I've been hitting the road this summer on weekend day and overnight trips, collecting along the way some more awesome roadside attractions and distractions, including more Muffler Men!  If you are not already a collector of Muffler Men sites, then I suggest you find one near you to see just what I'm talking about.  Roadside America maintains a fantastic comprehensive map of Muffler Men and their friends that makes the search 1000% easier.  The site also serves as my inspiration for other oddities to seek when I am in or plan to be on the road.  One example of a Muffler Man/oddity combo is....

Farhnam Colossi, Unger WV 



Google maps is not your friend when trying to find the Farnham's property.  I started in Berkeley Springs, WV and found Winchester Grade Road easily.  It was suggested that the home was just down the street....nope.  It was actually many miles along the road almost to the border with Virginia.  It may be easier to take Route 694 off of 522.  Regardless, I made it!  And you can't miss it driving by.  Not only do Pam and George have TWO Muffler Men in their yard, but as you can see from these photos, you are treated to a large Ken, a grocery man, a bikini girl, a santa claus, and many more including the Simpsons family riding a mini-rollercoaster.  I was fortunate to meet with George and talk to him briefly.  Our conversation ended because a major line of thunderstorms was about ready to be overhead, and I wanted to get on the road before that happened.



And now onto other Pennsylvania fun sites!!!....

Amish Boy with his Pigs, Strasburg PA



Well, the pigs are cute stuffing their faces.  The amish boy's face is slightly creepy.  This statue is in front of an ice cream shop, fittingly.

Big Amos the Barefoot Amish Man, Strasburg PA



The former mascot of Zinn's Diner, Amos' home is now the Hershey Inn where he stands overlooking the inn's restaurant parking lot.  Unfortunately, he no longer has his best feature.  Apparently when he was in front of Zinn's, he had a speaker that would broadcast Amish jokes - complete with the amish accent.  A true loss.

Shoe House, Hallam PA



Built by the eccentric shoe store chain owner, Colonel Haines, in 1948, the shoe house was a marketing ploy.   It was not a residence, though Haines did allow selected elderly couples to vacation at the shoe for a weekend.  He also allowed newlyweds from his stores to use it as a honeymoon.  I'm not sure I would enjoy either of those scenarios, but here it is....a giant, ugly shoe with stained class windows.  

Johnstown Incline Plane, Johnstown PA



Built in 1890 after the giant flood of 1889, caused by a failed dam 14 miles up river, the incline plane provided transportation for people and vehicles to a new hilltop community.  This is the world's steepest incline rail at 70.9 degrees. Cars and people can still ride the rail today for a small fee, with trams running every 15 minutes.


At the top of the hill, there is a perfect lookout that gives you a perspective of the flood path in 1889, as the water came out of the river valley and spread over Johnstown before hitting the hill on which the rail is situated.


Pied Piper, Schellsburg PA 



This 18 foot pied piper greeted visitors to the Story Land amusement park until it closed in the 1980s. Not only did I like going out of my way to find this guy because of my current obsession with HBO's Silicon Valley show, but it also reminded me of a similar theme park I visited as a kid in Oregon called Enchanted Forest.

Uncle Sam Muffler Man, Rockwood PA



We started with two Muffler Men, and we end with another Muffler Man.  This time, the Muffler Man was dressed in a patriotic Uncle Sam theme.  This man can be found at the Scottyland campground. I'm not going to lie, it's an odd place and more of an RV park for permanent residents than campground. This Muffler Man has apparently been living there since the late 1960s.  You will have to go past the main entrance to the right of the welcome building.  Following that road (not the one with the gate) you should drive up on the guy within a 1/4 mile.