BGuthrie Photos: DC -- U.S. Botanic Garden -- Exhibit: Christmas (2017) -- Roadside Attractions

DC -- U.S. Botanic Garden -- Exhibit: Christmas (2017) -- Roadside Attractions:

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Description of Pictures: Season's Greenings: Roadside Attractions
November 23, 2017 - January 1, 2018
This year, take a trip across America as our annual holiday show Season's Greenings showcases Roadside Attractions! In our model train show, trains will chug around, below, through, and above plant-based recreations of iconic sights from across the United States. Explore classic attractions like Texas' Cadillac Ranch, Colorado's hot-dog-shaped Coney Island Hot Dog Stand, South Dakota's Corn Palace, New Jersey's Lucy the Elephant, and many more. View thousands of blooms throughout the Conservatory, including a showcase of heirloom and newly developed poinsettia varieties. Our collection of D.C. landmarks made from plant materials will return to fill the Garden Court, this year including a new addition--an inspired botanical version of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Join us as we celebrate the holidays and America's natural and cultural treasures.

ATTRACTION NAME -- STATE(S)
* Boll Weevil Monument -- Alabama
* Cadillac Ranch -- Texas
* Coffee Pot and Cup Water Towers -- Iowa
* Coney Island Hot Dog Stand -- Colorado
* Corn Palace -- South Dakota
* Dinosaur Park Dinosaurs -- South Dakota
* Earn of Corn Water Tower -- Minnesota
* Elwood, The World’s Tallest Concrete Gnome -- Iowa
* Golden Driller Statue -- Oklahoma
* Hollywood Sign -- California
* Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue -- Georgia
* Jolly Green Giant Statue -- Minnesota
* Leaning Tower of Niles -- Illinois
* Lucy the Elephant -- New Jersey
* Mr. Potato Head Statue -- Rhode Island
* Mt. Rushmore -- South Dakota
* Niagara Falls and Maid of the Mist Boat -- New York
* Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox -- Minnesota
* Peachoid Water Tower -- South Carolina, Alabama
* Pineapple Water Tower -- Hawaii
* Randy’s Donuts -- California
* Route 66 Diner -- New Mexico
* Santa Monica Pier -- California
* Sapp Bros. Coffee Pot Water Tower -- Nebraska
* See Rock City Barn -- Tennessee
* Spoonbridge and Cherry -- Minnesota
* Teapot Dome Gas Station -- Washington
* The Big Chair -- Washington, D.C.
* The Big Duck -- New York
* The Blue Whale -- Oklahoma
* Twistee Treat -- Florida, Texas, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois
* Volkswagen Beetle Spider -- Iowa, Alabama, California, Nevada, Idaho, Pennsylvania
* Watermelon Water Tower -- Texas
* Wawona Tree Tunneled Sequoia -- California
* “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” Sign -- Nevada
* Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower) -- Illinois
* World’s Largest Basket -- Ohio
* World’s Largest Bat -- Kentucky
* World’s Largest Chili Pepper -- New Mexico
* World’s Largest Pecan -- Texas
* World’s Largest Pistachio -- New Mexico

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. BOTX_171123_006.JPG: Mr. Potato Head Pawtucket, Rhode Island built 2000 This giant version of the Mr. Potato Head toy is 6 feet tall and made of fiberglass. Toy company Hasbro paired with the state of Rhode Island to distribute 37 statues across the state in 2000, each customized by artists to highlight parts of the state's history and culture. As part of the tourism-promoting project, Mr. Potato Head was named the official family-travel ambassador of Rhode Island. This iconic toy has been in production since 1952 and was featured in the movie "Toy Story." Originally the toy consisted of a set of plastic parts that could be pushed into a real potato. Potato Facts A medium-sized potato contains no fat or cholesterol, has only 110 calories, and has 18 percent of the recommended daily value of potassium - more than a banana. Today potatoes are grown in all 50 states of the U.S. and in about 125 countries throughout the world. Idaho produces the most potatoes in the United States. In October 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, created the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages and eventually feeding future space colonies.
2. BOTX_171123_012.JPG: Pineapple Water Tower Honolulu, Hawaii built 1928 The giant pineapple water tower of Honolulu provided water for the Hawaii Pineapple Co., which later became Dole Pineapple. The tank, which was painted like a pineapple with 46 steel "leaves" on the top, was 40 feet tall and held 100,000 gallons of water. The topmost part of the tower stood almost 200 feet above sea level and was also a beacon for arriving ships. The Dole pineapple cannery closed, the water tower fell into disrepair, and ultimately in 1993 it was dismantled and put into storage. The builders Chicago Bridge and Iron became so well known for its production of the pineapple tank that over the years it went on to build other advertising water towers: the Gerber's Baby Food Jar (Rochester, NY), the Sir Walter Raleigh Tobacco Can (Louisville, KY), and a Monarch Flour Sack (Toronto).
3. BOTX_171123_018.JPG: Wawona Tree Tunneled Sequoia Yosemite National Park, California tunnel carved in 1881 Yosemite's famous Wawona Tree tunnel was created in 1881 as a tourist attraction. The second standing sequoia to be tunneled, the Wawona Tree stood for 88 summers before it fell in the winter of 1969. Heavy snow, wet soil, and, of course, the weakening effect of the tunnel all led to the collapse of the tree. At the time of its fall, the Wawona Tree was approximately 2,100 years old, 234 feet high, and 26 feet in diameter at the base. The famous tunnel was 9 feet high and 26 feet long at the base. Giant Sequoia Facts Giant sequoias are the world's largest single trees and the world's largest living thing, by volume. The oldest known giant sequoia is 3,500 years old. Trees average a height of 165-280 feet, and 20-26 feet in diameter. They are found only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.
4. BOTX_171123_031.JPG: World's Largest Chili Pepper Las Cruces, New Mexico built 2010 The World's Largest Chili Pepper sits outside the Big Chile Inn in Las Cruces. It is 47 feet long and weighs 50,000 pounds, and is made from concrete. Its purpose is to entice visitors to stay at the hotel. The world record for the largest actual chili pepper was earned by a cultivar developed in Las Cruces, called ‘Big Jim.' Chili Pepper Facts New Mexico chili peppers are famous for their flavor and heat. The state is home to the Hatch valley, where the tastiest chili in the world is said to grow. Chili is a staple of the New Mexican diet and comes in two forms -- the immature green pods, which are often roasted, and the mature red pods, which are made into a rich, smoky-tasting sauce. Not for the faint of heart, these peppers can pack some serious heat.
5. BOTX_171123_051.JPG: World's Largest Pecan Brunswick, Missouri built 1982 Constructed by pecan farmer George James, the Giant Pecan is made of concrete and is a tribute to the Starking Hardy Giant pecan variety, which James discovered. The pecan is 7 feet tall and 12 feet long, and weighs 12,000 pounds. It is a contender for the title of World's Largest Pecan. Brunswick is considered the pecan capital of Missouri and holds a Pecan Festival every year. Pecan Facts Pecan trees are native to the southeastern and south-central regions of the U.S. and belong to the hickory family. Commercial production of pecans began relatively recently, at the end of the 19th century. Today, the U.S. dominates worldwide pecan production.
6. BOTX_171123_106.JPG: Santa Monica Pier (end of Route 66) Santa Monica, California opened on September 9, 1909 The first concrete pier on the west coast, the Santa Monica pier was constructed in the early 20th century. It was built as a conduit for the disposal of treated sewage into the ocean, a practice that only lasted into the 1920s. Around that time, an additional pier was connected to the original, creating space for an amusement park. In 1919, rusted concrete piles caused a partial collapse of the Municipal Pier, leading to the installation of creosote-treated wooden piles. Eventually the entire concrete deck was replaced with wooden boards. The Santa Monica Pier was a popular destination for fisherman. Elzie C. Segar even created the character of Popeye based on local fisherman Olaf C. Olsen. Today the Pier features the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel and the century-old Looff Hippodrome.
7. BOTX_171123_118.JPG: Boll Weevil Monument Enterprise, Alabama built 1919 This monument is a tribute to the boll weevil, which changed the agricultural history of Coffee County, Alabama. After boll weevils wiped out their cotton crops, farmers turned to planting peanuts instead. They discovered that the Alabama climate was perfect for growing peanuts, and Coffee County soon became the leading peanut producer of the United States. Locals erected the 13-foot-tall statue in appreciation for the insect. The statute shows a woman in Grecian attire holding a boll weevil above her head. It is the world's first monument to an agricultural pest.
8. BOTX_171123_126.JPG: Ear of Corn Water Tower Rochester, Minnesota built 1931 This giant ear of corn is 150 feet tall and has towered over the town of Rochester since 1931. It has 16 rows of kernels, a typical number found on a real ear of corn. In addition to providing water, it is a symbol of the importance of agriculture to the surrounding community. Corn Facts Corn is native to America and is grown on every continent except Antarctica. Selective breeding over thousands of years, in addition to recent advances in scientific research, has altered the plant to produce the large ears of corn that we have today. An ear of corn can have between 500 and 1200 kernels, with one silk for every kernel in an ear of corn.
9. BOTX_171123_130.JPG: Corn Palace Mitchell, South Dakota built 1892 The original Corn Palace dates back to an era when "crop palaces" were gaining ground among agricultural communities in the Great Plains as a way to showcase their agricultural products. The Corn Palace demonstrated that South Dakota was a viable agricultural location, capable of producing bountiful crops. It was rebuilt several times over the decades, and adorned with onion domes and minarets. Each year, an artist designs a mural made out of ears of corn to cover the exterior of the building. In addition to being the main tourist attraction in Mitchell, the Corn Palace is also a functional basketball arena. Corn Facts The U.S. is the largest producer of corn in the world, and corn plays an important role in the country's economy. Every state in the nation grows corn, and Iowa and Illinois are the top producers. Only 1 percent of corn planted in the U.S. is sweet corn. Corn is found in shampoo, toothpaste, chewing gum, marshmallows, crayons, paper, and more.
10. BOTX_171123_134.JPG: Volkswagen Beetle Spider Avoca, Iowa (others in Alabama, California, Nevada, Idaho, Pennsylvania) built in 2000s An old Volkswagen Beetle car has been outfitted with eight spindly legs and turned into a spider. This sculpture sits in a cornfield, across the street from the artists' father's home. It is one of many Volkswagen Beetle spider sculptures scattered around the country.
11. BOTX_171123_146.JPG: (A) Route 66 Diner Albuquerque, New Mexico built 1946 In the heyday of Route 66 road travel during the 1950s and 1960s, this historic building was a Phillips gas station and service garage. It was converted to a diner in 1987 and retains much of the original building, including a working hydraulic lift. The diner prides itself on its collections of Route 66-era items, such as neon signs, Betty Boop memorabilia, and one of the largest PEZ candy dispenser collections in America.
12. BOTX_171123_162.JPG: Mr. Potato Head Pawtucket, Rhode Island built 2000 This giant version of the Mr. Potato Head toy is 6 feet tall and made of fiberglass. Toy company Hasbro paired with the state of Rhode Island to distribute 37 statues across the state in 2000, each customized by artists to highlight parts of the state's history and culture. As part of the tourism-promoting project, Mr. Potato Head was named the official family-travel ambassador of Rhode Island. This iconic toy has been in production since 1952 and was featured in the movie "Toy Story." Originally the toy consisted of a set of plastic parts that could be pushed into a real potato. Potato Facts A medium-sized potato contains no fat or cholesterol, has only 110 calories, and has 18 percent of the recommended daily value of potassium - more than a banana. Today potatoes are grown in all 50 states of the U.S. and in about 125 countries throughout the world. Idaho produces the most potatoes in the United States. In October 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, created the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages and eventually feeding future space colonies.
13. BOTX_171123_166.JPG: Willis Tower aka Sears Tower (beginning of Rt. 66) Chicago, Illinois built 1973 At the time of its construction, the Sears Tower (officially known now as the Willis Tower) was the largest building in the world. It held that title for almost 25 years and is currently the second-tallest building in the U.S. It has 110 floors, contains 76,000 tons of steel, and rises 1,730 feet high (including antennae). It is considered to be the beginning of Route 66.
14. BOTX_171123_188.JPG: Coney Island Hot Dog Stand Bailey, Colorado built 1966 A classic example of roadside architecture, this diner is shaped like a giant hot dog complete with toppings. The hot dog is 42 feet long, and the building weighs 18 tons. The original owner envisioned a chain of hot-dog-shaped diners across the state, but his business closed and he sold the building. Successive owners have relocated the diner from Denver, to Aspen Park, to its current location in Bailey, Colorado. The diner underwent renovations and reopened for business in 2016. It serves a variety of local fare and, of course, coney-style hot dogs. Wheat Facts Wheat is grown in 42 U.S. states. A bushel of wheat can make 42 one-and-a-half pound loaves of white bread. If an average loaf contains 24 slices, that means 500 sandwiches can be made from one bushel of wheat. Over the past 10 years, 59 million acres of wheat were planted in the U.S. -- equal to 44 million football fields!
15. BOTX_171123_193.JPG: World's Largest Basket Newark, Ohio built 1997 This building was the headquarters of the Longaberger Company, which manufactures wooden baskets, and was modeled after their bestselling basket. It is seven stories tall and constructed from locally-sourced cherry wood. The basket handles weigh 150 tons and can be heated during the winter to prevent ice damage. Empty since July of 2016, The company has the building on the market, but it is proving difficult to find a buyer who wants a building shaped like a giant basket.
16. BOTX_171123_196.JPG: Mount Rushmore Keystone, South Dakota carved 1927-1941 Carved over the course of decades, from 1927 to 1941, the faces of four U.S. presidents adorn the granite edifice of Mount Rushmore. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, chose to depict the likenesses of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln because of their wide appeal and importance to American history. Mount Rushmore attracts three million visitors per year.
17. BOTX_171123_238.JPG: Jimmy Carter Peanut Plains, Georgia built 1976 The smile on this peanut is meant to mimic the toothy grin of President Jimmy Carter. Three Indiana residents made the statue in honor of then-candidate Carter's visit to Indiana when he campaigned in 1976. After Carter won the presidency, the statue moved to his hometown of Plains, GA, where it remains today. It stands 13 feet tall and is the world's second-largest peanut. Local legend attributes the large hole in its back to Secret Service agents, who cut it open during Carter's visit to Indiana to ensure there were no assassins or bombs hidden inside. Peanut Facts Peanuts are believed to have originated in South America. They are technically a legume, not a nut, belonging to the same family as peas and beans. Georgia grows almost half of all the peanuts in the United States. The average American eats about 6 pounds of peanuts per year, mostly in the form of peanut butter.
18. BOTX_171123_239.JPG: Leaning Tower of Niles Water Tower Niles, Illinois built 1934 Roughly half the size of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Niles' Leaning Tower is not a tower at all but a clever solution to hide a large water tank. Businessman Robert Ilg needed a mechanism to supply water to outdoor pools in the park he built, but he also wanted to preserve the natural beauty of the area. To that end, he built a water tower resembling the Leaning Tower of Pisa, using reinforced concrete so that its lean would stay consistent. Ilg's outdoor pools are gone, but the tower remains as a major attraction in the city. No doubt due to shared architectural inspiration, Niles and Pisa became sister cities in 1991.
19. BOTX_171123_250.JPG: Watermelon Water Tower Luling, Texas built in 1950s The Luling water tower resembles a watermelon to honor the local watermelon industry. The tower is 154 feet tall and 56 feet in diameter. The tower is a notable landmark and attraction for travelers. Every year, Luling holds the Watermelon Thump, a festival with competitions for melon-eating and seed-spitting that has been ongoing since 1954. The current world record for seed-spitting is almost 70 feet. Watermelon Facts Humans have enjoyed watermelon for thousands of years; the first recorded watermelon harvest was almost 5,000 years ago in Egypt. Watermelon is aptly named, as it is 92 percent water. It is both a fruit and a vegetable, and it belongs to the same family as pumpkin, squash, and cucumber. It is the most consumed melon in the U.S.
20. BOTX_171123_263.JPG: Niagara Falls and the Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls, NY, USA and Ontario, Canada Geologically speaking, Niagara Falls is young. Approximately 12,000 years ago, water descended over the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. Native Americans living in the Niagara region were most likely the first people to witness the power of Niagara Falls. Father Louis Hennepin, a French priest, was the first European to document the area during a 1678 expedition. In the 1800s, the emerging rail system brought hordes of visitors to Niagara Falls, making it a prime destination for travelers from all over the globe. This included Napoleon Bonaparte's younger brother, Jerome. In 1804, he honeymooned at Niagara Falls with his American bride which, according to some, started Niagara Falls' honeymoon tradition. In 1895, the world's first large-scale hydroelectric generating station opened in Niagara Falls. Hydroelectric power plants on both the American and Canadian sides of the Falls can produce up to 2.4 million kilowatts of electricity
21. BOTX_171123_265.JPG: Peachoid Water Tower Gaffney, South Carolina (another in Alabama) built 1981 The Peachoid is a 135-foot-tall water tower constructed and painted to look like a peach. An example of novelty architecture, it holds 1 million gallons of water. The people of Gaffney selected the symbol of a peach for their water tower because at one point the county that Gaffney is located in produced more peaches per year than the entire state of Georgia. Peach Facts The average American eats about 6 pounds of peaches per year. About half of all peaches produced in the U.S. are sold as fresh fruits. There are two basic kinds of peaches: clingstone, where the flesh of the fruit clings to the pit, and freestone, where the pit is easily disconnected from the flesh. Freestone peaches are the most popular kind for fresh consumption. California is the top peach producer in the U.S., followed by South Carolina and then Georgia. Some say that the alkalinity of South Carolina soil makes for sweeter peaches.
22. BOTX_171123_318.JPG: Wawona Tree Tunneled Sequoia Yosemite National Park, California tunnel carved in 1881 Yosemite's famous Wawona Tree tunnel was created in 1881 as a tourist attraction. The second standing sequoia to be tunneled, the Wawona Tree stood for 88 summers before it fell in the winter of 1969. Heavy snow, wet soil, and, of course, the weakening effect of the tunnel all led to the collapse of the tree. At the time of its fall, the Wawona Tree was approximately 2,100 years old, 234 feet high, and 26 feet in diameter at the base. The famous tunnel was 9 feet high and 26 feet long at the base. Giant Sequoia Facts Giant sequoias are the world's largest single trees and the world's largest living thing, by volume. The oldest known giant sequoia is 3,500 years old. Trees average a height of 165-280 feet, and 20-26 feet in diameter. They are found only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.
23. BOTX_171123_330.JPG: Sapp Bros. Coffee Pot Water Tower Omaha, Nebraska built 1971 The Sapp Bros. water tower was first erected to meet local water needs in Omaha, NE. It is now an icon for truckers driving across the Midwest, serving as a reminder to stop and rest during long truck routes. There are more than 15 Sapp Bros. coffee pot water towers in existence today. Coffee Facts In the U.S., coffee is grown in both Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The leaves and cherries of the coffee plant contain caffeine, which functions as a natural pesticide. Coffee is a small, evergreen tree. An understory plant, it can grow to 30 feet if left unchecked.
24. BOTX_171123_340.JPG: Hollywood Sign Hollywood, California built 1923 The iconic Hollywood Sign sits on the Santa Monica Mountains. Each letter is 45 feet tall, and the entire word stretches to a length of 350 feet. Originally the sign spelled out "Hollywoodland," the name of a housing development that was never completed. The sign fell into disrepair, but since it had become a well-known landmark, the city governments of Hollywood and Los Angeles worked together to repair it in 1949. They removed the word "land" from the end to reflect the name of the city rather than the housing development.
25. BOTX_171123_347.JPG: The Big Duck Flanders, New York built 1931 The Big Duck is the creation of duck farmer Martin Maurer, who wanted a unique shop where he could sell his ducks and duck eggs. The building speaks to Flanders' heritage as the center of Long Island's duck-farming industry. The Big Duck's location and appearance ensured its success as a retail poultry store until its closure in 1988. Since then, the building has belonged to Suffolk County and is the centerpiece of Big Duck Ranch, which is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. The Big Duck is the origin of the architectural term "duck," which refers to a building that takes the shape of the everyday object or product to which it relates.
26. BOTX_171123_353.JPG: World's Largest Pistachio Alamagordo, New Mexico built 2008 This giant pistachio nut is 30 feet tall, made out of concrete, and finished with 35 gallons of paint. Located on a pistachio farm, the owner built it as a tribute to his father, who was a big fan of roadside attractions. It also serves to catch the attention of passing travelers and attract them into the gift shop that sells all kinds of pistachio-based products. Pistachio Facts Pistachio trees are a member of the cashew family, native to the deserts of Central Asia. Today, California produces 99 percent of pistachios in the United States. Pistachios are wind-pollinated, and one male tree provides enough pollen for eight to twelve females. Pistachios are a longstanding part of human history; they are mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible, and the legendary Queen Sheba was said to have ordered that all of her kingdom's pistachio crop be set aside for her.
27. BOTX_171123_366.JPG: "See Rock City" Barn Maryville, Tennessee painted 1936 The "See Rock City" marketing campaign is almost as famous as the Rock City attraction itself. In order to promote the newly-created mountainside attraction, painter Clark Byers would go door-to-door offering to paint barns for free, if they let him add the phrase "See Rock City" to the barn roof. This barn is particularly iconic because it's located along a heavily traveled road. Barns were the canvas of choice for the advertising campaign due to their large size and prime location along the secondary roads that led to Rock City. At one point, there were 900 barns across 19 states advertising Rock City; today, only 62 are still standing. Rock City remains a popular tourist destination.
28. BOTX_171123_372.JPG: Elwood, the World's Tallest Concrete Gnome Ames, Iowa built 2010 The tallest concrete gnome in the world is dubbed Elwood and lives at the Reiman Gardens of Iowa State University. It is 15 feet tall and made of 3,500 pounds of steel rebar and concrete. The Reiman Gardens commissioned him for their theme "A Celebration of Garden Ornamentation," hoping to attract visitors and set a world record for the world's tallest gnome. Unfortunately, right before completing the project, they heard about an 18-foot-tall gnome that had been built in Poland. Luckily that one was made of fiberglass, leaving the title of "World's Largest Concrete Gnome" to Elwood.
29. BOTX_171123_375.JPG: Lucy the Elephant Margate City, New Jersey built 1881 Lucy the Elephant is a six-story elephant-shaped building that is the oldest surviving roadside tourist attraction in America. Lucy's original purpose was to promote real estate sales, and potential buyers would stand on the carriage atop the elephant surveying land parcels for sale. Today, Lucy's carriage still serves as an observation deck for tourists. Lucy the Elephant's builder, James V. Lafferty, won a patent that gave him exclusive rights for constructing animal-shaped buildings for the duration of 17 years. Lucy is the only surviving creation of Lafferty, who also built two other elephant-shaped buildings. Lucy's tusks technically identify her as a male, but local tradition has solidified her identity as a female.
30. BOTX_171123_384.JPG: Golden Digger Tulsa, Oklahoma built 1952 The Golden Driller is a statue of an oil worker that is 75 feet tall, making it the fifth-tallest statue in America. It rests its right hand on an oil derrick, a type of machinery used in oil drilling and extraction. The statue was dedicated to the workers of the petroleum industry, which was (and still is) an important source of economic activity for Oklahoma. The state has been one of the leading oil producers in the U.S. since 1907, and the Golden Driller is its state monument. Crude Oil Facts Crude oil, a fossil fuel, can trace its roots to both plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
31. BOTX_171123_389.JPG: (B) Route 66 Diner Albuquerque, New Mexico built 1946 In the heyday of Route 66 road travel during the 1950s and 1960s, this historic building was a Phillips gas station and service garage. It was converted to a diner in 1987 and retains much of the original building, including a working hydraulic lift. The diner prides itself on its collections of Route 66-era items, such as neon signs, Betty Boop memorabilia, and one of the largest PEZ candy dispenser collections in America.
32. BOTX_171123_402.JPG: Randy's Donuts Inglewood, California built 1953 Randy's Donuts is a bakery that prides itself on its donuts, pastries, and iconic giant donut sign. The sign is 32.5 feet in diameter and is placed on the roof so that it is aimed towards the closest intersection, for maximum visibility by passerby. The giant donut sign is novelty architecture at its finest, both a clear symbol of what customers can expect from the shop and a well-known neighborhood landmark. Wheat Facts There are six types of wheat: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, soft white, hard white, and durum. Gluten flour and bread flour provide high protein content and elasticity, which can be good for glazed donuts. An all purpose flour, cake flour, or pastry flour would be better for cake donuts.
33. BOTX_171123_408.JPG: Twistee Treat Shop Fort Meyers, Florida (others in Texas, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois) built 1982 Twistee Treat is a chain of ice cream stores that is still in operation today and has several locations, each in the distinctive swirled shape of soft-serve ice cream in a cone. The original Twistee Treat location was in Fort Meyers, Florida. The company constructed over 90 of these ice-cream-shaped stores, with an estimated 30 still standing today. Vanilla/Ice Cream Facts Vanilla is an orchid. It is the only orchid to produce an agriculturally valuable crop. Vanilla is America's favorite ice cream flavor (followed by Chocolate, Cookies n' Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough). Pecans are the most popular nut topping for ice cream. Strawberries are the most popular fruit topping.
34. BOTX_171123_411.JPG: Teapot Dome Service Station Zillah, Washington built 1922 The Teapot Dome station is an example of novelty architecture, which was meant to attract travelers on the expanding system of national highways throughout the 1920s. The building, made of sheet metal and concrete, was a full-service gas station for many years. Its creator wanted to remind passerby of the Teapot Dome Scandal, a bribery scandal that took place in 1921 and was regarded as one of the most sensational scandals of early American politics, which saw the first Cabinet member go to prison in U.S. history. Tea Facts Tea is currently grown in 17 states in the U.S., including Maryland and Virginia.
35. BOTX_171123_414.JPG: The Big Chair Washington, D.C. built 1959 Intended as an advertisement by a furniture maker hoping to draw curious customers into his showroom, The Big Chair (technically known as "Chair") is public artwork that sits at an intersection in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C. At the time of its construction, it was considered the largest chair in the world. The original chair was 19.5 feet tall and made entirely of solid Honduras mahogany. After several decades, the chair began to rot, and a new chair with the same dimensions, made of aluminum, replaced the disintegrating wooden chair in 2005.
36. BOTX_171123_436.JPG: World's Largest Baseball Bat Louisville, Kentucky built 1996 The World's Largest Baseball Bat, made of hollow carbon steel, is 120 feet tall and weighs 34 tons. It is a replica of the bat that baseball legend Babe Ruth used during the 1920s. The giant bat is taller than the five-story building on which it rests, the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, and serves as a plumbing vent for the bathrooms. The Louisville Slugger has been in production since 1884 and is America's most famous type of baseball bat. Approximately half of pro bats are made from northern white ash and the other half from maple. In the past, hickory was also a popular wood for bats, but it is considered too heavy to meet the demands of today's players.
37. BOTX_171123_444.JPG: The Blue Whale Catoosa, Oklahoma built 1972 This giant blue whale was hand-made by Hugh Davis as a gift to his wife Zelta, who adored blue whales. It measures 20 feet tall and 80 feet long and features a ladder leading up to a secret compartment in its head. The pond surrounding the whale quickly became popular among locals for swimming and picnicking. Davis expanded the attraction to include a reptile exhibit and trading post, but the park closed when he and his wife were no longer able to maintain it. Eventually the park fell into disrepair, but a community group raised money to restore it and maintains it to this day. The site remains a popular destination for picnicking and enjoying the massive blue whale.
38. BOTX_171123_572.JPG: (A) World's Largest Chili Pepper Las Cruces, New Mexico built 2010 The World's Largest Chili Pepper sits outside the Big Chile Inn in Las Cruces. It is 47 feet long and weighs 50,000 pounds, and is made from concrete. Its purpose is to entice visitors to stay at the hotel. The world record for the largest actual chili pepper was earned by a cultivar developed in Las Cruces, called ‘Big Jim.' Chili Pepper Facts New Mexico chili peppers are famous for their flavor and heat. The state is home to the Hatch valley, where the tastiest chili in the world is said to grow. Chili is a staple of the New Mexican diet and comes in two forms -- the immature green pods, which are often roasted, and the mature red pods, which are made into a rich, smoky-tasting sauce. Not for the faint of heart, these peppers can pack some serious heat.
39. BOTX_171123_576.JPG: Chili Pepper Capsicum Sp. World's Largest Chili Pepper, New Mexico Did you know that chili peppers are fruit? They are members of the tomato and potato family (Solanaceae). It is not the seeds of chili peppers that makes them hot, but a molecule called capsaicin that it mostly found in the ribs inside the fruit. The Big Chile Inn in Las Cruces, New Mexico is home to this 5,000-pound pepper.
40. BOTX_171123_578.JPG: (B) World's Largest Chili Pepper Las Cruces, New Mexico built 2010 The World's Largest Chili Pepper sits outside the Big Chile Inn in Las Cruces. It is 47 feet long and weighs 50,000 pounds, and is made from concrete. Its purpose is to entice visitors to stay at the hotel. The world record for the largest actual chili pepper was earned by a cultivar developed in Las Cruces, called ‘Big Jim.' Chili Pepper Facts New Mexico chili peppers are famous for their flavor and heat. The state is home to the Hatch valley, where the tastiest chili in the world is said to grow. Chili is a staple of the New Mexican diet and comes in two forms -- the immature green pods, which are often roasted, and the mature red pods, which are made into a rich, smoky-tasting sauce. Not for the faint of heart, these peppers can pack some serious heat.
41. BOTX_171123_645.JPG: Spoonbridge and Cherry Minneapolis, Minnesota built 1985 Spoonbridge and Cherry is an art piece featured in the Walker Art Center's Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The giant spoon weighs 5,800 pounds and the cherry weighs 1,200 pounds. The sculpture is 29 feet long and 51 feet tall. The cherry stem is a fountain, spraying water from the top of the stem into the spoon and the pond below. During the winter, the snow-covered spoon and cherry are reminiscent of a bite of an ice cream sundae. Artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen are known for their larger-than-life renditions of everyday objects. Cherry Facts The U.S. is the world leader in cherry production. Top producers are California, Oregon, Washington, and Michigan. The U.S. produces 370 million pounds of sweet cherries annually. 175 million pounds of those cherries are frozen, canned, or used to produce maraschino or glac� cherries.
42. BOTX_171129_069.JPG: Coffee Pot and Cup Water Towers Stanton, Iowa built 1971 (coffee pot) and 2000 (cup) The Coffee Pot water tower celebrates Stanton's Scandinavian cultural heritage as well as the legacy of Stanton-born Virginia Christine, the spokeswoman for Folger's coffee. The pot is painted in Swedish style with hearts and flowers; it is 35 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It is capable of holding 800,000 cups of coffee (were it actually used as a coffee pot), earning it the title of "World's Largest Coffee Pot." High maintenance costs led the town to take the pot down, but it is still on display at the town's historical society. The replacement water tower is shaped like a cup and saucer. It is 96 feet tall and holds 150,000 gallons of water. Its appearance mimics the Swedish style of the Coffee Pot. Coffee Facts The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee cherry; there are two beans per cherry. There are two dominant species of coffee plants: Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta. It takes about 5 pounds of coffee cherries to derive 1 pound of roasted coffee.
43. BOTX_171129_105.JPG: Cadillac Ranch Amarillo, Texas built 1974 Created by an art collective called The Ant Farm, Cadillac Ranch is an iconic art piece located along the Route 66 highway in Texas. Ten Cadillac cars in a line are half-buried, nose-down, in the middle of a field. Over the decades, tourists have torn off parts of the cars and covered them with innumerable layers of spray paint. In an era when Cadillac cars were a symbol of luxury and wealth, Cadillac Ranch was a commentary on materialist values.
44. BOTX_171129_115.JPG: Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox Bemidji, Minnesota built 1937 Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues are one of the earliest roadside attractions in America. The sculptures were made during the rise in popularity of automobile travel to attract the attention of passing motorists. They are made from cement, stucco, and steel. American folklore states that Paul was 63 axe handles tall, and that it took a crow an entire day to fly from one of Babe's horns to the other. The massive pair are credited with creating the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota by making footprints that filled with rainwater. The Paul Bunyan structure stands18 feet tall and is about 5 feet wide. Babe the Blue Ox stands 10 feet tall with the width between the nose and tail at 23 feet.
45. BOTX_171129_123.JPG: Jolly Green Giant Blue Earth, Minnesota built 1979 The Jolly Green Giant lives up to his name, standing more than 55 feet tall. It weighs 8,000 pounds and is made of fiberglass. A local radio talk show host wanted to attract passing motorists to the town using the image of the Jolly Green Giant, a well-known mascot of the canning company which had a canning plant in the same town. The host had a talk show where he would interview passing travelers and then give them a can of vegetables. People kept telling him that they wanted to actually see the Green Giant, so he raised funds from local townspeople and commissioned the giant statue.
46. BOTX_171129_138.JPG: (A) Dinosaur Park Rapid City, South Dakota built 1936 Dinosaur Park consists of seven dinosaur statues placed on a hill overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota. Developed by the city along with the Works Progress Administration, its creators hoped the location would attract tourists coming to the Black Hills to visit Mount Rushmore. Most of the dinosaurs depicted are based on fossils that have been found in South Dakota and the western United States. The dinosaurs in the park are Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Protoceratops, and Dimetrodon (technically a synapsid, not a dinosaur). As in the ancient past, time has not been kind to these dinosaurs, and some are missing their teeth and claws.
47. BOTX_171129_145.JPG: (B) Dinosaur Park Rapid City, South Dakota built 1936 Dinosaur Park consists of seven dinosaur statues placed on a hill overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota. Developed by the city along with the Works Progress Administration, its creators hoped the location would attract tourists coming to the Black Hills to visit Mount Rushmore. Most of the dinosaurs depicted are based on fossils that have been found in South Dakota and the western United States. The dinosaurs in the park are Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Protoceratops, and Dimetrodon (technically a synapsid, not a dinosaur). As in the ancient past, time has not been kind to these dinosaurs, and some are missing their teeth and claws.
48. BOTX_171129_157.JPG: (C) Dinosaur Park Rapid City, South Dakota built 1936 Dinosaur Park consists of seven dinosaur statues placed on a hill overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota. Developed by the city along with the Works Progress Administration, its creators hoped the location would attract tourists coming to the Black Hills to visit Mount Rushmore. Most of the dinosaurs depicted are based on fossils that have been found in South Dakota and the western United States. The dinosaurs in the park are Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Edmontosaurus annectens, Protoceratops, and Dimetrodon (technically a synapsid, not a dinosaur). As in the ancient past, time has not been kind to these dinosaurs, and some are missing their teeth and claws.
49. BOTX_171129_167.JPG: Pineapple Water Tower Honolulu, Hawaii built 1928 The giant pineapple water tower of Honolulu provided water for the Hawaii Pineapple Co., which later became Dole Pineapple. The tank, which was painted like a pineapple with 46 steel "leaves" on the top, was 40 feet tall and held 100,000 gallons of water. The topmost part of the tower stood almost 200 feet above sea level and was also a beacon for arriving ships. The Dole pineapple cannery closed, the water tower fell into disrepair, and ultimately in 1993 it was dismantled and put into storage. The builders Chicago Bridge and Iron became so well known for its production of the pineapple tank that over the years it went on to build other advertising water towers: the Gerber's Baby Food Jar (Rochester, NY), the Sir Walter Raleigh Tobacco Can (Louisville, KY), and a Monarch Flour Sack (Toronto).
50. BOTX_171129_175.JPG: "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" Sign Las Vegas, Nevada built 1959 This famous landmark is an iconic symbol of the rollicking city of Las Vegas, and many people consider it the official marker of the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The sign's design is an example of classic 1950s Googie architecture, which features bold geometric shapes, neon, and starbursts. The white neon circles surrounding each letter in the word "welcome" represent silver dollars, a reference to Nevada's nickname, "The Silver State." Recognizing the sign's role as an iconic landmark, the city has recently added parking and sidewalks next to the sign to allow visitors to access it easily, cementing its status as a true roadside attraction.
51. BOTX_171129_242.JPG: Someone broadcasting about the holiday display
52. BOTX_171219_013.JPG: Randy's Donuts Inglewood, California built 1953 Randy's Donuts is a bakery that prides itself on its donuts, pastries, and iconic giant donut sign. The sign is 32.5 feet in diameter and is placed on the roof so that it is aimed towards the closest intersection, for maximum visibility by passerby. The giant donut sign is novelty architecture at its finest, both a clear symbol of what customers can expect from the shop and a well-known neighborhood landmark. Wheat Facts There are six types of wheat: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, soft white, hard white, and durum. Gluten flour and bread flour provide high protein content and elasticity, which can be good for glazed donuts. An all purpose flour, cake flour, or pastry flour would be better for cake donuts.
53. BOTX_171219_055.JPG: These aren't documented but they are models of the USS Vincennes and USS Porpoise that were part of the Wilkes Expedition.
54. BOTX_171219_064.JPG: These aren't documented but they are models of the USS Vincennes and USS Porpoise that were part of the Wilkes Expedition.
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
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