The Seattle Museum of the Mysteries was a shopfront museum in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood that specialized in the paranormal. The small basement museum and research center was jam packed with books, photos, documents, and artifacts related to paranormal science, ancient civilizations, alternate reality, UFOs, crop circles, mysteries, and bigfoot. Exhibits...
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Seattle, Washington is a must-see destination for lovers of the weird. The novelty shop and oddity museum has been around since 1899. It was opened that year by Joseph Edward Standley (1854-1940) and has been operated by his family ever since. Stop in to pick out a peculiar (or not so peculiar) Seattle souvenir or admire the collections of...
“Ave Maria” (also known as “The Madonna Mural”) is a mural in Salt Lake City, Utah. Standing at around 44-feet tall, the giant artwork was created by artists El Mac & Retna in November 2009. The Salt Lake City street art portrays a giant painting of The Virgin Mary with a glowing sacred heart against a colorful backdrop. In a halo around her head are Latin words...
For many years a giant King Kong Gorilla crushing a yellow airplane in his hands stood in front of the Pink Cadillac Diner in Natural Bridge, Virginia. The Virginia roadside attraction (seen here in 2010) stood at 14-feet tall and was the work of local artist Mark Cline, who specializes in bizarre fiberglass creations at Enchanted Castle Studios. He is also the...
I saw this Gold Prospector Statue in Sumas, Washington, out the car window on our road trip from Seattle to Hyder, Alaska. We didn’t have time to stop, so I could only get a couple of quick snaps in before we drove off. At the time (2009) it sat next to Lo’s Garden Chinese and American Food, a restaurant that is now Pho & Teriyaki Asian Cuisine. I...
This is a tale of two giant bulls in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For many years one stood on stilts outside of Thrift-Way Meats. And, long ago, another, known as the Staley’s Bull lived in front of a restaurant in town. In 1957 Staley’s Charcoal Steak House opened in Winston-Salem. That year the owners, Kenneth Cheek and Lawrence Staley, purchased a new...
An old F-84F Thunderstreak fighter jet can be found in a motel parking lot in Wenona, Illinois. The camouflaged airplane is a fun site to see outside of the Wenona America’s Best Value Inn (formerly a Best Western, formerly a Super 8). Before living at the motel, the parking lot jet plane could be found at various locations around town since the late...
There are plenty of weird, wacky, and peculiar things to see in Fremont, a weird wacky and peculiar neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Call it “The People’s Republic of Fremont.” Call it “The Artists’ Republic of Fremont.” Call it the “center of the universe.” Whichever you choose, Fremont, a neighborhood in Seattle...
Many brides to be dream of having big, lavish, over-the-top weddings. But, if you’re thinking of throwing a slightly more modest ceremony (or just looking for a fun stop on a road trip through Missouri), look no further than Mount Vernon, where you’ll find the World’s Smallest Wedding Chapel. This tiny church in Missouri, also known as...
The Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway is a 272-mile drive that takes you through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Nebraska. The road, also known as Nebraska Highway 2, runs from Grand Island on the southeastern end to Alliance on the northwestern end. Along the route you’ll experience the beauty of the sandhills: a region that combines mixed-grass...