Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the most unique national parks in the United States. Located on the southeastern shore of the Big Island, the 134,795-hectare park was built around two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and has been in continuous eruption since 1983. Mauna...
The USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial in Sioux Falls, South Dakota features a concrete outline of USS South Dakota. The USS South Dakota (BB-57) (AKA “Old Nameless” or “Battleship ,”) was a battleship built for the United States Navy in the 1930s. In its time, it was utilized in every major battle and was the most decorated ship of World...
There’s a Tiny Church in Golden City, Missouri. While this isn’t the smallest church in the world. or even the smallest church in Missouri (you can find that one in Mount Vernon), it still is an impressive building and a fun stop on a Missouri road trip. The miniature church can be found in the town’s small park, next to a picnic area. It was build...
Shenandoah Caverns in Quicksburg, Virginia is a beautiful natural wonder with quirk, kitsch…and bacon… making it a fun stop to add to any Virginia road trip itinerary. The caves were discovered in 1884 when the Southern Railway was being constructed in the Shenandoah Valley. But they were formed millions of years before that. As the earth moved and rivers flowed...
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...