One of the things I love most about the Midwest is its number of offbeat attractions. You’ll find wacky stops in North Dakota and big things across Kansas. And the Hawkeye State is no different….
World’s Largest
I’m a frequent visitor of the World’s Largest Truckstop. Maybe you are too. For our household, this stop is a convenient halfway point when we travel along Interstate 80 from Des Moines to Chicago to…
You’ve probably never heard for Virginia Christine. But you might recognize her as Mrs. Olson from Folgers’ retro TV commercials. Christine was a Stanton, Iowa native and in 1971, the southwest Iowa town’s water tower was transformed into a Swedish coffee pot—complete with handle, spout and top knob—in honor of Stanton’s famous daughter…
While it’s a little tricky to see through the glare of the window, this tiny shed in Sac City, Iowa houses the world’s largest ball of popcorn. Fun fact: this 2,175-population town is home to the Noble Popcorn Farms, “one of the finest popcorn growing areas in the world” according to the company’s website…
The days of travel by prairie schooner may be long gone. But the World’s Largest Covered Wagon is still a great stop on any road trip through Illinois.
It’s no secret that I love world’s largest things. So it should come as no surprise that North Dakota quickly stole my heart with all of its quirky attractions.
Recently a friend of mine mentioned that she was surprised I’d never seen one of Iowa’s most well-known world’s largest seen: the wooden nickel. I’ve been to Iowa City enough times for work or to visit friends but I never tracked down the 18-foot diameter wooden nickel, located outside of Iowa City along NE Dubuque Street, just north of the Iowa River…
A few weekends ago a friend and I embarked on another Iowa adventure and headed northwest to the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa. This small town is home to the world’s largest man-made grotto, a feat that took more than 40 years to complete…
Anytime someone finds out that I love “world’s largest” things, one of their first questions is always, “Have you been to Casey, Illinois?” Now that I have, I can see why so many travelers from…
I’m always up for visiting a new world’s largest thing. Even if it happens to be a prairie chicken. A booming prairie chicken, to be precise. Located in Rothsay, Minnesota, the World’s Largest Booming Prairie…