Birthplace of the Hamburger? Related Video: A Couple Walks into a Bar… in Seymour, WI. When he was just 15, so the legend goes, Charlie Nagreen invented the hamburger. [1]Forget Hulk Hogan, THIS man is a real American. The year was 1885, and Charlie was hawking meatballs at the annual fair in Seymour, Wisconsin. Sales… Continue reading Seymour, Wisconsin
Author: Soyia
Conyers Cow Tower
Do Chikins Dream of Electric Cows? Driving along rural roads, you expect to see a grazing cow or two. You do NOT expect to encounter 11 fiberglass cows—some sitting, some standing, some rearing up in apparent alarm—underneath an electrical tower. But that’s what you’ll see if you venture down Klondike Road in Conyers, Georgia. Why,… Continue reading Conyers Cow Tower
Iowa’s Literary Rest Areas
These Rest Areas Take ‘Bathroom Reading’ to Next Level Never in my life did I think I would have a favorite rest area. Then I went to Iowa. The rest areas on both eastbound and westbound I-80 near Tiffin celebrate Iowa’s connection to American literature. While the two share a theme and sit on lovely,… Continue reading Iowa’s Literary Rest Areas
Cartersville, Georgia
Whenever we head north out of Atlanta on I-75, we pass a sign telling us the Booth Museum of Western Art is up ahead. “What’s that about?” I wondered on many trips. “Why is there a museum devoted to Western art in the Southeast?” And then we’d keep driving. In late December, we decided it… Continue reading Cartersville, Georgia
World’s Largest Six-Pack
When we discovered we’d be passing within 30 minutes of the World’s Largest Six-Pack, we had no choice but to detour. Beer and the world’s largest something? We’re in! These six giant tanks in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hold 688,200 gallons of beer, according to Atlas Obscura, enough that one person could drink a six-pack a… Continue reading World’s Largest Six-Pack
The Vidalia Onion Museum
Georgia, you probably know, is the Peach State. But did you know that Georgia makes more money from onions than peaches?[1]Pecans have to rank in here somewhere if signs from the highway are any indication. We didn’t either until our visit to the Vidalia Onion Museum. The small town of Vidalia sits 20 minutes or… Continue reading The Vidalia Onion Museum
Mustard Museum
If we’re learning anything, it’s that there’s a museum for everything. Even mustard. The National Mustard Museum takes up two floors of a brick building in Middleton, Wisconsin’s charming downtown. The main floor houses the gift shop, which sells scores of mustards and related treats—but not ketchup, never ketchup—as well as kitchen tchotchkes and a… Continue reading Mustard Museum
House on the Rock
In early 2018, we attended a sneak preview of the Season 2 premiere of “American Gods,” filmed at House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Midway through the screening, I leaned over to Fred and whispered, “I want to go to there.” I finally got the chance more than two years later, and I… Continue reading House on the Rock
Heartbreak Hotel
“We drove 25 minutes out of our way to see a place called the Heartbreak Hotel, and Elvis never even stayed here?” he asked. Well… yes. [1]I cannot begin to describe how much this place was in the middle of nowhere. The famous 1956 Elvis song was inspired by a newspaper story about a man… Continue reading Heartbreak Hotel
Broxton’s Barney Barn
On an old barn in Broxton, Georgia, a bug-eyed Barney Fife keeps watch over cars streaming along a rural stretch of U.S. 441. Artist Dylan Ross painted the mural, which also features an inset of Andy and Opie Taylor taking a stroll to their favorite fishing hole. Why is there a tribute to Mayberry, North… Continue reading Broxton’s Barney Barn