5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

Oregon’s natural beauty has been celebrated ever since Lewis and Clark first paved the way. With its epic coastlines, towering redwoods and undulating sand dunes, it’s no wonder manifest destiny brought Americans here.

But underneath Oregon’s beautiful exterior, lurks a completely different world. A world of bizarre, off-beat and downright odd roadside attractions that will challenge, disrupt and send askew any previous opinions you held about the state. Here are five of the best:

 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

Lava River Cave— Bend, Oregon

lava river graphic 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions Sure there’s no thunderous ash spewing eruptions or rapidly moving molten lava chasing you down, but this is hands down the most fun you can have at an inactive volcano.

Over thousands of years cooling lava flows have carved out narrow caves in the landscape known as “tubes.” Stretching some one mile into the earth, brave souls can venture deep into the pitch black darkness of the Lava River Cave, navigating completely by feel (though lanterns are available to rent for the rest of us).

The consistently cool temperatures of the cave (typically 42° F, 5.5° C) has lead to its use as a make shift meat storage facility. So don’t be alarmed when you step on a rump roast or two as you make your way down the tube.

LEARN MORE | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

lava river cave 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

lava cave 2 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
lightgrey 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions


white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
lightgrey 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

Harvey: The Giant Rabbit Statue—Aloha, Oregon

As America’s largest and most sacred half-man-half-rabbit, Harvey is worshipped more than the Easter bunny around these parts. In fact, an estimated 2500 drivers a day pay tribute to the statue, usually with a firm blast of their horn. While no official census has been taken, “Harveyism” just might be Aloha, Oregon’s most popular religion. We say, amen to that.

You’ll find Harvey standing guard at the doors of Harvey Marine, a fishing supply shop dozens of miles from the nearest body of water (an equally strange phenomenon in itself).

LEARN MORE | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

harvey unusual oregon 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
[via Hypernym]
white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

Prehistoric Gardens—Port Orford, Oregon

prehistoric garden s 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions While it may lack the flash or high tech spectacle of Jurassic Park, Ed Nelson’s Prehistoric Gardens is far from going extinct. Set in the depths of the lush Oregon rain forest, the prehistoric haven is home to some two dozen life-sized dinosaurs, lurking in the thick underbrush.

Fortunately for you, the rather docile state of the dinos (they’re fibreglass carvings after all) eliminate any need for electric fencing or the ability to outrun a raging velociraptor.

LEARN MORE | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

prehistoric gardens 2 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

prehistoric gardens 1 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

Noah’s Ark Restaurant—Winston, Oregon

Amongst the rolling hills of Oregon’s Gold Country, lions, tigers and chickens march across the terrain in perfect unison. Not even the Serengeti can boast about bringing such diverse group of animals together in the wild.

Only here the animals here aren’t actually wild; they’re wooden replicas of Noah’s chosen few. (Hey at least they won’t bite).

If viewing wooden fauna isn’t quite your thing, head up the hill to take a tour of Noah’s Ark itself. Should an apocalyptic flood suddenly strike, you’ll be kept safe and have the fortune of dining at Noah’s Galley for 40 straight days and nights. The on board restaurant serves up a smorgasbord of Noah’s favourite animal pairings including cattle, poultry and swine. Not surprisingly, unicorn is absent from the menu.

LEARN MORE | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

noahs art oregon 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

noahs art oregon 2 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

House Of Mystery Oregon Vortex—Gold Hill, Oregon

It’s the place Isaac Newton never wants you to see. Here gravity is turned upside down, fundamental physics is brought into question, tennis balls roll uphill and broomsticks stand upright on their bristles.

The true source of the disturbance is unknown, though many theories abound. Is it an electron imbalance, a top secret underground device, or a mere optical illusion? You’ll have to stand a broom on its bristles and make your own conclusions.

Don’t try navigating here by compass though, your instruments will be thrown awry and you’ll end up somewhere near Walla Walla, Washington.

LEARN MORE | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

oregon mystery house 1 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions follow me on pinterest button 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

Two people seem to charge relative height just by switching places

white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
lightgrey 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions


white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
lightgrey 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions
published: Jan 2010
white 5 Fabulously Odd Oregon Roadside Attractions

SEE MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR | READ OREGON GUIDES | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Unusually large thanks to Sam Zivot for guest writing this post. Sam is a blogger and Marketing Manager for Jurnii Car Rentals, America’s new travel focused online rental car company. He writes frequently for the Jurnii USA Car Rental blog and enjoys travel in the U.S and abroad.

Related posts & pages:
Oregon’s Cedar Creek Treehouse Hotel
7 Incredible Upside-Down Houses
The Best Spot Cool Stuff Travel Blog Posts
Reviews of Unusual Hotels, Offbeat Museums and Bizarre Restaurants



Responses

  1. Mary says:

    I love finding things like this along the road. Some cool things we found in Oregon: a place where we could collect geodes and government land (BLM?) where we bought a permit to collect obsidian. Both fun with kids. Have done a (different) Northwest lava tube with kids and recommend it!
    Mary recently posted..Review: Green Spoon Restaurant, Walla WallaMy Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  2. Robert Fields says:

    So cool! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! My wife and I love quirky road-side attractions. Can’t wait to hit the road!

    [Reply to this comment]

Leave a Response

CommentLuv badge

SPOTCOOLSTUFF Travel reviews unusual hotels and restaurants, great attractions, cool travel gear, places with amazing views and all manner of travel destinations with a WOW! factor. Because we live on an incredible planet! Get our latest travel posts by email . . .

    Awesome Curacao vacations — up to $530 off!
    Check out the freebies offered too, including airfare credits, breakfast and room upgrades!

Save $530 Time left:
Book Now!
Offer Closed!



PARTNER WITH US     |     BE OUR GUEST TRAVEL WRITER    |      SUGGEST COOL STUFF FOR US TO REVIEW     |     INFO FOR TOURIST BOARDS

Other SCS SectionsHot Travel CategoriesFave Travel Posts
Cool Tech & GadgetsBest hotel room viewsCaribbeanBest Sandals in Jamaica
Cool Architecture & DesignFamily travelEuropeBest Wheeled Carry-On Luggage
Cool WebsitesHoneymoon resortsFloridaWorld's Coolest Airlines
Cool EntertainmentUnusual museumsSoutheast AsiaThe Honeymoon Resorts of Bora Bora