News from the offbeat tourist attraction landscape of Roadside America.
Sightings Vol. 10, No. 11 - October 21, 2014
Sightings

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

SF Dungeon.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

Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.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?

Huey Long.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

Ray Charles.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

Peniitentiary Museum.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!

Baseball glove.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

Ruins.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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Video: Tomorrow's Drivers

Yesteryear Travel.The latest clip of celluloid memory in our Yesteryear Travel film series. We have no doubt that some of the little crunchers in this 1954 instructional short grew up to be courteous highway Moms and Dads, hauling their kids around on accident-free road trips.

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Spotted by Tipsters

Halfwit.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....


Tesla coil.Tesla Lives!: Tech guru Richard Mathias, who builds and donates Tesla coils for public enjoyment, is proud of his latest, the World’s Most Powerful Musical Bi-Polar Tesla Coil, which sparks to life regularly in a Tennessee museum.


Tire Man.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.


Peter Toth carvings.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 Photo Op.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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Latest News on Roadside America

World's Largest ThermometerThe SPAM Museum has been closed while it moves to a new building. The Crime and Punishment Museum has reopened after some emergency maintenance (Thanks to tipster Renee for the info). The World's Largest Czech Egg has been painted, but not like a Czech Egg (Tipster Lin S. sent photographic evidence). After years of darkness, the World's Largest Thermometer has been switched back on. The town of Weed was torched by a wildfire, while America's Highest Suspension Bridge reopened after escaping a similar fate. Natural Bridge Wax Museum closed, but Prada Marfa was spared, and the World’s Tallest Indian was repaired. Muffler Man with Hideous Homemade Head is in the shop, recapitation imminent (an American Giants Kickstarter project). Rocky and Bullwinkle, former fixtures on the Sunset Strip, have reappeared in Beverly Hills. Giant prospector Last Chance Joe dodged demolition and has been moved to a new home (Perhaps he should be renamed Second Chance Joe). And the former World’s Largest Roadrunner has vamoosed -- temporarily. It’s being repainted by convicts.

Keep pace with important attraction updates on the Roadside America Twitter feed.

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Keep startling, America!
The RoadsideAmerica.com Team

Apps & Tools

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Roadside America iPhone app Roadside America App for iPhone: v. 1.8.7
10,000+ USA/Canada offbeat attractions, inc. new research targets, interactive "Near Me" maps, Sunset Alert, Tourist Interruptus (yes, you might need this).

$2.99 on the App Store (incl. access to 1 region); addtl. regions or "All Access" unlock is optional in-app purchase.
iPhone, iPod touch (iPad compatible)

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Roadside Presidents App for iPhone: v. 1.3.7
POTUS road trip! New photos, new landmarks, essential Roadside Presidential sights. The legacy of our leaders — inspired, uplifting, hapless, tragic — first ladies, assassins, and ample patriotic bunting.

$2.99. iPhone, iPod touch, (iPad compatible). Available on the App Store.

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Main image: Lady in the Lake, Elberta, Alabama