Roswell: City in Southeastern New Mexico, 200 miles SE of Albuquerque. Since 1947 there have been rumors of UFOs. Hangar 84 was opened to the public in 2005 where debris from the mysterious crash of reported "flying disks" is stored.
The Bat Bridge: Austin, Texas. An army of bats pouring into the sunset sky may sound like something from the latest horror flick, but each year, thousands of people flock to Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge to see such a spectacle. Humble abode to nearly 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats, the Austin landmark stands as a popular attraction to tourists and locals alike.
The largest urban bat colony in North America feels perfectly at home in Austin from late March until early October. Each evening during these months, observers can watch in awe as these creatures of the night flock out in search of food. This dinnertime hunt creates quite a show for onlookers, resembling a dark smoke cloud spilling into the deep orange evening sky.
Graceland: Memphis, Tennessee. Where Elvis Presley lived from 1957-1977. Visit the jungle room and the meditation garden. The best time to visit is for Elvis's birthday celebration on January 8th.
Talladega Super-speedway: Talladega, Alabama. The "best of the best" for Nascar racing fans. 143,000 people can watch racing on its 300 acre facility. Largest spectator sport in the USA--over 75 million viewers.
Visit the Paul Bunyan Statues on the road in Minnesota. The King of Lumberjacks has a 11 1/2 foot tall fiberglass statue in his honor in Brainerd, Minnesota. When you travel 70 miles farther upstate to the town of Akeley--you'll find an even bigger Paul Bunyan statue---he is crouching down (if he stood up he would be 25 feet tall) and his huge hand is rested on the ground do tourists can take cheesy pictures standing in his hand. 40 miles further north, you finally come to Bemidji, there is the big kahuna of Paul Bunyan statues...erected in 1937 it is the classic roadside statue you are thinking of--18 feet high with his 5 ton Babe the Blue Ox standing next to him.
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: Sturgis, South Dakota. 24 miles north of Rapid City. Biggest motorcycle rally in America. Over half a million people visit for a week of bike shows, races and riding. Takes place at the beginning of August every year.
The Corn Palace: Mitchell, South Dakota. The Corn Palace serves as a multi-use center for the community and region. The facility hosts stage shows, as well as sports events in its arena. The World's Only Corn Palace is an outstanding structure, which stands as a tribute to the agricultural heritage of South Dakota.
The original Corn Palace, called "The Corn Belt Exposition" was established in 1892. Early settlers displayed the fruits of their harvest on the building exterior in order to prove the fertility of South Dakota soil. The third and present building was completed for it first festival at the present location in 1921. The exterior decorations are completely stripped down and new murals are created each year. The theme is selected by the Corn Palace Festival Committee and murals are designed by a local artist.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Durango, Colorado. Classic Steam Train that goes through the Rio de las Animas Perdidas "River of Lost Souls" through the mountains and San Juan National Forest to the town of Silverton. Silverton was a mining town...the train travels 18 mph from 8,000 to 14,000 feet at its peak. White puffs of smoke still come out of this 1882 steam locomotive. The ride goes on sharp mountain curves on sheer granite cliff face of the Animas Gorge. You can also visit the railroad museum in Durango. In Silverton you can go to the ld Hundred Gold Mine.
Colonial Williamsburg: Williamsburg, Virginia. Watch Colonial America re-enacted. 301-acre site with over 80 original buildings. Actors stay in character all the time and cannot be tripped up--some believe they really are in 1770.
Niagara Falls: Niagara, New York. Largest waterfall in North America. The falls straddle the border between Ontario and New York State. 20 stories high, 42 gallons of water per minute. One mile wide. You can take a 600-passenger boat called The Maid of the Mist to the base of Horshoe Falls or you can take Cave of the Winds Tours to the base of Bridal Veil Falls...wearing raincoats, of course.
Hot Dog Eating Contest: Coney Island, New York. The I.F.O.C.E. Nathan's International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual competitive eating competition held at Nathan's Famous Corporation's original and best-known restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. The event is held on July 4, and is regarded as the world's most famous hot dog eating contest and a colorful tradition of Independence Day in the United States. In 2006, over 30,000 spectators attended the event, and an additional 1.5 million households watched it live on ESPN. We realize this is “date specific” but can do a spin on it for Wilson and Ditch (their own contest!).
The Iditarod: Anchorage, Alaska. Sled dog race starting in anchorage and ending weeks late in Nome. The course is 1,150 miles of snow. An average of 65 racers come from all over the w. Largest spectator sport even in Alaska. Each team has 12-16 dogs, mostly huskies.
TBD Something funny with eating Southern Food in Atlanta, Georgia
Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Every February 2nd 40,000 spectators watch at Gobbler's Knob. They bring out the groundhog to decide if there is going to be another week(s) of winter. They rap a wooden acacia can on an old oak stump to awaken Punxsutawney Phil. The whole day is crazy...they fire t-shirts out of cannons and play Polka music to keep the crowds interested.
Carhenge: Alliance, Nebraska. Built by a man in memorial to his Dad. Made of 38 dumped cars painted grey in an old field to look like Stonehenge.
The Elephant Seals: Año Nuevo, California. Perhaps the most compelling attraction for human visitors to Año Nuevo State Reserve is the large colony of northern elephant seals that assembles here each winter. So named because of their large size and long pendulous noses on the males. These large animals spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to molt, give birth, and mate.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Ashland, Oregon since the 1930s. Largest and longest celebration of William Shakespeare---250,000 theater lovers descend upon this town.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Big Island, Hawaii. Kilauea Volcano has had lava flowing at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit since 1983.