A Travel Quest: Bigger is Better?
Some travelers make it a quest to visit certain travel destinations or activities such as all major league baseball parks in the country, every U.S. state, or all theme parks. But, how about the biggest of something? The biggest restaurant, the largest home, the tallest roller coaster are just a few of the biggest items ProfessionalTravelGuide.com has developed a list of a few favorite bigger things to put on a vacation “must see” list.
It turns out you can find the world’s largest beer, biggest burger or largest lobster most anywhere, often at the center of a small town in the middle of nowhere, according to Peter Nicas, CEO and editor-in-chief, ProfessionalTravelGuide.com. “It can make for nice stops on a long drive.”
Below is a sampling of ProfessionalTravelGuide.com’s biggest recommendations:
World’s Largest Beer - La Crosse, Wisconsin
Drink up! Drive past Heileman’s Brewery in La Crosse to see the world’s largest beer, part of the world’s largest six-pack. Could this be anywhere else but Wisconsin? While in the state, visit the world’s largest talking cow (Neillsville), world’s largest penny (Woodruff) and the largest “M” (Platteville).
Largest Lobster - New Brunswick, Canada
Citizens of Shediac, New Brunswick, celebrate their self-proclaimed status as “Lobster Capital of the World” with their 35-ft/11-m statue of a lobster. The largest lobster recorded was caught in Nova Scotia, weighing in at 44 lbs/20 kg-we’re still searching for the world’s largest stick of butter.
Biggest Burgers - Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub - Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Hungry? Order ahead for a 100-lb/45-kg burger. Of course, there’s always the 6-lb/3-kg or 3-lb/1.3-kg version if you’re a wimp.
Largest Velvet Elvis - The Tattoo Factory - Chicago, Illinois
At the Tattoo Factory in Chicago, stands what is currently the largest velvet Elvis, at 12 ft/4 m by 12 ft/4 m. Elvis is pictured with a tear in his eye, possibly from the thought of having been immortalized on velvet.
Biggest High School - Manila, Philippines
Did you have a large graduating class? So do the nearly 25,000 students at Rizal High School in Manila, Philippines. I feel worst for the janitor.
World’s Largest Restaurant - Damascus, Syria
Sometimes finding a restaurant for a large family reunion can be tricky, but only Abraham’s family would have trouble fitting into Damascus Gate. A Chinese and Indian restaurant, it has a seat for more than 6,000 diners. When you’re not waiting for a table at Damascus Gate (ha!), be sure to see the many other attractions in what is one of the world’s oldest cities.
World’s Biggest Gorilla Run - London, England
Hundreds of people dressed in gorilla costumes running a 4-mi/7-km scenic route around London-we’re as serious as we can possibly be about this. Maybe after the race, you can head to the London Zoo to see some other primates that don’t act quite so odd.
Largest Home - Biltmore Estate - Asheville, North Carolina
Probably the biggest tourist attraction in Asheville isn’t its outdoor recreation, but what’s indoors-specifically, the world’s largest private home, open for tours and special events year-round. Ironically, our favorite part about the tour was the outdoor flower garden.
Tallest Roller Coaster - Jackson, New Jersey
Six Flags Great Adventure is the proud home of Kingda Ka, a steel roller-coaster, standing a frightening 456 ft/141 m tall. We’re just assuming the line to get on this ride is equally impressive.
World’s Biggest Casino - Foxwoods Resort Casino - Ledyard, Connecticut
It’s not in Las Vegas or Macau. The world’s largest casino is actually in Connecticut. Foxwoods casino boasts more than 7,000 slot machines, which is enough dinging to drive anyone insane. Odds are good that you’ll leave with the world’s largest hole in your wallet.
World’s Largest City - Tokyo, Japan
The world’s largest city (by population) is without a doubt Tokyo, Japan, coming in at more than 35 million people. It far and away beats out New York City, Sao Paulo and Seoul. The city is awash in skyscrapers and flashing lights, and you can never be found wanting for things to do.
What biggest, tallest and largest items, places, destinations have you journeyed to experience?
Photo Credit: ProfessionalTravelGuide.com
Jackson, New Jersey is awesome! I have been hearing about a lot of great stuff about Jersey am looking to venture into the places I haven’t explored. I love learning about new things to do in New Jersey. People make fun of Jersey all the time, but contrary to popular notion, there’s so much to do!
It’s so hard to find new things to do though — I also sometimes want to deviate from the usual of going to the mall, amusement park, movies, etcetera. I found http://www.kangalope.com, a site that lists different events in New Jersey, and what’s great about it is that it lists hard to find events like fairs and festivals. It also lists the contact information of the event organizers. You also get access to the community who, like you are seeking events in New Jersey as well.
Check out http://www.kangalope.com for new things to do — sign up for frequent updates, too. I save time by getting the updates so I don’t have to log on the site every time.