Big Peach
Gaffney, SC
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

If you've ever driven Interstate 85 through South Carolina, you probably know exactly when you're getting close to Gaffney. Long before you reach the exit, something enormous begins rising above the trees. At first it looks like a giant orange ball. Then the leaf comes into view. Finally you realize you're looking at The Big Peach, one of the country's most famous roadside landmarks. 01-08

Officially known as the Peachoid, the tower was completed in 1981 as a one-million-gallon water tank. Rather than building an ordinary water tower, Gaffney chose to celebrate one of the region's biggest crops. Standing 135 feet tall and topped with a 60-foot steel leaf, it's impossible to miss from Interstate 85.

Big Peach
Gaffney, SC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Artist Peter Freudenberg studied real peaches before painting the tower with dozens of blended shades of orange, yellow, and red, giving the giant structure a surprisingly realistic appearance. Of course, not everyone sees a peach. Almost from the day it opened, motorists began joking that it resembled something a little more... anatomical. The nickname "Peachoid" quickly stuck, and so did the laughs.

Whether you're admiring the engineering or chuckling at its famous shape, the Peachoid has become a road-trip tradition for generations of travelers. Families heading to the beach have watched for it from the back seat, photographers have pulled off the interstate for a closer look, and the giant peach even found national attention with a memorable appearance in House of Cards.

More than four decades after it was built, the Peachoid still rises above the Carolina landscape just as it always has. Love it or laugh at it, it's one of those roadside landmarks you'll never forget once you've seen it.

UPDATE: Here's another shot of the Big Peach in Gaffney, SC. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 01-08

UPDATE: The Peachoid continues serving as Gaffney's municipal water tower and remains one of the South's best-known roadside attractions. 08-26

Dinoworld (Gone)
Eureka Springs, AR
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

Driving the winding roads west of Eureka Springs, the last thing you expect to see is a dinosaur peeking through the trees. Then another appears, and before long you've found Dinosaur World, one of Arkansas' most unusual roadside attractions.

The park opened in 1967 when local cattleman Ola Farwell hired sculptor Emmet Sullivan, creator of nearby Christ of the Ozarks, to fill 65 wooded acres with life-sized concrete dinosaurs. Visitors wandered among giant prehistoric creatures, mammoths, cavemen, and other oversized sculptures that made the Ozarks feel a little more like the age of dinosaurs than the hills of Arkansas.

Dinoworld
Eureka Springs, AR
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

The attraction changed with the times, even becoming John Agar's Land of Kong during the late 1970s after the actor lent his name to the park. A giant King Kong statue joined the dinosaurs, and the roadside diner became known for its hefty "Kong Burgers." Whether you stopped or not, the towering creatures did exactly what they were meant to do: catch the eye of passing motorists.

Like many independently owned roadside attractions, changing travel habits eventually caught up with Dinosaur World. The park closed in 2005, and an arson fire later destroyed the entrance buildings. Nature has slowly reclaimed the grounds, but several of the giant dinosaurs can still be spotted through the trees from Highway 187, quietly watching traffic roll by.

UPDATE: Dinosaur World remains abandoned, with several of its concrete dinosaurs still visible from the roadside. 08-26

Prabhupada's Palace of Gold
Moundsville, WV
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

The winding hills outside Moundsville aren't where you'd expect to find a palace covered in gold. That's what makes Prabhupada's Palace of Gold, better known as the Hare Krishna Palace of Gold, such an unforgettable roadside surprise.

Construction began in 1973 when members of the Hare Krishna community set out to build a residence honoring their spiritual leader, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Few had any formal construction experience, yet over the next several years they learned stonework, woodworking, stained glass, and other crafts to create one of West Virginia's most unexpected landmarks. The palace opened in 1979.

Prabhupada's Palace of Gold
Moundsville, WV
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

From the outside, the gold-covered dome immediately catches your eye. Inside are marble floors, crystal chandeliers, carved woodwork, and intricate stained glass that seem worlds away from the quiet Appalachian countryside. The beautifully landscaped grounds, complete with gardens, ponds, and elephant sculptures, make it easy to spend an afternoon exploring.

Whether you arrive out of curiosity or by accident, it's one of those places that leaves a lasting impression. You simply don't expect to discover a palace like this tucked away in the hills of West Virginia.

UPDATE: The Palace of Gold remains open to visitors and continues to welcome travelers and pilgrims from around the world. 08-26