Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, Ariz. (Photo by Todd DeFeo/The DeFeo Groupe)
Guidebooks are annoying. Just because some editor who doesn’t know me tells me which restaurant is the best or what attraction is a must-see doesn’t make it a must-see attraction. Sightseers’ Delight is dedicated to the weird, the quirky and the fun. After all, traveling is fun.
If it’s not, you’re doing it wrong.
All of the places highlighted in this ever-growing database are great. Sightseers’ Delight has visited them all. We think you should make a point to see every one of them. But, this is not a guidebook. Just a webpage to help you plan your next adventure.
Crest Lawn Memorial Park in Atlanta was established in 1916 as a public burial site and spans roughly 145 acres. It is the oldest Mausoleum located west of the Allegheny Mountains and is the final resting place of more than 50,000 people. There are five different Jewish Cemeteries within the Crestlawn premises, and Casey’s Hill Cemetery is documented as a separate cemetery but is located within Crestlawn boundaries.
The Crime and Punishment Museum in Ashburn, Georgia, opened in August 2003 in a bucolic community of about 4,100 located along Interstate 75. The building — known to many as “Castle Turner” — served as the county jail from about 1907 until 1993. Miles Cribb was the only inmate hanged inside the jail. Today, visitors to the museum can see the trap door that dropped, sending the condemned Cribb to his death. They can also gaze upon the blood-stained collar he was wearing at the time he was executed and see a replica of an electric chair, affectionately nicknamed “Old Sparky.”
The Archaeological Crypt located in front of Notre Dame preserves 2,000 years of Parian history. The crypt is home to Roman ruins dating to antiquity, which were discovered during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The museum was created in 1980.
The CTV Memorial Site stands on the site of the former Canterbury Television (CTV) headquarters at the corner of Cashel and Madras Streets in Christchurch. The building was destroyed during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The building collapsed, killing 115 people, representing 60% of the fatalities during the earthquake.
In some ways, Cuba Street is the heart of Wellington. The Bohemian street is home to what is usually described as an eclectic mix of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. The thoroughfare is named in honor of early New Zealand Company barque, which arrived in Wellington on Jan. 3, 1840. The city closed the middle section of the street to traffic in 1969, making it a pedestrian-only mall, one of the busiest hubs for pedestrians in Wellington. Since 1995 Cuba Street has been registered as a historic area under the Historic Places Act 1993.
The most impressive railroad relic in Clarksville, Tenn., is the swing bridge over the Cumberland River. With stone pillars dating to 1859, the 678-foot-long bridge is normally more than 50 feet above the river and can swing to allow river traffic to pass when the water level is high.
To take advantage of its best asset, the city built a mile-long walkway along the Cumberland River. The walkway provides visitors with nice views of the traffic traversing the river and offers a nice respite from the city’s usually congested streets. The river is also the backdrop for many events, including an annual music festival and also the home to the Christmas on the Cumberland celebration.
In a picturesque mansion located on the Waaigat inlet and dating to 1729, the Maritime Museum features an incredible collection of artifacts and stories about the island’s inextricable connection to the sea. Curacao was “discovered” in 1499 and has been an important shipping center throughout its history.
