I find these roadside attractions so interesting that way. On one hand they are tacky and gimmicky and - as you say - they are used to illustrate how there's really nothing otherwise worth visiting in these towns. But once they've been sitting there a while they do actually end up creating their own mystique and their own stories, and then they turn out to be a worthwhile (if not detour-worthy) visit after all. There is also some comedy factor, like it becomes a bit tongue-in-cheek, where people know it's a bit silly, but they kinda embrace that as showing off their community's sense of humor.
I also love those odd tourist attractions. Roadside America and Atlas Obscura are good resources for finding them.
The most memorable sites I remember in Oklahoma are the oil well on the grounds of the state capitol and the praying hands sculpture on the campus of Oral Roberts University.
Someone at the KOA the other day recommended Roadside America to me too, and said they now have an app that shows nearby attractions. A friend recommended the site to me a long time ago, but i'd completely forgotten it existed till your comment and that conversation
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I can't believe people here don't eat any fruits or nuts unless they are baked into a pie with a half pound of sugar, but it seems that's the way it is. And vegetables? If you're lucky enough to even see one, which you probably won't be, they're either deep fried or smothered in cheeseThere have been a few times in my life when I was travelling for work - flying to another city Sunday night, spending the week working onsite and then flying home Friday night. Thankfully only a couple of times, and it was to San Diego - so not that far
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This is exactly the same discovery my mom made when she had to travel a lot for work. She used to say her first stop off was either the local market (in countries that have markets) or grocery store to buy a large bowl of fruit to survive the trip
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Great update.
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The most memorable sites I remember in Oklahoma are the oil well on the grounds of the state capitol and the praying hands sculpture on the campus of Oral Roberts University.
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