Roadside Oddities Archives - Sightseers' Delight

Revisiting the ‘Smallest Church in America’

August 12, 2020 Todd DeFeo

A local grocer built the church in South Newport in 1949. The church, formally named Christ’s Chapel and located on a quiet patch of land along rural U.S. Highway 17, roughly an hour south of Savannah, is a popular stop for tourists.

Iconic Cornhenge celebrates 25 years

September 29, 2019 Todd DeFeo

One of Ohio’s most iconic roadside attractions is celebrating 25 years.

Five interesting statues to see in Georgia

July 25, 2016 Todd DeFeo

They can be found on street corners, in town squares, in front of major buildings and on major town greens. They are often great ways to learn a little but about the history of a particular city or state.

What is the Ancient Spanish Monastery in Miami?

July 27, 2015 Todd DeFeo

The St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church is so beautifully out-of-place, any traveler to Miami would be remiss if it didn’t grace the itinerary.

Roadside Oddities

Monument of States in Kissimmee, Florida, delighting visitors since 1943

January 14, 2014 Todd DeFeo

The 40-foot-tall “Monument of States” was built from stones from all 48 states at the time of its completion. The structure contains 1,500 rocks from all 50 states and 22 countries. A number of parties, including tourists, governors, a prime minister and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, also donated stones to the cause.

Roadside Oddities

Thomasville’s big chair pays homage to city’s past

January 26, 2013 Todd DeFeo

By the early 1920s, Thomasville was known as “The Chair Town,” thanks in large part to the Thomasville Chair Co.

The Big Chicken in Marietta, Georgia, remains a local landmark

January 13, 2013 Todd DeFeo

The Big Chicken, located along Cobb Parkway in southern Marietta, is a true Atlanta landmark.

Roadside Oddities

Public art worth seeing

August 11, 2011 The Travel Trolley

If public art floats your boat, here are three destinations worth scoping out on your next trip.

Along the roadways of Georgia

April 11, 2010 The Travel Trolley

ATLANTA — There is so much to see along Georgia’s roadways. But, I’m not talking about the obvious attractions. Rather, these are the oddities that sometimes make travelers scratch their heads, not pull over to the side of the road. The Big Chicken, Marietta The Big Chicken, located along Cobb Parkway in southern Marietta, is a throwback to another time, one when roadside eateries meant something different, and owners did what they could to draw

‘Big Red Apple’ reminds of bygone era

March 27, 2010 Todd DeFeo

CORNELIA, Ga. – For years, cotton was king throughout Georgia. But, by the 1920s, apples were becoming an important crop in parts of the state, including Cornelia. Because of the crop diversification, Habersham County skirted the devastating effects of the boll weevil’s destruction of the cotton crop. So, in 1925, Southern Railway donated to the city a monument dedicated to the fruit that helped save their community. The seven-foot-tall, 5,200-pound apple statue was molded in