So, a building project I want to take up once the ABC Build Challenge is over is recreating lots from all of the numerous, lovely places I stopped at during my trip! This is mostly me spit-balling, but also for some of these I’m not sold on just WHICH lot to do since ideally I won’t be doing more than two per area.
Bisbee, Arizona - I have family in the area, it’s a super cool old mining town, lots of old buildings. The copper roof is HERE and VIBIN. We only went to the Bisbee Breakfast Club but understandably I’ve been there a lot. It’s super eclectic, probably the most liberal former mining town I have ever encountered, and just picking one place is a struggle.
Ideas For Bisbee:
-Lavendar Pit Mine (chance to play with terrain tools, I’ve never built a mine like this!)
-Muheim Heritage House Museum (Weird Roofing but I’m into it)
-Old Brewery Building (I am a whore for red brick)
-Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum
El Paso, Texas - Really only stopped here on the way to other things, which is a shame because we drove around and they have a lot of cool buildings! We did visit the amazing Bowie Bakery. I have no idea what pastries I got only that they were delicious. Because I’m sticking to just things I saw, probably going modern bakery on this one.
San Antonio, Texas - We stayed the the Gibbs Hotel which is RIGHT next to the Alamo. Like. I never realized it’s in the center of town and everything is built up around it. I’m so used to historical places being ignored out in the boonies so it was refreshing. I also had 0 idea that San Antonio had so many historical buildings!?!? None of you even told me. I resorted to a ghost tour to find the oldest and coolest ones, including the old jail which is - I kid you not - now a Holiday Inn. I want to stay there next time. (THEY LEFT THE BARS ON THE FRONT WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING OKAY. IT IS VERY MUCH PART OF MY NICHE.)
Ideas for San Antonio:
-The Alamo. Probably an older version but idk.
-Gibbs Hotel
-Menger Hotel
-Holiday Inn Jail
-Riverwalk (would be a modern build, but it’s an interesting concept and I’m curious if I could even build it in TS2. Large possibility of me having a mental breakdown in the attempt.)
Houston, Texas - Just stopped here for a bit of a rest and because my partner is very much into space. Visited the Houston Funeral Museum and the space center there which I could google the name of but I’m not gonna because I’m not even going to pretend I’ll build it. I think I’ll build something funeral-inspired, not the museum itself but something. Maybe a modern funeral home but Make It Eco Or Ask A Mortician Will Be Disappointed In Me.
St Martinville, Louisiana - SO GREEN. AND HUMID. I’m never complaining about people talking about “dry heat” ever, ever again. We just stayed over night at an AirBNB which was an old converted church and had some delicious shrimp/grits from a farm to table place, so I plan on building the AirBNB.
New Orleans, Louisiana - A brief visit, mostly because I got really overstimulated despite it being a “slow” day (Wednesday when most stuff is closed) but it’s very pretty there. If only there were no people, ha.
Ideas for New Orleans:
-French Quarter Bookstore, Taxidermy Witchy Shop, or Coffee Place that’s been there forever
-Garden District (maybe two of these)
Mobile, Alabama - Stayed the night in the Malaga Inn so didn’t stay here long but it was interesting. More pride flags than expected, but a lot of destroyed buildings too. We started seeing that in LA - particularly New Orleans - and it was eye opening to realize how much property has just been left to fall apart. Where I live every square inch is a commodity and you rarely see abandoned buildings unless there’s something more serious going on or a permit problem. Anyway, I plan on building the Malaga Inn.
Foley, Alabama - Just a stop, but oh my goodness, SO CUTE. And more nerdy than anticipated. There was a comic shop, arcade, and a bookshop that looked well visited all on main street. We visited the Holmes Medical Museum and the soda fountain, both of which I want to build though how I’m going to set up a toy train alongside the walls is anybody’s guess.
Lynn Haven, Florida - Visited friends here, didn’t really see much since the point of the visit was meeting people and not seeing things. Thinking very strongly of making their dog though.
Beaufort, South Carolina - Another “just a stop” place we stayed the night at but outside of town there was an abandoned brick church (Old Sheldon Church Ruins) that was super duper cool so I’m going to build that even though I got bitten by so many bugs there.
Wilmington, North Carolina - Just stopped here, but visited the Museum of the Bizarre where I helped assist a sword swallower and played Pachinko at the only active Pachinko Parlor in the US. I’d LOVE to build a Pachinko Parlor but I’ll have to see what CC there is for it. (Hopefully an Umbrella Academy stan comes through for me since that was an element in the most recent season.)
Atlantic Beach, North Carolina - the destination! Mostly! We stayed here for a week with family which was super fun. I love how colorful the beach houses there are, and all the stilt homes! I was also highly amused by the elevator in our rental because it was basically a broom closet. I’ll probably allow myself a few more lots than otherwise for this location.
Ideas for Atlantic Beach:
-Beach House Trio
-Maritime Museum (they’ve got lots of stuff from Queen Anne’s Revenge since that’s where it’s located near)
-Blackbeard Sim (I mean, I almost have to, right?)
-Ocean Lot with shipwrecks? (NC has the most shipwrecks out of any US state)
-Fort Macon
-Mini Golf Lot
-Marsh-y Hiking Trail
-Aquarium
Annapolis, Maryland - Holy red brick buildings batman!!! I was LIVING. Even the streets were red brick. This was just an evening stop but we stayed at the 250 year old Maryland Inn which has a heap of history to it. I plan on building the Maryland Inn.
Washington D.C., Virginia - Stopped at the Natural History Museum which was amazing. Didn’t visit the Hope Diamond because my legs said We Are Done but otherwise got to see all the things. I do plan to eventually do a week-long Smithsonian visit someday, but this day was about taxidermy.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Spent a few days here with more family and also explored some locations relevant to my ancestry which was exciting! I got to see my Great-Great Grandfather’s house, the place where me Great Grandfather was actually born and is still standing. I also got to see some locations dating back to the revolutionary war. I plan on building the house for sure, and probably the fort and house I visited in Cross Creek. Possibly will build the oldest crematorium in the US which we happened to stop at.
San Diego, California - second destination! On my side of the family, we go here pretty much every summer. This year I didn’t do too much because amid all of this traveling I still am having mega sinus issues and since we weren’t spending several hours a day driving (where I pretty much slept the whole time) I mostly just vegged out and ate food. I think I’m going to build a lot inspired by the numerous condo complexes on the beach, but I might do a pier/ocean/lifeguard stand situation. I’ll think about it more as this video approaches.