Bug Bites

The Houston Museum of Natural Science has everything you want in a natural history museum.  Fossils, rocks, interactive displays, rotating exhibits...and all the dinosaurs you stare at.

But it was when we were on our way out that we discovered something truly unique.  Near the gift shop is this unassuming vending machine:

Sure, it looks like the average treat dispenser but if you take a closer look you'll see a menu of science specific snacks and borderline gross grub.  Let's start with some of the more traditional fare.  And what's more at home at a museum than dinosaurs?

Gummi bears are replaced with Gummi Dinosaurs but the real find here is the top row.  Choc-o-saurus is a combination of two museum staples: dinosaurs and freeze dried ice cream!  It's chocolate with chocolate chips and, while eating it, you have the option to pretend like you're an astronaut or a extinct predator who loves dehydrated food.

Larvets!  Wondering if these things are what they look like?  Well, here's the explanation directly from their website: "Real larva, deliciously seasoned. Offered in three flavors: BBQ, Cheddar Cheese, or Mexican Spice."  And that's not enough bugs to satisfy your appetite, then good news...

Here we've got "Crick-ettes." which are, you guessed it, real crickets.  These are Bacon & Cheese flavor but they also come in Salt N' Vinegar and Sour Cream & Onion.  And if you're still hungry for bugs, you can also grab some Ant Wafers!  It's essentially what it sounds like: "Real ants in chocolate flavored round wafers."

Have you ever eaten hard candy and thought to yourself, "I wish this had ants in it."  Then you should have picked #56 or #57 from this vending machine.  You get the option of either Cherry or Apple flavor, both with Black Ants of course.

For our final selections we head to outer space for Alien Ice Cream.  This another freeze dried ice cream and is your standard Neapolitan flavor but it's either made by or eaten by Aliens.  Or maybe there's just one on the package.  Or you can have a Moon Pie!  Get it?  "Moon"

So the next time you head out to the museum, bring some change and an adventurous appetite.

How Do Vending Machines Detect Fake Coins?

The Science Channel Reports:

Penny Press #11 - Caldwell Zoo

  Penny Press #10 - - Penny Press #9 - -  Penny Press #8 - -  Penny Press #7 - - Penny Press #6

 Penny Press #5  - - Penny Press #4
Penny Press #3  - - Penny Press #2 - - Penny Press #1

 

 

I don't ask a lot from zoos.  A good view of a couple of exotic animals, maybe a creepy reptile house and, of course, a penny smasher.  I got all of those from a recent trip to the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, TX.   I'll talk about the animals elsewhere but of the two penny smashers (two!!! awesome!!!) available, I went to the "Big Wheel" version:

 

As usual we have four options.  This time we get: elephant, rhino, cheetah and giraffe.  I let my daughter pick and she chose the cheetah.  (If it was up to me it would have been the rhino...maybe next time.)

And here we have the output:

Vending to the Stars: Terminator 2 Coffe Machine

Every so often fame's spotlight shines on a vending machine and it becomes something more than an automated delivery system of goods.  It becomes a star.  Sure, they never get top billing but their screen presence is second to none.  When something like this happens it can only mean one thing...it's time for a "Vending to the Stars" entry.  Remember this beauty:

The year was 1991 and the movie was Terminator 2: Judgement Day.  In the film's pivotal scene a young vending machine gets caught up in the action.  This particular type of machine vends coffee into a poker themed cup.  Coffee has become so prevalent at gas stations and other places that you don't often see them these days.

You don't get a good look at it but in this shot you can see the generic "Guy With Coffee" picture on the front (in the background):

The cup's poker theme includes a game that seems to be played by completing the hand you're dealt on the side of the cup with the card symbol on the bottom.  In the scene, the coffee loving cop seems to think he has won.

Why aren't machines like this on every corner in every city?  I would constantly pump quarters into it.  Besides, what could possibly go wrong?

Pinballing #3 - Big Fun

Pinballing #1: Doctor Who - Pinballing #2: Gas Attack

There's a lot of great pinball machines out there but there's only one that can claim to be the World's Largest.  Ok, so these were commercially produced so there's technically several of them out there but we found one and faced the "Hercules":

This particular specimen was found at Pinballz Kingdom in Buda, TX (just south of Austin).  The place is full of tons of retro (and newish) pinball and arcade games but this one is the arcade's pride and joy and is positioned right in the center of the action.  Here are a couple of closer angles:

          

 A little Googling also led us to this promotional poster:

Hopefully one day you'll get to experience the Hercules yourself in all its glory!

Penny Press #10 - Bass Pro Shop in Garland, TX

Penny Press #9 - -  Penny Press #8 - -  Penny Press #7 - - Penny Press #6

 Penny Press #5  - - Penny Press #4
Penny Press #3  - - Penny Press #2 - - Penny Press #1

 

The holiday shopping season brought us to the Bass Pro Shop.  And like all places should, they had a Penny Pressing Machine.  Here are the options:

It lloks like they've got a wolf and a goat which definitely goes along with the outdoor theme.  Of course they have the logo but what really stands out is the Anteater.  I assume that's an anteater.  Despite the temptation, I went with the logo:

It has the town name too which will help when I procure more Bass Pro Shop pennies from different locations.

 

Fresh Fare

Who says vending machine food isn't healthy?

CLTV Reports:

Penny Press #9 - Charlotte, NC

 Penny Press #8 - -  Penny Press #7 - - Penny Press #6

 Penny Press #5  - - Penny Press #4
Penny Press #3  - - Penny Press #2 - - Penny Press #1

 Our recent trip to Charlotte, NC was yet another opportunity to smash a penny.  This smash happened at the Discovery Place kid's science museum.

The options included Einstein, some sharks (I think), the Charlotte skyline and a parrot:

Normally I'd go for something that specifically relates to the place where I smash but this time I went for the skyline.  I'm not sure if I'll see another penny smasher while I'm here so that should cover me for my whole Charlotte stay.

Health Scare

CNN Reports:

Penny Press #8 - Great Wolf Lodge

Penny Press #7 - - Penny Press #6 - - Penny Press #5
Penny Press #4
Penny Press #3  - - Penny Press #2 - - Penny Press #1

A weekend trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TXbrought about another penny smashing opportunity.  This one even has its own penny pinching mascot:

As far as design choices go, we have a couple of the GWL characters, a magic dragon and what looks like a grazing longhorn.  Maybe just as a Texas thing?

We went with Violet:

Vintage Vending at Mickey's

While we were in Minnesota we had to stop and eat at the world famous Mickey's Dining Car in St. Paul.  They've got a great greasy breakfast that we highly recommend.

Inside the vintage trappings of the Art Deco diner we found a few vintage treasures.  At the booth was a Seeburg Wall-O-Matic tabletop jukebox:

And right behind where we sat was an old Watling Scale Co. scale.  For two cents you can get what might be your accurate weight:

Penny Press #7 - Soudan Underground Mine

Penny Press #6 - - Penny Press #5 - - Penny Press #4
Penny Press #3  - - Penny Press #2 - - Penny Press #1

It's always a good idea to take some change with you when you travel.  You never know when a penny smashing opportunity will present itself.  A recent trip to Minnesota provided some squashed penny goodness.

This beauty was waiting for me at the Soudan Underground Mine State Park.  Even if you aren't looking for a new flattened penny, I still recommend stopping by and taking the tour.  

Options include a generic Minnesota State Park campfire, the mine elevator and a bat.  I went with the location specific elevator design:

 

Sausage Fest

I'm surprised that it took so long for society to produce a hot dog vending machine.  Sure, I only recently found out they exist, but apparently they are more common then you'd think.  Look at how many I found:

Found in Toronto via this blog with an insanely long name

via Whatever Dee Dee Wants

Found in New York via PopSugar

Found in Berlin via Head Injury Theater

via Delish.com

Pick n Mix

Another cool new candy machine:

'Stache Stash

If you find yourself hairless and in need of a quick makeover the Mustache Vending Machine will help you bring out your inner swankiness:

Penny Press #6 - Sea Life Aquarium

 Penny Press #5 - - Penny Press #4 - - Penny Press #3 

Penny Press #2 - - Penny Press #1

Once again it's penny smashin' time!  Our latest smash happened at the Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine.  At the end of the fishiness one finds this beauty:

Today's choices are shark, octopus, starfish or stingray.  We went with the starfish.

And here is the end result:

Another day, another smashed penny.

Fast Key

Good news: your key copying needs can now be served "vending machine style"!  Introducing the Fast Key:

This was spotted in a North Texas Walmart.

Beer Pong Arcade Machine

Beer Pong is a thing that a lot of people do apparently.  In related news, the Beer Pong Arcade Game now exists:

It's made by Bay Tek Games and the good folks FoodBeast.com took the time to videotape a little game play:

Penny Press #5 - Fort Worth Zoo

Penny Press #4 - - Penny Press #3 

Penny Press #2 - - Penny Press #1

A trip to the Fort Worth Zoo leads to another opportunity to smash a penny!  This is one of several machines around the exhibits:

Of the choices available I went with the lion:

Which I assume is loosely based on this sleepy lion at the zoo: