Side-Treks — Because half the fun is getting there.
Curiosity tickles your mind and adds fun and novelty to your trip.
Break up a long drive with a short stop to see something out of the ordinary. Just a fifteen minute pit stop can refresh the attitudes of your small passengers and make the next several hours sail by calmly.
“Look Mom! It’s HUUUGE!”
My family has a particular affinity for weird sculptures and things that are gigantic. If it’s huge, we want to see it.
America is loaded with roadside attractions along every highway. There’s more out there than you may realize. So, how do you find them? Start with a great guide book on the subject. If you travel often, it’s a great idea to keep your copy in the car so that you’ll never be without it. One of my favorites is Unique America. Another goodie that also is just a big road atlas for kids is the National Geographic U.S. Ultimate Road Trip Atlas. Browse the pages on your journey to find out what you may be driving right past without realizing.
If you get a chance to map your trip before you go, there are some great web resources to help you find something amusing along the road to make your trip more interesting. Road Side America is one that I have used myself. Just enter the state you’ll be traveling through, and you’ll get a map with all the local attractions marked on it.
Some attractions are just a ten minute stop, but others will take a little more time to fully appreciate and will involve flexibility on your trip schedule unless you have allowed for some stops. If you have to pay admission, then definitely plan on spending a little more time.
Some road side sights are man-made, but others are natural oddities. One of my favorite nature made sights is Devils Tower in Wyoming. This bizzaro formation is weird in its own right, but it’s made even weirder by its role in the movies.
If you have a creative edge and plan it right, your kids can be watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind on your on-board DVD player as you pass through the state. Don’t tell them about this little side trip until you can see it in your sights. Then pull over for a close encounter of your own!
Some oddities we find totally by accident. I got off the freeway once to look for a bathroom in Cookeville, TN, when we chance encountered a huge pink elephant wearing sunglasses and standing on a surfboard. Later I learned it is named Ellie the Pink Elephant. You can find it at 680 South Willow Ave., Cookeville, TN . And apparently it is not the only pink elephant you can find in America – You can find a similar pachyderm “Pinkie the Pink Elephant” in Deforest, Wisconsin!
More roadside stops we’ve made during our travels:
Jolly Green Giant
The larger than life-sized Jolly Green Giant is in Blue Earth, MN.
It’s feet alone were taller than my kids! “Hi Mom!”
The Mystery Spot
Santa Cruz, CA.
This was full of all kinds of “mysteries of nature” that were optical illusions that seemed to defy gravity.
We were lucky enough to meet some of our mischievous cousins there for a little family time.
Dinosaur World
Cave City, KY
This big guy is waiting right next to the interstate so you don’t miss it! Look how tiny my kids look standing on his giant fiberglass feet in this photo!
Swetsville Zoo
Not really a zoo. It’s a unique art sculpture park of over 150 animals created from spare parts and scrap metal from old tractors. Check out the huge dinosaurs, bugs, aliens, and all kinds of real and fictitious creatures. Admission is free– optional donations are appreciated.
Truckload of Turkeys
Sometimes the roadside oddities are actually right ON the road instead of along side it.
Other weird stuff we’ve seen hauled on the Interstate includes a semi truck full of beehives (with big net around to keep the bees from blowing away!).
Have your roadside guide book in hand, or a the very least, a list of options for stops available (that you carefully pre-researched!) Then be spontaneous. Make a stop. (It’s amazing how much more spontaneous you can be if you do a little research first!)
A quick stop t see something weird is a special gift. Give your family the chance to tell a story later about how HUGE something was or how completely WEIRD without even having to exaggerate. As a bonus, you get to be a kid again by seeing something through a child’s eyes, and you’ll truly understand that getting there really can be half the fun.
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