Roadside Attractions

We didn't hit nearly as many roadside attractions as we did last time, but we were also on the road a lot more so most of the time we just wanted to get to our destinations. But here are the few that we did stop at.

From Lillington, NC to Hilton Head Island, SC:
1. South of the Border
I-95 – US 301/501, Dillon, SC
This place is absolutely ridiculous. There are so many things to walk around and take pictures with. But what we wanted to do most was take the elevator to the top of the Sombrero and of course, it was closed. I'm not sure why. So we didn't get to do that. And honestly, it looked a little scummy so we didn't really want to go inside anywhere. If we go that way again, we'll definitely pass this up.
From Orlando, FL to Delray Beach, FL:

2. Manatee Lagoon
6000 N Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL
This is an adorable stop that we want to visit again, especially if we can make it between November and March. When we stopped, the manatees were gone, but it was still a cute little stop with an adoroable manatee sculpture and lots of fun facts posted around the water. I think there was also a cute visitor's center (which we want to check out next time) that has tours Tues-Sat at 2pm.
From Delray Beach, FL to Nashville, TN

3. World's Largest Peanut
315 Whittle Circle, Ashburn, GA
This thing is basically just a huge peanut on top of a brick pedestal. We stopped to take pictures with it for a couple minutes. It was a great chance to get out of the car and stretch our legs. If you're not interested in stopping, you can still see the giant peanut from the highway.

4. Large Cow
2005 North St, Ashburn, GA
This big cow is fun to take pictures with and as a bonus, it sits in a Dairy Queen parking lot. I mean, what better way to take a break from the road than to get some ice cream and sit by a giant cow!

Like I said, we didn't visit very many roadside attractions this time. If you want to see our list from last time, check them out

Roadtrip Roundup

We went so many places and had so much fun on our road trip through the Southeastern quarter of the United States. Here is a roundup of all of my posts.

Day 1: Bloomington, IL to Sikeston, MO
Day 2: Sikeston, MO to Memphis, TN to Dallas, TX
Day 3: Dallas, TX
Day 4: Dallas, TX to Baton Rouge, LA
Day 5: Baton Rouge, LA to New Orleans, LA
Day 6: New Orleans, LA to Gulf Shores, AL
Day 7: Gulf Shores, AL
Day 8: Gulf Shores, AL to Panama City Beach, FL
Day 9: Panama City Beach, FL to Nashville, TN
Day 10: Nashville, TN to Bloomington, IL
If you visit any of these places that we traveled to, you will have such a great time because they're all such fun locations.

Roadtrip: Day 10: Nashville, TN to Bloomington, IL

We woke up this morning and ate a huge breakfast at our hotel, ready for the last day of our vacation.

We figured we couldn't come to Nashville just for a concert and not see anything while we were there so we headed to The Gulch to check out a few things. First, we went to Biscuit Love to see what the fuss was all about. Now, just a warning to anyone that is visiting, from the time that we got in line to the time when we got our food was literally about 1 hour 15 minutes, and we got it to go. The line was huge and wrapped around the sidewalk outside. I know this was a Sunday, but just keep that in mind if you plan to get some delicious bonuts!

While my husband waited in line for us, my 7yo and I decided to walk around the corner to see the beautiful #WhatLiftsYou wings that are painted on the side of a wall just ½ a block from Biscuit Love. They are so beautiful! And I love that there is a huge version and a tiny version. And, there was a nice little line that had formed before we got there. Everyone was so polite and took turns taking pictures. It was very organized for a random line that no one was in charge of. I love seeing that!

After we got our bonuts, my husband bought me a flower from the most adorable little flour truck across the street! I had never seen anything so cute in my whole life. I could just picture a couple taking their engagement photos in front of this truck. Ah! I just love it.

After our adorable little morning in The Gulch, we had to be on our way home.

Roadside Attractions:
1. Superman Statue
517 Market St., Metropolis, IL
I love this statue. First of all, it's huge. Second of all, it's all fenced off with walking access so it's easy to take a picture with. And finally, because there are a couple other photo-ops within a hundred feet of it. My husband had always wanted to stop here, but I wasn't about to drive all the way there just for a photo. But since we were driving right past it, why not? It was awesome.

2. Road Sign Art
200 Potomac Blvd, Mount Vernon, IL
This is a very interesting art piece that sits outside of a visitors center. It wasn't open when we drove past, but we were still able to get a couple cute pictures with this sign.

Bonus: We noticed on our drive that there was another big cross (not nearly as big as the other one, but still cool) that you could see from the highway in Effingham, IL.

We finally got home and went straight to bed. We were completely exhausted, but we had an amazing trip! And we visited a lot of places that we'd never been before.

Roadtrip: Day 9: Panama City Beach, FL to Nashville, TN

We took our time getting out of bed this morning since we knew we had a big, long day ahead of us. We took a couple pictures by the beach before we left the gulf for our trip back up North. Then we got in the car.

We stopped at a couple roadside attractions along the way:
1. Big Peach Statue
2300 7th Ave S, Clanton, AL
This is actually in a little park at the end of the parking lot between a gas station and a market. It's a pretty cute little statue. And the park is a small little area to stretch your legs.

2. 125-foot-tall Cross
316 Mountain Crest Parkway, Gardendale, AL
So, we didn't actually stop for this one because we just wanted to get to our destination. But you can see it very clearly from the highway so stopping isn't entirely necessary in my opinion. It is absolutely huge and very cool to see though.

Bonus: You can see a very cool rocket at the side of the road on your way near Elkmont, AL.

3. Giant Chicken with Chef Hat
1371 Bryson Rd, Elkton, TN
Now, this one was a pretty good stop. It's right outside of a gas station. There's food, gas, restrooms, and a cute photo-op. How can you go wrong?

After our huge, long 7-hour trip from Florida to Tennessee, we were exhausted so we just checked into our hotel. But we didn't have any time to hang around. We were off to our next adventure. We decided to take our son to his first concert: Dashboard Confessional and All-American Rejects. Now, he wasn't overly interested in this, but he did enjoy himself. Ascend Amphitheater is actually pretty nice! There were a couple food trucks (which was awesome since we didn't have time for dinner beforehand). We sat on the grass in the back of the amphitheater. However, we got there early so we were able to get a spot right behind the break between the grass seating and the reserved seating. That was pretty cool. We were able to see pretty well. And of course, we really enjoyed when they played their old, nostalgic music. We did end up staying for the entire concert, so by the time we got back to our hotel, it was pretty late, especially for a 7yo.

The Hotel: Drury Inn and Suites
555 Donelson Pike, Nashville, TN
So this hotel wasn't really close to anything (except the airport), but we looked and looked and everything in the heart of Nashville was ridiculously expensive. So we figured we would pay half the price and stay a little outside of the center. We were only there for 1 night anyway. The parking was really stupid. There were a ton of people there apparently and we ended up parking as far away from a door as you could get. Oh well. Breakfast was pretty good. I would call it slightly better that your average hotel breakfast. Everything seemed clean and modern so I really can't complain.

Overall, we had a pretty good day.

Roadtrip: Day 8: Gulf Shores, Alabama to Panama City Beach, FL

We only stopped at 1 roadside attraction on our way from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach.
15-foot tall Coca-Cola bottle
152 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL
This one is behind the building. We parked in the parking lot next to strip of buildings and walked behind them to take our picture.

So I had read multiple places online that we should go to Shell Island. So that's what we did. We took the Shell Island Shuttle (which departs from St. Andrews State Park). We were originally planning to snorkel, but they said that it was low visibility while we were there because the current was a little strong, so ended up not doing that. So in the end, in my opinion. It wasn't worth it. We paid over $50 for the 3 of us to take a boat to an island where all we did was sit on a beach. They don't have a lot of shells, we didn't get to snorkel, and you have to pay just to get into the State Park. The whole thing just seemed incredibly unnecessary. If we ever go back, we'll make sure to check the snorkel conditions before wasting our money. Oh well. My son still had the time of his life playing in the water.

Dinner: I was really craving a buffet so we went to Captain Jack's Family Buffet.
8208 Thomas Drive, Panama City, FL
It was stupid expensive ($100 before tip) for the 3 of us, but it was at least delicious and I think my son ate more here than he did anywhere on this whole trip. At least there's that! Plus, our waitress was so friendly and attentive. If you get the chance to eat here, do it during lunch. Unless you're going for the crab legs, lunch is a way better deal.

Hotel: Boardwalk Beach Resort Hotel & Convention Center
9600 S Thomas Dr, Panama City Beach, FL
I wish I could say that this was a great hotel. But honestly, it's not. First off, I just hate any hotel that has 2 double beds instead of 2 queen beds. But beyond that, they allow dogs which means at some point, you're bound to hear some yippee dog barking for a long period of time. It is right on the beach, which is clearly the main draw to the hotel. There is no breakfast. It mostly seemed clean. The door to the bathroom looked like it had been eaten apart by a dog, but for one night, the hotel did it's job in providing a place to stay. There was an abnormally early 10am check-out time, though.

Overall, this was probably my least favorite day of our entire trip. Everything was unimpressive and over-priced.

Roadtrip: Day 6: New Orleans, LA to Gulf Shores, AL

On day 6, we were officially starting the second half of our 10-day road trip vacation. We started out our day with a swamp tour with Cajun Encounters. It was awesome! We chose to drive ourselves since it was actually on the way to our next destination. Plus, this made it about $20 cheaper per person. We saw a ton of alligators. And our guide fed one a hot dog so we got to see it jump out of the water. That was fun. We also saw some swamp raccoons that were so cute. Our guide told us lots of information. He seemed very knowledgable. If you have time, I would definitely suggest this tour for anyone near the New Orleans area.

Then we drove to Gulf Shores, AL. We stopped at a couple roadside attractions along the way.
1. Giant Rocket from Apollo 19
Discovery Circle, Pearlington, MS
The area around the rocket was under construction so we couldn't really get close to it. But it's just so big that you can definitely see it. Plus, there were some other things to see outside. It's a nice little stop.

2. Crooked Feather, a 30-foot-tall Indian Head
500 Bienville Blvd, Ocean Springs, MS
This is a nice little stop as well, but there's nowhere really to park so we had to park at the hotel down the street and just walk to it. There's also a streetcar right next to it you can look in.

We checked into our hotel and then went out to get some dinner. We stopped at The Hangout.
101 E Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores, AL
It's definitely a tourist place, but the food was still okay. There's always something going on. There was a band outside, lots of photo ops, a sand hill for kids to play on, and a guy inside that talks a lot. I'm sure some people found him entertaining. I thought he was king of annoying. They have a bunch of cool drinks. I got the shark attack. Our waitress told a fun little story about a shark and then poured grenadine from the shark into the blue drink. It was fun! And my son got a vanilla milkshake with chocolate syrup in a big souvenir cup.

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express
160 W Commerce Ave, Gulf Shores, AL
It was a nice hotel and while it's not on the beach, it is right off the main road that runs down Gulf Shores so it's very convenient to everything. I would definitely recommend staying here. Breakfast was good enough. The room was clean and modern. It was everything I expected from a Holiday Inn.

Roadtrip: Day 5: Baton Rouge to New Orleans

We decided to stop at the USS Kidd before we left town and take a picture. We didn't have time to tour it, but it's very cool to see the outside. Then we were on our way.

On our trip from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, we stopped at a couple roadside attractions along the way.

1. Frostop Root Beer
411 E Airline Hwy, LaPlace, LA
There is a large rotating neon mug. It looks pretty cool, but I bet it's even better at night. Plus, they have darn good root beer floats.

2. Giant Safety Pin
Victor Ave, New Orleans, LA
So this one is inside of a park that has beautiful sculptures. We walked around for a little while and looked at some of the other sculptures around the park. They're all very cool, definitely unique, pieces of art.

Lunch: Mother's Restaurant
401 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA
We decided to order the Combination Platter to split. It came with jambalaya, red beans & rice, potato salad, shrimp creole, and grits. It turns out, I still don't like grits. But everything else was really good! I definitely recommend stopping here to get some great southern cooking. You definitely need to pay attention when getting your food. First, the guy tried to bring someone else's food to our table (we told him it wasn't ours). Then, he brought our son's food to the wrong table (and they didn't say it wasn't theirs). A minute later, we got our food and it wasn't until 5-10 minutes had gone by, we see the other table's husband come back with their receipt that we realize what happened. That woman was an idiot! I mean, come on, you hadn't even ordered your food and you thought that they just brought you some chicken fingers and fries for fun? And you ate it? I wasn't mad at the restaurant. I was mad at that woman. You didn't order it! Say something! It's not a simple mistake when you didn't order the food he's putting in front of you. Especially when you haven't even ordered yet! She's a jerk. Well, anyway, the people that work there were very apologetic. And they brought him some cookies while he was waiting for his food. Definitely eat here if you come to New Orleans. The staff is friendly. The food is good. People are idiots.

(The food was so good, I forgot to take a picture before we split it up and started eating!)

We hitched a ride on the trolley that took us down to the French Market. We walked through it and bought a couple souvenirs.

We kept walking and ran into a band playing jazz music. That was really fun. We stood and watched them for a while. Further down the street was Cafe Du Monde. My husband tells me that he'd never heard of it before we stopped there, but I just don't see how. Eating beignets at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans is such an iconic destination. It's always been on my bucket list. Well, now it's crossed off. Everyone always recommends you get a cafe au lait while you're there too, but it was just so darn hot so we ordered a frozen one. And it was delicious!! We sat inside since it was a little cooler in there.

After we were done, we strolled past the Saint Louis Cathedral on the other side of Jackson Square. Then we met back up with the trolley, which took us to another trolley, which took us just a couple blocks from our hotel.

Tip: Get the app for the trolley on your phone and pay the $3 for a day pass if you plan to ride the trolley more than 1 time.

At night, we decided to take a Haunted History Tour. We chose the 5-in-1. It was so interesting. When I first mentioned going on a ghost tour to my husband, he thought that sounded really dumb, but when he realized it was true stories that are believed to haunt New Orleans, it was way cooler! They don't have any gimmicky jump scares. Even my 7yo son thought it was super cool. They stop half way through for a bar break. Definitely worth the cost. Just know that it's a 2 hour walking tour. You don't walk far, but if you don't like being on your feet, you might not like this one.

Hotel: Wyndham Garden Baronne Plaza
201 Baronne St, New Orleans, LA
This hotel was pretty nice. My husband was even “Guest of the Day”. We got a cute little bag with water, chips, some mardi gras beads, and some mnms. There's no breakfast and while we were there, the restaurant was under construction.
Overall, we just had a blast in New Orleans! It was one of the best days of our trip.

Roadtrip: Day 2: Sikeston, MO to Memphis, TN to Dallas, TX

On the first half of the 2nd Day of our road trip, we travelled from Sikeston, MO to Memphis, TN.

First Activity: Gibson Guitar Factory Tour
145 Lt. George W Lee Ave, Memphis, TN
We parked behind the building. It cost $10 to park, but we left our car there the whole time we were in Memphis so it worked out well. We bought our tickets online which guaranteed us a spot first thing in the morning for the 10am tour. It was a Saturday, so the workers weren't there. If you prefer to see the factory when they're actually making the guitars, you'll need to go during the week. We were more than happy to see it during this off-time since we had our 7yo son with us. The factory can be pretty loud when operating, but since it wasn't, the factory was very quiet. The tour was very cool and informative. We loved learning about how Gibson guitars are different from other guitars. Plus, we just loved how they pass around pieces so you can see how it's made throughout the process. Definitely take this tour if you're in Memphis. I only found 1 downside to this whole tour: You can't take pictures inside the factory. And that's not even a huge downside! Lots of factories have that rule.

(To get this picture, you need to go to the West side of the building. It's a great photo op!)

Lunch: Pig on Beale
167 Beale St, Memphis, TN
When you walk in, it looks like kind of a dive bar, but don't be fooled. We ordered the BBQ sampler and it was simply the most delicious BBQ I've ever had! It's a small little place on Beale Street that serves amazing BBQ. I mean, if this is what Memphis BBQ tastes like, I feel like I've been missing out my entire life! I've been eating all the wrong types of BBQ. But now I know better.

Second Activity: Old Dominik Distillery
305 S Front St, Memphis, TN
We ordered these tickets online in advance as well. This tour was actually way cooler than I expected. We started with a taste of Memphis water which is apparently the key to any great Memphis alcohol. Then we were shown around the distillery and told how vodka and whiskey and Memphis toddy are made. It was very cool. Plus, there was a tasting at the end. And that toddy was the best! It is truly a drink that I could have frequently.

Overall, we had a great time in Memphis. And I learned that I really enjoy Memphis BBQ and Memphis Toddy.

Then, we drove to Dallas. We stopped at a couple roadside attractions along the way.
1. The Half-n-Half Post Office
500 Wood St, Texarkana, AR
There's a cute little photo op where you can stand in Texas and Arkansas at the same time.

2. 15 Foot Cows
1200 W Houston St, Sulphur Springs, TX
These cows are huge! And so much fun to take pictures with. Who doesn't love a big cow? Especially in Texas.

Hotel: Best Western Cityplace Inn
4150 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX
It wasn't really convenient to anything, but it wasn't out of the way. The entrance felt dangerous every time we entered because it was only 1.5 cars wide, with a sharp right off a busy highway onto a sharp incline with a speed bump at the top. And there was no elevator. I mean, we were only on the second floor, but it would have been way easier to carry all our stuff to our room. Also, there was no working ice maker. To some, no big deal. But the most annoying part about that was that my husband called the front desk and asked where it was and they said there was one by the lobby (which was out of order) and behind the pool area (which no longer existed), but they failed to mention both of those facts. So clearly the hotel staff was not very knowledgable. The room itself was okay, but nothing special.

Overall, we had a great day.

Roadtrip: Day 1: Bloomington, IL to Sikeston, MO

On Day 1 of our awesome road trip, we travelled from Bloomington, IL to Sikeston, MO. We waited for my husband to get off from work before leaving so we didn't end up getting on the road until about 3:30/4pm.

Roadside Attractions:
1. Giant Catsup Bottle (800 S Morrisonville Ave, Collinsville, IL) – This is a working watertower. There's no really great place to take a picture of it. We stopped at the gas station right next to it.

2. 15-foot-tall bowling pin (6045 W Outer Rd, Imperial, MO) – This one is right outside of a bowling alley. It sits at the top of a hill and is very easy to get a picture with.

Dinner: Lambert's (Home of the Throwed Rolls)
2305 E Malone Ave, Sikeston, MO
We walked around 8pm and were seated right away. They took our order and it didn't take too long for our food to come out. I just love the atmosphere at this restaurant. There are license plates and signs all over the walls. The staff really seem to enjoy themselves (well, most of them anayway). There was a person in the other room playing the piano. It's just fun! Plus, I really enjoy watching people trying to catch their rolls. That's right, there's a guy that walks around with a cart full of rolls and if you stick your arm up in the air, he'll throw you a roll! Don't worry, if you're not a great catch, he does walk around so he'll throw it to you from a foot away if you want him to. Otherwise, all the way across the room is way more fun! And no worries if you drop it. He'll throw another. They serve down-home cooking. And it's all delicious. Plus, there are the passed sides. People walk around with big bowls of fried okra and potatoes and black-eyed peas and all sorts of other things (at no extra cost with your meal). It's a great value. I definitely recommend it.

Hotel: Best Western Plus
120 S Interstate Dr, Sikeston, MO
Our hotel was great! We didn't spend a lot of time here because we checked in around 9pm and checked out around 8am. But the room was clean and modern. Our room was at the end of the hallway so it seemed like it was bigger than an average room. It had a king bed and a sofa bed. It was perfect. The bathroom was huge. I would definitely ask for a room at the end of the hallway.

Overall, our day went pretty smooth. We had a great time and it was just the right way to start our road trip.