America

10 Best Ghost Towns of the West

Posted by David E. Franck

10-best-ghost-towns-west

Visiting ghost towns is a great way to give your kids a quick education about the history of our country during the days of the Wild West. Not all of these places have disappeared into the landscape. Some were revitalized into thriving towns again and been given a second life. I can’t guarantee you’ll actually encounter any ghosts here, but the more remote ones can be a bit spooky. Courtesy of Toyota I had a chance to check out some of these 10 that are by far the best in terms of preserved buildings and are fairly easy to get to.

1. Bodie, California

In the Sierra Nevada Mountains straddling the California-Nevada border, this former gold town had 10,000 residents in the late 1800s. After the gold rush days it slowly declined, with its post office finally closing in 1942. Only a small part of the town survived, but Bodie still has a lot left to see, including saloons and a red-light district. Don’t even think of taking anything from it’s still stocked stores though or bad luck may come your way.

Settled:1876
Abandoned:1915
Current Status:National Historic Site

2. Calico, California

This Southern California town peaked in the 1880s. Prospectors came in droves to mine silver. When the price dropped in the 1890s, people began to leave, and it quickly became a ghost town. Today, Calico is a park, but you can still see a lot of the original buildings and you can tour the mine, or stroll through the old post office and schoolhouse.
Settled: 1881
Abandoned: 1907
Current Status: County Park

 

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10 Really Cool Places to Stay in the USA

Posted by David E. Franck
Dog Bark Park in Cottonwood, ID features the World’s Largest Beagle. This isn’t any ordinary giant dog. It’s actually a bed & breakfast that you can sleep in. You can really woof it up here in style!

Tired of staying in those motels that all look the same and have no character? Then check out some of these unique, wild and cool places to stay. Courtesy of Toyota I had a chance to experience a few and believe me these are not your mainstream travel lodges. Most are family friendly but at some of these places to stay, you may want to sneak off to by yourselves for the weekend and leave the kids at home.

1. Dog Bark Park Inn Bed & Breakfast

If you’re a dog lover, there’s a dog-shaped Bed and Breakfast in Idaho that may be just what you’re looking for. Originally the dog was meant to be just a solid billboard promoting their chain-saw dog art (yes, really). Luckily the owners saw its real potential and decided to make it into a guesthouse. If you plan on spending the night it’s best to call ahead, because this big puppy only sleeps one family at a time. If you don’t, you just might have to sit, roll over, and beg to get in!

2. Shady Dell RV Park

There’s nothing shady going on at this retro-themed RV park. They’ve got lots of vintage RVs to stay in, an old bus, and even a boat. Astro-turf grass, 50s music, and a mini drive-in theater all add to the fun ambience of the place. Inside, the trailers are decked out in real vintage furnishings and decor. Don’t expect the amenities of the 21st century like Wi-Fi though, this is meant to be a real blast from the past.

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Route 66 is Still the Place to Get Your Kicks

Posted by David E. Franck

mother-road-route-66-still-place-get-kicks

Route 66, also known as the Mother Road and the Main Street of America, may have had its heyday years ago, but it’s definitely still worth a drive to see these Route 66 attractions. Construction of the highway began in 1926 and it became one of the most famous roads in America. Connecting Chicago to Los Angeles and passing through 8 states, and covering over 2,000 miles, people came in droves to Get Their Kicks on Route 66.

Though long since bypassed by modern highways, Route 66 attractions still make it a road trip your family should take. Large sections are gone now, but cities, towns and individuals have preserved its charm and history along the way. Don’t forget to bring a camera and capture the adventure, giving your family something to truly remember for years to come.

If you have a couple of weeks you could make the whole trip, but I recommend breaking it up, as I’ve done over the years. That way you can slowly enjoy the whole experience, like people did before modern day highway speed limits. The Western section has a lot more of the original route and attractions preserved, but the Eastern half still has some great surprises as well. Courtesy of Toyota, here are some of the highlights I’ve had a chance to see. I’m sure you will have your own stories to add to this great part of American history.

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10 Big Things in Texas & How They Got There

Posted by David E. Franck

10-big-things-in-texas

Texas is a huge state and prides itself on being biggest at everything. Courtesy of Toyota, I had the chance to drive around and see some of these big things in Texas and find out why they are there. Not all are the “world’s largest,” but I guarantee you’re in for some really BIG surprises.

1. World’s Largest Cowboy Boots

Originally these giant boots were built to fill an empty lot in Washington, D.C. At 40 feet tall and 30 feet long they were promoted as the World’s Largest Cowboy Boots. That is debatable, as the cowboy boots in Seattle are probably bigger. A year later they were moved to their Texas home at a mall in San Antonio, where oddly enough, as far as I could tell there isn’t a shoe store in sight.

2. Texas’ Biggest Texan

Speaking of cowboy boots, who better to fill them than Tex Randall, the Biggest Texan. Especially now that the Big Texan at the State Fairgrounds is toast. Tex has been in Canyon since 1959, originally to promote a Western curio shop, now long gone. Luckily the new owner of the lot didn’t want to pay the hefty fee to have him torn down, leaving this giant dude to age gracefully where he still stands.

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