Hit me with the smallest, the largest, the only and the weirdest

The most peculiar landmarks often make the best trips

Sometimes the kitschiest of things make the perfect stop. These sorts of things go along with the larger-than-life sense of humor our relationship is filled with. It totally suits our personalities. And, these sorts of things make our trips even more fun and interesting. As you can see, we don’t take ourselves too seriously…most days.

Sometimes we seek out the odd and peculiar, but most of the time, we pick a location for one reason or another and find out by happenstance that it has something of particular interest. It’s usually a sign that the place is calling us.

Unwind with our oddities Top 8:

1. The first paved highway. Check. Who knew that the first ever paved highway ran from New York to California right through Ohio? This section of the Lincoln Highway in the Midwest was the only section paved with bricks, and we tracked the last remaining part of it from Ashland to Wooster and then from Massillon to Canton. We even saw the old highway markers. Read We went there so you wouldn’t have to to blog for more info.

   
   

2. Johnny Appleseed’s grave. Check. John Chapman is laid to rest in Fort Wayne, IN inside the aptly named Johnny Appleseed Park, and we were there to pay our respects. So it wasn’t just a childhood folklore, Johnny Appleseed totally existed.

   
   

3. The believed burial site of Davy Crockett. Check. Stop into the San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, TX and you’ll find the sarcophagus believed to hold the remains of the most famous ‘coon skin wearin’ man — Davy Crockett, plus Jim Bowie, William Barret Travis and other Alamo defenders, although the identity of the bones has been widely debated. Read An empty nester day in your kid’s city - San Antonio version.

4. America’s Oldest Authentic 19^th Century Theater. Check. Nestled on S. Main Street in sleepy Mt. Vernon, OH, we bought tickets to see a really stand-out production of The Nutcracker ballet inside the Woodward Opera House. Because why not? See our Sleepy towns are waiting to show you what they got blog.

5. Oldest Operating General Store. Check. Also located in Mt. Vernon, OH, you can find Woolson’s. The façade is charming and the authentic mahogany fixtures are exquisite. Step into yesteryear and imagine kids drooling over the candy selection perfectly merchandised in mason jars and ladies dressed in long dresses and bonnets picking up odds and ends to make the perfect home. See our Sleepy towns are waiting to show you what they got blog.

6. The First Concrete Street in America. Check. Yup, it's thing...and we found it. Apparently, the streets around this majestic courthouse in Bellefontaine, OH were the first-ever paved roads in the U.S. It started in 1891, when they paved an 8-ft strip on Court Avenue to hitch the horses. On one side of this street you can find the Courthouse and on the other side you find Opera Block with the cutest shops you ever did see.

7. The Shortest Street in America. Check. Bellefontaine sure is fascinated with their street superlatives. McKinley street is billed as the shortest street in our country. Just 15-20 feet (sources vary on the exact measurement), it was named after President William McKinley, an Ohio native, who stopped in Bellefontaine once.

8. The Highest Point in Ohio. Check. Also in Bellefontaine, OH, on the east side of the city you can find the highest point in Ohio at 1,549 ft elevation. It's located in Campbell Hill within grounds of the aptly named Hi-Point Career Center. There is a marble marker with an X which was placed in 1900 to mark the exact location.

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Check out our next blog on some of the international peculiarities we’ve experienced. Hint: With as many European Catholic churches as we’ve seen in our lifetime, you would think Jesus’ crown of thorns was the size of Texas.