12 Weirdest Roadside Attractions in the U.S.

Here's the lowdown on some of the most interesting, strange and unusual parts of the American landscape.

On the hunt to see some of America's weirdest roadside attractions to visit? All over this country there are a ton of weird, wacky, fun, and just plain odd spectacles to either gaze at from your car window or get out and visit for a spell.

Every state has its own interesting and amusing little out-of-the-way attractions; bits of scenery that are tailor-made for the traveling selfie. Here are a number of strange, zany and downright hilarious roadside attractions to make your next drive across the U.S. a bit more memorable.

1. Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo, Texas

Why pass up a chance to see a line of cars half-submerged in the dirt and all painted up to look like some kind of Andy Warhol scene? Cadillac Ranch is the creation of a group of artists who wanted to present their own homage to the Cadillac in the mid-70s. It's something you shouldn't miss when making your way through the Lone Star State.

Creative Commons Image by scott1346

2. World's Largest Brick – Alabama

This one speaks for itself. Standing over a dozen feet tall, this mammoth piece of masonry is actually an advertisement for a local business. Even though it’s not technically the record holder any more, it's still a fun sight to see if you're in the Montgomery area. Somewhere, there’s an even bigger brick sitting around.

3. Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue – Plains, Georgia

Want to remember one of our greatest modern presidents? How about with a peanut statue standing as big as a house with a big eerie grin and no eyes. This is a neat way to spend time if you're ever in Plains, Georgia. This 13-foot tall statue was actually built by Indiana's Democratic Party. It was then transplanted to Carter's southern hometown.

Jimmy carter peanut

Creative Commons Image by Mark Goebel

4. Route 66 “Musical Road” – New Mexico

Out in New Mexico, you can drive a stretch of historic Route 66 and actually hear the rumble strip play “America the Beautiful.” However, travelers have had mixed experiences, and to hear it well, you're really supposed to travel the posted speed limit of 45 mph. Try this one and you don't even have to get out of your car. This is one of America’s weird roadside attractions that appeals to more than just your sense of sight (and absurdity).

5. Foamhenge – Natural Bridge, Virginia

If you're ever in this Virginia town, you can get a twofer. After seeing the town's namesake natural bridge, check out Mark Cline’s foam replica of ancient Stonehenge in the U.K.

Creative Commons Image by Steve Freeman

6. Crayola Factory – Easton, Pennsylvania

Want to see how crayons are made and get an up-close look at some really big crayon boxes? This western Pennsylvania spot is a convenient attraction if you're moving from the Eastern Seaboard to the Midwest. It’s also likely to wow the little tykes, who might actually be inspired to put down their game devices and tablets for a minute.

7. Salvation Mountain – Calipatra, California

This is a very interesting visual roadside exhibit in a rather out-of-the-way part of Southern California on Highway 111. Artist Leonard Knight put a lot of the work into this one-of-a-kind art installation as a sort of religious effort. We think it's fair to say you've never seen anything like it.

Creative Commons Image by Brian

8. Jolly Green Giant – Minnesota

Come out and see the same jolly face on those little cans of peas, corn and green beans towering over you in Blue Earth, Minnesota. This statue stands 55-and–a-half feet tall and was installed in the late 1970s to prop up a local radio show and promote local economic development.

Creative Commons Image by Doug Kerr

9. Super-Museum – Metropolis, Illinois

This tribute to the Man of Steel has more than 20,000 pieces of Superman memorabilia and artifacts. If your kid is into superheroes, you don't want to miss this one on your next road trip. Find a variety of blue suits, red boots, multi-colored tights and so much more - both in the museum and an adjoining gift shop.

Creative Commons Image by rjmonts

10. Carhenge – Alliance, Nebraska

This one is another Stonehenge parody but this time it's made out of vehicles. If Foamhenge wasn't enough, this car fan’s construction offers another enduring tribute to the American car in all of its beauty.

11. Roadside America

Located in the historic town of Shartlesville, PA, Roadside America (not to be confused with the app of the same name) is a one-of-a-kind stop, a 6,000-square-foot model display of trains, people and terrain. Gaze at more than 300 miniature buildings, 10,000 handmade trees, and actual flowing streams and rivers, as well as dozens of animated scenes. Operate trains and trolleys with push buttons and keep the little ones entertained for hours.

Creative Commons Image provided by Beck Gusler

12. Shoe Trees

This is a bizarrely crowdsourced attraction that's climbed onto the short list of top weird roadside attractions for travelers. It's actually as simple as it sounds: people throw shoes into trees. Like Carhenge and other designs, it’s a type of performance-art piece using castoff items, in this case, footwear. Unlike any of the other things on this list, it’s more of a casually organic happening than something somebody built in a particular place. Look for shoe trees in various locations as you make your way around the country.

Creative Commons Image by Pattie

Conclusion

Whether you leave with a piece of memorabilia from the gift shop or just a wacky picture to post to Facebook, these weird roadside attractions will help you make your next trip just a bit more memorable.

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Toco Helps L.A. Regional Food Bank

See why service to the community is such an integral part of Toco Warranty's culture.

This past June, Toco employees helped the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank sort more than 9,000 pounds of food for their neighbors in need in the LA area. From weeding out expired food donations to sorting through and organizing various food types, they spent the day helping support the Food Bank's mission of fighting hunger in our communities.

This is the seventh time Toco has partnered with the LA Regional Food Bank. The event was organized by Toco Warranty's internal Ethos Council, which was established to encourage transparency and ethical practices across the company through team-building exercises, charitable volunteering and ethical sales training.

"When we founded Toco, we were driven by a desire to make a difference in people's lives," says Paul McGee, Toco National Customer Care Manager. "At Toco, it's about more than just offering great service to our customers. It's about serving our community and bringing our core values of honesty, respect, service and conviction to life through our actions."

And while this type of work helps the community, it also helps improve internal culture and accountability at Toco as well. "We're looking for people who are interested in more than just a job," says McGee. "These events are a great way to keep employees engaged and focused on our shared mission of helping our customers."

In addition to their regular work with the LA Food Bank, Toco employees have participated in other community events such as showing support and encouragement for local athletes with intellectual disabilities at the Summer Special Olympics 'Fans in the Stands' program, annual food drives each November and Toys for Tots each December.

"At the end of the day," says McGee, "it feels great to help people keep their lives moving forward, whether it's at work or in the community."

Article Resource - https://www.tocowarranty.com/resources/toco-cares/toco-helps-la-regional-food-bank

How to Keep Your Car on the Road for 200k Miles

Give your car a chance at going for the long haul by following these important tips.

Whether you're looking for a new or used vehicle, buying a car is a big financial commitment. But the purchase price is only part of the equation when it comes to getting the most value for your money. An equally important factor is how much use you get out of the car over the long haul. That last part is up to you!

Here are some of the best ways to give your vehicle a better chance of filling up the odometer before it has to be crushed or towed off to the junkyard.

Choose Wisely – Pick the Right Car

The first step in maximizing the value of your new or used car purchase is to select a make and model of vehicle that's likely to go the distance with you. Many of today's cars are manufactured to go at least 200,000 miles, but that’s not a guarantee. Some models tend to have recurring defects as they roll off of the factory floor. Look for any industry news that indicates a particular model year might not be built for the long haul -- for example, in terms of the engine build, the positioning of parts like the manifold or catalytic converter.

Keep an Eye on the Oil

On the list of car maintenance must-do's this is at the top. Changing the oil is the most important part of engine maintenance. It's a major factor in whether your car will keep chugging along up to the 200,000 mile mark, or end up with the engine failing because of low oil or engine wear related to oil contaminants and sludge.

  A lot of mechanics would agree that the goal is to keep an abundance of oil in the engine as it ages, and that the type of oil that you use doesn't make as much of a difference. 5W or 10W? Conventional or synthetic? Today's oils are manufactured for a wide temperature range and diverse conditions. The type of oil doesn't make as much of a difference as the oil cleanliness, regular oil changes and above all, adding oil if the dipstick is low.

As your vehicle gets older, it’s likely to burn or leak oil, which is why you have to constantly be checking to make sure the oil is up near the fill line. At the end of the day, the most important piece of advice is just to use the type of oil recommended in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.

Help Your Car Stand Up to the Elements

Another big part of preserving your vehicle involves those natural predators like rain, snow, sleet, hail and ice, as well as drastic temperature and humidity changes.

  First, a garage-kept car is going to last longer. You can also preserve the body better with some routine washing and waxing. One of your key goals should be to prevent rust. A reason that many cars eventually go to the junkyard is because rust has eaten away at panels, fender wells or anywhere else that compromises the car’s structure and would be too expensive to repair.

In addition, you want to pay attention to your car’s belts, hoses and other connectors. Try to limit desert driving, and keep plenty of coolant in the vehicle in hot climates to prevent a lot of wear on parts like the water pump and radiator system.

Pump Up the Tires

In addition to keeping oil in the engine, a lot of auto experts suggest inflating your tires properly. Good tire inflation saves on fuel, but in some ways, it also promotes longer life for the vehicle while keeping drivers and passengers safer on the road. Making sure to rotate your tires properly is another way to ensure your tires (and your car) stay on the road longer.

Rack Up Highway Miles

A major contributor to your car's final odometer reading relates to the type of driving that you do, as well as where and when you drive.

  Essentially, if you want your car to last 200,000 miles (or even onward to 300,000), give yourself a long commute. Those daily commutes of over 60 or 70 miles each way will really push up the mileage, without putting a lot of wear on the vehicle. You’ll make less use of the starter and battery ignition system and the flywheel, as well as the engine itself, and even other parts like the brakes and the doors. By contrast, the reverse is also true – for example, delivery drivers tend to put a lot of stress on their vehicles, which aren’t likely to last as long because of the shorter trips and all that start and stop action.

If long commutes aren't your thing, you can get the same effect by taking a long road trip or a regular Sunday drive. That being said, it's probably best to limit long trips and cross-country treks for a car once it gets up above the 150,000-mile range. There are some reasons that an older car might tend to break down during a long trip. Some of them have to do with engine overheating, as well as extreme pressure on those belts and hoses that we talked about before. In general, subjecting the vehicle to hours and hours of operation is a good way to get it to finally give up the ghost.

Put on Your Party Hat

So that's it. Keep oil in the car, keep it from rusting, make sure all of the fluids are topped off, stay out of the desert, stay out of the rain and stay out of traffic jams (easier said than done, we know). Give your car the T.L.C. that it needs and you stand a good chance of reaching that odometer rollover at 200,000 miles. Then all that's left to do is put on your party hat to celebrate this important milestone for your car.

  Article Resource - https://www.tocowarranty.com/resources/knowledge-center/car-maintenance-repair/how-to-keep-your-car-on-the-road-for-200k-miles

9 Simple Ways to Keep Your Car Performing Well

Face it - some drivers do a better job than others when it comes to sticking to a car maintenance schedule.

For example, drivers generally have their car brakes checked, but they don’t always do it as frequently as they should.

Below are 9 routine maintenance tips to help you keep your car running smoothly.

Check the brakes every 12 months/12,000 miles.
Change the air filters every 12 months /12,000 miles.
Change the coolant (antifreeze) every 12 months /12,000 miles.
Check the spark plugs every 12 months /12,000 miles.
Wash the car (to remove road salt and grime) every month.
Change the oil every 3 months /3,000 miles
Check tire pressure and condition every month.
Check the battery, including terminals and cables every 3 months /3,000 miles.
Check the engine belts every 3 months /3,000 miles.
To see how well drivers are doing with sticking to the schedule above, check out the Toco National Car Maintenance Infographic.

Article Resource - https://www.tocowarranty.com/resources/knowledge-center/car-maintenance-repair/9-ways-keep-car-performing-well

Synthetic Oil vs. Conventional Motor Oil: Understanding the Difference

Understand the pros and cons of synthetic and conventional oil so you know what to put in your car.

If you don't have a lot of experience with how cars work, figuring out whether to use synthetic oils or conventional motor oil can be a little confusing. Here's what you need to know to make a smart decision for your vehicle.

What Oil Does in an Engine

Oil is in your engine for an important reason - it lubricates the metal pieces that are moving at high speeds while you're driving. Without motor oil, your engine parts will grind together and eventually seize up. Running an engine dry can seriously damage your engine.

Synthetic and Conventional Oil

While the type of oil in your engine is less important than whether there's oil in there at all, it's still important to determine the best type of oil for your vehicle. Manufacturers often include instructions on the specific oil weight and viscosity to use, but they may not tell you whether synthetic oil or conventional motor oil is preferred.

The first important thing to know is that synthetic oil can be used in any engine - which means it's safe to switch to synthetic oil and it's not going to harm your engine. So what's the difference? It really comes down to cost and environmental impact, as well as some little differences in how you maintain your car.

Long-Lasting Oil

Another important thing to note is that synthetic oil lasts longer - so you can go longer between oil changes. You've probably heard the rule that you should change your oil every three months or 3000 miles. However, the rules for synthetics are different than the rules for conventional oil. For synthetic oil, the recommendation may be every six months or 5000 miles. You might even see some manufacturers call for oil changes every 7500 or 10,000 miles. Always check your owner's manual to verify your vehicle's recommended oil change schedule.

Synthetic oil lasts longer because it’s more resistant to high temperatures and less prone to breaking down. Over time, conventional crude oil-based motor oil can get gritty and grimy and develop sludge in the engine. Synthetic oil, on the other hand, is more durable because it's made from synthetic chemicals. For this reason, mechanics might suggest synthetic oils for high-performance vehicles or vehicles that operate under heavy loads.

There's also the environment to consider. Longevity is also the biggest environmental argument for synthetic oil. Both synthetic and conventional oils are made from petroleum, so it’s a “lesser of two evils” type of decision, but because synthetic oil get changed less, there’s much less waste.

How to Decide What’s Right for Your Car

The general consensus is that you should use synthetic oil for high-performance cars, newer cars, or vehicles that you want to invest more money in.

For older cars, you may want to stick with conventional motor oil - since with a vehicle that is well past the 100,000 mile mark, you simply have different priorities. You're not as concerned about maximum performance or long-term investment as you are about keeping the car on the road.

In addition, older vehicles often start to either leak or burn oil. In these cases, having synthetic oil and waiting longer times between oil changes can actually work against you as the vehicle owner. It's easy to forget to check the dipstick for a while, and as the oil level gets lower, it puts much more stress on the engine.

Cost

If you don't have an older vehicle, the only big negative to synthetic oil is the cost. A synthetic oil change can run you a few dollars more than conventional oil, which is one reason why some drivers might be reluctant to switch. Otherwise, synthetic oil really is superior, and it's going to be the oil of choice for late-model vehicles and what's due to come off manufacturing lines in the future.

With hybrids and electric cars increasing in popularity, there's a chance that gasoline engines may go the way of the dinosaurs. But for now, it's still very much what's on the road, and knowing the difference between types of motor oil is an important part of vehicle ownership and maintenance.

For more details about Toco Warranty feel free to visit: https://www.tocowarranty.com/resources/knowledge-center/car-maintenance-repair/synthetic-oil-vs-conventional-motor-oil-understanding-the-difference

How to Understand Car Safety Ratings

Learn how car safety ratings are determined and how to use them when buying your next vehicle.

Although vehicle safety may not always be the #1 factor you consider when buying a new car, it's something that you should always be aware of before driving off the lot. Thankfully, car safety ratings can help demystify the comparison process. But while these ratings can help you make an informed decision when buying your next vehicle, it's important to understand how these ratings are determined and what they mean for your safety.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, conducts detailed safety tests for every vehicle on the market in the U.S. These tests determine the car safety ratings for each vehicle. You can search for test results for a specific make and model directly through the IIHS website.

There are five principal tests that IIHS analysts use to evaluate vehicles.

Front Crash Tests

Because front-end collisions lead to so many traffic injuries, they're given particular scrutiny when it comes to crash tests.

The IIHS conducts moderate overlap tests and small overlap tests for front crashes. In this case, "overlap" refers to the amount of the front bumper that makes contact with the barrier. They conduct two separate front crash tests to see how the car performs in different situations:

In the moderate overlap tests, roughly 40% of the width of the vehicle strikes a barrier head-on at about 40 mph.

In the small overlap tests, 25% of the total width of the vehicle strikes a barrier at the same speed. Small overlap front crash tests are meant to simulate things like a crash into a tree or a telephone pole.

The IIHS uses the following ratings criteria for a front crash test:

The strength of the structure or safety cage that's supposed to insulate the driver or passenger from much of the impact of the front crash.

The extent of injuries, using crash test dummies, and the movement of the dummy in the simulated collision.

The resulting scores indicate how much safer a car is than the average:

A “good” rating means a driver or passenger is 46% less likely to die in the crash.
A “marginal” or “acceptable” rating means a driver or passenger is 33% less likely to die in the crash.

Side Crash Tests

In side crash tests, a large barrier of 3300 pounds hits the side of the vehicle traveling at 31 mph. This effectively simulates many kinds of crashes where a vehicle might run into another one from the side, such as at an intersection.

Ratings criteria include:

Injury measures by looking at the crash test dummies
The extent of head protection, using evaluations of head movement during the simulated crash
The vehicle’s structure or safety cage

In a side crash test rating:

A rating of “good” means a vehicle occupant is 70% more likely to survive.
An “acceptable” rating means a vehicle occupant is 64% more likely to survive.
A “marginal” rating means a vehicle occupant is 49% more likely to survive.

Roof Strength Test

Since many injuries occur when the driver's vehicle flips over and ends up upside down, IIHS analysts also evaluate vehicles in terms of roof strength.

Vehicles have to be strong enough to maintain cabin structure to help you stay safe. And since many large vehicles have a high center of gravity (which can lead to overturning), roof testing is a critical measure of the safety - especially if you're buying an SUV or truck.

In roof tests, research teams push a metal plate against one side of the roof at a constant speed. This is used to record a strength-to-weight ratio for the vehicle. The IIHS looks at the peak strength-to-weight ratio before the roof is crushed 5 inches.

In a roof strength test:

A “good” IIHS rating on roof tests requires a strength-to-weight ratio of at least 4 (which means the vehicle must stand up to a force of at least four times the vehicle’s own weight)
An “acceptable” rating, requires a strength-to-weight ratio of 3.25
A “marginal” rating requires a ratio of at least 2.5

Restraint Tests

In addition to the front impact, side impact and roof strength tests, the IIHS also tests a vehicle by evaluating head restraints and other types of restraints. In this type of test, analysts looks at how well the seats support the torso, neck and head of crash test dummies.

By simulating a rear end crash with a low speed of around 10 mph, analysts try to judge the car's performance during lower impact accidents that can cause whiplash and other types of injuries.

The head restraint ratings depend on a number of specific criteria, including the amount of torso acceleration and the neck sheer force on a restraint. By combining various ratings, the IIHS issues a final dynamic rating for restraints and seats.

How to Assess IIHS Safety Ratings

The IIHS maintains a full set of top safety pick winners for each model year, right up to the current year. You can look for top safety picks for all vehicle segments, including mini cars, small cars, midsize cars, midsize luxury cars, large cars, large luxury cars, small SUVs, midsize SUVs, midsize luxury SUV's, large SUVs, minivans and large trucks. In addition to searching by category, you can also search by the year, make and model of a specific vehicle.

To view the safety ratings of each vehicle, look for the full series of test indicators, all of which use a system with values of good, acceptable, marginal and poor. These combined ratings are how IIHS assesses which vehicles are safer than others.

If safety is a primary concern, car safety ratings can provide an invaluable tool for making an informed decision.

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8 Overlooked Car Maintenance Services

Some routine car maintenance services, like regular oil changes and periodic checkups, end up becoming almost second-nature to diligent drivers who want to keep their cars in good shape. But there are plenty of car maintenance tasks that are just as important that often get overlooked by even the most savvy vehicle owners.

Sure, some parts of your car don't require much ongoing maintenance. But there are a lot of vital systems that respond to wear on a gradual basis, which can cause big changes in your vehicle over time if they aren't addressed.

Here are some of the most important preventative car maintenance tasks that often go overlooked.

1. Air Filters

Most vehicles have an air filter for the engine and another one for the cabin. While these air filters are cheap and accessible, a lot of us don't replace them because we don't see them as vital. However, doing a routine or periodic air filter replacement can not only help preserve your car’s core systems, it can help improve air quality when you're behind the wheel.

2. Transmission Fluid

Most of us know enough to put oil in the engine, but we may never check the transmission fluid for years on end. Just like motor oil, transmission fluid can get contaminated as the vehicle ages. It's also important to check the transmission filter, check and clean the transmission pan and generally make sure that this important vehicle system is working smoothly. Warning signs of a bad transmission include grinding or knocking sounds during gear changes, and bright red fluid leaking out of your vehicle.

Your transmission fluid dipstick is usually located towards the rear of the engine and looks similar to your oil dipstick. To check your transmission fluid level, remove the dipstick and check your fluid level against the markings on the end of the dipstick. Note: check your owner's manual to see if you should check your fluid level while your engine is on or off.

3. Battery Terminals

Most drivers don't spend a lot of time messing around with their car battery, for obvious reasons. But neglecting your car battery entirely might eventually leave you stranded somewhere.

If the battery connection is even a little bit loose, your vehicle won't start. Every time you change your battery, make sure all of the connections are tight. If you notice a whole bunch of powdery or foamy stuff around each terminal (like a cauliflower or as if someone sprayed it with foamy soap), your battery terminal is probably corroded. That means it’s time to get your terminals cleaned. You can buy a battery cleaning brush or set of brushes for this purpose, or take it to a mechanic who will step in and clean them so that the car has a better chance of starting every time the ignition key is turned.

4. Motor Mounts

Motor mounts play an important role in stabilizing your engine, but many drivers don't know that motor mounts can become loose or break over time.

Your biggest indicators that your motor mounts need attention are going to be motor noise and shaking, as the loose engine causes the vehicle to shimmy around while idling. These aren't expensive items, but they're important and they'll often be checked in an annual inspection.

It may seem like common sense, but it's important to note that making sure your engine is correctly held in place should be part of any regular car maintenance schedule.

5. Wheel Alignment

If your mechanic doesn't offer wheel alignment, there's a good chance you aren't going to go out of your way to have your wheels aligned. That's a bad idea.

The problem is that improper alignment wastes fuel and can cause uneven tire wear. Improper alignment can also void the warranty on your tires and can lead to problems where a tire can go flat or blow out on the road.

Next time you're getting your oil changed or having your car serviced, make sure to ask about wheel alignment service if you haven't had it done recently.

6. Proper Tire Tread and Inflation

Tire tread level is something that a lot of people keep track of in order to determine when they need to get new tires. Tire inflation, on the other hand, isn't something that most drivers think about regularly.

When you're driving around on low tires, you're wasting fuel and wearing down your tires quicker than normal. You’re also not as safe on the road. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that tire under-inflation does affect crash rates.

Drivers who are really invested in their vehicles and attend to their needs will take them to an air fill-up station routinely and check inflation as part of a regular car maintenance schedule.

7. Check Brake Fluid and Rotors

Brake issues can be serious and even deadly. While your service shop will usually let you know if you're due for brake service, in between those annual checkups, it's important to pay attention to your fluid levels and other signs that something is amiss.

First, make sure you have enough brake fluid in the reservoir at all times so your brakes don't fail. Second, pay attention to any unusual sounds or indications that something is wrong. For instance, your routers may be miscalibrated and need to be corrected or replaced.

8. Evaluate Headlight Brilliance

Over time, headlights can become dimmer as their casings become yellow and dirty. This is another problem that you have to think about as your vehicle ages. Local shops will use a certain kind of chemical and polish to get lights bright again. It’s also important to keep checking the small brake light bulbs and other bulbs that illuminate parts of your car at night.

9. Prevent Damage, Protect Safety

We know you've got more important things to worry about than car maintenance all the time. But a little diligence and knowledge up front can save you a lot of time and hassle down the road. Some of these maintenance tasks will prevent direct damage to your engine and transmission parts and other core systems, while others can improve your safety.

Regardless of how old your car is, pay attention to what your car needs and you’ll get a lot more out of it, all while keeping yourself and passengers out of harm’s way.

For more details about Toco Warranty feel free to visit: https://tocowarranty.com/TocoCares/Blog/8-Overlooked-Car-Maintenance-Services