Roadside America, the one and only

The phrase "roadside America" is synonymous with tacky attractions of all sorts scattered across the country, from giant balls of twine to a museum of squished pennies.  But there's an attraction in Pennsylvania that actually bears the name Roadside America.  Having been in Allentown last summer, and knowing it was right along I-78 on our way back (indeed, you can scarcely help but see it from the highway) we knew we’d have to make a stop and check it out.  I was also glad to get a chance to experience it with two people I was sure would appreciate it, Janna and Todd.  Often I find if I'm visiting a tacky attraction, my own enjoyment is increased if I am with somebody who has a similar sense for the absurd, and both of my companions did.

While stopping for gas on the way over we encountered another local establishment, Yocco's hot dog stand.  When Janna and I saw Todd pull up to the drive-through window (which looks more like it belongs at a bank than a food stand) while we were still filling up, we decided to make a stop on our own.  We both got their standard, a hot dog with onions, mustard, and a kind of chili topping.  It's somewhat reminiscent of the Varsity in Atlanta, and I enjoyed it a lot.  It made the perfect food to accompany our journey to Roadside America.

I honestly hadn't known what I'd see when we went inside.  I had not inquired as to what Roadside America was, only expecting something somewhat tacky.  What I found was a very extensive miniature village.  A mirror wall at the back made it look bigger than it really was, but the effect was unnecessary.  The village was quite impressive on its own.

We wandered twice around the entire observation area surrounding the outer edge of the city.  There were multiple levels to walk on, and even some small sections made out to look like caves (these didn't really have much to do with the model village itself, though).  There's so much detail to see that it would be pointless to try to describe it all.  There are town squares, churches, a movie theater with a working marquee, a circus, a zoo, a mine, and more.  There are even working fountains and a real koi pond (of course the fish are way out of scale!).  Some items are activated by push buttons, giving the attraction a limited interactive aspect.  It's not much, but it is fun to push the buttons to see what happens.  Throughout wind the trains, trolleys, and other motorized vehicles.  If this weren't enough, the owners proudly post little signs saying "note this" or "note that", to make sure you see everything.  There certainly are little details look at everywhere, such as a cluster of dogs around a fire hydrant.

 At intervals of about half an hour there's a special campy treat.  The lights dim throughout the building, and a recording of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" as only she can comes on.  As far as I can tell this has been a tradition since well before America's 9/11 fetish with this song.  It was eerily accompanied by the rattle of the trains, all still running.  Afterwards we wandered around the rest of the perimeter, then made a second circuit before leaving because we were so fascinated.  If we didn't have a long drive home ahead of us, I might even have lingered longer.

When we'd first entered, we'd seen a sign reading "Be prepared to see more than you expect".  I hadn't quite been able to make sense of it when I first saw it, but now I think it expressed Roadside America perfectly.  To describe it as a big miniature village and model railroad simply can't do it justice. There is much fascinating and charming detail to see.  Clearly this is more than just a miniature village.  It's a very extensive labor of love.