When I discovered that Cartman’s dream restaurant, Casa Bonita, was a real place I had to visit it for my pre-concert Birthday dinner. I was not disappointed by its musty, campy, 1970s shabbiness.
“DIVE ASSHOLE!!!!”
“Sopaipillas! Can I get some Sopaipillas please!”
“Was it worth it?…Totally”
These pictures were taken from the safety of our locked car because Vegas is terrifying and disgusting.
The look of actual fear.
Bishop Castle in Rye, Colorado is truly a sight to behold. A castle built by one man who is aggressively “pursuing the American Dream”
When I saw the word “castle” on the Roadtrippers map I knew that we had to do whatever it took to get there. We took a couple hour detour to get up into the mountains of Colorado to see this insane creation, it was more than worth it.
Earth is pretty great.
See Part I here.
The desert is unforgiving.
It’s a watchtower.
Drive by mural.
The drive by mural got better.
This is a 114 degree sunset.
Growing up my family and I would take 2-3 week road trips in the RV all around the U.S, the farthest North we went was Canada and the farthest east we went was Chicago all starting in Los Angeles. When you spend so much time traveling around the U.S. (much of which is an expanse of a whole lotta nothing (I’m looking at you Kansas) you develop a certain taste for Roadside attractions because if you don’t get out and stretch you might go crazy.
Because of this healthy love of roadside attractions I insisted that on our Red Rocks road trip we stop, or at least drive past many of the crazy “attractions” I found.
We got a little lost looking for this Life Size Brontosaurus Family in Santa Fe, New Mexico but I say it was worth it (Ben probably disagrees).
We didn’t stop at Buffalo Bill’s Casino in Primm, Nevada on this road trip but when I was a kid my family and I stopped here and I have a VERY vivid memory of that roller coaster. It was definitely the biggest one I had ever ridden at the time but the reason the memory is so vivd is because the seatbelt my mom and (7 year old ?) brother wasn’t working and my mom was hanging on to him for dear life so he would fly out from underneath the bar.  All in all the whole experience was terrifying for everyone.
Good times.
World’s largest Watermelon in Green River, Utah. This 8th wonder of the world was parked in the back of a parking lot in the tiny hamlet of Green River, it was 6/10 on the sketchy scale that day.
This is Herkimer, the Worlds Largest Beetle in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
We didn’t stop and say hi but I will always remember him.
World’s Oldest Largest Rocking Chair in Penrose, Colorado. Turns out there are many “worlds largest” rocking chairs in the U.S. but this one was the largest in 1990.
Giant Tee Pee in Lupton, Arizona.
This was another drive by mostly because I don’t need “genuine” Native American art made in China.
Hopi Travel Plaza Dinosaurs near Holbrook, Arizona along Route 66.
Turns out these dinosaurs are 40 years old.
Alfred Packer’s Grave in Littleton, Colorado. This particular “attraction” required a little more effort than the ones on the roadside but I couldn’t pass up the chance to see the grave of a convicted cannibal.
Way back in 2015 I was surprised with an amazing birthday road trip to
Red Rocks to see my Number 1 lady, Florence and the Machine.
I finally went through the photos.
The theme of the Southwestern United States is: Expanse.
Nevada:
Utah:
Colorado:
New Mexico:
While I was searching through my external hard drive I found these throwback Thursday pictures from waayyy back on July 27, 2010 when I went to the Redwood Acres Fair in Eureka, California. I always liked these pictures but I never had a place to put them…until now.
This kid was serious about the Ferris Wheel.
These horses have seen some things…
Just like most Fairs it was colorful, exciting and just a little bit janky.
We got our beloved RV “Fred” when I was in second? third? grade and every summer (and some winter and spring) break we would go on a big camping trip. These are some of the memories I look fondly back at and appreciate that my parents were able to do this for my brother and I, we saw the whole western United States with Fred and we all have stories from our crazy adventures.
Lovingly improvised rain coats.
Just chillen on a Glacier at Glacier National Park in Montana.
Swimming in the Colorado River…we had a no go zone in this cove because my mom was worried that we were going to get swept away by the huge river behind us.
Hiking Devils Postpile in California and looking for dolphins on the Ferry in Seattle.
Catching a stagecoach in Tombstone, AZ.
Visiting Mesa Verde in Colorado.
It looks like I’m getting blown away but I’m actually pointing at Mt. Whitney in California.
Einhorn Keinhorn 