Treasures of our Town

Roadside March Madness - Patreon Picks

• Craig (Seemyshell) and Joshua (Geocaching Vlogger) • Season 4 • Episode 5

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Five crowd-powered picks. One gloriously weird bracket. We asked our patrons to nominate America’s best roadside attractions and then argued our way to a final five, weighing what truly makes a highway stop irresistible: surprise, visibility, story, and a dash of “did I really just see that?”

We start by sharpening the definition of a roadside attraction—quirky, often free, and ideally something you can spot or stumble on while cruising—then put it to the test across a spectrum of submissions. Hell, Michigan brings playful immersion with singed postcards, a mini-golf gag reel, and the chance to be mayor for a day. Dignity of Earth and Sky elevates the genre with stainless steel and glass honoring Indigenous heritage, looming beautifully over the Missouri. Solomon’s Castle in Florida delivers pure maker magic, a tin-clad dream built by a single artist that turns oddity into awe.

Along the way, we explore the charm of Hattiesburg’s Pocket Museum Alley, packed with tiny installations, perspective murals, and geocaches—proof that small spaces can deliver big delight. We unpack the Thomas Dambo “Big Rusty” troll and how recycled art can spark a national scavenger hunt. And yes, we wade into Florida weird with Gatorland, tip our caps to the country’s smallest post office, and debate whether the Hollywood sign and dinosaur parks count as true roadside stops or full-on destinations. For dessert: a lonely Big Boy marooned in a Wyoming field, a world’s largest bobblehead, and the Peachoid—an unforgettable peach-shaped water tower with pop-culture cred.

By the end, we tally scores and call in our AI tiebreaker to lock the bracket. If you love geocaching, road trips, and the thrill of pulling over for something delightfully odd, you’ll leave with a punch list of must-see stops and a clear sense of what makes roadside culture so addictive. Join our Patreon to nominate future picks, vote in the bracket, and help steer the show. If this made you smile, follow, share with a road-trip friend, and drop a review—what’s your favorite roadside attraction we should feature next?

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Welcome And March Madness Setup

SPEAKER_02

To the sports music. Do you love to travel?

SPEAKER_01

Do you love road trips?

SPEAKER_02

Do you love finding hidden treasures in towns all over the US today? Hi, I'm Joshua.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm Craig. Welcome to Chris Divatan, it's a podcast that explores unique and charming towns scattered throughout the United States.

SPEAKER_02

Guided by our love for location-based games like geocaching, join us as we venture to some of the country's most intriguing destinations, uncovering hidden gems and local secrets along the way.

SPEAKER_01

On today's episode, March Madness is almost here. Not just yet, it's almost we actually are in March, but it's time job for the patron picks. The patrons the patrons have their word.

SPEAKER_02

Have their skew the sports music. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. I was gonna save that for I was gonna save that for the actual March Madness, Josh. Well, you could just keep my da dain for this episode. Maybe how about that?

SPEAKER_01

Therefore, there's no copyright with you dadaring either. So that's good.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

Defining Roadside Attractions

SPEAKER_01

Very good, very good. What are we doing, Josh? This is a roadside attractions. We did this last year as well. We opened up to the patrons. Just to let everyone know, if you didn't listen to uh last year's episode, firstly, welcome uh to Church of Our Town, but also what we do is we have a patron uh only uh picks as well. So what we do is we allow patrons to get the top five of uh entries into March Madness. So Josh has five, I have five, our special guest has five, and then the patrons have a five as well. So it makes 20 in the total. That's how March Madness actually works. So this episode is the episode before March Madness, and uh it's the patron only picks. Obviously, our patrons, Josh, they've come up with a lot more than five, but we've got to narrow it down. Yes, we do. And we've got the help of your special friend that we've had on the show a couple of times before. What what what did you name your friend again?

SPEAKER_02

Do you remember? I think her name is uh I think her name is Solace or Solace or something like that. Solace. Solace, I think. Solace, that's what it was.

SPEAKER_01

Solace. So if you don't know Josh, uh he enacts his little solace AI on his phone. Not not Siri, but Solace.

SPEAKER_02

That's if we need her, because she's gonna help us, she's gonna help us break the ties. Yes. Yes, and let's back up for a second. You this might be the first time you've ever heard her. Like, what are they talking about? March Madness. Well, we're talking about roadside attraction, March Madness. We this is our third year of us doing a bracket style, tournament style, March Madness, bracket, but not for sports, not for basketball, but for roadside attractions.

SPEAKER_01

And it's worth it too. It is really, really worth it. And I will say, Josh. It's one of our most popular shows, Craig. It's one of our most popular. It really is. I have had um a patron uh, you know, in person talk to me at length about it and said to me, Craig, can you please encourage Josh to pick actual roadside attractions this time? Oh, come on, not just not just museums and not just uh, you know, uh what do you call it? Duckboats, duckboat rides.

SPEAKER_02

So come on now. Museum can be a roadside attraction. I mean, you could be driving by a sign that says, Oh my gosh, there's the museum of blah blah blah, and you're like, Oh wow, I gotta stop. We didn't have that attraction.

SPEAKER_01

The corn castle museum thing. That was a museum, I suppose. That is a was a roadside attraction a couple of years ago.

SPEAKER_02

The corn palace.

SPEAKER_01

The corn palace, sorry, corn castle. Listen to me.

SPEAKER_02

Which you which you actually visited now after we actually talked about it. It's it is a roadside attraction, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01

And I will say, Josh, the amount of roadside attractions I've now visited because of our talking about them is insane. I also did the uh the highway there in in North Dakota as well, the uh not the ET highway, what's it called?

SPEAKER_02

The um Oh, I can't remember.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, it's it's it's a great highway. Anyway, it goes all the way down from north to south of North Dakota as well. And it's fantastic. And that's roadside attraction upon roadside attraction and roadside, like it's it's feature upon feature and photo. Enchanted highway. That's what it is. Enchanted highway. That's the one. Um, that was high up there too, in one of our and again, as I said, I I went there because of our podcast. So yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So this is a great way to give people ideas for future visits of different uh gems as we talk about throughout the United States. And let's just say that too. This has to be in the United States, and um we cannot have any repeats from the first two years. So although I I had to put a list, I had to put a list of all the ones we've already talked about before just to make sure nobody picked ones that we we've already done.

SPEAKER_01

I saw that. We we we could have Josh at one point in time, we could do an Australian version of Roadside Attraction, and that you would have to do some research.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, maybe. I think in year five, though, I think we've talked about year five. We're gonna do roadside attraction all-stars, which means we might bring back some of the the highly ranked ones that maybe did not win. And I'll just say right now, the last two years, my pick has won. No, you know, I just want to make that observation. And here's the thing I don't want to hear anything from the patrons, particularly you, you Waymaker Jan, that that Craig is the voice of the patrons because hey, I I am, I call it how I see it. And uh, if you have a sense that Craig is pandering to the patrons, nope, he's not the voice of the patrons, he's the panderer of the patrons.

SPEAKER_01

Oh no, no, not at all. And Josh, I will say that brings me to my to my uh my downgrades. Upgrades and downgrades. No, what do you call it? Yeah, up delays. Upgrades and delays.

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

You're talking, you're talking I look like a panda, Josh. Well, that's my delay at the moment, is I've actually got a head cult. So you may be able to hear my voice slightly as well. And I've probably got the black eyes underneath as well, like a panda. So I'm a I'm a pandering to the patrons. Is that what you're saying?

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I get it. Ha ha ha. I know.

SPEAKER_01

See, I segue straight into the uh the upgrade. That's a good segue.

SPEAKER_02

So what's your upgrade? So you have a head cold, your downgrade, but or your delay, but what's your upgrade? The upgrade, Josh.

SPEAKER_01

You know, before I've spoken to you about chicken math in the past, and I've got six chickens now as well. And if people don't understand what chicken math is, it's very simple. You got like right me right now, I've got six chickens, okay? And I go, okay, I've got six chickens, and I'm using uh enough space and feed where I could have 10 chickens, and so that's why I have 15. You see, that's chicken math, that's how it works. Uh, but no, I have uh I have four more baby chicks that are three days old. Um these are quite expensive, these chicks, these ones. Why? Because they're green egg layers, so we're going to have a nice little rainbow, rainbow eggs, Josh. So of in our in our egg crates.

SPEAKER_02

So green leg laying eggs in March. Sounds right. Sounds about right. Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01

So that's my upgrade.

SPEAKER_02

Josh, what about yourself? What's uh your delay and your upgrade? I don't have any delay. I guess my only delay is that I'm here in Minnesota in the in March, which is for us still very much winter, as today is 20 degrees, but we don't talk about the weather here on this podcast, so I'll just leave it at that. But this week I'll be heading with you and Minnesota boy, Minnesota boy, Minnesota boy, and Rob and Lou and the rest of the Munsey team to join you all in Los Angeles this coming weekend.

SPEAKER_01

So that is sunny California.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, and my son Jonah, he lives in LA as well. So that's right. To spend some time with him. Get this, Craig. He said he might spend all day Saturday with us, and he said, I'm gonna read, I'm gonna download the Munzie app again, and I'm gonna play with you guys all all weekends. So that'll be fun to hang out with Joe, hang out with Jonah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I'd like to hang out with Jonah too and uh talk to him about his adventures over in LA at the moment, too.

SPEAKER_02

So he's got a lot going on. He's got cool stuff right now, that's for sure. Yeah, like inter interviewing Oprah, for example. Yeah, I know. I saw that Charlie Pooth and two chains and all he's just he's meeting the celebrities left and right, I'll tell you.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, it's pretty cool. So you don't have apart from the the weather, Josh and have a delay. I mean, no, as we said, we don't speak about the weather, but right here at the 78. Uh, I went, I was gardening outside. Beautiful 78 in shorts and a shirt and sweating.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, it's cold, it's cold here.

SPEAKER_01

So there you go.

How Patron Picks And Scoring Work

SPEAKER_02

Still with snow on the ground, but let's talk about the patron picks. We have, I don't know, it looks like what 15 to 20 suggestions from our patrons for these patron picks. We're only gonna choose five. Yeah, and so first of all, what we need to do, Craig, we need to define a roadside attraction. I just quickly did a Google definition for roadside attractions, and I think it's a little different than it was the other years, but I'm just gonna read it because this is what Google says right now. This is what roadside attractions are now. Um, roadside attractions are quirky, often bizarre, and uniquely themed landmarks or small, independent, and usually free attractions located along highways and rural routes. Interesting. And I think other years it's described itself as like something that's on the way, right? So it's like not necessarily something that you would like build a whole vacation around, but something that you would stop to on the way to something else. And I think that's actually a really good definition, too. So that's kind of the official definition. But you know, yeah, this is very, I'll just say uh it's very subjective. It's very subjective.

SPEAKER_01

So we all know Josh likes to sort of you know bend bend those uh there's a lot of gray areas in Josh's core thinking, too. So but I I see roadside attractions, Josh, very similar to what uh what you just said. Somewhere whereby you're driving along and either you see a sign or you actually see the roadside attraction as you drive along and then decide to stop. You know what I mean? It's not one of those things for me, roadside attraction isn't just about uh oh, I know what's coming up, and so I'm gonna detour to stop there. To me, it's like one of those surprise, like whoa, what's this on the way? That's a roadside, a nice surprise on your road trip. So that's to me is a roadside attraction. So yes, for sure. Anyway, all right.

SPEAKER_02

So here's how yeah, here's how we're gonna do we're gonna we're gonna mention the the submission. We'll give a little uh explanation of it that has come directly from our patrons. We both have done a little bit of research on each of these, yeah. And then what we'll do is we will rank them one to five, five being like wow, one being like uh I don't think that's in road satisfaction. It's not very great. So uh so thank you so much, first of all, patrons. Please don't be offended. If we we rank it, we have to have five, they're not all gonna be able to be fives, yeah. So please don't be offended. But um, I want to first thank everybody that chose to submit some nominees. Oh, who's who's a pandera now? We really, really, we really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01

And before Josh comes in and stabs you in the back.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, come on now.

SPEAKER_01

I like it. The first one, Josh. The first one comes from Sims Quest. Sims Quest. So again, thank you for Sims Quest. They talk about fresh off the Bamarama trip. Naturally, I thought of Bamahenge and all the dinosaurs and the goddess in the same area. Any way to clump them into one street of roadside attractions.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, first we have to discuss that. So he just mentioned three different roadside attractions. And he said, Can you can you put them all in one? And my my thought is no. Yeah, I don't think you can I don't think we can put them all in one.

SPEAKER_01

In actual fact, you can actually have four as well, because they are missing one too. So in in Bamarama, down that area as well, it is very much off the beaten track. The first one you go across is the goddess. The goddess is like a big concrete statue. Um, she's a fair way off the road as well. Uh, you have to get there, walk to her. Um, if there is a cache there, but she's the one, Josh. Remember the concrete uh uh statue that was there, and we went, we did a circle around her, and we found the cache there as well. There's a physical cache nearby. Um that one. Yes, and then after that, that's the goddess. Then after that, there's the dinosaurs. Now I think there's five or six different dinosaurs, but again, they're off the beaten path. Um, some of them you can't see from the road side, you have to know where they are. Uh, and then after that, uh, we're talking about Bamahenge, and Bamahenge is the one that literally is like you know, Stonehenge. Stonehenge, yes, but it's made of like fiberglass. So there's that one, Bamahenge. And then the the last one, Josh, is the Lady of the Lake.

SPEAKER_02

Now he sh he did not mention Lady of the Lake. That's actually my mention because I was like, oh my gosh, for me, that was my favorite.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So I don't maybe, maybe that's that's not technically a uh uh a nominee. That was one that I added, but it's right next to it. So maybe I might need to save that, might save that for one of mine, possibly. Oh, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01

Well, we we know that uh there are some some of these in here that actually we are saving for ourselves, so we won't be mentioning those. So there we go. So Bamahenge.

SPEAKER_02

Let's rank Bama Henge first. To me, of all of those, I would rank Bama Hedge the I think the best, mainly because it's all in one area, and like the dinosaurs are in different spots, they're not even all in the same spot. You have to kind of drive from place to place. Yeah, so I I will give Bama Hedge a four out of five.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I was gonna give it a three. So that's a seven, seven in total. Okay, so we're gonna write that down. That has a seven. That's seven. Perfect. Um, what about the dinosaurs? Dinosaurs, I'd go a two on the dinosaurs because again, there's more than one, and some of them are off the beaten track. You have to know where they are. So I'd probably give them a two.

SPEAKER_02

I would give it a two as well. So that'll be a four for the dinosaurs. Uh, the goddess, which is in the same area. That was a little bit of a walk to it.

SPEAKER_01

It's a walk, you can't see it, you have to know it. So you have to go guide that that's guided by our love of geocaching and location-based games. So I'd give her a one.

SPEAKER_02

I give her a one as well. So we're on track. So that would give that would be a two. Yeah. And do we want to add Lady of the Lake, or should we? It wasn't technically, it wasn't technically it wasn't technically done. Because it wasn't technically a a nominee. We're gonna remove it because I might I might have that being part of mine because you should. I think honestly, I would give that. I I'll say I would give that a five out of five. I think that's really cool. Um, it's in we'll talk about it if it makes it. It's in the water, it's really unique. Her legs are hanging out. Um, it's it's that's a good one. But that wasn't a nominee. It wasn't mentioned by SimQuest.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So out of uh out of all those SimQuests, Bama Henge is seven. That'll be your your best chance of getting into March Madness.

Bamahenge And Coastal Alabama Oddities

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. Next one, Josh, is from Valerie Pratt. And Valerie Pratt mentions Hell, Missouri. Hell in Michigan. Michigan, Michigan, sorry, Michigan. Hell, Michigan. Hell, the whole dang town is a roadside attraction. It is full of quirky signs, photo ops. You can explore the town for free or get more involved if you wish. You can become mayor of hell of Michigan for a day. They have a miniature golf course, they have a chapel where you can get married in hell with the saying that any wedding that starts in hell has only got one way to go. You can send postcards from Hell, Michigan, and the people will gladly postmark it and even sign it for you as well. For geocaching wise, there is a geocache there as well as Adventure Lab. And of course, if you go in wintertime, you might even see hell freeze over, Josh. I like that idea. I like that idea.

SPEAKER_02

I watched a couple YouTube videos of this, and I actually watched the lady uh get the at the post office get the postcard ready as she singed, she started the postcard on fire to make it look like it was being singed by hell.

SPEAKER_01

I like it.

SPEAKER_02

I also did some research. It is a hundred dollars to become the mayor of hell. Okay, and you get a one-by-one plot, uh plot of land that you own now in hell, and you get a little certificate. So you get a plat of land with a deed, and you get a cop coffee cup. Um, another thing I thought was funny is that the mini golf course there was the snowman that was in hell, and he's just like this melted blob of stuff on the ground. Um, Craig, I'm just gonna say right now, I'm giving Hell Michigan a five a five out of five.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's a five for me. Hell in Michigan, absolute five for me. I've been there, Josh. I've been there. Oh, you have? Oh, yeah. I've been there. I spent uh a couple of hours there going around hell. So yeah, yeah. And we'll talk if if it does go into the top, we'll talk about it more at length during March Madness, the official March Madness podcast. Yes, we will. So there you go. Next one, Josh, also comes from uh Valerie Pratt. And she says Dinosaur Land in White Post, Virginia. Dinosaur Land is a family-run business since the 60s. There is a small admission to see the whole park, but you can see a few of them from the road. If you pay, you can go and wander and take as many pictures as you want. You can pose with all the dinosaurs. Uh, they do have more than just dinosaurs. You can even get eaten by a Megdolon or sit in King Kong King Kong's hand for great photos and an added plus for geocaches. There is a themed geocache to go with it as well.

SPEAKER_03

So there you go.

SPEAKER_01

Dino Dinosaur Land in White Post, Virginia.

SPEAKER_02

So this is the epitome of roadside attraction. Very much statues. Yeah, I mean, if you look at the definition quirky, yeah, um, small, independent thing. The thing for me, Craig, is that throughout the United States, there are so many places. I mean, we just talked about one. There are so many places that have dinosaur statues. So it doesn't, to me, it does not make it particularly particularly unique. Yeah. Um, I did see, I did watch a video of it. It looked like very similar to the dinosaurs that were in uh California neck of the woods and well, California or um also um near Bama Henge that we just talked about. Yeah, so for me, I'll just say this. I'm gonna give it a two out of five, just because I don't think I don't think dinosaurs are that unique.

Hell, Michigan Earns Top Marks

SPEAKER_01

I was gonna give it a three as well, so that makes it a five. Um, and the reason why I gave it a three, Josh, is because I mean, yes, you can see it for free, some part of it free, but is it a roadside attraction per se when you have to pay money to go into a location? It's more of a theme park than uh to me. But anyway, they're good. Valerie, thank you very much for that as well. Great one. Next next one up we have is Sharon Babanau. I'm hoping I say that right. She says, Y'all made me go down a rabbit hole. She actually says y'all, so that's why I said it. Uh, here's a good one. In my honest opinion, Blue Ridge Tunnel near Waynesboro, Virginia. There is a multi-use paved trail about two and a half miles from end to end, including about 0.8 of a mile, inside a historic train tunnel. You can park at either end, and there are geocaches along the way. I filled in a decent sized chunk of my river expedition puzzle at that location as well. So in Waynesboro, Virginia, Josh. You had a look at this one, did you?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, I did. Why don't you talk about it first uh this time, and I'll talk about a second?

SPEAKER_01

Well, for this one, for me personally, again, it's one of those places whereby it's uh it is what it is. It's a Blue Ridge tunnel near Waynesboro, Virginia. So it is a tunnel like location, it's more of a walking track than anything else. You know, there's nothing really built there apart from the tunnel itself. But mind you, in saying that, it is a really nice, it'd be it'd be a nice walk. But again, it's it's it's not a circle walk around, it's end to end. And so if you walk one way, you've got to walk back too. So that's the other thing, too, for me. So um, but it looks like a nice walk for me. But uh again, I like geocaching too, so there's lots of geocaches along the trip, which is nice. But is it a really a roadside attraction per se?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, um, it is really cool. I saw some videos of it. It reminds me of the tunnel, the tunnel of light tunnel from um of the eight cache. It reminds me, it's a little shorter than that. Yeah, um, it it is really neat, it's not particularly quirky. I would love to visit it, but I don't see it, I don't see it quite as a roadside attraction. So I'm gonna give it a I'm gonna give it a two.

SPEAKER_01

Two for me, Josh. Yeah, two for me as well. So there we go. So thank you, Sharon. But don't stop there, Josh, because Sharon's also got another one as well. Okay, also, she says, and this one, this one is actually a bit uh congested, like there's a bit of controversy here amongst the hatred.

SPEAKER_02

It's gonna be a tough one to talk about.

SPEAKER_01

I know. She says, also, all of the Thomas Dambo trolls. I'm thinking specifically of Big Rusty in New Jersey, which is made of scrap metal instead of wood. I've only seen the ones in the traveling field study exhibit, which just left uh the North Carolina Arbitorium and is headed to South Coast Botanic Gardens in LA sometime in March. So Thomas Dambo trolls. Before we mention it, I will say let's talk about the uh controversy here because Waymarker Jan, he weighed in on it too. He said the Thomas Dambeau trolls are great, but like you said, too many of them to consider, in my honest opinion. Sandy wrote back and she said, I just saw my first troll in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now I want to find the ones in Rayleigh and solve the mother tree mystery location. I'm obsessed now. See she also said, Waymarker Jan, just because there are now a dozen or so in the US doesn't make it mean too many trolls, they bring smiles to people all across the world. Waymarker comes back and says, I'm meant for a particular roadside attractions. Do we just do we do all of them or just one? If one, which one? I will leave that up to the nominator. And then Sharon, the nominator comes back and said, I was going to nominate only Big Rusty at first, but all of them are worthy. There are people who have made it a hobby to visit and collect all of them as well. So this is tough.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, I don't think we can have one nominee represent all the trolls because I'll I agree, all the trolls are cool. I we just have some in Minnesota. There's one that's uh um similar to Big Rusty, there's one that's made out of all like plastic um storage containers and it's a and it's a rabbit. It's a giant fat rabbit. That's really which is really which is really cool. That could be one of itself, yeah. Um, but we're we're gonna have to go off of just we're she's gonna have to pick one of them, which is Big Rusty.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um so Having looked at Big Rusty, having appreciated the trolls, she's right. These trolls are awesome. Big Rusty could inspire if somebody saw Big Rusty first or any of these trolls, it could inspire them to go to other trolls. So that's kind of like a cool thing. That's cool. Um, so I'm gonna give it a three out of five. I I think the trolls are just in general like a great thought, and it's a and it I think it's a shame that it wouldn't be represented in one of our March Madness competitions.

Dinosaur Parks And What Counts

SPEAKER_01

I was gonna give it a four out of five, Josh. I'm okay on one higher because she because she mentioned that Big Rusty and Big Rusty is different to the other trolls, and as you just said, and like someone else said as well on there, that hopefully that would people going and seeing Big Rusty would inspire those collectors out there to actually go and collect them all and uh and have a look and and see what it was about. But for me, Josh, these are uh an epitome of those um recycling habits that we all need to get into as well. So not only were we talking about recycling the timber like he did originally, but now he's recycling metal with uh Big Rusty, he's obviously recycling plastic now as well with the rabbit too in in Minnesota. So he's starting to go uh uh outside just the normal timber uh and wood and actually start to do different recycling things as well. So is it a typical Dambo troll? Well, it's made by him, so it is, but this is different to the others because of the material it's made from as well. So that's for me, that's why I've given it the one higher than you.

SPEAKER_02

I'll also say this. I watched the video of Rusty. As the person was walking to Rusty, it's it's filled with like lost places. It's like these lost like buildings that that that have been abandoned that people have like done like all this graffiti on. It's it looks like a kind of a cool location, too. So but uh yeah, uh three and a four, that gives it a seven. That's a strong, strong contender.

SPEAKER_01

It really is, it really is. Speaking of strong contenders, Josh, we're going to the next one now. Sharon Babineau again. And this one I was going to have on my list, but I'll leave it.

SPEAKER_02

Do we did we remove it?

SPEAKER_01

Do we remove it so you'll we'll leave it, we'll leave it. And I'll take it though, if it doesn't make it, put it that way. Okay. Because I have been here. I have been here, I've seen this location, and I didn't know it was there until I was driving up upon it. And so to me, that's the epitome of what a roadside attraction is. Um, and we're talking about the dignity of earth and sky sculpture in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Sharon said, I blew right by it a few years ago with without knowing it was actually even there. It's my goal though to visit the next time I go and make a road trip. So she hasn't actually been it, she'd been past it and whatever. But no, I saw it as it was coming up to it. I was going the other obviously the opposite direction, and I could see it in the distance, and I was like, I need to go to that. Plus, obviously, it's a virtual cache as well, so I love virtuals, and uh, so that also made me go and have a look at it too. It is absolutely gorgeous, it is stunning, it has got a good natural uh history behind it. Um, very, very history in regards to the the indigenous people of the land. Um, very heartwarming. Uh, you know, it's got a good background story to it too, but not just that, it is actually very beautiful. Like it is really, really a beautiful sculpture. It's not like a normal sculpture. This one's made out of it's like a metal uh stainless steel type sculpture with glass as well, with stained glass in it, too. So for me, I'm gonna say this straight away, it's a five out of five. I was gonna pick it for one of mine. It is a five, giving it a five out of five for this one.

Blue Ridge Tunnel: Cool But Not Quirky

SPEAKER_02

Um, I agree. I've been to this rest stop before. I've been there before this was actually built. This is actually a newer sculpture. And I don't know if you said said what it was. It's a sculpture of a huge sculpture of a of a native woman. Uh you're right. It's like there's stained glass, so there's like when the light goes through it. Um, it is a really cool welcome center. I've been there. We it was it's come up on two of our episodes, actually, Craig. It came up on the Cory Cory Heppela episode. Oh, it did too. Where you know he was talking about um the shows. I think he did a show featured on Chamberlain, South Dakota, but it also came up on our best places to go to the bathroom.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't even know that. Wow.

SPEAKER_02

I'm pretty sure we talked about it on our best toilets in America. So Craig is a five out of five for me. That's a 10. That's gonna be that's gonna be in for sure.

SPEAKER_01

Great, great pick. Yeah, great pick. Uh thank you very much for that, Sharon. All right, next one, Josh, we have Sandy Wade. And she states the Hattersburg, Mississippi Pocket Museum and Alley is a whimsical and artistic collection, including the tiny museum, theatre for one, rainbow beach memorial, painted doors, real and miniature, lego mini fig trading box, 3D perspective street paintings, and more. Two geocaches in the alley, and she gives the geocaching codes as well. So much to see. It will make you smile. I'd like to add the alley, including the pocket museum, is free and open 24-7. See, so that you know, we know that's actually a big thing, you know, when it's free in 24-7 like availability. I like that too.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, what did you think of this? I'll tell you my thoughts. I watched the video of it, this sounded just really intriguing. Um, it is adorable. The the alleyway is just like surprise after surprise, it's just like miniature little things everywhere, and they're just kind of like hidden about. And there obviously there's a lot of other cool stuff there. It's free. Um, it's one of those places that um that you're like, oh wow, you really got to visit there. And I'll say this, Hattiesburg. I was like, why is Hattiesburg? That that sounds so so familiar. There's a geo to geo tour there. I think I believe you've you've done part of it as you've done through your travels, you haven't done the whole thing. Um, I I would love to visit Hattiesburg to do the geo tour. Um, this this looks cool. Hattiesburg. I'm gonna give this a four out of five.

Dambo’s Big Rusty And The Troll Debate

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. So for me, Josh, uh my travels to this was uh I was going through Hattiesburg. I didn't know about the geotour. I didn't even look it up. I was doing something else at the time. I know, right? I then thought to myself, well, I'm going past this area, I'll have a look. What's a decent, you know, favorite point of cash. And one in the alley was a high favorite cache. So I thought I'll give this a go. I went in there, found the cash, and it's got the Hattiesburg Geotour sticker on the front there. I went, oh no, this is a geotour. I think I messaged you and oh guess where I am, and there's a geotour here, and I'm not doing it. But here's a tip for you, Josh. I've just recently done Bamarama, the beer, the geocaching Mickey down here in Alabama. We had uh one of the lackeys uh down there as well. I was talking to them. Hattiesburg Geotour, they're refurbishing it soon. So if you haven't done the original Geotour that's there now, go out and do it ASAP, because then you can go back and do the second geo tour when it comes live as well. So so there you go. There's a tip out there for our listeners too, Josh. If you if you haven't done Hattiesburg Geotour, go and get it done asap. I'm talking the next two months. Um I'll be doing it uh over a weekend uh in a couple in a couple weeks' time.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, cool. Yeah, it sounds like a great place to visit for like a long weekend. Absolutely geo tour. Absolutely is it's it's the this is this is on my geo tour list, and you know I love geo tours. Absolutely. Anyway, so I give it a four. What are you giving it a?

SPEAKER_01

I give it a four as well because as I said, when I went there, I I didn't know it was a geo tour. I went there for the and I it the artwork blew me away in the alleyway. It really did blow me away because it's it's one of those artworks that you see that it can become three-dimensional. What I mean by you can and it's got phone holders, so you can put your phone down, put it on a timer, and set it up, and you walk back away from your phone up against the wall, and you can take a photo of yourself, and you're like pretending to hold a B or uh you know or something else or an eye beam or something like that too. It's it's very much three-dimensional photograph stuff, too. So it's it's it's in place so you can actually have your photos taken without anyone being there, for instance, as well, and still get really good photos. So so there you go. Yeah, I like it. I like it.

SPEAKER_02

All right. All right. Now we're heading to Florida.

SPEAKER_01

Now we're heading to Florida. Waymaker Jan. Now he's come in with his own one. And he talks about Solomon's Castle in Owner, Florida. Uh, if I could, I would have nominated the Gatorand in Orlando, Florida. But I went with something more unknown and weird, Florida Roadside Attraction, which is saying a lot for Florida, he said. Uh so he's he wanted to do the the Gator, the Gatorland, but no, he's he's chosen Solomon's Castle instead.

SPEAKER_02

Well, do we want to? I mean, other people have nominated more than one. Do we want to talk about Gatorland?

SPEAKER_01

I think we do. I think we do. Yeah, it's only fair. It is. He's he's nominated, he kind of nominated both. He spoke about both. So yeah. So what do you think, Josh? We'll go to the castle first and foremost. What do you think about the castle?

SPEAKER_02

Solomon's castle. Oh my gosh, that was cool. I saw some video of it. I saw the daughter. It was created by an artist. The whole outside is made out of tin. Reminding me a little bit of the tin of the beer can house, a little bit like that. But it's actually a castle. I've never heard of this, I've never seen it before. Um, this was it's really cool. And the inside of it is like I think it's like an art museum inside. It's like really nice inside, it's like fancy. Um, I thought it was cool. This is somewhere I want to visit. I I'm gonna give it a four out of five.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, absolutely. Um, I was gonna give it a five out of five because it's very quirky. And we like you know what we like. We both you and I both like it. The quirkiness, it rules for me. And so this one here, it's one of those ones whereby you have to go and see it to appreciate all the intricate details. Plus, I do enjoy the fact that it's done by Solomon himself, like the guy who's running it, like the beer can house where it's done by one person. This isn't done by the the tourist board, for instance, you know, and put up a beautiful mural or you know, a big statue. This is done by one guy uh or a family, and so for for me, for that reason, I've given it the five.

SPEAKER_02

So okay, that's that's it's gonna be up there. Let's talk about Gator Land, uh, which is kind of it's an amusement park in Orlando.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, did you watch any videos of this place?

SPEAKER_01

I I did, I did.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01

When you when you when you talk about Florida, uh this is what you picture. When you talk about Florida, this is exactly what you picture. I'm talking screaming gator zip line. So in other words, you zip line over gators that are literally stomping or snapping at your backside as you're as you're zip lining over the top of the I know.

SPEAKER_02

They had juveniles, they had adults.

SPEAKER_01

Yep, they you could feed them.

SPEAKER_02

And remember when we went to the golf and gator, and you we fed uh hot dogs to the gators, they were they showed pictures of the people feeding them. Yeah, the funny thing, I watched a video of they have like a show, and the guy goes out there and he he sits on the back of a gator, tapes his mouth, and then he has small children come out and sit on the gator to get pictures. And they're like, Don't worry, it's safe. His his mouth is taped shut.

SPEAKER_01

Don't worry about his claws or the fact that it's a you know a thousand-pound beast uh is gonna move around underneath you. So okay.

SPEAKER_02

This is a place I want to, yeah. This is a place I want to visit. A roadside attraction. Uh yes, maybe um, not technically, you know. This is this is somewhere you spend a whole well, you'd spend a whole day there. You wouldn't just drive by. This is a destination. I'm I'm going to Gatorland for the whole day. That kind of takes away from the roadside attraction, but it is still cool. I'll give it a three.

SPEAKER_01

I was gonna give it a two for the same reasons as well, Josh. So uh yeah, Waymark Jan. Um, I love it, mate. We it's it's on our list to go to. Yeah, 100% is on our list to go to. But roadside attraction, well, not so much, but uh thank you so much for for noting it too. He's also given one more too, Josh. And that is the country's smallest post office. He said for nostalgia. Yes. And it shout out for GCV. Yes, have you have you been?

Dignity Of Earth And Sky Shines

SPEAKER_02

Because I've been there, yes. Me too. It was so funny. He yeah, it was so funny because he like he mentioned it and he's like, You got to visit. And uh then I sent in the Patreon feed. I I put the video of me visiting because I took a video of it. And yeah, this is the world's or not the world's this country's smallest post. And it's just it's very tiny. Oh, yeah. So it's one little room.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, you can send a postcard from the smallest, and you have a little it which is similar to like hell, only they don't send they don't singe it.

SPEAKER_01

No, no, they're just a small one. Um, it's a normal size postcard, too. You don't can't send the smallest postcards.

SPEAKER_02

That would be funny if you could find a tiny, tiny one. Like a small, it's it's a roadside attraction, it's great. Um, as I compare it to some other ones, I I was gonna say it's middle of the road. To me, it's a three.

SPEAKER_01

Me, it's a three. Yep, I was a three on it too. So I as it's we've both we've both been there, so we both know exactly what it's like. There is a cache nearby in the in the spoiler, it's in the guardrail nearby. Um magnetic key holder, like every other one. But uh, it would be cool if that was a little 3D printed uh post office. That would be cool. Like if it's cash. So, but anyway, thank you very much for that Waymark again. Now, the next ones, Josh. Are you ready for all the next ones?

SPEAKER_02

Come from she's got so many. She's come from Nancy.

SPEAKER_01

Nancy, Tivia. Oh she's been thinking about this all year. All year. She loves she loves a rose attraction. So we're just gonna go through them. Uh can I say this first before we go through these?

SPEAKER_02

Of course. Nancy, these are all the description of a road track. Like these are roadside attractions. So well done. Every single lot to talk about here.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and uh let's Nancy. Just for your information, I have already taken one off. I have, Josh, I have taken one off because I was on my list anyway. It was already on my list. And then you mention it, so it'll make it, Nancy. It'll make it, but it's under my name because I I'm a host.

SPEAKER_02

So well, well, when we get to the real show next on our next show, we'll say, hey, this is this was Nancy. Nancy picked it too. So yes, yeah, absolutely. That might actually help it help it get further in the competition. Who knows?

SPEAKER_01

Maybe. And if you've been if you've been to some of these, I think that's gonna get help further to get in the competition. I'll say that much as well. So all right, Josh. The first one is the big astronaut in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, this is right on Route 66. Yes. I'm sure our previous guest, Valerie, has been there. It is exactly what you think it is. It's a giant statue of an astronaut. Yep. Fiberglass at that too. So yes, it's it's epic, it's cool. Yeah, is that I didn't look closely enough as it is, is it one of those ones that we talked about, like the mayor of you know, the mayor of Uranus?

SPEAKER_01

I don't think so. No. No. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

It's just a it's just this is just a giant astronaut.

SPEAKER_01

Just a giant astronaut. That's all it is. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02

Is there was there a reason why they why they have an astronaut there? Is there some sort of tie into space?

SPEAKER_01

Um Weatherford. Yeah, no, I I I don't think there is. Literally, it's oh no, yeah, it does. It says uh way to highlight the town's substantial space heritage. That's all it's saying.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, okay.

Hattiesburg Pocket Museum Delights

SPEAKER_01

So whatever space heritage that might be. There's some photos of it being built as well, which is looks really cool, really cool as well. Some nice photos being built. Let me have a look here read further. Um the big astronaut serves as a salute to Weatherford native Thomas Stafford, who was one of the 24 US astronauts who flew to the moon. He died at age 93 last year. So there you go. That's the reason why it's there for Weatherford. Is also home to the Stafford Air and Space Museum, which contains a ton of artifacts from the US space program and aircraft as well. So I mean, let's be honest, though, Josh, that is contentious whether we've men actually been on the moon or not. So, but anyway, I digress. Oh boy. All right, conspiracy theories out there. So you want to go first? What do you go first? For me, uh, on this, because of what it is, it's a four for me. It is literally like I think a lot of these are gonna be in the three and four or even five range because Nancy, as I said, these are the definition of roadside attractions in my mind.

SPEAKER_02

So um what about you, Josh? I think it's great. There are so many statues of big people. Um, so to me, it's a roadside attraction. It's kind of a middle of the middle of the road to me. I'm gonna give it a three.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's fair enough. So it's a uh seven in total for the giant spaceman. Next up we have in Wapati, Wapate, Wyoming, the lonely big boy statue. Now, this Josh, we spoke about uh last week with um oh, I can't think of a name now. Valerie. Valerie, of course, Valerie. And we're talking we spoke about the big boy statues, but this one, Josh, this one's a lonely big boy statue. It's in the middle of nowhere. It's in the middle of nowhere, in the field of nothing. Like he's on a big concrete block. It's funny to me. It's very funny to me. And literally, you drive past, and he's literally on a big concrete block in the middle of a field of nothing. Like the we're talking brown grass that may be angle high. That's it. Yeah, nothing around there's some there's some, you know, what do you call it mountains in the background, but there's there's nothing around him at all. So that's why he's the lonely big boy statue. So well done, Nancy, for finding this one. Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, if it was just the big boy statue, just like around, just like right off the road, that's different for me. Yeah, but the fact that it's just out the pictures are hilarious that it's just out there in the middle of nowhere. Like somebody's like, Oh, where should we put it? Let's just put it out there. Yeah, that's funny to me.

SPEAKER_01

It's it's not even near the roadway itself, like you it's it's a fair way off the roadway, too. So yeah, yeah. I like it. I like it.

SPEAKER_02

Uh well, you could argue isn't like roadside attraction because it's not by the road, but it is, but you can see it from the road because there's nothing else there.

SPEAKER_01

Uh, yes, I'm gonna give it a four. Uh four for me as well, Josh. Okay. So there you go. Four for me as well for that one. I told you most of these themselves are gonna be three, four, and five because Nancy's done a great job on it. Next one, Josh, is again from all these are from Nancy. Uh Ray Gun Gothic Rocket Ship. Now in the site of the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. The Reagan Gothic Rocket Ship. Have you seen this one? This is, I think this is kind of newish as well.

SPEAKER_02

Uh, this is epic. It's like a yeah, it's right by the river. It's beautiful.

SPEAKER_01

It really is.

SPEAKER_02

Um, it's a sculpture. Yeah, it's uh um it's futuristic sculpture. So it's like a rocket ship that's like a futuristic rocket ship.

SPEAKER_01

It is made from um aluminium and steel, or sorry, aluminum and steel as well. So the uh there's no timber, there's none of no concrete, it's literally made of the metal as well.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, it says here after Bernie Man, the sculpture was installed in from 2010 to 2013 at Pier 14 in San Francisco, it was refurbished and permanently installed in 2017 over rocket ice cream at Wings Over the Rockies Airspace Museum in Colorado. So it's moved around.

SPEAKER_01

It has.

SPEAKER_02

Um, it was funny. Last year we remember we had the steampunk thing at the brewery. That was also made, yeah, that was also made at Burning Man. So these Burning Man art pieces they get kind of moved around.

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Uh Denver is a great or Denver, Colorado is a beautiful place. This is really cool. Uh it doesn't make me laugh as much as the big boy. No, no. Um, um, so I'm again, I'm I'm gonna to me it's the middle of the road. I'll give it a three.

Florida Weird: Solomon’s Castle vs Gatorland

SPEAKER_01

Oh, it's a four for me, Josh. Because because it's a for me, a roadside attraction. Like this year, you'd be crossing that bridge and you're going, what is that over there? You know what I mean? It'd be something where you wouldn't know that even it was there until you're driving upon it and go, Oh wow, let's stop and have a look at this. So that's the reason why I give it a four. The next one, Josh, is the peachoid in uh Gaffney, South Carolina. Now, there is another one. There is another one in Alabama in Clanton. There is two. There's another one in Clanton, Alabama. What the peachoid is, is a 135-foot, 41 meters tall water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina, and it is painted like a giant peach. So it's huge. It is huge, giant, it's a water tower.

SPEAKER_02

It's a water tower.

SPEAKER_01

It's a water tower. It is a water tower. So it's really cool. Yeah, it looks really cool as well. It looks exactly like a peach, too.

SPEAKER_02

I know. There's even like a little indentation for the you know, the butt, the crack of the peach. But crack of the peach, exactly.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. Um Josh as well. I could eat a peach for hours. So yes.

SPEAKER_02

This is in Alabama. Have you seen this in person? Have you seen this in person?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I've seen I've seen the Alabama, but the Alabama one isn't as well kept. I'll say that. It's uh it's an older version, the one in Alabama. So I I would say that uh because Nancy did this one in the peachoid in in South Carolina first.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, okay. So we're talking about the peachoid.

SPEAKER_01

We're talking about we're talking about the peachoid. We're not talking about the one in Alabama because that was the last discovery for her, too.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, okay. So I love a good water tower. Uh this peach is it's big. It's yeah, I it's I it's a four for me. Uh yeah, it's a four for me.

SPEAKER_01

It's a four for me as well.

SPEAKER_02

So we're pretty aligned, Craig.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, we we really are. We on these ones we are. I mean, you know, don't talk to me about a you know, what do you call it? A duck, a duckboat ride, but anyway. Bring it up the duck boat. Bring it up the duck boat ride. All right, and the next one, Josh, is the Harrisburg's Mini Statue of Liberty in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. And it's a local prank that's now turned into a town icon. Did you see this one?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, I saw the pictures, but I don't know much about the prank of it. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01

So this one I know that it's the middle of the river. Yes, exactly. So what happened was it was a prank done by a particular person in local at the time, and they they built it out of uh like timber and also metal and stuff as well back in the day. Um, they've since now, after they they it was built as a prank and it had a laugh, then they've since enacted it and said they've built it correctly there instead. So that's what it is.

SPEAKER_02

So that so it's a little Statue of Liberty in the middle of a river.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. What what amuses me, Josh, is This is it was built on top of one of the uh old, like a train track. Um, what do you call it? Those not pedestals, uh, like footing, a footing for a train track going across river. So it was built on top of something similar to that. It was either a a bridge footing. And so this this yeah, this thing is is seriously like a miniature version on top of this big bridge footing. You know, they could have built it bigger and actually made it look a lot better, but no, they leave it as a smaller version, like a mini statue, which makes it more fun, too. So you see.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, you go first on the side. Uh go ahead. In terms of what do you think?

SPEAKER_01

I'm saying it's a it's a four for me as well, because you can see it from different locations as well.

SPEAKER_02

And it is one of things that literally sticks out in the middle of the river, so it's a four from this might be uh this might be a little bit controversial, but I have to differentiate. There are lots of little Statue of Liberties all over the country. This is true. It's this to me, there's one in Duluth. I I just feel like it's not as cool as it is in the middle of the river, it's to me, it's not particularly unique. Yeah. Um, so I'm gonna give it a two. That's okay. I sorry, sorry, Nancy. I like other I like other ones.

SPEAKER_01

Uh the reason the reason why I like this one as opposed to the others, Josh, is the background. Like you have to have a look at the backstory. Otherwise, if you didn't know the backstory, you'd just drive past and go, oh, that's just another small you know, Saturn of Liberty. So yeah, for me, it's the backstory of that one too. So there you go. Okay. The next one she mentioned is uh the clown motel um in Nevada. In Nevada as well. So this one here, Josh, the clown motel. I've been just there. I was just just there. I've been there. Um I didn't see it.

SPEAKER_02

You partied there. You partied though. No, I didn't. You partied there.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't. Oh, you didn't? No, I didn't. Oh, I was like at a party with Scott Burks and Frat. You know, so uh the clown motel. The best part about this clown motel, Josh, is that really, really, really leaned into that whole quirky, uh disturbing, um uh freaky kind of clown style. Well, you know, when people say I'm scared of clowns, this is the reason why. It's because it's a clown hotel. That's what I'm saying to you. There's not a happy clown amongst it, I'll say that. But the best part about it is it's right next door to the oldest um uh graveyard in Nevada. Yeah, it's right right beside it, right next door. You can actually walk from the parking lot into the graveyard at night, and people do. They do have tours there at night. So there you go. The clown motel in in uh in Nevada.

America’s Smallest Post Office

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so for me, I have not visited this. I've watched many of videos. To me, this is iconic. Oh, yeah. Like I like I know about this, yeah. And there's history behind it because there was there was an accident, I believe, and like a bunch of people died, and one of the people that died had a collection of like all these clown figurines, and that's why that's why it's a clown motel. Yeah, there's a room that there's a room, room 117, there was a murder inside that room, yeah. Um, which is just makes it even creepier. There's an Elvis, there's themed rooms. There's an Elvis clown room. Um, you can rent an EMF reader and walk around and get readings.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, like the ghost reader.

SPEAKER_02

It's it's interactive that way. Yeah, they I love when they fully embrace it, the theme. To me, Craig, five out of five. I I I love this.

SPEAKER_01

I'm a I'm a five out of five too, Josh. But the main the main reason why I'm a five out of five for this one also is not just a clamateau, but what's attached to the history. Yes. You have to if you go there, you have to go through and walk through the cemetery. I'm telling you now, it's a different vibe back then, back in the day. I'm talking about this this cemetery, Josh. It tells you what people died of and how they died. Oh yeah, on the headstone. They're not really headstones, they're like they were like wooden, wooden crosses, and they've got metal, they've got metal uh metal plates, which which have been like um what do you call it? Use a hammer and a uh punched. They've been punched in. So it's not handwritten, it's not carved, they've been punched in metal as to their name, place of birth, date of birth, and uh day of death. Things like things like uh he he lays Johnny. Johnny was you know, he died from um not just being run over by a car on top of a train tracks, he was then run over by a train after the car. Like things like that. Like it's weird. Like it is weird, it is strange, it is very descriptive. He he lie he lays Phil. Phil uh dropped dead outside the chemist. That's it. Phil dropped dead outside the chemist on this day. You know, that's all it is. Like he's he's it's nothing else, you know. Um lots of other things as well, lots of uh, you know, mining accidents that have occurred, and there was you know several different people who died in the mining accident of you know 18, whatever it was. Uh but yeah, it gives you on on the tombstones what they died from. Oh wow. So you could go around literally. I spent an hour and a half, two hours walking around the whole cemetery there and reading the tombstones. And honestly, I'm sorry, but I had a laugh at some of them. You know, they're funny. So I do apologize I apologize while I was there to the rest in peace. To the dead, rest in peace.

SPEAKER_02

So they didn't haunt you. Well, you didn't stay there, so they couldn't haunt you, right?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, the one who ran out of the train tracks, he's resting in pieces, but anyway. Um but anyway, so yeah, that's a that's the reason why it's a five out of five for me. Next up, Nancy says, is the Hollywood sign. I didn't even think of this one, Josh. Honestly, out of all the roadside attractions, I have never thought of this one. And I everyone knows the Hollywood, everyone knows we don't need to talk about the Hollywood sign. If you know the Hollywood sign, then are you even in America? Um straight away for me, five out of five Hollywood sign.

SPEAKER_02

Really?

Nancy’s Run: Astronaut, Big Boy, Rocket Ship

SPEAKER_01

Really, because it is an appear to me, an actual definition of a roadside attract. You can see it from the road, and then you go up to it because it's a it's it's iconic. You were and then you can walk, you can actually walk up and and take some photos with it too, and you can always say, no matter where you are in the world, you know the iconic Hollywood sign, and that people literally do their walk and park and do their walk up to the sign to get their photo or from all walks of life from anywhere around the world. Yeah. So yeah. So for me, that's the reason why. This is a tough one.

SPEAKER_02

This is a tough one for me, Craig, because I know it's not quirky, because it's it's not quirky. It isn't a road sign. Also, it's also in the city, it's also in like LA. Yeah. So it's not like it's not like what I imagine like a rural sort of roadside attraction. Um, you yes, you can hike up to it.

SPEAKER_01

You can see from many vantage points. You can type photos anywhere.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, okay. It's cool for me because it's not a rural it's not rural, it's in the city. I'm it doesn't, it doesn't really uh doesn't really match what I see as a roadside attraction. I get but it's great. I give it a three. Three? That's fine. That's the first one. We're kind of a little bit that's an eight, which is a strong store.

SPEAKER_01

Eight out of ten is still a strong school, Josh. Let's be honest. Yeah. Next one Nancy comes up with is the world's largest bubble head in Bellevue, Belleville, Ohio. Um did you see? Did you see the picture of this one? I did see the photo.

SPEAKER_02

Because it was like it was from a restaurant, it was like a guy had a restaurant, and then it it was like in pieces, like it like fell apart, and then they restored it. It's really skinny, it's it's skinny and tall. It's kind of you look at it, you laugh when you look at it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I always think of this, and I don't I don't even know his name, the the uh giant hand giant-handed Jacques. He looks like a Jacques. His name's Jacques. I was gonna I was gonna say Giuseppe sort of style. So he looks like to me, he looks like an Italian chef with the chef's hat on as well. He's got two hamburgers, one in each hand as well. He's leaning forward for someone else. That's that's funny. That's funny that he's leaning forward, and it does look like that. Obviously, over the time he has been decapitated once or twice. So they're going, you know what, we'll put it back on with a spring, and they've literally put this back on with a spring uh on his neck, and so it is now being the world's largest bobblehead.

SPEAKER_02

So it is newer, it's newish. It's it was uh put together in 2022, like they restored it. So uh yeah, epitome of roadside attraction. Yeah, uh, it's weird, it is quirky, it looks kind of weird. I think it's funny that he looks like he's Italian, but he's holding burgers. I know it's funny to me.

SPEAKER_01

Well, if you have a look at these old ones, he was at the originally he was holding like it looked like ham and and croissant or corned beef uh of some sort, too.

SPEAKER_02

So I'm I'm Craig, I'm between a three and a four.

SPEAKER_01

I'm a I'm a strong four on this one, Josh. I'm a strong four.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, you can I'm a four, too.

SPEAKER_01

So give it give give bubble head an eight. There we go. It's a again, it's one of those ones where I love the quirkiness behind this one. It's it's and also the uh the good story behind it too. So next up, Josh, we have the iconic 12 foot tall, 700-pound inflatable, inflatable. This one, Larry the Lobster. He sits atop of the Taste of Maine restaurant in Woolwich on Route 1 in Maine, and yes, he's inflatable. So I think this is the first inflatable roadside attraction we've ever had, Josh.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, inflatable knocks it down for me a little bit for some reason. Yeah, because it feels less permanent, it feels like one little pop and that thing's done for. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02

Um, it looks funny, it's on top of the restaurant, but because it's inflatable, I give it a two.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I I'd say a three because of the inflatable factor, but uh otherwise it looks cool. And who doesn't, let's be honest, Josh? Who doesn't want to go to Woolwich Main and actually have a lobster roll from Woolwich Moan underneath underneath the inflatable lobster?

SPEAKER_02

So well, you know who wouldn't want to do that? It's Minnesota boy.

SPEAKER_01

He doesn't like seafood. Oh anyway, we he doesn't go there with us. That's the only thing we can say. He can he can stand by, he can go to the bird, he can go to the the the the bobblehead and get a burger at the bobblehead.

SPEAKER_02

There you go.

SPEAKER_01

There we go. All right, so let's talk.

SPEAKER_02

The tens are in because I think we have three tens, right?

SPEAKER_01

We have three tens, yeah. I think we have three. Let me see.

SPEAKER_02

So the first ten is hell.

SPEAKER_01

Hell Michigan. Yes, that's a 10.

SPEAKER_02

Going to hell. We're going to hell.

SPEAKER_03

Going to hell.

SPEAKER_01

Valerie, well done. You got you got one in the city. Congratulations, Valerie.

SPEAKER_02

Hell's in.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And see, normally we wouldn't say, I'll say this as well, and I'll probably say it again next episode. We normally wouldn't do a full um suburb, you know, uh Hell, Michigan. But this here is very small. Oh, it's just a hole. It's the whole town.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's like Gilby. The videos I saw, it's like a couple buildings. Yeah, it is. There's a there's a river right there, there's a dam. Yes. The guy goes, We're in a he's like, We're looking, it's damn. We're in damn hell.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we're in damn hell. We are in damn hell. Exactly. And I do, I do love, I do love the uh the church where you can get married in hell. It does say in the church, it does say there's only one way up, there's only one direction your marriage can go.

SPEAKER_02

There's that's uh, you know, hell, Michigan, it's gonna be a contender. There's a lot of like the fact that it's interactive, the fact they become mayor, the the postcard that gets singed. I mean, come on, this it's I'm excited. That's a contender.

The Peachoid And Mini Statue Of Liberty

SPEAKER_01

That is a big, big time contender. Next time, Joshua, next time we have is the dignity of earth and sky sculpture from Sharon Babinau as well. Well deserved. Well deserved, very much so. As I said, this was going to be on my list. And see, I'm a man of the patrons, and so I allowed this to sort of stay with the patrons instead.

SPEAKER_02

So there you go. And who was that? That was shh that was who did that one?

SPEAKER_01

Sharon Sharon Babanell. I hope I said that. Well done. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02

And then we have one more 10.

SPEAKER_01

One more 10, which is the clown motel. Great one from Nancy. Congrats, Nancy. Well done, Nancy. The clown motel. All right, strolling through. Do we have any nines?

SPEAKER_02

Nines. Yes, we do have a nine. I think one nine. I think we have one nine.

SPEAKER_01

Where's the nine? Let's see here. I see a lot of eights. Eight. No, I see a lot of eights. No, we've got one eights. There's no nines. There's no nines. There's no nines. There's no five and four. There's no nines.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so there's a lot of eights.

SPEAKER_01

So we're gonna there's a lot of eights now. So here we go.

SPEAKER_02

We're gonna have to. Are we gonna discuss it and like rank them? Or I don't or are we gonna just have AI picker?

SPEAKER_01

I think we just have AI picker from here. Okay, because we said that that's how we're gonna do it. So we've got uh if you want to make a short list, Josh, I'll read them out. We've got the uh the Hattersburg Pocket Museum and Alley in uh in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Okay, we've got that as an eight. The next eight we have is uh Wapete, Wyoming, the Low City Boy Statue.

SPEAKER_02

Craig, we have a nine. Oh we do have a nine. You missed it. Solomon's Castle.

SPEAKER_01

How did I miss Solomon's Castle?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's uh it I I kind of put it on the side.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's why. Oh, there it is. Yes, Solomon's Castle from Waymaker Jen. So well done, Waymaker Jen. So we do have a lot of eights, though, so we do have to have one more. So we just need one more. We need one more out of these eights. Okay, so so the first eight is is the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and Alley in Mississippi. So write that one down.

SPEAKER_02

I need a pen. Of course I don't have a pen.

SPEAKER_01

Well, you don't need a pen, just write it down on the show notes. Just type it in. Type it in. Okay, good, good call. That's what you have to sign along now. So Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and Alley in Mississippi. Then after that, scrolling slowly this time, we have uh Wepete, Wyoming, the lonely big boy statue as well. He's on there too. The next one is the Petroid in Gaffney, South Carolina. Petroid in Gaffney, South Carolina. Uh, we have the Hollywood sign. And then the last one we have is the world's largest bobblehead in Belleville, Ohio. So they're the ones we have, Josh. The world's largest bobblehead, the Hollywood sign, scrolling through, the peachoid in Gaffney, South Dakota, South Carolina, the lonely big boy statue, and uh and then the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and Alleyway.

SPEAKER_02

Um, where is the what where's the lonely big boy statue again? Where is that?

SPEAKER_01

Um, that's in uh W-A-P-I-T-I. Wap Wapiti? Wapiti? Wyoming.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Hollywood sign, that's obvious. And the bobblehead is where again? I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01

Um the bobblehead is that you got the peachoid, did you get that one as well? Yep. Yep, got the peachoid. Uh, you've got the Hollywood sign, the world's largest bobblehead. Belleville, Ohio. B-E-L-L-V-I-L-L-E Ohio. Okay. Bellville, Ohio.

SPEAKER_02

And then I have South Carolina for the Pichoid, but what's the name of the town again?

SPEAKER_01

In South Carolina, it is Gaffney. G-A-F-F-N-E-Y. Gaffney. Gaffney N-E-Y. Okay.

Clown Motel And Haunted History

SPEAKER_02

All right. We'll see how this goes. I'm going to dictate this to the AI and we'll just see what she has to say. And hopefully she knows what all these things are. Uh, the the one thing is the world's largest bobblehead is kind of new, but uh we'll we'll we'll see here. We'll see here. Okay, so here we go. Hopefully, I don't make flubs as I explain this. Um, here we go. Hello, AI. How are you doing this evening? We need you to help us to break a tie for roadside attractions. So I'm gonna give you five roadside attractions, and you need to tell me which one you think is the best. Now, don't give us like, oh, they're all great, give us a tie. We need you to decide which is the best one. So the first one is Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and Alley in Hattiesburg, um, Mississippi. Then there's the Lonely Big Boy Statue in Wapata, Wyoming, and then the Peachoid Water Tower in Gaffen, South Carolina. Then the next one is the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, and then the final one is the world's largest bottlehead in Bellevue, Ohio. Please tell us what you think is the best roadside attraction out of those five.

SPEAKER_00

All right, I'm gonna do it. Out of those five, I've got to crown the Peachoid Water Tower in Gaffney, South Carolina as the winner. It's iconic, quirky, and honestly, who doesn't love a giant peach looming over the highway? It's even got comp culture cred thanks to House of Cards. That's a roadside attraction with some juicy personality.

SPEAKER_02

Which would be second place for you?

SPEAKER_00

For runner up, I'm going with the world's largest bobblehead in Bellevue, Ohio. I mean, come on. There's something delightfully ridiculous about a massive bobblehead towering over you. It's quirky and fun, and who wouldn't smile seeing that on a road trip?

SPEAKER_02

What about a third place?

SPEAKER_00

Third place I'd give to the Hoddy's Burg Pocket Museum in Ali. It's small but bursting with creativity. And that kind of hidden gem can leave a lasting impression.

SPEAKER_02

Fourth place?

SPEAKER_00

In fourth place, I'm going with the lonely big boy statue in Wapato, Wyoming. It's a fun oddity for sure, but it's a bit more of a niche nostalgia piece. It's still worth a smile, though.

SPEAKER_02

Why did you consider the Hollywood sign last place?

SPEAKER_00

The Hollywood sign is undeniably iconic, but it's almost too big of a celebrity. So famous it feels more like a global landmark than a quirky roadside attraction. It's still iconic, but it's less roadside oddity and more world famous backdrop. So it just feels like a different category.

SPEAKER_01

There we have it. Wow. She's I tell you, Josh, we don't need to be we just enact her from now on. Like at least she came out so so well. I love so the peachoid water town in Gaffin, South Carolina is the last one for the patron pick. So well done, Nancy.

SPEAKER_02

And apparently it was in House of Cards. The show did you get that?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I just I heard that House of Cards. Okay, okay, didn't even know that too. So there we go.

SPEAKER_03

There it is.

SPEAKER_01

So the Peachoid is the last one in it. So Josh, you're gonna go through the five picks from our patrons.

SPEAKER_02

Yes. So um we have the Peachoid Water Tower in Gathen, South Carolina. That is Nancy's pick. And then we have the Clown Motel, which I believe is also Nancy, Nancy's pick. Is that correct? Yeah. Okay. And then we have the uh sorry, I've lost my place here. Lost my place. We have the the statue in South Carolina. What is it called again? The enchant not enchanted thing. I can't uh I'm I'm not doing very well on this. Dignity of Earth and Sky. Thank you. And then we've got Solomon's Castle, yes, which is in Ona, Florida. And and then there's more more. Hell Michigan. Hell Michigan.

SPEAKER_01

There you go. There you go. So well done. Well done to those. Uh thank you so much for the patrons as well. You did a great job. Um, I will say, made our life a lot easier, Josh. I will say, because they they they gave us everything that we needed to actually have a look and see, well, you know, we did some research and go from there. So Josh, if uh if if people are listening out there and think to yourself, you know, how can how can I want to be a patron now too? I want to have my say. How can people have their say, Josh, on our shows?

SPEAKER_02

It's so cool because the patrons, they're just like interactive. We we we take their opinion and uh they're a part of the fun. And so if you want to do that, if you want to be a patron, support us on our Patreon site, which is at patreon.com backslash treasures of our town, and you can help us create even better content and keep it free for everyone. So check us out there at Patreon, and we would love your support.

SPEAKER_01

And I will say, Josh, ready for the layup for you. Here we go. Nancy, Nancy, what a great job. All those, uh, all those, she's she's a fan of roadside attractions, Josh. She's a uh she's a lover of roadside attractions, she's proud of her roadside attractions.

SPEAKER_02

She is so proud of her town. I bet you in her own town, there's some ones that she'd be proud of too, but we've probably already covered them, actually. So yes, uh, you know, it's a damn rare thing these days that people are proud of their town. And a roadside attraction is something that would make somebody proud of their town, like hell, Michigan. I mean, I'd be proud that my town's called Hell.

SPEAKER_01

I know. Otherwise, Josh, how can people contact us or find us if they wish to?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, you can reach out to us at TreasureServerTownpodcast at gmail.com, or you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or our Buzz Sprout website.

SPEAKER_01

So that's it for our show today. Please subscribe, rate review on your favorite podcast game. And as always, Josh.

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Craig - The Aussie Geocacher Seemyshell

Host
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Joshua - The Geocaching Vlogger

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