当你在美国驱车前行时,你会发现每个角落都洋溢着一股幽默感,要不然你如何解释那些偶然碰到的怪诞景色呢。以下就是美国的十大另类景点:
1.新墨西哥州罗斯威尔
在1947年,一神秘物体在一个农场附近坠落。每个人都为之震惊,但军方却试图掩盖真相。对于很多人来说,有个消息被封闭起来,那就是:外星人降临了。这个城市在一瞬间被炒作成“天外来客”的梦想之地。
相信这一事件的人或许想到国际UFO博物馆和研究中心去证实一些东西,但这些地方陈列的东西却都是官方蓄意制作以蒙蔽群众的。
2.加利福尼亚沙顿海
在加利福尼亚最大的沙漠中有一个该州最大的湖泊,这听上去很不可思议。沙顿海是1905年科罗拉多河泛滥之际,为分流河水,1500名工人用五十万吨的岩石人工修建而成的。它低于地平线226英尺,是全美国的最低点,海水的含盐量比太平洋高出30个百分点。
该地的另外一个特别之处就是沙顿海东岸高达100英尺的救赎山。这是一个混凝土与人工土砖混合而成的山,外表布满了水性漆。沿着Niland的111高速路,向东行驶至Beal路,相信你不会错过。
3.德克萨斯州凯迪拉克农厂
1974年年末,当地一个古怪的百万富翁StanleyMarsh将10台产于1949年到1963年的凯迪拉克汽车斜插在地上。后来由于该镇的扩张,于1997转移到了更远的地方。StanleyMarsh对他的这一行为是这样解释的:为了向66号公路致敬,并认为这些车代表了汽车旅行的黄金时代。如今,这里允许所有过客自由地在汽车上吟诗作画,合法地留下“到此一游”的墨宝。沿着环线335以西几公里的南部支路走,你就能到达这个地方。
4.明尼苏达州世界上最大的麻线团
5.南达科他州沃尔药店
6.亚利桑那州陨石坑
5万年前,一颗呼啸而来的流星造就了亚利桑那州著名的的陨石坑。它对那些缺乏想象力的人来说绝对是一个前所未闻的东西。陨石坑将进1公里宽,600英尺深,边缘有供观赏的地点但是没有通向坑底的路。到这里观赏一下流星的杰作实在是个不错的想法。
7.佛罗里达州珊瑚堡
一个技术高超的男子为了寄托自己对心上人的眷恋之情,亲手用220多吨的珊瑚建造了这座珊瑚堡。这座珊瑚城堡给人们留下很多不解之谜,特别是知道这个心碎的罗密欧是在夜晚不用任何灰泥秘密的将其完工之后。有人声称,这个奇观有不同寻常的电磁性质。
8.新泽西州马盖特市“露西的大象”
沿着大西洋城以南的海滩社区驾驶,一个巨大的灰色俗物一定会让你停下来,那就是马盖特市露西的大象。建造者制作这个高达65英尺的木质厚皮动物的初衷是吸引土地的买家,随后用途却逐渐扩展——曾经是小旅馆,避暑屋甚至是私人府邸,最后变成了差点被小酒鬼毁灭的酒店。现在,这里被收进国家历史名胜古迹录,并在夏季对游客开放。
9.堪萨斯州Lucas艺术中心
“域外艺术”是指传统文化界限之外创作的作品,而这种艺术在小小的卢卡斯开花了。1907年,SamuelDinsmoor开创了这种艺术,他在他的院子放置了很多抽象的雕像,以表现他怪异的哲学。人们在院子外面就可以看到他的“伊甸园”,但是交钱进入观赏的话还可以了解到一些精彩的故事。
10.阿拉巴马州无人认领行李中心
沿着通往斯科茨伯勒的279高速路走,你就能看到无人认领行李中心的标志。这个梅西百货大小的空间就是大多数无人认领行李的最终归宿。若你遗失宝贝90天以后还不认领,航空公司就会把它送到这里。这里有Tumi包,KateSpade包,BrunoMagli便鞋,照相机,电脑,高尔夫球棒……要什么有什么!然后,这些都会被零售出去。(李秀雯译)
LonelyPlanet’stop10wackyroadsideattractionsinAmerica
ThereisasenseofhumouraroundeverycornerwhenyouaredrivinginAmerica.Howelsetoexplainthosewacky,way-out-in-left-fieldroadsideattractionsyouwillstumbleuponMufflermen,mysteryspotsandantigravityhillsarejustthebeginning.Hereareourtop10favouriteoffbeatspots.
1.Roswell,NewMexico:Ifyoubelieve"TheTruthisOutThere",thentheRoswellIncidentisalreadyfiledawayinyourmemorybanks.In1947,amysteriousobjectcrashedatanearbyranch.Noonewouldhavelostanysleepoverit,butthemilitarymadeabigto-doofhushingitup,andforalotofpeople,thatsealedit:thealienshadlanded!Internationalcuriosityandlocalingenuityhavetransformedthecityintoaquirkyextraterrestrial-wannabezone.Bulbouswhiteheadsglowatopthedowntownstreetlamps.
Believersandkitsch-seekersshouldcheckouttheInternationalUFOMuseumandResearchCenter,whichdisplaysdocumentssupportingthecover-upaswellaslotsoffar-outartandexhibitions.TheannualRoswellUFOFestivalbeamsdownovertheFourthofJuly,withanotherworldlycostumeparade,guestspeakers,workshopsandconcerts.
2.SaltonSea,California:
California'slargestlakeinthemiddleofitsbiggestdesertisanunexpectedsight.AftertheColoradoRiverfloodedin1905,ittook1,500workersandhalfamilliontonsofrocktoputtheriverbackoncourse.Withnonaturaloutlet,theartificialSaltonSeaisheretostay.Itssurfaceis220ftbelowsealevelanditswaters30%saltierthanthePacific.
Anotherunusualsightnearthelake'seasternshoreisSalvationMountain,a100ft-highhillofconcreteandhand-mixedadobe,coveredwithacrylicpaint.Withthemotto"GodNeverFails",itisthevisionoffolkartistLeonardKnight.TurnoffHwy111atNiland,driveeastonBealRoadandyoucannotmissit.
3.CadillacRanch,Texas:
In1974thelate,localeccentricmillionaireStanleyMarshplanted10Cadillacs(vintage1949to1963)headlightsdowninadesertedstretchofdirtoutsideAmarillo-andthenmovedthemfurtheroutin1997becauseoftownencroachment.ThereasonHesaidheconstructedwhathascometobeknownasCadillacRanch(I-40betweenexits60&62)inasalutetoRoute66,usingcarsheconsideredtorepresentthegoldenageofcartravel.Theacceptedpracticetodayistoleaveyourownmarkontheartbydrawingonthecars.Bringspraypaintincaseothervisitorshavenotleftanyaround.Occasionallythecarsgetamakeover,likewhentheywereallpaintedpinkinhonourofbreast-cancerawareness.Togethere,parkalongthesouthfeederroad,acoupleofmileswestofLoop335,andwalkthewell-wornpath.
4.World'sLargestBallofTwine,Minnesota:
Thereismuchadoaboutwhichballoftwineactuallyholdstherecordthesedays.ButwhynotpayyourrespectstotheoriginalthatstartedallthefussBeholdtheWorld'sLargestBallofTwineinDarwin,62mileswestofMinneapolisonUS12.Tobespecific,itisthe"LargestBuiltbyOnePerson"-FrancisAJohnsonwrappedthe17,400lbwhopperonhisfarmoverthecourseof29years.Gawkatitinthetowngazebo.Betteryet,visitthemuseumbesideitandbuyyourowntwineballstarterkitinthegiftshop.
5.WallDrug,SouthDakota:
Atouristtrapparexcellence,thisdrugstoreinSouthDakotaisfamousforitsroadsidebillboardsthatstartadvertising"freeicewater"severalstatesaway,butitisasurprisinglyworthystop.Theyreallydohave5centcoffee,freeicewaterandenoughdiversionsandcome-onstowarmtheheartofschlock-loverseverywhere.Donotmisstheanimatronicdinosaur.
6.MeteorCrater,Arizona:ThesecondmostimpressiveholeinArizonawasformedbyafierymeteorthatscreamedintotheatmosphereabout50,000yearsago,whengiantslothslivedintheseparts.MeteorCrater,40mileseastofFlagstaff,isanout-of-this-worldsiteforthosewithathimblefulofimagination.Nearlyamileacrossand600ftdeep,therearelookoutpointsaroundthecrater'sedgebutnohikingtothebottom.Checkoutthefun,informativevisitorcentre.
7.CoralCastle,Florida:
ThisfavouredstopinHomesteadisoneman'skitschydo-it-yourselftestamenttolostlove:LatvianimmigrantEdLeedskalnindugupmorethan2.2milliontonsofcoralrocktobuildthismockcastle.Itsengineeringwasonceabitofmystery,especiallysincethebroken-heartedRomeoworkedsecretivelyatnightwithoutusinganymortar.Someclaimthatthemarvelhasunusualelectromagneticproperties.
8.LucytheMargateElephant,NewJersey:
DrivearoundthebeachcommunitiesjustsouthofAtlanticCityandsomethingmassive,grayandkitschwillstopyouinyourtracks:LucytheMargateElephant,a65ft-highwoodenpachydermconstructedin1881asadeveloper'strulyweirdschemetoattractlandbuyerstothearea.Itwasvariouslyusedasahotel,beachcottage,privatemansionandlast,atavern,butrowdypatronsalmostdestroyedher.NowrecognizedontheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces,Lucyisopenfortoursduringsummer,startingeveryhalfhour,weatherpermitting.
9.Lucas,Kansas:
"Outsiderart",meaningworkscreatedoutsidetheboundsoftraditionalculture,hasblossomedintinyLucas.SamuelDinsmoorbeganitallin1907byfillinghisyardwithenormousconcretesculpturesespousinghiseccentricphilosophies.HisGardenofEdenisvisiblefromthesidewalk,butpaidadmissionletsyouhearsomewonderfulstoriesandseehisremainsinaglass-toppedcoffin.
10.UnclaimedBaggageCenter,Alabama:
HeadintodowntownScottsboroonHwy279andfollowthesignstotheUnclaimedBaggageCenter.Wait...isthatyouriPodTheoneyouleftintheseatpocketonthatflightfromPoughkeepsieProbably.ThisMacy's-sizedretailspaceistheendofthelineforthemajorityofunclaimedbagsintheUS.After90days,theairlinessendyourlostluggagehere.Ittakesthriftshop-levelpatience,butthereisTumiluggage,KateSpadebags,BrunoMagliloafers,cameras,laptops,golfclubs-younameit-allforafractionofretail.