Staying Fit
When I think of the mall, I imagine spending five minutes circling a parking lot for a spot, then walking 10 or 15 minutes to get to Cinnabon or The Gap. It turns out I have rather pedestrian ideas of how colossal a shopping destination can be.
The largest mall in America is called—naturally enough—the Mall of America. You can find it in Bloomington, Minneapolis. Comprising more than 520 shops and restaurants, it draws 40 million visitors a year and occupies more than 5.6 million square feet.
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As well as retail, the Mall of America’s attractions include a Nickelodeon Universe theme park, Crayola Experience, a flight simulator and an aquarium.
As our search for all things “big” in America continues, you could go to a yard sale that stretches from Addison, Michigan, to Gadsden, Alabama, stretching 690 miles across six states and drawing hundreds of thousands of vendors and shoppers. It’s held on the first Thursday to Sunday of August and is named the 127 Yard Sale because it stretches along Highway 127.
The 127 Yard Sale, which stretches along six states and 690 miles of highway from Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama, is the World's Longest Yard Sale.
Courtesy: 127 Yard Sale
Another option is Casey, Illinois, which sells itself as the place of “Big Things in a Small Town.” Located on Interstate 70, midway between St. Louis and Indianapolis, this unexpected tourist attraction has become a tribute to the large and mundane thanks to local resident Jim Bolin.
Casey boasts dozens of fantastically large items – from a 450-pound piggy bank outside the butcher shop to the world’s largest pitchfork (60 feet, 1,940 pounds) and swivel spoon (11 feet, 8.5 inches tall).
The World's Largest Pitchfork was created to be placed at Richards Farm Restaurant, located in Casey, Illinois.
Courtesy: Big Things in A Small Town
And you mustn’t forget the world's largest rocking chair, which is a colossal 56.5 feet tall and was completed in 2015. It weighs over 46,000 pounds and is made from recycled materials.
Casey’s big stuff has attracted so much attention that neighboring Martinsville has gotten into the act with a giant horseshoe and anvil (5,530 pounds).
