A Stephen King Vacation

Want to take a literary vacation?  I'd love to!  Check  out shortlist.com's article, A Literary Travel Guide To The USA.  It includes such legends at John Steinbeck, Pacific Grove, CA, Jack London, Glen Ellen, CA, William Faulkner – Oxford, MS, Harriet Beecher Stowe - Hartford, CT, Mark Twain, Hartford, CT, Cormac McCarthy – Knoxville, TN, Ernest Hemingway – New Orleans.  (Yeah,  they missed Poe, Baltimore)  But they didn't miss Stephen King.

The article advises trip goers to visit Bangor for a taste of King's literary Derry.  The added bonus is that Bangor is King's home town.  How often he's still in residence there I have no idea; but somehow I get the feeling he spends a lot of time in Florida these days.

Shortlist offers as a "Must-see" the Mount Hope Cemetery, which was an inspiration for  Pet Sematary and was used as a filming location for the movie.  Of course, there is also the Thmoas Hill Standpipe from IT.

The shortlist article also gives suggestions on where to stay.  Since the Stanley Hotle is clear out in Colorado, and King is not offering his  house up on Airbnb, the article suggests The Hilton Garden Inn,

boasting a an eerily similar entrance and interior as bucolically grand. Don’t be upset at the lack of bloodless elevators and ghoulish staff, mind - king rooms are available.

King rooms are available? That would be cool -- but it just means suites. Man, now I'm wishing for a Stephen King themed hotel.  COME ON AMERICA!

Stephen King Summer Vacation

Let's have fun. . .

1. If you could go anywhere in the Stephen King universe for Summer Vacation -- where would you go?

2. If you could SEND someone you don't like anywhere in the Stephen King universe, where would you send them? 

A few suggested vacation spots:

1. Under The Dome (Chester's Mill)

Points of interest:

•  Cloud Top Ski Resort
• The Sweetbriar Rose 
• Drippers Roadhouse
• Chester Pond

Talk Stephen King recommends you avoid Big Jim's Used Cars. 

2. Midworld

Points of interest:

• The Dark Tower
• Lud
• Gilead
• The Way Station

Talk Stephen King recommends you avoid The Wastelands

3. Castle Rock

FROM: thekingofcastlerock.blogspot.com

Castle Rock is the flagship town in Stephen King’s work, and is located in southwestern Maine, between Rumford and Augusta. The town, created by SK was to be more than a mere location for a story. The Complete Stephen King Universe asserts that it was designed to “function as a scale model of contemporary American society”. 

On the surface, Castle Rock is a postcard snapshot of everyday America. It is the exact kind of town that politicians are referring to when they mention “helping Mainstreet America”, and Norman Rockwell painted in his Saturday Evening Post covers. However, this tranquil town, filled with Mom-and Pop stores and community spirit, has had a violent history; most of the tragic events occurred after 1978. Many people wonder what exactly happened in the little rural town in Maine that ultimately led to its destruction.

FROM: Stephen King, A Face Among The Masters:

In Lord of the Flies, the bullies name their headquarters on the island “Castle Rock,” which is what King named his fictional town . More than a few bullies found their way to Castle Rock, Maine, including the gang in the novella, The Body, led by Ace Merrill.

4. Derry

Points of interest:

• The Sandpipe: The Standpipe was a large watertower in Derry. In its earlier days, it remained unlocked so that patrons of an adjoining park could climb a spiral staircase around the tank to look out over Derry from the top. The Standpipe was closed to the public after several children drowned in the tank, most likely the fault of It. The Standpipe was where Stan Uris first encountered It, which took the form of drowned children.  After the grown-up Losers Club kills It in second Ritual Of Chüd in 1985, a huge storm ensues, destroying many buildings and landmarks in Derry, including the Standpipe. In Dreamcatcher, Mr. Gray drives to Derry to find the Standpipe, only to discover a memorial featuring a cast-bronze statue of two children and a plaque underneath, dedicated to the victims of the 1985 flood and of It. The plaque has been vandalized with graffiti reading, "PENNYWISE LIVES". In 11/22/63, Jake Epping buys a pillow with a picture of the standpipe on it. He hides a gun in it, the gun he uses to kill Frank Dunning. (SOURCE)
• 29 Neibolt Street, a run-down, abandoned house near the trainyard. It is in this house – or rather, under the house's front porch – that Eddie Kaspbrak first encounters It, which shows itself as a mix between a homeless leper and its familiar Pennywise form. Later, after Eddie tells them his story, Bill and Richie go to investigate the house and are chased off by It, the creature having taken the form of a werewolf. (source)
• The barrens
• The Canal

Talk Stephen King advises you not to feed the clowns.  

A FEW MORE:

5. Palm Desert, Ca (mentioned in Duma Key)
6. Duma Key
7. Desperation
8. Las Vegas of The Stand
9. Chamberlain (home town of Carrie)
10. Little Tall Island - Just off the coast of Maine (Dolores Claiborne)
11. Tarker’s Mills - The small town of Tarker’s Mills was a nice place to live, except during the full moon. As chronicled in Stephen King’s “Cycle of the Werewolf” (www.syfy.co.uk/blogs/top-10-stephen-king-towns)
12. Haven
13. 'Salem's Lot (also known as Jerusalem's Lot)
14. Dallas (11/22/63) -- NOT!

Of course, if you really want a Stephen King vaction, Stu Tinker, who used to run Betts Bookstore has a tour that has great reviews.  "Stu's knowledge, love of the subject, friendship with Mr King all make this tour THE BEST and most important thing to do if you're a King fan. So much knowledge, humour and honesty in this man. Loved it!" tripadvisor.com

Riding The NEWS Bullet

This pictures has nothing to do with this article
except it is what I NEED
my wife should take out a loan and buy this for me

Hey, there is a lot of really cool news out there right now. Let me offer some bullet points to several interesting stories out right now:

*  I really enjoyed the article at Lilja's Library titled "Did You Catch Stephen King?" (HERE).  He recounts Kings various on screen appearances, from small roles to large -- country bumpkin to loveable trucker.  He even notes one non Stephen King project in which you can spot King's voice!  It's a very nice summery.

*  Hollywood Reporter has a Sundance Film Review of Room 237.  (HERE)  The bottom line, " A wacky, sometimes hilariously esoteric deconstruction of the subliminal messages and hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining."

*  Matt at Stephen King Fancast has posted an interview with Christopher Birk, director of Willa. (HERE)  Also catch my interview with Matt (HERE).  And the nice things Matt said about me, even though I picked on him and Bryant, are (HERE).

*  Playbill.com has a article titled: PHOTO ARCHIVE: Carrie Musical, Original Photos and Playbill.  (HERE) "As the infamous musical Carrie — based on the Stephen King novel — prepares for its first-ever New York revival at MCC Theater, we look back at the original UK and NYC productions and offer a glance through the pages of the Broadway Playbill."

*  The original final chapter of 11/22/63 has been posted on stephenking.com (HERE).  Though posted at stephenking.com, I first saw it at Lilja's.

*  DVD File has posted the final specs for the Bag Of Bones DVD's.  (HERE)  I might be the only constant reader who enjoyed this mini-series a lot! 

*  Summer Dawn Hortillosa at The Jersey Journal has a story titled, "Lincoln, Holland tunnels subject of exhibit at Hoboken Historical Museum."  (HERE)  She discusses Angus Gillespie, who served as a consultant for the exhibit's design.  Gillespie has written a book, “Crossing Under the Hudson: The Story of The Holland and Lincoln Tunnels" in which she notes various media references to the tunnels, including Stephen King's novel The Stand.  Worth noting, since I think the trip through the Lincoln Tunnel is one of the most memorable -- if not one of the scariest -- scenes in any Stephen King book.  Rank it right up there with those two women hacking each other to death in the middle of the street in Needful Things, eh!

*  Finally, Matt at Stephen King Fancast introduced me to the Discordia 19 website.  Very well done!  You can find it (HERE)  Check out the post, "Mark Geyer Remarqued King Illustrations" (HERE).

Mention in Stephen King book has Westboro abuzz

By Donna Boynton TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF


WESTBORO — Tim Dodd’s mother gives him a Stephen King book every year for Christmas, and this past year was no exception.

An avid science fiction fan and loyal reader of Mr. King’s works, Mr. Dodd wasted no time diving into Mr. King’s latest book, “ 11/22/63 ,” about traveling through time and potentially altering the past.

FULL ARTICLE HERE
Copyright Worcester Telegram & Gazette

THINNER Bar Highlighted

Rollie's Bar & Grill is highlighted in Maine's VillageSoup | Herald Gazette.  Rollies was used in the filming of Thinner.

The Gazette writes,

Since 1972, Rollie's has been serving up great food and drink in a comfortable and friendly atmosphere reminiscent of the old neighborhood "Cheers" bar. You may recognize its interior, as Rollie's was a setting for "Thinner", a Stephen King film. The vintage bar itself is off of an 1800s sailing ship lovingly moved onto land and preserved.