Living and Learning on the Move

     We are always looking for new and exciting (and not to exciting but casual) things to do and we just weren't finding a lot of things in the local vicinity. Yes, there was Hilton Head Island and a few other places of great interest that we are missing out on just because we don’t really want to travel that far right now. The RV Park we were staying at was way out in the boonies! (Darn, we’ll have to check Hilton Head Island out next time!) So, one of the few fun and interesting things we found to do was the Kazoo Factory! We really weren't sure what we were expecting; but, boy did it blow us away! We thought we might have a little fun; but, little did we know we were in for a lot of fun and even quite a bit of learning too!

     As we arrived there, after seeing and reading about it online, we were looking for a pretty big factory-type building. We passed up a few bigger factory-type buildings and came along to the Kazoo Factory being a VERY tiny little building! It was at this point we figured maybe our expectations were a little too high and maybe we should just not embarrass everyone, or even ourselves, for making this a bigger deal than it was and just leave. Instead we decided to go ahead and go in! 

     Is anyone still wondering what is a kazoo? My first thought was that a kazoo was the little alien guy on the Flintstones!!! No, it wasn't the little green guy it was a small plastic pipe-looking instrument that you hum into! Also, do you remember the funny noises you hear on the cartoons? For example, when roadrunner falls off of a cliff, it’s “that whistling” noise!

     So, as soon as we walked in and started looking around, we were greeted by no less than the owner of the store! He told us we’d first watch a short video and then he’d take us on a tour of the factory! The video was a short video explaining the history of the kazoo. Kazoos come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. They even have an electric one and a gold-plated (or dipped) one! Who knew? They've also been used to market and sell almost anything! After the movie, the owner took us through all the different machines it takes to make them. You would not believe how much work goes into making kazoos! We learned there are only two places in the United States that make them. I can’t recall what the New York one does; however, this is the only one that makes plastic kazoos. The current owner (who has been in the business for a relatively short period of time), has done a lot of research to make sure that he offers the most safety conscious product and with the most features and accessories! You can even imprint your company information on them and hand them out for advertisement. Each of the machines he uses, are very expensive, but, if someone would try to copycat his kazoos, they would not be able to meet the same safety standards that he goes through at his company to make them safe for kids.