When you're on holiday, museums and art galleries have their place. It's just that sometimes that place is far, far away. Because every once in a while you just want to see weird, fun, kitschy stuff and not have to think too much. It's what tourists are supposed to do, after all; drive somewhere, get out of the car, look at things, and then go away again. After the stress of work and day-to-day life, you deserve to drive through beautiful countryside, stopping occasionally to look at a giant head, or Fred Flintstone's imaginary house. Welcome to the wacky world of weird roadside attractions in Arizona.
When old Route 66 was mothballed and bypassed (by the I-40 highway in Arizona), towns that once thrived had to innovate or die. And by golly, innovate they did. Tacky, quirky or just plain weird, there's a roadside attraction out there for every taste:
The Giant Skull
Longhorn Bar & Grill (Amado) - The gimmick here is the giant, fake steer skull (with antlers), that forms the entrance to a restaurant, so you can combine slight weirdness with a nice lunch. This attraction will appeal to children because the giant skull is sufficiently striking and realistic looking to inspire all sorts of gruesome imaginings.
Location: 28851 South Nogales Highway (off Interstate 19, Arivaca Rd exit), Amado.
The Giant Dinosaurs
Stewart's Petrified Wood (Holbrook) - When you spy the life-size animatronic dinosaurs outside the shop, you'll know you're in the right place. You can buy petrified wood souvenirs (fossilized trees), while simultaneously admiring the authenticity of the mannequin body parts clutched in the dinosaurs' rapacious jaws. There's also an ostrich farm on the premises and you're encouraged to feed the birds. This attraction could very well be kid heaven: fossils, man-eating dinosaurs and giant birds. What more could you ask for?
Location: I-40 exit 303. Situated 13 miles east of Holbrook, Arizona.
The Giant Head
When old Route 66 was mothballed and bypassed (by the I-40 highway in Arizona), towns that once thrived had to innovate or die. And by golly, innovate they did. Tacky, quirky or just plain weird, there's a roadside attraction out there for every taste:
The Giant Skull
Longhorn Bar & Grill (Amado) - The gimmick here is the giant, fake steer skull (with antlers), that forms the entrance to a restaurant, so you can combine slight weirdness with a nice lunch. This attraction will appeal to children because the giant skull is sufficiently striking and realistic looking to inspire all sorts of gruesome imaginings.
Location: 28851 South Nogales Highway (off Interstate 19, Arivaca Rd exit), Amado.
The Giant Dinosaurs
Stewart's Petrified Wood (Holbrook) - When you spy the life-size animatronic dinosaurs outside the shop, you'll know you're in the right place. You can buy petrified wood souvenirs (fossilized trees), while simultaneously admiring the authenticity of the mannequin body parts clutched in the dinosaurs' rapacious jaws. There's also an ostrich farm on the premises and you're encouraged to feed the birds. This attraction could very well be kid heaven: fossils, man-eating dinosaurs and giant birds. What more could you ask for?
Location: I-40 exit 303. Situated 13 miles east of Holbrook, Arizona.
The Giant Head
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