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Favorite roadside stops/attractions

Started by OCGuy81, May 14, 2012, 10:59:49 AM

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cpzilliacus

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 11, 2012, 09:48:27 AM
Quote from: kphoger on September 11, 2012, 09:28:37 AM

I had painful dry heaves south of the border once.  Shouldn't have trusted the roadside salsa from the bus stop in Villa Ahumada.  But that's beside the point.

I have never had bad food in Mexico.  probably happens, but I've come out okay so far.

I have had superb food in Baja California, and even in Tijuana (better some distance away from Avenida Revolución), though this was quite a few years before the drug cartel wars got going.

Years ago, my Dad did make the mistake of drinking the water someplace in Baja California, and he got a bad case of Montezuma's Revenge.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.


kphoger

I've had painful poos and heaves from good old U.S. chain restaurants, so there's that.  On a parallel note, I'm getting more sensitive to grease as I get older; recently, in fact, I had a week or two of moderate esophageal reflux.

Greasy spoons are some of my favorite spots, though.  One of my favorite greasy spoons is the Deluxe Grill at Mannheim and Lake in Stone Park, Illinois.  It's not exactly in the best neighborhood (after dark), but it's not in the worst either.  Fairly accessible from both the Tri-state and the Eisenhower.  It's a classic, and it's been around for ages.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

formulanone

#77
Quote from: Road Hog on September 03, 2012, 05:41:27 AM
Has anyone driving south of Nashville actually ever seen Rock City?

Surely I can't be the only one here that's been to Rock City? Kind of pointless, but living in Florida, I don't get to play around mountains and big rocks much, so it was worth the trip (although, from Alabama). Also checked out Ruby Falls, which is a little more kitschy by comparison. Going early helps, too. The tour isn't interrupted by other groups as often, due to some very narrow passageways.

Coral Castle outside Homestead, Florida is a bit of a disappointment.

We stopped by South of the Border back in mid-2010. It's a little worn, but considering its longevity, that should come as no surprise. We stopped for a bathroom break, and I bought a gag item in the gift shop. We weren't hungry, so we moved on. I think a lot of standards set by chain restaurants has probably changed the ideals of many a middle-class American, and a lot of these types of places aren't as ideal as they might have once been.

kphoger

Quote from: kphoger on September 11, 2012, 11:37:21 AM
Deluxe Grill
Apparently I had already mentioned this one upthread.  Dang it!

Has anybody else stopped at Carhenge in Nebraska's panhandle?
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Scott5114

Quote from: kphoger on September 11, 2012, 05:10:19 PM
Quote from: kphoger on September 11, 2012, 11:37:21 AM
Deluxe Grill
Apparently I had already mentioned this one upthread.  Dang it!

Has anybody else stopped at Carhenge in Nebraska's panhandle?

How does it compare to Route 66's Cadillac Ranch?
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

kphoger

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 11, 2012, 05:20:27 PM
Quote from: kphoger on September 11, 2012, 05:10:19 PM
Has anybody else stopped at Carhenge in Nebraska's panhandle?

How does it compare to Route 66's Cadillac Ranch?

Here's an online photo gallery:
http://www.pbase.com/dlgphoto/carhenge_2007
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

hbelkins

Quote from: kphoger on September 11, 2012, 11:37:21 AM
I've had painful poos and heaves from good old U.S. chain restaurants, so there's that.

Cue someone quoting the Bathroom Bandit in 3, 2, 1...


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

OCGuy81

Forgot about a really touristy (and expensive) roadside attraction.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA.  It's one of those things where you go to it once, and you're good.  Kind of cool, seeing stairs that don't go anywhere, rooms added on that don't look the least bit structurally sound, a seance room, etc.

But it's expensive for what's basically a tourist trap.

myosh_tino

Quote from: OCGuy81 on September 21, 2012, 10:33:49 AM
Forgot about a really touristy (and expensive) roadside attraction.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA.  It's one of those things where you go to it once, and you're good.  Kind of cool, seeing stairs that don't go anywhere, rooms added on that don't look the least bit structurally sound, a seance room, etc.

But it's expensive for what's basically a tourist trap.
Heh, I've lived in the San Jose area for my entire life and I have never been to the Winchester Mystery House!  :-D
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

kkt

Quote from: OCGuy81 on September 21, 2012, 10:33:49 AM
Forgot about a really touristy (and expensive) roadside attraction.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA.  It's one of those things where you go to it once, and you're good.  Kind of cool, seeing stairs that don't go anywhere, rooms added on that don't look the least bit structurally sound, a seance room, etc.

But it's expensive for what's basically a tourist trap.

It's worth seeing once.  There's architectural interest in the finished rooms, as well as in the floorplan that includes stairs to nowhere, etc.  To me, it's only a tourist trap if it's not worth seeing even once.  :-D

msubulldog

Buc-ees (specifically the one in Luling,TX, off I-10)
The original Varsity in Atlanta
Quik-Trips in Georgia
Last but not least--a Clemson,SC,establishment almost always mentioned whenever Clemson's football games are on TV. I may be the only person who likes the Esso part better than the Club part.  :sombrero:
"But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."
Matt 7:14, NLT

InterstateNG

Quote from: Scott5114 on May 16, 2012, 12:12:08 PM
The "Worlds Largest McDonalds" in Vinita, OK is neat but I avoid it because I've found that it has terrible service. When going that way I tend to either eat in Tulsa or Joplin.

And terrible food, even by McDonald's standards.
I demand an apology.

NYYPhil777

Quote from: msubulldog on September 21, 2012, 07:59:21 PM
Buc-ees (specifically the one in Luling,TX, off I-10)
The original Varsity in Atlanta
Quik-Trips in Georgia
Last but not least--a Clemson,SC,establishment almost always mentioned whenever Clemson's football games are on TV. I may be the only person who likes the Esso part better than the Club part.  :sombrero:
Good choice on the Varsity! I suggest (from personal experience) that the service you get will be much more friendlier if you use their jargon for ordering, and in quick fashion.
Sadly, QuikTrips in Georgia are fading away (but slowly). QuikTrip is big around St. Louis and it is headquartered in OKC. 
(from Blazing Saddles)
Jim: Where you headed, cowboy?
Bart: Nowhere special.
Jim: Nowhere special? I always wanted to go there.
Bart: Come on.

-NYYPhil777

DTComposer

Quote from: myosh_tino on September 05, 2012, 12:08:37 PM
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 03, 2012, 05:13:19 AM
I Googled the Nut Tree, yes, it's still there. Unfortunately, it's more of a strip mall than a roadside attraction. At least that what it looked like in my opinion.
It's "still there" but in name only.  All of the rides, attractions and shops were torn down in the mid-90's only to be replaced with a large shopping center about a decade later.

Edit: the airport is still there and I believe it's still called the Vacaville-Nut Tree Airport.
We used to stop at the Nut Tree on trips between Sacramento and Oakland...rode the train, ate the mini-burgers in the restaurant...their book store/gift shop had a great collection of aviation books and posters.

Quote from: kkt on September 21, 2012, 02:45:21 PM
Quote from: OCGuy81 on September 21, 2012, 10:33:49 AM
Forgot about a really touristy (and expensive) roadside attraction.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA.  It's one of those things where you go to it once, and you're good.  Kind of cool, seeing stairs that don't go anywhere, rooms added on that don't look the least bit structurally sound, a seance room, etc.

But it's expensive for what's basically a tourist trap.

It's worth seeing once.  There's architectural interest in the finished rooms, as well as in the floorplan that includes stairs to nowhere, etc.  To me, it's only a tourist trap if it's not worth seeing even once.  :-D

I hadn't been there in probably 30 years, but went again on my last trip there...overpriced, but some really interesting Victorian craftsmanship in addition to the weird factor. It's making something of a comeback now with all the "ghost hunter"-type shows.

On my way home on that trip I stopped at the Casa de Fruta on CA-152 outside of Gilroy. They used to have the "World Famous" Cup Flipper...as they added services and attractions everything had "Casa de" as the title...Casa de Restaurant, Casa de Wine, Casa de Choo Choo, etc.

empirestate

I love to stop at Bingham's Restaurant in Lenox, PA just off I-81. It's halfway between NYC and Rochester, a trip I used to make pretty often, and sometimes still do. But for several years I had no real occasion to make that trip, and during that hiatus the place was burned to the ground, rebuilt and reopened, such that on my most recent visit, it had been so long that I didn't even notice at first that it was a whole new building!

But anyway, it's just a great down-home family restaurant vibe, and famous for its homemade pies.

D-Dey65

Earlier, I mentioned that barbecue shack along I-95 & US 301 south of the Davis Travel Center in Virginia that I've been curious about for years. But Davis Travel Center itself has always been a place I liked.

http://www.dtc33.com/

It may be just a glorified convenience store for truck driver and other long distance travelers, but that's okay with me. I went up and down the coast with my mother this September and I got sick from one of my younger relatives, and I wanted to get a home remedy from there(Andy Capp's Hot Fries; Good for bad sinuses). My mom didn't even remember how to get to the place, let alone the name of it, but I did.

http://www.dtc33.com/102A.HTML

:biggrin:





Takumi

There are also a couple of original (1981) state-name I-95 shields at the intersection of SR 602 (the road that you use to access the DTC) and US 301.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

D-Dey65

Quote from: Special K on September 10, 2012, 10:52:31 AM
The Depot is indeed the old RR depot.  Mitchell used to have a fairly important yard, complete with turntable and roundhouse, if you're into the RR stuff.
Don't tempt me.
:poke:  :D


A little update regarding "South of the Border," on my recent drive up and down the coast, they tore down a lot of the old motel on the North Carolina side.


cpzilliacus

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

#94
Another good choice is the Cozy Restaurant in Thurmont, Maryland, off of U.S. 15 (Catoctin Mountain Highway) between Frederick and Gettysburg, Penna.  Decent down-home food with a touch of quirkiness.

Thurmont is located "down the mountain" from Camp David, and supposedly some of the folks that have various types of employment associated with that facility come to the Cozy, though I don't know if that is accurate or not.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

Landshark

Quote from: Landshark on September 03, 2012, 01:03:59 AM
Some of my favorites are:

Country Cousin restaurant off of I-5 in Centralia, WA.  Huge cinnamon rolls.  Used to stop there on every road trip to California.  Before all of those factory outlets came in next door, it was a significant landmark along I-5. 


I was there on Saturday for the first time in over a decade.  The place is still amazing.  Best chicken fried steak I have had in a long time.   The chicken fried steak, potatoes, biscuit, and apple butter were all made from scratch.   Best breakfast stop between Seattle and Portland that I am aware of. 

OCGuy81

Last trip up to Oregon, we stopped at the Olive Pit in Corning, CA.  Not a bad place to stop at.  About a block from the freeway, lots of great varieties of olives if you like em (got some blue cheese and jalapeno stuffed kind), olive oils, and a cafe that makes pretty decent sandwiches. 



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