pennmom
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[TI0] IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK AND ALL'S WELL
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Post by pennmom on Dec 4, 2020 12:45:28 GMT
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smitty189
Hedgehog
[TI18] "No great mind ever existed without a touch of madness" Aristotle
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Post by smitty189 on Dec 11, 2020 22:32:14 GMT
GO TARHEELS
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pennmom
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[TI0] IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK AND ALL'S WELL
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Post by pennmom on Feb 21, 2021 22:06:37 GMT
New York was once New Amsterdam Before New York was, well, New York – it was called New Amsterdam as a settlement by the Dutch that chose to settle in Manhattan. The Name, New York only came into being later in the 17th Century when those pesky English who captured it. The Name, New York was to pay tribute to Duke of York who helped in capturing it. Today, you can still see plaques of where New Amsterdam’s ‘wall’ was built in 1653. Definitely an interesting fact, On Wall Street no less.
There’s a palace made totally out of corn Yup, you can actually visit a life-sized corn palace in the USA. It sounds like something legends are made of but I assure you it’s true. I couldn’t quite believe it when I saw it in person. I mean, a palace you can potentially eat.The Statue of Liberty speaks French Okay, I jest – but the Statue of Liberty was actually a gift from the people of France to the United States in 1886. Possibly, the most iconic symbol of the United States, the Statue of Liberty is one iconic piece of history you have to see when in New York. Funnily enough, the US then decided to give the French a slightly smaller Statue of Liberty as a gift three years later. This can now be seen proudly standing at Pont de Grenelle in Paris. Maybe the American version talks with a New Yorker twang? Who knows!Alaska was once Russian Back in the earlier parts of the 19th Century, Alaska wasn’t part of the USA. In fact, it was a part of Russia. It wasn’t until it was sold off to the Americans that it became a US territory. It wasn’t until almost a hundred years later, in 1959 that Alaska actually became a state. The state now has numerous national parks and even the tallest mountain in the USA, called Denali. The Liberty Bell is from London Possibly one of USA’s most symbolic pieces from the American independence, the Liberty Bell still survives for us all to visit. Perched in the Liberty Bell Center in Pennsylvania, it’s a spot where you can learn more about American independence and such.
Interestingly and pretty unusual facts, the Liberty Bell was actually made in the same place as Big Ben in London. The Whitechapel Bell Foundry made both bells and is one of the oldest, privately owned bell makers in the world. You can still visit the Whitechapel Bell Foundry today – just make sure you get across the pond to London.There’s a shop inside a dinosaur’s tummy The Dinosaurs of Cabazon were originally created to entice customers to a restaurant. Now, they’ve become a thing to see in their own right. These kitsch dinosaurs are a nostalgic throwback to the 1970’s. Nowadays, you can still visit the dinosaurs and even shop within the tummy of Dinny the dinosaur.The Golden Gate Bridge never stops getting a makeover Interesting facts about San Fransisco. Did you know that the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the west coast’s most iconic man-made landmarks that’s forever been made over? It’s one amazing place to see, especially from the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point.
Due to its sheer size, the bridge actually never stops getting painted and is always getting itself a little makeover for us all to enjoy.
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pennmom
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[TI0] IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK AND ALL'S WELL
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Post by pennmom on Feb 23, 2021 15:22:05 GMT
London Bridge is in Arizona … And not London as many assume!
Now, almost 200 years ago this was the case but things change with time, don’t they? By the 1960’s city of Lake Havasu, Arizona was on the scout for a new bridge, and hearing that London Bridge was up for auction decided to put in a bid to bring it to their city. After all, who wouldn’t want those iconic towers and opening arches, right?
Wrong! That’s Tower Bridge in London. It’s purported that McCulloch (who bought the bridge) thought it was Tower Bridge. Though, this was totally denied by him. Whatever the case, London Bridge now sits happily in Arizona. Much less rain and fog for sure!You can find lots of secret spots in New York Places like City Hall Station are stunning and although you can’t always visit them, they do exist beneath the sidewalks. The whole city is awash with little nooks and alleys that are hidden in plain sight.
Just scratch the surface of the city and I guarantee you’ll find a goldmine of new and secret New York spots to explore.There are 43 giant presidential heads Now if that isn’t one of the most interesting facts about presidential heads, I don’t know what is!
Hidden in Houston, Texas was one of the most bizarre sites to see. Giant presidential heads! Around 15ft high, there’s a whole heap of these carved presidential heads that once called an old parking lot home. I mean, it was a sight to behold, especially in such an underwhelming parking lot. Rumour has it, they’ve now made their way to Croaker, Virginia. Whatever the case, there are still some heads (created by David Adickes) you should try and find. If you’re lucky, you might also bump into his colossus Beatles figures too!The USA has the longest cave system in the world Just scratch the surface of Kentucky and you’ll come across some incredible natural sites to explore. For instance, the Mammoth Cave National Park actually has the longest cave system in the world and a place that’s great to visit.
The North Pole is in Alaska The tiny town of North Pole in Alaska is a Christmassy little place that embraces everything festive 365-days a year! Visit in his grotto, see the elves at work and drive down Claus Lane. I mean, who knew there was a North Pole in the USA?
Hawaii is the only archipelago state Hawaii is an incredibly beautiful volcanic archipelago. Consisting of numerous islands that each have their own charm. Interestingly, it’s the only US state that’s solely made up of islands. There’s a Wigwam hotel to stay in First created in 1950’s Arizona, the Wigwam Hotel is a total nostalgic idea of quirky hotels from times gone by. Still, to this day, you can rock up and stay for the night – just make sure to book in advance as the rooms fill up fast.
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pennmom
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[TI0] IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK AND ALL'S WELL
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Post by pennmom on Feb 24, 2021 16:57:15 GMT
13 WEIRD US PLACES YOU HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE
1. Salton Sea, CA Near eerie Salton Sea, Salvation Mountain is a rainbow-splashed work of art by Leonard Knight. Nearby Slab City will see that psychedelic mountainside and raise it one off-the-grid art community and some famously anti-establishment TV monitors. Can someone please hold Slab City’s beer?
2. Homestead, FL Working only at night for almost 30 years, Edward Leedskalnin built the Coral Castle from 1,100 tons of coral. The complex is truly stunning and the architecture is nothing short of impressive and admittedly eccentric.
3. Kanab, UT & Page, AZ Coyote Buttes covers the Utah-Arizona state line with stripes of its own—of red, orange, and purple. The Wave is a particularly intriguing sandstone formation on the Arizona side of the slopes. You’ll be tempted to grab a surf board, but stick to your hiking shoes.
4. Centralia, PA Buried over 300 feet below ground, a coal line has been burning in Centralia since at least 1962. Centralia has been almost completely evacuated due to gas emissions, but it’s a popular stop for taking some striking travel photos #noairfilter.
5. Rachel, NV Rachel is shrouded in interplanetary legends and government conspiracy theories. Take a drive down Extraterrestrial Highway and look for the elusive mailbox on Hwy 375 near Area 51. Once a message center for other lifeforms, the box has been removed and replaced several times. Ooh…
6. San Jose, CA If you thought Silicon Valley’s smart appliances were weird, wait till you tour the maze-like Winchester Mystery House. Just like a refrigerator that orders your groceries for you, several of the mansion’s staircases are completely superfluous, but undeniably .
7. Maui, HI There are just a few black-sand beaches in the U.S., and One’uli Black Sand Beach is arguably the best one to see Mother Nature being a major drama queen.
8. Cincinnati, OH Underneath the city of Cincinnati, there’s an abandoned subway system that was plotted over 100 years ago, but never used or completed. However, this 2.2-mile network is open to the public twice a year, and it’s deliciously spooky to behold.
9. Yachats, OR Looking for more naturally weird places to visit in the U.S.? In Yachats, Thor’s Well is a fountain of gurgling, guzzling ocean tides about as big as a small swimming pool, but much deeper. Look, but don’t get swept in!
10. Gibsonton, FL Located near many circus hubs, Gibsonton (aka Gibtown) became a place for performers to live and spend their downtime for much of the 20th century. Fun fact: At one point, Gibtown was home to the only post office counter built specifically for little people.
11. Claus, IN Claus is for people who really, really love Christmas. There’s even a Claus Museum, which offers a summer internship program that may or may not involve filling Etch-A-Sketches with sand. We can only hope!
12. Rockport, MA In 1922, a mechanical engineer named Elis F. Stenman built a house entirely out of newspaper. Even the piano is made of paper, which alone wins this city a spot on our list of strange places to visit!
13. Midway Geyser Basin, WY Old Faithful may be punctual, but the Grand Prismatic Spring is the third largest geyser in the world, and with a rainbow of hues circling its depths, it’s proving that it’s good to be big, bold, and totally freakin’ weird.
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pennmom
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[TI0] IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK AND ALL'S WELL
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USA
Mar 2, 2021 17:28:41 GMT
Post by pennmom on Mar 2, 2021 17:28:41 GMT
Bizarre Tourist Attractions in America
Grant County Historical Museum (Canyon City, Oregon) This museum in Canyon City, Oregon, has everything from human skulls to stuffed two-headed calves. The human skulls are of Barry Way and William Cain, the first two men to be hanged in Canyon City… how charming. As for the three stuffed two-headed calves, they were born on ranches in the area and have been on display in the museum since its opening in 1954.
Hole N” The Rock (Moab, Utah) One of the weirdest roadside tourist traps in America, Hole N” The Rock is a 5,000-square-foot home carved out of a massive rock in Utah's Canyonlands country. The man-made home includes a 65-foot chimney, a bathtub built into the rock, and 14 rooms that visitors can now tour. To appeal further to tourists, the unique rock also features a gift shop, an exotic zoo (with camel, bison, and zebras), locally made Native American items (such as pottery, jewelry, and dream catchers) and other fun additions specific to its location.
Ben and Jerry's Flavor Graveyard (Waterbury, Vermont) Leave it to Ben & Jerry’s to create an ice cream graveyard that can be physically visited and even host funerals in honor of some of the fallen flavors. The “dearly de-pinted” are buried at the company’s factory in Waterbury, Vermont, each with a granite headstone and epitaph. There are currently 34 flavors in the Flavor Graveyard, but at this cemetery there are sometimes resurrections. Fans can request that a flavor be brought back from the dead through an online form on the brand’s website. The graveyard is intended as a celebration of the company’s failed flavors and can be seen on their factory tour.
Market Theater Gum Wall (Seattle, Washington) There’s a brick alleyway under Pike Place Market in Seattle that is covered completely in chewing gum. The gum takes over the space, which is 15 feet high and 50 feet long, and has been a tourist attraction since 1999. People sometimes create artworks with their gum, and the wall has even been featured on CNN’s “germiest” tourist attractions.
National Mustard Museum (Middleton, Wisconsin) If you find condiments exciting, then this museum dedicated to mustard will knock your socks off. The National Mustard Museum features a collection of countless prepared mustards from over 60 countries for visitors to explore. Try samples of new and antique mustards from around the world, and be sure check out the exhibit about the condiment’s history while there.
Mermaids of Weeki Wachee (Weeki Wachee, Florida) Florida — known for its swampland and… mermaids? At Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, visitors can watch “mermaids” (women dressed up and wearing fishtails) perform elaborate shows underwater through windows in an underground auditorium.
Gatorland (Orlando, Florida) Alligators may be common to Florida, but the idea of going somewhere on purpose to be surrounded by them is a bizarre concept and usually not recommended. For those interested, however, Gatorland is “The Alligator Capital of the World” and the best place to see both alligators and crocodiles. There’s even a petting zoo where you can pet these wild reptiles!
Vent Haven Museum (Fort Mitchell, Kentucky) One of the weirdest museums on the planet, the Vent Haven Museum is the world’s only museum of ventriloquism. With over 900 dummies alone spanning three centuries, nearly everything from puppets, memorabilia, recordings, photos, and scripts related to ventriloquism can be found here. Founded by W.S. Berger, who developed a large personal collection over the course of 40 years, Vent Haven Museum was opened to the public in 1973. We can’t image how creepy it must’ve been to have so many ventriloquist dummies in one home!
Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail (Weldon Spring, Missouri) In Saint Charles County, Missouri, sits a 17,323-acre nuclear waste disposal site that visitors can tour. Weldon Spring was a major manufacturer of explosives, producing over 700 million pounds of TNT by the end of the World War II. A decade later it became a uranium refinery during the War for nuclear bombs. In the 1980s, all the abandoned radioactive material was buried in a man-made mini-mountain that people can now climb.
The Hammer Museum (Haines, Alaska) The world’s first museum dedicated to hammers features roughly 2,000 hammers. Some hammers date back to ancient times — one such artifact was used to craft perfect sugar cubes to win a woman’s hand in marriage — while others include those used by miners, the railroad industry, and even medical industries.
The Thing (Cochise County, Arizona) A tourist trap at its finest, The Thing is a roadside attraction between El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona, off of Interstate 10. “The Thing” is said to be a mummified mother and child, but was likely created as a sideshow piece by exhibit curator Homer Tate — who was known to do that during his time. However, this hasn’t stopped travelers from visiting the bizarre museum
International Banana Museum (Mecca, California) This museum is bananas… in every way. Not only will visitors find every type of banana-related item imaginable, but they also have an international banana ambassador called Platty who travels around the world. The bright yellow museum is located in Mecca, California, and holds the title of world’s largest collection dedicated to only one fruit, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
UFO Watchtower (Sagauche County, Colorado) This strange roadside attraction near Hooper, Colorado, was created in 2000. With 360-degree views of the San Luis Valley, this observation deck has garnered much publicity over the years. Created as a joke on Judy Messoline’s property, she began making money charging admission, so she built a saucer dome gift shop and only a 10-foot-high platform that acts as the observation deck. Nevertheless, people still stop by to try their luck at seeing UFO activity above.
The World’s Largest Toilet (Columbus, Indiana) This attraction is intended for children, but that doesn’t make it any less bizarre. Within a massive playhouse, children can explore between the house walls and tubes. The toilet itself is the entrance to a slide that will take visitors through the plumbing system of this playhouse. It’s certainly an interesting way to teach kids about how things function.
The Hobo Museum (Britt, Iowa) Britt, Iowa, has been home to the Hobo Museum since the 1980s, when the Hobo Foundation purchased the Chief Theatre and turned it into the museum it is today. The collection has been created with artifacts sent in from around the world including original photographs, videos, music recorded by hobos, books written by the community, paintings, doll collections, and plenty of other items depicting their lifestyle. It’s an interest look into a part of American history rarely spoken about.
World's Largest Ball of Twine (Cawker City, Kansas) Surprisingly there are a few towns in the U.S. claiming to have the world’s largest ball of twine, but as of 2014, the winner for largest circumference went to this one located in northern Kansas. With an 11-foot diameter, this creation by Frank Stoeber was made up of 1.6 million feet of twine — recorded at the point of his death in 1974. However, every year more twine is added to the ball during the city’s “twine-a-thon.” Its last known dimensions from 2014 are 41.2 feet in circumference, and 10.83 feet high; but the ball keep growing with each year. Visitors can stop by and take photos with it at any point.
Nicolas Cage's Pyramid Tomb (New Orleans, Louisiana) Louisiana is home to several bizarre grave sites, but this one is particularly eerie because it is an empty grave purchased by Nicolas Cage and the reasoning has yet to be explained. Many believe the unnamed pyramid tomb was purchased as an homage to his movie “National Treasure.” The only words on the 9-foot-tall pyramid tomb — which bears no resemblance to any other tomb in the cemetery — is the Latin phrase Omni Ab Uno, meaning “Everything From One.” Regardless of the reason for his purchase, it’s worth stopping by before or after visiting Marie Laveau’s voodoo tomb. Oh, and don’t forget to leave a lipstick kiss on the back of the pyramid (another oddity associated with this tomb).
Grave of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen (New Orleans, Louisiana) Visit Marie Laveau’s grave… if you dare. The notorious Louisiana Voodoo queen may have died in 1881, but it’s still widely believed that her spirit will you with whatever you need should you leave the right combination of offerings or draw three X’s on her tomb, located in one of the most beautiful cemeteries in America. Unfortunately, due to tons of grave-defacing, the only way to visit her final resting place now is by taking a tour with a licensed tour guide.
Havre de Grace Decoy Museum (Havre de Grace, Maryland) Decoy enthusiasts will enjoy the collections of Chesapeake Bay decoys on display here. Known as the Decoy Capital of the World, people — not waterfowl — flock to the Maryland town of Havre de Grace to check them out.
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pennmom
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USA
Mar 2, 2021 17:43:30 GMT
Post by pennmom on Mar 2, 2021 17:43:30 GMT
More Bizarre Tourist Attractions in America
Leila's Hair Museum (Independence, Missouri) This underrated museum features over 400 wreaths and more than 2,000 pieces of jewelry all made from human hair. This form of art was particularly popular in the Victorian era, but lives on in Independence, Missouri. Some of the pieces on display here date back to the 1600s.
Talking Statue (Cut Bank, Montana) This terrifyingly large statue in Montana sometimes decides to speak (when the feature is actually functioning), making it an unintentionally creepy tourist attraction. The nameless talking sculpture was created by Ron Gustafson out of concrete and metal. It weighs 10,000 pounds and stands at 27 feet tall.
Carhenge (Alliance, Nebraska) Carhenge sounds exactly like what one might think it is — a replica of Stonehenge, but using cars. Made with vintage cars all painted gray to match the Stonehenge rocks, this Nebraska replica was originally created for the summer solstice of 1987 and has remained there ever since, perfect for your Instagram feed.
Ouija Board Inventor’s Tombstone (Baltimore, Maryland) The inventor of the Ouija Board has the coolest tombstone ever in Baltimore, Maryland. Carved into the back of Elijah Jefferson Bond’s tombstone is a Ouija Board with the traditional “yes” and “no” in the left and right corners. It’s the perfect spot to snap a Instagram-worthy shot or build your Tumblr aesthetic. Recently, someone left a crying-eye planchette on the Ouija Board part of the headstone. Would you dare try to communicate with Mr. Bond?
Pit of Buffalo Bones (Vore, Wyoming) Hunters in the Vore, Wyoming, area once drove herds of bison off the neighboring cliff into this pit to kill them, and over roughly 300 years of use, the site accumulated the remains of between 10,000 to 20,000 buffalo. Visitors and archeologists are welcome, but only 5 percent of the bones have been excavated, so no one really knows what could be under there!
The Clown Motel (Tonopah, Nevada) If you’re of clowns you may want to stay far away from this strange hotel. The Clown Motel in Nevada is next to an abandoned graveyard and filled with a variety of clown dolls. This bizarre pit-stop in the middle of the desert seems like a place found only in nightmares or horror movies.
Shoe House (York, Pennsylvania) This shoe-shaped house sits on Shoe House Road and was created by none other than a shoe salesman called Mahlon Haines. The Haines Shoe House is a five-story home that is now open to the public for tours. Next to it is a shoe-shaped dog house to boot.
Gun Totem (Providence, Rhode Island) This interesting sculpture in Rhode Island was made using over 1,000 reclaimed guns and concrete. It’s a 12-foot obelisk that was commissioned by the Providence Parks Department and stands across from the Federal Courthouse.
UFO Welcome Center (Bowman, South Carolina) Built by a man named Jody Pendarvis, the UFO Welcome Center in the Midlands of South Carolina is intended to be a safe space for aliens and humans to meet. The saucer-shaped center has an additional, smaller saucer attached to the top. It’s been put together using scrap metals and junk material, but it includes a shower, toilet and air conditioning for the long eventual ride into space.
World’s Most Scenic Urinal (Holualoa, Hawaii) Located in beautiful Hawaii, Kona Hotel hosts the world’s most scenic urinal, and they are proud of it. Men using the facilities get to enjoy a gorgeous view of the ocean and the green terrain while they relieve themselves. The hotel’s manager told Roadside America that she is very pleased with the bathroom’s notoriety as an odd attraction.
White House Replica (Atlanta, Georgia) Want to see the White House without having to go to D.C.? Consider traveling to Atlanta, where someone built a replica three-quarters the size! The mini White House used to offer tours of its replica of the Oval Office and the Lincoln bedroom, but now it’s a private home. However, it’s still frequently photographed by on-lookers, because… it’s basically the White House.
Man-Killing Clam (Cheboygan, Michigan) Located inside Sea Shell City in Cheboygan, Michigan, this enormous man-killing clam is totally kitschy- — plus there are kooky signs for it on the road the closer you get. Although the clam is genuinely quite large, it’s more silly than scary, and it’s one of the most photographed items at Sea Shell City!
World’s Largest Paul Bunyan (Akeley, Minnesota) This Paul Bunyan statue in Akeley, Minnesota, stands out because you can sit in his huge palm and take the perfect road-trip vacation photo. Although the crouching figure is currently not technically the tallest Paul Bunyan statue in the U.S., his creators say that if he stood upright he would be about 60 feet fall, making him officially the largest Paul Bunyan.
Town Named Coffee (Covington County, Mississippi) There is a town named Coffee in southern Mississippi, but if you blink you might miss it. The teeny tiny town is now just a green highway sign and an abandoned grocery store. People often stop to take photos that reaffirm their love of java.
Death Rock of Alexander Hamilton (Weehawken, New Jersey) If you’re a "Hamilton" fan, this is a must-see in Weehawken, New Jersey. The actual rock where Alexander Hamilton rested his head after he lost his duel with Aaron Burr is now a monument! Plus it’s seriously close to the Lincoln Tunnel to New York City, so you could always see the Broadway show, hop in a cab, and go!
Plastic Flamingo Petting Zoo (Cedar Point, North Carolina) Ever wanted to pet a flamingo? You can pet the birds without the fishy smell or the worry of getting pecked at this plastic flamingo petting zoo in Cedar Point, North Carolina! Located in the front yard of a tourist information center next to the highway, this is an incredible Instagram opportunity just waiting to happen. The flamingos aren’t just for petting and photos — they can also be adopted (purchased).
World’s Largest Peanut (Ashburn, Georgia) The best and weirdest attractions are always large versions of everyday things. Durant’s “World’s Largest Peanut” in Ashburn, Georgia is no exception. Although the hefty peanut was taken down in 2010 because college kids kept stealing it, it is now back on its pedestal, looking enormous as ever and serving as one of the country’s oddest attractions.
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sisinka
Hummingbird
[TI20]
Posts: 221
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Post by sisinka on Jun 15, 2022 16:16:02 GMT
My daughter has been living in Pittsburgh, USA for almost 10 years. I was very interested in the "Cathedral of Learning", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Learning, I have been up there several times - always by elevator, of course :-D From the nearby area it is "Fallingwater", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallingwater - the most amazing house to live in I've ever seen. I'm trying to build a copy of this building in Minecraft, as my (ingame) dwelling. I'm tempted by San Francisco, but I have no idea when or if I'll get there, the ****ing coronavirus has changed a lot of our (me & wife's) plans...
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pennmom
Bear
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[TI0] IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK AND ALL'S WELL
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Post by pennmom on Jun 15, 2022 19:28:47 GMT
sisinka, that house is amazing! I wonder how they get to the house?
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