Steampunk Vacations (Holidays)

[yaghish]

In continental Europe there's a site interesting to steampunks every 30 km or so. I don't know where to start... Probably at home. The Hague as a very fine Jugendstil feel. The beach-bath of Scheveningen is cool too (Kurhaus), even if the steam-train doesn't come there anymore. Lots of museums in the Hague, too. It's the place of many 19th century painters and writers and other artists, and has the colonial atmosphere that feels like Indonesian magic and voodoo...

8 km south is the tech museum of Delft University. Of course, the university has left its old marks there as well. Best way to visit it steampunk style would be the dungeons of the math-faculty. But that's secret information

About 15 km north of The Hague is the narrow-gauge railroad museum. You might have passed some nineteenth century mansions in Wassenaar on your way down there. And a little further is Leiden, which has something as well with all the horrible things of the old University (Boerhaave Museum).

[Fantômas]

Many of my early childhood moments involve fond memories of Gas works Park in Seattle
Photos below:

[Monsieur Alphonse]

I'm deeply sorry if this was allready posted at one point, or if it doesn't qualify the criteria somehow, but what are your thoughts on the Arts et Métiers subway station in Paris?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_et_M%C3%A9tiers_%28Paris_Metro%29
http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/magic.php?P=lieu_6_34_4.php&m=c&c=34&lang=fra
http://flickr.com/photos/rgraves/tags/artsetm%C3%A9tiers/

[Josh of Vernian Process]

Sir, I can think of no better place to post that than in here. It was commisioned in the memory of Jules Verne after all (if I'm not mistaken)?

[Honky-Tonk Dragon]

Many of my early childhood moments involve fond memories of Gas works Park in Seattle

Hurrah! Gas works park!
I'm going to Seattle this weekend to visit some friends, and was hoping to get out there for some reference pics.

[yaghish]

Gaspark Seattle: great, but about on the other side of the world for me.

In Germany, there is something similar, called "Landschaftspark Nord" near Duisburg in the "Ruhrgebiet" where lots of industrial heritage is to be found (pictures I have from the place look like the ones posted above).

There is an European Industrial Heritage site with many more places to check out across Western-Europe.

[teawithsteph]

I am now pondering how many of my scavenger hunt finds could be taken care of with a trip over the weekend to GasWorks Park? I don't think my kids have seen it either so it could be a definite fun trip for them.

[Honky-Tonk Dragon]

I'll be visiting some friends in Seattle this weekend, any other recommendations for sites and scenes in the Emerald City?

[teawithsteph]

If you are looking for something nifty and unusual to do I suggest the Seattle underground tour as well. It has been years since I went on it but I know lots of people think it is cool.

Also in the Victorian sort of theme the Conservatory at Volunteer Park is fantastic. Then again I like plants and gardens so that is the kind of thing I like. Also along that theme is the Arboretum and the Japanese Gardens not too far from Volunteer Park. There is also the ever present Ferry ride which is a nice trip on the water for a very reasonable price.

Lots of other things to do but nothing else comes to mind of particular interest for this forum.

[Honky-Tonk Dragon]

If you are looking for something nifty and unusual to do I suggest the Seattle underground tour as well. It has been years since I went on it but I know lots of people think it is cool.

Also in the Victorian sort of theme the Conservatory at Volunteer Park is fantastic. Then again I like plants and gardens so that is the kind of thing I like. Also along that theme is the Arboretum and the Japanese Gardens not too far from Volunteer Park. There is also the ever present Ferry ride which is a nice trip on the water for a very reasonable price.

Lots of other things to do but nothing else comes to mind of particular interest for this forum.

Ah yes, the underground. I've been to Seattle many times, even lived there some, but never done the underground. I guess we are going to some area called Georgetown, which my friends assure me is friendly and I will like. Though I hate to label them, my friends are fairly punk/goth, so I trust their judgement. In fact, I can't wait to show them this forum.

[Dr cornelius quack]

Strange how inspiration comes.
Just spotted this:-
                          SAVE THE AIR KRAKEN! Join the 11th Greenpeace Airborne division!
from a members sig. and thought  that an intheme ecological organization might be worthwhile.

                                                  VOILA!! "STEAMPEACE"

Even if it was nothing more than a discussion topic, How cool would the TEE-SHIRTS be?

[Dr cornelius quack]

Oops! Just realised that last ones probably in the wrong place, so please mentally transfer it into lifestyle or wherever.

That being said, when you do go on holiday to a beautiful part of this world (or any other), please try not to leave those nasty carbon footprints all over it.

p.s. Your damn spellchecker just tried to make me spell "realised" with a "z". Oh yes, like that's going to happen.

[Ben Franklin's Electric Kite]

If someone were to post where to see a working Tesla Coil, I would be all about that.

There used to be a pair of little ones and one great big one on display at the Tesla Museum in Colorado Springs. They were not old. One was permitted to wave flourescent tubes about and watch them light up, etc. The Museum was closed in 1999, basically because they could not afford the electric bills. You essentially had to have an appointment to see the museum because they could not keep all of the replica-inventions fired up for walk-ins but nor could they let you leave without playing with everything.

I once inquired about moving the Tesla Museum's collection to the Pioneer Museum some short distance away, where they could have been housed in one of the empty courtrooms and displayed once a week for a few hours, but evidently the entire collection was sold to some guy in New Jersey. The Pioneer Museum's not half bad, really. SEE the AMAZING collection of BRUTAL 19th century dental instruments! SEE the MYSTERIOUS WRINKLED BLOB OF WAX taken from WILLIAM STRATTON's desk drawer after he died! SEE the JAWBONE of the first murder-victim to be identified by dental records! But, alas, no coils.

I understand you may see a working Tesla coil (a really big impressive one) at the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs, Arizona. There's also one at the Technical Museum of Slovenia, and another at the Australian National Science Centre. I suggest you telephone first to see that the coil is still on display before planning a trip, as they are often only displayed for brief periods.

Another good way to see one might be to inquire at a local university. Students like to build them, and you can probably get some professor to drag one out of storage to show you, if you offer him a beer.

[Vienna Fahrmann]

     I'm waiting for some of the historic trains to start running again to try for weekend or day trips.

     Vienna

[Ben Franklin's Electric Kite]

     I'm waiting for some of the historic trains to start running again to try for weekend or day trips.

Should you come to Colorado, you could ride on this one (The Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad) which does a day trip. Two different day trips, but I think one route is only run in the summer and the other only in the winter.
It is really coal-fired and steam-powered, though it was built in the early 1920's. Wear your goggles if you're up near the engine and stick your head out the window.

It may be possible to stay in Silverton overnight and ride the train back the next afternoon, making it a weekend.

If you pay extra, you can ride in 'historic' cars: