At the beginning of 2024 I had hopes of traveling across the country to Washington State, but sadly, that didn’t work out. Sickness, job losses and other challenges seriously reduced my travels. Despite all of that, I still was able to get some travel in. I had the opportunity to travel to or through eleven different states as I visited my sister in Texas and in Oklahoma. She also traveled with me on a couple of occasions. I also made trips to Ohio for family, a small trip to West Virginia and trips to Indiana and Missouri for my late 2024 job with Uranus Fudge Factory while it lasted. Along the way, as is my travel routine, I hit up numerous road side attractions and oddities. I had a few leftover Route 66 attractions in Oklahoma and Missouri to hit up, so I got those as well. Following is a nice trip report about some of the major roadside attractions I visited in 2024.
FIRST – A SHOUT OUT TO ROADSIDE AMERICA
Before I go into all of the sites, I want to make a HUGE shoutout to my friends at Roadside America. I have been using their great info since the early 1990s, way before there was any internet. When they went to the internet many years ago, they were able to update entries and add many many more. Today they have tens of thousands of entries about offbeat and unique Roadside Attractions and they continue to be my go to destination before my roadtrips and even while I am on the trips. Most of the sites below were found using their handy dandy app, which can actually be used from the road to give you nearby attractions. If you don’t have this app, I highly recommend you get it. Click on the App Image below to get all of the details before you take your next journey.
BLUE WHALE OF CATOOSA – CATOOSA, OKLAHOMA
For a number of years I had wanted to get to the Big Blue Whale in Catoosa, Oklahoma and in 2024 I finally got to this iconic roadside attraction. This landmark attraction was conceived and designed by zoologist Hugh S. Davis and assisted by his friend Harold Thomas. They completed the project in July 1972. Not only is the Big Blue Whale a great place, but it also includes cute picnic tables for a quick Route 66 break.
WORLD’S LARGEST CEMENT TOTEM POLE – CHELSEA, OKLAHOMA
The other famed Route 66 (actually nearby to Route 66) attraction that I had wanted to visit numerous times was Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park near Foyil and Chelsea in Oklahoma. Traditionally called “The World’s Largest Concrete Totem Pole,” this iconic tourist attraction has been around since 1948. The park was created by U.S. Army veteran Ed Galloway (1880-1961). In 1937 Galloway retired from his work as an arts teacher in Sand Springs, Oklahoma and moved to a small farm near Foyil. It was located about 3.5 miles east of Route 66. While living there he took on a project to build a totem pole with modern building materials. Ultimately, he used six tons of steel, 28 tons of cement and over 100 tons of sand to create the nearly 90 foot tall Totem Pole. At its base it is 30 feet wide and rests on the back of a turtle. There are about 200 bas relief images decorating this unique structure. There are also a number of other smaller concrete totems, two ornate concrete picnic tables, etc. This iconic creation was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 1999.
THE GOLDEN DRILLER – TULSA, OKLAHOMA
I had visited this guy back in 2022, but it was difficult to get a good shot since there was construction going on in front of it. So, on this trip I though I would try again. This 76-foot-tall structure depicts an oil worked with an oil rig. Weighing in at 43,500 pounds, it is currently listed as the seventh-tallest statue in the United States. The current status is actually the second rendition of the original, which was built in 1952 by the Mid-Continent Supply Company. In 1959 the second (and current) one was constructed and later donated to the Tulsa County Fairgrounds Trust Authority. In 1979 the Golden Driller was adopted a the state monument by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Some statue trivia: The belt size is 48 feet in circumference, his shoes are size 393DDDD and he wears a 112 hard hat. The belt buckle has Tulsa emblazoned on it. His right hand rests upon an actual oil derrick that had been moved from an oil field in Seminole, Oklahoma.
SUMMER OF 66 MURAL IN OKLAHOMA CITY
There is large colorful Summer of 66 Mural on Northwest 39th Street (the 39th Street District) in Oklahoma City that depicts the three iconic attractions together. Though I’ll cover the mural in a separate post, I wanted to include a couple of shots to show the above items joined together. This mural was painted by Nick Bayer of CreateCo Studios in Piedmont, Oklahoma and was completed in October 2021.
CHICKASHA LEG LAMP – CHICKASHA, OKLAHOMA
This is actually an interesting story. As with many of my readers, the 1983 movie A Christmas Story has always been a fun tradition during the holidays since its release. It was filmed in a house in Cleveland, Ohio and there is now a museum and a gift shop. Of course, one of the centerpieces of the movie is the Leg Lamp, which featured prominently throughout the movie. Legend has it that the movie creators came up with the idea after visiting then-Oklahoma State University Visual Arts Professor Noland James (who died in 2020 at the age of 89) and saw his self-created leg lamp in his office. Mr. James always felt that it was his prototype that led to the use of the now famous leg lamp from the movie. Indeed, you visit the A Christmas Story shop in Cleveland, there are all sorts of Leg Lamp souvenirs, including an actual leg lamp.
But then, how did a 50-foot-tall replica of the lamp show up in Chickasha, Oklahoma? Turns out that Professor James was from Chickasha. Anyway, the town erected the giant version out of deference to the legend. It is actually 40-feet-tall and stands atop a 10-foot-tall crate with FRAGILE written across it. It was unveiled in November 2022.
THE WORLD’S LARGEST COWBELL – BELLE, MISSOURI
Obviously, not all of the great attractions are in Oklahoma. In an ironic twist, one of America’s newest “Largest Things” is located in Belle, Missouri. It is considered by the creators to be the World’s Largest Cowbell. In August 2024 Belle, Missouri businessman Jimmy Zumwalt along with co-creators Heintz Welding installed a 15-foot-tall, 6,300 pound cowbell right off of Missouri Highway 28 in Belle. This large bell is 12-foot across, eight-feet deep and includes a 350-pound crane ball as the clapper that actually makes it ring. The bell is currently under consideration with the Guinness Book of World Records and is awaiting official certification. Definitely can get More Cowbell in Belle, Missouri!!
WORLD’S SECOND TALLEST FORK – SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI
Another giant also sits tall in Missouri. The giant fork of Springfield stands 35-feet-tall and weighs 11,000 pounds. In 2022 a larger fork was constructed in Oregon and is the tallest. However, the Springfield fork is still the heaviest. The fork actually used to stand in front of a restaurant back in 1998, but when they went out of business, Noble & Associates, an ad agency for food service companies transported this huge guy yo their headquarters off of W. Chesterfield Blvd. By the way, Noble & Associates is the owner of The Food Channel, a digital publisher for foodies and content creators.
WORLD’S LARGEST DAISY BB GUN – ROGERS, ARKANSAS
Speaking of A Christmas Story, how about a giant Red Ryder BB Gun to go along with the Giant Leg Lamp? This giant BB Gun was installed at the Daisy Airgun Museum on W. Walnut St. in Rogers, Arkansas in January 2021. It stands 25-feet-tall and was made with an aluminum frame with parts sculpted from Styrofoam and epoxy. The stock is filled with actually BBs – 180 pounds of them in 20 pound bags. The BBs are just a tad smaller than a ping pong ball.
BIG GREEN DRAGON – CARYVILLE, TENNESSEE
I was on a trip to go see wild bears at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains heading south on U.S. Highway 25 when, to my surprise I happened upon a big green dragon watching Interstate 75 from behind a Dollar General Store. This-foot-tall dragon was built in 1988 by artist Jim Cole. It was originally a mascot for a large fireworks stand that stood on the property. The Fireworks stand burned down in May 2011, but the dragon lived through it. It was updated and restored in May 2022. Due to its close proximity to the interstate, many people take the exit to go get photos with it.
FURY – THE WORLD’S LARGEST STAINLESS STEEL DRAGON – SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS
Speaking of Dragons, how about this 28 foot tall stainless steel beauty with a 40-foot wingspan? Named Fury, this 8-ton beauty was sculpted by Dallas Artists Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin. It was unveiled in August 2021. The dragon is significant for the community as the Southlake-Carroll High School mascot is the Dragon. This massive sculpture is not only impressive in its size, but the artistry in stainless steel is impeccable. It was striking to see in person.
THE MAYOR – URANUS FUDGE FACTORY – ST ROBERT, MISSOURI
He’s back!! After some strong winds in 2023, the large fiberglass statue of The Mayor of Uranus lost his head. It took quite a while to get the head fixed and then reinstalled, but in August 2024, the Mayor was back. He can be seen watching over U.S. Route 66 and Interstate 44 a couple miles west of St Robert, Missouri. Of course, he is there to draw you in to get your fudge packed at the Uranus Fudge Factory and to drop your balls into their putt holes at the Putt Pirates mini-golf. Uranus is a must-stop for travelers of all kinds. And you can even get the puntastic shirts and gear there as well.
WORLD’S LARGEST CATSUP BOTTLE – COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS
Built as a Water Tower, this 70-foot condiment bottle on a 100-foot stand sits off of Route 159 in Collinsville, Illinois. It was built in 1949 by the W.E. Caldwell Company of Louisville, Kentucky for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant. In August 2002 the Water Tower/Catsup Bottle was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The tower has a volume of 100,000 gallons (or 640,000 bottles of catsup). It is definitely a vintage roadside attraction worth visiting.
CHIEF STANDING BRAVE – BIG CABIN, OKLAHOMA
I have been by here three different times, but I always want to stop and give this 50-foot-tall giant Indian Chief a quick hello. This lovely guy can be seen from Interstate 44 and looks over U.S. Route 69. He has a 105-feather headdress, a spear (with 37 more feathers) and a shield with the Oklahoma State Flag. Certainly a huge symbol for a state with such a deep Native American heritage. It was originally built in 2001 by artist Wade Leslie. He weighs in at 15,000 pounds. Apparently it took artist Leslie over 800 hours to create this giant.
LOUISVILLE WATER TOWER – LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
I had been to Louisville dozens of times and had never heard about this unique tower that is now a National Historic Landmark. I happened upon a sign for it while dropping my wife and daughter off at an event in Louisville. Naturally, I took the little trip over there. It is considered to be the oldest ornamental water tower in the world. Theodore Snowden and Charles Hermany were the architects. Above the Corinthian columns of the Roman balustrade sit ten zinc statues. This place certainly deserves a separate blog post to include all of the photos of the statues and more.
GASQUATCH – IDABEL, OKLAHOMA
Unique concepts for gas station/convenience stores/gift shops are not unusual. Think Wall Drug, The Thing, Buc-ee’s, Uranus Fudge Factory and Wally’s for instance. I came upon Gasquatch unawares and had to pull over. Not only do they have a giant 30-foot tall Sasquatch (perhaps one of the world’s largest Sasquatch statues) holding a gas pump outside, but the place features a number of gas pumps, a large store with food (the Cave Cafe), unique sodas and treats, a muscle car museum in the back and lots of Gasquatch gear. Really is a fun place. It is located on U.S. Route 259 south of Broken Bow, Oklahoma. The shop opened in November 2020. You can’t miss it…Gasquatch’s eyes even light up at night and can be seen from a mile away.
CAVANAL – THE WORLD’S HIGHEST HILL – POTEAU, OKLAHOMA
Its not always that one can go up to a unique geographical location. I always try to include these when I am close by. Cavanal’s claim to fame is that it is the “World’s Highest Hill.” The billing is based on a delineation between a hill and a mountain, that being if the geographical feature were 2,000 feet or higher than its base, then it would be classified as a mountain instead of a hill. So, since it is “1,999 Feet” it is the “highest.” Apparently, the actual elevation at the summit is 2,385 feet above sea level. Apparently, the discrepancy arises from the way it is measured while its actual summit elevation is around 2,385 feet above sea level, the claim of being the “world’s highest hill” is based on its significant elevation difference compared to the surrounding terrain, particularly the nearby Poteau River, which creates a perceived “hill” height of nearly 2,000 feet, leading to confusion in the reported elevation depending on the reference point used. Nonetheless, the town of Poteau has taken advantage of this as a fun tourist attraction. Its a nice drive up to the radio tower covered summit and there is a great view of the Poteau River valley from the top.
YUKON’S BEST FLOUR GRAIN ELEVATOR – YUKON, OKLAHOMA
Anyone looking at photos of Route 66 attractions will most likely see a photo of this huge grain elevator. Originally built in 1916 by the Kroutil brothers, the mills closed in 1974 and the elevators were used for grain storage until 2023. In October 2019 local artist Carlos Barboza completed a mural at the base of the elevator titled “Yukon’s Best” and features a Czech Queen, the original Miller mascot and a guitar holding Garth Brooks, who is from Yukon. (On a side note, while in the Oklahoma City area I was able to photograph a number of Barboza’s pieces, which I will feature in a future post.) Besides the grain elevator, Yukon is also known as the Czech Capital of Oklahoma, as emblazoned on the side of the elevator.
RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! – GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS
In the middle of the relatively bland brown prairies of central Texas sits a very colorful building that contains oddities both inside and out. I didn’t have time to go inside an peruse the 12 themed galleries, the Waxworks, the Moving Theater or the Mirror Maze. But the building and its displays on the outside were interesting as they were.
The World’s Second Largest Ball of Barbed Wire was created by Mesa, Arizona native Lyle Lynch. It now supposedly contains 16 miles of barbed Wire wrapped around a silver dollar. The largest ball of barbed wire was supposedly rolled by J.C. Payne, but the Guinness World Records refused to certify it. Lynch’s ball was added to the outdoor display in Grand Prairie in 2017.
There is a set of three “Chromosaurs” that were all created from chrome bumpers from classic cars from 1940s and 1950s. There is a T-Rex, a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops. They were created by Chicago, Illinois and Provincetown, Massachusetts artist John Kearney (1924-2014 — born in Omaha, Nebraska) who was known for his chrome bumper art with displays all around the world. The Chromosaurs had originally been placed outside the Dallas Museum of Natural History.
WORLD’S LARGEST FOUNTAIN DRINK CUP – CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI
Go figure. Convenience stores want to get in on the “World’s Largest” bandwagon. On August 20, 2017 the Rhodes Convenience Store company loaded it with 4,730 gallons of lemonade and git it certified by the Guinness World Record organization. According to Rhodes this cup can hold the equivalent of 605,556 regular-size cups. Rhodes got its start in 1963 as an oil company and opened its first convenience store in 1989 calling it Rhodes 101 Convenience Stores. It now has over 30 locations in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky. I was bummed that I couldn’t get out to get a selfie with the giant cup.
On my trip I came across a number of other interesting and unique but not as notable roadside attractions. These will be in Part 2 of my roadside attractions blog posts. Watch for it coming soon.
Did you enjoy what you saw here? My books cover so much more.
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LESS BEATEN PATHS OF AMERICA TRAVEL SERIES
You can get my books online! The series now has five books and I am working on books six and seven. Book Six will be all about murals from all over the country!! Watch for them in 2025.