California is residence to many iconic landmarks and points of interest, from the Golden Gate Bridge to Disneyland. Nonetheless, there are additionally many distinctive and quirky California roadside points of interest that may be discovered all through the state. These points of interest typically seize the creativeness of vacationers and supply a enjoyable and memorable expertise. Whether or not it’s a large dinosaur, a towering thermometer, or a museum devoted to crocheting, these California roadside points of interest provide a glimpse into the various and eclectic tradition of the state.
On this checklist, we’ll discover 20 of probably the most fascinating and entertaining roadside points of interest within the Golden State.
Cabazon Dinosaurs – Cabazon, California
Cabazon Dinosaurs is a beloved roadside attraction positioned in Cabazon, California, a small desert metropolis positioned in Riverside County, about 20 miles west of Palm Springs and 90 miles east of L.A. This California roadside attraction options two towering dinosaur sculptures, that are each distinctive and quirky, in addition to its historic significance in popular culture.
The Madonna Inn – San Luis Obispo
The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is a unusual and colourful roadside attraction that has been charming guests since 1958. From its distinctive structure to its vibrant and eclectic decor, the inn is a testomony to the creativity and imaginative and prescient of its founder, Alex Madonna. The inn’s 110 rooms are every uniquely embellished, that includes every part from rock partitions and velvet upholstery to themed suites just like the Caveman Room and the Previous Mexico Room. With its charming ambiance, enjoyable facilities, and beautiful environment, The Madonna Inn is a must-see vacation spot for anybody touring via central California.
The Large Artichoke – Castroville, California
The Large Artichoke in Castroville is a well-liked California roadside attraction positioned within the coronary heart of the “Artichoke Capital of the World.” Castroville is a small city positioned in Monterey County, simply off of Freeway 1. The Large Artichoke is a 20-foot-tall artichoke statue that has turn out to be an emblem of the city’s agricultural heritage and its standing as a serious producer of artichokes. Guests can discover the adjoining reward store and restaurant, which supply a wide range of artichoke-themed souvenirs and scrumptious dishes made with contemporary, domestically grown artichokes. With its distinctive and quirky attraction, The Large Artichoke is a must-see attraction for anybody touring alongside the scenic California shoreline.
World’s Largest Thermometer – Baker, California
The World’s Largest Thermometer is an iconic roadside attraction positioned alongside the historic Route 66. Standing at a towering top of 134 toes, the thermometer serves as a tribute to the acute temperatures that may be discovered within the Mojave Desert. The thermometer was first inbuilt 1991 by Willis Herron as a method to promote his journey middle, and it has since turn out to be a beloved landmark for vacationers passing via the realm. The thermometer is totally purposeful and might show temperatures as much as 134 levels Fahrenheit, which is the very best temperature ever recorded in the US. The World’s Largest Thermometer is a worthy California roadside attraction as a result of its distinctive and quirky design, in addition to its historic significance as a tribute to Route 66 and the American West.
The Massive Donut Drive-In – Inglewood, California
The Massive Donut Drive-In is a charming roadside attraction that has been serving up scrumptious donuts and low since 1950. Positioned simply off of the historic Route 66, the drive-in is unattainable to overlook because of its iconic big donut signal, which stands at 32 toes tall and 10 toes large. The donut store has been featured in quite a few films and TV reveals, together with “Iron Man 2” and “Mad Males,” and it has turn out to be a beloved native landmark for residents and guests alike. The Massive Donut Drive-In’s traditional American diner vibe and scrumptious, freshly baked donuts make it a must-visit vacation spot for anybody touring via Southern California.
Bubblegum Alley, San Luis Obispo
Bubblegum Alley is a singular and quirky roadside attraction that has been drawing guests for the reason that Nineteen Fifties. The alley is strictly what it feels like: a slim pedestrian alleyway that’s utterly lined in used chewing gum. Guests are inspired so as to add their very own piece of gum to the wall, making a continually evolving murals. Whereas the origins of Bubblegum Alley are unclear, it has turn out to be a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers and locals alike, with some estimates placing the variety of items of gum on the partitions at over a million. Regardless of its unconventional nature, Bubblegum Alley is a beloved a part of San Luis Obispo’s historical past and tradition, and it’s properly value a go to for anybody passing via the realm.
The World Well-known Crochet Museum – Joshua Tree, California
The World Well-known Crochet Museum is a one-of-a-kind California roadside attraction that celebrates the artwork of crochet. The museum is housed inside a tiny, 7-foot-by-7-foot roadside stand, and it’s residence to an enormous assortment of crochet items, together with every part from hats and scarves to animals and home goods. The museum was based in 2006 by artist Shari Elf, who started filling the tiny area together with her personal crochet creations earlier than opening it as much as contributions from different artists and fanatics around the globe. Whereas the museum could also be small, its dedication to celebrating the creativity and artistry of crochet has made it a beloved vacation spot for guests to Joshua Tree and past.
The Salton Sea – Imperial and Riverside Counties
The Salton Sea is an fascinating roadside attraction in California as a result of its distinctive and complicated historical past and pure options. Positioned within the southeastern a part of the state, the Salton Sea is an enormous and shallow saltwater lake that was created by chance in 1905 when the Colorado River breached an irrigation canal. Through the years, the Salton Sea has gone via intervals of increase and bust, with the encircling space as soon as being a well-liked resort vacation spot within the Nineteen Fifties and 60s. In the present day, the Salton Sea is a captivating ecological and environmental website, with its excessive salt content material and rising air pollution ranges making it a difficult surroundings for wildlife to thrive in. Regardless of its challenges, the Salton Sea stays a well-liked vacation spot for photographers, birdwatchers, and nature fanatics, and its stark and otherworldly magnificence continues to captivate guests from around the globe.
Eclectic California Roadside Points of interest in Slab Metropolis and Salvation Mountain
Slab Metropolis/Salvation Mountain is without doubt one of the most fascinating and eclectic California roadside points of interest within the state. Positioned only a brief distance from the Salton Sea, Slab Metropolis is a singular and offbeat group of artists, musicians, and free spirits who’ve made their residence in a former navy base. On the coronary heart of Slab Metropolis is Salvation Mountain, a vibrant and colourful artwork set up that’s devoted to spreading love and the message of Christianity. Created by artist Leonard Knight over a interval of a number of a long time, the mountain is made fully out of adobe, straw, and 1000’s of gallons of brightly coloured paint. Collectively, Slab Metropolis and Salvation Mountain provide a glimpse into a very different lifestyle, and their unconventional magnificence and spirit of freedom and creativity have made them a beloved vacation spot for vacationers from around the globe.
The Integratron, Landers
The Integratron is a outstanding roadside attraction positioned in Landers, California, only a few miles north of Joshua Tree Nationwide Park. It’s a white dome-shaped construction made fully of wooden and designed to reinforce human potential via sound, meditation, and different types of different therapeutic. The Integratron was constructed within the Nineteen Fifties by George Van Tassel, who claimed to have obtained the design for the construction from aliens. The distinctive structure and its historical past, coupled with the promise of an otherworldly expertise, make the Integratron an intriguing and in style vacation spot for vacationers and non secular seekers alike. Guests can take part in sound baths, meditation classes, and benefit from the surrounding desert panorama, making the Integratron an unforgettable roadside attraction.
The Thriller Spot, Santa Cruz
The Thriller Spot is without doubt one of the finest California roadside points of interest as a result of it presents a singular and mind-bending expertise that guests can’t discover anyplace else. Positioned in the midst of a dense forest, the Thriller Spot is an space of land the place the legal guidelines of physics appear to be distorted. Guests can witness unusual optical illusions, corresponding to objects showing to roll uphill, folks showing to vary heights, and water flowing uphill. The location’s historical past is shrouded in thriller, including to the attract of the attraction. It’s a well-liked vacation spot for these in search of a bit of pleasure and marvel, and the employees supplies an entertaining and informative tour of the realm. The Thriller Spot can be conveniently positioned close to different in style points of interest, together with the Santa Cruz Seashore Boardwalk and scenic coastal drives, making it a super addition to any California highway journey itinerary.
California Roadside Points of interest to The Tree Circus – Gilroy, California
The Tree Circus is without doubt one of the most uncommon California roadside points of interest within the state. This whimsical arboretum incorporates a assortment of bushes which were fastidiously pruned and formed into fanciful shapes, together with hearts, chairs, and even a large phone. The Tree Circus was created within the early 1900s by horticulturist Axel Erlandson, who spent a long time experimenting with tree shaping methods to create these unimaginable works of dwelling artwork. In the present day, the Tree Circus stays a beloved and offbeat vacation spot for vacationers passing via the realm, positioned roughly 33 miles from San Jose.
Winchester Thriller Home – San Jose, California
The Winchester Thriller Home is without doubt one of the finest and most original California roadside points of interest within the state. This sprawling mansion was constructed within the late 1800s by Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Winchester. Legend has it that Sarah was haunted by the spirits of these killed by Winchester rifles, and he or she believed that the one method to hold the spirits at bay was to constantly construct and broaden her residence. The result’s a maze-like mansion with over 160 rooms, secret passageways, and staircases that result in nowhere. The Winchester Thriller Home is a captivating instance of Victorian structure, in addition to a testomony to 1 girl’s singular imaginative and prescient and obsession. In the present day, the home is open for public excursions, and it stays a well-liked vacation spot for these in search of a spooky and intriguing roadside attraction.
Watts Towers, Los Angeles
The Watts Towers in Los Angeles is taken into account one of many high California roadside points of interest as a result of its spectacular and distinctive artistry. The towers have been constructed over a interval of 34 years by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia utilizing discovered supplies corresponding to damaged glass, sea shells, and ceramic tiles. The towers stand at a top of as much as 99 toes and are adorned with intricate mosaics and sculptures, making them a real masterpiece of outsider artwork. The Watts Towers additionally maintain historic significance, as they have been constructed within the Nineteen Twenties and 30s throughout a time of racial stress and social unrest. The towers have since turn out to be an emblem of group resilience and cultural satisfaction. Guests can tour the positioning and be taught concerning the historical past and development of the towers, making it a must-visit vacation spot for artwork and historical past fanatics alike.
The Nut Tree – Vacaville, California
The Nut Tree is a beloved and historic roadside attraction that has been entertaining vacationers for many years. Initially a small fruit stand, the Nut Tree advanced right into a sprawling advanced that included eating places, outlets, and even a small amusement park. In the present day, the Nut Tree continues to attract guests with its nostalgic attraction and family-friendly ambiance. It options an eclectic mixture of points of interest, together with a toy retailer, a practice experience, and a life-size mannequin of a T-Rex dinosaur. The Nut Tree is positioned simply off the I-80 freeway between San Francisco and Sacramento, and is roughly 20 miles from the closest giant metropolis of Fairfield.
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox – Klamath, California
The Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statue is without doubt one of the most iconic and recognizable California roadside points of interest within the state. The enormous statue of the legendary lumberjack stands at a towering 49 toes tall, whereas his companion, Babe the Blue Ox, measures in at a powerful 35 toes lengthy. The statue was inbuilt 1949 as a tribute to the timber business that when dominated the area, and it shortly grew to become a beloved and enduring image of the realm’s wealthy historical past and tradition. In the present day, the statue stays a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers and locals alike.
The Monarch Butterfly Grove, Pismo Seashore
The Monarch Butterfly Grove is a pure marvel and a high California roadside attraction. This grove is residence to 1000’s of monarch butterflies, who flock to the realm every year to flee the colder temperatures within the north. Guests to the grove can witness the unimaginable sight of the butterflies as they cluster collectively in huge teams, masking the bushes and creating a very breathtaking spectacle. The Monarch Butterfly Grove is a singular and enchanting vacation spot that gives a uncommon alternative to witness the majesty of nature up shut. It’s positioned simply off the scenic Pacific Coast Freeway, making it a handy cease for vacationers exploring the Central Coast area of the state.
The Caboose Motel – Dunsmuir, California
The Caboose Motel is a memorable roadside attraction that gives vacationers a very one-of-a-kind lodging expertise. Because the identify suggests, the motel consists of a set of renovated practice cabooses, every transformed into a comfortable and cozy visitor room. Guests to the Caboose Motel can benefit from the thrill of sleeping in an actual practice automotive whereas additionally taking within the beautiful pure fantastic thing about the encircling space. The motel is positioned within the small city of Dunsmuir, which is roughly 60 miles north of Redding, the most important metropolis within the space. The Caboose Motel is a must-visit vacation spot for anybody in search of a unusual and unforgettable in a single day keep on their California highway journey.
The Painted Cave, Santa Barbara
The Painted Collapse Santa Barbara is a placing and historic cave portray website that dates again over a thousand years. Positioned within the Santa Ynez Mountains, the cave is adorned with intricate and vibrant depictions of animals, symbols, and different photographs, and it presents a captivating glimpse into the artwork and tradition of the Chumash individuals who as soon as inhabited the realm. The Painted Cave is without doubt one of the largest and most well-preserved cave portray websites in California, and it’s a testomony to the wealthy and complicated historical past of the area. In the present day, the cave is protected by the Nationwide Park Service, and guests can take guided excursions to be taught extra concerning the artwork and historical past of this distinctive and charming website.
California Roadside Points of interest to The Desert View Tower – Jacumba, California
The Desert View Tower is a singular and historic roadside attraction that has been drawing guests because it was constructed within the Nineteen Twenties. The tower stands at over 70 toes tall and presents panoramic views of the encircling desert panorama, in addition to a captivating assortment of artifacts and curiosities, together with a preserved specimen of a prehistoric camel. The tower was constructed by a neighborhood entrepreneur, Bert Vaughn, who wished to create a singular attraction for vacationers passing via the realm. In the present day, the Desert View Tower stays a beloved vacation spot for highway trippers and historical past buffs, providing a glimpse into the wild and untamed spirit of the American West.
If in case you have any recommendations for extra California roadside points of interest to be included, please go away a remark under. So, till subsequent time, we’ll see ya on the highway…
