the salt palace
One mile south of Grand Saline is one of the world's largest salt mines, with enough salt to satisfy the world's needs for 20,000 years. Too bad it is not an oil well.
There have been several Salt Palaces in Grand Saline. The most famous was a replica of the Alamo built in 1936 to celebrate the Texas Centennial. It was built entirely of salt rock and has long since dissolved. The modern version in the background is a steel building with a salt veneer, which can be replaced when it wears out. The latest resurfacing was finished just a month ago. I tasted it. It really is salt.
Posted by Bill Hopkins on August 7, 2004 06:29 PMFascinating! I'd love to see that. I recently read the book "Salt: A World History" by Mark Kurlansky--an amazing look at the history of civilization as the history of salt. Really interesting read, suprisingly... I enjoyed it as much as The Botany of Desire. Same sort of eye-opening, different way of looking at the world.
Posted by: Martha at August 7, 2004 06:32 PMThat is undoubtedly the largest chunk of salt I've ever seen. Now I'm thirsty.
Posted by: Leslie at August 8, 2004 12:21 AMHow way cool is that? Now if only someone would invent an energy source that runs on salt....
Posted by: Mary Lou at August 10, 2004 06:12 PMYou walked up and licked a building?
Brave man.
Detroit also has a huge salt resevoir, it's underground. I've never gone down there, although they used to have tours... Last grand idea I heard regarding them was to use them as a nuclear waste dump. Yeah, that's what you want lurking under the great lakes. Yikes!
Posted by: jenn at August 11, 2004 09:43 AM