What are we talking about here? Giant balls of what?

The Official Definition

Our family enjoys a great road trip. But no vacation is complete without scoping out some Giant Balls of Twine. Two towns have laid claim to THE Giant Ball of Twine: Darwin, Minnesota, and Cawker City, Kansas. So far, we haven't visited either.

But the spirit of the Giant Ball of Twine can be found just about anywhere. There's the World's Largest Artichoke, at left, (Castroville, Calif.), the World's Largest Road Runner, below, (Fort Stockton, Texas) and the World's Largest Pistachio, bottom left, (Alamogordo, New Mexico).

We don't limit our travels to collecting postcards from oddball tourist traps. We love historic sites, wildlife refuges, museums, national parks, even the occasional battlefield. But finding a Giant Ball of Twine somewhere along the line adds a certain memorable spontaneity to every trip.  

Read along by clicking here and start your own list of must-visit places.