11. There are More Than Just Redwoods in the Trees of Mystery
You can’t miss the cheesy Trees of Mystery attraction near Kalamath, Califonia. The giant talking statue of Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox will beckon you to pull over and check it out. Stroll the forest trail to see mysteriously misshapen trees, wooden carvings and hollowed out logs, complete with recorded messages to perplex and enlighten you. Tales of Paul Bunyan regale you as you meander your way to the gift shop and Native American Museum. It’s not a bad way to stretch your legs, take a break from the road and soak in the kitsch.
12. Get All Up Inside these Desert Dinosaurs
Kids of all ages will want to swerve off the Interstat 10 just outside of Palm Springs, CA when they see two enormous dinosaurs looming over the asphalt. At Cabazon’s Dinosaur Park you can gape at the world’s largest concrete dino (a 150 ton apatosaurus) and actually enter and climb to the top of the giant T-rex. There’s quite a view of the San Jacinto mountains as you peer out from behind Mr. Rex’s teeth. There’s an odd pro-creationist museum there, which tries to use biblical arguments to debunk evolution. For example, it claims that dinosaurs appeared on Earth about 6,000 years ago, on the same day as Adam and Eve. Depending on your beliefs, this museum might be a hit or miss, but the dinosaurs are definitely worth a pit stop.
