Top 10 Roadside Attractions

Roadside Attractions - Historic to Hilarious: The Favorite Top 10 Planning a Road Trip? Visit all that is world's largest and most unique attractions

It is 6:00 a.m. - a time you would normally be sleeping through - but you are about to embark on a road trip. It's a summer classic. There is something freeing about packing up the car and heading out on the highway with the radio playing and your wife or husband, best friend or family along side for the ride. Roadside attractions are oftentimes half the fun of road trips. In recent years, Hampton's Save-A-Landmark campaign has worked to restore many of these forgotten roadside attractions. This summer while you are on your road trip, remember to stop and visit a few roadside attractions along the way. There are a variety of roadside attraction categories: world's largest, historic landmarks, pop culture landmarks, celebrity landmarks, holiday landmarks, food landmarks, sports landmarks, music landmarks and the list could go on and on. As a tribute to all that is world's largest and most unique, here are a few of my favorite roadside attractions.

Aren't they supposed to be that big? Worlds Largest Dinosaur Cabazon, California

You may recall these large, extinct reptile creations from Pee Wee's Big Adventure. It took Claude Bell eleven years to build Dinny the Dinosaur. In the belly of the beast is a small souvenir shop. Claude's next project was a Tyrannosaurus with a slide down its tail; he died in 1989 before its completion. There is a bathroom located in the T-rex now though.

America's Favorite Food International Hamburger Hall-of-Fame Daytona Beach, Florida

It started off as crush, but somewhere along the way, Hamburger Harry (Harry Sperl) fell in love, or just became obsessed with hamburgers. Harry has collected over a thousand items of hamburger memorabilia, from a hamburger Harley to a hamburger waterbed. He has hamburger banks, hamburger music boxes and hamburger clocks, but no real hamburgers here. So after you wander through hamburger heaven, you'll have to stop by a local burger joint and get a quick hamburger fix.

Please don't feed on the animals Lenny, the World's Largest Chocolate Moose Scarborough, Maine

Weighing in at 1,700 pounds, this chocolate composed moose can be found at Len Libby Candies, a store that sells delicious hand-crafted chocolates and ice cream in Scarborough, Maine. Lenny took over 4 weeks to craft and is well-worth an afternoon visit, especially during those hot summer months.

A four-eyed elephant Pinkie the Elephant Deforest, Wisconsin

What's tall, pink and wears glasses, well Pinkie the Elephant of course. This somewhat forlorn looking pink elephant stands guard over a service station located off I-94 in Wisconsin. Also, Sissie the Cow, a massive fiberglass constructed Heffer is located just down the road in front of Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet.

You get what you pay for The Thing? Cochise, Arizona

As you drive along the southern part of Arizona, yellow signs sprinkle the roadways, advertising the THING. What exactly is the thing? Well, for a dollar you get to find out, if you think you can handle it.

Where's the butter? Worlds Only Corn Palace Mitchell, South Dakota

Built out of over 275,000 ears of corn, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota is quite a sight. Every year it is rebuilt, with new elaborate designs and murals, depicting either local history or folklore. The building is also functional; many community events, stage shows and sporting events are held in the Corn Palace each year.

Leave the Kryptonite at home Super Museum Metropolis, Illinois

Located in Superman's hometown of Metropolis, Illinois, the Super Museum is packed full of over 20,000 Superman related items. It's the largest collection of Superman memorabilia in the world. The city itself is a tourist attraction and homage to the man of steel.

That's one spicy ham Museum of SPAM Austin, Minnesota

They say every 3 seconds someone buys a can of SPAM. Hawaiians alone purchase 6.7 million cans a year. Whether you love SPAM or love to mock it, visit the Museum of SPAM in Austin, Minnesota and end the afternoon with a delicious SPAMburger from their cafe.

World's Largest Ball of Twine Cawker City, Kansas

It's the world's largest ball of twine - what would a road trip be without it?

Can I get cheese with that? South of the Border aka Pedroland Dillon, South Carolina

Hotel, souvenir shop, theme park and rest stop, South of the Border has it all. It's a little bit funky and cartoonish and a little bit kitschy. There's tons of Mexican eateries and shopping. Whether it's for an hour or a weekend, stop by Pedroland and get a taste of Mexico - East Coast style. For the full experience, stay at the South of the Border Motor Hotel.

Jillian Scheeler makes it easy to view top 10 roadside attraction while traveling on road. To recieve your free mini-part course visit the Roadside Attractions website.

Jillian Scheeler is a spontaneous road-tripper and avid writer working on assignment for TravelPost.com - The Premier Source for Unbiased Hotel Reviews and Ratings. This article can be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active.