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Roadside Attractions

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From LesleyB, Featured Contributor
Posted on September 9, 2008

Things on the side of the road worth looking for.

For the most part, there's not much on the side of the road that really stands out. The occasional shoe, hair weave, patio furniture and lemonade stand aside, there's usually not too much that's man made to really capture your attention. Here are some exceptions

1. 1Roadside Kitsch

   Maybe I'm biased but I think that the United States does roadside kitsch better than any other country. Included in this category are random sculptures, balls of yarn, and restaurants shaped like the food they serve.

   This cow can be found wine tasting near Napa, CA
   There are lots of Paul Bunyon statues in the U.S. This particular one is in Klamath, CA.

2. 2Strategically placed discarded stuff

   When does something turn from trash that someone's dumped on the side of the road to something that's worthy or your attention? When placement or repetition makes it worth your time to notice the effort.

   You can find a certain road near Canberra, Australia that's lined with teddy bears in the trees. Nobody knows exactly how it started but people have noted the trend and keep it alive.
   This toilet appeared by the side the road in a 'no dumping' zone in England. There's nothing quite like good roadside toilet humor.

3. 3Memorials

   It's a pretty frequent occurrence to see small memorials to people who have lost their lives in car accidents, particularly on busy or dangerous roads. Every one gives people pause, and the best done ones are stunning.

   This memorializes eight runners who were killed in a head on collision with a drunk driver in Wyoming.
   This anonymous floral memorial is fairly typical in the Southwestern U.S., where there are long stretches of roads with lots of accidents.

4. 4Religious Statues

   No matter your religious views or affiliations, these very large and sometimes lifelike statues are interesting to look at. These two are from the U.S.

   The King of Kings statue at Solid Rock Church in Ohio is made out of styrofoam and wood.
   You can find this very realistic statue of Jesus roadside in Chimayo, Arizona.

5. 5Roadside stands and businesses

   No matter where you are in the world, locating your business roadside makes sense. There are some pretty interesting places to stop depending on where you might find yourself.

   Boiled peanuts and BLTs on the side of the road in Mississippi.
   This roadside barber cuts hair in India.

Read More:

• Roadside Attractions
• Car Commercials I Don't Get
• Cars in the News: Rev Your Engine

LesleyB is a featured contributor for vLane.