# Quirky places you've visited while traveling



## EAM (Apr 30, 2009)

After reading the thread about "must-see" places, I started thinking about memorable sights I've seen that never make it to most people's must-see list, for one reason or another.

Examples: The Rise of the Lost River near French Lick, IN.   A river comes out of the ground and no one seems to pay any attention.

The park in Kokomo, Indiana where there's a building that houses both a stupendous sycamore stump and a stupendous stuffed steer.


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## Talent312 (Apr 30, 2009)

I'll play...
1.  Highest point in West Virginia -- Spruce Knob, elevation 4,863'.  Surrounded by a National Forest, the views from the observation tower are spectacular. Roads to the top are gravel and difficult in Winter.

B. Unusual Cafe -- The underground dining room in the "Snowball Room" at Mammoth Cave National Park in Western Kentucky.

iii. Beyond Pikes Peak -- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is in valley just west of Pikes Peak.  Huge petrified redwoods and incredibly detailed fossils of ancient insects and plants reveal a very different landscape in Colorado of long ago.


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## ricoba (Apr 30, 2009)

Here are a couple of places that I think fit the bill.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD

Wall Drug also SD, same road trip.

Mystery Spot "Vortex" Gold Hill, OR

Four Corners, AZ, NM, CO UT, you have to pay to see a plate on the ground and I just read that it may be in the wrong spot!

This is a fun question!


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## EAM (Apr 30, 2009)

I've been to Wall Drug, too.  My DH just visited Spruce Knob.

I'll add two more: the dunes on the south shore of Lake Michigan and the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado.


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## stmartinfan (May 1, 2009)

The Great Sand Dunes in Colorado was on my list, too.   It was so unexpected to see those huge hills of sand in that location.


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## dori47 (May 1, 2009)

ricoba said:


> Here are a couple of places that I think fit the bill.
> 
> The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD
> 
> Wall Drug also SD, same road trip.



Been on that exact same road trip


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## dori47 (May 1, 2009)

Bay of fundy

Highest tides in the world, very impressive to watch the tide come in

Any themed town- we were in Leavenworth last week


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## Passepartout (May 1, 2009)

We've been lots of unusual places, camping the Sahara, walking the Great Wall of China, seeing the Snake River just rise out of Big Spring full size. One I particularly enjoyed was in 2003, seeing the annual parade of the 'Athol Highlanders', Europe's last private army, at Blair Castle in Scotland. We were near there in Pitlochry to get married- me in a kilt Paula in pants, but that's a different story. We tried to hire a piper for our festivities, but all the local ones were engaged with the Highlanders. We had to get a piper from Edinburgh. At Blair Castle, they had Highland games, with many feats of strength. The castle was opened up to the public, the Duke was on hand. There were many old Brit cars from the 30's and earlier- real horseless carriages. The highlight was the 'Army' a bunch of mostly white-haired guys, carrying muskets and swords, in kilts and marching to a 'class 1 Pipe Band', then they rolled an old canon into the courtyard and fired it off a few times. Boy it was loud!

I don't know if this qualifies as a strange place or just wonderful serendipity to have it occur while we were on hand. It wasn't planned.

Jim Ricks


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## KauaiMark (May 1, 2009)

*Fiskars Finland*



EAM said:


> I started thinking about memorable sights I've seen that never make it to most people's must-see list,



The place where they make sewing and gardening cutlery. The town was "closed" as in "nobody there" when we went to visit in April.


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## Glynda (May 1, 2009)

*Paris...*

The catacombs in Paris with all the skeletal remains stacked on each side.


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## KarenLK (May 1, 2009)

Bread Museum in Ulm, Germany

Return of the cows - the head down the mountains for the winter - in Oberstaufen, Germany. They all wear colorful headdresses and it is a big event.


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## JudyH (May 1, 2009)

Devils Tower in SD.  The same day we were there, Close Encounters of the Third Kind was on network TV, and the kids watched it.  What a coincidence.


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## Craig (May 1, 2009)

*Sunset Crater Volcano*

Sunset Crater Volcano in Arizona...It felt like we were on a different planet.


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## Talent312 (May 1, 2009)

One more:
The annual Mosel Wine Festival in Bernkastel-Kues (Germany), where there's fireworks and a parade featuring floats from every vinyard in the region.  If you hold out a glass, runners beside the floats will pour you a full glass of wine.

Drink up, 'cuz there's another float coming.  By the end of the parade, the audience is in a very good mood.


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## hefleycatz (May 1, 2009)

EAM said:


> The park in Kokomo, Indiana where there's a building that houses both a stupendous sycamore stump and a stupendous stuffed steer.



I'm from Elwood, so I 2nd that.  Also the dunes in Michigan.   Many fun times as a kid on property my granpa used to own at Lake Manistique

Also in Indiana.  www.PurgatoryGolf.com 

and in Orlando www.Wonderworks.com.


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## wackymother (May 1, 2009)

Quirky places are our specialty!  

The Eden Kazoo Factory was fun.
http://www.edenkazoo.com/museum.php

And we loved the stalacpipe organ at Luray Caverns in Virginia.
http://www.luraycaverns.com/discover/discover.html

And who could forget the immortal Lucy the Elephant in Margate, NJ? 
http://www.lucytheelephant.org/


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## Glynda (May 1, 2009)

*Hubby...*

My hubby was born in Luray, VA.  He went to work for Luray Caverns when he was ten years old....putting bumper stickers on cars in the parking lot.  He then graduated to valet parking cars and finally to tour guide where he remained until he went off to college.  We get free tours when we go back.


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## JoAnn (May 1, 2009)

The Corn Palace..because DH's Dad had talked about it.
Wall Drug...because of all the signs!
Scotty's Castle @ the north end of Death Valley
And hiking/driving around Death Valley, not once but a couple of times...


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## wackymother (May 1, 2009)

Glynda said:


> My hubby was born in Luray, VA.  He went to work for Luray Caverns when he was ten years old....putting bumper stickers on cars in the parking lot.  He then graduated to valet parking cars and finally to tour guide where he remained until he went off to college.  We get free tours when we go back.



He's a Luray celebrity!


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## wilma (May 1, 2009)

While in Bay of Islands, New Zealand a few years ago, my spouse was viewing various travel books & brochures and announced that we were going to see the "Hundertwasser public toilets". I was a bit skeptical but it was actually a very fun experience seeing toilet art designed by a talented artist/architect:

http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/photographs/hundertwassers_ultimate_stand.htm


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## Glynda (May 1, 2009)

*More than....*



wackymother said:


> He's a Luray celebrity!



More than you know.  Probably even more than *I *know.


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## EAM (May 1, 2009)

Craig said:


> Sunset Crater Volcano in Arizona...It felt like we were on a different planet.


I felt that way at a different volcano, hiking the Kilauea Iki trail on the Big Island.  You go from a lush, fragrant rain forest to a nearly lifeless crater with steam rising from cracks between the rock.


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## Janis (May 1, 2009)

*Climbing to the top of Mt. Sinai and visiting St. Catherine's Monastery*, home of the Burning Bush in - Egypt
Weekly *Camel Market in Cairo*- an unbelievable site - loud, emotional sale price negotiating on camels & donkeys. Proof of Strength showings by taking the wheels off of carts for donkeys to pull. SHouts, hugs & kisses when the deal closes. Fantastic
*Thaipusan Festival *- Penang, Malaysia
Bear Walk - Yellowstone Park (hire a private guide for a 5 mile off-path hike)
Coptic Cairo - where Moses was found among the reeds
Pangkor Island - beautiful resort on a private beach - Malaysia


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## TheDuke (May 2, 2009)

Like Wilma, my lady and I were visitors to the Hundertwasser Public Toilets in New Zealand. I can't recall the town just now, but we were spending a couple of weeks at a really neat timeshare-Club Pahia and visited them. Another interesting sight in that area was a Glow-worm Cave Tour. New Zealand was great.

TheDuke


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## Stressy (May 2, 2009)

wackymother said:


> Quirky places are our specialty!
> 
> The Eden Kazoo Factory was fun.
> http://www.edenkazoo.com/museum.php
> ...



Wack,

You were born for this thread! I immediately thought of you when I read the title. I think you're holding back though....:hysterical:

Besides, who needs to travel when you have this http://www.bananaclub.com/InsideMuseum.htm right in your backyard.

As well as this http://www.wigwammotel.com/


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## Dori (May 2, 2009)

Two of my favourites are Horse Thief Canyon and Drumheller, Alberta.  We loved seeing all the dinosaur fossils and all of the exhibits.

Dori


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## Icc5 (May 2, 2009)

*Hell*

When we used to do cruises each year one time on one of our site seeing tours we went to Hell.  I believe this one was on the Cayman Islands.  We sent out some nice post cards from there to the family.  I believe there are 3or 4 other Hells around.
Bart


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## ricoba (May 2, 2009)

Another one I thought of, I stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona

A long time ago, I visited America's Stonehenge in Maryhill, WA

I have not been here since I was younger, but probably one of the the original  quirky type shops is the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on Pier 54 in Seattle.  When I was a kid, I loved going to this place.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 2, 2009)

When I was a lad I recall stopping somewhere in Kansas or Oklahoma where there was a large hand dug well that was a tourist attraction.  There was a stairway and lighting inside the well so you could descend into the well.


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## Karen G (May 2, 2009)

The  Cadillac Ranch in my hometown of Amarillo, TX.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 2, 2009)

Quirkiest place I've ever visited - a former ICBM missile site that had been converted to an explosives manufacturing and storage facility.  

It was a great use for the operation.  The site was an underground concrete fortress, built to withstand a direct hit from an enemy missile or bomb, so it offered excellent containment in case of an accidental detonation.  

But it was pretty spooky going through the facility.  The missile sites were completely self-contained underground operations, set up to be able to continue even in the event of nuclear war occurring on the land above.  There were large vertical shafts where the missiles were placed ready for firing, above the shafts were thick doors that would be opened for firing, living quarters for the crew, control rooms.  

It was all concrete, suffocatingly black when the lights were out (if any of you have ever experienced what the complete and total absence of any light whatsoever is like - such as occurs in a deep cave where all lights are extinguished - you know what I mean), humid with continual water drips from cracks in the cielings and floors.

I was trying to imagine what it was like to be stationed in a facility such as that. I'm sure that when it was operational it must have been quite a bit cheerier, as there would have been furniture, pictures, posters, etc.


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## DeniseM (May 2, 2009)

The Hindu Monastery on Kauai - unique and gorgeous!


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## wandering gnome (May 2, 2009)

*Hand dug well*

Steve,

The hand dug well you went down was in Greensburg, KS.  More recently, on May 4, 2007 an EF5 tornado level over 95% of the town.  The rebuilding  has been featured nationally on various news shows and Extreme Home Makeover.  The town is using this as an opportunity to rebuild using "green" technology.

Oh of course the hand dug well survived undamaged.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 2, 2009)

wandering gnome said:


> Steve,
> 
> The hand dug well you went down was in Greensburg, KS.  More recently, on May 4, 2007 an EF5 tornado level over 95% of the town.  The rebuilding  has been featured nationally on various news shows and Extreme Home Makeover.  The town is using this as an opportunity to rebuild using "green" technology.
> 
> Oh of course the hand dug well survived undamaged.



Greensburg it must have been.  We were traveling from Phoenix to Minneapolis; I know we went through Tucumcari, crossed the NW corner of Texas, across the Oklahoma panhandle, and into Kansas.  So we would have to have been on US 54, which means we also went through Greensburg.

********

Speaking of Tucumcari, and this fits in with a thread on quirky places, I remember that there was a large statue of a cowboy that we went past when we traveled through Tucumcari.  We kids looked always looked forward to the statue; we called him "Two-Gun Harry from Tucumacari".  I don't know if that was the name generally given him or a name that my older siblings may have attached to him.


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## Arb (May 2, 2009)

*Cappadocia in central Anatolya (Turkey)*

Absolutely amazing ancient history, biblical history, terrain, sunsets.

Aaahhh -- words cannot explain.

Here are some links for more info and photos:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia

http://www.cappadociaturkey.net/

Photos:
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS306&q=cappadocia&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=3Nb8SdezGMurtgfV792iDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=5&ct=title

I spent three weeks in Turkey several years ago, and my days in Cappadocia were far more amazing than anything else, including Istanbul.


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## Arb (May 2, 2009)

*Montserrat Monastery near Barcelona Spain*

it's a day trip, but certainly worth the time. The views are amazing. The art collection is spectacular, the church is awesome. You might not think a visit to a monastery would be a big deal, but visiting this one is!

Here are some good links with more info and pictures.

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/tour/montserrat-spain.html

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/montserrat-shrine.htm

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS306&q=Montserrat+Spain&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=1tr8SbjIBcGDtgeW1emiDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=5&ct=title


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## mecllap (May 2, 2009)

I'm tickled that I've been to several of the places mentioned.  Am planning a road trip for next year to complete my visits to all 50 States -- No. Dakota being the hardest one for me to get to for some reason (and haven't yet found a "must-see" there, at least on the east side -- any ideas?).  Found a Web site last night called RoadAmerica.com that has lots of fun places -- the odd roadside attractions.

If you're ever near Fort Collins, CO. be sure to go to the Swetsville Zoo.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 2, 2009)

mecllap said:


> I'm tickled that I've been to several of the places mentioned.  Am planning a road trip for next year to complete my visits to all 50 States -- No. Dakota being the hardest one for me to get to for some reason (and haven't yet found a "must-see" there, at least on the east side -- any ideas?).  Found a Web site last night called RoadAmerica.com that has lots of fun places -- the odd roadside attractions.



Highlights of North Dakota:
 Bottineau - Snowmobiling turtle. 





Garrision - World's largest walleye?





The Tin Family





Jamestown - world's larget buffalo





Steele - world's largest sandhill crane





****

Those NoDakers just don't know how to quit having fun.


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## RDB (May 3, 2009)

*Spirits of Iron*

On our way to Mt Rainier, we enjoyed the Sculpture Park, Elbe, WA (Ex-Nihilo Cowboy). 

http://www.celebratebig.com/roadside-attractions/ex-nihilo-sculpture-park-cowboy-elbe.htm

If you go to this site then click on the UP arrow in the left upper corner, there's quite a list of odd things to see.

Example:
Airmail Mailbox 
Architectural Grab Bag Building 
Bicycle Tree 
BMW 2002 Pickup Truck 
Buffalo Slobber 
Buster The Beer Drinking Pig Memorial 
Cab In The Woods 
Cell Phone Shaped Building 
Dick and Jane's Spot 
Driftwood Giraffe 
Ex-Nihilo Cowboy 
Fancy Junk 
Fish In A Bikini 
Free Art Shrine 
Gehrke Windmill Garden 
Hay Bale Jailbird 
Hay Roll Millipede 
Kitchen-Dick Road 
Lawn Art House 
Lincoln's Toe Truck 
Luggage Art Sculpture 
Maryhill Stonehenge War Memorial 
Monumento al W.C. 
M.V. Phecal Phreak 
Oscar Mayer Wienermobile 
Rawfoodsmobile 
Rust Garden 
Self-Kicking Club 
Spaceship Bus Shelter 
Studio 4:20 
Treehouse Guiding Principles 
Waterfront Exercise Bikes 
Wildwood Chapel 
Zero Project


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## ricoba (May 3, 2009)

Steve's pictures reminded me of a couple of the odd "largest" things I have seen.

Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (I had a friend from Moose Jaw)

Sharptail Grouse Ashern, Manitoba (I used to live here)


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## btcctomtb (May 3, 2009)

hefleycatz said:


> I'm from Elwood, so I 2nd that.  Also the dunes in Michigan.   Many fun times as a kid on property my granpa used to own at Lake Manistique
> 
> Also in Indiana.  www.PurgatoryGolf.com



Great golf course and the name is fitting. I have not fared so well in my Purgatory here a few times. The first course I ever ran out of golf balls on. 

Mast General Store Valle Crucis, NC is a Favorite Quircky must visit. I hope my Dentist does not read this. Last trip spent over $60 in candy. Every candy I loved as a child.

http://www.mastgeneralstore.com/category.cfm/mast/candy 

Can not wait to go back!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 3, 2009)

Her's a picture of the Tucumcari cowboy.  I think he must be gone, because there aren't any photos of the cowboy in Google Earth or Panoramio.






******

Minnesota has (or used to have) two Paul Bunyans:

one in Brainerd 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




and one in Bemidji: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




In trying to find photos it seems as though both of these may be gone.  The Brainerd Paul Bunyan was a "talking" Paul Bunyan.  My family tells a story of visiting the Brainerd Paul Bunyan. My older brother was quite captivated by the Paul Bunyan statue.  While my brother was entranced by the statue, my father sidled over to a booth in which there was a person who was "Paul Bunyan's voice".  He gave the man in the booth my brother's name.  About that time, my brother sat on Paul Bunyan's foot, promptng Paul Bunyan to say, "David, get off my foot."  My brother was apparently astounded that Paul Bunyan knew his name.

****

But Big Ole the Viking in Alexandria (my hometown) still stands guard at the main intersection in town:


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## T_R_Oglodyte (May 3, 2009)

ricoba said:


> Steve's pictures reminded me of a couple of the odd "largest" things I have seen.
> 
> Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (I had a friend from Moose Jaw)
> 
> Sharptail Grouse Ashern, Manitoba (I used to live here)



Another largest thing, and continuing the North Dakota theme:

The World's Largest Pile of Oil Cans (I kid you not!) in Casselton, North Dakota. Does the fun in North Dakota ever end??


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## RDB (May 3, 2009)

RDB said:


> On our way to Mt Rainier, we enjoyed the Sculpture Park, Elbe, WA (Ex-Nihilo Cowboy).
> 
> http://www.celebratebig.com/roadside-attractions/ex-nihilo-sculpture-park-cowboy-elbe.htm
> 
> ...



Here are a couple shots taken at Elbe.


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