1108Landmarks

www.ambiente.us NOVEMBER | NOVIEMBRE 2008

Travel: America's strangest landmarks

                                                                                           If you're looking for a close encounter of the
                                                                                            unexpected kind then you might enjoy a trek
                                                                                            around some of North America's strangest
                                                                                            landmarks. There are some fascinating tourist
                                                                                            spots in the area and we're not talking about
                                                                                            Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon.

                                                                                            If you're looking for something a bit different
                                                                                            then take yourself off across North America for
                                                                                            a tour of some of its lesser known tourist
                                                                                            attractions.

                                                                                            From landmarks that will make you do a double
                                                                                            take, to the places that will provide the best
                                                                                            traveler's tales or photo opportunities, we
                                                                                            present a guide to North America's best off
                                                                                           -the-beaten-track sights.

The world's largest ball of twine, Minnesota
You can't get much quirkier than a giant ball of twine and this is some ball. Arguably Darwin's greatest
landmark, this enormous ball of twine
measures a whopping four metres in diameter.
Unbelievably, the ball was made by just one man
– Francis A. Johnson. He spent 23 weeks in 1950
painstakingly wrapping twine for four hours a day.
Nowadays, the ball is proudly displayed in a Perspex
gazebo so it can be viewed from all sides.
Find out more:
www.darwintwineball.com/twineball.html

London Bridge, Arizona
Forty years ago, London Bridge was disassembled from its position over the River Thames and
reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. It remains one of the city's most popular tourist attractions,
largely spurred on by the urban myth that the American owner thought he was buying Tower Bridge.
Find out more here: www.golakehavasu.com/londonbridge.html

The Spam Museum, Minnesota
Made famous, or infamous, by the Monty Python team in their
classic spam sketch this iconic tinned meat product now has
its own museum. Yes, an entire museum dedicated to
everyone's favorite canned meat, Spam, which the website
modestly refers to as “the cradle of civilization”. A slight
exaggeration we think. However, what better opportunity for
travelers suffering the credit crunch to stock up on this war-
time food staple.
Find out more here: www.spam.com/museum

Cadillac Ranch, Texas
Take a detour from Route 66 at Amarillo where you'll find ten Cadillac cars buried nose-first into the desert.
Visitors are encouraged to leave their mark by adding to the graffiti-covered vehicles.
Find out more here: www.texasoutside.com/amarilloframes/cadillacranchframes.htm

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Museum, Alberta, Canada
It might sound like a wrestling move, but Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Museum is actually a World
Heritage site where visitors can learn about the culture of Native Americans who populated the area for over
5,500 years. The name refers to the tradition of killing buffalo by driving herds over a cliff.
Find out more here: www.head-smashed-in.com

The General Lee, Tennessee
Dukes of Hazzard fans will be in their element at Cooter's Place, a shop and museum that houses
memorabilia from the cult TV show, including the famous General Lee. TrekAmerica tour leaders bringing
groups here are advised to keep the van windows up at all times.
Find out more here: www.cootersplace.com

Chicken, Alaska
This town was due to be called Ptarmigan, after the Alaskan state bird that was abundant in the area. The
only problem was that nobody could agree how to spell Ptarmigan…so they named it “Chicken” instead.
Find out more here: www.chickenalaska.com

Jolly Green Giant Statue, Minnesota
The universal face of sweet corn is helping to position Minnesota as the place to go for weird and wonderful
sights by securing its third entry in this list. The Jolly Green Giant Statue, in the town of Blue Earth, stands 55
feet tall, but thankfully for visitors, his modesty is preserved despite his short tunic.
Find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Green_Giant

Roswell UFO Museum, New Mexico
The truth is out there, just not
necessarily here. But that doesn't
mean you can't indulge your
mystical side with a tour of this
infamous UFO site. Find out more
about the “Roswell Incident” of
1947 and indulge in a whole host
of UFO conspiracy theories –
before nipping across the road
for a milkshake at the world's
only UFO-themed McDonalds.
It's got to be done.
Find out more here:
www.roswellufomuseum.com

Devils Tower, Wyoming
Continuing the alien theme, this eerie looking monolith played a central role in Close Encounters of the Third
Kind. Remember Richard Dreyfuss' mash potato mountain in Hollywood smash? It is a sacred site for many
Native Americans and was proclaimed the USA's first national monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
Find out more here: www.nps.gov/deto

Sourtoe Cocktails, Dawson City, Canada
Not so much of a sight, but more of an
experience, Downtown Hotel in Dawson City
is home to the famous Sourtoe Cocktail Club.
To become part of the 12,000 elite, travelers
must drink a shot of their choice containing a
severed human toe that must touch the lips.
The hotel is currently on its eighth toe, after
several were ‘accidentally' swallowed.
Find out more here:
www.sourtoecocktailclub.com

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