Quirky Roadside Attractions from Illinois
This morning when I saw the Daily Page prompt: What’s the quirkiest thing about you? I had to smirk. Personally, I don’t think I’m exceptionally quirky but then, who does? It’s other people who find your you-ness quirky and comment on it. I don’t think I dare ask my husband what he thinks it is.
But since we’re on the subject, I will go ahead and share some actual quirky roadside stuff that I saw in Illinois.
Pink elephant towing a trailer? Sure, why not?
![pink elephant antique mall](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-cqb7j9H/0/XL/i-cqb7j9H-XL.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
Boyfriend might want to think about a spray tan. Just sayin’…
Doesn’t he look like he might bust out signing into that ice cream one? “I love you, baby and if it’s quite all right I need you, baby… thank you, thank you, very much! Thanks for having me on the Merv Griffin Show!”
![beach dude pink elephant antique mall](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-qZ9mK4W/0/X2/i-qZ9mK4W-X2.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
Big John. Not big Johnson. Two very different things. Although he looks pretty freakin’ chipper and has a strategically placed apron so maybe he’s got a secret we don’t know about.
It might be best to just move along here…
![big john metropolis illnois](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-rhDrnSt/1/X2/i-rhDrnSt-X2.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
“Hi, Billy Mays, here. Do you like Muffler Men and motorcycles?”
![harley davidson shrimpy muffler man](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-vTZTTbz/0/X2/i-vTZTTbz-X2.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
![muffler man boot](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-4vWgNjZ/1/XL/i-4vWgNjZ-XL.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
The awesome green futuro house. I saw one of these on Milton, Delaware a few years back. I think they’re so great looking. They have that “this is what the future will look like in the year 2000,” flying car, spandex space-suit clothing vibe. Can you imagine living in one?
![futuro house in Illinois at pinkelephant](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-cSdJv5q/1/X2/i-cSdJv5q-X2.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
For More Information & Articles:
- WebUrbanist – Article: The Futuro House – Space Age Architecture Comes Home
- FuturoHouse.net
- archInform – Futuro House – Matti Suuronen
- FuturoHouse.com
- SignOnSanDiego.com – Article: Close Encounter
- Falling for a Futuro
- Wisconsin Futuro owner tells his story
- 70′s Futuro House
- New York Times: Futuro Flashback: The Prefab From Another Planet
- BoingBoing – Futuro House
- Futuro House by Matti Suuronen
A Twistee Treat ice cream cone-shaped building. There was a time when I just wanted to see one. Now I’ve got two under my belt after seeing this one in Illinois.
![twistee treat ice cream building in illinois](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-XMDxQJP/1/X2/i-XMDxQJP-X2.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
Maybe when I’ve finally had enough of corporate America I’ll get myself a big ice cream cone and start slingin’ sprinkles. What can I getcha, honey?
One of the downsides to traveling alone is that often there is no one around to take your picture through one of these face-hole cutout things. I might’ve looked like a real motorcyclist. Oh, what could have been.
![](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-8mmZx3Z/1/X2/i-8mmZx3Z-X2.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
The well-groomed, much loved Lauterback muffler man of Springfield, Illinois:
![lauterbach mufflerman](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-7GpQ8Qt/1/X2/i-7GpQ8Qt-X2.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
Vigilantly surveying his domain with beady eyes.
![lauterback mufflerman](https://i0.wp.com/fuzzygalore.smugmug.com/photos/i-WN97rpC/1/X3/i-WN97rpC-X3.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
Those look like some giganormous zip ties in the last photo or is it a miniature muffler man?
So when (and where) is you Twistie Treat opening up?
Mufflerman-sized! I guess they have to be beefy to keep that flagpole from flying off in the Illinois wind.