The road that Tali and Octavia and Mare traveled is chock full of
interesting places to stop along the way. From California Interstate 5 all
the way to Highway 75 to Disneyland, there are great -- and weird -- things
to see. Every time I rode down Highway 5 as a kid, I knew to look for the
Pea Soup Andersen's Danish Windmill on the road between Santa Nella and Gustine, California. The roads through our country have exits filled with a
weird blend of art and commerce, and Tali and Octavia got to experience some
of the weirdest!
Did you know that there really IS a tiny church and a "swinging bridge to
nowhere" in Yuma, Arizona!? Known as the McPhaul Bridge, the pointless
bridge was finished in 1929, and was MEANT to span the Gila River. ...only,
there's no river there now. And apparently, there are TONS of tiny churches,
built for various reasons, that can only fit about five people in them,
standing up. Check 'em out.
http://yumazone.com/attractions.htm
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/church.html
The world's largest rosebush was verified by the Guinness Book of World Records as being in Tombstone, Arizona. It's 8,000 square feet wide. And, like Octavia said: it's cool and all, but it's still just a plant.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/102
One of the more unusual things to do in Roswell, New Mexico -- besides
getting alien t-shirts like Mare and Octavia did -- is to eat mozzarella.
No, seriously. Roswell, NM is the largest producer of mozzarella in the
United States, and the plant at Leprino Foods produce 600,000 pounds of
mozzarella A DAY. Unfortunately, Leprino Foods wasn't able to give the girls
a tour, but maybe they can do one for you.
http://www.leprinofoods.com/
Now for more history about the army:
The Women's Army Corps, the history of all of the women who served the United States from 1945 through 1978.
Women's Army Corps Veterans Association - The songs that Mare and her fellow soldiers sang are collected here.
Women's Army Corps uniforms from 1942 - 1978. Scroll down for some fun pictures!
Check out the whole list from the National Archives.
Look at the 6888th in Rouen, working with French
civilians.
Pictures like these helped me better imagine what I was writing about.
Visit other stops on the journey: Road Trip and Pedestrian Crossing.