I once again have led my long-suffering husband to new treasures along the highways and byways of this great country. I never tell the poor man where we are going, I navigate us to the address, telling him to be on the lookout for anything “unusual.” Mister Rain is not a frequent curser, but his initial reaction when he lays his eyes on the Fine Sight is often an expletive. It is always followed, though, by a laugh.
I give you the latest Fine Sights:
Touted as a symbol of American might and democracy, this 38′, 4,500 lb. fiberglass figure is the tallest Uncle Sam in the world. Located in the parking lot of the Danbury, Connecticut Railway Museum, the statue was originally made in the 1960s for a failed chain of Ohio restaurants called “Uncle Sam’s.” From 1971-1981 he welcomed visitors to the Danbury State Fair.
Holy Land USA is an 18-acre Catholic theme park in Waterbury, Connecticut, said to be inspired by passages from the Bible. It consists of a chapel, stations of the cross, and replicas of catacombs. Before taking (against his will?) Mister Rain there, my research showed it was permanently closed. I kept digging, locating hours of operation. When we arrived, however, it was obviously closed and seemed to be in disrepair. Amen.
Did you know that Timex is from Waterbury, Connecticut? In 2001 they built a museum, Timexpo, but they didn’t come. The Norwegian owners of Timex were big fans of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who in the 1950s went on an expedition to Easter Island to study the big heads. It seems a 40′ reach, but a replica head was built in 2008 at a cost of $100,000 to draw visitors to the museum. It didn’t, Timexpo closed in 2015. The head remains because it would cost too much to move it somewhere else. Thank goodness!
Rest assured, friends, I will continue running down the road trying to loosen our loads.
For previously published Roadside Attractions, click below:
Part I
Part II
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindtraveler #travel #danburyconnecticut #unclesam #waterburyconnecticut #holylandusa #timex #easternislandbighead #suchafinesighttoseepartiii
