Blue whale
Reportedly the second largest tourist attraction in all of Catoosa, Oklahoma, the Blue Whale was built by Hugh Davis in the early 1970s as a gift for his wife, a collector of whale figurines. The whale sits on a small pond and when the locals started coming around for a swim, Hugh added a sand beach and a few picnic tables. Soon, it became another quirky little attraction on Route 66. Although Hugh is long gone, the Blue Whale is still maintained and may or may not be open for a tour when you get there, depending on whether or not the caretaker is available!
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"The Awakening" by J. Seward Johnson, Jr.
“The Awakening” is a sculpture created for the 1980 International Sculpture Conference Exhibition by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. It’s made up of five aluminum pieces that, when placed on the ground, resemble a 100-foot tall giant trying to break free from the earth. Or, maybe it’s the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk after Jack cuts down the stalk. Or, maybe somebody planted the Jolly Green Giant in a shallow grave! Ho, ho, ho, Green Giant!
The statute has moved around a bit but currently it resides in National Harbor, Prince George County, Maryland. It was moved there on 2/20/2008 after being sold for a cool $750,000.
Ice sculpture from the International Ice Sculpting Competition in Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks Alaska is above the artic circle so in the winter it’s cold and dark. What to do? Have the International Ice Sculpting Competition, of course, and invite all the world’s best ice sculptors to compete for first prize. The sculptures are beautiful, particularly at night (which is basically all day in winter) when they’re lit up by colored lamps.
Is Fairbanks too cold for you in the winter? No problem! Fairbanks is also home of the Ice Museum, where you can go see ice sculpting and sculptures even in the summer! Although the room housing the 25 or so ice sculptures is kept at a chilly 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the viewing area is kept warm and you can view the ice sculptures in complete comfort.
Fairbanks Ice Museum
Cadillac Ranch, outside Amarillo Texas
Cadillac Ranch is on historic Route 66 in Amarillo Texas. The “ranch” is comprised of 10 Cadillac cars “planted” face down and at an angle, the same angle as the sides of Great Pyramid of Cheops, in the Texas desert. The cars themselves were build between 1949 and 1963 but weren’t planted until 1973 when Stanley Marsh 3 (not III) commissioned the work as a lasting memorial to his “Ant Farm” social collective.
Today, people from all over the world come to this monument stuck in the middle of nowhere simply for the purpose of painting the cars the way they see fit. The layers and layers of old paint are pretty much the only thing holding the old junk-heaps together.
The Hacienda Horse and Rider is part of the outdoor walking tour associated with the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada
Where but Las Vegas would one find a museum dedicated to neon? If the strip has become too touristy for you and you long for the days when Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack ruled the casinos, then a trip to the Neon Museum is a must-do the next time you’re in town. There you can wander around a scrap heap of old signs that lit up now defunct casinos and other establishments in a surrealistic but interesting journey back through time.
Some of the signs have been restored and are in full working order while others sit out in the desert sun, rotting away. One of the most spectacular signs that has been restored back to its former glory is the Hacienda horse and rider that graces the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Hacienda Street, adjacent to the Freemont Experience in the downtown area. Similarly the magic lantern from the Aladdin now once again shines in its former glory, also part of the outdoor walking tour near the Freemont Experience.
Although tacky in the extreme, there’s still something magical about all the neon in Las Vegas. The next time you’re in Nevada, working on striking it rich at the slot machines, take a look around at what your money has built. It’s pretty interesting and amazing on so many levels.
The Neon Museum
The Fremont Troll, under the Aurora bridge in Fremont, Washington
The Fremont Troll lives under the Aurora bridge in Fremont, Washington (more properly known by locals as the Artists’ Republic of Fremont), an artsy suburb of Seattle. The troll was sculpted in 1990 by four local artists: Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead. Climbing the troll is encouraged!
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