The Big Wheel
The coolest three-wheeled, plastic bike ever in the history of forever. Also a carnival ride.
Plastic tricycle. Carnival ride. And - for us older Emporiumites - a funky little department store in St. Marys.
Why am I talking about Big Wheels?
Why do I talk about anything?
Nostalgia.
Owning a Big Wheel (and experiencing first hand the road rash and gravel encrusted elbows and knees that came along with it) was a right of passage in the 1970s.
Actually, it was probably just me.
I got road rash on any / every thing I rode.
Do you remember The Big Wheel’s flashy, murderous cousin, The Green Machine? You could go super crazy with “The hottest ride in town,” provided you were:
A guy
Between the ages of 8 - 10)
You really knew how to ride
Inflation Ruins Everything
Did you know that Big Wheels are still in production?? Me, neither!
Image downloaded from clickamericana.com
But if you think you’re gonna get one for the low, low bargain price of $9.88, you are sadly mistaken.
Walmart sells Big Wheels anywhere from $112 - $130.
Amazon has one for $106.
These prices are for the 16” version. Toddler Big Wheels don’t cost as much.
Ferris Wheels are Big Wheels, too!
Image from rawpixel.com
Because there’s only so much that can be said about Big Wheels (vintage AND modern), I’m switching gears to another type of big wheel: the Ferris Wheel.
Is it just me, or is our Emporium carnival Ferris wheel seriously underwhelming? Back in the day, it had a prime location right by the library, and it was HUGE!
Now - not so much.
I guess it’s true: You can’t go home again.
Palette
Image from pexels.com
I love the vintage vibe of this image.
This palette is surprisingly subdued given the sorbet shades of the gondolas. But that’s a good thing, particularly in contrast to The Big Wheel’s primary colors.
Eye Candy
Image from rawpixel.com
Fun Facts about the 1st Ferris Wheel
If you’d like to learn more about the history of the Ferris wheel, visit the Smithsonian and / or The Guinness Book of World Records.
Corny Joke
Funny, right?
Mix-Tape Must-Have
I chose this song because it references “Big Wheels”. It’s also just one heck of a song! To fully appreciate Tina Turner’s singular talent, watch the video.
RIP Tina Turner.
Mix-Tape Must-Have, II
So NOW I can’t stop watching Tina Turner videos!
(There are worse things to obsess over, right?)
This one is for all of us who grew up in the 80s.
Tina Being Tina
Flippin’ amazing!
Not one, but TWO queens killin’ it!
The GIF that keeps on GIFing
NOPE.
