Ten Top Out-of-the-Way Places
 

In today's USA Weekend is a list of the top 10 out-of-the-way places you should go out of your way to see. Do you agree or would you pick others as I would?
1. Carhenge, Alliance NE...junk cars arranged like Stonhenge.
2. Fallingwater, Mill Run, PA...Frank Lloyd Wright house.
3. The ancient Spanish monastery, N. Miami, FL...relocated by tycoon Hearst from Segovia.
4. Watts Towers, Los Angeles, CA...steel rod construction.
5. Devils Tower Nat'l Monument in WY
...monolith west of Badlands.
6. Club Ebony, Indianola, MS...real Delta juke joint.
7. Sea Lion Caves, Florence, OR...located on
Pacific coast.
8. Historic New Harmony, IN...Museum village settled in early 1800s by idealists.
9. Panorama of the City of New York, Queens, NY...Display of landmarks.
10. International UFO Museum & Research Center, Roswell, NM...Possible alien site?

ozarksbill

Out of the Way to Who?
Those all seem pretty well known to me.

I would pick others.

I would definitely include Havasu Falls, Supai, AZ

Have already been to Devil's Tower and would love to see Fallingwater. I would pick other places, like Isle Royale NP, to be on the list.

I guess that the sea lion caves would be of interest....once. We make it a point to drive past as fast as legally allowed, while holding our breath.

Guess my top ten out-of-the-way places might also be out-of-mind for most:
-Scottsboro, Alabama--first Monday trade day, when you can swap anything for anything else. Loads of fun.
-Des Allemands, Louisiana--just a neat little town with nothing happening.
-Jemez Springs, New Mexico--water bursting out of a hole in the rocky hillside.
-Mamou, Louisiana--they even wrote a song about this place.
-Mountain Home, Arkansas--nice scenery and nice folks.
-Crescent City, Florida--on Crescent Lake, one of the prettiest lakes around.
-Fort Mountain, Georgia--visit the B&B on top of the mountain.
-Seneca, South Carolina--anywhere along Lake Keowee.
-Chatuge Lake, north Georgia.
-

bbqboy's question "Out of the Way to Who?" is right on point. The question and answers are from USAToday's magazine distributed today.

"Out of the Way to Who?
Those all seem pretty well known to me."

I guess I'm reading "out of the way" literally, meaning you have to go out of the way to get to them. I don't think they were meaning unknown or unfamiliar places.

But, by that definition, I wouldn't call something in N. Miami, Los Angeles or NYC to be out of the way. I also wouldn't consider something like "Carhenge" to be a must-see. Did somebody pay them to write up free advertising for some of this stuff?

I'd agree with Havasu Falls and Isle Royale. Along the same lines, Big Bend NP is truly out of the way and not very popular either. Most parks in Alaska should make the list too - nothing says out of the way like a long plane ride to Alaska, and then a cruise or plane ride to get to the park.

And on my alternative list:
Okefenokee Swamp, GA
Mountain View, AR (not Mnt. Home) with Ozarks Folk Center
Giant City, S. IL
Pony Express Museum, St. Joseph, MO
Pine Mountain St. Pk., E. KY
Augusta Folk Festival, Davis & Elkins College, WV
Arrow Rock, MO, with Lyceum Theater
Jerome, AZ
Delta Blues Museum, Clarklsdale, MS
Amana Colonies, IA
Smith Island, MD
Canyon de Chelly, AZ
Homosassa Springs St.Pk. FL with manatees
Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Pk. ND

ozarksbill

1)Rock Bridge Canyon, the Dismals, and DeSoto State Park, all in Alabama
2)Newbury National Volcanic Monument, Oregon
3)The Racetrack, Death Valley
4)Chirachaua National Monument,Coronado National Monument,and Bisbee, Arizona
5)Mojave National Preserve, California
6)Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas
7)Acoma Sky City, New Mexico
8)Dolly Sods, West Virginia
9)Caverns of Sonora, Texas
10)Crater Lake, Oregon

ttt for more discussion.

If you make it to New Harmony, IN have a meal at the Red Geranium. It's not out-of-this-world but it is pretty darn good for the locale.

www.newharmonyinn.com/redg/index.html

You really don't get much more 'out of the way' than Carhenge. It's located several miles north of Alliance, Nebraska, which is a small town in rural Nebraska. So Nebraska's rural, Alliance is rural for Nebraska and Carhenge is rural to Alliance.

We live an hour away (in a slightly larger rural town) and I smile every time I drive by Carhenge...cracks me up.

Seriously, though, Carhenge is at the base of the Nebraska Sandhills and you can literally feel the presence of your soul out there in the middle of the gorgeous hills. Those of you familiar with the author Mari Sandoz (author of Old Jules and My Antonia) should visit this area as she grew up north of this area and based all her books on this land.

Very interesting, Tess! Either you read a whole heck of a lot or perhaps you're a writer yourself . . . the feeling you have for the land certainly came across through your words. Thanks!

BayouGal--yes to both! I'm pretty much an obsessive reader (given the time) and I write for a living, though it's health care related. Am pretty sure there's a book in me somewhere but so far it hasn't knocked loudly enough to be let out...

I'm new to this and not certain that this is the correct forum for my question.

My husband, 26 year old daughter and I are taking a road trip from Chicago toward Branson, MO. I personally am not a big country music fan, but my husband has spoken curiously of Branson for several years. During my daughter's hotel search, the Ozarks came up and we are trying to determine if the Ozarks are near Branson. On a map the Ozarks appear to cover a large geography; are there any Ozarks near Branson that would be worth the trip? Where should we stay (not fishing people) in either/or Branson or the Ozarks? What's there to do in Branson or the Ozarks? (relaxing is fine with me)

valentineee, if you look at the top left, you will see the option "post a new message." Click on that. Then when the new pages comes up, select the state you are asking about, (in your case, Missouri), by highlighting that state. Type in the title . . . something like Questions About Branson, Missouri or First Time to Branson, MO. Well, you get the idea. Then type in the questions you have, just like you did here. You will get many more responses to your questions like that. Good luck!

I've got some goodies:
Angel Lake, Nevada (near Wells, NV)
Metropolis, Nevada (also by Wells): a ghost town
Goodyears Bar, CA (Sierra Gold Country)
Jolon, CA (Mission San Antonio De Padua)
Chico Hot Springs, MT
Navarre Beach, FL
Cedarburg, WI
Yes, I've been to these places and they are all special to me. :-)

trippinkpj: I too have been to Chico Hot Springs, MT and Cedarburg, WI.
Six degrees of separation??

Thank you BayouGal, I hope I am posting this response correctly. I followed your suggestions, hopefully it will generate a helpful response.

Thank you taking the time.
Elaine