Say goodbye to ordinary tourist attractions. Sure, the Lincoln Memorial and Grand Canyon are great, but why not open your eyes to some of the many bizarre travel destinations our country has to offer?
1. Circleville Pumpkin Show—Circleville, Ohio
Celebrate Circleville’s local harvest with a festival full of rides, great food and one-thousand-pound pumpkins. There are seven parades throughout the festival, led by the winners of the Little Miss and Miss Pumpkin Show Queen pageants. Be sure to check out the world’s largest pumpkin pie, made every year by the local Lindsey’s Bakery.
2. Top of Cadillac Mountain—Bar Harbor, Maine
There is no better place to spend your summers than Bar Harbor. Located on the East coast of Maine, Bar Harbor is the perfect place to chill out, relax and enjoy some of the most beautiful places in the United States. Visit Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park or for those of you who aren’t quite as adventurous, wake up early one morning and see the sun rise before anyone else in the United States.
3. Unclaimed Baggage Center—Scottsboro, Ala.
Losing luggage or forgetting belongings on a plane, train or bus is a pain many have suffered. The Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Ala. gives lost luggage a new life. Once all efforts in trying to return lost luggage to its rightful owners fail, the lost luggage is sent to UBC to be sold like any item in a retail store. Some of the stranger items are kept separate from the merchandise for sale and displayed in the “Lost Luggage Hall of Fame.”
4. World’s Largest Ten Commandments—Murphy, N.C.
Forgotten the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments? Then take the short five-hour drive to Murphy, North Carolina, where you’ll find a 300-foot wide tableaux of the Ten Commandments engraved in the ground of a mountainside. These Ten Commandments are the centerpiece of a religious park, Fields of the Wood, which encompasses an array of religious landmarks, mountains and a lovely lake region as well. Before you cross off the idea of visiting this seemingly obscure place, you’ll be comforted to know that massive tablets are visible from orbit.
5. Movie Manor Motor Inn—Monte Vista, Colo.
If you’ve always wanted to experience a drive-in movie, visit the Movie Manor Motor Inn in Colorado. There, you can experience an evening of watching a movie on an outdoor screen through your room. To top it off, the Movie Manor Motor Inn is located in a remote valley surrounded by gorgeous mountains, miles outside of any town or signs of civilization.
6. Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum—Gibsland, La.
The majority of America is familiar with the notorious twosome, Bonnie and Clyde. The last place the couple ever visited before their death was the small town of Gibsland, Louisiana, more specifically a restaurant called Ma Canfield’s Cafe. Today, this cafe has been turned into a museum educating people about the crimes of the famous killers. The museum displays graphic and disturbing photos of the devil’s duo after they were shot with 130 rounds of ammo, as well as Clyde’s shotguns, a rifle and other stolen items found in the car they died in.
7. Monkey Jungle—Miami, Fla.
The Monkey Jungle is an enormous zoo housing nothing but monkeys. A narrow trail leads you through a world of over 400 primates, including 30 different species of monkey. Surrounded by animals in their natural habitats, the Monkey Jungle transports you to a world not tampered with by human beings.
If you thought these places seemed odd, remember, these are just seven of the thousands of strange and unique places that exist. With a little research and online surfing, I guarantee you’ll stumble upon a place that interests you.