Category Archives: Shrines

Jolly Green Giant

Well I guess I’ve been waiting my whole life to finally meet the Jolly Green Giant.

Jolly Green Giant - Blue Earth Minnesota
The Jolly Green Giant

And now it’s a done deal. What fun to find this Roadside Attraction of a 55 foot tall Jolly Green Giant.

He’s definitely jolly, and definitely green, and a giant for sure.

A must stop for the laughs and giggles and one more thing a good friend actually added to his bucket list. Now that is some food for thought. Frozen food for sure.  Too funny.

Cool Factoids

Jolly Green Giant - Cool Factoids
Cool Factoids

This Giant is over 50 feet tall and has been waiting for you to visit him since 1979. There is also a Giant Food Museum that I have yet to explore. Oh so many places at to visit and they are so spread out across the country. What fun!


About The Author
Charles Carlin - Finding Roadside Oddities
Charles Carlin
Charley is a magnet for those slightly odd and one of a kind places, some of which you may have never heard about. Charley easily found all over the web. Just Google Charley Carlin for more insights. He can also be found via Reviews on YELPTrip Advisor, and Google Maps

Harriet Tubman – Moses of Her People

Harriet Tubman Live Free or Die
Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman - Moses of Her People
Moses of Her People

Harriet Tubman is quite a character, almost unbelievable. The first thing I saw and coming into the place was a tour guide who was wearing a sweatshirt and on the back it said:  
 if you’re tired keep going
if you’re scared keep going
if you’re hungry keep going
if you want to taste freedom Keep going

Harriet Tubman is credited with these words. She helped many people escape from the bonds of slavery, to escape into free states, and to escape into Canada. She had decided that she was going to either have Liberty or death and there was no in between. What a great woman of character. What a great leader of others.  An inspiration throughout her lifetime she had many, many wonderful stories
about who was free  and who was not free.
Continue reading Harriet Tubman – Moses of Her People

The Portal of the Folded Wings

The Portal of the Folded Wings Memorial is located inside a very large cemetery. When you come into the cemetery you must enter from Victory Boulevard and it is quite a long drive around to the far, what I would call, north east corner. It is a beautiful monument that was built about 1925 and was built to represent 14 fallen historical aviators of the era. There are monuments for each of them with their titles. their history, and what’s unique about each one to be honored in such a beautiful Memorial. The accompanying photographs will display this beautiful memorial,  from a what I would call a deco era. It is meant to include all aviators and in front of it has been added a replica of the Columbia space shuttle maybe a one-eighth scale I don’t know  as the real shuttle is pretty big. It is a tribute to the fallen aviators of that tragic event in 2003. I love the drive up to the monument surrounded by pine trees on each side completely covering the roadway. It reminds me of a main street in the town where I grew up. Just thinking of the bravery of some of these early aviators, some of the things they were willing to fly and test is mind boggling.  This gives us memories looking into their works as they contributed to flight as we have it today. Wow do we have flight today? You bet! Hundreds of thousands of people moving every day all over the planet. Aviation and one part of its history is here at the Portal of The Folded Wing Memorial

Miracles are here – The Shrine of the Infant Baby Jesus

Infant Jesus Shrine - Hurley New Mexico
Infant Jesus Catholic Church – Hurley, New Mexico

IMG_20131113_165305
Sanctuary and Gift shop too – Hurley New Mexico

When in the Southwest and in the southwestern part of New Mexico there are so many wide spots in the road to choose from. Hurley is one such wide spot in the road. When coming from Silver City, New Mexico traveling down the 180 towards Deming, if you get off the 180 in North Hurley and take North Hurley Road into Hurley, one can witness a town that time, history, and the economy have left behind. It looks pretty run down and time has not been kind. The town of Hurley is exactly 640 acres. Interesting as 640 acres is exactly one square mile. It seemed to me as if the mining company set aside one square mile or one section of land for the town. Note on the map the city is almost square.  As a side note around Hurley were several locations  for shooting scenes of the 2013 move Lone Ranger. A very minimal claim to fame. Now, you may ask ‘Charley what are you doing here?’ That is a good question. With relatives in Silver City, the world’s best chiles in Hatch, New Mexico and an excellent chili roaster in Hurley, I end up on the 180 several times a year. Lets face it – I love side roads, great chiles, and Continue reading Miracles are here – The Shrine of the Infant Baby Jesus

Forest Lawn Museum

Forest Lawn Museum

Nestled in Glendale in rolling hills of green, the Forest Lawn Museum has been here since 1906. To say the city has grown up around the Forest Lawn Cemetery would be quite an understatement.

Fabulous Bronze Collection - Forest Lawn Museum
Bronze Collection – Forest Lawn Glendale

 

Famous Paradise Door Replica - Forest Lawn Museum
Paradise Doors by Michelangelo

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is old city, and older residential surrounding the facility. One might think the only reason to visit Forest Lawn would be a memorial or a funeral. How wrong that would be! On the top of the biggest hill in Forest Lawn Glendale lies a treasure  that is ours to visit for free! Yes, this is one of Los Angeles’ top quality museums and it is available for free. When I first approached the museum, the huge parking lot in front of the museum was almost empty. Oh my, I guess I came on the wrong day or something. To my pleasant surprise the museum was waiting for me with open arms and incredible art.  I love small museums. I love quality museums.

Paradise Doors - Forest Lawn Museum Glendale
Paradise Doors – Incredible

Forest Lawn Museum

This is a small museum and the quality of the art and the presentation of the art is absolutely phenomenal!!! Yes Phenomenal!!! Continue reading Forest Lawn Museum

Telles Family Shrine

Telles Family Shrine
Telles Family Shrine

Telles Family Shrine

After leaving the Tumacacori National Historic Park near Tubac, Arizona (more about that in another post) we turned south on US Highway 19 towards Rio Rico and Nogales eager to use a cutoff tip we had received from the Park Ranger who was ever so polite, helpful, and full of stories.

We caught the cutoff and reconnected to New Mexico Highway 82 towards Patagonia and then on to Benson to get back on to US Highway 10 to continue our jaunt to Anet’s sisters place in Silver City, New Mexico.

As we travel it is our habit to stop and read the roadside historical markers. Continue reading Telles Family Shrine