Explore with Roadside America

TravelRoad TripUSA

Jan 1

“The Adventures of Deanna & Todd” 50 State Photo Map from Thunder Bunny Labs

On New Year’s Day in 2019, Todd and I embarked on the ultimate road trip adventure… We left our old hometown in Northern California, headed for our new hometown in Indiana. While spending our last night with family, my brother-in-law introduced us to the Roadside America app. After all, looking ahead to a multi-day, nearly 3,000 mile road trip, we were bound to want some distraction.

Little did we know at that time, we would refer to the app for years to come, anytime we went somewhere new, and recommend it to friends when talk of their road trips came up. According to the app’s developers, you can “discover unusual and funny places along the highway,” including:

“World’s Largest” and smallest sights
Strange museums, graves, statues, Muffler Men
Bizarre architecture, obscure history
Route 66 sights, tourist traps, odd theme parks
Mystery spots, gravity hills, caves, unnatural wonders

We made more than 30 stops along our way, indeed discovering all of the above and more. Sooooo…
Let’s take a drive!

[Locations designated in blue below are Roadside America stops we visited… Our “been there” list.]

January 1: Just like Lucy and Ethel, we just needed a each other, a full tank of gas - oh, and some snacks! - and we were off. Since it was winter, we decided to take the southern route across the U.S. Our first stop was for lunch at the iconic road trip rest stop, Pea Soup Andersen’s (Santa Nella, CA).

January 2: Day two had us heading through Southern California’s Mojave Desert and into Arizona along Interstate 40. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere is Pisgah Crater (Newberry Springs, CA), an extinct volcano. We tried to stop and check it out, but hit a (literal) road block after driving down a rough dirt road. We can say we’ve “been there,” but it was from a distance, so it turned into a “stretch our legs and let the boys pee” break (did I mention we were traveling with our two cats who were less than thrilled with the idea of a road trip and the need to be on leashes when we stopped?!).

Next up, crossing the Colorado River into Arizona, then the Golf Ball House (Yucca, AZ), followed by a stop in Kingman, AZ, to make friends with the Sit-on-Me Chuckwalla and run with a rabbit. We also had our first Route 66 sightings.

January 3: What trip to Arizona would be complete without a stop at the Grand Canyon? I’ve been close twice before but had yet to see the Grand Canyon in person. So, even though it wasn’t technically “on the way,” third time was the charm and I’m SO GLAD we made the detour to get there. Grand Canyon National Park in winter was stunning! There were several lookout points, as well as a path leading from the south rim of the canyon to Grand Canyon Village where we had lunch.

Then, in true random road trip fashion, we made a quick stop at Bedrock City and Raptor Ranch (Williams, AZ) to say hi to Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble before getting back on track. I think it’s safe to say that I had more fun reliving memories from my childhood than Todd did. Haha!

January 4: First stop of the day was Standin’ on a Corner in Winslow, Arizona. Eagles fans will remember it from the song Take it Easy, “Well, I’m standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see…” We took a walk on Route 66 and grabbed a latte at the corner diner before getting back on the road.

In all today, we drove by and witnessed seven random icons from Roadside America, including the Twin Arrows ruins (Twin Arrows, AZ), the official ”Here it is” sign at Jackrabbit Trading Post (Joseph City, AZ), and the quirky woman-eating dinosaur. On a more somber note, we visited the 9-11 Remembrance Garden in Winslow.

The scenery was snow-covered desert all the way - very pretty, but road trip rough with temperatures hovering in the teens and 20s, freezing all the water pipes and closing all the restrooms!

January 5: Three states, 500 miles and ten random attractions later...

We visited Dot’s Mini Museum and Cowboy Boot Tree (Vegas, TX)
We left our mark at Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, TX). Don’t forget to bring a can of spray paint to add your own personal touch.
I “held hands” with the 2nd Amendment Muffler Man (Amarillo, TX)
We had an amazing lunch at the Big Texan Steak Ranch and saw the Swimming Pool Shaped Like Texas (Amarillo, TX)
Then stopped in at the Stoner Patriot Peace Garden (Amarillo, TX) and Slug Bug Ranch (a VW knockoff of the iconic Cadillac Ranch in Conway, TX)
In Oklahoma, we saw the Indian Muffler Man (Calumet, OK) and a giant Indian statue at the Cherokee Trading Post (Calmet, OK).

January 6: Today we travelled two long legs totaling 452 miles across two (umm, three!) states and we managed to find six quirky Americana stops along our way.

We drove under what used to be the World’s Largest McDonald’s (straddling the highway) and we took a short detour to Afton, OK, looking for a giant penguin. Afton turned out to be a very depressed little town and the penguin was locked inside the closed Afton Station, but our quest brightened the day of the gas station attendant next door which made it completely worthwhile. She thought we were a little crazy when we said we were looking for a penguin, then she broke out in the biggest smile when we showed her the picture and she remembered the quirky little creature. Roadside America app for the win, spreading joy!

Crossing from Oklahoma into Missouri, we stopped in Quapaw, OK, to Stand on Three States (Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri).

On a Sunday… in January… Branson, Missouri, was a virtual ghost town. It was cold and most businesses were closed, but we did find a great little diner for lunch and we took a walk along the main street through town (W 76 Country Blvd.) where we saw the World’s Largest Rooster, a Giant Meatball and Fork, and a Hollywood tribute to Mt. Rushmore outside the Hollywood Wax Museum.

January 7: By day seven, we were a couple of weary travelers, but we still made time for one last iconic stop - St. Louis, Missouri.

We stopped at Graffiti Wall and we got our first close-up look at the Mississippi River. Graffiti Wall is a mile-long piece of beautiful city artwork - colorful, expressive and a unique artistic welcome into the city after days of traveling through small towns.

We took a walk through Citygarden Sculpture Park where we found some quirky and some beautiful things, including:

an Empty Suit
a Hollow Head
and a 10-foot tall Pinocchio

Leaving Citygarden, walking toward the Mississippi River, we got our first glimpse of the amazing Gateway Arch (not a Roadside America destination, but so cool and worth a stop!). We walked through the Gateway Arch National Park and read about the city’s history, then headed back downtown to Busch Stadium where we wandered around Ballpark Village and found the Announcer Jack Buck Monument.

January 8: WE MADE IT! After seven days, driving 2,801 miles, and more than 30 stops to see random bits of Americana with the Roadside America app, we are “home” in Indiana. Making a move this big was scary and a lot of change was on the horizon, but taking some time to wander across the U.S. was an incredible experience.

One of my bucket list items is to visit all 50 United States. In one week, we checked off eight! Along the way, we learned some history, visited a couple must-see destinations, and laughed at just how random and quirky the world can be. Thanks for tagging along…

Helpful links:

Order your own 50 State Photo Map from
Thunder Bunny Labs

Subscribe to Roadside America and start finding fun stops along your wandering adventures

Been there:

Pea Soup Andersen’s

Pisgah Crater

Golf Ball House

Truck on a Pole

Sit-on-Me Chuckwalla

Grand Canyon

Bedrock City and
Raptor Ranch

Twin Arrows Trading Post - Ruins