Wild Travels
Episode 305
U.S. NATIONAL SNOW SCULPTURE COMPETITION Lake Geneva, WI
The competitive snow sculptor must endure an awful lot for his or her art: bitterly cold temperatures, sleepless nights and a relentlessly ticking time clock; but as we discovered, the finished product makes it all worthwhile.
ROYAL GORGE BRIDGE Canon City, CO
The Royal Gorge Bridge was the highest suspension bridge in the world for seven decades when it was eclipsed in 2012 (thanks, China!). It’s about a thousand feet up and over four football fields long, and did we mention that it’s survived gale force winds, fire, and an actual war?
SPEAR HUNTING MUSEUM Summerdale, AL
Gene Morris called himself “The Greatest Living Spear Hunter in the World”, and before he died he established a museum that displays some of the 592 (?!) animals that he managed to kill with a spear. Whether wandering down “Gator Alley” or perusing “Boar Hall”, you’ll either be impressed or horrified at the quantity and variety of his punctured victims.
VELVETERIA Los Angeles, CA
As one might expect, The Museum of Velvet Paintings has quite a few Elvises, but this two-roomed collection near Chinatown also showcases exquisite portraits of Jack Nicholson, The Elephant Man, Michael Jackson and Hillary Clinton.
SASQUATCH OUTPOST Bailey, AL
Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti – whatever you call it, it’s a creature to be reckoned with, and at the Sasquatch Outpost you’ll meet some true believers who seem to have reckoned with it on a semi-regular basis. There’s a museum and a gift shop on the premises, and if you’re lucky (like we were), you might just get to join a search for the legendary but elusive Boggy Creek Monster.