Weird Roadside Attractions with Valerie Bromann

Do you ever wonder how big the World’s Largest Ball of Twine actually is? Have you ever been curious about all those strong and unreasonably tall muffler men standing outside of gas stations along Route 66?

If you answered “Yes!” to either of these, then your curiosity has probably steered you toward the exit signs of many of America’s weird and wonderful roadside attractions.   

Today, Angie Orth welcomes Valerie Bromann. As an avid road-tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, she always pulls over for a ‘world’s largest’ anything. This curiosity inspired her to found her blog, Silly America, where she photographs and writes about weird tourist destinations. She offers helpful itineraries and advice to inspire you and add a little more fun and funkiness to your next road trip.

You’ll hear about when she first became interested in these iconic curiosities, and the history of how they got started. She shares her top must-see roadside attractions, along with some of the best forgotten highways where you can take in several sights in a single stretch. She also explains why roadside attractions are such an important part of American culture, and how they are being celebrated for the upcoming centennial of Route 66. 

What You’ll Learn:

• The first roadside attraction that sparked her interest (1:58)
• Celebrating the centennial of America’s most famous road trip (4:00)
• Valerie’s must-see roadside attractions (5:06)
• New roadside attractions that are drawing in visitors (11:50)
• The significance of roadside attractions in American culture (15:23)

Resources:

Article: Route 66 Road Trip: The spirit of Route 66 is still alive and kicking, if you know where to look for it

World’s Largest Ball of Twine: http://www.kansastravel.org/balloftwine.htm

World’s Largest Rocking Chair: https://www.bigthingssmalltown.com/rocking-chair

Carhenge: https://carhenge.com/

Big Things Small Town: https://www.bigthingssmalltown.com/

Midpoint Cafe: https://www.facebook.com/MidpointCafe/

AAA Route 66 Road Fest: https://route66roadfest.com/

Connect with Valerie Bromann:

Website: https://www.valeriebromann.com/

Silly America: https://sillyamerica.com/valerie-bromann/

Search by State: https://sillyamerica.com/blog/category/roadside-attractions/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sillyamerica

YouTube: http://youtube.com/sillyamerica

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