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Tempe, Arizona: AZ Route 101 Art Scene

Before Arizona ran out of money, it spent some cash engraving local flora and fauna -- and what appear to be Bigfoot footprints -- into the retaining walls along a sunken freeway.

Address:
Price Fwy, Tempe, AZ
Directions:
Hwy 101/Price Fwy north from Hwy 202, at all of the overpasses from Frye Rd to at least Guadalupe Rd.
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Visitor Tips and News About AZ Route 101 Art Scene

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Highway lizard.

AZ Route 101 Art Scene

If you take Route 101 North from Route 202 (just past the World's Largest Inflatable Dam) you will be treated to all manor of artistic scenes on the highways concrete walls. Most walls have Southwestern style geckos painted onto the highway sound barriers, but there are also saguaro cacti at one of the interchanges.

Most of the locals say they "just don't understand why" the highway is painted like this but after driving zillions of East Coast interstates and highways with little or no imagination I think it's a nice touch.

[Greg Brown, 03/17/2001]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Earth ThermometerEarth Thermometer, Tempe, AZ - 4 mi.
Tumbleweed Christmas TreeTumbleweed Christmas Tree, Chandler, AZ - 4 mi.
Vintage Laser and Hologram MuseumVintage Laser and Hologram Museum, Tempe, AZ - 4 mi.
In the region:
Long Wong's Wings, Phoenix, AZ - 13 mi.

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