They say everything is bigger in Texas. That may or may not be true, but New Mexico sure proves that the closer one gets to the Texas state line, the larger everything begins to appear.
As a native Californian, I used to assume that the "Golden State" had the richest deposits of wacky tacky roadside. I've discovered that as our state's population grows denser (in every sense), the weird attractions of which we are so fond are either shrinking into nothingness or relegated to distant outposts. What I so appreciated about journeying through New Mexico was that the "Land of Enchantment's" many giant attractions are seamlessly integrated into the cityscapes. It is wonderful to know that generations of residents are enchanted by these bits of roadside whimsy on a daily basis. At the very least, it is comforting to know that I wasn't the only thyroid case to be found in these Southwestern hamlets!
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| World's Largest Chili Pepper 47 feet long, NuMex Big Jim varietal |
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| The Big Jim is so big that it can't be concealed by the six-foot cinderblock wall surrounding it. The early-model Saturn is shown for scale; you know, like a penny in an eBay listing. |
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| World's Largest Propane Tank Disguised as a Rocket And in other records that nobody cares about breaking (or even verifying)... |
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| World's Largest Pistachio What a couple of nuts!!! |
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| The World's Largest Cake Dome |
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| Okay, so technically this building was never built with a larger-than- life theme. It was only ever a bank building dedicated to Mr. & Mrs. R.D. Champion...but it is so awesome and totally could pass for Jane Jetson's futuristic cake dome. If you have any pull with a citizen of Alamogordo, NM, please encourage them to buy this jazzy jet-age building (it is currently listed for $245K) and make it something awesome...maybe a cake shop or the most awesome house in town!!! |
There are plenty more giants where these came from - the drive-thru town of Hatch, NM - but
I like these gentlemen for their straightforward simplicity. A muffler man holds the hapless
inhabitants of a mini-Winnebago hostage in the hollow of his hand as he decides whether to
eat them or allow them to continue northward to Santa Fe while Uncle Sam offers us Hatch's
most famous foodstuff, the eponymous hatch chile.
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| And just for good measure, Santa Fe's Museum Hill showed our intrepid troupe of travelers that the biggest and best things in New Mexico are always influenced by the spirit and culture of the indigenous populations. |
With all of these monolithic marvels, I think I could fit right in this Southwestern "Village of the Giants!"
Dance sequence from Village of the Giants (1965)
World's Largest Chili Pepper
America's Best Value Inn
2160 W Picacho Ave
Las Cruces, NM
(575)524-8627
World's Largest Propane Tank Rocket
2210 S Valley Dr
Las Cruces, NM
World's Largest Pistachio
McGinn's Pistachio Tree Ranch
7320 US Hwy 54
Alamogordo, NM
(800)368-3081
"World's Largest Cake Dome"
The Champion Building
1901 Tenth St
Alamogordo, NM
The Giants of Hatch
Sparky's Burgers (and surrounding environs)
115 Franklin St
Hatch, NM
Santa Fe Museum Hill
710 Camino Lejo
Santa Fe, NM
Cheers!
Mr. Tiny
