Have you made summer travel plans? Do you know where vacation is taking you this year? Lord willing, we are going to visit Washington, D.C. and have numerous sites planned in the itinerary. We are also looking forward to doing lots of camping local. Those are “workations” where we are still on duty 24/7/365 but able to enjoy camping out while having my office on wheels.
If you don’t have any solid plans, Bon Voyaged suggests 12 unique locations that might provide a different kind of vacation. Here’s just a few of the more unique places to visit.
Carhenge in Alliance, NE – This modern art work is a spoof of Stonehenge in England, only made with old cars painted gray and arranged like the rocks of Stonehenge.
Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX – A row of Cadillacs are buried nose deep. You can legally spray graffiti on them. How exciting!
The World’s Largest Ball of Twine, Cawker City, KS – Weighing in at 20,000, you can add to the ball as people have done since 1953.
Clown Motel, Tonopah, NV – If you don’t suffer from coulrophobia (the fear of clowns), you might want to check this out. Every room is decorated with clowns, clown paraphernalia, clown memorabilia, and anything else dealing with clowns. Can anyone say creepy?!?
The Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers, Gatlinburg, TN – If you’ve ever been to Gatlinburg, you know that there are MANY things to do. Never once, though, did I think about visiting this place and I doubt I would. But, if I did, I would see 20,000 sets of shakers. Just row upon row, shelf upon shelf. And that’s all.
Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, CA – This last one I share with you is peculiar to say the least. A 70-foot-long alley has years’ worth of bubblegum stuck to the walls. Anyone visiting can stick their own wad of gum to the walls. Look it up and you can see all the gum that’s been stuck through the years. It’s quite a sight!1
Some of your summer travels might begin with a travel agent. Nothing at all wrong with that. Just make sure that your travel agent is legit. You wouldn’t want a guy like Lot.
Genesis 13:9-13 says, “Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. (10) And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. (11) Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
Why in the world would Lot have gone here? What could possibly have been the attraction? I wonder this about a big ball of twine and a wall full of chewing gum. But Sodom is full of wickedness. 2 Peter 2:7-8 says that Lot was “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (8) (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.)” Lot didn’t have to chose to go on this journey. He could have chosen a different destination for his travels.
Something, though, in the world captured his attention.
Do you find yourself drawn to destinations that are less than spiritually edifying? I’m not denouncing 20,000 salt shakers, cars buried up to their bumpers, or even a clown motel. I’m just suggesting that we need to be very careful where we go and what we find attractive. The world has a powerful draw, and the “pleasures of sin” can be enticing.
Ask the Lord today to be your travel director, not just for your summer vacation but for every day of your life. As the hymn writer said, “Where He leads me, I will follow.” Don’t try to convince the Lord to follow you.
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1https://bonvoyaged.com/12-top-u-s-roadside-attractions-you-must-add-to-your-next-adventure/