The United States is home to millions of sculptures and art, including car art. And, today I’m going to share three unique car sculptures that are worth checking out.

The first is the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, which was built in 1974 along the historic Route 66, by Stanley Marsh, a helium billionaire, who wanted them to represent the golden age of American automobiles.

The ten Cadillacs, ranging from 1949 to 1963 models, are half-buried, nose-down, facing the west, same as the Egyptian pyramids.

Cadillac Ranch

They are often painted different colors or graffitied on.  They were all painted pink in 2005 as a tribute to breast cancer.  Visitors are encouraged 24/7, and spray-painting welcomed.

Cadillac Ranch

The second unique car sculpture is Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska.

In 1967 Carhenge was founded, as a replica of England’s Stonehenge, and made from vintage American automobiles.

Carhenge

Three cars are also buried here, with their headstone being another car that reads:

“Here lie three bones of foreign cars. They served our purpose while Detroit slept. Now Detroit is awake and America’s great!”

Carhenge

The third and final amazing car sculpture is Spindle in Berwyn, Illinois.

Spindle is a 50-foot spike with eight cars impaled on it.

It was created in 1989 and dismantled in 2008.

A new spindle may be in the works if the funds can be raised.

Spindle Car Sculpture

Have you thought about what kind of car sculpture you’d like to make?

Me personally, I’d love to see a Hummer giving birth to a Prius.

Or see a “house” made out cars…

the ideas are endless.

Cadillac photos a curtesy of Longhorn Dave

&

Spindle photo curtesy of Sailor Bill

by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children

Finding a quiet place in the midst of an urban area is a treat.  When that quiet place is also historical in nature, it’s even nicer.  Such was our experience at the Graue Mill and Museum in Oak Brook, Illinois.

While in Chicago, we visited many of the “big” museums–the Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Art Institute, etc.  The Graue Mill, however, made its way to the top of our list because it was small and quiet.  Located in the suburb of Oak Brook, the mill is the only operating gristmill in the state of Illinois.  It has been standing along Salt Creek since 1852 and is also one of the only authenticated Underground Railroad stations in the area.

Graue Mill

The mill is located in a park-like area with paths available for walking along the creek.  Inside the mill, the milling demonstration is perhaps the highlight, but there are also other exhibits showing the history of the area.  Demonstrations of weaving and spinning are common, and rooms showcasing everything from a pioneer kitchen to a Victorian parlor are part of the tour.

This is a child-friendly destination as well.  On the day we visited, they had a scavenger hunt for the kids, and my son was chosen to be an assistant in grinding the grain.  Special events are held throughout the summer season.

Photo credit:  oakbrookterracehotels

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

Butterfly at the Living Desert

Spring in Southern California is the perfect time to visit the Living Desert in Palm Desert, just a stone’s throw from Palm Springs. However, if I’ve learned anything at all from my frequent trips to this outdoor garden and zoo, it’s that if you can’t lug around a bottle of water with you, you probably shouldn’t bother with this one. Even when it’s not hot, it’s still dry.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great place to visit. If you love desert plants, birds and animals, you’ll like what the Living Desert has to offer–including a large model train, run by a friendly group of retirees in old-fashioned conductor uniforms. (What model trains climbing the Swiss Alps have to do with the desert, I’ll never know, but it works and kids love it.)

An Elusive Giraffe at the Living Desert

Admission is never more than $12 per person (depending on your age and the time of year that you go), and kids under 3 can go for free, which makes it a fairly good deal.

My only complaint is that the park’s greatest attraction is also its most elusive attraction: the beautiful giraffes. I have made my kids stand quietly for fifteen minutes at a time (a long time when you are 7 years old) and still we’ve barely had more than a peek at them over the years. These shy creatures tend to stay on the other side of their massive hill, much to my children’s chagrin.

Still, it’s less expensive than most other Southern California zoos, and for younger kids (and grown ups) still fascinated by trains, lizards, cacti and rabbits, it is just as much fun.

Photos courtesy of MrPhancy and Rockin Robin (Flickr.com)

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

If you could use a day at the spa, but can’t afford the kind with fancy white robes, then the Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa in Southern California might be for you. While there are now other locations (Brea and Valencia), the original in Corona is still the best bang for your buck.

Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa

In the off season, you’ll pay $35 for admission on weekdays and $48 on weekends and holidays. For that flat fee, spa guests can enjoy the swimming pool, an assortment of jacuzzis, mineral hot springs, a lounge pool (where you can float in cool shallow water for hours), “Club Mud” (amazing mud bath that will make your skin feel great), saunas and even steam rooms.

Tropical Paradise Inside Glen Ivy Hot Springs

There is so much to do, one hardly needs to pay for more pampering, but if you really need a massage or a facial, you can pay extra for those.

Because only guests over 16 are allowed, Glen Ivy is quiet and peaceful. Men and women of all shapes and sizes can feel comfortable just relaxing in the sun or shade. (In other words: This is not the sort of spa where you need to worry about how you look in a swimsuit.)

While it’s a bit crowded in the summer months, and slightly more expensive, the Fall and Spring always a little slower. Pick the right day, and you can still have sun, even in November–this is Southern California after all.

What’s more, the food is incredible. Their Cafe Sole offers amazing entres that will leave you feeling healthy, even if you do order the BBQ chicken pizza. Just be prepared to pay around $15 per person for any meal you eat at the spa.

Don’t let the location fool you. Corona isn’t known for being pretty, but at Glen Ivy Hot Springs–much like Disneyland–you can’t see the outside world.

Photos courtesy of AmandaB3 and MarjK (Flickr.com)