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The
"World's Largest" Tour
| On my motorcycle trip to the
Trinity Site in 2003, I decided to make the ride a little more
interesting. Along the way, I decided to visit sites claiming to
be the World's Largest something. You know, World's Largest
McDonalds, World's Largest Coffee Pot, or whatever. In amongst
the Largest, I stopped to visit a few other sites like the Very Large
Array (VLA), the Bone Zone, Car Henge, grave site of Smokey Bear, and
many more. Below are photos of the Largest and then some. I
had some difficulty determining (in advance) where exactly these sites
were located. So, where ever possible, I have included the GPS
Coordinates of the site. In 2006, I started continued the Largest
with the World's Largest Too
page. Stay tuned, I am planning on the World's Largest Strawberry
this weekend. |
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| This is by far the most visited
page on my website. People stop in from all over the world.
I would love to hear what brought you here and where you are
from. I once had an advertising agency even ask to use some of
the photos. How cool is that? Please drop me a note by
visiting the Feedback Page and
making a few comments. |
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Largest Goose
Sumner, Missouri
I'm glad it's not real. This would definitely be a nuisance
on the golf course. As a footnote, the second largest goose is located
in Wawa, Ontario (See Lake Superior Tour).
GPS: N39 39.168 W93 14.792
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Largest Rocker
Amana Colony, Iowa
Not the world's largest, but the largest in Iowa. This
was one big chair and it makes me look like a kid. I guess the
"kid at heart" shows through.
GPS: N41 48.336 W91 57.616
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Highest Highway
Colorado Springs, Colorado
The road to Pike's Peak is the second highest highway in the
world. There is only one other road, somewhere in the Himalayas at more
than 18,000 feet. However, this road is definitely the World's
Highest Toll Road (but you don't see that advertised anywhere).
GPS: N38 50.434 W105 02.648
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Highest Highway
Colorado Springs,
Colorado
This is a view
across the gift shop and a storm brewing. The summit was closed
the previous day due to a snow storm and I heard it closed later the
day I was there. I am so lucky to have the weather work out here.
It is said that a storm can come up from nowhere to engulf the
summit. Sheeez! I better get out of here, I'm only on two
wheels.
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Largest Driller
Tulsa, Oklahoma
I thought it would be the largest T-shirt too. It's on the
driller for the county fair. But, somewhere in England, they
constructed a huge T-shirt. If you look to the lower left, you will see
the unclaimed largest oiler (penguin). Behind the driller is the
largest free span structure (see note elsewhere on this page).
GPS: N36 08.006 W95 55.885
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Largest Free Span
Tulsa, Oklahoma
"Free span" is an area without columns. Unless you are an
engineer, this picture has been generally acknowledged as one of the
most boring of the collection. Well, lets be honest, even if you are an
engineer, its hard to appreciate this "largest".
GPS: N36 08.006 W95 55.885
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Largest McDonalds
Vinita, Oklahoma
Well, this one may be in dispute. It seems there is a
McDonalds in Romania or the former Russia that claims to be
larger. Don't bring up the subject to the folks in Vinita as they
take pride in this attraction.
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Largest Porch Swing
Hebron, Nebraska
Wouldn't you think they would have the sense to put it on the
largest porch?
GPS: N40 10.011 W97 35.447
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Largest "M"
Near Platteville, Wisconsin
Come out in the spring for the annual white-wash day where UW
Platteville students white-wash the rocks.
GPS: N42 45.878 W90 24.491
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World's Largest Bull
Audubon, Iowa
"Albert The Bull" Now that's a lot of bull!
GPS: N41 42.760 W94 55.575
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Largest Corn Stalk
Shelby, Iowa
Right along I-80 at the Shelby exit is the world's largest
corn stalk. Where else but Iowa would you expect to see this one?
GPS: N41 30.027 W95 27.123
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Largest Covered Wagon
Milford, Nebraska
These people did not really claim to be the largest, but as
long as it brought a tourist or two by, they were ok with that.
GPS: N40 46.247 W97 02.720
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Largest Coffee Pot
Stanton, Iowa
The former hometown of "Mrs. Olson" of the Folgers Coffee
fame. This coffee pot was created for the 100th anniversary of
the town and were honored by the return of Mrs. Olson for the parade.
GPS: N40 59.010 W95 05.786
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Largest Coffee Cup
Stanton, Iowa
For you purists out there, this is not working coffee
cup. Ok, but I would vote for calling this the largest because
its more fun to look at than the real largest cup. Let some other
city come and challenge them for it.
GPS: N40 58.377 W95 06.051
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Other Sights Along the Way
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The Bone Zone
Madrid, New Mexico
This area is full of artisans of all strips. You can find
them using all sorts of media to do their work, including this artist
who used bone as her medium. Talk to the artist, you won't forget her.
I visited the Bone Zone to see the Bone Motorcycle. It's up on the roof
of her house. If you get a chance, I strongly recommend heading through
the countryside of Santa Fe.
GPS: N35 25.561 W106 08.100
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Captain Kirk Birthplace
Riverside, Iowa
This is not a "largest", but I had to stop as long as I was
going by. The official marker is behind a beauty salon. The owner is
pretty cordial about people walking around the backyard. To get to the
marker, you'll need to look hard between the downtown buildings.
GPS: N41 28.775 W91 35.102
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National Route 66 Museum
Elk City, Oklahoma
There are a gazillion Route 66 museums across the
country. This is outside the Official National Route 66
Museum. In front of the museum there is a half block of movie set
type historic looking buildings for your photo op pleasure.
GPS: N35 24.701 W99 26.277
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Route 66
West of Elk City, Oklahoma
I decided to take a few of the strips of Route 66 left. Some
day I would like to take the trip from one end of Route 66 to the
other. At least as much as is remaining. My Kawasaki Voyager XII,
Prudence, is the motorcycle that takes me cross country.
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Grave of Smokey Bear
Capitan, New
Mexico
Halfway between
Roswell and Trinity lies the little town of Capitan, New Mexico. Here
they laid the real Smokey Bear to rest. Off in the distance lie the
Capitan Mountains where the bear was found as a survivor of an immense
forest fire. He was smokin' and hence the name.
GPS: N33
32.736 W105 34.390
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Spiral Staircase
Santa Fe, New Mexico
As featured on Ripley's Believe It Or Not, this "miraculous"
staircase has no visible means of support. But, the church (Loretto
Chapel) sure knows about support. It costs a few bucks to get in to see
the staircase and then the exit door leads directly into a gift shop
that puts Wahl Drug to shame!!
GPS: N35 41.160 W105 56.266
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Sonic
Bridge
Tulsa, Oklahoma
I prefer to
think of it as the Sonic Center of the Universe. There is this
strange and wonderful place in downtown Tulsa where you can hear a pin
drop. Even the slightest whisper is loud and clear.
GPS: N36
09.396 W95 59.483
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Plow In
The Tree
Exira, Iowa
Just a few miles
south of Audubon is a wayside with the famous "Plow in the Tree". There
are several stories, but the one I like is the farm boy who leaned the
plow against a tree and went off to WWII. He never came back and the
tree grew around the plow.
GPS: N41
35.242 W94 53.420
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Very Large Array
50 Miles West of Socorro, NM
The World's Largest Array of Radio Telescopes is The Very
Large Array, or VLA. The VLA is where they do radio astronomy. I
was surprised that the radio astronomers are no where to be found! They
sit in Socorro, New Mexico 50 miles away and look at data streams from
the site.
GPS: N34 04.393 W107 37.645
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Very Large Array
The VLA is a
series of 27 radio telescopes, 82' in diameter, set out on three radial
railroad tracks. I think each track extends eight miles from the
central facility.
GPS: N34
04.393 W107 37.645
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Very Large Array |
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Very Large Array |
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