From strange lights in the sky to machines built for kicking your own butt, this guide to the weirdest stops in the Tar Heel state will add a little odd to your next North Carolina road trip.
Located just outside of Siler City is a piece of North Carolina folklore that rivals just about the weirdest locales in any state in the country. As legend has it, The Devil’s Tramping Ground, a 40 foot in diameter patch of land, is said to have been created by the "eternal pacing of the devil as he ponders new evils for mankind". No plant life grows within the circle, and when entered, compasses spin wildly… as do visitor’s stomachs. A recent study conducted by the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture even showed the dirt within the bizarre circle to be completely devoid of any type of living organism.
Explanations ranging from alien space ship crashes to an extremely dense iron deposit have also been hypothesized, but the devil, as always, seems to be the most popular guy to blame.
Located in the Angier Municipal Building, the Gourd Museum was established by Marvin and Mary Johnson in 1964 as a way to celebrate and preserve the Gourd as an art canvas. Marvin, along-time president of the North Carolina Gourd Society (yes, that actually exists), founded the museum from his home, but it soon grew big enough that it was moved.
Wiseman’s View (Brown Mountain Lights Overlook)
Since long before white settlers ever came to the area, a strange phenomenon has been haunting a rural mountain in North Carolina. On nights when the conditions are just right, a group of large, ethereal lights float up and out of the forest, mystifying locals and experts alike. The Native Americans believed they were the spirits of maidens still searching for the husbands they lost in battle. Early frontiersman believed they were torches carried by spirits doomed to walk the mountain until the end of time. When flying saucer fever hit in the 50’s, people started to report them as UFOs.
The strange lights can still be seen on Brown Mountain today. In 2010 a National Geographic documentary titled Paranatural captured some of the best footage of the phenomena to date, further mystifying researchers as to their source.
If you want to view the Brown Mountain Lights for yourself, your best bet is to head to Wiseman’s View on evenings in the month of October.
If you’re headed to Raleigh, one strange contraption located in the parking lot of the Angus Barn Restaurant shouldn’t be missed, particularly if you’re in need of a little self-punishment. The Ass Kicking Machine, only the second of its kind in existence (the other being found in Croatan, NC), was created for those who needed a swift kick in the pants, but had no one around to administer it. Give it a spin and kick your own ass.
World’s Largest Chest of Drawers
Known as the "Bureau of Information" in 1926 this beautifully restored, 19th-century dresser is literally the World’s Largest Chest of Drawers. Standing at over 32 feet high, it was built to call attention to High Point as the Furniture Capital of the World.
For more information- check out Roadtrippers and Destination Strange