Long before traveling internationally, road trips were the way we traveled across the United States. Always searching for a new place to see. And new things to do. In our travels, we come across some odd and unique roadside attractions.

In San Antonio, a huge cowboy boot at a mall. On our way to Key West, a giant lobster named Big Betsy. On Route 66 in Arizona, dinosaurs and teepees and great roadside stops. There’s been teapots and shoes. Chairs and cars. Coffee cups and martini glasses. A sombrero-adorned statue in South of the Border. A colorful buoy claiming the southern most point of the U.S. in Key West. Don’t forget about Cadillac Ranch in Texas. All unusually large renditions. There’s always the car or boat or motorcycle through the roof of a building. Various entrances to attractions that feature walking through the mouth of a dragon, an alligator, a dinosaur, a whale…you get the idea. One of my all-time favorites is the Neon Boneyard in Las Vegas, featuring many old casino marquees and area signs. Not to mention the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign. Stand on the corner in Winslow, Arizona and sing along with the Eagles. Enjoy the beautiful murals on the sides of buildings across small and big town USA. You can drive through Washington, D.C. for roadside views of many of the monuments and historical buildings. Better still, plan to visit them! The Smithsonian offers free admission! A good way to take a break from driving is to pull off the highway at a vista-view site. Get out of the car. Stretch your legs. Read the plaques that describe the view or significance of the area. Enjoy the view! Check out the world’s tallest thermometer in Baker, California. What about checking out Mount Rushmore in South Dakota? Or a ghost town in Rhyolite, Nevada where a house is made from 50,000 bottles? Or check out the huge boot in front of L.L. Bean in Maine.Each state has something! There’s a website (see below) where you can indicate the desired state and receive a list of tourist attractions, from the unusual to the bizarre!

A fun family participation sport is called Geocache (www.geocache.com). Using satellites and a hand-held GPS, find your destination using coordinates to locate a treasure box or a significant historical or interesting object or building. Sign the log. Bring swag to exchange. Or better yet, create your own geocache in your neighborhood! Geocaching brought us to many locations we may never have experienced without our GPS and sense of adventure. The caches are ability-rated so even mobility challenged folks can enjoy getting out and about to participate in this sport!

Craving weird food? Or weirdly decorated restaurants? They are also out there. For instance the Road Kill Cafe on Route 66, stuffed with way too much taxidermy and menu items with rather gross names. Or a 50’s diner in Yermo, California called Peggy Sue’s with Elvis watching you eat your fried bologna sandwich.

As a child, Burma Shave signs dotted the roadside. It was also a fun way to pass the time reading the messages as we drove by.

Everything from ghost towns such as Calico Ghost Town in California to above ground cemeteries in New Orleans to nature’s oddities to unusual monuments await your discovery. Plan a road trip! Visit an unusual road side attraction. The beauty of road trips is that you can go at your own pace. No large groups. No buses to travel on. Just you and your car and a loved one or two. Have fun!

Here’s a couple of websites to get you started:
Roadsideattractions.com
atlasobscura.com

What do you think of the new ‘trick’ I learned about putting pictures within the post, instead of the gallery? I’m pretty pleased with it, if I do say so myself!

Not all those who wander are lost.
– J.R.R. Tolkien

The worst part about traveling as far as I’m concerned! Here’s a few ideas of how to avoid jet lag after hours of travel, across the states or across the pond!

• Always set your clock to the local time – The best way to acclimate to a new time zone is to embrace it. You may be tired, but best to set your clock or watch to the local time. Still adhere to your normal bedtime, in the new time zone. Avoid napping when you get to your destination the first day. Go out and explore! You’ll be ready to sleep at bedtime.
• Go easy on the alcohol – Alcohol tends to dehydrate, which can lead to a nasty hangover if overindulgent.
• Drink plenty of water – Water not only keeps you hydrated, it gives you a good reason to get up, stretch and take a walk…to the onboard lavatory!
• Get up and stretch – Long flight? When the captain turns off the seat belt sign (hopefully!), stand up, walk up and down the aisle, just don’t congregate near the galley or rest rooms. they tend to not like that! While seated, do not cross your legs or feet. Do some sitting exercises such as rolling your ankles, march quietly in place and pointing/flexing your toes. Just don’t be too energetic and disturb the person next to you!
• Arrive a day or two early – Always good advice. But not always practical.

As always, safe travels!