Roadside America

Planning a trip to somewhere Stateside? Wonder what offbeat splendors might be right around the veritable corner? Visit Roadsideamerica.com, "Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist attractions," and wonder no more. Or wonder even more at the plethora of wonderful wonders awaiting the wandering wayfarer.

The giant chia pet depicted above, for example, happens to be just around my actual corner.

Start your search with the Electric Map of the lower 48, D.C. and Canada. Watch the collection of video clips "culled from the Roadside America vault (including) interviews with the Immortals of Tourism, treasured 16mm home movies, and scary moments captured on hi-8mm videotape." Then there are the in-depth field reviews, written by the editors themselves, where you can find more than you thought you'd want to know about places you never thought existed. If, for some reason, you find yourself in Texas, you will be everso delighted and informed to learn about Austin's Cathedral of Junk and San Antonio's Barney Smith's Toilet Seats housing over 600 painted and engraved you-guessed-its, and the amazing Stonehenge II in a town called "Hunt."

All of which will not only give you something extremely silly to do on your trip from here to there and back, but also provide you with yet more concrete evidence that the spirit of fun is very much alive and well in this great, wacky country of ours.