Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. As we begin this second installment of Roadside America quizzes, all thanks and praise are given to Doug Kirby, Ken Smith and Mike Wilkins, authors of the "Roadside America" books and website, for their continued work to publicize the unique sights that provide a worthy alternative to the mass market Disneyworlds and Universal Theme Parks of the world. Good job, mates.
One of the great things about touring America's offbeat attractions is that intrepid vacationers could see any number of thought-provoking sights. The question remains, however, whether they always SHOULD pursue such enlightenment. An outstanding case in point is a town in the coal-producing region of the Northeast where a mine fire has been raging continuously since 1961. (If you are not familiar with this site and suspect this is a misprint, rest assured that you are not seeing a typographical error - there has been a fire under this town since John F. Kennedy was president.) Where might one see this industrial disaster that just keeps on happening?
2. Across Interstate 80 near Kearney, Nebraska spans the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, a $69 million complex commemorating the routes west that have passed though the area over the centuries. Which of these historic pathways did not make use of the natural passage created by the Platte River Valley?
3. The theme song for crazy vacations may well be Weird Al Yankovic's "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota", an anthem commemorating Francis A. Johnson's magnificent achievement of textile collection still on exhibit in the North Star State town of Darwin. Since Yankovic's composition, however, another spindled spheroid has taken the title of world's largest ball of twine. Where is the current record holder, which boasted a total twine length of 7,049,191 feet in 2003?
4. "Star Trek - The Experience" was an elaborate attraction based on all the various Star Trek series. Here one could have toured a replica of the Enterprise's bridge, traced the "history of the future" on an elaborate time line that included Mr. Spock's coffin and every generation of phaser, communicator, and tricorder. The Experience culminated with two thrill rides, after which you could have kicked back with a bottle of Romulan Ale (freshly smuggled across the Neutral Zone) or adjourned to the full-scale casino next door which, inexplicably, was not run by the Ferengi. Of course, this nerdish nirvana could only have been found in _______________.
5. Did you know that both Kennedy assassinations, the Martin Luther King assassination, and the death of Mary Jo Kopechne were all inexorably linked by a vast worldwide conspiracy? Neither did the good folks of roadsideamerica.com until they toured the Conspiracy Museum, which also covers how John Wilkes Booth actually lived until 1903 and how Korean Airlines Flight 007 was shot down in an agreement between the Eastern and Western Blocs to prolong the Cold War. Where can one find the Conspiracy Museum - just a short walk from Dealey Plaza?
6. There is an old proverb: everything is better with monkeys. In 1933, Joseph DuMond put this maxim to the test, opening a 10-acre monkey colony of Macaques. Soon thereafter, when the colony expanded to 30 acres and several other species, DuMond opened the colony to human visitors, constructing wire tunnels to protect the Homo sapiens while the monkeys continued to roam free, thus birthing the slogan: "Where the humans are caged and the monkeys run wild." What metro area is home to this year-round outdoor attraction?
7. Any roadside-conscious traveler going through Minnesota is apt to see a number of Paul Bunyan monuments; the man bestrides the state like a colossus. One of the most venerable is the 18-foot Bunyan in Bemidji, Minnesota, home of football great Bronko Nagurski (who bore more than a passing resemblance to Bunyan himself) and great beauty Jane Russell. As a counterpoint to Bunyan (and his equally gargantuan companion, Babe the Blue Ox), Bemidji also boasts a "Fireplace of the States" completed in 1935, two years before their Bunyan took his post. This fireplace boasts stones coming from every American state and Canadian province as of 1935 except for one. Which state or province is missing?
8. One of the most impressive - and, frankly, mysterious - pieces of roadside kitsch in Florida is an expansive "castle" outside of Homestead south of Miami. Constructed over 20 years by Latvian immigrant Ed Leedskalnin, this castle is composed of 2.2 million tons of rock that no one can conclusively explain how the impoverished hermit transported or engineered into its current form, though the current tour guide is convinced that Leedskalnin employed some electromagnetic methods known only to Latvian sorcerers. Out of what eponymous material is this monument to lost love constructed?
9. At the Midwest Allen County Museum, a number of odd attractions have proliferated to overwhelm the staid exhibits of peer institutions. Most obvious is an homage to the area's most profound place in history - John Dillinger's 1933 capture and subsequent dramatic escape from Allen County Jail. There is also a large collection of animatronic taxidermy - formerly living animals who now move by the power of man-made engines. Perhaps most fascinating (though this fascination may well stop with your humble quiz author) is a collection amassed by a local physician. This spellbinding assemblage showcases dozens of accidentally swallowed objects the good doctor recovered over the years; most are small articles like buttons, but some pieces are a good deal more impressive. Where is this Allen County Museum?
10. Finally, I shall end on a personal note. One of my most treasured childhood memories was being called from the crowd to wake an alligator at Reptile Gardens, a great (if somewhat corny) park that will frighten the daylights out of anyone with a hint of snake fear. Where is this revered but remote attraction that celebrated its seventieth birthday in 2007? (Hint: it is very near to another, much better known family destination.)
Source: Author
stuthehistoryguy
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
minch before going online.
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