Roadside Attractions vs. Portable Electronics
November 29, 2007. Perhaps you've been driving to a luxury vacation rental in Branson, Missouri, and noticed the Elvis Is Alive Museum. Maybe you've riding across Texas and stopped at the Cathedral of Junk. Or maybe you made a special trip to Idaho just to see the World's Largest Potato.
Anyone who's ever traveled in our country knows the Roadside Attraction, a kitschy tourist spot and welcome relief from long hours on the road. According to a report on National Public Radio, however, Roadside Attractions are a disappearing phenomenon in America.
It seems that on-board DVD players, portable video games, and other electronics are keeping the children too busy to want see highway oddities. The owners of many Roadside Attractions are also getting old, and closing their businesses. In some cases, interstate systems and bypasses have rerouted traffic away from once bustling travel arteries. In other cases, local zoning laws have made these unusual ventures harder to operate.
So, if you're ever driving and you spot a 40-foot-tall gopher or a collection of oddly-painted toilet seats, remember to stop and enjoy these unusual sites. They may not be around for much longer.
