Landmarks
Off the Beaten Track
May 29th
Our recent road trip from Chicago to Portland, Ore., involved the usual preparations: map out the route, make motel reservations, rent the truck, pick up some essential goodies and stock the cooler. Daughter Jenny felt it was also important that our trip include a few minor side trips to visit some unique if not downright odd roadside attractions, if for no other reason than to break up the drive and provide conversational (and blog) fodder for the long, dull stretches of the interstate. So she did her research and came up with several candidates, from which we winnowed the choices down to just one or two a day. I wasn’t terribly interested in roaming too far off our westerly route and eating up too many of our daylight driving hours aimlessly meandering unmarked backroads.
While certainly there are numerous historical sites, museums and natural wonders all across the country, Jenny sought the advice of RoadsideAmerica.com (“Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions”) to satisfy her desire to check out the more obscure and unsung attractions (and I’m using that term loosely) along our route. Even taking into account that we were traveling midweek before the summer travel season got underway, these places were quite deserted, and we were generally the only visitors in sight. Most were, as my dad likes to say, surrounded by miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles. But I would not say I regretted any of our little detours; it was actually nice to get away from the roar and rush of the interstate and sink into the landscape for a bit.
Our first stop came on the first day of our trip as we ventured out of Chicago, across Illinois and into Iowa. We were looking for “The tree in the middle of the road.” Following the directions from the website and some cautionary words about rutted roads, we trekked several miles down gravel county section roads until we came upon our goal. An immense, 100-plus-year-old cottonwood tree rooted at the intersection of two roads loomed up before us. Its deep green leaves rustled and shimmered in a soft breeze against a beautiful deep-blue sky. We just stood and looked up into the web of branches, breathing in the scent of growing things and listening to the songs of meadowlarks and the peaceful calm of an early spring evening. After a hectic day of packing and then maneuvering an unfamiliar, bulky vehicle through traffic, those moments of stillness were a blessed balm to our spirits. Now that was a roadside (or, literally, in-the-road) attraction I could really appreciate.
Our second day was a long, soggy slog through a very rainy Nebraska, and we limited our explorations to an authentic (and rather tired-looking) tourist trap (complete with a large metal contraption identified as such hanging from an exterior wall) in North Platte just off I-80. This was Ft. Cody, honoring “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who owned a ranch nearby, purchased from the earnings of his very popular Wild West Show. It is primarily a gift shop with a few historical displays and a corny stockade. You can view the stuffed remains of a two-headed calf and check out some authentic cowboy gear (saddle, chaps, guns and the like) and a few impressively heavy and warm buffalo coats. We enjoyed a few giggles over the more tacky aspects of the place — a nice, bright memory on a gloomy, wet day.
The following day found us hundreds of miles away and thousands of feet higher in elevation, standing on a blustery Wyoming plateau at about 6,000 feet gazing up at a 60-foot-tall, pink granite pyramid. The pyramid was built by the Union Pacific Railroad in the 1880s to memorialize the Ames brothers, who figured large in the history of the company — until their shady dealings led to their downfall. A rail line once passed nearby, but now the monument sits alone a few miles south of the interstate and the “town” of Buford (population 1), surrounded by sagebrush, prairie dogs, antelope and fantastical stone outcroppings. Sparse, fluffy white clouds in a chilly blue sky had replaced the previous day’s gloom, and far to the south we could see the bright, snow-covered peaks of the Rockies. Once again we breathed in the quiet and sense of vast space, reluctantly strolling back to the truck as the many miles we had yet to travel pulled us back to the highway.
If you should take a road trip this coming summer, give yourself the gift of a few unconventional stops along the way. You may find them to be the highlights of your journey!
– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader
An Icon Saved
Apr 30th
I may just be the only person who has ever visited Hollywood and missed the iconic Hollywood sign. Thanks to investors, including Hugh Hefner, the opportunity for me to someday catch a glimpse of the sign remains a reality.
When I was around 12, my parents, grandmother and I took a cross-country vacation. As an adolescent, I really could not have cared less about the national parks, geysers and buffalo. I remember really enjoying Mt. Rushmore and the Grand Canyon but being most excited about Hollywood — seeing the sign, wandering the Walk of Fame and visiting Universal Studios. Needless to say, I totally missed the sign as we drove through the area.
On my next trip to LA, with the Global Traveler staff, I still missed the sign, but I enjoyed hanging out the sunroof of a limo as we made our way down Hollywood Boulevard and comparing my hand size to those of the stars preserved in cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
The Hollywood sign is set in the Hollywood Hills area of Mount Lee. Each letter is 45 feet tall. It first went up in 1923 as an advertisement for a housing development but eventually was left up, becoming the icon it is today. The letters originally spelled out HOLLYWOODLAND, but the “land” was eventually dropped. Vandalism and the effects of weather eventually took its toll on the sign, which is now preserved and restored by the Hollywood Sign Trust.
Recently, investors were eager to develop the 138 acres. Outcry resulted in a worldwide fundraising campaign. Funds were about $900,000 short when it was announced Hugh Hefner had donated the money and the sign would be saved. Hefner also made a contribution in 1978 to help save the sign.
I had never really read up on the history of the sign before coming across this recent story, but now that I have, I must say it’s pretty interesting. The world has certainly pitched in many times to help save one of its most well-known landmarks.
– Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive
The Spot
Mar 30th
Every city I travel to, whether it is my favorite or not quite my cup of tea, I have “the spot” I have to go to, no matter how many times I’ve been before. Call it a habit or sense of familiarity that makes me feel not so far from home. I enjoy revisiting these places and love when I can add a new place to my list.
For example, when in London I have to take a photo of Big Ben for my dad. Growing up, we traveled to London frequently, and my father always had to stop and take a picture of Big Ben. When my brother and I were younger, we found it a bit annoying, seeing as how Big Ben doesn’t change much, but out of nostalgia now, it is a must.
Most recently, during a visit to Kuala Lumpur, I discovered a new spot that will be a must every time I’m passing through. It is the spa at the Ritz-Carlton. This spa is the epitome of an urban oasis. KL is one of those cities that never stops. It is always hot, and as a developing city there are always construction and lights. These are all reasons I love the city, but it can be hard to find some solace when in the center of the city for work. However, the Ritz-Carlton, located at the end of the popular Golden Triangle section of town, offers a slice of heaven.
The spa facilities are beautiful. From within the hotel you go to the fourth floor and go through an open-air walkway to the spa. It is a minimalist entrance, and the design of the rooms made me feel like I was on a jungle island surrounded by greenery and solitude. I didn’t even hear the sounds of the city.
Quite often my spots in different cities include coffee shops or certain boutique stores. It makes it more fun when the people start to remember me, even if it’s only from an annual visit. I guess as they said in the movie Up in the Air, it’s “glocal.” For my spots and me, it’s making my global community feel local!
– Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
