A manmade wonder for your bucket list

To the Editor:

It saddens me when I hear about the wildfires that have recently threatened some of our national natural treasures. My favorite national park, Yosemite, was recently threatened by the drought stricken northwest wild fires, and also forests in the state of Washington.

I had the opportunity about 25 years ago to see the forest in renewal after a devastating wildfire in Yellowstone National Park.

To see the pine trees and wildflowers emerge from the blackened forest floor tells us the forest will renew itself. The sad part is the many years it takes to recover from the loss.

Our country abounds with national parks that are constantly being threatened by careless visitors and lightning strikes. On a brighter note, we also have some great manmade attractions.

Just to name a few: The Hearst Castle, Southern California; Biltmore Castle in Asheville, N.C.; Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Mo.; Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Calif.; the presidential monuments in Washington D. C.; and the list goes on and on.

A few years ago I discovered a great manmade treasure known as The House on the Rock located near Madison, Wis. At first it doesn't sound too grandiose until you actually see and experience this house.

Alex Jordan, a world renowned architect built this house, one rock at a time, on top of a large rock that rises 150 feet from the valley floor. He started his house in 1953, after growing up climbing this rock in his youth and dreaming of a house built on this rock someday. The most outstanding feature of this house if the infinity room. This room extends 218 feet into space, unsupported. The only support is a narrow rock that keeps going into space. Some areas of the floor are glass, so you can see the tree tops and the valley below, you get the feeling of walking into space.

The most amazing part of the house is the unbelievable collection of world treasures, such as mechanical music machines, ivory carvings, crown jewels, chandeliers, mosaics, chariots, and over 200 doll houses of all sizes and shapes.

His collections are exotic, unique and whimsical, such as circus wagon wheels, animated orchestras, aerial circus acts, wooden horses, calliopes and much more.

In one room of the house you see the world's largest carousel with 20,000 lights, 25 feet high, 80 feet across and 269 handcrafted animals, which none of them are horses.

The carousel is operational with music and lights.

Unfortunately, Alex Jordan passed away before completing his dream. His family finished the project and today is a tourist attraction.

A self-guided tour can be three hours long minimum or an all-day event.

If manmade wonders are what you like, you might want to add this one to your bucket list of places to visit.

Flavian Halter

Poplar Bluff, Mo.