On our
way home from Michigan we stopped at what might be a familiar sight for those
of you who have headed up I-75, the giant dinosaur. Originally a mascot for Thunder
Mountain Fireworks, this hand-built green dinosaur has looked out over the
highway from Caryville TN since the 1980’s.
Sadly,
in May 2011 the fireworks store caught fire, and the site is now occupied by a
Dollar Store. Rumor has it, the dinosaur is for sale…
Caryville
doesn’t seem to have good luck with fireworks stores. You might recognize
another site from the interstate, just minutes north of the dinosaur.
source: maps.google.com |
We
made an overnight stop outside of Lexington in order to break up the trip, had
we not we would have witnessed the fireworks… That’s right, the store caught
fire that evening, and firefighters had the dangerous task of preventing the
neighboring buildings, and even cars on the highway from catching on fire. I-75
was shut down in both directions, it must have been quite a sight.
Source: USA Today |
It isn’t
just the fireworks laying waste to I-75 roadside attractions on the
north-south highway. Some of you might recognize this 62 foot tall giant Jesus from the roadside just north of Cincinnati.
Source: here |
Nicknamed
“touchdown Jesus,” it was struck by lightning and destroyed in 2010. The church
has rebuilt, and the new statue (nickname “Hug me Jesus”) was dedicated in 2012. Named Lux
Mundi ("Light of the World" in Latin), the 52 foot statue was designed
by Tom Tsuchiya.
Source: wikipedia |
What
is your favorite roadside attraction on I-75?
Directions
to giant dinosaur:
Take
exit 134 and head east on US Hwy 25W/Hwy 63. Make a right (south) onto Hwy
116/John McGhee Blvd. and after 0.5 miles turn into the Dollar Store parking
lot. The dragon is located behind the store on the highway side.
I don't think I've ever driven this route - wasn't familiar with the dinosaur. And had heard of the Jesus only online I guess. But - yikes re: the fireworks store!!
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