Most people in New Jersey spend their summer vacationing at the Jersey Shore, and while the shore is great, exploring a different beach might be an exciting change of pace. California is well known for having fun beaches, and this list of obscure locations takes the traveller from New Jersey all the way to California. Many of these places are unknown to the average tourist, so it will make for an exciting vacation.  

The first stop is actually fairly well known, Niagara Falls. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a very scenic location. However one thing many people miss out on is the “Journey Behind the Falls” where you descend 150 feet to an observation deck located directly behind the falls.

After travelling for roughly five hours, you will arrive at Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Which may not seem exciting at first but underneath Heineman’s Winery is basically a massive geode. The crystals inside range from 8-18 inches in diameter and tours of the cave are fairly cheap at only $8 per person.

The next attraction is definitely one of the oddest is a fish ladder located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This concrete structure allows migratory fish to swim upstream and provides the entertaining spectacle of fish leaping out of the water. The fish that jump change seasonally, so the avid fish watcher may want to check to see what fish are currently visible.

Another fascinating attraction in Michigan is Oswald’s Bear Ranch, the largest bear-only ranch in the United States. This ranch seeks to help abandoned pet bears and bears injured in the wild. It features 29 live bears in 4 half-mile habitats.

A small, but still fascinating, stop in Wisconsin allows the traveller to stand exactly halfway between the North Pole and the equator, the 90th Meridian of Longitude bisects the 45th parallel of Latitude. This is one of the few places on land that this occurs and draws many to Wisconsin just to stand in a modestly-marked location. All visitors are given a small token to commemorate their visit to this odd location.

Upon arriving in Harmony, Minnesota you can explore Niagara Cave which is the largest in the midwest. Highlights include a 60 foot subterranean waterfall, 100 ft high ceilings, and interesting fossils that can be found along the interior of the cave.

Located in Mitchell, South Dakota is a palace dedicated to corn. Originally made as a tourist attraction, the palace now has murals made out of corn decorating its exterior. All corn murals are made by local artists and change each year. The interior is used as a concert venue, sports arena, and convention center.

The final destination in South Dakota is the national monument of Mount Rushmore. No explanation is needed as to why one should pay a visit to this iconic national monument. Although an interesting place to check out would be the gift shop as they sell bobble head versions of the monument.

The best place to visit in Wyoming’s Devil’s Tower. It is a naturally occurring plateau featured in the Sci-Fi classic Close Encounters of a Third Kind in the climax scene where contact is established with aliens.

Another highlight of Wyoming is Yellowstone National Park. This park is very important to scientists as the hot volcanic springs closely match those during early prehistoric times. What may attract tourists, however, is the eruption of Old Faithful which occurs about every 35 minutes.

A little known attraction in Idaho is the world’s very first nuclear power plant. While it no longer functions, it does provide an interesting museum of the evolution of nuclear energy. In addition false nuclear meltdowns are staged as a fun tour activity.

In Oregon, you will encounter the Woodstock Mystery Hole, which is essentially a long damp  hole that visitors are encouraged to climb down. In order to do that though, you need to sign a waiver stating that you are aware you are crazy to climb down a dark mystery hole when you are perfectly fine on the surface.

Another little known attraction in Oregon is the sea lion caves. These naturally formed caves provide shelter to the state’s large population of sea lions that tourists are allowed to photograph but not touch. It’s very cool to see these large animals up close in a natural setting, and many aspiring photographers will enjoy this opportunity.

Once you reach California, you can start to make your way to a National Park called Lava Beds National monument. Formed by lava that erupted millions of years ago, interesting rock

Another interesting attraction in California is the Echo Park Time Travel Mart. It carries novelty items that come from the future and past, including canned wooly mammoth meat. It’s a fascinating place to visit, and makes for some interesting souvenirs and photos.

The final stop in this exciting road trip is the Salton Sea. Located in Thermal, California this ghost town offers a glimpse into what a post-apocalyptic future may look like. This massive lake is just a little less salty than the Great Salt Lake but is still a very exciting place to visit.