Sorry to Startle You, Giant Naked Lady...
Why is this gargantuan woman skinny dipping in the water off of Alabama? Because a rich guy in Alabama wanted her there. You can visit for free, then drive inland to see the Dinosaurs in the Woods and the replica Stonehenge -- all courtesy of one man’s largesse for largeness.
Kidnapping, Torture, Murder by the Bay
Since it opened this summer, The San Francisco Dungeon has been shanghaiing Fisherman's Wharf tourists for an underground guided tour and a dark boat ride through sordid slivers of San Francisco history, populated by its most vile characters.
Chief Jay Strongbow, The Fabulous Moolah, and Victor the Bear
The undisputed champion of pro wrestling attractions is the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, New York. Among the exhibits on midget wrestlers, Mexican wrestlers, lady wrestlers, we ran into a living champion on his own memory road trip.
Louisiana’s Most Corrupt Politician?
There are many candidates, but the sentimental favorite is Huey Long. See his magical shadow-specifying statue, his towering tomb on the capitol’s front lawn, and the bullet hole possibly from the gun that killed him.
Georgia On My Mind, Not On My Birth Certificate
Music legend Ray “Georgia on My Mind” Charles, who died in 2004, was born in Georgia -- or at least that’s what Georgia wants you to believe. Florida says that Greenville was his real home. And they have a statue.
Gruesome Gertie Killed 87 Criminals
You can visit her at the Louisiana State Penitentiary Museum. She's an electric chair. Other exhibits from the Alcatraz of the South chronicle bloody prison mayhem, hungry alligators, and an annual rodeo that pits bulls against the convicts.
World Series Exclusive!
In San Francisco's major league ballpark, a huge old timer's baseball glove hides a secret. A goofy secret, but a secret nonetheless. The mitt insides are off limits to park visitors, but we were allowed to climb inside for a peek, tee-hee.
Romantic Rubble of the South
The towering Windsor Ruins are a popular stop for those who seek photogenic crumbly-artsy decay, occasional ghosts, and the lost grandeur of the Old South -- thankfully minus the less romantic aspects.
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Spotted by Tipsters
Escape from Cursed Beach Town: The Happy Halfwit Muffler Man, formerly of Seaside Heights, was spotted by Randi C. in its new home in Pennsylvania. Starting anew after surviving a hurricane, a fire, and a cloud of misfortune....
Terrifying Rubber Man: A hulking truck Tire Giant caught the drive-by eye of James C., whose photo includes the goliath’s human-size tire iron, which provides a sense of scale. The Tire Man silently screams in vulcanized agony.
The Art Lair of Peter Toth: Artist Peter "Wolf" Toth wandered the land for more than 40 years, compelled by some invisible force to sculpt dead trees into giant Indian heads. He's still at it. Cal in Florida came across Toth’s outdoor gallery.
Halfway to Oblivion: Stewiacke, Nova Scotia wants visitors to enjoy the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole. Their plywood photo op provides head holes to commemorate your milestone, as if you are hopelessly adrift in the deadly vacuum of space.
For more fun discoveries and updates from the road, head over to the Latest Tips.
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Keep startling, America!
The RoadsideAmerica.com Team
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