Granger, Where Dinosaurs Roam

While sampling wines in the Yakima Valley, we wound up stopping by the little town of Granger to top off the gas tank. M. noted a strange-looking sculpture on a building across the street from the Chevron. When we checked it out, we were amazed to find out that it was a dinosaur!

It turns out that the town is full of full-sized renditions of a variety of dinosaurs. The over-all quality varies from atrocious to not very good, but the effect of a little town full of these dinosaurs is just great. They poke out from behind houses, from the back of the library, and seem to have been placed on just about any scrap of public land that folks could find.

The city fathers apparently hit on this scheme in an attempt to draw tourists to the town. It doesn't particularly seem to have worked, which is kind of a shame -- it's a wonderful story, and I'm delighted to see folks who can follow through on this sort of big idea! If you're in the area, and, like me, you appreciate the charm of big ideas and a strong do-it-yourself attitude, check it out.

[I think that most of my photos are on M.'s camera (who knows if I'll ever get 'em?), but I'll include one lousy iPhone shot just to give a flavor for the place.]