Unique Places to visit Part I

Are you ready for a truly different road trip? All across America, just past the highways and city lights, from places that seem to defy gravity to giant roadside objects and towns with unbelievable stories, these unique spots can make your next trip an adventure to remember.

https://www.drivethrutree.com/

https://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/igloo-city

https://thorncrown.com/

https://www.bowlinsthething.com/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/littos-hubcap-ranch

https://www.mysteryspot.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Brea_Tar_Pits#:~:text=La%20Brea%20Tar%20Pits%20comprise,a%20registered%20National%20Natural%20Landmark.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Mystery_House

https://www.visitcos.com/areas/victor/victor-troll/

https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/l/attractions/coral-castle-museum-and-sculpture-garden/3636

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle

https://www.visitathensga.com/things-to-do/attractions/the-tree-that-owns-itself/

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2071#google_vignette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_hill

https://www.alamosa.org/listing/ufo-watchtower/

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12465

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/atlanta-white-house

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/13539

https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

https://www.destinationcaldwell.com/places/big-idaho-potato-hotel/

http://www.catsupbottle.com/

https://www.bigthingssmalltown.com/

​​https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/martinidrinking-pink-elephant

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/22492

https://www.westbendgrotto.com/history/

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Welcome to the Cashley Show. We are Kevin and Ashley.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Hello.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

We started this podcast after recent tragedies to take a break from negativity and discover the good things happening all around us. Everywhere. Today we are talking about unique places to visit. You didn't know.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Was it a bit of a surprise to you too?

SPEAKER_02 0:34

I forgot the name.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Neither one of us knows what we're talking about today.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

I wrote this a long time ago. You didn't like this last time we tried this.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Last time we tried what?

SPEAKER_02 0:44

This episode.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Oh, we've done this one before?

SPEAKER_02 0:47

We started it. So we're gonna go back to it.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

And see if you like it better.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Did anything change? Or just maybe my attitude? You get to see pictures now. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Maybe your attitude. Maybe. We'll see. Before you get ready for summer vacation, we're going to tell you some strange places you can visit, no matter what state you visit. The first one is if you have a trip to Alabama plan this summer and you're looking for something new or different to do, Alabama is home to the Unclaimed Baggage Center. In 1970, a man named Doyle Owens came up with a great idea. He bought unclaimed baggage from Trailway Bus Line. The business has grown and they're and the store now receives thousands of unclaimed items each week, all of which are sorted and clean. This website says they have more than a million visitors a year. They also have online items now.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

So they're just like a big Salvation Army type store, kind of. But it's all I guess maybe not used stuff in the sense of like what you send here in Utah, they say DI, but everywhere else is the Salvation Army. So it's probably a little bit better quality stuff.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

Could be, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Because it's just stuff that was in people's bags that they never seems weird that you wouldn't come get your stuff.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

You forgot that you brought a suitcase.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

You just could never find it.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Yeah, I wonder if some of them are just got lost. Right. And they never put their name on it, so the one lost it.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Yep. Yep. No little tag that says who to contact.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Alright. In Alaska, there's a place called Igloo City. It was built in Cantwell in 1970 as a hotel.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

Isn't that when the thing in Alabama started too? It was 1970. That's when that guy Yep. 1970. It's a good decade.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

It was good.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

A lot of things started. Nothing important has happened in Alabama or Alaska. It's true. Since 1970.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

These weren't that great, so they're just kind of funny things you can see. The hotel never opened because it never met building codes. It has four stories and is made of concrete. So it looks like an igloo with windows, but like a big. Yeah, but like the windows come out of the igloo, so it's not like a complete dome. Sure. You would think of.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

It's just igloo shaped.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Yeah. It's halfway between Fairbanks and Anchorage. The hotel is now falling into disrepair, covered with graffiti, and has broken windows.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

Yeah, because it's been like 50 years.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Yeah, but it would be kind of cool to see it and to see inside of it.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

I probably can't, but seems cool. Next one is Arizona. So we drove through Arizona a few years ago. It's located in Dragoon. Is that how you say it? Dragon with two O's.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Dragoon? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Arizona. So this is down south, like south and east of Phoenix.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Down near the Mexico border? Yeah. Is that a river or a road? It's a road. What road is that? Uh interstate something.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Say 70 or 10.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

Get closer and it keeps getting smaller. Stop. I think it's I-10. Apparently, my eyes are bad because I can't see them.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 4:08

All right. So the Thing Museum was started in the 1950s. Their website says the old museum was reminiscent of Circus Sideshow. The Thing Museum is known for their hundreds of billboard signs and their mummy-like object in a glass coffin. The museum takes about 30 minutes to walk through and currently costs five dollars per person or ten dollars for a family.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

That's a very reasonable price.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

Yeah, if you're in the middle of nowhere, go check it out. This museum is out of the way, but has a gas station and a Dairy Queen.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

Everything you need.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

People say it's worth it.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

Our kids love Dairy Queen. So it's like a big gas station and it's part of the gas station, it looks like. Oh, okay. So kind of interesting.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

It's not like it's somewhere, and there's the museum and a gas station and dairy queen. It's like all in one.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Yep. If you're traveling through there, check it out.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Next up is Arkansas. This is where we ended last time.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

Arkansas.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

Yeah, Arkansas. So this one is the Thorn Crown Chapel. The church is a glass and wood structure with a rock floor and is set in a forest.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

This seems like something from like I don't know, like Indonesia or uh if you show me these pictures and ask me to guess, Kansas would never even be on. Or Arkansas, I guess. Or Kansas would never even be on.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

I never would have guessed that.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Yeah, it's just it's a tall, thin chapel in there's just like trees all around it. But the structure of it is pretty crazy. Like there's I would guess they're wood beams, but maybe they're metal that's just like crisscross. Yeah. And it's pretty, it's a very pretty super cool. So it has won the American Institute of Architects 25-year award.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

What does that mean? 25 year old like it's been standing for 25 years and you get an award.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

Or this is our 25th time giving the award. I don't know. Do you want me to look it up?

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

It's a highly prestigious annual prize recognizing an architectural landmark completed 25 to 35 years prior that has stood the test of time. It's not really the test of time. It's 25 years.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

I've almost done that twice. I've almost gotten two of those awards.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

They don't care to give you one though. Sorry. There is no fee to visit the chapel, but they do appreciate donations. Many people have chosen to be married at this beautiful chapel.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

Yeah, that would be cool.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

There are fees for that. The chapel is 48 feet tall, 24 feet wide, and 60 feet long. It is made up of about 6,000 square feet of glass. So there's pews in there too for the weddings.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:50

It's pretty.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

It is. It's way cool.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Okay, California. There is a place called Hubcap Ranch. So if you're in Pope Valley, make a stop at the Hubcap Ranch. It began in 1942 when one man started hanging found hubcaps along a dirt road. Over time, it grew into just a display of more than 5,000 hubcaps. Now DeMonte's grandson and his wife invite visitors to explore the collection and enjoy this unique of his piece of history.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

I can't imagine like hubcaps aren't like what they used to be.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

No.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Right?

SPEAKER_02 7:26

So they'll just fall off.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yeah, now yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Now we have wheels. Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Now we have rims and stuff that yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

But he has them like all over buildings, like shacks, I guess, would more than buildings. Right, they're just hung up everywhere. Yeah, all over this property. It's it's interesting. The next one is the mystery spot. I want to go here so bad, but I don't think I would enjoy the traffic of Santa Cruz. So the mystery spot is just outside of Santa Cruz. There's a place where reality feels different. In a hundred and fifty foot circle among the redwoods, the laws of physics seem to change. At the mystery spot, compasses spin, people seem to grow or shrink, and the water appears to flow uphill. Discovered in 1939, this strange place has amazed visitors for years. Whether it's real a real mystery or just an illusion from the sloping land and leaning trees, you'll leave wondering what you just experienced and maybe even question your own balance. Have you ever been here?

SPEAKER_01 8:33

No. Nope. Santa Cruz was a little far away when I lived in California.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

Yeah. Alright. This one, I don't know if you've ever heard of this one. Did you know there's tar pits? Yeah. In California? No idea. Tar pits still existed. So do you say this Le Bray?

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Yeah, that I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

So we'll call it Le Bray. Le Bray tar pits. You'll visit these to experience prehistoric time. It's one of the only five natural asphalt lakes in the world.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

Natural asphalt lakes.

SPEAKER_02 9:04

And three of them are in California. Three of five are in California.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Would a not natural asphalt lake be like a parking lot?

unknown 9:12

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

This bubbling sticking spot is an active dig site where scientists have found fossils from more than 10,000 ancient animals. Vit visitors can watch real excavations, see interesting exhibits, and picture what California was like thousands of years ago.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

A lot of these are in California.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

So I have I've been making a list. I love lists, and Kevin hates that I love lists.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

I don't I don't hate that you love lists.

SPEAKER_02 9:44

I spend too much time on lists. Yeah. I love them.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Just make lists, you don't do anything with them. There's lists.

SPEAKER_02 9:49

I do stuff with some of them. But I have a list of like places to visit in each state. I will say California and Florida are the longest. Even though we used to live there, we didn't see a lot of when we were there. Alright. Next we have the Winchester Mystery House. Have you heard of this one?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Um is the one like you go in it and like things are all like weird as far as like how you're standing and different things like that.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

No, it's just kind of a hold on. I forget what city this is in. San Jose. We could have seen this one. We lived.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

That's a big house. Oh more like a hotel.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

So this lady who owned this house, let me see if it tells you. I'll tell you at the end if I don't tell you in here.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

If you're looking for something mysterious, visit the Winchester Mystery House. This huge mansion has a hundred and sixty rooms, covers twenty-four thousand square feet, with surprises in every corner. It used to be seven stories tall, but in nineteen the nineteen oh six earthquake destroyed the upper floors, leaving staircases that go nowhere and doors that open into walls. Sarah Winchester designed the house herself, it is full of legend and ghost stories. Visitors can walk through its winding halls and decide for themselves if the stories are true. So she was married to the Winchester guy that did like the guns.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

And I think he died, and then she started just building onto this house and bending on. Yeah. Basically. So, anyways, so it's kind of crazy. Seems interesting to go in there and just like staircases that go onto the ceiling. Like it's interesting that that never got fixed. Yeah. Took out the staircases.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

It's like a a madhouse.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

Yeah, I wonder what it looked like when it was seven stories tall in 1906, a seven-story home.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

It's very big.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

Next up is Colorado. So this next story is about Rita the Rock Planter. Rita is a whimsical twenty one-foot-tall sculpture made completely of recycled wood. Rita isn't just eye-catching. She kneels on the ground, symbolizing the healing of scars left by miners. This gentle giant encourages you to think about nature, healing, and creativity together.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

It's kind of interesting. Yeah, it's an interesting looking statue.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Also in Colorado, you can visit the UFO Watchtower in Alamosa. It was opened in 2000 thanks to a creative cattle rancher seeking new ideas during hard times. The site features a dome-shaped building with a rooftop platform. Ideal for taking in the wide open landscape. Both locals and visitors often look up since this area is known for strange lights and many UFO sightings.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

So it's out more in the plains of Colorado.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Next up we have Connecticut. In Connecticut, if you love sweets or enjoy a bit of nostalgia, check out the Pez Visitor Center. Inside you'll find the world's largest collection of colorful Pez dispensers, including the biggest one ever made. You can try Pez Trivia, browse the factory store, and even watch the candy being made. There was a guy when I used to work at a bank. I don't remember what department he was in, but I heard that he had a huge Pez collection. Bookshelves full of Pez. Why? I don't know. I don't know why anyone loves them that much. The candies aren't great. The things usually break.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

So I'm not really sure.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Anyway, if you like Pez, check that out. Next up is Delaware. Have you ever dreamed of living in a spaceship?

SPEAKER_00 13:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

In 1968, Finnish architect Maddie, probably destroy your last name, Saranen. We'll go with that one. Designed the Futuro house, a home shaped like a flying saucer intended to address the housing crisis. Only 96 were built, and one is now in Delaware. It's just 26 feet wide, and when it rains, the pod gets loud, which adds to its unusual charm.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

Why does it get loud?

SPEAKER_02 14:08

Because it's just banging rain on metal.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Seems like that wouldn't be great in the winter or the summer. No. Just just bare metal.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

I bet Delaware's summers aren't bad, but their winters have gotta be rough. So it might be a little chilly. Next is Florida. This one is first one is the Coral Castle. Just outside of Miami, you'll find one of America's most puzzling wonders, the Coral Castle. After being left by his fiancee, so there's something that I read that she was actually a miner.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

So she went and back into the mines?

SPEAKER_02 14:44

No. Like she was not of age. His fiance left the night before his wedding. Edward spent twenty-eight years building dreamlike fortress from eleven hundred tons of solid coral.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Where do you get coral from?

SPEAKER_02 15:01

See if I tell you inherited.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

Like isn't the coral all dying in the ocean? Because he stole it. This guy's like ripping it out.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

Well, this was a long time ago. 1928.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

Well, it was pretty sure it was the early 1900s. I'll look in a minute. He carved tables, chairs, a sundial, and more, moving blocks heavier than cars all by himself. How did a man just over five feet tall and one hundred pounds manage this? Some believed he used homemade pulleys, while others talk about magnetism. Secret knowledge or even magic. Edward never explained, only saying, It's not difficult if you know how. Today Coral Castle is a mysterious monument to love, lost, and the impossible. Visitors still wonder if they'll ever solve its secrets. People have compared the mystery of Coral Castle to Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

But we know how they built the Taj Mahal. Right?

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Didn't we talk about that in the wonders?

SPEAKER_01 15:59

You should do a history's mysteries thing again.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

They take a lot of time. It started in 1923. Next in Florida, the world's smallest post office.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

It's a little tool shed.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

Yeah. In Ochopi, Florida, you'll find a tiny marvel, the world's smallest post office. After a fire in 1953, the local post office moved into this 61.3 square foot shed, which once stored irrigation pipes for a tomato farm. It soon became a quirky roadside stop. Today it still operates as a post office and a trailways bus ticket stop, serving three counties and attracting visitors seeking the unique Ochopee postmark.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

Yeah, how does it serve three counties? Like are there ten people? Because that's not holding a lot of mail in there.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Yeah, I don't know. Maybe they're a small counties. I'm not sure where the city is. Alright, next, Georgia. In the center in the center of Athens, there's a famous white oak with a unique claim. It legally owns itself and the land around it. Local stories from 1890 newspaper say a colonel gave the tree and eight feet of land to the tree itself, creating an unusual property situation. The original 400-year-old oak fell during a storm in 1942. But locals planted its acorns. Today you can visit the new tree that carries on the legend. Even has a little plaque.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

It's kind of interesting.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

That's cool.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

Also in Georgia, the world's largest peanut.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Is it a real peanut? No.

SPEAKER_02 17:38

In Ashburn, Georgia, peanuts are more than a crop, they're a source of pride. The original 10-foot rotating peanut statue was knocked down by Hurricane Michael in 2018. But the town rebuilt. In 2023, they revealed a new 40-foot-tall 5,000-pound peanut.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Take that, Michael.

SPEAKER_02 17:59

Made of strong steel, honoring the old statue's history. It stands as a symbol of Georgia's love for peanuts. Next up, also Georgia.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Another Georgia.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

This is the White House of the South.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

It's pretty cool. Looks like the White House.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

So after leaving Iran in 1979, Fred Milani set out to achieve his American dream. By 2002, he had built a 16,500 square foot replica of the White House in Atlanta as a tribute to democracy. Inside there's an Oval Office and even Lincoln's bedroom. Though the decorations reflect Milani's personal style, the mansion was foreclosed in 2011, but it's now worth $35 million. Standing as a symbol of one's man ambition. This was on Zillow when I looked it up when I did this months ago, so I don't know if it's still there. But it's kind of cool.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

It's a big house.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Yeah, it's cool that he made like a replica of it. I bet it's a bit nicer, newer. Next is Hawaii. So the legend this is about the legendary Pink Hotel. On Kona Island, the pink hotel was known for more than its pink color. It featured what many considered the most scenic urinal.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Oh. Went in a different direction.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

With impressive views for guests. Although the hotel has closed and the property is now a private home, stories about the unusual restrooms are still told on the island. So you walk out here and it's just like ocean and trees, and you just pee looking at that.

SPEAKER_01 19:35

Like off the side of the walkway?

SPEAKER_02 19:37

No, back here. Like you walk through this walkway, and there's the urinal, I guess, back here with a window.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Oh. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:45

No headrest though. Next is Idaho. This one is Craters of the Moon. So we drove by this a couple months ago. Yeah. So near Arco, the Craters of the Moon National Monument covers 1750,000 acres of lava flows, cinder cone islands, and lava tube caves. Visitors can hike, camp, and explore this unusual landscape that feels like another planet. Have you ever been here?

SPEAKER_01 20:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:13

Next up in Idaho is the big Idaho Potato Hotel. So this is inside of the hotel.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

It's just a bed and a chair?

SPEAKER_02 20:22

Yes. And the bathroom is outside of the potato. In Boise, you can stay inside a giant potato. Oh boy. This 610 potato replica sits on four.

SPEAKER_01 20:35

It's not even a real potato?

SPEAKER_02 20:36

Nope.

SPEAKER_01 20:37

On four peanut.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

Disappointing to you.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

They're not. You can't say the world's largest peanut if it's not a peanut.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

How could you stay in a hollowed-out potato just rot?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

They don't even like to be cut and sit out for like an hour. Turn in burnt black. This potato sits on 400 acres of farmland and has been turned into a comfortable Airbnb for two, with a queen bed, a sitting area, and a mini fridge. The bathroom is a converted grain silo next door, which includes a tub, fireplace, and skylight for stargazing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Seems like it'd be kind of cool.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Yeah. The silo bathroom. I don't know if it's that all the way over there.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Yeah, in that picture, that's like a hundred and fifty yards away.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

You gotta drive over to the bathroom?

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:25

I'm not walking that in the dark. The lights. 400 acres of just farmland. Alright, next up is Illinois, the world's largest ketsup bottle.

SPEAKER_01 21:35

Ketzup.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

So in Collinsville, a hundred and seventy-foot water tower stands out because it looks like a giant bottle of Brooks Katsup.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

I've never heard of Brooks Ketzup.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Me neither. It was built in 1949 to promote a local bottling plant. It has become a quirky roadside landmark and a reminder of America's condiment history. Hines made ketchup, the official term. In the eighteen eighties, but some brands used Catsup for many years. Del Monte was the last to switch in nineteen eighty-eight.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

Come on, Del Monte.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

Hundred years later.

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Hold on. Stay true to yourself, Del Monte.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

Should have. Next up is Illinois.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

We're already in Illinois. We were already in Illinois.

SPEAKER_02 22:19

Oh. Next up is another one from Illinois. The Leaning Tower of Niles. You don't have to go to Italy to see a leaning tower. Illinois has its own. Built in 1934 by Robert Ilg, the Leaning Tower of Niles is a smaller, quirky version of the famous Pisa landmark. It stands 94 feet tall and leans 7.4 feet off center. Originally it hid a water tank, but now it's a favorite local site. If you visit the right at the right time, you'll hear its bells play songs like On Top of Old Smokey and My Favorite Things, making this roadside stop even more special. Is this from my favorite things? Is that from Santa Music?

SPEAKER_01 23:06

These are a list of my favorite things.

SPEAKER_02 23:10

I would guess.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

I think so. Still in Illinois.

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Another Illinois. The world's largest objects in Casey, Illinois. The roadside attractions are huge. This small town is known for its record-breaking collection of giant items. You can ring a 50 foot wind chime, step inside a mailbox, you can climb up in here, and you can actually mail stuff like some postman comes all the way up here to get mail, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

It's bigger than the smallest post office.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

Yeah. You can sit in a 56 foot tall rocking chair, stand under a 30 foot golf tee, and see a sixty foot long pitchfork. It's a fun larger than life adventure for everyone. Next up is Santa Claus, Indiana.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

That's the actual name of the town.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

So America's Christmas hometown. In Santa Claus, Indiana, it feels like Christmas all year. You can ride roller coasters at a holiday themed amusement park, cool off at the water park, visit the Santa Claus Museum, enjoy treats at Santa's Candy Castle, and shop for ornaments anytime. Be sure to send a letter from the only post office just for Santa. The town even changed its name from Santa Fe in the 1800s to get that special postmark.

SPEAKER_01 24:28

From Santa Fe to Santa Claus.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

Mm-hmm. There's already a Santa Fe. Also in Indiana, the martini drinking pink elephant. In Fortville, you'll find a twelve foot tall, nineteen foot long pink elephant holding a martini and wearing black rimmed glasses. This fun and quirky mascot has welcomed drivers outside elite beverage elite beverages since the 1980s. Take a selfie with this unique roadside attraction for a memorable stop. Also in Indiana. You do this one?

SPEAKER_01 25:03

You want me to read it?

SPEAKER_02 25:04

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Or you just may go there.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

Go there. Nope. This one has a giant toilet slide. At the kids' museum in Columbus, learning is extra fun. The Explore House exhibit has a huge toilet, seven feet tall and four feet wide. It's actually a slide. Kids can climb in and slide down to learn about plumbing in a funny, hands-on way. It's a great stop for families who like to laugh. Flush your kids down the toilet.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

Right. I'm sure our kids would like that.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

They would. Alright, next is Iowa.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

James T. Kirk.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

The future birthplace.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

Do you know what this is? Huh? Oh, I'd never heard of it. Oh. Alright. The future birthplace of Captain Kirk. Star Trek fans will love Riverside, Iowa. Here you can visit the official future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk. Marked with a plaque for his fictional arrival on March 22nd, 2228. The town celebrates this unique claim, making it a fun stop for sci-fi fans and curious visitors. So this really is the Captain Kirk from Star Trek? Was born there? Yeah, well, this is just like said he was born.

SPEAKER_01 26:18

As far as I know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:19

It's interesting. Well, that's cool. Also in Iowa, the Grotto of Redemption. In West Bend, you'll find an amazing stone shrine built by Father Paul Doberstein. After he survived pneumonia as a young seminarian, he spent forty two years collecting over a hundred thousand rocks, gems, and shells from around the world to create the largest man-made grotto, covering an acre and reaching up to forty feet high. This sparkling site is open all year and is often called the eighth wonder of the world. Best of all, it's free to visit.

SPEAKER_01 26:57

Ooh, nice.

SPEAKER_02 26:58

Look at all that rock and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

That's a lot. Oh, that's it.

SPEAKER_01 27:03

Just to the eyes, huh?

SPEAKER_02 27:04

Mm-hmm. That's all we made it to. Yeah, I think. No matter where your travels take you across the United States, there's always something unexpected just off the beaten path. So pack your curiosity and let your next road trip surprise you. The strangest, most memorable moments might be just around the corner. Remember, even a small act of kindness can be someone's beacon in their darkest moment. Choose kindness every day. Reach out to someone today. You have the power to change a life. Be the signal of hope this world needs to be.