December 3rd. Narrowing the list of my favorites from January through November wasn’t easy, but here are ten standouts that helped add color to my job in 2025.
Continue reading “The best of railcar spotting: 2025”Bison in Bluffton
If you look at Indiana’s state seal, you’ll spot a scene that hasn’t existed here in well over a century: a bison galloping across a hewn fence in the wilderness. Once, these massive animals roamed the Hoosier landscape in enormous numbers! Today, though, their presence is mostly symbolic. Aside from a few managed herds, the only place in Indiana where you can reliably see bison is at Ouabache State Park near Bluffton, where a small group lives within a dedicated range. Recently, I got to visit them.
Continue reading “Bison in Bluffton”Railcar spotting: November, 2025
I didn’t make it out to the rail yard that much this month, but sometimes a little downtime between visits helps me see things with fresh eyes. Of the few cars that rolled through, most of the real standouts were tucked behind the fence, where a handful of pieces carried the kind of color and detail that make the wait worthwhile. Welcome to another edition of railcar spotting!
Continue reading “Railcar spotting: November, 2025”Sevierville’s abandoned showstopper: Governor’s Palace Theater
Although it might play second fiddle to its flashier neighbors Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Tennessee, is hardly a sleepy town. As the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, it’s a thriving commercial hub where chain restaurants, hotels, and outlet malls seem to multiply overnight! Business is booming on nearly every corner as the hum of new development fills the air. That’s exactly why what sits at the northeast corner of Collier and Hurley Drives feels so out of place: an enormous, abandoned theater. Standing before it today, it’s hard not to wonder how such a grand place from the front could slip into such obvious obscurity.
Continue reading “Sevierville’s abandoned showstopper: Governor’s Palace Theater”Railcar spotting: October, 2025
It was a dark and stormy morning when I found myself wandering out to the railyard to see what October had to offer. After last month’s fantastic haul of vibrant tags and unexpected gems, my expectations were sky-high! This time, though, the rails had other plans. The lineup wasn’t nearly as thrilling as September’s, with fewer standout pieces and more weather-worn cars rolling through. Still, the thrill of the hunt is half the fun, and even a slow month deserves its moment in the spotlight.
Continue reading “Railcar spotting: October, 2025”The Subway at Southway
I don’t find myself at Subway very often these days. After working there through high school and college, I’m still a little burnt out on that unmistakable aroma- a mix I’ve come to conclude combined fresh bread, banana peppers, and onions. A couple of weeks ago, though, I caved and grabbed a Chicken Bacon Ranch with Chipotle Southwest sauce for lunch with a friend. It took a single bite -and that smell- to get my mind to wander! I suddenly remembered one of the Subway shops I used to frequent back in high school, and recalled it had quietly closed its doors.
Continue reading “The Subway at Southway”North Webster’s M&M Restaurant in a postcard
I’m not sure how many postcards fit in a two-foot box, but it’s a lot. After my stepdad found his mom’s old collection, I was shocked to find two from tiny North Webster, Indiana! The first was of the old North Webster Motel, which I wrote about here. The second depicted the M&M Restaurant. I’d never heard of the place, so I set out to find whatever I could.
Continue reading “North Webster’s M&M Restaurant in a postcard”Railcar spotting: September, 2025
It took me longer than usual to make it out to the rail yard this month, but when I finally did, the wait proved worthwhile. On a dreary afternoon, the graffiti-splashed cars provided a lot of unexpected color! Welcome to this next edition of monthly railcar spotting. Believe it or not, It’s my twenty-fifth!
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