Quirky USA

As part of the ribbon cutting of this blog, I wanted to begin with a lighthearted topic. I have always been interested in all the quirky, weird places you can stumble upon while traveling around America. You hear tales of the world’s largest yarn ball or the oldest living tree and although they are strange and relatively unexciting, there is something compelling about them, even if for irony’s sake. So, I want to highlight some of the top places to visit that are not Disney World or a Broadway show. The first thing that caught my attention was a Giant Shoe Museum in Seattle, Washington. My initial thought was “I have been to Seattle, I love shoes and I love museums so why did I not make this stop?” Upon more research, I saw that this collection of giant shoes was not that giant at all. It is basically a wall where you put coins in and you look through slots to view the shoes. What the owner finds interesting is that he hears people complain that it is a waste of money, yet they put there quarters in anyway. Isn’t that so true of all these attractions? We cannot help but be interested! I also noticed at RoadsideAmerica.com that there was a place in Americus, Georgia created by Habitat for Humanity. It is a Slum Theme Park based off of a Third World slum and it is free for all visitors. Now, this is not quite as lighthearted as something like giant dinosaurs made from chicken wire and plaster, but an interesting concept nonetheless. This “theme park” offers a look at what other residences look like, and Habitat hopes to educate visitors on how others live, and what Habitat is working to eliminate. After visitors see the slum, they enter into a “mini-utopia” village that represents Habitat houses from 15 countries. What is neat about this spot is it is created by a credible source with a strong message. Not many of these odd places are educational, nor do they set out to make a change in the world. The last places worth featuring are these so-called “Mystery Spots.” I first saw this on television and I was intrigued. The typical laws of physics do not apply in these areas and I wanted to know why. Apparently, everyone else does too. Some say they are optical illusions with trick walls and crooked floors, and others blame “high velocity soft electrons.” The most famous one is the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, California. The official website has an official video too:

I don't know why I expected to learn why these spots are like this. I suppose if people knew the WHY, no one would come visit...

Anyone have any suggestions as to where to go? Seen anything amazingly quirky and characteristically American lately?

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