top american roadside attractions

Newspapers across the country are losing money. New home construction has yet to recover from the bursting of the housing bubble. Heres a solution to both problems: Make houses out of newspapers! It may seem ludicrous, but the idea has a precedent: In 1922, engineer Ellis F. Stenman began to construct a summer home using newspapers as insulation. Curiousity got the better of him, however, and he began to make the entire house out of paper, holding it together with glue and protecting it from the elements with heavy layers of varnish. (The framework of the house and the floor are made of wood; the roof is shingled.) Eventually, Stenman even made paper furniture for the house using all the news fit to sit upon. Stenmans great niece still operates the house as a tourist attraction, but admits that even she doesnt know what exactly made Uncle Ellis choose to live in a paper house.

As the mythical hero of lumberjack camps nationwide, many Paul Bunyan statues dot roadsides across the U.S. But there is one that stands out among the pack. The boxy Bunyan in Bemidji, Minnesota is rumored to be the first in the nation. The 18 ft. tall, 2.5 ton shrine, erected in 1937, honors the mythic man who became a symbol of strength and vitality from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin to the Western frontier. And what Bunyan statue would be complete without his trusty sidekick Babe the Blue Ox? Babe joined Paul in Bemidji in 1939 after an illustrious career as a traveling carnival star.

In 1983, Wayne Porter began to focus less on sheep, and more on sculptures. The result is South Dakotas Porter Sculpture Park. Located 25 minutes west of Sioux Falls in the town of Montrose, Porter Sculpture Park features over 40 larger than life, recycled metal structures from swimming goldfish to the hovering vultures perched at the 10 acre parks entrance. Porter reportedly sold his sheep to pay for the most famed structure on the property a 25 ton, 60 foot tall longhorn bull that rivals the size of one of the Mount Rushmore heads. The park welcomes visitors, who Porter once described as a little bit bent, in the summer season (from Memorial Day to Labor Day) and offers tours with the man himself.

On U.S. 50 near Middlegate, Nevada, blink and youll miss a cottonwood tree with some distinctive decoration. Its called (cleverly) the Shoe Tree, and more pairs of shoes than you can count hang from its branches. Tourists and locals alike drape the trees branches with footwear of all kinds. Highway 50 is often called the loneliest road in America, so a stop at the Shoe Tree might give you a taste of the social interaction you just might need at this point in your road trip.

San Francisco, Schmam Francisco. If youre looking for steep and winding roads (and the bicycle ride of your life), head to Snake Alley. Ripleys Believe It or Not, noting the roads sharp turns and slope, dubbed Snake Alley The Crookedest Street In The World, ahead of San Franciscos famed Lombard Street. The alley developed in 1894 by German immigrants has a total of five half curves and two quarter curves spanning a 275 foot distance. Ironically, the street was intended to provide a more direct link between businesses and shops, according to the roads website. However, Snake Alley, once considered a triumph in practical engineering, proved to be impractical for horse carriages. The town abandoned plans for more roads with the same design, making Snake Alley one of a kind (at least in Burlington).

Precious few drive in movie theaters remain in the U.S., holdovers from the 1950s and 60s, when high schoolers went on first dates and families enjoyed cheap, kid friendly entertainment. But, thankfully, not all of the outdoor theaters have met their demise. The Spud Drive In has been showing flicks since the summer of 1953. But whats really notable about Spuds is Old Murphy, a 1946 Chevy truck that has a 2 ton potato on the back. Its parked in front of the screen and is more of a draw than the movies. Its not a real potato, of course, just a painted potato shaped blob of concrete, but that doesnt stop tourists from snapping photos with the famous spud.

What do you call a 97 foot tall statue of a mustachioed Mexican wearing a sombrero? (Besides probably a little culturally insensitive, of course.) In South Carolina, thats just Pedro, the mascot of the famous South Of The Border rest stop. The complex was the dream project of one Alan Schafer, who in the 1950s realized the business opportunities available to any establishment with a liquor license across the border from North Carolinas dry counties. As his business expanded from a simple beer stand to include a restaurant and motel, Schafer began to give South Of The Border a Mexican theme, importing souveniers and some workers from south of the (more famous) border. Today, the 135 acre complex features restaurants, hotels, an amusement park and the 200 foot Sombrero Tower, which locals call The Eiffel Tower of the South, tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Billboards line Arizonas I 10 highway asking you, What is The Thing? If you dare find out, pull off exit 322 to check out this incredibly kitschy tourist site. It costs a dollar to walk through a creepy door, follow yellow footprints, and finally see the Mystery of the Desert. We wont spoil it and reveal what The Thing is, but you may be disappointed after all the hype.

Anyone who thinks rugged individualism is the only way to make it in the American heartland has yet to visit the Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas. What began as an exercise in thriftiness for one farmer in 1953 has since been spun into a community project for the 500 person township in northern Kansas. Each year, a twine a thon is held on the third Saturday in August when anyone who wants can add more thread. At last official count, the yarn was the equivalent of more than 7.8 million feet and came in at 40 feet in circumference. While other balls of twine compete for the title of largest, Cawker City has long been looked at as the standard bearer among twineheads. The sight to behold is located off U.S. Highway 24, in an area referred to by local officials as downtown Cawker City.

In Louisville, Kentucky, a carbon steel baseball bat leans against and towers over a five story building on West Main Street. The enlarged replica of a bat used by Babe Ruth in the 1920s marks the site of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. But this is no bambinos bat. Weighing 68,000 pounds and measuring 120 feet tall, the bat which has been a downtown fixture since 1995 is considered the worlds biggest. In addition to viewing the sizable slugger for free, visitors can participate in a 25 minute guided factory tour for a small fee.