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.
Located inside Memorial Park in the Five Points neighborhood, Bear Hollow is a zoo and natural habitat for rescued animals that cannot be released into the wild. Some are physically disabled, while others cannot care for themselves in the wild or are too trusting and fond of people.
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Beauly Priory, in the Beauly village of the Highland area, was a Valliscaulian monastic community that was probably founded in 1230. The monastery’s founder is unknown for certain, as different sources give different names, such as Alexander II of Scotland, John Byset, or both. The French monks and Bisset, a nearby landowner, had a strong French-speaking presence, hence the name of the location and the river: “beau lieu” (“beautiful place”), which later passed into English. The priory’s ruins, protected as a scheduled monument, are one of the top attractions in Inverness.
From the late 1960s until he died in the 1980s, John Milkovisch covered his house on Malone Street with crushed been cans. The house — today affectionately know as the Beer Can House — opened in 2008 as a folk art museum. For a small fee, visitors can tour the house and learn more about more about Milkovisch’s passion. From the late 1960s until he died in the 1980s, John Milkovisch covered his house on Malone Street with crushed been cans. The house — today affectionately know as the Beer Can House — opened in 2008 as a folk art museum. For a small fee, visitors can tour the house and learn more about more about Milkovisch’s passion. “They say every man should leave something to be remembered by. At least I accomplished that goal,” one Milkovisch quote painted on an interior wall reads.
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The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens offers an incredible opportunity to step away from the sensory overload that is Las Vegas and into a more serene setting. The 14,000-square-foot gardens is constantly changing based on the season. The gardens are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at no cost.
The Wright Brothers may have all the glory in aviation history. But, when it comes to retelling the story of flight, at least in Georgia, Ben Epps is right there with the brothers from Dayton, Ohio. Four years after the Wright Brothers made history, Epps in 1907 piloted a plane he built. While details of that first flight are few, Epps cemented himself in flying history. In 2011, the Athens community unveiled a statue on Washington Street, across from Epps’ former shop.
Elected to the nation’s top political office in 1888, Benjamin Harrison remains the only president from the state of Indiana (he was born in 1833 in North Bend, Ohio, but moved to Indianapolis in 1854). In 1867, Harrison purchased a tract of land on North Delaware Street near downtown Indianapolis, and it was on this site Harrison built an impressive Italianate structure. In 1966, the house was declared a National Historic Landmark. From the 1950s until a 1974 renovation, guests could visit the Benjamin Harrison Home by appointment only. Following the renovation, the home opened for regular hours.
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After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989-90, portions of the structure wound up in communities worldwide. One section of the former Berlin Wall today stands on Long Wharf in downtown Portland.
The Berlin Wall exhibit in Memorial Park was installed in 1996. It was originally part of a traveling Berlin Wall exhibit that visited the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology campus. The exhibit features two panels of the wall along with two tank traps. It is surrounded by informative plaques detailing the history of the Berlin Wall.
The story of Betsy Ross is one of the great American legends. As the story goes, Gen. George Washington approached Ross and asked her to make a flag. She obliged, and the rest is history. While it’s a great story, it’s most likely just a legend. Still, a visit to the Betsy Ross House is a worthy trip to learn more about Ross, a seamstress who died in 1836. The house dates to 1740 and is said to be Ross’ residence from 1776 until 1779. However, there is some debate about whether this is actually the house in which she lived.
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The Big Chicken, located along Cobb Parkway in southern Marietta, is a true Atlanta landmark. Motorists reference the 56-foot-tall big chicken when giving directions. Radio stations mention it when describing traffic. Airplane pilots even use it as a landmark for navigation. Today, the Big Chicken is a bit of an anomaly, something unique at a fast food restaurant. Cobb Parkway is a string of urban sprawl, one fast food joint after another. Originally built as more or less a marketing gimmick, the chicken has been embraced by locals and has remained a landmark for more than 45 years. After it was damaged by a storm in 1993, KFC debated whether to rebuild the Big Chicken. The community seemed to be in agreement: The Big Chicken was a local landmark, and it needed to remain; KFC shelled out $700,000 to rehabilitate the restaurant and return the giant bird to working order. Today’s incarnation of this local icon features a moving beak and rotating eyes.
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