Maybe it’s this cold, wet winter weather we’ve had this season. Maybe it’s being tired of being cooped up in the house. Maybe it’s the fact that despite the infinite channels on TV, there’s nothing good to watch. Maybe I just can’t wait for Spring because I want to hit the road! Yep, that’s gotta be it. I’ve been diagnosed with more than a touch of cabin fever and it’s highly contagious. I got to thinking the other day about all the odd stuff you see out on the highway. You know, the World’s Biggest Strawberry, or The THING in Arizona that’s advertised for hundreds and hundreds of miles on I-10. Anyhow, I thought I list some of these goofy roadside attractions here in Texas and tell you a little bit about them.
Here in Texas, the most famous one we have of course is Cadillac Ranch up near Amarillo. It was put together back in 1974 with every year model Cadillac from 1949-1963, and was moved to it’s current location along I-40 from it’s original spot back in the late 90’s to keep it from being endangered by the growing outskirts of Amarillo.
Waxhawian/Flickr Creative Commons
Another oddity here in Texas is down closer to the border in Crystal City, TX county seat of Zavala County. Crystal City claims as it’s raison d’etre that it is the “Spinach Capitol Of The World”. They even host a spinach festival every year. So with all things spinach in town, what sort of giant statue do you think they’d have right there in front of the courthouse? Yep. A statue of legendary cartoon character Popeye!
And, heading back up to north Texas, Decatur TX to be exact, we have: duh duh DAAAH! The Petrified Wood Gas Station! It was built in 1927 with a cafe and several motor court style casitas. Legend has it that famous motor bandits Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow rented one of the cabins during there never-ending-til-they-were-shot run from the law. The cafe shut down in the 60’s the cabins in the 70’s and the station in the 80’s, but the cafe has since re-opened so stop on by! Stop on by PPL Motorhomes.com before you head out on the highway!