Uncanny Valley

The state of New Mexico if overrun with quirky collections of Americana. Some people are constantly amazed by these collections, but there are so many of them that it’s easy to get a seen-one-seen-em-all attitude. My parents, who are locals, assure me that this place is something of an institution, above and beyond the standard level of Albu-quirky.

I have no idea if this is the oldest of the best or what, but it all started when a resident of the motel started decorating, and the other guests got upset that their rooms weren’t decorated, and pretty soon there you go. Things I remember are bottle bouquets in tires, but I did only a quick look from outside. Also of note is the large neon sign which is a bit of historic route 66. Actually, the whole place is national Hostoric Place #93001217.

Originally this chapel had no good way to get to the choir loft. If a normal staircase were put in, it would take up most of the chapel, and something better than a ladder was needed. Putting off rebuilding the loft, the Sisters of Loretto’s Novena prayed to the patron saint of carpentry, St. Joseph. 9 days later a man appeared on a donkey, built a spiral stairway without a banister, and left without payment.

I’m not sure what the miracle is precisely. The stairway is a little rickety, and the only way you can stand on it is if you are posing for wedding pictures. Maybe it’s just the whole power-of-prayer thing.

The chapel is beautiful, and the staircase has an odd DNA-evoking wabisabi to it. Afterwards, you get moved into the gift shop. It kind of reminded me of rides at themeparks where you have to wade through the gift shop to leave. Not that it was a horrible shop, I just don’t really like that tactic.

Loretto also has an Inn next door. The staircases there are non-miraculous.

Uneven erosion of volcanic fields has created lava cones in Turkey that many use for houses. I first heard of this place through Ernie Pook’s Comeek and if anyone can find a copy of the strip on the interweb I would do something really cool for you. I had a hard copy for the longest time but who knows where it went.

There is also are hotels where you can stay in one of the cave/cone/thingies. There are also a few wineries, but the comic says the wine has rather distinctive sulfurous odor.

A town where most of the people under the desert in the cool underground, Coober Pedy is so desolate-looking that films such as Pitch Black and Mad Max were shot here. In fact many of the props are still here. The genesis of the underground living was the discovery and subsequent mining of opal, which produced many old mines that later became housing, known vernacularly as dugouts. There is a dugout museum, a few dugout churches, and even a dugout hotel.

The Starkenber Beer Myth, where one can take a bath in a tub of beer. With 3 friends if you like. Well, it isn’t technically beer, it’s water mixed with beer sediments, but either way it’d void your warranty of your hot tub at home.

This is also a working brewery, obviously, so you can get served beer to drink while hottubbing in beer. Either you’re a total lush and you’re already packing or you’re like me and just thinking thats a bit sticky. Or you’re a poor lush and heading to the store to get a kiddie pool and a few cases.

There is also a hotel and restaurant here.

A park centered around a church designed by the creator of the Precious Moments characters can be found in the Ozarks. The grounds are filled with statues and paintings of the doe-eyed cartoons. The chapel even has carved doors, stained glass, and a large ceiling mural. The whole place is cute but somthing seems not quite to fit somewhere. Like how the park is fairly well developed, yet it is in the middle of nowhere down a one-lane dirt road. Or how there’s a grand serious church with cartoon angels all over. It ptobably didn’t help that I didn’t know that Precious Moments was a religious thing before I got there.

In any event, I really thought this place was neat and memorable. There was a lot of work and craftpersonship put in and I appreciate that. Definitely a unique experience and a great break when driving cross-country.

In addition to the chapel and grounds, there is a Wedding Island, and a Musical Fountain. The fountain was not on when I visited, and my S.O. couldn’t trick me to go to the Wedding Island. There is also a gift shop, but it was mainly figurines.