It is time to do the second part of this two-part review of America’s biggest stuff, that thing this country does so well.
North Dakota wrapped up Part 1, meaning that this week, the first state on our list is Ohio and when we are talking huge stuff, Ohio beats other states by a longshot. This state is home to the world’ largest cheese wheel, the world’s largest apple basket, and the world’s largest pumpkin pie. Our absolute favorite, however, is the world’s largest basket, located in Newark. This basket is so huge that it houses the headquarters of the Longaberger company.
In Vinita, Oklahoma, things couldn’t get any more patriotic, as it is home to the world’s largest McDonald’s. It is actually built into a bridge that crosses I-44.
As far as Oregon is concerned, you have to go to a place called Grants Pass where you will find, out of all things, the world’s largest caveman. The caveman is 17 feet tall and it was built as part of a strange Pre-WWII town promotion where local businessmen dressed as cavemen and marched the town’s streets. We are not making this up.
In Cook Forest, Pennsylvania, or at least somewhere in the area, you will find – and you won’t believe this – the world’s largest Yogi Bear. It is not exactly a work of art, but it is huge and it waves at passers-by as Yogi Bear should.
Providence, Rhode Island is home to one of the weirdest and most well-documented roadside attractions in the country. There you can see the biggest termite in the world, or more precisely, the world’s biggest blue bug. It is known as the Big Blue Bug or Nibbles Woodaway and it was built in 1980. If this is not enough information on Nibbles Woodaway, you can always check out its Wikipedia page.
Prior to 2001, there were a few claimants to the title of the world’s largest fire hydrants, but on February 18, 2001, the dispute was forever settled when Columbia, South Carolina unveiled their masterpiece. An artist called Blue Sky revealed his work, a tilted fire hydrant that is almost 40 feet tall and weighs more than 650,000 pounds. You can find Blue Sky’s other public work nearby – Tunnelvision.
The town of Wall, South Dakota has never once reached a thousand residents, but it has attracted millions of tourists each year for quite some time now. Their secret? The world’s largest drug store called Wall Drug Store or Wall Drug for short. The store’s Free ice water ad has become a legend and you can find road signs pointing to it all over the world.
Texas is also a state that takes its large stuff seriously (as you would expect from Texas) and we really had plenty to choose from – from caterpillars to jackrabbits. In the end, we went with the world’s largest rattlesnake which you can find in a place called Freer. It is located in front of the local Chamber of Commerce and it is the place of the World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup.
The following is the vid from the 1997 Roundup, but be warned; it features a lot of rattlesnakes.
In Utah, you can find the world’s largest fishing fly and it really is huge. It is over 32 feet long and weighs three tons. It found its home in front of an antique store in Logan where it was installed back in the 1990s.
If you are a big fan of roller skating and think that the rollerblades are nothing but a passing fad, then you might want to head out to Bealeton, Virginia and bask in the glory of the world’s largest roller skate.
You wouldn’t expect a city like Seattle, Washington to be the place of the largest hat and cowboy boots in the world, but that is exactly where you’ll find them. The attraction is called Hat’n’Boots and it was envisioned as a Western-themed shopping center. The plans fell through but the hat and the boots survived, despite spending a few years in disrepair.
In the city of Chester, West Virginia, you will find the world’s largest teapot. It is also an old one as it dates back to before World War II. It actually started its life as a beer barrel, but it was turned into a teapot when it came to Chester where pottery industry ruled supreme at the time.
We wrap things up with Wisconsin and the tallest grandfather clock in the world. It is located in Kewaunee where it changed homes on a few occasions. It is currently fully operational and located downtown where everyone can see it.
