Top Ten Weird Europe Attractions: Magic and Wild West and Narrow, Real Narrow

From the March 19, 2021, Listverse by C.J.Phillips.

Want to go to the offbeat.  well, here are some ideas.  I am just listing and saying one thing about each.  For more info and pictures, go to the site.

10.  TRING NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, TRING, ENGLAND

Lots and lots of taxidermy.

9.  THE MAGIC HILL, DUNDALK, IRELAND

You vehicle might act weird.

8.  RIDE AND EAT ON THE BUSTRONOME, PARIS, FRANCE

Six courses while traveling through the streets.

7.  MINI HOLLYWOOD, TABERNAS, SPAIN

America's Wild West in Europe.  Where "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and other Spaghetti Westerns were filmed.

6.  SPREUERHOFSTABE, REUTLIGEN, GERMANY

The narrowest street in the world.  (12.3 inches wide)

Interesting, Very Interesting.  --RoadStrange

Twenty-Five Uniquely-Named Illinois Towns-- Part 4: Time, Royal, Benld, Bone Gap and Equality

16.  TIME  (Central)  Population in 2000 was 29.

17.  ROYAL  (Central)     2010 population 293.

18.  BENLD  (Central)  Founded 1903.  Took name from founder Benjamin L. Dorsey who took first three letters of his first name,  his middle and last name initials.  In 1938, a meteorite landed in Benld.  The meteorite and a car it struck are now on display at the Field Museum in Chicago.

I should also mention that it is on good old Route 66!!!

19.  BONE GAP  (Southern)  Originally called Bon Pas by French trappers, changed to Bone Pass by Kentuckians then to Bone Gap.  There is also another story about how it got its name.  Check it out.

20.  EQUALITY  (Southern)  Pop in 2000 was 721.  The Crenshaw House nearby was a station in the Reverse Underground Railroad which transported captured runaway slaves and returned them to the South.

--RoadGap

Along 66, November 2020: Atlanta Tourism, Paris Disneyland and That WW II Bomber Landing in Springfield, Illinois

NOVEMBER 24

The city council of Atlanta, Illinois, has voted to create the position of tourism development director with a salary of $20,00.  That is sure a lot of money for a city of just 1,600 people, but they know how important tourist dollars are and they have certainly done a lot with their Route 66 heritage.

Now, if they would just please get rid of the Smiley face on their water tower, life would be good.

NOVEMBER 25

More details are being released about the Cars Route 66 Road Trip section at the Disneyland, Paris site.  

Looks neat, but I seriously doubt that I will ever visit it.  I'm not a fan of those big-wait-in-a-line-forever tourist parks.

NOVEMBER 29

An interesting article has appeared about the landing of a World War II bomber on Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois.

A bomber pilot made an emergency landing on Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois, in 1942 and then took off from the same road after his plane was repaired.

Now I Done Seen Everything.

Check the Tires and Oil.  Clean the Windshield.  --RoadPlane

Illinois' 200th Anniversary, 20 Sites to Visit-- Part 2: Route 66 and I&MCanal

6.  ROUTE 66--  Well, all of us 66ers knew about the Illinois stretch, Chicago to East St. Louis.

7.  FORT DE CHARTRES--  Near Prairie du Rocher.  One of a series of French-built forts before handing country east of the Mississippi over to English.  The powder magazine is believed to be the oldest standing building in the state.

8.  I&M CANAL--  LaSalle, a crucial link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.  Hand-dug in teh 1800s.

9.  NAUVOO--  Mississippi River occupied by Joseph Smith and the Mormons before being driven out.

10.  LOVEJOY HOMESTEAD--  Part of the Underground Railway in Princeton.

--RoadDog

Along 66, December 2017: Virden Mural, "The Elvis of France" and Onion Burgers

DECEMBER 5--  Virden, Illinois, mural deemed irreparable and will be wholly repainted instead of touch up.  It will be repainted from scratch and with a new design.

Love those murals.

DECEMBER 6--  Johnny Hallyday, "the Elvis of France" and a big Route 66 fan died at age 77.  I never heard any of his songs.

DECEMBER  9--  50 Years of Making Fried Onion Burgers.  Monty Hall of El Reno, Oklahoma has been making them for that long.  First at Johnnie's Grill and then at Sid's Diner, which he has owned since 1989.

One of those great foods you can find on 66.

--RoadDog

Archaeology News

Three recent articles of interest:

1. Pittsburgh, Pa.- Workers at Point State Park, where the Allegeheny and Monongahela rivers join to form the Ohio River, have found what they believe to be part of the drainage system of the old French Fort Duquesne.

There is a $35 million renovation being done to the park as Pittsburgh continues its efforts of beautification. Unfortunately, the drainage system will be covered over with earth.

This fort played a role during the French and Indian War when it was destroyed and later, British Fort Pitt built on top of it. Both forts were wooden stockade ones.

In a couple weeks, renovation will continue elsewhere in the park and they think they might find remnants of the wooden stockade. I would hope they leave this open or even reconstruct it.

2. Starhill, Louisiana- US-61 is going to be widened and archaeologists are excavating along the path of it. They have uncovered the ruins of a sugar mill at a former plantation. They estimate it was constructed sometime between 1849 and 1851. A full documented report was made as the site will be destroyed. Sorry to lose a bit of history here, but that's the cost of progress. At least the report was made.

3. Vicksburg, Mississippi- The Vicksburg National Military Park was vandalized this past week at a cost of over $10,000. About one hundred large holes were dug by persons searching for Civil War relics. These were evidently considerably bigger than what you'd normally find with someone using just a shovel. The worst thing they vandals did was dig out the back of the Texas Monument.

I hate to hear this. These people were probably just looking to get rich on E-Bay.

--RoadDog