Top 10 Hidden American Treasures

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In the summer of 2006, we spent our honeymoon on the road visiting 48 states and Canada while driving 25,486 miles. In just over 94 days, we saw all the sights the average American tourist wishes to see in a lifetime. The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the St. Louis Arch, the Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyworld, New York City, the Great Lakes, Mt. Rushmore -- we’ve seen it all. When we began our journey, we went in search of the soul of America. Along the way, we learned that this soul is not found in Times Square or Hollywood, where commerce and population is key. It is found on the open road, in the diners and roadside attractions and hidden natural treasures that demonstrate the enduring humanity of our nation. These often-overlooked gems gave us the best impression of America and priceless memories that we are pleased to share with you.1. The Enchanted Highway (Regent, ND)According to our travel books, there is only one thing to do in North Dakota --visit Regent, home of the Enchanted Highway. Recently featured in Smithsonian magazine, the Enchanted Highway is a strip of small farm road, which is home to seven large scrap metal sculptures, created by a local teacher-turned-artist in an effort to boost the town's economy. Each work of art reflects a North Dakota theme and is displayed on farmland that has either been donated or leased, and a semi-paved road leads up to each one, complete with picnic table and description of the piece. We drove for hours on completely desolate interstate before seeing signs for the Enchanted Highway. They directed us to the heart of town, a small road lined with a few scattered shops. We asked the locals if they knew the artist of the sculptures. "Sure, we know him! He comes in here all the time," they told us. The next thing we knew, they had arranged for us to meet Gary Greff himself.The artist is 57-years-old, and has to be one of the friendliest people we've ever met. He was so happy to meet us and tell us all about his project. He took time to answer our questions about his vision, and even shared his greater ideas, including redecorating the town in giant metal sculptures and opening a resort hotel. He has completely devoted his life to the Enchanted Highway, working with a local high school student to create his pieces. Each one takes about 4 years to create, and around $50,000 to erect. We couldn't wait any longer to see these amazing sculptures. We got in the car and began the drive along what we can only describe as a truly Enchanted Highway. The first sculpture we came to was the "Tin Family", a set of three metal people created in amazing detail. From the suspenders on the dad's overalls to the flower in the mom's hat, these people were probably our favorite.Next came "Teddy Rides Again", a stagecoach and a giant outline of Theodore Roosevelt on a horse. This was extremely impressive, and anyone small enough can actually sit inside the stagecoach (just watch your step).The third sculpture was "Pheasants on the Prairie", a family of giant birds that had been so large when they were created, they had to be cut in half to fit out the door and then welded back together.After that we saw the latest work-in-progress, a fishing-themed sculpture. In fact, Mr. Greff had been working on it that very day before meeting us at the gift shop. It was fascinating to see how it was coming together, seeing the unpainted metal and the machines used to lift it all up.The next sculpture was called "Grasshoppers in the Field", which was especially neat because the family who owned the land on which it stood had decorated it with rope lights, a tribute to their father who was thrilled with the idea of the sculptures but wasn't able to see the project come to fruition."Deer Crossing" was next, giant silhouettes of two deer jumping over a fence. But the most impressive was yet to come. "Geese in Flight" is the world's largest scrap metal sculpture, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. As you ascend the hill on which it stands, the drive is lined with poles with small, black metal geese in flight. When you finally come to the top, a huge sunburst design offsets giant black geese in front of a painted metal landscape. It truly is breathtaking, and the view from the top really enhances the sculpture.This is a wonderful story of a man with a dream, and the community who benefited from it. Of course, there are some skeptics in the town who aren't sure about the idea, but after having experienced it first hand, we don't understand why anybody wouldn't be behind this project. We can't wait to see what will be there the next time we go back. 2. James Pecan Farm (Brunswick, MS)Speaking of visionaries, our next recommendation lies in Brunswick, Missouri -- home of the world's largest pecan. We found it, sitting right outside The Nut Hut, a family-owned store on the side of the highway. We pulled over to take some pictures, and while outside noticed a sign reading "Pop-Up Theater". We had to know. We went inside, where we met Farmer James, son of the original owners of James Farm, Inc. He was very friendly, and we struck up a conversation and asked about the pop-up theater.He told us that the farming industry in northern Missouri was experiencing some tough times, and he knew that in order to keep his pecan farm ahead of the competition, he had to do something different. So he created a children's book, starring the two characters in the company's logo, Wham the Hammer and Petey the Pecan. The book did pretty well, and from there Farmer James decided to do more to attract people to his store. He created a giant interactive 8’x8’ pop-up book and placed it on a stage in a storage backroom behind the store. He built a sitting area for an audience, added lighting and a sound system. The original plan was that he would read the story aloud to the children who came, but when word spread about his plan, more and more people became involved. Before he knew it, local musical groups had recorded professional songs Farmer James had written for his story. A former Disney artist was hired to create the larger-than-life illustrations, and by the time it was all said and done, Farmer James had created a full 45-minute show complete with pop-up sections which emerge from below the stage, a live stage performance with Farmer James donning costumes and singing and dancing along with the songs, inviting audience participation. Seeing our interest in his creation, Farmer James offered to give us a 5-minute preview, free of charge. We followed him back to the stage, where he turned on all of the equipment and began the show. He skipped through most of the story narration, giving us a taste of the different musical styles in the show, as well as the artwork in the giant book. He did a wonderful job of telling a fun fictional story, while also teaching us quite a bit about the pecan farming industry. This is a must see for anyone traveling through this area -- kids and adults alike will enjoy it. Farmer James also has plans for a mini-amusement park to help boost the Brunswick economy. The entry way to the theater is a work in progress, with bright lights and moving equipment that pecan farmers use daily. His farm and store can be found along Route 24, just west of Brunswick in northern Missouri. Find out more about Farmer James and his pop-up theater at:<http://www.agrimissouri.com/articles/jamespecanfarm.htm>http://www.agrimissouri .com/articles /jamespecanfarm.htmand<http://www.mda.mo.gov/cgi-bin/agrimomembers.cgi?id=94>http://www.mda.mo.gov /cgi-bin/agrimomembers .cgi?id=94We love this guy, and are sure you will too!3. Storybook Land (Aberdeen, SD)Hidden in the northern part of South Dakota, this free amusement park is based on nursery rhymes, children's stories and some movies. Throughout the entire park, we were greeted by many statues of famous storybook characters, from Jack and Jill to Jack and the Beanstalk. There were several things for kids to play on (slides, a giant pirate ship, monkey bars), and there were even a couple of petting zoos. If you crossed over into the other half of the park, you found yourself in the Land of Oz. Munchkinland, the yellow brick road and even the haunted forest guided the way to the Emerald City, where there were a few small rides (a carousel, a rock climbing wall, etc.), which you could ride for a dollar. We took the train ride around the park, where we not only got a great view of the park, but also got to see the small zoo nearby (complete with buffalo and reindeer). We had only planned to stay for about an hour, but we passed by wandering wild turkeys and peacocks on our way out, a good three hours after we arrived. The park, completely supported by donations and free to the public (with the exception of the rides and food), is a MUST for anyone traveling through South Dakota.4. Corn Palace (Mitchell, SD)Just south of Aberdeen lies the town of Mitchell, home to the world famous Corn Palace. Acting as the town's functioning civic center, this building hosts activities from the high school basketball games to proms and other important events. The most unique thing about this building is the fact that every year, the town's residents decorate the outside of the building with different varieties of CORN. They use different colors of corn to create images in a color-by-number style. The corn mural on the outside of the building changes every year (crop permitting) while another mural indoors depicts various aspects of the state's history. Tours are available, and a large gift shop occupies the indoor arena. The surrounding neighborhood is entertaining as well, with fun shops and great photo opportunities.5. Whistle Stop Cafe (Juliette, GA)In 1991, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary Louise Parker sat at the counter of the Whistle Stop Cafe in "Fried Green Tomatoes". After the completion of the movie, the town of Juliette bought the cafe, which had been built especially for the film, and opened it to the public. Fifteen years later, we sat at the same counter where we had a lunch of their famous veggie treat and Georgia barbecue -- with real southern Sweet Tea! The town is a quaint, back-roads place, sitting right by the train tracks. It really does look just like it did in the movie ... with a few modern additions (hooray for air conditioning!). With a great view of small-town Georgia and the sound of the train passing by, you really get the feel of the old south. 6. Badlands National Park, (Southwestern SD)Just off of I-90, south of the town of Wall lies Badlands National Park. This destination has to be the strangest thing we've seen in all our travels. The geography here in this 20-mile stretch of road is equivalent to that of another planet. We pulled off the road and hiked down a trail out into the actual formations, walking around and climbing on the dunes. The ground is like a mixture of dried mud, sand and dust. Every time it rains or the wind blows, the landscape changes. It's uninhabitable (except for the wild rabbit we saw), but breathtaking. There really aren’t words to describe this geographical oddity. It’s something you just have to experience for yourself.7. Ruby Falls (Chattanooga, TN)Just across the Georgia border lies Chattanooga, Tennessee, home of Lookout Mountain and the famous Ruby Falls, a natural waterfall located 1500 feet underground. An elevator takes you and your tour group down nearly the height of the Empire State Building into the side of the mountain, where a guide leads you through the beautiful cavern. Along the way, you pass several interesting geographical formations before finally arriving at the falls. Once there, your path becomes enveloped in darkness, and climactic music pours from unseen speakers while giant spotlights illuminate the falls in an impressive reveal. 8. Custer State Park (Custer, SD)Nestled in the Black Hills is Custer State Park, 71,000 acres of beautiful land and wildlife. Needles Highway, a narrow winding road that swerves through giant needle-like rock formations jutting 30 and sometimes 40 feet in the air, runs through the park. Full of wonderful photo opportunities, this scenic drive offers an amazing view of Mount Rushmore framed like a picture through the one-car tunnels that lead you through the park. This is easily the most interesting drive either of us has ever enjoyed. The park itself offers wonderful opportunities for camping, an experience we took advantage of. We awoke the next morning to find a buffalo roaming through the campsite and a herd of wild burros blocking our way on the road. In addition to Mount Rushmore, Custer also hosts another famous mountainside monument. The Crazy Horse memorial will be the largest sculpture in the world when finished. We noticed in the museum there, however, that seemingly no visible progress has been made since around 1986, yet they continue to charge a hefty entrance fee. We were also disappointed with the view -- the closest you can get still seems miles away from the sculpture, whereas at the carving down the road, you can stand virtually underneath the Presidents' faces. They offer a laser light show on the side of the mountain at night, however we recommend bypassing that and spending as much time as you can at the state park.9. World’s Largest Fountain (Fountain Hills, AZ)A suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, Fountain Hills doesn’t have much going on, except for the fact that it’s home to the world’s largest fountain. It is located in the middle of a large pond and shoots a large stream of water over 600 feet - that’s two football fields! -- into the air. While driving to find it, we got a little lost… how can you not find a 600’ fountain in the flat desert landscape of Phoenix? Then we saw it. Ahead in the distance, well above the rooftops of the surrounding neighborhoods, was a giant stream of water. It was by far one of the oddest sights we’ve experienced. Apparently the fountain is on a schedule -- on for 10 minutes, off for 10 minutes. Luckily, we happened on it while it was on. The pond and fountain were part of a beautiful park, complete with ducks and cactus gardens. We couldn’t believe we were the only people there, but maybe the locals were bored with this phenomenon? Either way, it was a truly impressive sight. We spent some time sitting on a park bench, staring at this thing, trying to make sense of it when it shut off. We waited awhile, hoping to see it during a full cycle. Then somewhere, we could hear water starting, and strained to see any sign of the fountain…the next thing we knew, we were in a cycle of our own. The park sprinklers were starting up, and we were stuck in the middle of it all. We were so focused on the fountain, we were confused as to where this water was coming from. By the time we figured it out, we were soaked, our cameras were wet and we were laughing at ourselves and at the idea that we really got the full fountain experience.10. Avenue of the Giants (Northwestern CA)Just off highway 101 near Humboldt Redwoods State Park is the Avenue of the Giants. This stretch of asphalt weaves back and forth under the 101 through the Redwood Forest where many of the tallest trees in the world reside. Upwards of 360 feet, these colossal trunks seem to disappear into the clouds as you gaze skyward in awe. Continuing along this route, you will reach the town of Meyers Flat, home of the famous Drive-Through Tree. Here, you can pay a small admission fee to enter the private property on which it stands, and then proceed to literally drive your car through a natural opening in the trunk of one of these mighty trees. Back on the Avenue, the road is lined by the impressive trees, which can't be fully appreciated until you park your car, get out and stand beside (or in some cases, inside!) one of them. A peaceful yet humbling drive, this route shouldn't be missed. 2007-06-01T14:45:54-07:00

815792128

2005-12-31T16:00:00-08:00

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2005-12-31T16:00:00-08:00

Published

102.0 Top 10 Hidden American Treasures

2007-06-07T13:56:29-07:00

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