Reports, news, and stories on quirky roadside attractions! Not all tips verified -- call ahead! Submit your own tip.
Results 11 to 15 of 139...[Previous 5 items] Page of 28 [Next 5 items]
Valley of the Moon was a children's fantasy land built in the 1920s by George Phar Legler out of concrete and found materials. Kids were led through the park by Mr. Legler, told stories and tales at various stopping points along the way, and visited by fairies and other creatures that were often portrayed by neighbors' children.
Some of the stops included the Wizard's Tower, Bunnyland Theater, the Enchanted Garden, the Rabbit Hole, and the Caves of Terror. Pennyland, a sort of wishing well, was surrounded by statues of gnomes whose faces were cast by pouring concrete into Halloween masks.
By the '60s, the park had deteriorated and closed, although Legler still lived on the grounds. Several high school kids who had visited when they were children revisited in 1971 and talked Legler into reopening. Legler died in 1982, and the park, while still open, continued to deteriorate. In recent years it's been the site of Halloween parties, weddings, and occasional tours of the grounds.
[Dean Jeffrey, 02/09/2008]Valley of the Moon:- Address:
- 2544 E Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ
- Directions:
- NE of downtown, E of Campbell Ave. Just north of Prince Road, between Tucson Blvd. and Country Club.
- Hours:
- For special events or by appt. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 520-323-1331
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
A 1972 rock lyric has been transformed into a 21st century tourist magnet photo-op.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 66 W. 2nd St., Winslow, AZ
- Directions:
- I-40 exit 252, then east on Route 66 (Second St.) Northwest corner of Second and Kinsley Ave.
- Hours:
- Lit at night. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
- Acton, California - Phonehenge West
Created by Alan Kimble Fahey over a period of about 30 years, the winding mazes and artistic structures of Phonehenge West are currently under attack due to lack of permits and failure to meet building codes. Somewhat similar to the Watts Towers, Fahey purchased his home, 1.7 acres of Antelope Valley land, with the specific purpose of creative expansion. And expand he did.
His encampment is built primarily with unused telephone and utility poles as well as other recycled material - even a staircase which was apparently donated by Danny DeVito!
Fayhe is disputing the charges against him and his home, and has gone to court, but is not likely to win. If you want to see his life's work, you might want to go soon. For more information, you can go to the "Save Phonehenge West" Facebook page, or just Google it as there are tons of articles about the case.
This is a family's house, FYI, so don't just jump out and run around. It's private property.
[Chelsea, 06/20/2011]Phonehenge West:- Directions:
- Hwy 14/Antelope Valley Fwy exit 22. Drive north on Sierra Hwy for a little over a mile. Turn right onto Shannondale Rd. Drive a little over a half-mile. Phonehenge West will be on the right, slightly shrouded by juniper trees, just south of Shannon Valley Rd.
- Hours:
- Oct. 2011: Reported torn down.
- Status:
- Gone
Fantastic sculpture park outside of Packway Materials. It was amazingly creative, and it seemed that every time we turned around there was something new to discover. For example, check out the placement of the rock pile behind the dachshund that appears to be heading toward the fire hydrant, or locate (and sign) the guest book inside the Tin Man.
[Adrea Gibbs, 09/11/2023]Large Junk Art Sculptures:- Address:
- 22244 Cassel Rd, Cassel, CA
- Directions:
- East from Redding on Highway 299 through Burney. Just beyond the intersection of highways 299 and 89 is Cassel Road. Turn right. Sculptures are approximately 1 1/2 miles on right, at entrance to Packway Materials.
- Phone:
- 530-335-4197
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
Boathouses are houses for boats, houseboats are boats for living in. It is unusual but not eccentric to live in a boat, unless the boat is made of plaster and plywood and built solidly on dry land. S.S. Encinitas and S.S Moon Light are neither boathouses, or houseboats; they are houses built in the shape of boats, moored on Third St. between F and G in Encinitas, CA, with the blue Pacific beating on the beach behind the hill like a bad child, heard but not seen. The closest they come to water is when it rains.
Miles Minor Kellogg was undoubtedly one of Encinitas' most noted recyclers, certainly within that period when he lived here in the 1920's and 1930's. He was a versatile builder with a talent for taking scrap material and incorporating it into new structures. When the third story of Mr. Hammond's 1883 hotel became infested with bats in the late 1910's, Mr. Kellogg, who owned the building at the time, removed the top floor and used the wood to build a small silent movie theater next door at the northeast corner of 101 and E Street. Mr. Kellogg was a builder, inventor and businessman who picked up additional materials at a bargain in this case, wood from the bathhouse at Moonlight beach in 1925. Since the building had a low ceiling, the wood wasn't long enough to use in an ordinary house. Mr. Kellogg had a lingering interest in the sea, so the idea came to him to use the material for boat houses.
His ultimate recycling triumph was the boathouses on the west side of Third Street between F and G. What a stir they created back in the late twenties. The editor of the local paper poked fun of Mr. Kellogg's creation and Mr. Kellogg retaliated with a major tongue-lashing! But then his imagination soared and he thought back to earlier days when he had worked on bats at Lake Michigan and the idea came to him to build "boat houses." His young son, Miles Justin Kellogg, helped every day after school until they were completed. In 1928 the boat houses could be seen from Highway 101 and people passing through town began to turn west for a better look at the structures. Down through the years the boathouses probably have been the most photographed buildings downtown and are a unique symbol of our surfing, beach, and Hwy 101 culture.
[Larry E Gundersen, 07/11/2005]Boat Houses:- Address:
- 726 Third St., Encinitas, CA
- Directions:
- From I-5, exit at Encinitas Blvd, and go west to Highway 101. At West D Street, turn right (west) and go to Third Street. Turn left (south) and past F St. Boat houses on your right. Private residence.
- Hours:
- No tours! Local health policies may affect hours and access.
[Previous 5 items] Page of 28 [Next 5 items]
June 2009: The Valley of the Moon is reported to be open at times for special events and tours.