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Sunday, May 27, 2018

Casey, Illinois

We've been at the Casey (CAY zee), Illinois KOA since Friday afternoon.   We stopped here last fall, on our way west and remembered it as a small, green, quiet campground with all the necessary services and not too far from the interstate for ease of continued travel.   It is surrounded by enormous farm fields of corn or soybeans.

site 4

It's still that.....but this weekend it is bulging at the seams.   Kids, bicycles, dogs, tents, campfires, corn hole games, flags, heat and humidity, bugs.     Everyone is having a ball and, surprisingly, we're not having such a bad time.   Just a different time than everyone else.   

People must think us odd.   I guess we are, but that's how we roll.    We have no flags flying, no chairs outside around the campfire, no fishing poles leaning on the tree, no bright table cloth on the picnic table, no barking dog tied outside, no pool towels hanging from the awning.   No awning out for that matter!

We're enjoying a respite from driving miles on the interstate each day.   We're enjoying our heavenly air conditioning, our pretty lake view (no one has put a tent or trailer there. much to our surprise and joy).    We're enjoying making and eating a few good dinners instead of just warming things in the microwave.  We're enjoying watching the Indianapolis 500 on television and we're enjoying not itching from the mosquito population just outside Beluga's door.

Lewis enjoys his spot directly under an air conditioning vent.


Yesterday we drove into Casey's downtown looking for the town's claim to fame.....8 Guiness Book of World Records certified, fully functional,World's Largest Things.

I don't think we actually saw all 8 but we saw enough to satisfy me.    Casey is a small town (less than 3000 people) that had fallen on hard times, as many small mid America towns have.   One of it's residents decided to design and build something to encourage people to stop for a bit on their way past on I-70.  He felt that if people stop to look at the "world's largest......" maybe they'd buy gas, ice cream, lunch, and perhaps even stay overnight.    He began creating.    Each one is placed next to or in front of, a local business.


World's Largest Mailbox
 (with an official USPS mail slot inside, a door that opens and closes and
a flag that goes up)

this colorful birdie keeps a clean cage!

World's Largest Golf Tee sits on the town's golf course.
There are plans to put a giant golf ball on top......

World's Largest pitchfork beside a restaurant inside a beautiful old barn


World's Largest Windchimes

giant replica of the builder's Grandmother's Rocker
We did see the World's Largest knitting needles and crochet hook through the window of the town's Yarn Shoppe, but didn't go inside to photograph them.   We also noticed the fabric actually produced by those giant implements lying next to them.    All these things must be actually usable, the rocker must rock, the knitting needles must knit, the wind chime must make noise, etc.

The town is exceptionally neat and clean, Disney-esque almost.   Each attraction is set upon beautiful and perfect landscaping.   Dave even noticed that the decorative rocks and stones had been lacquered.     Another thing we noticed everywhere were religious symbols and/or bible verses, especially evident on the World's Largest things.      Hmmmm.


We leave here in the morning, refreshed and ready for the final leg of our trip.

6 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fun touristy stop. Always nice to relax after a bunch of long and boring travel days. Love the photo of Dave in the bird cage!

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  2. Great that you captured the size and perspective of the fun art works. It's a tourist trap for sure, but a nice one.

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  3. What a genius idea to attract tourists! Love that all “The Largest...” things actually work! Nice to have a few days to rest & relax before the last leg of your trip! Safe travels!

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  4. Looks like a pretty green spot to get off the road for the holiday. It's interesting to see the items that were chosen to replicate - I can imagine sitting in on the deciding meeting ;-) Apparently God had a vote from your comment :-))) I like the pencil and the golf tee the best (no idea why). Thanks for sharing a cute place I've never heard of!

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  5. I give the town a lot credit for trying to find something to revive it instead of letting it fall into ruin. What a clever idea. Dave gives great perspective to the size of the items. And so nice to hear that the they are keeping the town clean. I'm not sure where one could go to avoid the people and crowds over the holiday to officially start summer. Safe travels on your last leg to the lake.

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  6. It's always interesting finding a place to ride out the holiday weekends....your view at the KOA is surprisingly peaceful. I'd never heard of the town with the "8 Largest Things." Pretty fun idea! How loud are those wind chimes? We've had what seems to be the world's largest flag next door to us this weekend (at a KOA in Sioux Falls) and it makes an unbelievable sound flapping in the breeze. I kept thinking it was our awning, haha!

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