What started as a single photo from the top of the CN Tower turned into an obsession spanning continents. One banana. Countless landmarks. An exhaustive search for meaning — or at least a good photo op.
Have Banana, Will Travel
The original, taken from the top of the CN Tower in Toronto. Who would know what this one picture would lead to...
The same banana, a little dated, looking down onto Shoreline Drive in Chicagoland!
Taken from the southern most point of the continental US, in Key West. Take note of the drunk harassing the couple standing in front of the monument. After the picture was taken, the lady in the picture asked me — "what's with the banana?"
A few days later, taken in sunny Naples, Florida.
Yes, it's the Houston Astrodome. The picture doesn't show it, but there was a huge sign welcoming all to the rodeo that was going on inside at the time — yeeee ha!
One of the Mitten Buttes in Monument Valley. Is this taken in Utah or Arizona? We're still not sure. One thing is for sure, this is a sight that must be seen by all. This picture does no justice — the banana looks ok though.
Viva Las Vegas! Taken from the 24th floor of the Circus Circus. The hotel you see off in the distance is the Stardust.
Not much to say here — taken in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in beautiful San Francisco.
Taken in early September from somewhere in northern California — notice the snow on top of Mount Shasta.
Taken in Dorris, California in front of the tallest flagpole in the United States — had to really back up to get a picture of this one.
Taken at Crater Lake in Oregon — a must see!
Taken on a cold November day in Warner, New Hampshire.
A snowy day in Lake Tahoe, not much to see here besides the lake...
The Los Angeles skyline from beautiful MacArthur Park, where the homeless rule and the tourists run...
Taken from the hills of Hollywood, a hard shot to get. We thought for sure that the girl watching us was about to go tell her parents that there's a strange man taking pictures of a banana out front.
We sank to a new low for this one. Yes, it's OJ Simpson's house. We got lucky — shortly after we pulled up, the doors to one of the gates opened, allowing us to get a great shot of the place...
With this much hype, who could stop at just one shot. This one was taken just as the gates were closing. The crowd panicked as they tried to get in as many shots as they could before the gates closed. The all out frenzy was nothing short of completely comical. It's too bad two people had to die in order to bring all this about.
Bananas were hard to come by around the Grand Canyon. Only after an exhaustive search was I able to locate a banana for this shot. In the end, all the panicking was well worth it.
A true piece of history on this one. The location where President John F. Kennedy was shot. It was difficult to get a good shot, the area was overloaded with tourists hopping on and off tour buses that clicked away while the tour guide tried his best to tell his "story" of what really happened that day in Dallas...
Another view of the assassination site...
Clayton Lake, New Mexico, almost like Jurassic Park isn't it? As you can see in this picture you are looking at dinosaur tracks. The feet of this one weren't nearly as ominous as the banana in the foreground...
Bourbon Street — what a place. A weekday in June, and still the place is alive with music, drinking, and women... all that was needed to make things complete on this rainy day was a banana of course!
This may take the prize for the cheesiest spot in the US but it had to be done. After taking the tour, out came the banana for a spectacular snap of Graceland...
Ahh Paris, how romantic, but the moment just wouldn't be right without a little fruit...
The Arc de Triomphe — we almost caused an accident holding the banana up for this one.
The beauteous Swiss Alps. "The hills are alive with the sight of bananas..."
Venice — at the Church of Maggiore — from the clock tower in San Marco's Square.
Another view from the top of the clock tower looking down on Saint Marco's Basilica. Notice the crowd below gathering to worship the holy banana.
Sunrise over the Organ Mountains in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Yes, it's the firehouse where The Real World — Boston was filmed, located in the foo-foo-ish area of Beacon Hill. I'm sure the residents in this neighborhood were happy to see the cast leave. But now they have to live with weirdos walking around taking pictures of bananas...
Copley Square in Boston looking up at the John Hancock Tower on a beautiful day in July.
Ahhh the Manhattan skyline in September, wouldn't be the same without a banana...
You'd think she has already seen everything, but... tourists with a banana? The Statue of Liberty now wonders if we have pushed our freedom a bit too far...
Art Deco style... taken from beautiful Miami Beach.
The Steel City... a beautiful view taken from the top of Mt. Washington. Thanks John for this great pic!
Paul Bunyan never met his match, until now...
Another corner of the US conquered! This one was snapped from the easternmost city in the US — Eastport, Maine.
We were a little late for this one, a piece of Boston history — the Boston Garden in its last days.
This one is for Chihuahua — "Yo quiero Taco Bell!"