Kentucky Road Trippers: ‘House on the Rock’ in Southern Wisconsin Is Worth the Drive from Anywhere [PHOTO GALLERY]
Don't ask ME why I'm just now getting around to using this space to rave about what could be a little-known attraction to folks in Kentucky and maybe Indiana.
ROAD TRIPS
I am a road warrior at heart. Big trips, small trips, and trips somewhere in between. I'll take them and I will LOVE them. I will say, though, that of all my journeys--I HAVE visited 45 states--my trip to North Dakota was NOT the most enjoyable experience of my life. No, it doesn't sound like much of a vacation destination, but it is if, like me, you have a plan to visit all 50 states. But the drive up there was TEDIOUS. Honestly, once you cross over into Iowa from Missouri on Interstate 29--which you stay on until you get to Fargo--there's practically nothing to see. As my sister said, it is so flat it seems like you can see the curvature of the Earth. BORRRRRRIIIIINNNNGG.
And I won't do it again.
VACATION IDEAS
But I've traveled out west on many occasions and the beauty of the Rocky Mountains cannot be adequately conveyed via the written word; you just have to see it.
I get really excited anticipating road trips. I love seeing what people in other parts of the country are like. I enjoy seeing if small towns in other states have the same kind of feel as the small towns we find around Owensboro.
The night before the trip begins, I'm like a kid trying to get to sleep on Christmas Eve; it's just very difficult. And as I write this, I'm looking forward to whatever the next jaunt in my future is.
'HOUSE ON THE ROCK' IN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
The summer of 2017 included a visit to that rarest of roadside attractions, in that it's something I could really visit again. It's called The House on the Rock and it's between Dodgeville and Spring Green, Wisconsin. I'm not sure how we came across it while looking for places to go, but we did. And it was SO worth it.
From the outside, you won't guess just how huge this place is. Designed by architect and Howard Hughes-like recluse Alex Jordan Jr., the House on the Rock is not only Jordan's former home--he died in 1989--but it's also a museum that houses his vast and eccentric collection of artifacts.
Honestly, the tour takes about five and a half hours, and it's self-guided. And we actually bolted through his huge gun collection, but only because they all pretty much resembled each other.
Seriously, think about the House on Rock when planning a trip. Wisconsin has a lot to offer and this would be an awesome way to spend one of your vacation days.