Roadside America

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Aliens in California, Giant Watermelon in Utah with Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck

Arriving in Baker, California we see the world’s tallest thermometer.

World’s tallest thermometer in Baker, California

This thermometer is 134 feet tall and was turned on October 9, 1992.     Our moms are still looking on Roadside America, so we will be seeing the unusual in Baker.   This is really unusual!

Fresh Alien Jerky

Aliens in the California desert?   Yes indeed.   Across from the thermometer we wander around Alien Fresh Jerky.

Alien Fresh Jerky

This sign also has a thermometer just under the pictures.   Temperatures in the desert are of interest to tourists.   We see aliens.

Aliens drive cars??

They are driving, here, in our desert?   Yes they are.   And here is the vehicle they drive.

Alien vehicle

Very futuristic, we ducks think.   Inside this store, we saw and sampled many types of jerky.   There are many varieties for humans to enjoy.   Also lots of other snacks and beverages, and a huge souvenir selection.   Alien t-shirts anyone?  There are plans to open a 3 story saucer shaped motel here also.   When it is completed, it will be advertised as “Gateway to Area 51.”   Area 51 is in Nevada, and regular people are not allowed there.   Rumors are plentiful of aliens in the area?   If humans aren’t allowed somewhere, they seem to have great imaginations for the reason.   We ducks won’t express our opinion, but if the area is ever open to the public, we will be there.   Humans like to eat, Roadside America had information on the Mad Greek Cafe, and here we are.

Mad Greek Cafe

Here is Hercules.

Inside Mad Greek Cafe

Inside, this restaurant looks like Greece.   Or so our moms say.   We ducks have not been to Greece, but our moms visited before we ducks were part of the family.   Outside is the hot desert, but inside we gaze at this cool looking harbor.

Great picture. A beautiful Greek harbor in the California desert.

There are Greek columns and statues in abundance here.

Statues inside Mad Greek Cafe

We really like this place, and the food was delicious and the prices were reasonable.   Next time we are here in the desert around Baker, California, we will enjoy another meal at the Mad Greek Cafe.   Baker is on Interstate 15, the main road from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Nevada.   Back on the highway, we soon enter Nevada.

Entering Nevada by Hoover Dam and Lake Mead

Right on the state border is Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. We will join those other humans and take a look.   When the Hoover Dam was built, it was the highest dam in the world.   Not now, though.   Lake Mead is the biggest reservoir in the United States.

Lake Mead is formed by Hoover Dam

This is what we saw from the walkway.   This dam provides electricity for Las Vegas, Nevada.   As you can guess, Las Vegas really needs a lot of electricity.   We drove through Las Vegas, but did not stop.   That will be a destination for another time.   Leaving Nevada, we drove through a small part of Arizona, and then to Utah.   In Green River, Utah, we stopped to see the world’s largest watermelon slice.

Largest watermelon slice. Green River, Utah

This watermelon slice was built in the 1950’s for Green River’s Watermelon Days Festival.   For protection, it is under a roof.   We ducks are learning to love Roadside America.   We stop to see so many things we would miss, if moms didn’t look at http://www.RoadsideAmerica.com   When you are driving, stop to see unusual things.   We think you will enjoy it as much as we do.

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Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck Visit Roadside Attractions Near Canon City, Colorado

I, Zeb the Duck and Soapy Smith Duck, with our moms and a friend, drove southwest about 100 miles from Denver.   Visiting friends in Canon City was our purpose, but we want you to see some of what we found along the highway.   This old prison was along the side of the road.

Prospect Heights Jail 1906

Rather small.   Compare to what we saw a few miles down the road.

Supermax Prison, Colorado

This photo from Wikipedia is a federal prison in Colorado.   Often referred to SuperMax, it is believed to have the highest security of any U.S. prison.   It houses our most dangerous male prisoners.   Next we saw this giant chair.

Large rocking chair

The sign said it is 21 feet tall, 14 feet wide and weighs 9,100 pounds.   In 1990, when it was built, it was the world’s largest rocking chair.   That record no longer belongs to this chair.   The historic Apple Shed has closed, so we could not get closer to the chair.

Large rocking chair

We had to look through a fence.  We then pulled off the road at Col. Leo S. Boston War Memorial Park.

Col Leo S. Boston War Memorial Park

There are Vietnam era helicopters and jets here.    We stopped to see the Penny Project.

Penny Project

The big steel letters were made by students in the Canon City High School metal shop.   Attached to the letters are pennies.   The letters spelling “IN GOD WE TRUST” are covered with 58,272 glued on pennies, one for each American killed in the war.   Most of these pennies were minted during 1965-1971, the war’s deadliest years.

Covered with 58,272 pennies

There are plans to expand this War Memorial Park.  Our next, and last stop, was to see Herkimer, the World’s Largest Beetle.

Herkimer, The World’s Largest Beetle

Herkimer was built in the mid 1950’s and is a monster sized West Indian Hercules Beetle.   Herkimer’s purpose is to advertise the May Museum of the Tropics.

May Museum of the Tropics

The May Museum contains many preserved unusual and rare insects.   As you drive the roads of the United States watch for unusual things.   We learn of most items from http://www.RoadsideAmerica.com   You may find this site interesting also.   Please tell us if you know of other interesting roadside art.