As previously mentioned, we love, love, love stopping at the stupid roadside attractions whenever we do a road trip. And, boy, did we stop at some winners on our 2022 Midwest road trip.

We’ve always said “Wisconsin is weird,” and it didn’t disappoint. I mean, come on, where else are you going to find a forest of chainsaw totem poles?

And, where else are you going to find a big red weiner dog, albeit one that needs a paint touch up?

Don’t get me started on the tin turkey in Genoa, Wisconsin. You don’t even have to get out of the car to see this one, as it is right on the side of the road. I don’t know why someone made a tin turkey, but I certainly appreciate that someone did.

Hamburger Charlie stands in Seymour, Wisconsin. The residents of Seymour claim that Charlie Nagreen invented the hamburger at the Seymour County Fair. Supposedly, he showed up to the fair intending to sell meat balls, realized people wanted a more portable meal, and smashed two meatballs between bread. Voila! The first hamburger. Maybe. Or, maybe not.

You might think that only rural Wisconsin is weird, but you would be wrong. All it takes is a visit to an absolutely insanely decorated yard in Cudahy, Wisconsin to know that urban Wisconsin is also in the mix. The yard has all kinds of cool stuff, including a sinking Cadillac, the Minions, Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Hamburglar, skulls, and more. The neighbors must hate it. Clearly, there is no HOA.

But the wonderfully weird roadside attractions aren’t only in Wisconsin. Outside of Coates, Minnesota, there is a field of quirky sculptures. I have no idea who made these or why, but some of them were pretty cool.

In Illinois, we loved this Exhausted Paul Bunyan in University Park, Illinois. I’m not sure why he is so tired, but he is certainly unlike any version of Paul Bunyan I’ve seen in the past (and I’ve seen lots).

We can’t wait for our next road trip to check our more roadside attractions.