top american roadside attractions

Jurassic Park this is not. Though they mirror the size of the creatures that once roamed earth, the concrete and iron figurines at this 75 year old outdoor park look more like Gumby than an awe inspiring Tyrannosaurus rex a projection of the 1930s understanding of these near mythical monsters. But while they lack lifelike leathery scales, the reptiles of Rapid City, S.D., dont fail to impress. Its a testament to the dinosaurs ability to hold up into the era of Michael Crichton and beyond that the hillside sculpture park is as popular an attraction as the nearby Mount Rushmore it was built to accompany. The park is also part of a national history of government sponsored edifices Dinosaur Park was created by the Great Depression era Works Progress Administration in 1936.

Cant afford a trip to China? See some of Chinas most famous landmarks (in a much smaller scale) at the Forbidden Gardens. The attraction is home to a 1:20 scale Forbidden City; a scale model of Suzhou, dubbed the Venice of China; and a 1:3 scale model of the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, complete with his terra cotta army of 6,000 soldiers. The Gardens location in Katy, Texas, was chosen due to its many rice fields and proximity to Houston, which has a large Asian population. All of the scenery was made in China which will give you an odd international break when driving through the Lone Star State.

A trip here is sure to be more pleasant than General William Tecumseh Shermans 1864 march through the South that devastated the Confederacy. James Wolverton, a naturalist who had served among Shermans troops, named the tree after the Civil War general in 1879. It stands as the worlds largest tree by volume, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, measuring 275 feet off the ground and coming in at over 52,000 cubic feet. That park, famed for its vast expanses of roadless wilderness, is operated by the National Park Service at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. Accessed by the Generals Highway, located off U.S. Highways 180 and 198 in southeastern California, the duo of parks also provides a lesson in rank and humility. Even when you reach the apex, you can never stray too far from the boss also found in the parks is the no less imposing General Grant Tree.

Apparently, Toto, we are in Kansas. That is, if you are searching for the geographic center of the continental United States, which was calculated to be just outside this northern Kansan town, located off U.S. Highway 281. The calculation, which was made in 1918 by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey, has since been contested over questions regarding the model used to locate the center. But most analysts agree that the physical center would have to be within 20 or so miles of the landmark, which is distinguished by a stone display featuring a plaque. The monument was erected in 1940, so the parties have agreed to let it stand, even if its slightly off. That could change, however, if states like Texas, whose governor has made an offhand remark about secession, were to leave the Union. Such a move might force a revision of the geographic center once and for all.

At the turn of the 20th century, Tulsa struck oil. The city exploded as entrepreneurs rushed to capitalize on the growing number of oil fields in the area. To celebrate its good fortune, the city erected the Golden Driller in 1953. The 22 ton concrete and iron man, built to withstand a 200 m.p.h. tornado, was declared Oklahomas official state monument in 1979. A plaque at its base reads, To the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from Gods abundance a better life for mankind.

According to the owners of Pioneer Auto Sales, just south of Leicester, Vt., the conversation that led to their lawns hosting a giant gorilla holding a Volkswagen Beetle went something like this: When they asked local artist T.J. Neil to make a statue for the dealership, Neil responded, How about a giant gorilla? When they asked why a giant gorilla, Neil replied, So I can make him hold a car. The owners conclusion: Sure, but make his other hand stretched down, so people can sit in it. Even if you dont need a new car, you can sit in the gorillas right hand and stare in amazement at the golden VW Bug held 19 feet aloft in his left hand.

Paul McLeod is obsessed with Elvis. He named his son Elvis Aaron Presley McLeod, and when he dies, hed like to be buried in a gold lam? suit formerly owned by the King. Ideally, when his casket opens, the box will play the song Return to Sender. Its appropriate, then, that he is the proprietor of Graceland Too, located halfway between Graceland and Tupelo, Elvis birthplace. McLeods home is full, floor to ceiling, room after room, of thousands upon thousands of pieces of Elvis memorabilia. For a mere $5, visitors will be walked through narrow passageways stacked high with old records, postcards and costumes. Graceland Too is open 24 hours a day.

You dont have to be religious to appreciate the Grotto of the Redemption, built by West Bend, Iowa, pastor Father Paul Dobberstein after his fight with pneumonia. The grotto was built as a shrine to the Virgin Mary to thank her for healing him. And what a shrine it is. The entire structure is built from agates, geodes and semiprecious stones, and it makes up the worlds largest collection of minerals and petrified material, with a geological value of $4 million. Its a football field in length, and took 50 years to build. Thirty thousand pilgrims make their way to West Bend each year to see the structure.

What has to be the strangest monument ever to an American President, the Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue began far from its current home. During the 1976 presidential campaign, members of the Indiana Democratic Party built the statue to honor Carter as he swung through the state. The 13 ft. tall peanut crafted from plaster and mesh pays homage to the 39th Presidents early career as a peanut farmer and features a spot on toothy grin. In 2000, a careless driver smashed into the statue, but it has been restored and now resides not far from Route 45 outside Carters hometown of Plains, Ga.

You can tell youve done a good marketing job if you can convince people that they should pay to advertise your product. Thats what happened in 1978, when the town of Blue Earth, Minn. wanting to commemorate the completion of nearby I 90 chose to erect a 55 ft. tall statue of the Jolly Green Giant. (Green Giant has a plant in the area.) The vegetable company gave the town permission to use its symbol as long as the townspeople provided 100% of the funds. They did, and so today the verdant 4 ton Hercules smiles upon travelers throughout southern Minnesota.