Weird and Wonderful
Destination: Morgan County, W.Va.
This week’s day trip takes us to an endearing West Virginia town with two names – Berkeley Springs and Bath. Similarly, the surrounding area has two entirely different personalities – one grounded in history, and the other sublimely irreverent and zoning free.
Fantasy Farm
First, the modern marvel that is Fantasy Farm. In the rolling countryside outside a town known as much for its antiques as for its warm springs, George Farnham’s happy acreage is a classic example of collecting gone wild in a world without rules. Suffice to say that Farnham has probably never colored within the lines.
George Farnham shares his colossal collection at Fantasy Farm in Unger, W.Va. All photos by Paul Jean.
You’re welcome to stop by his place at 14633 Winchester Grade Road in Unger – a rural outpost that redefines the middle of nowhere – to see for yourself. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to meet this quirky curator of colossal collectibles. His Fantasy Farm is a trip in every sense of the word.
Life as Farnham knew it changed when his wife Pam gave him a 25-foot tall fiberglass Muffler Man for his 50th birthday seven years ago. Smitten by the new hobby, they soon added Brian the beach dude, Big John the grocery store bag boy, and a hamburger man with a bun so big it would make Guy Fieri drool.
A particularly prized addition is the Uniroyal Gal, a bikini-clad giantess with clip-on clothing for more modest climes. The collection also features a welcoming committee of Yogi Bear’s cohorts, a 165-foot, non-operational rollercoaster with a cargo of Simpsons, and a Paul Bunyan that’s eerily reminiscent of the movie “Fargo.”
Farnham’s pride and joy is the Uniroyal Gal, a rare example of female fiberglass and one of only 11 known to be in existence.
These fiberglass behemoths were once used as marketing tools to bring in customers and triple business along the highways of Americain the early 1960s. Farnham, a regular on eBay, has assembled the largest collection on private property to date.
Fantasy Farm has not been without its 15 minutes of fame. The folks at Roadside America have dubbed it Farnham Colossi, and an independent film maker is trying to raise funds to make a documentary about collectors of Muffler Men across the country.
While the Simpson’s rollercoaster is nonoperational, the writer has fun pretending at Fantasy Farm.
Farnham remains humble about his accomplishments, explaining that living in a place with no zoning requirements has given him a unique opportunity to share his collection with the public, and “the neighbors like it, too, since the UPS guy hardly ever gets lost now.”
To find Fantasy Farm from Berkeley Springs, take Rt. 522 south for two miles to Winchester Grade Road for 14 miles. Turn left at the Unger Store and travel 1 ½ miles to the Santa Claus in front of the purple barn. Honestly, you can’t possibly miss it.
George Washington Bathed Here
Five-acre Berkeley Springs State Park is the centerpiece of a town that is officially known as Bath, West Virginia, boasting what must be the country’s only monument to outdoor presidential bathing.
George Washington’s Bathtub is a must-see at Berkeley Springs State Park.
George Washington did, indeed, partake of the “fam’d Warm Springs” for their medicinal powers. But while Washington did not use the actual structure that now bears his name – George Washington’s Bath Tub was constructed in 1930 as a tribute to bathers of a bygone era – he did enjoy the same springs in approximately the same place. And it’s still a bubbling source of 1,500 gallons of sparking clean water with a constant temperature of 74 degrees, same as it ever was.
You can “take the waters” by making reservations for a variety of baths and treatments in one of two historic buildings: the circa 1929 yellow brick Main Bathhouse or the 1815 Federal style Roman Bath House. Water is heated to 102 degrees and is naturally high in magnesium carbonate.
The Museum of the Berkeley Springs is located on the second floor of the Roman Bath House and features photos of the way things were, along with a fetching display of woolen bathing apparel. A gallery devoted to the geology of the area is fascinating.
The Roman Bath House was built in 1815, making it the oldest public building in town.
The museum has a small gift shop, or you can bring home a free souvenir by filling jugs from the public fountains in the adjacent Gentlemen’s Spring House.
Around Town
It’s an easy walk about town, and you can pick up brochures for restaurants, shops, lodging, arts and culture, private spas and a historic walking tour in either bath house or at the Visitors Center.
The Old Factory Antique Mall offers a bit of nostalgia, along with their Almost Heaven fudge.
Antique stores abound, and the two largest emporiums are the Berkeley Springs Antique Mall and the Old Factory Antique Mall. Each features collectibles from multiple vendors, offering both variety and quality.
Retrodini sells everything from bowling shirts to June-Cleaveresque pearls.
Specialty stores sell niche items, with Retrodini paying homage to the 1940s to the 1980s. It’s worth a stop for the creative displays and to experience the Don Draper vibe, even if that’s not your genre. The Vintage Kitchen offers old china and cottage style finds, as well as linens, cards and stuffed bears.
East of town on Route 9 (944 Martinsburg Road), Youngblood’s Antiques is purveyor of furniture both old and new, and they happen to have the best selection of statuary and garden gnomes for miles around (although none of Lewis Youngblood’s lawn ornaments rival friend George Farnham’s collection).
Youngblood’s is a family business, and you’ll often find the owner at his antique cash register ringing up sales of collectibles as well as fine Amish reproduction furniture, jams, leather goods and the love-‘em-or-hate-‘em gnomes.
Just out of town on Route 9, Youngblood’s has a great collection of Amish goods and lots of homey antiques.
Food and Drink
There are plenty of places to grab food on the fly – the Fairfax Coffee House, Earthdog Café and Creekside Creamery, to name a few – and several restaurants that offer innovative dining in interesting settings.
Lot 12 Public House’s upscale cuisine and casually elegant atmosphere make it a local go-to spot for special occasions – George and Pam Farnham were engaged here. And Panorama at the Peak’s view is breathtaking, while their menu includes local, organic vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices. Reservations are recommended at these two restaurants.
The view from Panorama at the Peak is breathtaking and has been recognized as one of the ten best in the country by National Geographic Magazine.
Story copyright 2011, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright 2011, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.
