keep the u.s. weird.

it's our national duty, doncha know.  for the most part, as a. and i drove across the u.s., all we saw were miles and miles of trees, farmland, and desert.  every now and again however, we'd stumble upon a true american anomaly: the tourist trap.  & fall for them, we did.

two of these traps in particular are worth noting.  about 10 miles into minnesota we drove by franconia sculpture park- actually, the farthest thing from a tourist trap.  i suggested we stop and a. surprisingly, agreed.  we walked past tons of unique structures and sculptures made from found objects, some more random than others.  the park was bright and inviting- despite the 35 degree weather- with walking paths, an outdoor amphitheater, and open air studio.

we strolled through the moguls of grass to the graffiti panels, past the suspended house and radio tower.  one of my favorites sculptures was made with found letters.  first, because i love any and all things text and second, the stark white against the blue sky, was gorg.  we walked through the park taking pictures (of course) and marveling in the uniqueness of it all.  totally a true american relic.

the next day, after hours and hours of nothingness, we started passing some interesting attractions throughout south dakota.  ready for a break and eager to make more memories, we settled on 1880 town; a quirky replication of a town in the late 1800's.  since we were there off-season, it was quiet so they weren't offering reenactments   regardless, we were suckered into the mysterious-ness of the place and paid to enter.

more than any place we've ever been or seen throughout our travels, this was the real deal.  a real tourist trap deal.  we made the most of it by walking the empty street, taking plenty of random photos and of course, made our own duel in the middle of said, empty street.  we had fun regardless of the tackiness & massive amount of feral cats.  because that's just how we roll.

let's be honest, road trips aren't road trips without quirky americana.  both of these stops added so much to what could have been an otherwise normal, cross-country trip.  what about you?  are you up for keeping america weird and if so, what's your favorite stop?