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).