If your summer budget doesn’t allow you to splurge on a big vacation, road tripping could be your answer. There’s still the expense of gas and lodging (though camping can cut that down considerably), but you can find plenty of unique fun spots that don’t cost a dime if you know where to look.
[See: 10 Fun, Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time.]
(AP)
AP
1. World’s Largest Ball of Twine, Cawker City, Kansas
Twine? Fun? You bet. In 1979, Francis A. Johnson created the (then) world’s largest ball of twine in Darwin, Minnesota. Over in Cawker City, Kansas, Frank Stoeber was working on the same goal. Unfortunately, he passed away before he was able to surpass Johnson’s twine ball. That’s when the town stepped in: Each August, Cawker City hosts an annual Twine-A-Thon, where anyone can add to the twine ball.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Wikimedia Commons
2. Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
If you’ve ever wanted an awesome canvas for some spray paint art, you’ll find one here (and tagging is completely legal). Created by a group of San Francisco hippies in the mid-70s, Cadillac Ranch is comprised of 10 Cadillacs partially buried on an angle in an empty field. People come from all around the world to leave their mark on them.
[See: 12 Frugal Ways to Save on Vacation.]
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/HENRY BARGAS)
ASSOCIATED PRESS/HENRY BARGAS
3. World’s Largest Pistachio, Alamogordo, New Mexico
The World’s Largest Pistachio has everything you could want from a roadside stop — free samples, a great photo op, wine and animatronics. It’s impossible to miss the 30-foot-high pistachio as you drive down the road, beckoning you to check out the wonders within. The pistachio marks the entrance to McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch & Arena Blanca Winery. Inside you can try countless pistachio samples or indulge in wine tasting. There’s also an animatronic cowboy that tells you the history of the pistachio farm.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/HENRY BARGAS)
4. The Peabody Ducks, Memphis, Tennessee
If you’re swinging through Memphis, do not miss the Peabody Ducks. Housed in the Peabody Hotel, which is gorgeous enough to check out entirely on its own, these amazing ducks live in the lobby fountain. Twice a day, they’re marched from their other home on the roof, into the elevator and down into the pond (the reverse trek happens in the evening). There’s a ceremony led by the Duckmaster (which is an actual job, training the Peabody ducks); it’s incredibly adorable and worth the stop.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/HENRY BARGAS)
5. Chocolate World Ride, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Clearly Hersheypark is not a budget roadside stop, but oddly enough, Hershey’s Chocolate World, right outside the park, is. Pop in to stretch your legs and take the Chocolate Tour for free. The animatronic, singing cows are really a sight to behold and you finish up the tour with a free sample. Make sure your willpower is strong: It’s easy to drop a mint on chocolate in the gift shop on your way out.
[See: 6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.]
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/HENRY BARGAS)
6. Unclaimed Baggage Center, Scottsboro, Alabama
One of the weirder stops you can make is to the Unclaimed Baggage Center. Lost luggage from airlines, trains and busses all wind up at the Unclaimed Baggage Center, where it’s resold at a major discount, essentially like a Goodwill store. However, the real treat is just wandering around and checking out some of the odder lost items, including Hoggle from Labyrinth and a giant paper-mache Tinkerbell.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michael Mercier)
ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michael Mercier
7. Georgia Peach World, Townsend, Georgia
Another delightfully free stop with a fun and incredibly low-rent photo op (you stick your head through a cutout with some peaches), Georgia Peach World’s saving grace is the plethora of free samples inside. Don’t miss a taste of the peach slushie.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michael Mercier)
8. One-Way Glass Restroom, Sulphur Springs, Texas
Now for the weirdest stop on this list. The little town of Sulphur Springs, Texas, is pretty adorable and quirky on its own, but its coup de grace is the public restroom in the town square. Made entirely of glass (one-way glass, that is), it will be one of the most unique bathroom experiences of your life.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michael Mercier)
9. Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska
Stonehenge might be too far to visit this summer, but Carhenge is pretty cool, too. A replica of the famous British landmark, Carhenge was built by Jim Reinders, a Nebraskan who loved cars and Stonhenge. The site also has a little walking trail with assorted car sculptures ringing the main event.
(AP/NATI HARNIK)
