North York: Albany – The last remaining giant Nipper
Located in New Salem, North Dakota, Salem Sue stands a mighty 38 feet (12 m) high and 50 feet (15 m) long and can be viewed from several miles around. (Roadside Attraction / USA / United States)
New York: Ticonderoga – Star Trek Set Tour
If you are travelling through upstate New York you might want to take a trip into the small town of Ticonderoga to visit the Star Trek Original Series Set-Tour. You might ask why is it in Ticonderoga - and you'll need to go for yourself to find out! This is not just a place for Trekkies to visit it is a fascinating insight into TV history. its authenticity has been confirmed by members of the original cast, including William Shatner (Captain James T Kirk) who makes regular visits here.
New York: Syracuse – Upside-down traffic lights
When the city of Syracuse, New York started installing traffic lights in the 1920s the Irish community didn't take kindly to the set of lights put up on a busy intersection on Tipperary Hill. They did not like the fact that the 'red light', which they associated with the British, was above the 'green light' - green being the colour of the Irish. So, some youths in the area threw stones, breaking the red lamp. The city replaced the lamp only for it to be smashed again. The city eventually gave up flipping the light so the green light was at the top. These upside-down lights remain until this day and have become a local attraction.
New York: Gourdlandia
If you are in the Finger Lakes Region near Ithaca then you might want to check out Gourdlandia. This is the storefront and workshop of Graham Ottoson, a former mid-wife turned gourd artist. She takes gourds grown in her garden, dries them out and turns them into beautifully carved lamps, bowls and other gourd oddities.
Oregon: Central Coast – The Devil’s Punchbowl
The Devil's Punch Bowl is located between Newport and Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast. This Natural Area is run by the Oregon State Parks and there is a day-use area that is very popular with visitors
Hole ‘N’ The Rock was once a unqiue home with a local diner
We never miss the chance to check out the weird and unusual on our travels. During our recent visit to Moab in Utah, I discovered closeby was the Hole 'N' The Rock that definitely fitted our criteria of 'weird and unusual' and luckily despite Covid-19 lockdowns it was open to visitors!
Hanksville – a cool place to check out en route from Capitol Reef to Moab
One of the delights of travelling is discovering something new and unexpected. During our winter trip through Utah, we stumbled across the small remote town of Hanksville which has a couple of local oddities including Carl's Critter Garden and Hollow Mountain convenience store that are worth a stop. There are also some interesting things to explore in the local desert, including the Mars Research Centre and Goblin Valley State Park.
A brief stop to check out where an infamous outlaw was raised
Butch Cassidy worked hard to help provide for his family as a teenager on this homestead. It was the last place…
Goldfield, Nevada a once prosperous gold mining town in a struggle for survival
Goldfield, Nevada at one time was the largest town in the State, fuelled by a gold rush. Today, its stately buildings…
Nevada: Hawthorne – Ordnance Museum, a quirky tribute to the nearby Army Depot
Located in the high desert of Nevada is the Ordnance Museum located in the small town of Hawthorne, which sits close to the Hawthorne Army Depot. This is apparently, according to the big sign outside the base, the World's largest Army depot,
Wisconsin: Mount Horeb and its relationship with trolls
Located in Wisconsin's Dane County, not too far from the State Capital of Madison, Mount Horeb is a small village with around 8000 people. It has become known at the troll capital of the world
Louisiana: New Orleans – Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras is about music, parades, picnics, floats and excitement. It's one big holiday in New Orleans! The parade season lasts several weeks, with over 70 parades taking place throughout the city. Nowhere else does Mardi Gras like New Orleans.
Exploring the historic cemeteries in New Orleans
New Orleans historic cemeteries embody colourful nature of this unique city It might not be everyone’s idea of a great time…
Idaho: Arco and Experimental Breeder Reactor #1 (EBR-1)
The eastern reaches of Idaho, north of Idaho Falls are pretty bleak and remote which makes it an ideal place to site dangerous things such as nuclear reactors. Experimental Breeder Reactor I, the world's first breeder reactor, is a decommissioned research reactor and U.S. National Historic Landmark located near Arco, Idaho
North Dakota: Regent – The Enchanted Highway
The Enchanted Highway, is a 31 mile stretch of highway designed to draw in tourists to the town of Regent. It features some of the world’s largest scrap metal sculptures.
South Dakota: Geographic Centre of the Nation
With the addition of Alaska and Hawaii to the Union, the geographic centre of the United States moved from Lebanon in Kansas to a point on the borders of South Dakota/Wyoming/Montana. The nearest community to this point is the small town of Belle Fourche (some 20 miles away) where there is a memorial to the commemorate the nearby geographic marker.
North Dakota: Jamestown – World’s Largest Buffalo
As you drive along I-94 across North Dakota it is difficult to miss the giant statue of a buffalo that sits on a hill above the highway. This is apparently the World's largest buffalo/bison statue, standing at 26 feet tall and 40 feet long and weighing a mighty 60 tons.
Minnesota: Big Ole – America’s Biggest Viking
Big Ole, located in the small town of Alexandria, Minnesota, is the purportedly the World's largest Viking. Ole was built in 1965 as an exhibit for the New York World's Fair. When completed Ole stood 28 feet tall with the words, "Alexandria, Birthplace of America" emblazoned on his shield.
North Dakota: World’s Largest Sandhill Crane
"Sandy", the 40ft high statue of the Sandhill Crane at Steele, North Dakota stands in a little park adjacent to the Cobblestone Inn. This monument is a celebration of this elegant bird that is found on the plains, in fields and wetlands across the United States.
Minnesota: Fergus Falls – Largest Otter & Giant Goose
Many years ago on a family road trip across the USA, I had set out in search of Otto, the world's largest otter, located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. This detour almost resulted in the end of our marriage. Fast-forward 12 years, armed with Google and smartphones we successfully located Otto!
Minnesota: Rothsay – A Giant Greater Prairie Chicken
One of my quirky interests, as I have travelled around the United States, is to try and see as many "roadside" attractions as I can. Many of these are next to highways, but occasionally we have had to head off the beaten track. During a road trip that passed through Minnesota along I-94, we were lucky to come across one such attraction in the city of Rothsay, the Prairie Chicken capital of Minnesota
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