Chevy Culture: 10 Quirky Roadside Attractions

Skydiving And Kick-Flipping Getting Old? Take Your Sonic To The Next Frontier And Time Travel To See Dragons, Flying Saucers And More

By Marcia Simmons
 

Taking a road trip is one of the best ways to enjoy America’s landscapes—the grandiose, the commonplace and the quirky. You’re probably familiar with must-see destinations like the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial, but surprising and downright hilarious roadside attractions are scattered along highways and off-roads in between. Drive by or take a detour to see some of these, and you’ll keep everyone in the car so entertained they’ll forget to ask, “Are we there yet?”

Coral Castle, Miami, Florida

After Edward Leedskalnin’s fiancee canceled their wedding in 1923, he spent 28 years building an enormous tribute to her. Coral Castle is an elaborate maze of strange stone structures as well as a beautiful home. What’s amazing is that Leedskalnin did all the work by hand, all by himself. He dug up about 1,100 tons of coral and then hand-carved it into blocks to build an entire estate complete with coral furniture, fountains and sculptures, including a 28-ton, 25-foot-tall obelisk. The site has survived several major hurricanes and has inspired other artists, musicians and authors: Billy Idol’s “Sweet Sixteen” is about Leedskalnin's former lover, and the music video was filmed in the Coral Castle.

Farnham’s Fantasy Farm (aka Farnham Colossi), Unger, West Virginia

When the national highway system was brand new, businesses used large mascots to attract travelers who were getting their kicks on Route 66. Today, roadside giants are a rarity—unless you go to George and Pam Farnham’s house. They welcome visitors to a collection of “colossi” in their yard, including King Midas, the 25-foot-tall muffler man made of fiberglass.

Ben & Jerry Flavor Graveyard, Waterbury, Vermont

Every year, the popular ice-cream maker “kills” 8-12 flavors with the lowest sales and honors their memory with tombstones and cheeky poems. As part of the factory tour, you can taste the flavors that are still “alive” and nominate expired flavors you’d like to see come back to life.

UFO Watchtower, Hooper, Colorado

When Judy Messoline bought her ranch, she didn’t know it was a mecca for UFO watchers. Rather than turn away flying-saucer enthusiasts, she erected a viewing platform, set up some campgrounds and, of course, opened a gift shop. Now her watchtower has a reputation as one of the best places in the world to view UFOs.

Oregon Vortex and House of Mystery, Gold Hill, Oregon

In this “portal to the paranormal,” the rules of physics and nature don’t seem to apply. Broomsticks stand on their own, tennis balls roll uphill, and people shrink and grow before your eyes. Some believe it’s a vortex that defies scientific explanation, while others think it’s just a series of optical illusions. But even skeptics will be amazed, or at least amused.

Rancho Shazam, Greenbrae, California

Situated on one of the most desirable waterfront locations near San Francisco Bay, Rancho Shazam is a collector’s enclave that includes a foam Stonehenge, several cast-iron Eiffel Towers, a giant Tin Man sculpture (plus yellow brick road and floating bicycle), among many other amusements.

Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz, Liberal, Kansas

Visit an accurate-to-the-film replica of Dorothy Gale’s house and follow the yellow brick road to an animatronic version of the Land of Oz. Don’t expect a Hollywood-budget production, though. Instead, bask in the DIY charm of a small-town tribute to The Wizard of Oz.

Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota

Built in 1892 to show off the fertility of the soil, the Corn Palace is decorated with more than 275,000 ears of corn in a rainbow of colors, and the design changes each year. All the corn is grown naturally from special seeds, so no artificial colors are used. If you’re impressed by how much corn South Dakota can grow, that’s the point.

Dr. Evermor’s Forevertron, Sumpter, Wisconsin

Tom Every (a.k.a. Dr. Evermor) combined ordinary salvage like carburetors and old X-ray machines with more impressive parts—like the decontamination chamber from the Apollo Space Mission and a pair of Thomas Edison’s bipolar dynamo generators—to make the world’s largest scrap-metal sculpture. Dr. Evermor says the 300-ton sculpture is actually a Victorian-era time travel device powered by lightning.

Kaskaskia Dragon, Vandalia, Illinois

No matter how old you are, the spectacle of a 35-foot metal dragon breathing real fire is a welcome stop on any road trip. Kaskaskia Dragon is also a popular destination for GPS scavenger hunts, or “geocaching.”

This is part of a series of Sonic Adventure stories on Chevy Culture.

The trademarks mentioned in this story are held by their respective owners.

San Francisco Bay Area writer Marcia Simmons’ work has appeared in Geek, Go, Shape, NOTCOT and Serious Eats, among other publications. She is also the co-author of the book DIY Cocktails.

6 Ways to Tell if You Need New Tires

Many people don’t understand when to change the tires on their vehicle. While this may not sound like a big deal, driving on worn tires will increase your chance of an accident. Remember, the only thing between you and the road is your tires.

At some point, your tires will begin to wear down and lose performance. This means less braking ability and traction, as well as difficulties navigating wet roadways. Tires with worn tread are dangerous and you need to be able to test you tires and determine if you need new ones.

6 tips that will help you decide when it is time to get new tires:

1. Understand what it means to be driving on worn tires. Generally speaking, the primary function of tire tread is to help avoid hydroplaning on wet roads by diverting water from beneath the tire. For this to be effective, you need at least 1/16^th of an inch of tread (and that is on the extreme low side).

2. Keep a close watch on the tread wear bars. All tires sold in today’s market are equipped with tread wear bars. As your tires wear lower and lower, you will begin to realize that the wear bars are flush with the tread. It is at this point that you need to replace your tires.

3. Use the penny test. For many years, drivers have been using this test to determine if it is time for new tires. All you need is a penny and a couple minutes of time. Place the penny upside down in the center of the tread. Can you see Lincoln’s head? If so, it is time to replace your tires. If you are unable to see any of his head, including his hair, your tires do not need to be replaced just yet.

4. Purchase a tread depth gauge or indicator. If you are unable or unwilling to use one of the methods above to check tire tread, you can purchase an indicator or gauge. These are cheap to purchase and can go a long way in saving you trouble on the road.

5. What are the legal requirements in your state? In addition to a basic safety concern, you must realize that your state likely has legal requirements regarding the replacement of worn tires. For example, most states in the US consider tires to be worn out when they are down to 1/16 of an inch of tread. At this point, your vehicle will not pass state inspection until you purchase new tires.

6. Watch for irregular tread wear. This has nothing to do with the quality of the tires, but could instead be a result of misaligned wheels or the need to rotate the tires. Rather than let this problem persist, take your vehicle to a qualified mechanic. Once you problem is diagnosed, it can be fixed to ensure that your tires do not continue to wear in an irregular pattern.

Better to be Safe than Sorry

Do you feel that your tires are worn out? Are you avoiding this because of the cost associated with buying new tires? Although you may think that putting this off for a few more months is no big deal, it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you are unsure of whether or not you need new tires, the best thing you can do is have a professional mechanic inspect each one for you. A professional opinion that will shape your decision.

With this information, you should be able to tell when it is time to change your tires. Our GM Certified mechanics will be glad to take a look at your tires for you. And whether you need new tires or not, you can  feel safer every time you take to the road knowing you have good tires on your car.

LEE COWAN TEST DRIVES THE NEW CORVETTE STRINGRAY AND TALKS WITH COLLECTOR AND NASCAR OWNER RICK HENDRICK ABOUT THE SPORTS CAR ON “CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD”

Caption: (L-R) Rick Hendrick, Lee Cowan

SAYS HENDRICK: “THE CORVETTE WAS JUST THE ULTIMATE CAR – YOU HAD THE STYLING, THE POWER, ALL THE GIRLS LIKED THEM”

CBS News correspondent Lee Cowan gets a sneak peek at of Chevrolet’s totally redesigned 2014 Corvette Stingray and talks with NASCAR team owner and Corvette collector Rick Hendrick about the prized vehicles this weekend on CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD.

“The Corvette was just the ultimate car,” Hendrick tells Cowan. “I mean, it was – you had the styling, the power, all the girls liked them.”

Timed to the car’s 60^th birthday, Chevrolet has redesigned the vehicle for 2014 and brought back the legendary Stingray name. Hendrick, a top NASCAR team owner, has one of the largest private Corvette collections in the world, with nearly 150 in his stable. He said he met his wife, Linda, while driving a Stingray.

“She rode with me in that first Corvette on our first date and it broke down,” Hendrick recalls. “She wasn’t very impressed.”

The two-seat sports car has survived for six decades, a period which includes General Motors’ bankruptcy. “It would be such a shame for that car to be missing in America’s culture,” Hendrick says. “I just think it’s part of the DNA of Chevrolet.”

Cowan talks with Tadge Juechter, Chevrolet’s chief engineer on the Corvette team, who allowed Cowan to become the first person outside the Chevrolet family to drive one. “I don’t even know how to describe it,” Cowan says.

Hendrick, a Chevy dealer, can’t wait to get his hands on one of the new Corvettes, Cowan reports. “I think this car will probably be one of the most sought-after cars that we’ve seen in a long time,” Hendrick tells Cowan.

History with a Mystery: CHEVROLET BOWTIE

The Chevrolet Emblem may have been inspired by a piece of wallpaper. Or maybe not

The Chevrolet bowtie—introduced by company cofounder William C. Durant in late 1913—is one of the most recognized emblems in the world today. But how it came to be synonymous with the brand is open to wide interpretation.

Inspired by wallpaper in a French hotel?

Durant’s version of how the logo came into existence is well-known. The long-accepted story, confirmed by Durant himself, was that it was inspired by the wallpaper design in a Parisian hotel.

According to The Chevrolet Story of 1961, an official company publication issued in celebration of Chevrolet’s 50th anniversary:

“It originated in Durant’s imagination when, as a world traveler in 1908, he saw the pattern marching off into infinity as a design on wallpaper in a French hotel. He tore off a piece of the wallpaper and kept it to show friends, with the thought that it would make a good nameplate for a car.”

However, conflicting accounts have emerged, each of which is plausible enough to deepen the mystery and suggest it may never be solved. Two of the alternate origins come from within the Durant family itself.

Or was it a dinner-table sketch?

In 1929, Durant’s daughter, Margery, published a book entitled, My Father. In it, she described how Durant sometimes doodled nameplate designs on pieces of paper at the dinner table: “I think it was between the soup and the fried chicken one night that he sketched out the design that is used on the Chevrolet car to this day.”

Was it borrowed from a newspaper ad?

More than half a century later, another bowtie origin story was recounted in a 1986 issue of Chevrolet Pro Management Magazine, based on a 13-year-old interview with Durant’s widow, Catherine. She recalled how she and her husband were on holiday in Hot Springs, Virginia, in 1912. While reading a newspaper in their hotel room, Durant spotted a design and exclaimed, “I think this would be a very good emblem for the Chevrolet.” Unfortunately, at the time, Mrs. Durant didn’t clarify what the motif was or how it was used.

That nugget of information inspired Ken Kaufmann, historian and editor of The Chevrolet Review, to search out its validity. In a November 12, 1911, edition of The Constitution newspaper, published in Atlanta, the Southern Compressed Coal Company placed an ad for “Coalettes,” a refined fuel product for fires. The Coalettes logo, as published in the ad, had a slanted bowtie form, very similar to the shape that would soon become the Chevrolet icon. Did Durant and his wife see the same ad or one that was similar–the following year a few states to the north? The newspaper edition was dated just nine days after the incorporation of the Chevrolet Motor Company.

The Swiss flag theory.

One other explanation attributes the design to a stylized version of the cross of the Swiss flag. Louis Chevrolet was born in Switzerland at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchâtel, to French parents on Christmas Day 1878.

Whichever origin is true, within a few years, the bowtie would emerge as the definitive Chevrolet logo. An October 2, 1913, edition of The Washington Post seems to be the earliest-known example of the symbol being used to advertise the brand. “Look for this nameplate” the ad proclaims above the emblem. Customers the world over have been doing so ever since.

Today’s bowtie: a gold standard.

Many variations in coloring and detail of the Chevrolet bowtie have come and gone over the decades since its introduction in late 1913, but the essential shape has never changed. In 2004, Chevrolet began to phase in the gold bowtie that today serves as the brand identity for all of its cars and trucks marketed globally.

Conserving Heat and Saving Money

Ten tips for saving on heating costs through the winter months

Heat and energy costs can skyrocket during the winter months, wrecking havoc with the family budget. Keep heating costs in line by conserving heat as much as possible when the weather turns cold.

Consider these 10 tips for saving on heating costs this winter.

1. Cover windows with heavy curtains. Thick draperies or curtains will keep cold air from entering through cracks around the windows and will help hold heat inside. If there’s a sunny day, open your draperies to allow sunlight in, but then close them at night for better insulation.
2. Apply weather-stripping to doors and windows. Air that seeps in around doorways can cause your furnace to work overtime.
3.  Turn your thermostat down to a lower temperature. Setting your thermostat even a few degrees cooler can save significant amounts of energy. Try turning down the temperature two degrees for one week and then reduce it a few more degrees the following week, and you’ll quickly acclimate to the lower temperature.
4.  Buy a programmable thermostat. If you are out of the house during certain hours every day, program your thermostat to a lower temperature during the time you’re gone and increase the temperature about an hour before you come home.
5.  Turn off the heat an hour before you leave the house. If the weather is not below freezing, but just a little chilly, turn off the heat one hour before you leave your home. The house will stay warm during the hour before you leave, and you won’t be heating the space while you’re out.
6.  Clean and clear your heating ducts. Heat can escape through heating ducts that have come apart or are blocked with debris. Maintain your heating ducts on an annual or biannual basis to make sure the ducts are still properly intact and clean.
7.  Change furnace filters every three months to keep your furnace running efficiently and heating ducts clear. A furnace that runs well is more energy efficient.
8.  Close the fireplace damper or close off the fireplace if you are not going to use the fireplace to heat your home during the winter. Hot air can escape through the fireplace flue, causing your furnace to work overtime.
9.  Use the bathroom fan only when needed during winter months. Running the bathroom fan for long periods of time can pull warm air from the inside, up and out of the house.
10.  Check the exterior of your home for any visible holes or cracks. Small pockets where air or drafts can enter your home can cause heating losses.

Conserving heat reduces energy costs, saving money for your monthly budget. Just a few small changes can yield significant results in the amount of money you spend heating your home during the winter.

Sonic, Camaro and Equinox Named 2013 Automotive "Best Buys" by Consumers Digest

At Chevy, we’re proud to say that each and every vehicle we build is designed to offer the best possible features at the best possible price. But it’s not just us saying that. Consumers Digest thinks so, too.

The 2013 Consumers Digest Automotive “Best Buy” picks are out, and three Chevy vehicles – Camaro, Sonic, and Equinox – made the list.

Consumers Digest chooses its “Best Buys” based on which cars in each segment provide the most value for the price. Vehicles are driven under a variety of conditions and evaluated based on the standards of an average car buyer. Experts then assess each model on both design (including styling, ergonomics, seating and cargo space) and performance (including shifting, steering, braking, acceleration, ride quality and fuel economy).

"Value, as we see it, is based on purchase price and ownership costs relative to quality, performance and subjective factors, such as comfort and design," says Randy Weber, publisher of Consumers Digest.

Weber and his colleagues saw plenty of value in the Chevy fleet.

The Equinox was honored with a Compact SUV “Best Buy” title for its fourth year in a row, owing to its stylish appointments, class-leading legroom, versatile MyFlex^® rear seating, meticulous craftsmanship and money-saving 32 MPG highway.^†

 And, of course, its starting price of just $23,755*.

2013 Chevrolet Equinox

Camaro zoomed ahead of the pack in the Sporty Cars category, and picked up its fourth consecutive “Best Buy” award. Starting at just $23,345*, the legendary Camaro is known for its sexy exterior, powerful engine, and for taking drivers on an exhilarating ride.

2013 Chevrolet Camaro

In the Subcompact category, the Chevrolet Sonic made quite an impression on the Consumers Digest judges, picking up its very first “Best Buy” title. It’s no surprise why, either. The Sonic is the first and only car in its class to come with 10 standard air bags.^†, ^† It’s also the only car in its class to receive a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety from NHTSA^†. Not only that, but the Sonic is the only small car that’s built right here in America^† and the only car in its class with an available turbocharged engine – offering up to 40 MPG highway.^† That’s a lot of “only”s!

2013 Chevrolet Sonic

So whether you want to head up to the cottage with kids, dog and skis in tow; zoom down the highway in high style; or just zip across town in comfort and safety – it’s good to know there’s a tested and approved Chevy for every driver, at every price point.