Episode 63: Top 5 Roadside Attractions in America with Valerie Bromann

Angie Orth:

Have you seen the world's biggest ball of twine? What about a bigger-than-life-size Paul Bunyan surrounded by towering redwood trees? Roadside attractions are more than just good excuses to pull over and stretch your legs on a road trip. They are unique expressions of whimsy and creativity that compel us to explore the strange and unusual.

Today, I'm back with the expert on roadside attractions, Valerie Bromann. She's sharing her top 5 must-see stops that you need to pull over for on your next road trip. Drivers start your engines, it's time for a road trip through America's best roadside destinations.

Number one, what is the most unbelievable roadside attraction you've seen?

Valerie Bromann:

One of my favorite stops is the world's largest mailbox in Casey, Illinois, which is a small town in Illinois that is known for its roadside attraction because it's not only a giant mailbox, it is a working mailbox. You can crawl up or take the stairs up to the top through the back, and there's a place there to mail your postcards home. And when you do it, there's a flag on the side that goes up, just like a real working mailbox. Then you can walk up to the front and take in a nice view of all the other things in town, so it is a really fun place and a fun roadside attraction.

Angie:

I love when things are functional, too. You got your ginormous mailbox and you can actually use it and mail stuff. What is your favorite roadside attraction for kids?

Valerie:

Pretty much all roadside attractions are really great for kids because they give you an opportunity to pull over, take a break, and see something really cool. There is a dinosaur park in Rapid City, South Dakota that has a bunch of dinosaur statues. There's Enchanted Forest in Oregon that has a fairytale theme where you can see a lot of witches and castles and all of that. There are a lot of different fairytale parks throughout the U.S. that have familiar characters from your stories that you can see. I think those are really great places for kids because they take a little longer, they give you familiarity, and you can spend a lot of time taking pictures and seeing really fun stuff, and there's something for everyone.

Angie:

What do you think is the best roadside attraction for nature lovers?

Valerie:

One of the best roadside attractions for nature lovers is Trees of Mystery in California because outside there is a giant Paul Bunion and Babe the Ox, but that's just the entrance to some beautiful hiking where you can see redwoods, and you can see some other cool sculptures along the way. It's the best of both worlds for people, nature, hiking, and roadside attractions all in one.

Angie:

What is the best stop for classic Americana?

Valerie:

Anywhere you stop on Route 66 is going to be your classic Americana. There's everything from a hotdog-carrying muffler man in Atlanta, Illinois. There's spray painting cars at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Seligman, Arizona has a lot of really cool little shops and quirky little things to see, and that's kind of known as the birthplace of Route 66. Then I think the Blue Whale of Catoosa in Oklahoma is just one of the best roadside attractions there is, and it really represents Route 66 and is a great stop for people to see.

Angie:

You've seen a thousand roadside attractions across 36 states. I'm going to ask you the hardest question ever. What is your personal favorite?

Valerie:

I think for me, and for a lot of people, our favorites come from our first memories and stuff. My favorite will always be one called The Spindle in Berwyn, Illinois, which is a big spike with all these cars on it. I loved seeing that every week or so when we'd drive past it, and I just loved seeing that one, and it really sparked my love for roadside attractions. Sadly though, that one was torn down many years ago, but they recently built a smaller version of it in a restaurant out there that I really want to go and see.

On one of my first trips as an adult, when I started driving, I saw the world's largest ketchup bottle. I've been now several times, it's this giant ketchup bottle that was once a water tower and now it's just there because who wants to take down a giant ketchup bottle? It's beautiful. I wish it was really filled with ketchup. It's not, but it is a great one to see.

Angie:

Now, are you a huge ketchup fan?

Valerie:

I am. I've been known to be that person who's like, “Do you want some fries with your ketchup?”

Angie:

I have a bonus question. What is the biggest upcoming road trip event? And I think we know, but tell us about it.

Valerie:

The Route 66 centennial is in 2026, so 100 years of Route 66. It is a really wonderful time to drive Route 66, both now and leading up to 2026. A lot of towns along the route are embracing this and putting the effort in to renovating and rebuilding some of the old sites, and a lot of them are going in and building new sites. There are a lot of new roadside attractions, a lot of new big photo ops, a lot of Route 66 shields that you can go and take your picture with. There are a lot of really great events going on, like the Route 66 Road Fest in Oklahoma. There are other Route 66 events in Amarillo, Texas, and a lot of other places along the route that are building up. I'm sure that year there are going to be a lot of really fun events to see.

Angie:

What's more American than that?

Valerie Bromann, thank you for joining us, and thank you to our listeners for being with us. If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA Travel Advisor, check out AAA.com/Travel, or visit your local branch.

This podcast is a production of Auto Club Enterprises. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe and leave us a review. I'm Angie Orth, thank you for traveling with AAA.