The place is big — really big. The main building of the Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott, Iowa, encompasses more square footage than a pair of football fields. The complex includes eight restaurants; a convenience store; gift shop; 30,000-square-foot “Super … Continue reading →
At the eastern tip of Dauphin Island, Ala., a barrier island stretching 14 miles east to west but measuring only 1 3/4 miles at its widest point, lies Fort Gaines, a rugged piece of centuries-old history. Construction on the fort, … Continue reading →
Thousands of ships have averted disaster on the treacherous shores of Block Island, R.I., thanks to the two lighthouses that bookend the Atlantic tourist haven a dozen miles south of the mainland. The historic nautical siblings, simply dubbed the North … Continue reading →
Atop one of the scenic rolling hills of Williamstown, Ky., population 3,931, rests a boat — a really big boat. Hailed as the world’s largest timber-frame building, the life-size replica of Noah’s ark towers seven stories above the ground and … Continue reading →
The most endearing American love story of World War II started out as a mistake. On a cold winter evening days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a group of townsfolk laden with food, homebaked goodies and Christmas gifts gathered on … Continue reading →
Dorothy Hustead was hot, tired and trying to stave off the discouragement of a failed career experiment. In December 1931, she and her husband, Ted, had rolled into Wall, S.D., with their 4-year-old son, Ted’s $3,000 inheritance from his father … Continue reading →
There are — literally — some big things in Casey, Ill. The mailbox can garage a school bus. The golf tee towers three stories above the clubhouse and a grown man could lie across the tee’s head with neither head … Continue reading →
Is the Mystery Hole just outside of Anstead, W.Va., a unique location where the laws of gravity have somehow gone haywire? Or is it merely a cleverly constructed subterranean attraction designed to make visitors think so? The real answer is … Continue reading →
Some say the town of Mayberry, N.C., existed only on a television lot in Hollywood. Others insist it is a state of mind more than a physical location. But Mayberry does exist — in Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mount Airy, … Continue reading →
Imagine a place so pristine and idyllic its signal character of perfection is also its most prominent target for criticism. Welcome to the “too good to be true” master-planned community of Celebration, Fla., population 7,427. “Town” is not exactly the … Continue reading →
Some of the notable denizens of Virginia, Minn., are larger than life. Literally larger than life. They are emblazoned up to 20 feet tall on the city’s colorful and impressive murals, concentrated within a five-by-five block area downtown. The eight … Continue reading →
