(upbeat music) - [Will] This week on "Wild Travels," we'll visit MacAlpine's Diner, home of 99 sodas and the 10 pound sundae, relive our childhood at the Toy & Action Figure Museum, meet relentless jokester and artist Howard Solomon at his castle in Florida, bump into Brian Kidd, the one and only Unipiper, and then join the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers as they race gargantuan pumpkins at the regatta in Oregon.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music fades) - [Announcer] "Wild Travels" is made possible in part by Alaska Railroad, providing year-round transportation to many Alaska destinations, traversing nearly 500 miles of wild landscapes between Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali National Park and more.

Alaskarailroad.com by "American Road Magazine."

Get your kicks on Route 66 and everywhere else a two-lane highway can take you.

"American Road Magazine" fuels your road trip dreams.

And by- - [Narrator] It's a wild world.

Take care out there.

Wear a life jacket paddling or boating.

Learn more you otter do to keep you and the planet safe at mthoodterritory.com/otterdo.

- If you look hard enough, go off the beaten track far enough, you'll find an America teeming with the unusual, the odd, the downright strange.

I'm Will Clinger and I'm your guide on a package tour we like to call- - [Announcer] "Wild Travels."

(upbeat country music) (upbeat pop music) - The annual West Coast Pumpkin Regatta on Tualatin Lake near Portland features prodigious pumpkins being paddled by colorfully costumed contestants.

It's preceded the night before by a weigh off to determine whose patch grew the heaviest pumpkin of them all.

(funky music) You're Jim Sherwood.

- That's correct.

- What's your role in this whole evening?

- So, I'm the site coordinator for the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers.

- This is yours, right?

- [Jim] This is one of 'em, yes.

- That is massive, and the pumpkins here are gonna be raced tomorrow.

- A lot of these pumpkins will be in the lake tomorrow, yes.

This is my boat.

It's a little smaller.

This one's probably only about 1300 pounds.

- [Will] What is the secret to growing pumpkins this big?

- There's not really any secrets.

It's who's gonna do the research and who's gonna work the hardest.

That's what it all boils down to.

- It's the seeds, isn't it, too?

- [Pumpkin Grower] Oh yeah.

Yeah, the seeds is all part of it.

- [Will] Is it kind of like horse breeding where you get a Secretariat and you want to breed it with everything?

- Yeah, actually the analogy with horses, these here are all the thoroughbreds that are gonna win the Triple Crown.

- [Will] So, are you gonna compete tomorrow in the racing?

- Actually, I'm gonna have my son do it.

I hurt my back loading these things tonight, so.

- [Will] You tried to lift one of these?

- Yeah, ended up tweaking my back a little bit.

So, my boy, he's gonna race for me.

- While you pop pills like Pez.

- [Pumpkin Grower] Pretty much, yes.

- It's gonna be a little Frankenstein.

- A little Frankenstein, a little baby Frankenstein.

- [Pumpkin Carver] Baby Frankenstein.

- [Will] You're measuring the pumpkin for what reason?

- You can get an approximate weight this way, off the chart.

Sometimes, you find cheaters this way.

- Well, how could you cheat in this sport?

- You substitute something heavy inside that shouldn't be there.

- [Will] You guys are judges, huh?

- [Race Judge] Well, they call us judges, yeah.

- And what are you looking for here?

- We're looking for any problems like where there's like a hole, a natural hole, or a man-made hole or whatever they gotta do.

- Because they might be able to sneak something inside, huh?

- Water.

- Heavy water, like out of a nuclear reactor.

- [Will] H3O, then it could blow up.

- No, it'll glow in the dark.

(funky music) - We've got a lot of things to weigh.

So first off, I want to thank all you guys for giving up your Friday night to come spend it with us.

Let's give some good positive vibes here for Ron Edwards.

(crowd cheers) 1148.

Good job.

- This is a giant squash.

It is a different category because it's a different color.

- So, you got your own category?

- [Squash Grower] Yes.

- What is this?

- [Marrow Grower] This is a marrow.

- A marrow?

- A marrow.

- [Will] I've never heard of that.

- Well or no, excuse me.

It's called a bushel gourd.

- [Will] Wait a minute.

What is it?

A marrow or a bushel gourd?

- That's a bushel gourd.

We're talking to the beer here.

- We're talking to the beer.

(funky music) - [Pumpkin Announcer] You ready?

Jacqueline Row from Tenino, Washington.

How about, let's have it.

1338 and a half.

(crowd cheers) - Those don't look very big over there.

- Those are just tomatoes.

- [Will] They're tomatoes?

What are they doing at a pumpkin weigh off?

- [Tomato Grower] We do have a giant tomato weigh off, as well.

- Brian, you're the proud grower of this giant gourd here.

- Yeah, this is a long gourd.

It originated in Africa.

- [Will] How long is this thing?

- This is probably about 10 feet, about 118 inches.

- [Pumpkin Announcer] All right, let's do it.

How 'bout 1621.5?

(crowd cheers) - What happens when you have to king somebody?

Do you put a pumpkin on top of another pumpkin?

- We just try and remember, and we're not very good at that right now.

- [Will] This has come a long way.

Congratulations.

Great work.

- [Pumpkin Carver] Thank you very much.

- [Pumpkin Announcer] Let's see what we got.

1785.

Wow.

(crowd cheers) - That's right.

The big winner was the evening's host and organizer, Jim Sherwood, who assured us that the fix was not in, but big doesn't equal fast, so Jim was not victorious the following day.

Stay tuned for the preposterous pumpkin races later in the show.

(upbeat big band music) (upbeat big band music continues) (upbeat big band music continues) (upbeat big band music continues) (upbeat big band music continues) (upbeat big band music continues) (bagpipe music) Brian Kidd, the notorious Unipiper.

- Hi, Will.

How are ya?

- [Will] What inspired you to put together unicycle riding with bagpipe playing?

- I don't really know.

I found a unicycle in a dumpster.

I had bagpipes.

Put two and two together.

- [Will] Was there always flames involved?

- No.

No.

This whole process was an evolution, and at one point somebody asked me why my bagpipes weren't on fire, and it seemed like a perfectly valid question to me.

- [Will] Do you need a permit to do the flame stuff around here?

- It depends where you're doing it, but you do need to be cognizant of local laws when you're playing with fire.

- [Will] Have you ever been like arrested or anything?

- No.

Never been arrested.

Hope to keep it that way.

People get tired of seeing the same thing over and over.

You know, you wanna see Santa Claus Unipiper and you wanna see the Easter Bunny Unipiper.

- And you're not always on the unicycle.

I've seen you on a ball, for instance.

- Yeah, anything that is a little bit dangerous is probably where I'm gonna be.

- [Will] Keep Portland weird is a sign you see around.

- I came here, saw the sign, and took it as a command.

All right, well I gotta do my part.

And I like to think that now I'm out here, hopefully, encouraging the next generation of Unipiper or whoever it's gonna be that's gonna keep Portland weird for years to come.

(playful music) - Howard Solomon is possibly America's most prolific maker of odd and amusing things and the most relentless jokester in the world.

When you visit his castle in Ona, Florida, you'll realize that's not really an exaggeration.

(playful music) Howard Solomon.

- Good afternoon.

- [Will] And this is your castle.

- [Howard] It's a kissel.

- [Will] A kissel?

- Yeah, it's a Jewish castle.

- [Will] How long ago did you build this darn thing?

- I started in 1972.

It's a hobby that got outta hand.

- Yeah.

How long did it take to finish?

- [Howard] Well, I worked on the castle off and on for 14 years.

- It's kind of a spectacular looking place.

What is it covered with?

- It's covered with the printing plates from the local newspaper.

- Are you an architect by training?

- No, I'm a high school dropout by training.

- Uh huh.

Howard, what's the square footage on this joint?

- It's 12,000 square feet.

- And who actually lives here?

You and?

- My wife and I live here.

- [Will] Why'd you choose to make a castle outta your house?

- Well, palaces were too expensive to furnish.

- [Will] All this art on the walls.

Is that yours, as well?

- [Howard] It's all my work.

- [Will] Howard, you're a very productive guy.

- [Howard] Busy hands, happy heart.

- So, the castle is pretty much your museum of all your work in a way?

This one looks like it's a 3D kind of a deal.

- [Howard] This is a village in The Bahamas where I resided for seven years.

"Happy Rocking Fella" made out of break shoes over here.

It's "The Tortoise and the Hair."

- [Will] "The Tortoise and the Hair."

You're a punster.

I can tell.

- You know what you call 50 puns?

- What's that?

- Punishment.

I started out with a corn planter, and I rearranged the parts and added a few parts to it and named it "Evil Kornevil."

It's a failure as a motorcycle.

However, I'm gonna build 30 of 'em and leap over them in a Winnebago.

This is a carnival made out of phonograph turntables.

(playful music) This is Lionel.

Lionel's made out of five oil drums and 70 pounds of welding rod.

This is "The Tuna Band" playing "Flight of the Bumblebee."

- [Will] How many works of art do you think you have in here?

- Over 300.

This is gangster gun made out of a bumper jack and half of a hacksaw.

It's called a hacked off jack saw.

- [Will] And what's with the fork?

- I made that for the fast food restaurants.

It fires a fork to get the waiter's attention.

- [Will] What about these guns?

- [Howard] Jack Kevorkian's dueling pistols.

- [Will] Tell me this.

Are any of these for sale?

- Everything has a price.

- So, somebody could take one of these things outta here for the right price.

- That's right.

Or I'll make 'em a copy for a little bit less.

- [Will] Now, when did you add the Spanish galleon to your collection?

- I started building the ship in 1991, 6 weeks after my first heart surgery.

I worked on it every day for four years.

- Howard, you're surrounded by swamp.

- [Howard] We live in a swamp.

- [Will] Why'd you decide to build here?

- The land was cheap and so was I.

Have you ever been to the Alamo?

- [Will] I've never been.

Why?

- Well, now you have.

- Oh my God, you built, you rebuilt the Alamo.

- This houses my old work and my new work because the castle is already filled up.

That's "Little Boy Blue."

That's "A Lot of Bull."

When my wife and I die, we're gonna be taxidermied into these two chairs so that we could stare at each other for all of eternity or until somebody blinks.

- [Will] I heard a rumor, and correct me if I'm wrong, but you're trying to sell this place.

- It's been for sale for 43 years, and we've had two lookers and one was almost serious.

- Howard, if somebody wants to pay a visit to Solomon's Castle, where do they go?

- Well, we're 30 miles due east of Bradenton, Florida.

- Thank you, Your Highness.

- You're welcome.

(upbeat music) - You are at the Toy & Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.

Population is 6,300.

We have more action figures here than there are people that live here.

(upbeat music) We're the only one that's devoted to action figures, the art and sculpting of action figures.

An action figure has to be posable, of course.

Generally, action figures follow a storyline, whether they're based on a movie or a book, a comic.

The museum is made up mostly of my private collection.

We try to keep a sense of humor about the museum.

I mean, they are toys and action figures after all.

We have the bedroom diorama with the bed and all that in it.

But also, we've got little jokes everywhere.

If you're looking closely, you'll see the jokes.

And I have personally placed every action figure in the museum.

You'll find some pretty wild stuff.

Young families will come in a lot of times thinking this is just for the kids.

Five minutes in, dad and even mom, oh my gosh, I had that as a kid.

So, they relive their childhood here.

They're amazed at the things that they had as a child that are here and in perfect condition.

The museum is just one aspect of what I do.

In 1990, I started designing toys and different things for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Went on to do other projects, the Pink Panther, the Simpsons, all kinds of stuff.

(upbeat music) Batman's my favorite character.

You don't have to be from Krypton.

You don't have to be bit by a radioactive spider.

You can be Batman.

We have to have Star Wars.

If you show up, I'll do battle with you.

(lightsabers buzz) (upbeat music) (playful music) - There's a diner in Phoenix, Arizona that boasts a 10 pound sundae and 99 flavors of soda, but it might be most memorable for what you'll find under the counter.

Monica, owner of MacAlpine's Diner.

- Yes I am.

We've been here since 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona.

- [Will] How long have you run this joint?

- I've been here over 20 years.

- [Will] Kind of a family operation.

- My daughters are helping today.

They wait tables.

They bake the pies, and my grandson, who plans on inheriting MacAlpine's, is here today.

- It wasn't always a diner though, was it?

- No, it was a pharmacy with a soda fountain back in the day.

- [Will] You still kind of have a soda fountain going.

- [Monica] We have 99 flavors of soda, and then.

- Can't you just get a hundred?

Round it off to a hundred?

- Oh no.

99 was the perfect number.

- [Will] I've heard you've got some eccentric flavors.

- One of my favorite ice cream sodas is black licorice and vanilla ice cream.

- [Will] I've heard you have pickle ice cream.

- That's not one of my favorites.

It's not as bad as it sounds, but- - That's either delightfully eccentric or just plain gross.

- Well, we'll go with eccentric, I think.

- [Will] Stay positive.

- I agree.

(happy music) - You've kept a lot of the things the same way, right?

Including what I've heard is there's gum that teenagers left under the counter.

- Can you believe that?

We wonder whose DNA is under there.

- [Will] It could be down there since 1929.

That's either charmingly nostalgic, or again, just gross.

- I can't disagree.

(joyful music) - You had some famous people visit here.

- We have.

So, throughout the years, Barry Goldwater was a customer, John McCain, Frank Lloyd Wright.

- [Will] That had to be a while ago.

- That was a while ago.

This would be on his journey home.

Supposedly, Wayne Newton was discovered here.

I haven't talked to Wayne Newton, so I don't know if that's true.

- Wayne Newton and Lana Turner were discovered at a soda fountain.

Who'd a thunk it?

- [Monica] That's what I was saying.

- You guys seem like you might be regulars here at MacAlpine's.

- We are.

We are.

- [Will] What brings you back?

- We live around the corner.

- [Will] Do you have a favorite flavor of soda or ice cream?

- Their meatloaf.

- This place is amazing for the history that's here.

- Yeah.

- It's also haunted.

- [Will] It's haunted.

Really?

I didn't know this.

- [Customer] Indeed, it is.

- [Will] Is any of the gum haunted under the counter?

- You know, you have to pick it off and eat it to see.

- Okay, that's really, you've gone beyond good taste, my friend.

- I often do.

(customers laugh) - [Monica] I have some big ice cream eaters here.

- I'm not so much of a big, I gotta stay away from the dairy.

It makes me a little stuffy.

Don't you serve like a 10 pound sundae?

- We do.

It's amazing.

- Why?

- Why not?

- [Will] How many calories do you think that son of a gun has?

- [Monica] Wouldn't you- - [Will] Have you counted?

- No, because when you bite into it, they fly away.

- They just fly right off your hips.

- It's amazing.

- It's a miracle.

I think we ought to have a contest and just pit teams of sundae eaters against each other to see who can put away that 10 pounds quickest.

- I think that's an amazing idea.

- It's just crazy enough to work.

- 10 pounds of ice cream plus all the toppings on top, 11 pounds once it's all done and said, maybe 12. Who's to say, right?

- Cost?

- Oh, I don't know.

- Your health is what the cost is.

(upbeat music) You each have team names, correct.

You are?

- Powerhouse.

- [Will] Powerhouse.

- Tsunami.

- [Will] Tsunami.

Both your desserts weigh exactly the same.

You'll be asked to eat them at a very fast speed.

Whoever's first will be awarded more ice cream.

Grab your spoons, everyone.

On your mark, get set, go.

(upbeat music) Be careful of brain freeze.

This small child just had it.

You're slowing way down sir.

I don't think you're pulling your weight at this point.

It looks like you're down about two pounds.

You still have eight pounds to go.

Ladies and gentlemen, in deference to your physical wellbeing, we're gonna call time in two minutes.

(upbeat music) One minute, one minute.

(upbeat music) Five, four, three, two, one.

(crowd cheers) Spoons down, everyone.

- Six pounds, 6.9 ounces.

Oh, this one's eight point.

(group cheers) - Powerhouse is the winner.

(upbeat music) Monica, if somebody wants to pay a visit to McAlpine's Diner & Soda Fountain, where do they go?

- Just north of downtown Phoenix.

Seventh Street and Oak.

- I'm a chocolate mess.

- You are a chocolate mess.

- Coming soon on "Wild Travels," crossing America's highest bridge at the Royal Gorge in Colorado, the National Snow Sculpture Competition in Wisconsin, the Los Angeles Gallery of Paintings on Velvet and meeting the true Bigfoot believers at the Sasquatch Outpost.

(upbeat music) Hard to believe that giant pumpkins can not only float but be paddled competitively by creatively dressed humans for fun and prizes.

Before you step inside one of these hollowed hulks, though, be advised that pumpkin racing is not without risk.

(upbeat music) How do you turn a pumpkin like this into a racing machine?

- [Racer] This is actually the bottom of the pumpkin right now.

So, the top- - [Will] It's gonna be the top of the boat.

- It will be the top of the boat 'cause it's the most stable.

- [Will] What do you cut it with?

A hacksaw.

- A nice hacksaw.

- The biggest pumpkin do not necessarily make the fastest boats, right?

- The biggest pumpkins are big.

They're also heavy.

- Last time I rode, I rode a 900 pound one and it was awful.

- [Will] These don't move very fast, right?

- And they wobble.

So, you kind of gotta keep your balance all the time, too.

- Is there any rules once you get out there?

Do people, is it like bumper cars?

Do people bump into each other and splash each other with paddles and stuff?

- [Racer 2] I suppose.

- We'd never do that.

- This is pretty low in the water.

You don't want that water lapping over and into the pumpkin, correct?

- Right.

It doesn't have a drain.

- [Will] Yeah.

Have you done this before?

- [Racer 3] One time.

- [Will] How'd you do that time?

- I was dead last.

(upbeat music) - [Will] Now, you're putting a portal in that thing, huh?

- Yes.

- Is that legal?

- Anything's legal but a motor.

(upbeat music) - That's the widest hole we've seen thus far.

Why, is there a strategy there?

- Shh.

Shh.

Less weight means faster pumpkin.

- [Will] Have you done this before?

- Yeah.

I'm the reigning champion.

- You're kind of expecting to dunk today?

- I don't think so.

I'm not planning on it, but if I do, I'm ready to go.

- [Will] There is some danger involved in this.

- If you tip over.

- Yeah.

- And you stay under.

- Can you swim?

- Yes.

- [Racer 4] I think the lake's only about six to eight feet deep.

- I heard nine.

- Nine?

- Yeah.

- It's over my head.

- Ace Ventura, pet detective.

- Oh, it's Ace Ventura.

Of course it is.

Is that gonna impede your performance out there?

The hair?

Maybe some wind resistance.

- It could set sail depending on the direction of the wind.

- Could give you an advantage.

- Yeah, absolutely.

- [Will] Looks like it's gearing up to start here.

- We are getting really close.

It's gonna be exciting.

- Heidi, who's in this first heat?

- The first heat is the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers.

They're all the growers that grew these giant pumpkins for us today.

- [Will] What are your chances?

- I think they're about one in 10.

- [Will] So nil.

- Exactly.

- Three, two, one.

Go.

(crowd cheers) (upbeat music) - [Will] Are there any rules?

I mean, is there anything that's verboten?

- [Heidi] There's pretty much just a free for all.

It's, but you know, get around there as fast as you can.

(upbeat music) - [Racer 5] Drafting behind you.

(upbeat music) (crowd shouts) (upbeat music) - [Racer 5] Oh no.

(crowd shouts) (upbeat music) - [Race Announcer] Ace Ventura, heading for the finish line.

(upbeat music) (crowd cheers) - I'm very happy.

- Was the hair a factor?

- No.

(upbeat music) - What was your secret?

Was the, did the prayers help?

- Well, they did.

My pumpkin didn't go under.

- I think I, someone gets an award for dumping their pumpkin.

- It might be you, but you weren't the only one.

Somebody else dumped, too, you know.

- Oh good.

- You weren't the only one that dunked, you know?

- [Racer 5] Yeah.

- [Will] The unicorn went under.

- That's good.

It makes me feel better.

- I think it's pretty amazing seeing everyone out here having fun, yeah.

- Are you a guy that could grow a pumpkin maybe?

- No.

- No?

- I have two brown thumbs.

- The second race, they go around and there's different colored pumpkins around the lake and there's balls in each one of those.

They have to go to each pumpkin, pick one ball and make it back across the finish line.

- [Will] And who are these people?

Just people that, lottery winners.

- [Heidi] There are our sponsors and lottery winners.

(upbeat music) - Taco Man, you won the second heat.

- Yeah.

- What was your secret?

- So, you gotta pick the right pumpkin.

You gotta watch the first heat and identify the pumpkin that's gonna gonna float the best for you.

- You know which pumpkin you're gonna pick and how do you pick one?

- So, I was told to get a very stable one that is smaller so it has less drag.

I don't wanna go into the- - Good idea.

- Into the the water because it's full of goose poop.

- [Will] Ladies, you're both in this next race.

- We are.

I'm so excited.

- Yes, race three.

We're ready.

- [Will] And this heat is first responders versus the public.

- Right.

- And you're the public?

- Yes, very much so.

- I am Mermaid Man from "Sponge Bob."

He normally has a sidekick, Barnacle Boy.

He couldn't make it today.

But instead, I have a Swedish fish with me.

- And I'm a Swedish fish.

- [Heidi] There's a big giant inflatable ducky down there filled with little baby duckies, and they're gonna grab one of those and race back around across the finish line.

(upbeat music) (speech drowned out by crowd shouting) - [Race Announcer] With the victory.

- I thought I did amazing.

I wasn't last.

- [Will] You know which team won?

- I feel like I won personally and my team was awesome.

- Your positivity is refreshing.

(racer laughs) - You're one of the first people to say that for a while.

Most people are like, tone it down, girl.

- [Will] To this year's victors, we say congratulations on staying dry and paddling fast, but don't rest on your laurels.

Chances are that at this very moment, someone in a squid costume is growing a pumpkin for the ages.

(upbeat country music) (upbeat country music continues) We're always looking for new destinations, the wilder the better.

So if you've got an idea for our show, let us know.

And thanks for watching.

(upbeat country music) - [Announcer] "Wild Travels" was made possible in part by Alaska Railroad, providing year-round transportation to many Alaska destinations, traversing nearly 500 miles of wild landscapes between Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali National Park and more.

Alaskarailroad.com.

By "American Road Magazine."

Get your kicks on Route 66 and everywhere else a two-lane highway can take you.

"American Road Magazine" fuels your road trip dreams.

And by- - [Narrator] It's a wild world.

Take care out there.

Wear a life jacket paddling or boating.

Learn more you otter do to keep you and the planet safe at mthoodterritory.com/otterdo.

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