Tacky Tourist Photos

SUBMITTED BY: Judy Cohen and Mosey Brown   LOCATION: Seattle, Washington (2015) With Seattle city officials announcing they will steam clean the infamous Market Theater Gum Wall at Pike Place next week, getting rid of an estimated one million pieces of Already-Been-Chewed (ABC) gum, we decided to pay homage to the site before it disappears [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Barrie and Ilya Mirman   LOCATION: Belfast, Maine (2014) This nutcracker looks like a lobster, from the hue to the anatomy of the tail and claws. It even looks like the artist ran out of paint. But this “Head in the Hole” sign board photo-op at Perry’s Nut House gets an A+ for [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Peter Hartlaub   LOCATION: Gilroy, California (2013) Mascots Gil and Roy (on right) are brother and sister cloves.  Roy is actually named Royelle and supposed to be a “little bit princess, little bit tomboy.” Gilroy Gardens is California’s only horticulture-themed amusement park, as Disney and Universal foolishly opted not to invest heavily in [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Brian Henderson and Anne Donelan   LOCATION: I-95, Dillon, South Carolina Anyone who has ventured on a Florida roadtrip from any East Coast destination can attest to the marketing power of the South of the Border truck stop, a.k.a. “America’s Favorite Highway Oasis.” It’s relentless Beat Down Marketing, pummeling you with billboard updates [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Stacy G.   LOCATION: Orange, Connecticut (2012) At the PEZ Visitors Center, right next to the PEZ factory, you can carry the weight of the Candy World on your shoulders. (Stacy G. has previously shared her Las Vegas fling with Roman Gladiators)

SUBMITTED BY: Bill Malie  LOCATION: Niagara Falls, Ontario (2011) In the grand tradition of Eating Big Things (“Golden Gate Appetizer,” “World’s Largest Popcorn” ), Bill takes a chunk out of Canada’s Largest Candy Bar in front of the Hershey Store near the Falls. Does ANYONE eat the candy bar with the wrapper still on? (Bill [...]

SUBMITTED BY: David Meerman Scott LOCATION: Nantucket, Massachusetts (2011) The big question unanswered at the Nantucket Cranberry Festival: What’s underneath the red tide? Do cranberry farmers swish around the wet bogs in their bare feet, giving the juice that extra special bite? (Marketing strategist David Meerman Scott, who blogs at Web Ink Now, most recently [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Brian Henderson   LOCATION: Houston, Texas (2011) The shiny mascot of Goode’s Armadillo Palace — a local BBQ and music joint — looks sweet and innocent by day. But after nightfall, it turns evil. Be forewarned! (Brian Henderson is a photojournalist with an appetite as huge as the Golden Gate Bridge.)

SUBMITTED BY: The Heater Family   LOCATION: Kensington, PEI (2011) If there were such a thing as lobster filmmakers, there would be plenty of human-themed horror movies. We pluck these creatures from their homes, boil them alive and then suck out their insides. At the Prince Edward Island Lobster Festival, it was time for a little [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Ari Garnick   LOCATION: Salem, NH (2011) Imagine what this box would cost at the movies, where we just shelled out $7 for a large (free refills didn’t ease the pain)! Does Canobie Lake Park boast the World’s Largest Box of Popcorn? We filed an official inquiry with the Popcorn Board, the industry trade [...]

SUBMITTED BY: David C.    LOCATION: Fairfield, California (2010) Ronald Reagan took on the Soviet Union with a sweet tooth. We can’t wait to see the Jimmy Carter peanut mosaic, the Bill Clinton “Big Mac” montage and the Barack Obama cigarette sculpture! (The Jelly Belly Factory Tour also includes jelly bean portraits of Elvis, John Wayne, [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Kerry Byrne   LOCATION: Freising, Germany (2010) You know what it takes to stay in business for a THOUSAND YEARS? Not being chintzy on the serving sizes. At the historic Weihenstephan Brewery, founded in 1040, there is no such thing as a small! (Kerry Byrne, aka “The Beer Traveler,” is visiting the World’s [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Peter K. LOCATION: Boston, Massachusetts (2010) When you’re tracing the footsteps of Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, Sam Adams and John Hancock, seeing a giant Mac & Cheese noodle just seems natural. Looks like it’s now the official comfort food of the American Revolution. And, also the official comfort food of the Windy City: [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Tacky Tourist Photos    LOCATION: Hopkinton County Fair, New Hampshire (2009) We have no problems using burly cigar-smoking guys and intimidation to sell popcorn. Just please change the sign!

SUBMITTED BY: Darren Garnick    LOCATION: O’Leary, Prince Edward Island (2009) Home of Canada’s largest artificial potato, the PEI Potato Museum respectfully honors potato pin-up models, potato guns and even Mr. Potato Head.  But perhaps its most meaningful contribution to Canadian culture is its mournful documentation of diseases and pests that are deadly to the potato [...]