Insanely Fascinating And Quirky Roadside Attractions You Need To See

Insanely Fascinating And Quirky Roadside Attractions You Need To See

As many of you know, we love road trips. One reason is because you never know what type of quirky and unusual experiences you’ll come across. How many of these have you seen?

We want to share some of our favorite fun and quirky road trip happenings in hope that you will be inspired to take backroads and two-lane highways more often. Keep checking back because we’ll keep adding fun places to Insanely Fascinating And Quirky Roadside Attractions You Need To See.

Trash Can Guy Cambridge

Singing trash can guy in Cambridge, England seems like a good place to kick off. We found ourselves close to Cambridge on one of our road trips through the U.K. so we decided to check it out. Walking through its historic streets and extraordinary architecture amazed us. We mostly looked up at historic buildings as we walked until a surprise made us stare and laugh at the same time. How can someone not curiously look at a man playing guitar and singing while inside a trash can?  

Turns out this troubadour created his own gimmick to draw attention. And, it worked! Seeing this immediately created so many questions. For instance, does he smell? How does he fit into that tiny space and still play guitar? Obviously, he’s not claustrophobic.   

After pondering the whole situation we noticed a seam from top to the bottom where the trash bin opened up. He made this look like an exact replica. Can you spot the seam? Our hats off to people who think outside the box.

The World’s Largest Boot In Red Wing, Minnesota

You can see stylish stars like Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, and David Beckham wearing Red Wing Boots. If you remember the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest starring Jack Nicholson then you might recall his 877’s. Oprah even owns some stylish Red Wing boots.

Of course, people who work on their feet swear by these boots.  

Whether you know the boots from work experience or from styles, Red Wing, Minnesota is the best place to see the World’s Largest Boot up close. Each piece was handcrafted with the same materials by skilled tradespeople that make Red Wing’s boots in their factory.  

See this huge size 638 ½ boot at the Red Wing flagship store on Main Street. To put the boot into perspective, it is over 20 feet long, 16 feet high, 7 feet wide, and weighs over 2,000 pounds.  

Read our article about Red Wing, Minnesota.

Great River Road: See Red Wing And A Gigantic Boot

The World’s Only Corn Palace

We always stop at the World’s Only Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota when we travel out west. Each year a different theme made from corn and various grains covers the building in artistic murals. Its Moorish Revival style building originally started as a way to celebrate each year’s harvest. More importantly, the city used it to lure more settlers in a power struggle to become the state capital. When driving through South Dakota you shouldn’t bypass this grand palace showcasing Americana at its best.

Read our article about the World’s Only Corn Palace.

See The Dynamic Taj Mahal Of The American Prairies

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile

Created to make people happy during the Great Depression, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has been bringing joy ever since. Just seeing the Wienermobile is fun but college interns cook up more excitement as they meet and greet people. Listen closely to these promoters, called Hotdoggers, because they use puns constantly.

Look for a 27 foot long Wienermobile in your part of the country since one is assigned to each of the six regions in the United States.

Some of you might remember the wiener whistle. In the past, Oscar Mayer put one in each pack of hot dogs and it became a big deal. Many kids remember carrying a wiener whistle around in their pocket all day.

Tip: When you see the Wienermobile keep an eye out for the Planters NUTmobile because they often travel together.

Read our article about Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobiles.

Spreading Joy In A Gigantic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile

Superman In Metropolis, Illinois

See all things Superman in Metropolis, Illinois. Many people drive past this small town without knowing why they should visit. Get a photo with this giant Superman statue then visit other sites around town related to this hero.  

Before arriving downtown you’ll pass Big John Grocery. You won’t miss it given that a 30 foot tall Big John statue holds bags of groceries in front.

You’ll find Metropolis off of Interstate 24 above Paducah, Kentucky.

Portable Butcher’s Shop Trailer In England

We came across a nice outside market one Saturday on a road trip through small towns in the U.K. Plenty of weekend vendors filled a downtown street with anything from baked goods, flowers, art, and produce. But a portable butcher shop and its crowd caught our attention. Two butchers created a stir with their showmanship of fine meats. 

Dr. Evermor’s Sculpture Park

You never know what you’ll find on a road trip through Wisconsin. Drive on Highway 12 between Madison and Wisconsin Dells for a scenic alternative from the interstate. South of Baraboo you can see the world’s largest scrap metal sculpture named Forevertron in Dr. Evermor’s Sculpture Park.  

Tom Every, a former demolitions expert, collected antique machinery and unique parts for decades while building huge metal sculptures. 

Look for Delaney’s Surplus Sales next door because you’ll easily pass it without knowing.

S7703 US-12, North Freedom, WI 53951

Circus World Museum

Baraboo, Wisconsin became the winter headquarters for Ringling Brothers Circus. Visit the 50-acre Circus World Museum owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society dedicated to preserving the famous circus. Walk around the grounds to see the world’s largest collection of circus wagons, clown museum, animal houses, and their special circus train used to haul the entire show.  

Even now you can attend live circus performances in summer with performers from all over the world in their dazzling costumes. Sit around its sawdust ring just like old times. Attend a clown class, ride an elephant, and try to juggle.

Next to the Baraboo River, Ringlingville became the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus for 35 years. Here they revamped their show and made repairs.

Baraboo may be a small town but they celebrate all things Ringling Brothers enormously. From parades to historic homes, experience circus life throughout the entire town.   

Potato World Museum

We stumbled on Potato World Museum a few minutes after we crossed into New Brunswick, Canada from Bridgewater, Maine. Naturally, this caught our attention so we couldn’t drive past it. Little did we know that we were in the French fry Capital of the World. Accordingly, McCain Foods headquarters is just down the road.

Potato World has plenty of neat history and exhibits displayed inside but check out the cafe.  

It goes without saying you can order fries. Take it a step further and order poutine, one of Canada’s most popular dishes. Take a pile of fries, add cheese curds then pour gravy over top. Delicious!  

For something different order chocolate potato cake, iced fries, or potato smoothies!

Jolly Green Giant

You might not believe your eyes when driving by Blue Earth, Minnesota on Interstate 90. In the distance, a 55.5-foot tall fiberglass statue of the Jolly Green Giant proudly watches over Minnesota’s countryside. Exit the interstate and get your photo taken between his size 78 shoes.  

Honey Bee Guy At Dane County Farmers’ Market

Have an outstanding experience by visiting the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Madison, Wisconsin. Over 160 vendors line the square around Wisconsin’s beautiful capital building. In fact, it’s the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the nation. Meaning only vendors that grow, raise, and produce their own products can sell their goods here.

Besides being one of the best farmers’ markets in the nation, many attend for people watching because you never know what you’ll see. For instance, this beekeeper with his beehive hat selling his honey. I want this hat!

Kansas Barbed Wire Museum

See what really settled the west at the Barbed Wire Museum in LaCrosse, Kansas. Behold over 2,400 varieties of barbed wire from around the world displayed inside. Some as early as 1870. To Learn more view dioramas, hundreds of antique fencing tools, and educational films. The barbed wire museum also has a hall of fame.

North Carolina Boiled Peanuts

A road trip through the winding mountain roads of Western North Carolina should include a stop at an old-fashioned boiled peanut stand. I remember stopping on roadsides for this special treat in my younger days.  

The first thing to look for would be a fire burning underneath an old barrel full of heavily salted water on the side of a road. In the early morning a peanut peddler adds a 50-pound bag of unshelled peanuts into the boiling water then cooks them long enough to become soft. When someone stops to buy some he’ll use an old pot filled with holes to scoop out a batch of peanuts. After all of the salted water drains through the holes he dumps the peanuts in a plastic bag. 

To eat boiled peanuts remove the top half of the shell then dig out each peanut. Boiled peanuts are soft and salty but I think everyone needs to try them at least once for a unique experience.

Eating boiled peanuts can be messy since water remains inside the shell so make sure you have plenty of napkins. 

Final Thoughts

Taking back roads and smaller two-lane highways allow plenty of opportunities to experience fun and unusual events in addition to quirky roadside attractions.  

Thanks for reading Insanely Fascinating And Quirky Roadside Attractions You Need To See.

 

We want to know about your favorites!  Tell us in the comment box below.

Tom and Kristi