Soul Train
June 22nd, 2010
From the days when “doing the locomotion” actually meant being on a locomotion.
(submitted by Beth)
Tags: old
Soul Train
AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
Spreading the Awkwardness
Have the same picture in color, we were stationed in Germany at the time (Zweibrucken–sure I spelled that wrong). It was a lot of fun, my hat had a blue strip around the edge too. It was about 1984-85. So funny, just about every military family stationed in Germany has done this trip to Austria.
I think my family has a photo just like this too! We were in Germany at Rhein Main Air Base in the late 60′s, and we lived at 602-C-3 Gateway Gardens. With everything being so close, we went on lots of local trips. I remember the costumes we wore and licking the salt and going down the wooden slide. It was VERY fun!
I think that a reunion might be nice, but it might be easier if everyone who had a photo like this one would post it!
This is great! What a great photographer to get all those people in the picture.
Oh my gosh! I am the little girl in the photo (behind camera dad.. and infront of cat-glasses mom) When I first came across this photo I had no memory of Where it was taken. Nice to know I have a whole family of Salzburg Tourists who have similar photos. Maybe we should start organizing a reunion? ~Beth
Gosh, I went to all the Sound of Music sites in Salzburg! The Von Trapp Family apparently didn’t visit the salt mine….
We HAVE THE SAME PICTURE FROM 1976 SALZBURG! It sits on my Grandmother’s dresser. HOW FUNNY!
Like everyone else I went down the slides and across the lake and I have the picture…mine’s from 1968 or thereabouts.
I wanna go to the salt mines! I feel neglected and unloved now
HA! I totally have a picture from high school choir where we went this this same salt mine in Germany. I did a double take when I first looked at this, thinking someone had posted the same photo I have. Wild.
OH MY Gosh! My parents had this same picture. I literally stopped for a moment and thought it was theirs and looked for them! LOL! And their picture was taken in 1967! Cat glasses and all! When I was younger – No one really explained the picture to me – Knowing they had been stationed in Germany – I often wondered if it was some weird WWII thing.
Golly!! Has EVERYONE been to the Salt Mines in Salzburg, Austria? Are some of you lying on here? Tell the truth now!
Come on, come on, and do the locomotion with me!
I saw the book in Borders last night, so I had to check out the blog today. Great pics!
Oh my gosh. I have a picture just like this one. It was the salt mines somewhere in Europe. My dad was stationed in Germany in the early 60′s. Small world.
A friend and I did this in 1993. The tour originated in Salzburg, but the mine we went to was in Bavaria. We didn’t have the hats, but we had the over-sized shirts and pants, plus backwards leather aprons that tied in the front and hung down over your butt, so you could sit on them when you slid down the wooden slides that went from level to level. It was SO fun. The tour was all in German, of which we spoke almost none. Apparently there were supposed to be tapes in English you could listen to, but the cassette players were broken, or something. It was cool, though. For all I know, it was more interesting not knowing what the guide was saying. He did seem to go on and on about the drills, or whatever they were. The coolest part was riding in a row boat across the underground lake. There were burning torches on the walls for light, and they had some kind of rope and pulley system that pulled the boat silently across the water. VERY river Styx-ish. While we were crossing, I thought, “I bet this water is salty. [Astute, I know.] I wonder if it’s saltier than the ocean?” I dipped a finger in and had a taste.
There was no group picture. Maybe the camera was broken. I do have great awkward photo I took the next day of some Swiss tourists yodeling, though. If we do have an awkward Austria weekend. I heart Austria. I hope I get to go again some day.
i knew what this was right away!! we have a picture of my parents in the same outfits – they visited the salt mines in austria when my dad was stationed in germany in 1969. i had no idea it was such a popular place!
I looked for my folks in this too. LOL Would love to know when this was taken. I’ll be dragging out their copy of them on the tour in the late 60′s next visit home as the people in this one look familiar and what a hoot, and an incredible coincidence, it would be if this was the same tour.
Whoa, when I saw this photo I looked for my dad because there’s a photo in our family album of him riding this train when he was stationed in Wurzburg in ’67. I always thought it was bizarre, but cool. Didn’t realize it was such a popular place!
I feel really hicklike now, because I’ve never been to the Austrian salt mines. I’ve been into a Welsh slate mine, does that count?
I have a picture like this with my mother as one of the passengers. It was taken either in Germany or France. I was little, preschool age.
Snap! Me too. We did the Salt Mine Tour in Austria in 2000, I still have a small pot of salt that I bought from the gift shop (best holiday souvenir ever
I remember it being bloody freezing down the mines and being really glad of the cosy miners’ uniform. It was a really fun tour – the slides, the underground lake, all very cool!
Haven’t been there yet, but definately on the list. I am feeling a little left out as I don’t have one of these photos YET.
Holy cow! I saw the pic and came running into the comment section figuring I would be the only one to correctly identify the location. LOL! My parents have in their album somewhere pics of us in those getups from when we went to Berchtesgaten back in…I think it was 1987. My dad was in the Army, so yeah I guess it was a popular military family destination.
Salt mines REPRESENT!!!
Ha! I have this pic too in color (without hats) from the tour of the Salzburg salt mines in 1994… hahaha
I have a photo EXACTLY like this from the salt mine train from my trip to Germany and Austria…looks just as goofy too!
I’m guessing the numbers on the sign in the back is the date? It looks like 29.3.64 which could be March 3, 1964, maybe?
This looks like it would be a fun tour! *makes mental note to do this if ever in Austria*
Wouldn’t it be March 29? The three would be the month.
I say the moderators do an awkward-Salzburg special page! With the summer hols approaching, having a four year old and living close-ish (Nrth Italy) what better way to present a day ou tto the kid than ‘look at all the fun ALL these people had‘.
Sure! You could include pics of your family at the sites used in The Sound of Music! Did that with the salt mine.
This could also be from Berchtesgaten Germany (same area as Salzberg). We just did this tour last week. Loved the slides and undergroud lake.
I love # 4 … he looks like hes really into it! lol
of course he is! he’s at the salt mines!
Wow, who knew the Salt Mines of Salzburg were THE hot vacation spot? Guess I’d better go check it out before Hollywood’s elite catch on! By next year, it will be where Victoria Beckham takes her sons for their exclusive birthday parties.
Really? Like half of you have been to a specific spot in Austria? That sure seems like strange odds……
Yes. The tour is that neat! If you are ever there. You should do it. Also, I think it’s a popular tourist destination for a lot of the American military stationed over there.
Not me. But I did live under a volcano that erupted years after, engulfing the Air Force base.
I think AFP should have a special segment of the tour pictures of the Salzburg salt mines through out the years!
Hee! We have that same picture, except maybe we were in the train just behind, ‘cos I can’t find us in this one. Damn.
They look like they’re all wearing Fez hats… which, according to the above posts, would be wrong, since they’re in Austria… so someone please tell me, what’s with the hats?
but why are they all wearing fedoras?
I didn’t realize how much of a draw a saltmine in some crazy European city could have. It seems like everyone has been there. Screw Disneyland, I’m going to Austria!
I have to agree that I am also curious now. Every comment above says it was a fun tour.
Seems a few of us recognize this photo. I also have a color 1 that was taken in the Salt Mines In Salzburg. Ours is circa 1989. It was actually a fun trip.
OMG! I was going to post the same exact thing! That was one of the greatest trips of my life! Our awkward photo would be of my son and his friends coming down one of the two wooden slides!
!BINGO! It is the Salt mine tour in Salzburg! We just took the tour two weeks ago. They give you heavy duty coveralls to wear. And now they’ve incorporated a neat laser light show. Once you enter the actual touring area you climb on this train looking thing and they ask to you smile for the camera……hey “only” 10 euros ($16) for your own suvenier photo.
The critics had warned him…if you’re going to do a rollercoaster it has to be fast with lots of winding curves and sharp drops. Unfortunately, Simon Golsforth (pictured with the camera) refused to listen and insisted “his ” rollercoaster was aimed for the family and not those “crazy kids who like holding their hands up in the air.” The critics were right. His dream soon died along with the rest of his amusement park… 5 Flags over South Dakota.
Simon died cold and penniless, trying to make a go of his last, desperate try for success, 1 Handkerchief over North Dakota (which was nothing more than an old washer with a lawn chair tied to the lid, running an unbalanced load)….
lmao!
I wish I was an Austria Miner Rider…that is what I’ve always wanted to be..for if I were an Austria Miner Rider…They would let me take the tour for free…
lol..best comment yet!
They look awfully excited about going “back to the salt mines”…
I’ve been there! Salt mine tour in Austria! So fun!!
Ditto to the “salt mines”. Our family was stationed in West Germany during the cold war and we frequented the Salt Mines over there. It was a very cool experience… though it *was* creepy. We had to put on the jumpsuits, hats, and walk in tight groups. And yes, our pictures look just as “awkward”.
My family, too – and at the same time! Have the same kind of picture in our family photo album.
This one definitely does NOT fit in the awkward family photo vault! It was too cool of an experience. Anybody remember going across the underground lake?
I have several of these photos from my childhood in the late 80s and early 90s when my dad was stationed in Germany. I love the part riding over the lake and licking the giant salt rock. I actually just found the little yellow souvenir salt last week in a box of childhood crap.
OMG the salt mines were so fun! the ground was like clay the furthur under you got! and thr slides to get to the lower levels were uber cool
That’s the most random group of Shriners I’ve ever seen.
LMAO!!!!!!!
I have a photo just like this! It’s from the salt mines near Salzburg in Austria. I was there in the 80′s. They make you put on miner clothes and you ride in to the mountain.
Not sure this is awkward per se, but I certainly need more information…
Ha ha! I recognize that place! It was probably taken in Salzburg Austria in about 1960? We have the same picture from when we were there. Awesome! Our picture looks just as funny, however ours is in color. I love it!
We have one of these too, but taken in the late 70′s (even more awkward)! Fun tour of the salt mines and great souvenir photo!
Mine’s from the early ’80′s…
This is kind of a cool pic. I wonder when and where it was taken?
I actually have a picture like this! lol It was taken when we toured the salt mines in Salzburg, Austria. It was actually fun tour.
Thanks for the explanation. I thought it looked like some sort of jolly cult devoted to miniature train devotion.
I’ve got one from my tour of the salt mines at Salzburg as well. Loved it!!! Wasn’t too sure about the “slides” though!!!!
The slides were the best!
Oh yeah! Didn’t you have to sit on a piece of leather to go down and the slides were wood?
It was a leather butt pad that you straped around your waist to slide down the wood slides. Went in the 5th grade. So much fun.
Wonder if I still have the picture somewhere…….
A rare photo of the ancient and elusive Seven Dwarf Cult!
I thought the same thing. We did the Salzburg salt mine tour also. It doesn’t look like the outfits changed much. Although we didn’t have hats to wear (unless I’m mistaken — which has been known to happen).
You have to wear special outfits to go on the tour?
The outfits are what the miners wore. And yes, the hats were part of it, too.
Were the miners required to wear fez’s, too?
Yeah. They had coveralls for you to wear. Or it might have been a top and bottom. I did the Salsburg tour in 1994.
OMD! Me too! I was actually looking to make sure I wasn’t in this one!
My parents must have taken my on that tour as well when we lived in germany because I have a family photo exactly like this as well. Does that make my family awkward?
How many people have gone to Austria. My parents only took me to six flags. Lucky dogs.
It was part of the military brat experience for lots of kids.
I was a military brat and I had to go to the Phillippines. No trains there, just snakes.
LOL I have a picture like this, too, probably taken around 1966. Mostly what I remember is getting to lick the salt mine walls. It sounds gross now, but I thought it was funny then.
We did it too! Awesome tour.
we did the same thing, but in germany. great fun! that was 10 years ago and they let us slide down the huge wood nuclear wedgie slides simply holding onto our one year old! wonder if they still let folks do that. the thing that makes this photo is the “miner” hiding a beehive under her hat and wearing cat-eye glasses. awesome!
Oh, they still let you go down the slides! I had a blast on this tour! I would do it again in a heartbeat!
funny ….me too….I went as a kid…..ours was in color…..and my sister had a baby blue ribbon on her hat……for girls I guess
Oh my gosh! My family did this too around 1967. It was a fun tour.
I thought it was EuroDisney.
I love how so many of us came to comment that we have the same photo. My family also has one from the salt mines in Austria. I have the rocks we got in a little gift box somewhere too…My photo is almost 20 years old because I think we went when I was 8. But mine is in color
I had the box of rocks too – loved it! I think there were 6 different colored salt rocks, right? I remmebr I used to lick them! Too funny.
We wentr when I was 8 / 1978 (lived in Baumholder) – military brat.
my Parents have the same picture and you’re right salt mines in Austria
I also have some photos just like this, from my family trips to the salt mines. The early ones date from the 1960s. The later ones are from the 1990s, when I took my kids. I’d go again in a heartbeat.
*meant being on a LOCOMOTIVE?
Awkward corrective comment!
Notice the number 13 at the front of the line… erie!