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 Unnatural wonders of the road
By Mike Fink
(CNN) -- Even the most enthusiastic "roadtripper" will encounter moments of boredom. There will be times when travelers will grow impatient with their progress and question why they didn't buy a plane ticket. But there are other times when motorists might stumble upon places that take them by surprise and make them sit up and take notice. Places where if they didn't see them, they wouldn't believe they existed. I am talking about modern unnatural wonders. Given America's "bigger is better" attitude, not to mention its love affair with the automobile, it's no wonder that dozens of these roadside oddities dot the land. Here are a few worth visiting: 'Life-size' dinosaursThe miles can all look the same when driving in the Arizona desert. But there's one stretch of Interstate 40 near Holbrook that travelers won't forget. You're sure to do a double take at three "life-size" dinosaurs near the interstate. They appear as if they're racing across the surrounding flatlands looking for a meal. The tallest statue is 18 feet high (that's about 360 "Jurassic Park" DVDs stacked on top of each other). As striking as they are, they fit the landscape perfectly. The dinosaurs are there to draw attention to a nearby dinosaur museum/tourist attraction. 'Metaphor: The Tree of Life'One of the stranger things to be found on the road is in Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. Out in the middle of nowhere stands an 87-foot tall sculpture that looks like painted tennis balls stuck on top of a hatrack. Created in the 1980s, it's called "Metaphor: The Tree of Life" and is a monument to the glory of the universe. However, Utah apparently doesn't want people stopping to take pictures of it. There are several "Emergency Parking Only" signs along the highway. VulcanAnother roadside monument that will make you look twice is found in Birmingham, Alabama. On the summit of Red Mountain stands the near-nude Vulcan. Vulcan is the second tallest statue in the United States. (Only the Statue of Liberty is taller.) The recently renovated Vulcan has been keeping watch over the city since 1939. Vulcan also serves as a safety reminder as his usually green torch shines red if there has been a traffic fatality in the area within the previous 24 hours. The Texas crossIf you're within 20 miles of Groom, Texas, there's no way you'll miss seeing what's billed as "The Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere." This monument to Christianity is 19 stories high, weighs 1,250 tons and has an arm span of 110 feet. The Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries does not charge for admission to approach the cross, and except for a few small statues depicting Christ's passion, it stands alone with little information or extra ornamentation. Some might dismiss these modern landmarks as tacky or tools of zealous entrepreneurs, but recently Birmingham collected $13 million to renovate the Vulcan statue. There are also several Web sites dedicated to documenting such "larger than life" sites. These efforts give evidence to a new wave of appreciation for the landmarks. Don't put off that road trip just because it might become boring or monotonous. You never know what's around the bend.
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