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Trivia from the Open Road.
Between pit stops, leg cramps and the steady beat of “Are we there yet?” a family road trip is not always a vacation. But the gems of America’s highways—roadside landmarks and quirky small towns—can make your trip worth the headache, as long as you recognize them when you pass by.
“A simple car trip can be a window into the past when you know more about each community you pass,” says Mike Heim, creator of www.triptrivia.com, a Web site devoted to trip trivia. “America’s roads are treasure chests of history, adventure and oddity.” So relocate the old map and head for the open road… this time, armed with trivia from www.triptrivia.com:
In the South
Pass through New Orleans on I-10 and commemorate the birth of the cocktail. In the early 1800s, Antoine Peychaud mixed together bitters and brandy, serving it in a small cup called a “coquetier.” Common mispronunciation by Americans transformed the word into “cocktail.”
After tipping one back for Peychaud, swing over to Baton Rouge on I-12. Baton Rouge translates to “Red Stick.” When French explorers first stumbled upon the site, a large red pole with the heads of fish and animals divided the hunting grounds between Houma and Bayou Goula Indians.
While traversing Texas’ I-20, don’t expect to lodge at the Baker Hotel. Voted the “Best Empty Hotel,” the majestic twelve-story hotel boasts 450 rooms, but it’s been boarded up for years. Developers say it would be too expensive to restore and it’s too sturdy to implode – so there it sits, gloriously empty.
In the Southwest
Make a stop along Highway 160--in Tuba City, Arizona--to walk through dinosaur tracks. The gargantuan three-toed imprints date back 100 million years.
Later, take I-17 through Prescott, where the world’s first rodeo was held July 4, 1988. For a real adventure, hunt for gold along California’s I-5 in Dunsmuir. During the gold rush, a large fortune of gold was stolen and hidden in a large granite formation called the Crags. The robbers were immediately arrested, but the booty has yet to be found.
In the West
Celebrate the wild West’s ranching history and stop for a cheeseburger on Denver’s I-70. At the Humpty Dumpty drive-in restaurant in 1935, Louis Ballast grilled a piece of cheese onto a hamburger, bringing to life the world’s first cheeseburger. Although the restaurant no longer exists, a bank parking lot erected a landmark in Ballast’s honor.
In the Midwest
America’s breadbasket is home to some of the most deliciously odd landmarks worldwide. On Michigan’s I-75, stop in Indian River, home to the world's largest crucifix. The redwood-and-bronze cross—which stands in the river--measures 55-feet high and 22-feet across and weighs seven tons. A nearby museum showcases over 500 nun and priest dolls dressed in costumes of different religious orders.
In Wisconsin, travel Highway 10 to observe the state’s strong dairy history. In Neillsville, a replica of the world's largest chunk of cheese weighs 34,500 pounds. The original cheese required 170,000 quarts of milk to make. Also, visit is Chatty Belle, the world's largest talking cow, about seven times larger than the average Holstein.
Whether you’re trekking across the country or visiting a nearby town, www.triptrivia.com can reveal thousands of little secrets from the open road.
Author: Kelsey Anderson
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