Not Your Average Sightseeing Suggestions

Everybody wants to jump on a plane and go somewhere exotic to get a break from everyday life, but there are thousands of attractions close to home that warrant tourist traffic. Some are bizarre, some are giant roadside attractions that gain themselves spots in the Guinness World Records, some are impressive historical feats, and some are just breathtaking. You don’t need to go far to discover something new. 

My obsession with roadside attractions started when I was just a kid. Being the youngest of four with siblings decades older than me I was often packed up solo into the back of my parents truck while they went off on their road trips. I was lucky enough to get driven around the United States and Eastern Canada as my parents set out looking for new campgrounds, rare antiques, and baseball games. My dad never missed an opportunity to pull over on the side of the road just to check something out or stop in a small town because they had read about an interesting restaurant or tourist trap in the area. Years later I find myself doing the same thing when I am driving around (just ask my boyfriend about the time I pulled over in Montana doing a sharp turn at 130 KM/H on a winding mountain highway just so I could read an old decrepit sign above a well that looked interesting). 

The best part about stopping in these small towns, or pulling off on the highway to check something out is usually the people you meet around them. The friendly staff that run the attractions or the spunky locals that started up the tourist trap. More often than not they are filled to the brim with local history and can point you in the direction of  your next adventure. 

Burmis Tree (Miller 2017)