Pit stops, Detours and Tourist Traps

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu May 20, 2004 9:07 am

I'm looking for at least ONE good, weird place to stop in each state just to break up the long trip....My plan at present is to cut up to Wisconsin on I90, stop at Baraboo (Kalamazoo to Baraboo!) to behold The Forevertron, then shoot west to South Dakota and Wall Drug and Crazy Horse....Then south on 185 past Alliance, MO to see Carhenge and connect to I80. Then there's a big stretch between there and Imlay, NV, where Thunder Mountain Park is.....there's stuff, sure, like Scenic Winnemucca and the Great Salt Lake, but I crave WEIRDER DISTRACTIONS on that long leg of the journey.....Anybody got suggestions?

Alpha · Post by **Alpha** » Thu May 20, 2004 9:38 am

You had me confused with "Alliance, MO" -- Carhenge is in Alliance NEBRASKA. So you're looking for something cool in Wyoming and Utah?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 9:49 am

It must be my highly disrespectful secular humanist upbringing (and that Tyrone Powers movie) that make me want to suggest Salt Lake City, especially the Seagull-sent-by-god statue as a prospect.

Bad Fishy! No Flakey Biscuit!

Try this:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/ut.html

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu May 20, 2004 10:04 am

As you zoom on out I-80 through the west Utah Desert and the Salt Flats, you'll see the Tree of Life:

There's nowhere to stop, though.

Inside Salt Lake City, there's the strange and wonderful Gilgal Gardens, a little piece of mormon history esoterica, one of the sculptures from which is shown here:

Then there is the International Peace Gardens, a bunch of little gardens together decorated in different ethnic and national styles. Very cool:

Don't even get me started on the seagull piece of shit.

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu May 20, 2004 10:06 am

And in WY, don't forget to stop in Scott's Bottom!
Just a little inside joke for Anti-M

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu May 20, 2004 10:59 am

Thanks for the pics, RG! We were scratching our heads about the Tree of Life last year!
Thanks for the link, Crypto! That's where I found Thunder Mountain and The Forevertron. Great info, and I visit often!

....I remember thinking that the LDS complex in SLC looked like the Kryptonian bottle city of Kandor from 60's Superman comics....I love the Sphynx at Gilgal! There's something similar with a pyramidal crypt in Metterey Cemetary in New Orleans.

Oh, and YES, it's Alliance NEBRASKA. Oops.

Now, anyone checked out Thunder Mountain? There are some websites and directions, and it looks very cool and rundown, but I'd love to hear a firsthand report. Looks like how I've heard Guru Road described.

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:04 am

That's old Joe Smith's face on the Sphinx, in case you were curious. There's a lot of strange masonic symbolism at Gilgal. You can find out about it by Googling, if you haven't already.

And apparently, I guess it IS possible to stop at the Tree of Life, but I don't know how or where.

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:13 am

Robotland,

You are well traveled. Very few know of Thunder Mountain. I was there in the 80's and it is now only a shell of what it once was. Still, a really interesting place. DON'T see the World's Largest Prairie Dog, in western Kansas. Lots of hype to see a large sculpted chunk of concrete. Have a safe journey.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:44 am

I was afraid I'd be preaching to the converted.

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:47 am

It's just weird that the Mormons revere the Seagull so much (filthy animals) because they came and ate some of the Mormon Crickets during their early years on the wasatch front..the funny thing is that the seagulls didn't do any good, the crops were still lost, and many settlers starved to death that winter anyway. So they worship seagulls for giving the pioneers false hopes. Heh.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:57 am

Ranger Genius wrote:It's just weird that the Mormons

exist. Well, give me a little poetic licence here. I'm sure that there's a lot of good folks who are saints, but the whole set-up is a little odd to me.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu May 20, 2004 11:58 am

I've always been attracted to ruins, especially modern ones. Kalamazoo used to be a big paper town, and between the old paper factories and warehouses and the derelict Upjohn (now Pfizer) buildings there were many exciting hours of urban spelunking in my childhood....Dad and I explored ghost towns out West years ago, and it's exciting to be driving out where we were 25 or 30 (!!!) years previous.....I caught a fleeting glimpse of Thunder Mountain on our way out to BRC last year, but we were "on a mission" and no detours were to be tolerated. Now that I'm going solo, I get to arrange all of the extracurricular activities! Because of its obvious disentegration, T-Mountain is a high priority as is The Forevertron due to the apparant failing health of its primogenitor, "Doctor Evermore". I wouldn't mind a "Where in the hell is Wall Drug?" bumper sticker for the tractor, though, and although I've seen Rushmore I missed Crazy Horse way back when. I'm even a little tempted to keep going on'90 and revisit Devil's Tower! Close Encounters aside, I remember the plains around it being one VAST prariedog colony and got lots of amusement from watching them pop up from their holes like Whack-A-Moles......Oh, and THIS year I'm stopping in Gerlach. Missed that last time.

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:18 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:
Ranger Genius wrote:It's just weird that the Mormons
exist. Well, give me a little poetic licence here. I'm sure that there's a lot of good folks who are saints, but the whole set-up is a little odd to me.

Make that a FEW good folks. I was raised mormon, remember? It's pretty scary. How much do you know about Mormonism? The more you know, the harder it is to believe that anyone ever bought this load of pigswill. Joe Smith was one hell of a con man, I can tell you that. Other religions are stupid, but Mormonism is just crazy. That's why they brainwash people before they ever tell them what the religion REALLY believes.

The drift endeth here. (Is there enough interest to give this (and similar) topics their own thread?)

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:22 pm

Any religion in sufficient quantity is bizarre, IMHO.....I'm partial to Bob Dobbs, myself....

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:24 pm

....back to the Travel Thing, any suggestions as to where the QUALITY jackalope souveniers can be obtained? I'm willing to settle for furbearing trout, if necessary. Or poker-playing bullfrogs.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:28 pm

Genius, you may be right. I don't know anywhere near as much about Mormanism as you. I'm just playing it a little CYA--don't want to be accused of Morman bashing, you know.
Tip of the hat to you too, Robotland.

I'd try those roadside rock shops. You're bound to find some worthy form of folk art.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:31 pm

Genius, you may be right. I don't know anywhere near as much about Mormanism as you. I'm just playing it a little CYA--don't want to be accused of Morman bashing, you know.
Tip of the hat to you too, Robotland.

I'd try those roadside rock shops. You're bound to find some worthy form of folk art.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:32 pm

Genius, you may be right. I don't know anywhere near as much about Mormanism as you. I'm just playing it a little CYA--don't want to be accused of Morman bashing, you know.
Tip of the hat to you too, Robotland.

I'd try those roadside rock shops. You're bound to find some worthy form of folk art.

Alpha · Post by **Alpha** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:37 pm

I guess I'm not the only one who felt that 12:30 hiccup.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:45 pm

NO, and I looked for a big X too. (Poof!)

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:49 pm

I understand, although I doubt there's anyone roaming these boards who would object too loudly. No one is more critical of Mormons than Ex-Mormons.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 20, 2004 12:53 pm

Again, you may be right. I can't remember any one saying anything good on this board as an Ex-Morman. (I think you know how to disentangle that.) Somebody might excuse me on general princible because we're a bunch of stubborn, cussed wise-assen.

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Thu May 20, 2004 1:38 pm

I have stopped at Thunder Mountain many times. I drive by it about 3 times a year and have been doing so since 1975. I haven't actually stopped for several years now. It is still worth stopping if you haven't been there. There used to be many Cadilacs on their sides that created the side and rear walls to the shrine. There are typewriters cemented into the concrete walls. There used to many a few military (WWII) ambulances. At one time the main building (now gone) had electricity and running water. The totem poles are still there. In the beginning it was a protest to the way the Indians of that region were treated by the BLM. Yes, our same BLM. It would have taken hours to read all the literature that was inside the building. It really made one realize just what a raw deal those tribes really got. I cannot drive by it without thinking of what was there years ago and what it represented. That is one of the reasons I vote for all Indiam Gaming bills in California.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 20, 2004 2:00 pm

Ever heard about the Spiral Jetty Sculpture out in Salt Lake? It may not exist anymore, if it does it's worth the stop.[/list]

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu May 20, 2004 2:05 pm

There's a discussion on it and some links to info on the Salt Lake City Burners regional events thread. It's still there, and this year is prime viewing...most of the time it's underwater.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri May 21, 2004 6:18 am

I had Spiral Jetty on the list, but am unsure as to how long/far a detour it would be in the scheme of things....I'm packing a lot into the outward leg of my journey, but maybe it'll fit on the return.....The Tree of Life is on the westbound side, right?

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Fri May 21, 2004 7:09 am

Yes, it is. The Spiral Jetty is pretty much a day-trip. It's quite a ways off the beaten path. It's over an hours drive on a dirt road beyond the Golden Spike National Historic Monument, at Promontory Point. If you want to see it (and it is very cool, plus you probably won't have another chance to see it above the water in this lifetime), you should plan several hours for it. I'll see if I can find a map for you.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri May 21, 2004 10:24 am

Thanks! It would be cool to actually behold it in situ, after seeing countless slides of it in countless art history lectures given by countless grad students, none of whom had......AND I wouldn't mind seeing Promontory Point again, after 30 (!) years.......

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Fri May 21, 2004 11:53 am

The pic is a link to a larger version of itself. Does that help? There are a few pictures of it still up at Anti-M's page,
http://www.comcast.net/~maggiemayday

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Fri May 21, 2004 2:21 pm

R G, that link didn't work for me, but being curious and wondering why I'd never heard of the Spiral Jetty even though going to that renowned Provo Utah campus (BYU...ok so I was in the engineering/music depts.) for four years...here's another good link with pictures and driving info: http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/geo ... ljetty.htm

Looks very cool!