Apparently, Bigger is Better. Pt 1

World's biggest ball or yarn. World's biggest frying pan. Why? Who really knows. But it doesn't stop with just knitting tools and cooking utensils.

Thermometer - Baker, California
134 ft
This temperature gauge stands high above the Mojave Desert as a monument to the day in 1913 when Death Valley temperatures reached 134 degrees F. The original thermometer fell due to high winds. But, fear not. It was re-built and stands behind what is now a Bob's Big Boy.

Artichoke - Castroville, California
20 ft
Castroville is the "Artichoke Center of the World," and the residents must be proud. So proud that they have a giant artichoke in town, as well as an annual Artichoke Festival, which Miss Marilyn Monroe found herself the Artichoke Queen of in 1947.

General Sherman Tree - Sequoia-Kings National Park, California
275 ft (and still growing)
The General Sherman tree is somewhere around 2,000 years old and is the world's largest tree by volume (meaning it isn't the tallest, or widest, but biggest once you add it's height and width...I mean, it isn't just adding, there's a lot more math than that). The tree was named after the American Civil War General William Sherman in 1879.

Caveman - Grants Pass, Oregon
18 ft
In 1922 a group of men held an underground ceremony to launch a club similar to the Elks, but named the Cavemen. Members used to dress in skins and march in local parades, but now there's not much left to mark the group. Except of course for the giant fiberglass caveman.

Radio Flyer Wagon - Spokane, Washington
12 ft x 27 ft
Riverfront Park in Spokane has a giant Radio Flyer Wagon named The Childhood Express - and it can fit 300 kids in it. Visitors can climb up a ladder at the back of the wagon and slide back down the handle. At least the 26 ton sculpture has a purpose - holding large amounts of children captive.

Blue Whale - Catoosa, Oklahoma
80 ft
Most women swoon over expensive jewelry or personal love songs, but Hugh Davis' wife was obviously into giant whales. Hugh built the 80 foot cement whale in the early 1970 as an anniversary present for his wife. The Davis family eventually operated a reptile zoo and swimming hole around the great blue whale until Hugh passed away. The community has since been refurbishing and repainting their beloved whale.

Golden Driller - Tulsa, Oklahoma
76 ft
This giant man is the world's largest free-standing statue, standing 76 feet high and weighing in at 43, 500 pounds. It was originally built for the International Petroleum Exposition, but was refurbished and relocated to the Tulsa Exposition Center in 1966.

Big Tex - Dallas, Texas
52 ft
Another giant man, this cowboy has been standing at the State Fair of Texas since 1952. These days he even talks, letting out a booming "Howdy, folks!" And for the record, I do find Big Tex incredibly creepy.

Killer Bee - Hidalgo, Texas
20 ft
This gigantic bee sits outside City Hall in Hidalgo. In 1990 the city was given the title of 'Killer Bee Capital of the World."

Cow / Buffalo - New Salem, ND / Jamestown, ND
38 ft / 26 ft






A giant cow stands alongside I-94 to honor the local dairy industry. The giant cow also has a name, Salem Sue, and can be seen from five miles away. In Jamestown a buffalo stands 26 feet high and 46 feet long. The concrete buffalo watches over a heard of living buffalo.

Funny Little Facts

Throwin' a bunch of 'did-ya-knows' your way!

The first motel to open in America was the Milestone Motel in San Luis Obispo, CA in 1925.

The Hollywood sign actually began its life as a real estate promotional sign reading Hollywoodland. The last four letters were destroyed in some fashion or another and the remaining letters were reconstructed in 1973 after the 'O' fell down the hill and the 'L' was set on fire by an arsonist.

Yosemite Falls, in Yosemite National Park, is the country's longest waterfall from winter through midsummer (2,425 ft). But by August, then throughout the winter, the falls are completely dried up. The Falls are also actually three falls: Upper Yosemite Falls (1,430 ft), Middle Cascades (675 ft), and Lower Yosemite Falls (320 ft).

London Bridge was indeed falling down, sinking into the Thames River in the 60's. The granite bridge was auctioned off as officials laid plans for a new bridge. Robert McCulloch, founder of Lake Havasu City, AZ,  found himself the winning bidder for $2.5 million.

The old bridge was shipped to Long Beach, then trucked to Arizona and rebuilt over a man-made lagoon. (I'm having issues with the schematics of this one too)

Cut Bank, Montana holds the title of coldest town in the United States. (Really? Colder than Alaska?!) The record low is recorded at -46 degrees F. I'm starting to believe their title is in reference to continual coldness, not a single temperature - as Alaska reached a staggering -80 degrees F in 1971 at Prospect Creek.

Wanna get your kicks on Route 66? Well, you can't. At least not officially.  The Mother Road is no longer recognized by Congress or included on US road maps. But you can still find stretches of the Historic Route 66. If you want a real taste of the old days, take a drive down the 66 through Seligman, Arizona. I've been to this town and it defines sleepy these days, but it sure makes you nostalgic for some Elvis and Monroe.





Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Well America's got plenty of replica's of some of the world's most recognizable sights. Paris, Texas and Paris, Tennessee are both home to Eiffel Tower replicas - and don't forget the Paris hotel in Las Vegas (pictured to the left). If you want to visit the Greek Parthenon just get yourself to Nashville, TN (trust me, it's an odd sight if you're not expecting it to be there). Niles, Illinois has their own Leaning Tower, even if it is only half size. But if it's something mysterious and tribal you're looking for, set your eyes upon the Easter Island statues or Stonehenge II in Hunt, Texas (or you could visit Foamhenge as I did in Virginia).

Amazing Mazes

I have always wanted to visit one of the corn mazes that pop up each fall (although this would not fulfill my weird wish of running aimlessly through a corn field). And I'm not talking about one of the little kiddie mazes, I want one that's going to get me lost, and turned around, and take awhile to get out of. Apparently, I'm not the only one.

Corn isn't the only medium out there. Buffalo, NY once built a maze completely out of ice, while Reignac-sur-Indre, France builds theirs out of flowers (changing the flowers and maze design every year). I'm a little bummed to learn that Lucerne, Switzerland has a beautiful maze of mirrors and flowers and I missed it. I have been through a mirror maze before. They're fun as long as you keep your hands out in front of you, otherwise you're in danger of damaging your nose.

Reignac-sur-Indre

If you're a maze lover, or just like to get yourself hopelessly lost, check out these other awesome mazes from around the world. 

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/lost-amazing-mazes-155935985.html

Words of Wisdom

Here's something new for all you readers. Some awesome travel quotes! (yaaaaay!)

"The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land." - Gilbert Keith Chesterton

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." - Mark Twain

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." - Lau Tzu

"The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor." - Unknown.

"We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way." - Gloria Gaither

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." - Edgar Allan Poe

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - H. Jackson Brown (often attributed to Mark Twain, but cannot be substantiated)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao Tzu (and this one's in my living room!)

"Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." - Andre Gide

"I can't think of anything that excites a great sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything." - Bill Bryson

"No place is boring if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film." - Robert Adams