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)
California
(www.blm.gov/visit/amboy-crater)
Amboy Crater, San Bernardino County, California
As a kid growing up around NYC, I used to dream of amazing outdoor adventures to be had in the jungles and deserts of the world. I was really fascinated with volcanoes and felt that they were the most exotic geological features on Earth.
Upon graduation from high school, I joined the Marines and spent plenty of time in jungles and deserts. It wasn’t until I was stationed in Southern California that I was able to get hands-on with a volcano!
While I was stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, I heard many stories about this mysterious volcano in the Mojave Desert on the northern border of the Marine Corps’ desert base in Twentynine Palms, CA.
According to urban legend, the tiny ghost town of Amboy, and Amboy Crater itself, were the hangouts of devil worshippers and bikers.
The Amboy Crater sits on National Trails highway, just outside the town of Amboy. You likely haven’t heard of Amboy, but rumor has it that Disney’s animated movie, “Cars” and its town of Radiator Springs, is based on Amboy.
Amboy had been a thriving town along Route 66 before Interstate 40 cut the town off from traffic in 1972. The new highway proved devastating to the town which had relied heavily on road tripping tourists.
Almost overnight, the town dried up.
As of the 2000 US Census, the population of Amboy is a crowded 5.
So, here’s the part about the volcano.
The Amboy Crater sits about 2.5 miles as the crow flies from the town of Amboy.
The Crater has been described as the most perfectly shaped cinder cone in the 48 contiguous states. It last erupted approximately 10,000 years ago, so there’s no danger of it going Vesuvius all over you.
The crater is easy to access, and there’s a parking area off Route 66 where you can find the trail head to get to the top of the crater. The crater and lava field surrounding it are property of the US National Park Service, so the parking area is paved, and the trails have signs along the way.
Pay particular attention to the signs warning of rattlesnakes. This is the Great Outdoors, after all.
Yep, you can actually climb to the top and sit on the rim. The rim is approximately 250 feet high, and the trail is pretty easy.
The view is amazing, and you can see for many miles in the clear desert air.
When I lived in Southern California, I took many a road trip from Oceanside, CA to spend a Saturday puttering around the lava fields of the Amboy Crater as well as chilling on the rim.
Breathtaking? Absolutely!
Jim Morrison Hotel Room, Alta Cienega Motel, West Hollywood, California
(Address: 1005 N La Cienega Boulevard, West Hollywood, California)
(Phone: (310) 652-5797)
The Doors are one of those iconic 1960s era-bands that are so symbolic of those times. If a movie or TV show that’s set in the 60s has background music, it’ll likely be a Doors song or a knockoff.
Jim Morrison was the lead singer of The Doors, and his legend is still going strong although it’s been 50 years since his death in Paris of a heart attack.
While Morrison was living in Los Angeles, he lived a hardcore rock and roll lifestyle. He truly lived a life that one associates with rock stars, and this added to his legend.
Morrison was the lover of a woman named Pamela Courson, and their romance was anything but storybook. Morrison and Courson had met in 1965 and started a tumultuous relationship that lasted until Courson found Morrison’s body in a bathtub in Paris in 1971.
As it is with those who live the rock star life, substance abuse and infidelity play a big part in their day to day. This was certainly the case with Morrison, and he and Courson had many a blow out where Courson would send Morrison to the doghouse.
For Morrison, the doghouse was Room 32 of the Alta Cienega Motel.
Morrison was able to find some serenity in this tiny room, and he could party and enjoy female company in peace.
And so can you!
The Alta Cienega Motel is still here and so is room 32. Forget about spending a night in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House. How cool would it be to spend the night in the room where the Lizard King partied?
The room serves as sort of a shrine to Morrison, and fans have scrawled poetry and lyrics from the major Doors’ songs all over the walls. If you like, you can add to the words on the walls, if you can find an empty space, that is.
You can spend 5 minutes here, or all night. It’s totally up to you and your wallet.
Give the Alta Cienega Motel a ring if you’re in LA, and channel Jim…
Alta Cienega Motel phone number: (310) 652-5797
Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum, San Francisco, California
(www.antiquevibratormuseum.com)
Good, good, good! Good vibrations!
Sorry, this isn’t a museum dedicated to the Beach Boys, but you might get a buzz out of it!
Yeah, that was bad.
When it comes to the history and use of vibrators, most of us would guess that vibrators are a very recent invention.
Believe it or not, vibrators have been used for over one hundred years.
Back in the late 19th century, the female orgasm was viewed as a curative for certain ailments suffered by women. An orgasm was just what the doctor ordered, and women would make appointments to receive that mind-blower if hubby lacked the skill.
Maybe hubby should have visited that doctor to learn said skill.
Anyway, the doctor would use a finger (hopefully) to bring his patient to orgasm, but that made many women uncomfortable, even if they did get to feel the Earth move.
Enter that modern marvel known as electricity.
Electric vibrators became a thing around 1900, and women were off to the races.
The museum has an extensive collection of vibrators from the late 1800s to 1970, and there are even docent-led tours led by experts who can fill you in on the operation of those early vibrators.
What’s also fun is to view the outrageous promotional materials that promised to cure just about anything.
I guess truth in advertising wasn’t a thing back then…shocking.
Buzz on into the Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum to get schooled in the techniques and tools of orgasm production for ladies back in the day!
Colorado
Vampire Grave of Lafayette, Lafayette Cemetery, Lafayette, Colorado
(Address: 111 E Baseline Rd, Lafayette, Colorado, 80026)
Thanks to Bram Stoker, Transylvania will forever be the home of the vampire.
Transylvania is a real place, and it’s a part of modern day Romania. As far as vamps are concerned, I’m not sure they’re real. Though they could be…
About one hundred years ago, a Romanian guy named Theodore Flava, AKA Teddy to his pals, made that journey to America in search of Internet fame. Probably. Maybe?
Teddy came looking for a better life, and he made his way West to the mines of Colorado.
Sadly, he ended up likely dying of the flu in 1918. If you remember your history, and thanks to COVID-19, we have all been given a crash course in epidemiology. Back in 1918, the Spanish Flu was ravaging the world. America was savagely beaten up by that virus, and Teddy probably met his end the same way.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published in 1897, and the book hit the US in 1899. Although it took until the 1920s to catch on, it really took off in 1931 when Hollywood released its “Nosferatu” movie.
So, because Teddy was tall, pale, and Romanian, the townsfolk thought he could be a vampire. Makes sense.
Some say that local goofballs dug up Teddy’s grave and found his nails and teeth had grown after death. Because the body dehydrates after death, the gums and skin naturally retract and expose teeth and nails.
Maybe if they had the internet, they could have Googled it.
Also, they say that those same goofballs drove a stake through the corpse’s heart to keep him securely underground.
If you pay a visit to Teddy’s grave, roses are a nice gift, as Teddy has the Romanian word for roses carved on his tombstone.
On the other hand, maybe the inscription says that Teddy will drain whoever brings roses!
Maybe you should Google Translate that tombstone first…
International Church of Cannabis, Denver, Colorado
When I was a kid and attending church with my Mom, we couldn’t do anything except be quiet.
At the International Church of Cannabis, fun is part of their experience!
The church follows a belief called Elevationism. Elevationists claim that “their life stance is that an individual’s spiritual journey, and search for meaning, is one of self-discovery that can be accelerated and deepened with ritual cannabis use.”
The church is open for touring, but no cannabis use is allowed other than at services.
You can experience what’s known as the BEYOND tour, where you will be treated to a laser, light, and sound show. Again, there is no cannabis use allowed during the BEYOND tour, and you must come to the church during services to use cannabis.
Anyone can come to the church, and unlike most religions, there aren’t any central beliefs other than cannabis is a sacrament and a way to reach whatever version of Heaven your religion believes in. In other words, you don’t have to convert to consume here.
To all those eager to visit this establishment, The International Church of Cannabis is open to the public Friday from 1–3 pm, and Saturday & Sunday from 12–5 pm. There is no consumption allowed during these hours, but you may go and tour the breathtaking property, and take as many pictures as you like. Their property is indeed breathtaking with a multitude of colors and mesmerizing patterns everywhere.
The Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, Golden, Colorado
Buffalo Bill was more than a Western P.T. Barnum.
Did you know that Buffalo Bill was a Congressional Medal of Honor winner? Yep, he sure was.
How about his belief in women’s and Native American rights? He was an early supporter.
Yeah, you already knew that he was a famous buffalo hunter.
During the late 19th century, all things American West were the rage. This was true all over the world, and Europeans were particularly fascinated by the idea of cowboys dueling in the streets or fighting fearsome Native Americans.
To bring the West to the world’s masses, Cody built his traveling show. Cody and show traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe.
He showcased shooting performances by Annie Oakley, the renowned female marksman. Remember, these were the days when women were expected to drop a busload of kids, and not able to outshoot just about any guy.
Cody’s show also allowed people to see Native Americans up close, and while this might seem like Cody was exploiting them, this wasn’t true. Native Americans were treated with respect, and Cody pushed for their equal rights.
When Cody died in 1917, it would be comparable to Brad Pitt dying today. He was a huge celebrity, and Wyoming and Colorado fought tooth and nail to have the right to bury him in their soil.
Cody’s body was kept in cold storage at a Denver mortuary for 6 months while the battle over his final resting place was fought.
Colorado (obviously) won the battle, and Cody was buried at the top of Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado near the museum.
Over the years, rumors abounded that Cody’s body had been stolen and buried in Wyoming. To prevent this from actually happening, Cody and his wife were eventually buried under concrete to foil any potential grave robbers.
Saddle up and visit Buffalo Bill. He was much more than a simple showman…
Hawaii
Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii
Iolani Palace holds the distinction of being the only royal residence in the US.
Before Hawaii was overthrown by a group of non-native Hawaiians in 1893, it was a kingdom in its own right.
Hawaii had been ruled by a monarchy for centuries. The monarchy’s seat of power was located where the current palace stands. However, the current palace wasn’t built until 1882 when King Kalakaua decided to show the world that Hawaii was a modern society.
King Kalakaua was a forward-looking king who wanted to modernize Hawaii. He traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe, and gleaned ideas to bring back to Hawaii.
While traveling in Europe, King Kalakaua was fascinated by the styles of architecture he had seen, so upon his return to Hawaii, he commissioned the new Iolani Palace. He decided that an Italianate style of architecture was most to his taste, so Iolani Place was built to incorporate those styles that best represented both Italian and Hawaiian design.
King Kalakaua had less than 10 years to enjoy his new palace, as he died in 1891.
His sister, Queen Liliuokalani ascended the throne but was overthrown 2 years later in 1893. Her government was overthrown by wealthy planters with the aid of the US government. The US wanted to take Hawaii, and this was the perfect opportunity.
Queen Liliuokalani was down but not out. She attempted a revolt to restore herself to power, but that was quickly squashed, and she ended up on trial in the palace.
She ended up as a prisoner in a gilded cage, and she was placed on house arrest for 9 months within Iolani Palace.
The State of Hawaii renovated ad opened Iolani Palace as a museum in 1978, and they attempted to bring back the atmosphere of Queen Liliuokalani’s day by locating items that had been part of the Palace’s collection.
Nisshodo Candy Store, Honolulu, Hawaii
I’ve traveled throughout Asia, and I can remember seeing all the odd flavored candy and ice cream available at their stores.
The idea of bean paste candy or ice cream just didn’t compute to me.
That is, until I tried them.
I guess it’s the same as my enjoyment of coffee-infused craft beer. Who was the nutcase that came up with that combination? I never understood it until I tried my first glass.
Whoever decided to spill some coffee into that first batch of beer has my undying devotion!
Nisshodo is one of the oldest Japanese candy stores in the United States. It opened in the 1920s, thanks to the influx of Japanese laborers who traveled to Hawaii to work in the sugar industry.
Astaro Hirao was the founder of the Nisshodo Candy Store, and he learned his craft in his hometown of Hiroshima. Yes, that Hiroshima. Of course, Hirao immigrated to Hawaii in the early 1900s, so it was long before the War.
Hirao wanted to bring great Japanese flavors, but he cleverly fused local ingredients with the traditional recipes to create unique candies.
The shop is known for their Chichi Dango, a traditional Japanese candy made of sweet rice flour that will melt in your mouth. Another favorite is their Mochi and Manju, which are rice-flour pastries filled with sweet bean flavor. They claim it’s a healthy alternative to candy. I just think it’s delicious.
If you are wandering the streets of Honolulu and in desperate need of a snack, stop in. Be a little adventurous and try some of their treats.
You may surprise yourself!
Big Island Lava Flow, Pāhoa, Hawaii
(Do your own research before arriving or when you get here. Volcanic eruptions don’t keep to time schedules)
If Hawaii is famous for one thing, it’s gotta be volcanoes.
Hawaii is a relatively young land mass, as it is still in creation mode. The chain of islands known as Hawaii rides over a hotspot in the crust of the Earth where molten magma (lava when its underground) can escape through vents and create volcanoes.
This is why Hawaii has a high rate of volcanism. It’s literally sitting over a portal to a magma chamber.
In Hawaii, it’s a touristy thing to do to visit a volcano that is erupting or simply outflowing lava.
As the lava makes its way to the sea, it doesn’t care what’s in its way. It’s quite common for roads and homes to be overrun and buried under red-hot liquid rock. Whole communities are wiped out, and luckily, the lava doesn’t move too fast, or there would be many deaths.
Once the lava hits the sea, it hardens and creates new land. In the past, clever residents of destroyed seaside properties tried to claim this new land as their own, but the State of Hawaii lays claim to any new land built up by the lava flows.
Residents still own their overflowed land, but that’s it. They must rebuild on top of the hardened flow. Nice try, landowners!
And of course, you’re just dying to check out a lava flow! I know I am…
You can find tours once you reach the island. The difficult part of giving specific info here in this article is that these volcanoes aren’t Ol’ Faithful. You’ll just have to check once you arrive or shortly before you get there.
Nevada
KISS by Monster Mini Golf, Las Vegas, Nevada
Are you a proud member of the KISS Army? If so, I’ve got the place for you!
Las Vegas (because, of course) has a miniature golf paradise for KISS fans. And I’m not talking about one or two holes worth of KISS-related obstacles.
No, Sir. You’re going to playing on an entire course dedicated to America’s favorite three chord band.
How about blacklights? Check.
Live DJ playing your favorite KISS hits? Check.
KISS music videos? Check.
Is it true that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley personally attended the grand opening and approved it all? Hell yeah!
There’s lots to do in Vegas, and Vegas has definitely become more family friendly over the past few decades.
If you love KISS and would love the experience of showing off your lousy short game putting skills while surrounded by all kinds of eat KISS memorabilia, come on down.
BTW, your kids will love it too.
But let’s be honest, you’re going to go there for yourself. You selfish @#!$%@#!
Sedan Crater, Nye County, Nevada
Phone number: (702) 295-0944
After World War II, Nevada was a literal hotbed of nuclear weapons testing.
In fact, tourists visiting Las Vegas in the 1950s could have the treat of watching the mushroom clouds on the horizon from the safety of downtown Vegas.
While we generally think of nuclear power in the context of weapons and energy production, both the US and the former Soviet Union applied nuclear energy to other purposes.
One such purpose was mining.
Both nations experimented with low yield nuclear charges to see how effective they could be when it comes to going after precious minerals or petroleum.
And as you can imagine, both nations ended up irradiating their own populations with the radioactive soil that was cast into the wind. It’s not like they didn’t have the examples of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to show them what might happen when you fill the air with irradiated dust.
The Sedan Crater in Nye County, Nevada is the result of the US quest to see just what a good ‘ol nuke could do when placed deep underground.
Operation Plowshare was a program that would explore peaceful uses of our new (late 1940s) ability to harness the atom.
In 1962, scientists dug a shaft 600 feet below ground surface. At the bottom of that hole they placed a 104 kiloton nuke. In comparison, the bomb dropped at Hiroshima was 15 kilotons.
When that bad boy blew, it raised a dome of irradiated soil at least 300 feet in the air. Cool, right?
Nah. Scientists estimated that more than 12 million tons of dirt entered the atmosphere and took a ride on the winds and across quite a bit of the US.
It was decided that using nukes to blast away rock wasn’t safe or worth the effects.
So, this bomb shot has the unhappy distinction of the one that irradiated more Americans than any other test.
Nowadays, it’s safe for you to visit. But you can’t just ride your quad across the desert to check it out. It’s on restricted Federal land.
If you want to tour, call (702) 295-0944.
Tours originate from the Atomic Testing Museum at 755 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV.
Maybe you’ll pick up that sweet glow you’ve always wanted…
Dig This, Las Vegas, Nevada
(www.digthisvegas.com)
Have you ever watched heavy equipment operators at a construction site and felt a twinge of envy?
I mean, operating one of those bulldozers, backhoes, graders, or cranes must be more fun than your job as a thripthwacker grease gasket installer (you’re a specialist) at the local cotton candy machine factory, right?
It’s time to show those catcalling hardhats that you can rock the joystick! Outta my way, union boy!
You need to spend the day at Dig This in sunny Las Vegas.
On this 5 acre site, you’ll receive a class on how to move these machines and get them to do your bidding. Ever done a wheelie on a Caterpillar D5? So, you don’t even know what that is?
Rookie. It’s a bulldozer.
After you’re done with all that silly safety nonsense, they unleash you onto the course.
Once on the course you get to spend a few hours digging and filling holes, moving stuff, and doing cool tricks like picking up basketballs that have been placed on top of traffic cones.
The facility is just outside of downtown, so if you fat finger it, you won’t run anyone down.
Grab your lunch pail and head over. At the very least, you can get some cool selfies so the boys in Accounting will cry tears of envy.
You’ll finally get some respect.
Pencilneck.
Utah
The Pioneer Memorial Museum, Salt Lake City, Utah
The Mormon Church started clear across the country from Utah, in upstate New York.
As the Church developed, it slowly moved toward the West with a stop in the Midwest.
Some folks in the Midwest rejected the Mormons, and the Mormons to get back on the road once more.
The trek to Salt Lake City was not an easy one. Not in any sense.
The early Mormon pioneers faced all the difficulties you can imagine might befall any traveler making the land crossing over the frontier of mid-19th century America. And because they were members of a new religion, they faced additional threats from those who felt they were tinkering around with Christianity.
The Pioneer Memorial Museum is dedicated to preserving those artifacts that show life on the trail for these early religious pioneers who were searching for a place to worship as they saw fit.
In fact, the museum claims to be the world’s largest single subject museum. It’s simply all about this dangerous journey to their spiritual center of Salt Lake City.
You’ll see the day to day objects that would have been used on a journey across the frontier.
Work tools, farming implements, clothing, weapons, and other objects have been carefully preserved to show how these early pioneers literally hacked their way across a young America.
There are some weird objects that you’ll see such as hair art, a jar full of teeth, and a stone that early Mormon leader Brigham Young thought had certain powers.
The Pioneer Memorial Museum reminds us that back in the day they couldn’t just hop in their cars and hit I-40 for a quick trip across country. It was a deadly undertaking, and many people never survived those trips.
Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, Spanish Fork, Utah
In most people’s minds, Utah and Mormonism is tightly bound. And that thought is quite correct.
It’s hard to imagine other religions here because Mormonism is so dominant.
At least that’s what most outsiders think.
In fact, Mormonism is very tolerant, and the proof is in this destination.
At first glance, it wouldn’t seem likely that a Hindu would be attracted to a place like Utah because Mormonism is so dominant.
But the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple is thriving here in the Beehive State. And Hindu devotees are flocking here.
Charu Das first visited Utah in 1975 as a textbook salesman making a sales call to BYU. Like so many people, he was struck by the magnificent scenery of rural Utah, and he decided to move back and establish a sanctuary for Utahan Hindus.
In 1998, the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple was built in Spanish Fork. As a nod to traditional Hindu architecture found in India, the temple was built using the same design elements as an Indian might find back home in India when visiting a local temple.
The temple and grounds are open to all, especially during the Holi festival.
Chances are you’ve seen the Holi festival on social media, as it’s famous for its Festival of Color, where devotees throw colored powder on each other. It looks like a seriously fun time!
Schedule your trip for the Holi Festival and add your rainbow-colored human pics to Facebook and Instagram!
CCC & POW Camp, Salina, Utah
Email Address: tamilolsen@gmail.com
Street Address: 700 E Main Salina, UT 84654
World War II was the most violent war ever fought by humankind.
Acts of savagery were committed by all sides in this war, as in all wars. Of course, World War II was the most murderous, because it was truly a war fought on an industrial scale with weapons that couldn’t be imagined 50 years earlier.
Sometimes, the savagery doesn’t cease simply because peace is declared.
During the War, the Allies also took prisoners or war (POW) and brought them to the continental United States. These prisoners tended to be those not captured in Europe, but in theaters away from the European continent.
Submariners and sailors captured on the high seas were common prisoners brought to the US. It was just easier to keep them here in some cases. Plus, the US wanted to interrogate some of these highly trained soldiers in a setting removed from the fronts.
In the case of the Salina camp, there were about 250 German POWs who had been captured in North Africa.
The Salina camp started life as a Civilian Conservation Corps facility that sought to provide paying jobs during the Great Depression. Once the war started in 1941, the US government decided to draft unemployed youth for military service, and the camps ended operation.
As the war dragged on, the empty camps were converted into POW facilities.
In many if these facilities, POWs were used to supply labor for local businesses. The POW would work all day and return to the camps at night. There wasn’t any incentive to escape, as many of these soldiers and sailors had no desire to run back to a war that they knew Germany was losing.
Better to stay in the US and work peacefully and not die violently.
Unless you were a German prisoner in the camp on the evening of July 8, 1945.
A US Army soldier named Clarence Bertucci held a deep hatred for Germans. The Army had several serious legal run-ins with Bertucci, and he already had two court martials under his belt. He would never be allowed to continue serving in today’s modern US military. But wars require warm bodies, so Bertucci was never kicked out.
After midnight on July 8, 1945, Bertucci assumed his post as a tower guard in the Salina camp. He had been heard to say that he wanted to kill Germans, and he would make himself an opportunity to do so. Again, no one took him seriously.
He loaded a belt of ammunition into the largely symbolic machine gun in the guard tower and sprayed 30 of the 43 tents of sleeping soldiers. Remember, these prisoners had zero desire to resist or escape.
6 Germans were killed outright, and 3 more died at the hospital.
Bertucci surrendered and was arrested by military authorities. A military officer was appointed to determine whether Bertucci was sane and able to stand trial. The problem was that this officer was not a mental health professional, and his opinion became a point of controversy. Eventually a military court found Bertucci insane, and he was sent to a mental hospital on Long Island, NY for treatment/incarceration.
Because the US dropped the atomic bombs a few weeks after the incident, the massacre fell out of public consciousness.
Bertucci ended up dying in 1969.
The museum isn’t open year round, so it’s best to contact them by email or phone.
You can see items from the camp’s operation as both a CCC and POW camp.
The email address is tamilolsen@gmail.com
Their phone number is (435) 529-7304
The Takeaway
So, there you have it.
As promised, we’ve given you food for thought for some cool and funky sites around the West. 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.