From quirky museums to must-see oddities, the Americana road side experience has become so popular that it even got its own smartphone app and a website with tips and stories from travelers. If you're booking a car rental in the U.S., planning your road trip should get a lot more exciting with some of these attractions:
Biosphere 2, Oracle (Arizona): located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains, this spaceship-like glass facility was named by Time Life Books as one of the 50 must-see Wonders of the World. B2 adopted the tagline "where science lives" and wants to stay true to this by serving as a center for research, teaching and life-longing leaning about Earth.
Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo (Texas): this tribute to the American dream has been featured in numerous travelogues and inspired Bruce Springsteen to write a song with the same title. Featuring 10 cars half buried, this art installation was initially created in 1974 as a temporary display. Visitors are encouraged to paint the displayed cars, creating an amazing interactive experience.
World's Largest Ball of Twine (Kansas and Minnesota): Because there's not such thing as too many gigantic balls of twine, Cawker City and and Darwin both claim to gave the biggest and best in the world. The one in Kansas was started by a farmer in 1953 and is now a community project for the less than 500 residents, while in Darwin the "largest ball of twine rolled by one man" is a finished project of a man who devoted 29 years to create it.
Salvation Mountain (California): This colorful art installation made of adobe, straw and thousands of gallons of paint was created by Leonard Knight, a local resident who wanted to spread the message "God is Love". Located in the desert near the Salton Sea, the mountain was featured in 2007's Into the Wild. Leonard has been repainting his Biblical messages since 1985 and requests that all donations be in the form of paint, staying true to vision.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (Florida): If you're wondering what happens when you mix family fun with the kitsch aesthetics, this tourist attractions should be pretty close. This state park features the City of Live Mermaids, an aquarium-like theater where the famous underwater show The Little Mermaid has been performed since 1945. If you're still looking for some family adventure, get in touch with nature by kayaking along the Weeki Wachee River.
Comments