Category: Big Things/ tourist traps/ road-side attractions

America is full of things like this, with the world’s biggest ball of twine probably being the most famous (In the movie “Michael” (1996) the Arch Angle Michael — played as less than angelic by John Travolta — comes to earth to see these things); I argue that anyone doing a roadtrip across America is sort of obliged to search them out… because they are “Americana” — (that said, I’ve found them in Australia as well)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world%27s_largest_roadside_attractions#Illinois

Found a very good quote on the topic, courtesy of Neil Gaiman
“So what is this place?” asked Shadow, as they walked through the parking lot toward a low, unimpressive wooden building.
“This is a roadside attraction,” said Wednesday. “One of the finest. Which means it is a place of power.”
“Come again?”
“It’s perfectly simple,” said Wednesday. “In other countries, over the years, people recognized the places of power. Sometimes it would be a natural formation, sometimes it would be a place that was, somehow, special. They knew that something important was happening there, that there was some focusing point, some channel, some window to the Immanent. And so they would build temples or cathedrals, or erect stone circles, or…well, you get the idea.”
“There are churches all across the States, though,” said Shadow.
“In every town. Sometimes on every block. And about as significant, in this context, as dentists’ offices. No, in the USA people still get the call, or some of them, and they feel themselves being called to from the transcendent void, and they respond to it by building a model out of beer bottles of somewhere they’ve never visited, or by erecting a giant bat house in some part of the country that bats have traditionally declined to visit. Roadside attractions: people feel themselves being pulled to places where, in other parts of the world, they would recognize that part of themselves that is truly transcendent, and buy a hot dog and walk around, feeling satisfied on a level they cannot truly describe, and profoundly dissatisfied on a level beneath that.”

― Neil Gaiman, American Gods

Pinkie the Pink Elephant & a cow

Located just off of Interstate 94

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Because, it’s Americana!

And please note I’m not the only one who came here specifically to see the pink elephant.

 

According to the plaque:

“The Pink Elephant has been at this gas station since the mid-late 1960’s. The elephant was brought here because the owner was looking for a way to make his gas station to stand out from the other stations on this intersection. The elephant has been here ever since.It certainly is a road-side attraction and landmark in the area! This Pink Elephant along with others were produced by Sculptured Advertising in Sparta, WI. Pinky was the first produced Pink Elephant and was installed in 1963 in front of the Pink Elephant Supper Club in Marquette, IA. The Marquette elephant never had the cool sunglasses though. Other pink elephants were produced for Arco Gas Stations in the area that all displayed Pink Elephants. Our famous Pink Elephant is the last one left in this area. A few other elephants can be found at car washes, antique malls and car dealerships in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee. Many people would stop here to take photos with the elephant and continue to do so today. Some tourists even tell us they have pictures of their children with the elephant from years ago and are now stopping to show their grandchildren. The Pink Elephant has had several owners over the years and has endured too much graffiti but with each change of hands the Pink Elephant has been loved and cherished. This gas station is known for the Pink Elephant, has lots of Pink Elephant merchandise and works hard to keep him clean. There isn’t one name associated with our Pink Elephant; most refer to him as “Pinkie”. Pinkie loves to see visitors and is still so photogenic!”

That said, let’s not forget the massive cow that’s on the other side of the highway, in front of a Cheese shop. (Note: Although impressive, it is not however the biggest cow I saw, not by even by half … that honor would go to Salem Sue in North Dakota, who I saw a few days later.)

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World’s largest Peanut; Ashburn, GA

America is full of things like this, with the world’s biggest ball of yarn probably being the most famous (there was a movie made in 1996 about a less than angelic man who claimed to be the Arch Angle Michael — played by John Travolta — coming to earth, and all he wanted to see were these sorts of things); anyone road tripping across America is sort of obligated to search them out.

This was the advertised as the “Worlds largest peanut.” It is located in Ashburn, GA., along Interstate 75 of of exit 82, one of the two main highways into and out of Florida and stands 20+ feet tall.

 

Just North of the monument is Carroll’s Sausage and Country store which is huge and is in my humble opinion TOTALLY worth a pit stop. They had a pretty good (and very well priced) ruben sandwich, and sold all sorts of VERY southern, amazing and gourmet barbecuing ingredients and accoutrements.