There’s so much to see and do in the US! You can find something of interest for everyone, and really do just about anything.
We all know about the stuff everyone visits when they go to a certain state. Here in NYC, visitors hit the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park, and maybe a Broadway show. Yeah, it’s cool, but everyone does that stuff when they come here.
We’re going to shed light on some offbeat and often weird sightseeing spots for you to brag about on social media. We’ll give you three places. You get to look up more on your own.
So, here is your official Jammany Hall guide to offbeat travel destinations in all 50 states. The series has been organized by region, so you can visit a bunch of these during the same road trip:
• Northeast: (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont)
• Mid-Atlantic: (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia)
• Southeast: (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee)
• Midwest: (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin)
• Southwest: (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas)
• Western: (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah)
• Northwest: (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming)
Alaska
Treadwell Ruins, Juneau, Alaska
(Address: Treadwell Trail, Juneau, Alaska, 99824)
I don’t know about you, but I love exploring old towns that have been swallowed up by time. I particularly enjoy old industrial towns, especially if the residents left behind machinery and other stuff that tell a story about the purpose of the place.
Treadwell, AK was one of many Alaskan gold mine company towns founded in the late 19th century. Company towns existed as a place to house workers and their families close to the work site.
Company towns have picked up a bad name over the years due to their controlling nature. For example, some companies would pay their employees with coupons that could only be used at the company store.
Apparently, Treadwell wasn’t a bad place and had five mills, stores, mess halls, bunkhouses, and Alaska’s first indoor swimming pool. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.
1917 was a pretty bad year for the town and the mines it served. A devastating high tide combined with poor mining practices caused cave-ins that forced closure of the mines.
And with the mines closed, there wasn’t much reason to inhabit Treadwell.
Fast forward to today and you have a town abandoned for nearly 100 years.
You can hike and learn more about the town’s history, as it’s a park that is run by the City of Juneau. The site is maintained and there are informational signs and placards that guide you on your hike.
Last Chance Mining Museum, Juneau, Alaska
(www.juneaudouglashistory.weebly.com/last-chance-mining-museum.html)
Aaaaaaaand, here’s another mine-related site.
Your visit here will put you in the old compressor building of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company. The building has been converted into a museum, and I can’t think of a more fitting location. Especially since this was once considered to be the largest gold mining operation on Earth.
While the Treadwell tour gives you a look at how miners of yore lived, the Last Chance Mining Museum shows you how those dudes got it done.
The museum is all about gold mining! As if you didn’t figure that out already…
You will learn all about how these operations were managed, and it’s extremely interesting.
There’s even a 3-D map of the tunnels, so you can get an idea of how extensive these underground works really were.
I would recommend that you hike the area, as there are numerous old buildings and abandoned mining equipment strewn about the site.
Hitch up your mule and don’t forget your pick!
World’s Largest Chocolate Waterfall, Anchorage, Alaska
(www.alaskawildberryproducts.com/about-us/worlds-largest-chocolate-falls.html)
In this guide, I’ve had you stomping around the wilds of Alaska. Now that you’ve learned all about gold mining, it’s time for a treat.
Come on into the Alaska Wild Berry Park Store and feast your eyes and nose on this: the world’s largest chocolate waterfall!
The falls incorporates over 3000 pounds of chocolate, authentic copper candy kettles, and a specially built warming and mixing system. The chocolate gushes out of the fountain head, cascades down the kettles, then settles in the swirling chocolate pool.
The chocolate itself is donated by the Peter’s Chocolate Division of Nestle Foods and Guittard Chocolate Company.
Unfortunately, you can’t just dip yer filthy mitts into the pool of chocolate. The chocolate is real, but it’s only to be eaten with your eyes.
Dang it.
The store has your back, though. There’s no need to worry because they’ve got plenty of sweets for you to enjoy. They know exactly how to whet your appetite!
These guys also know candy. They make their own candies for sale at the store or online at their website. Where else can you buy “Alaska’s Deadliest Candy Sea Salt Caramels”?
Check out their website if you can’t get up there to pay a visit.
Idaho
Idaho Potato Museum, Blackfoot, Idaho
(www.idahopotatomuseum.com)
Because you’re in Idaho, that’s why.
We all love potatoes in one form or the other. Personally, I love French Fries that are well done, greasy, and extra salty.
On a personal note, I was offered a job at a company in La Mirada, CA which was located right across the train tracks from a Lays potato chip plant. I ended up accepting that position and showed up to work everyday to the aroma of fried potato.
And it was good. Man, was it good.
Maybe you like yours mashed, baked, or boiled. You do you!
The Idaho Potato Museum aims to enlighten you about all thing tater.
The displays range in information about the potato in general, the growing of the plants, harvesting, and finally, processing.
Every burning question you have about potatoes will be answered here, Grasshopper.
Oasis Bordello Museum, Wallace, Idaho
(www.visitnorthidaho.com/activity/oasis-bordello-museum)
Ah, the local bordello. What better place to relax after a stressful week at work?
Just kidding. Maybe…
Seriously though, the Oasis was a real-life, modern bordello that operated illegally and in the open in Wallace, ID.
Wallace’s main source of income was mining. Miners tend to be men who need some lovin’ after braving the dangers of working underground.
The Oasis and other houses of ill-repute sprung up to satisfy the need of the pick swingers.
Because prostitution isn’t considered a violent a crime, the local coppers let things run as they were. The sheriff was later investigated by the FBI and charged with protecting the hooking operations in the town. He was acquitted because the prosecution couldn’t find anyone willing to testify against the sheriff.
In any case, the Oasis shut down in 1988, but was bought in 1993. Much to the new owner’s surprise, the joint was now a whorehouse time capsule.
When the gals blew town (sorry about that), they basically dropped everything and split.
This gave the new owner a unique chance to show the world the inside of a bordello.
Some of my readers are familiar with these places, and I won’t name names, but for everyone else, it’s pretty dang interesting.
So, if you’re in the area, stop by for a quick tour and a great selfie opportunity.
Geyser Park, Soda Springs, Idaho
(www.sodaspringsid.com/recreation/geyser_park/index.php)
Geysers are natural phenomena that occur when groundwater is heated to boiling and must escape. That escape route is usually a vent in the rock layer that allows the boiling water and steam to shoot up into the sky.
The geyser at Soda Springs was accidentally created in 1937 when workers were drilling for heated ground water for a swimming pool. Much like the geothermal projects in Iceland, the builders wanted to tap into some of that sweet, free hot water.
Whoops!
They ended up drilling into a pocket of compressed gas.
Well, next thing you know old Jed’s a millionaire…
Wrong story.
The drilling created a geyser of hot water and steam that can reach up to 100 feet. The geyser isn’t a naturally occurring one like Old Faithful, so it is controlled by a system that allows it to build up a head of steam. That energy is released every hour by a timer and valve setup.
The area is quite historic, and it was a major stop on the Oregon trail.
Make like the pioneers and go West, young man/woman!
Oregon
Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels, Portland, Oregon
(www.portlandwalkingtours.com/tours/underground-portland-shanghai-tunnels-tour)
These days, Portland, OR is known to be a freewheeling, spaced-out city.
Hippies abound, and everything is a little weird.
Not so much in the past.
Back in the day (mid-1800s to mid-1900s), Portland was known as an exceptionally dangerous town.
Like many port cities of the tie, Portland was home to a constantly shifting population. People blew in and out of town at a high rate, thanks to the shipping industry.
Let’s just say there were some unsavory characters roaming the area back then.
Portland is famous for many things, but its system of underground tunnels is its most shady.
The tunnel system was built to move cargo more efficiently from ships in the port to warehouses and stores in the city.
Some say these tunnels were used to transport involuntarily drugged sailors to ships where they would wake up when the ships were underway and escape impossible. And what makes it worse, is that many of these guys weren’t even sailors!
The urban legend tells us that criminals would drug unsuspecting bar patrons and sell them to ship captains as shipboard slaves. A quick trip through the tunnels and these poor saps would be loaded on the ship for an unplanned (for them anyway) cruise.
This practice is better known as “Shanghai’ng”.
That’s what the urban legend says, anyway,
The likely truth is that the tunnels did serve as places for illegal activity, because why not? They are out of sight, it’s dark, and probably easy to escape in case Johnny Law showed up.
If you’d like to tour the tunnels, you can. There are several tour operators who can fill you in on the legends and truths surrounding the tunnels and old port. They will even bring you down into some of the underground spaces.
Go if you aren’t afraid of waking up on a slow boat to China…
Voodoo Doughnut and Wedding Chapel, Portland, Oregon
Voodoo Donut is one of those shops you’ll see on the Food Network as an example of the best in its class.
Their claim to fame is how far afield they’ve gone from your standard issue jelly donut or something you’d choke down with your morning cup of Joe.
Voodoo Donut is world famous for their far-out creations. Literally any ingredient can find its way onto or into a Voodoo Donut.
Seriously.
Here are a few examples of what you might encounter:
Bacon Maple Bar: Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top.
Voodoo Doll: Raised yeast doughnut filled with raspberry jelly topped with chocolate frosting and a pretzel stake through its heart.
Maple Blazer Blunt: Raised yeast doughnut rolled into a blunt and dusted with cinnamon sugar. The top is dipped in maple frosting and red sprinkle embers. Yes, that kind of blunt.
Marshall Mathers: Plain cake doughnut with vanilla frosting and mini M&M’s®.
Ring of Fire: Chocolate cake doughnut dusted in cinnamon sugar, cayenne pepper and topped with a dried red chili pepper.
These are just a fraction of their off-the-chain donuts. Check out their website to see their extensive list with photos. Try not to droll all over your keyboard, OK?
They also do weddings at the shop, and you can get married here if the catering joint in your hometown was overbooked.
The shop has funky activities as befits Portland, so go to their website for a schedule of kooky stuff they have going on.
Portland is weird, but Voodoo Donuts makes it delicious!
Out & About Treehouse Treesort, Cave Junction, Oregon
(www.treehouses.com)
I bet you think the treehouses you built as a kid really rocked.
Wrong, sucker!
Come to the Treesort and prepared to be humbled.
The Treesort is a resort that has plenty of stuff to do (horseback riding, crafting, rafting, swimming, etc) but with a special focus on the treehouse.
You can enjoy the splendor of their professionally designed and construct=ed treehouse, and then take their courses on the design, engineering, and building of your own.
Yep, you’ll return home ready to build the Taj Mahal in the oak tree in your backyard!
Bring your squirrel repellent and spend a few days the the Treesort. You’re gonna go nuts!
Montana
Pekin Noodle Parlor, Butte, Montana
(www.butteamerica.com/pekin.htm)
As a New Yorker, I was shocked to find out that the Pekin Noodle Parlor in Montana (!) is the longest continuously running Chinese restaurant in the US.
Montana? Really?
The joint opened for business in 1911 and has been churning out Kung Pao chicken ever since.
But, Montana?
Back in the days of the gold rush and Western Expansion, many Chinese laborers came to the area to grab their share of the riches.
It’s only natural that some settled in the areas where they labored, and shops would start to offer products they wanted. Figures from the US Census of 1870 show that the population of Montana was 10% Chinese. Who knew?
And what most immigrants want from home is FOOD.
Food is always something that reminds people of their faraway homes.
The Pekin Noodle Parlor opened to serve the needs of the Chinese community and I guess the food was good, because they’ve been rockin’ it for 109 years.
If you’re hankering for some Chicken Chow Mein while you’re visiting Butte, now you know that you must visit this joint. Who’s gonna believe you when you get home and tell people you ate at the oldest Chinese restaurant while vising Montana? Answer: No one.
World Museum of Mining, Butte, Montana
Old mining in the American West is fascinating to me because despite the ridiculously dangerous working and living conditions, millions of people flocked to these jobs to try their luck.
Of course, most of these miners never became rich.
The West is dotted with the remains of old mining operations and ghost towns.
The World Museum of Mining is sited on a defunct mine in Butte, MT. Butte was once considered to be the epicenter of copper mining due to the large number of mining operations that were in the vicinity of the town.
In the late 19th century, electricity was coming into its own as a utility that was revolutionizing how people did just about everything.
The pipeline of electricity is copper wiring. This is true even today.
Copper was in high demand as cities and towns began electrifying industry as well as private homes.
Among the many mines located in around Butte, the Orphan Girl mine was a productive operation that produced silver and lead. The mine petered out in the first half of the 20th century, and the Orphan Girl property was grabbed and developed into what would become today’s World Museum of Mining.
The exhibits include the tools of mining, such as hand and power tools, hoisting equipment, and many other artifacts used in the mining industry of old.
A very cool exhibit is the replica mining town of the late 19th century. The town consists of 50 period-accurate buildings, complete with furnishings and items that might be found from that time.
As I mentioned earlier, the mining industry during the time of the Orphan Girl mine was extremely dangerous. Over 2,500 men lost their lives working the mines, processing plants, and transportation operations that kept the Butte area mines in operation. A memorial has been constructed with their names. Its quite touching.
If you aren’t feeling particularly claustrophobic, you can enjoy one of two underground tours. There’s a 65 and 100 foot tour to choose from if you dare.
Our Lady of the Rockies, Butte, Montana
The backstory of the statue knowns as Our Lady of the Rockies is based on love.
More on that in a minute.
The statue stands at 90 feet in height, and it’s the fourth highest statue in the US after the Birth of the New World (Puerto Rico – 360 feet), The Statue of Liberty (New York City – 151 feet), and Pegasus and the Dragon (Florida – 100 feet).
But those statues aren’t sitting pretty at 8,500 feet in the Rockies!
Back to the love stuff.
The man who envisioned the statute, Bob O’Bill, was praying for his wife who was suffering from cancer. O’Bill prayed to the Virgin Mary that is his wife would recover, he would erect a 5 foot statue in a park to honor the Virgin.
O’Bill’s wife made a recovery, and the project morphed from a height of 5 feet to 90 feet.
The project eventually became a movement, with volunteers and the Montana National Guard assisting O’Bill by blasting a road to the site and using a helicopter to transport the statue in sections up the mountain.
By 1985, they were done!
If you’d like to visit and take a tour, you can call (406) 782-1221to make a reservation.
Washington
Bop Street Records, Seattle, Washington
(www.bopstreetrecords.com/index.html)
You know, you would think that digital music would be perfect. But the truth is that most people really do like the sound of vinyl. It’s like film versus video. Vinyl sounds so warm, and film seems a lot softer than video.
When you listen to a song that’s been digitally recorded, you can really hear everything very clearly. It’s almost too perfect. You know what I mean?
That’s where Bop Street Records in Seattle, WA comes in.
Bop Street Records has a collection of over 500,000 records, and that’s why they are considered to be one of the best and most complete vinyl record stores in the US.
In 1970, the owner of the store began selling vinyl records at his parents’ house. He eventually started a small company along the Seattle storefront and that’s where they currently do business.
The store has really grown since then. If you enter the store, you’ll likely run into the owner who will give you the nickel tour. If you’re really lucky, you’ll visit while the store is hosting a band playing live music.
Chances are, you’ll end up leaving the store with a whole bunch of vinyl records! You might want to grab a turntable and speakers, though.
Check out their website for more information.
World Famous Giant Shoe Museum, Seattle, Washington
(Address: 1501 Pike Pl # 424, Seattle, WA 98101)
If you really dig big feet or are just into shoes, this might be for you.
Pike Place Market in Seattle is world renowned for its fish tossing thing, but this next attraction may dethrone the salmon catching.
How about a peepshow devoted to HYOOOOOOGE shoes?
I know that some of you are drooling at the thought of feeding quarter after quarter into the machine that takes you to Fetish Land.
Maybe Imelda Marcos shows up in the show. I don’t know but in Seattle, anything’s possible.
A gentleman named Danny Eskenazi got into wildly large shoes after finding out that his grandfather possessed one of Robert Wadlow’s massive shoes.
To refresh your memory, Wadlow holds the record as the world’s tallest man.
That did if for Eskenazi. He was hooked.
Viewing these big boats is as easy as stepping up to the peepshow’s peephole, slamming a quarter into the slot, and having your mind blown.
And if it doesn’t do anything for you, head over to catch a trout or something. You nut, you.
Big Red Wagon, Spokane, Washington
(Address: 507 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201)
Back in the day, they had these things called toys, and they weren’t hooked up to anything but your hand.
Hard to believe, I know.
And one toy that many, if not most kids owned, was the amazing Radio Flyer wagon or one of its knockoffs.
The Radio Flyer wagon was a multipurpose toy. Hell, it was more than a toy.
You could haul all your cool kid stuff around the neighborhood, throw dirt and rocks in it, or pull your dog around and let him act like a king.
But the best use of the Radio Flyer wagon was as a freakin’ steep hill drag racer. And it was always best if you managed to somehow shove two or three friends in for the ride.
Oh, how local doctors and dentists rejoiced as their waiting rooms were filled with young daredevils and their broken arms and teeth!
To prevent the memory of these way cool wagons to be lost to the fog of time, the wise town leaders of Spokane erected this wicked big Radio Flyer wagon
Built in 1990 of 26 tons of steel and reinforced concrete, it’s a 12-foot-high, 27-foot-long Radio Flyer Wagon. It can hold as many as 300 people. Ken Spiering spent six to seven days a week for a year building the $36,000 sculpture, for which he received a $30,000 commission.
Bring the kiddoes if you have any, or just come by yourself.
Wyoming
Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
(www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/about-old-faithful)
One of the most well known natural phenomena in the US national park system has to be Ol’ Faithful in Yellowstone Park.
While t may not be exactly atomic clock accurate, it’s still pretty impressive.
Blowing its gasket roughly every 92 minutes is what it does, and it shoots up to a height of nearly 200 feet.
The geyser is created every 92 minutes due to a combination of geothermal heat, a water source, and a chamber in which that water source reaches optimal heat and pressure. Once that water is exactly right, look out!
When the geyser does its thing, the water stream is just under the boiling point, while the steam is banging hot at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yellowstone is jammed with plenty of cool nature stuff to see.
Which brings us to our next entry…
Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
The Morning Glory Pool is a striking natural feature of Yellowstone Park.
The delicate blue water is created by thermophilic bacteria, which need high temperatures to survive.
In 1883, the wife of an assistant park superintendent initially named the pool, Convolutus, due to the blue color of the Morning Glory flower.
Sadly, the pool is under threat due to the action of assorted moronic tourists who have used the pool as a trash can over the years.
The trash has been steadily clogging up the vents which allow hot water to flow into the pool. This in turn cools the water which gives other bacteria a chance to invade the pool. Hence, the red and yellow rings that surround the blue portion.
The park service has been trying to unblock these vents, but their efforts haven’t proven highly successful.
However, Mother Nature sometimes helps.
During seismic events, the Morning Glory Pool often goes off and blows out some of the trash.
With any luck, we’ll see it clear itself.
I sure hope so!
Hole-in-the Wall Outlaw Hideout, Willow Creek Ranch, Kaycee, WY
Outlaw cowboys, like pirates, have been romanticized by Hollywood and books.
The idea of the outlaw riding like the wind to reach his lair before being caught by the posse is a standard for Western movies and novels.
The Hole-in-the-Wall is a name that most Western fans have heard before. What makes it so cool is that it’s a real place, and actually served the same purpose as it did in the movies.
It was a nearly impregnable fortress that allowed bad guys to find refuge from the posse and the Army.
Composed of rocky canyons which gave outlaws nearly unlimited hiding places, it was also located in a position above the surrounding landscape which gave defenders a long range view of any attackers. Not to mention the advantage of being in a higher position than the lawmen.
Gotta take that high ground!
The famous outlaws who used this refuge were names you know: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (and their gang), Jesse James (and his gang), as well as a whole Rogue’s Gallery of baddies.
If you’d like to tread the same paths as some of the Wild West’s most famous bad boys, you need to contact the folks at the Willow Creek Ranch.
The Takeaway
So, there you have it.
As promised, we’ve given you food for thought for some cool and funky sites around the Northwest. Naturally, this list isn’t exhaustive, but we wanted to toss you some bones and maybe get you out of the house and exploring.
Everyone visits the spots that are well known. It’s so much fun to go out and see these places that are out of the way and out of the view of your typical tourist.
Jammany Hall exists to help you spread your wings. Travel is a good way to do just that.
And it often seems that the offbeat places are the most flavorful. Do you get what I’m saying? I guess you can compare it to eating a chicken breast or a thigh. There’s more flavor in the less popular thigh!
Make sure you read the other parts of this US travel series. Once you’re done checking out the entire series, you’ll have a handy guide to some goofy places to visit.
You’ll have the best stories at any party you attend!
Feel free to let us know about some of the places you’ve visited that are somewhat offbeat.