All epic road trips have a few things in common. They require driving … somewhere … that usually takes hours, if not days, to reach. Even so, there’s often no definitive destination. They truly are more about the journey than the final destination, which is why we like road side attractions.
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They also require a “come what may” attitude. If you’re heads-down, get-from-point-A-to-point-B without stopping – that’s not a road trip. You and your companions must be willing to stop and smell the flowers and taste the unusual foods and appreciate the unusual – even bizarre — sights and sites along the way.
All of these are at the very core of the 50 Campfires Road Trip Food Challenge in which Nick and Clint rate the bites and the sites along life’s highway as they encounter road side attractions.
Here’s the challenge: Nick or Clint walks into a roadside convenience store, an on-the-way farmer’s market, or and out-of-the-way grocery and selects a regional road foo that neither of them have tried before. The “delicacy” is supposed to cost no more than two American dollars, but that sometimes gets stretched when something really interesting catches the eye and sets the anticipatory taste buds on edge.
The food item goes into the cooler (or cures in the heat under the seat of the truck) until they come to an interest-grabbing roadside site or piece of memorabilia. It could be the Sasquatch Outpost, a scrap iron accordion player, a mini-Statue of Liberty placed by the Boy Scouts, or a diminutive movie set. They stop, break out the road food, and make an on the spot taste test.
Careful consideration and highly-honed taste buds join forces in allowing them to rate the bite … and the site.
After all, the 50 Campfires Field Trips are all about collecting unique experiences, and how many people can honestly say, “I was nervous the first time I tried elk jerky because I felt the eerie presence of Sasquatch looking over my shoulder?
Join the Boys in Colorado as they continue the 50 Campfires Road Trip Food Challenge to rate the bites and the sites.
Roadside Attraction : Highlight
Tiny Town in Morrison, Colorado
On the location of the Denver-Leadville Stage Coach Station, George Turner began building “Turnerville” to entertain his young daughter. That was in 1915. By 1920, it was large enough to open to the public, and by 1924 it included 125 buildings with a grocery store, barber shop, two lakes, pool room, hotel, school, and church. As many as 20,000 people a year made the treacherous drive to visit the site!
Over the course of the years, “Turnerville” changed its name to “Tiny Town.” It has faced both flood and fire and rerouting of its artery highway. It has seen boom and bust several times, but has always been fortunate to find benefactors to refurbish and rebuild. In 1991 more than 100,000 people visited the park.
Today, Tiny Town is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year and features train rides, picnics, family events, birthday parties, and much more.
You can check out their website.
