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Crazy Things to See and Plans to Make!
It’s time to make your travel plans for the year with your RV, and maybe you’re in need of a little inspiration. There’s always an emotional bond with traditional camping locations and activities… but sometimes you just need a little spark of the weird and wonderful! In this episode, we have you covered with zany attractions, weird sights, natural wonders, and more! What do you need in 2023? More crazy things to see, of course!
20 Cool Places to Stop on Your Next RV Trip
Marfa Lights + Prada Marfa – Marfa Texas
Marfa Lights has been an unexplained phenomenon since the first report in 1883 and is by far one of the top reasons to visit this West Texas town. These glowing orbs randomly appear at nighttime and can change colors throughout the seasons. People from all around show up to make their own theory on where these lights are coming from, and range from campfires to UFO sightings. Though we don’t have an answer on what these lights are, it is definitely a sight to see.
In the middle of the West Texas desert sits the tiniest Prada store known as “Prada, Marfa”. Built in 2005, artists Micheal Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, had meant to critique the luxury goods industry with this showcase. Miuccia Prada hand-selected $80,000 worth of Prada shoes and bags from the 2005 Fall/Winter collection to display in the store. While this looks like a real store, there is no working door for visitors to go inside. Much to the artist’s surprise, this is a popular landmark that thousands of people swarm to visit every year.
Enchanted Highway – Regent, North Dakota
Located off exit 72 on 1-94 in Regent North Dakota, you will see a stretch of highway with 32 miles of scrap metal sculptures. The sculptures feature deer, grasshoppers, pheasants, and a tin family. Once at the end of Enchanted highway, Regent has multiple places to explore in town. This drive is full of crazy things to see!
Glass Beach – Fort Bragg, California
Stated right in the name, this beach is filled with smooth glass left from the early to mid-1900’s. Not only were bottles dumped at the site, but even appliances and cars were thrown over the cliff at this now famous beach. Now little pieces of history, people have stumbled upon sapphires, apothecary bottles, and other gems along the Fort Bragg beach. Since this is on protected land, make sure to not take any treasures back home with you!
Thor’s Well – Yachats, Oregon
At the edge of the Oregon coast sits a natural sinkhole known as the drainpipe of the pacific. This ocean drain started out as a sea cave that’s roof eventually caved in from the crashing waves over the years. The unique landmark attracts photographers from around the world to witness this incredible sight and is best viewed an hour before the high tide. Though this big piece of nature offers an incredible experience, if you get too close it can be extremely dangerous so use caution when exploring the area.
UFO Watchtower – Saguache County, Colorado
Is it a bird, plane, or UFO? Located in the heart of San Luis Valley in Colorado, this land offers an elevated observation deck away from light pollution for unobstructed views. The watchtower is surrounded by alien-themed objects and has a campsite open year-round for overnight stays in your RV!
Hole in the Rock – Moab, Utah
On the side of highway 191 sits a 5,000-square-foot home carved into the sandstone that was built by the Christensen family and took 20 years to complete. This home now includes a 65-foot chimney, a bathtub built into the side of a rock, and 14 rooms throughout. The landmark now features a gift shop, general store, and a petting zoo, bringing in about 500 visitors a day.
Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard – Waterbury, Vermont
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is known for their out of the box flavors, and with this comes the risk of what they call “depinted” flavors that get sent to their graveyard. You can pay tribute to your loved and lost flavors at the Flavor Graveyard located at the Ben and Jerry’s factory in Waterbury, Vermont.
Mermaid of Weeki Wachee State Park – Spring Hill, Florida
Now’s your chance to see mermaids in real life at the Weeki Wachee State Park in Florida. During this show you’ll get to know various characters, follow a story line, and of course witness singing and dancing. Not only is the show entertaining, it’s also educational and provides numerous facts about Florida’s ecosystem. The show occurs daily in an auditorium that seats up to 400 people where the mermaids can be viewed through a glass display. The state park offers multiple attractions you can visit while waiting for the show.
Neon Boneyard – Las Vegas, Nevada
Founded in 1996, the Neon Boneyard is dedicated to exhibiting various iconic Las Vegas signs for historical purposes. With more than 200 retired signs that range from the 1930s to the present day, you will be able to recognize several iconic pieces from Caesars Palace and the Moulin Rouge hotel. This outdoor guided tour is an absolute picture-perfect moment.
Synchronous Fireflies – Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Located right outside of Gatlinburg, TN, thousands of lightening bugs come out and put on a show near the Elkmont campground located in the Smoky Mountains. The viewing period vary each year and are dependent on the temperature and soil moisture so keep a close eye out for specific dates if you are wanting to visit this national park. Easily one of nature’s most enchanting crazy things to see!
Abandoned Igloo in Alaska – Cantwell, Alaska
This 4-story concrete hotel is oddly fascinating – it has never been open for business, and to this day is not open to the public. Construction on the hotel began in the 1970s but could not meet building codes due to the window size and other code violations. The building stands strong today and is the halfway point between Fairbanks and Anchorage.
Albert the bull – Audubon, Iowa
Standing at 28 feet tall and weighing in at 45 tons, Albert is the world’s largest bull and has been overlooking Audubon since 1964. Albert is a perfect replica of the Hereford bull, nine times their size and was named after Albert Kruse. In 1961, Kruse launched Operation T-Bone as a way to promote the beef industry as it was a vital factor to the economy in Iowa. Albert the Bull was the main way Audubon attracted tourists and to this day still bring in 20,000 people a year!
Fly Geyser – Washoe County, Nevada
Chances are you haven’t heard of this manmade geyser that formed in 1916 after residents began drilling a well for irrigated water. It’s one of the…man-made, naturally occurring crazy things to see? Is that a thing? Once realizing the water inside was too hot, the well was abandoned. Years later, in 1964, a geothermal company went out to the site and drilled a test well which caused the colorful formation we see now. This attraction continues growing a few inches each year and shoots water up around five feet in the air. Owned by the non-profit Burning Man Project, you can explore the ranch on a 2.5-hour pre-arranged guided tour. Alternatively, the Fly Geyser can also be visible from the side of State Route 34.
World’s Largest Pistachio – Otero County, New Mexico
Standing at 30 feet tall, the largest Pistachio sits on a New Mexico pistachio farm, also known as PistachioLand. This tree ranch and winery has endless supplies of goodies you can pick up on your road trip or order online. From farm tours to endless photo ops, Pistachioland has something for the whole family to enjoy!
Blue Whale of Catoosa – Catoosa, Oklahoma on Route 66
This beloved and historic landmark is located on Route 66 and gets thousands of visitors each year. Originally, Hugh envisioned this to be a great spot for his family to enjoy, but after the whale’s completion it got so much attention that he decided to open it to the public. Enjoy a nice picnic or fish off of this 80 foot long whale!
Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, California
This 100-year-old house is located in San Jose, CA and is now a historic landmark. Its original owner was Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester, who was the widow of William Wirt Winchester. After the loss of her husband, a psychic instructed Sarah to move out west and build the now famous mansion. The world renowned house has many features that are just strange and left unfinished. Once in the home, you’ll find windows on interior walls, doors to nowhere, and stairways that lead to nothing. Paranormal activity is no stranger to this home and has drawn in over 12 million guests throughout the years. This mansion is bonkers! It’s a shoe in as one of the crazy things to see!
The Haines Shoe House – York, PA
Mahlon Haines owned a chain of shoe stores and wanted to find a way to advertise his business in a unique way. Instead of living in the house, he offered it as a promotional prize. Each winner would get a chance to stay in the house for a week and went home with a free pair of shoes. When he wasn’t promoting his business, he was renting the space out as a popular vacation destination. To this day, you can still rent out the Shoe House space.
World’s Largest Paul Bunyan – Akeley, MN
Many have tried but only one has succeeded in building the larger than life Paul Bunyan statue. Full of determination, Dean Krotzer built the most unique statue to help the town to uphold the right to call Ackley, MN Bunyan’s birthplace. Unlike the others, this Paul Bunyan is kneeling with his hand out, giving visitors the opportunity for a great photo op.
The Last blockbuster – Bend, Oregon
Take a journey back in time and visit the last Blockbuster in Bend Oregon. With the classic yellow walls and that unique Blockbuster smell, this stop will have you feeling nostalgic instantly. This Blockbuster is still running just as it did 20 years ago, helping to keep a distant memory at the forefront. This tops the list of Clint’s crazy things to see!
Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
The force is strong with this hurricane-proof house that resembles Luke Skywalker’s home on Tatooine. Though it is private property, many tourists will drive past the attraction to snap a quick photo.
Sources for our list of Crazy Things to See:
- https://travelnevada.com/hiking/fly-geyser/
- https://californiathroughmylens.com/glass-beach-fort-bragg/
- https://www.attractionsofamerica.com/thingstodo/top-10-unusual-places-to-visit-in-the-usa.php
- https://www.theholeintherock.com/the-house/
- https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/flavor-graveyard
- https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/sarahs-story/#
- https://www.hainesshoehouse.com/history
Helpful Links for episode 153 “Crazy Things to See”
Princesscraft.com | Princess Craft RV
TexasTinyTrailerRally.com | Texas Tiny Trailer Rally
