World's Greatest, largest, tallest giant blog post

America has always been a country with a flare for hyperbole. We Americans like to live large, eat and drink big gulps, and buy in mass quantities. Why, we invented the jumbo-size! We also like to erect landmarks to our out-sized items. If you doubt the veracity of this statement, take a roadtrip while you still have time this summer, and for my readers overseas, if you're planning a trip to the U.S. any time soon, add these fabulous attractions to your itinerary! America's highways and byways are littered with strange, surprising and often hilarious monuments to America's love affair with extravagant exaggeration. Whether it's food, flora, fauna or frippery, we sing the praises of the humungous among us. Let's traipse through the 50 states, shall we, from sea to shining sea, in order of admission to the Union:

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1. Delaware: Giant Doctor's Bag with Stethoscope (Newark)
2. Pennsylvania: Giant Cow (Wilkes-Barre)
3. New Jersey: World's Largest Elephant (Margate City)
4. Georgia: World's Largest Peanut (Ashburn)
5. Connecticut: Giant Statue of a Man Holding an American Flag (Norwich)

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Why is this on top of a printing company?

6. Massachusetts: Giant Rotating Globe (Wellesley)
7. Maryland: Giant Pineapple (Baltimore)
8. South Carolina: World's Largest Peach (Gaffney)
9. New Hampshire: Giant Pirate (Hampton)

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Built by...who else?..a duck farmer

10. Virginia: Giant Milk Bottles (Richmond)
11. New York: The Big Duck (Flanders)
12. North Carolina: World's Largest Chest of Drawers (High Point)
13. Rhode Island: Giant Rooftop Dragon Statute (Providence)
14. Vermont: World's Tallest Filing Cabinet (Burlington)

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Perhaps this belongs to the duck?

15. Kentucky: World's Largest Baseball Bat (Louisville)
16. Tennesee:World's Largest Rubik's Cube (Knoxville)
17. Ohio: World's Largest Basket (Dresden)
18. Louisiana: Giant Frog Statue (Rayne)
19. Indiana: World's Largest Egg (Mentone)

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Sport and art meet at the Nelson-Atkins Museum

20. Mississippi: World's Largest Rocking Chair (Gulfport)
21. Illinois: World's Largest Covered Wagon (features a giant Abe Lincoln) (Lincoln)
22. Alabama: Giant Hog (Dothan)
23. Maine: Giant Lobster (Hancock)
24. Missouri: World's Largest Shuttlecock (Kansas City)
25. Arkansas: World's Largest Tuned Windchimes (Eureka Springs)

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Were you expecting something to do with cheese?

26. Michigan: World's Largest Weathervane (Montague)
27. Florida: Giant Bowling Pin (Tampa)
28. Texas: World's Largest Rattlesnake (Freer)
29. Iowa: World's Largest Strawberry (Strawberry Point)
30. Wisconsin: World's Largest Muskie (Hayward)
31. California: Giant Donut (Ingleside)

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Intern Bruce snapped this one

32. Minnesota: Paul Bunyan Statute (Akeley)
33. Oregon: Giant Grizzly Bear with Salmon (Crescent)
34. Kansas: Giant Reproduction of Van Gogh's Sunflowers (80 ft easel) (Goodland)
35. West Virginia: World's Largest Teapot (Chester)
36. Nevada: World's Largest Firecracker (Amargosa Valley)
37. Nebraska: World's Largest Porch Swing (Hebron)

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That's one big spud

38. Colorado: World's Largest Hercules Beetle (Colorado Springs)
39. North Dakota: World's Largest Buffalo (Jamestown)
40. South Dakota: World's Largest Pheasant (Huron)
41. Montana: Giant Eagle Statues (Libby)
42. Washington: World's Largest Cowboy Hat and Boots (Seattle)
43. Idaho: World's Largest Baked Potato (Blackfoot)

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Barney's fantasy date?

44. Wyoming: World's Largest Jackalope (Douglas)
45. Utah: Giant Pink Dinosaur (Vernal)
46. Oklahoma: World's Largest Concrete Totem Pole (Foyil)
47. New Mexico: World's Largest Pistachio Nut (Alamogordo)
48. Arizona: Giant Sundial (Carefree)
49. Alaska: Giant Rollerskate (Anchorage)
50. Hawaii: Life-size Whale Statue (Kihei, Maui)

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You can check out these and many other oddities at RoadsideAmerica.com.   Happy trails!