Outsider Art and Scrap Metal Sculptures From Colorado to Nebraska.
Rogue Routes: The Road to Carhenge

This stop is heaven for transportation history and trivia buffs. J.D. Forney, founder of Forney Industries, a Colorado-based metalworking and welding company, began his automotive collection in 1961 when his wife and children gifted him an antique 1921 Kissel. That first treasure fueled his passion for collecting novel transportation-related items. Forney was fond of saying he’d collect “anything on wheels,” and today, the museum features more than 600 artifacts including vehicles, motorcycles, buggies, steam locomotives, aircraft, carriages, rail equipment, sleighs, bicycles, vintage apparel, and a 500-piece Matchbox car collection. Some of the most intriguing displays are flight icon Amelia Earhart’s old roadster, an antique medicine stagecoach, and a version of Herbie the Love Bug that bears the dings and scratches from a rigorous movie filming schedule.

Recharge your batteries with a meal at this Boulder favorite that’s been serving hungry guests since 1975. Known for its stand-out burgers, there’s plenty to choose from on the menu. From classic cheeseburgers to the Jiffy Burger (topped with peanut butter, bacon, and provolone), there’s a burger bite to please most palates. Be sure to peruse the eclectic decor, made up of antiques and movie props, to find the “Muffler Man” head—complete with the former roadside attraction’s signature waxed black mustache—hanging from the ceiling among old wheels and automotive parts. Feeling ballsy? Spring for an order of Rocky Mountain oysters or “cow fries” as the local delicacy of fried bull testicles is nicknamed on the menu. 

Stretch your legs and spend some time wandering around Niwot Community Sculpture Park, a peaceful area of reflection in this quaint town of approximately 4,100. You might find a favorite in the steel “Ocean Embrace” by Glenn Murgacz, “Desert Visions” by Myles Howell made out of Bardiglio Italian marble, or “Three Graces” in concrete and steel by Sue Quinlan. One of the most arresting pieces is “Spear Lodge Man” (also called “Bitoheinen”), a wooden carving by self-taught artist Eddie Running Wolf. The masterpiece, carved from a massive tree, depicts an Arapaho tribesman proudly riding his horse. While you explore, look for the other two Eddie Running Wolf sculptures displayed among the grounds. The enigmatic artist gained a loyal following in Colorado and beyond, and was the subject of the 2015 film, “Searching for Eddie Running Wolf.”

There are no cages at this zoo. That’s because the 180 creatures that call this sculpture park home were created by craftsman Bill Swets, who fashioned them out of old farm equipment, vehicles, spare parts, and scrap metal. At Swetsville Zoo, the only creatures visitors will find are giant ants, aliens, dragons, a Snoopy-like dog, and a pair of 20-foot-tall dinosaurs. More than 35 years ago, Swets started sculpting as a way to keep himself busy during bouts of insomnia. He began displaying the whimsical creations on his family farm, and it’s since become one of the state’s best-loved roadside attractions. After making his final sculpture (a pitchfork wielding Minion) in 2018, he put the farm up for sale, so catch this quirky, free-to-visit destination while you still can.

Granite worker Chris Brown’s creativity knows no bounds and many of his stone sculptures—displayed in his Fort Collins backyard—seem to defy the laws of physics. He started cutting stone professionally in 1995, but when he began collecting scraps leftover from the countertop industry in 2008, his vision for the artful possibilities started to stack up. Now thousands of hand-cut stone pieces are piled in intricate towers and displays, without binders or glue, using rocks and minerals from India, Brazil, Finland, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Mexico, China, Russia, and the United States. Brown’s one-of-a-kind “garden” is constantly growing and changing, so every visit is likely to be different. Before you go: This is a private residence, so visits are by appointment and can be arranged through the website. Often, the artist himself will be on hand to answer questions and share his passion with curious guests.

The sign may say “Buford: Population 1,” but the southeastern Wyoming town’s lone full-time resident moved away in 2018. The story goes like this: Former U.S. Army serviceman and rancher Don Sammons purchased a fuel station and convenience store in Wyoming along I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne, tripling the total population of the deserted town (Sammons, his wife, and son totaled three residents) that was originally established in 1866. Sadly, his wife passed away and his son grew up and moved away, leaving him the sole resident of the town named for United States Brigadier General and cavalry officer John Buford, who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. 

The town’s other claim to fame? At 8,000 feet above sea level, it's the highest town along Interstate 80 between New York and San Francisco. Both superlatives are pictured on a road sign that’s worth a stop for a photo along this rambling Western road trip. 

This monument proves that corporate crooks and scheming politicians are nothing new. In the mid-1800s, at President Abraham Lincoln’s request, brothers Oliver and Oakes Ames took on the herculean task of constructing the United States’ first transcontinental railroad. At the time, the cunning Oliver was the head of the Union Pacific Railroad and Oakes used his connections as a congressman to raise the funds. While they did reach their goal, the project—and the Ames name—was tarnished when they were implicated in financial fraud in 1872. They inflated the railroad construction costs to cheat taxpayers out of millions, and Oakes bribed his fellow congressmen to turn a blind eye. In an attempt to salvage their reputations, they paid noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson $65,000 (equal to more than $1 million today) to build a pyramid on the highest point of their Transcontinental Railroad, with each of their faces chiseled in bas-relief by famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The monument stands at more than 60 feet tall, but for all of their efforts to be remembered, the railroad tracks were rerouted a few miles to the south in 1901, leaving the brothers Ames and their namesake polyhedron standing alone on a desolate stretch of Wyoming highway.

Driving along this stretch of I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne, it’s almost impossible to miss the towering stone and cast-bronze likeness of President Abraham Lincoln. Commissioned in 1959 in honor of the 16th president’s 150th birthday, the 7,000-pound structure was sculpted by University of Wyoming art professor Robert Russin. It was originally built on a spot called Sherman Summit which, at nearly 9,000 feet above sea level, is the highest point along the Lincoln Highway. However, when I-80 was completed in 1969, the 30-foot granite spire and 13-foot-tall presidential bust were relocated a mile away, gaining a larger audience from the busier road. The structure is hollow and contains some lightning rods, ladders, and the ashes of its creator, Russin, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 93. 

Don’t despair if your stomach starts growling while driving through the plains of southeastern Wyoming. Plan to head off route for just a moment to stop at the state’s oldest operating soda fountain, a building with roots tracing back to 1914. Since then, the diminutive stand-alone structure has been a doctor's office, a pharmacy, a diner, a grocery store, and a veterinarian supply. Sidle up to the counter to order an old fashioned milkshake in your choice of two dozen flavors (strawberry malt, praline, English toffee, and classic vanilla are popular selections), and your dessert will be hand-spun on a vintage 1920s mixer. Or, order the town’s signature Chugwater Chili (pick up some of their  spice mix to recreate it at home) on its own or as a hearty topping for nachos. It’s hard to miss the guest of honor, Wendel the Elk, a bull shot by local Wendell Carlson in 1947 and whose head is proudly mounted on the wall. Fun fact: The town was the inspiration for the setting of the 2004 animated Disney movie, “Home on the Range.” 

Long before selfies and social media, this 325-foot tall spire-shaped rock structure created quite a stir in the 1830s when it was the single most talked-about landmark (in journals belonging to pioneers and settlers) along the Oregon Trail. The rock formation, composed of volcanic ash, clay, and sandstone, towers over the surrounding North Platte River Valley in Nebraska and signaled to weathered travelers that the more difficult mountain phase of the grueling journey was near. Since the Lakota Sioux didn’t use chimneys, the current name came later. Instead, they used a term that referenced an elk phallus, the shape they thought most accurately resembled the erect natural formation. It was first dubbed the more family-friendly “Chimney Rock” by fur trader Joshua Pilcher in 1827. Now preserved as a designated National Historic Site, it’s such an iconic landmark that it’s depicted on one side of the Nebraska state quarter. 

As you roll into your last stop, congratulate yourself on a road (trip) well-traveled, and prepared to be amazed by artistic ingenuity. Experimental artist Jim Reinders helped put Alliance, Nebraska on the map with his to-scale homage to England’s mysterious prehistoric Stonehenge, made entirely of automobiles. While living in the U.K., Reinders became enthralled with the peculiar giant stone megaliths, so when his father passed away in 1982, he decided to create a memorial to his dad. After five years of  planning, 35 family members gathered on his father’s Nebraska farmland to build the ambitious structure, dedicating it on the summer solstice of 1987. 

Carhenge is made up of 39 vehicles, including a pickup truck, an ambulance, and a host of cars. They’re all painted gray and are in the same proportions of their inspiration on the other side of the pond, with the whole installation measuring approximately 96 feet in diameter.  While locals initially opposed the installation’s unconventional look, it’s become a favorite attraction of western Nebraska. In 2013, the complex was given to the city of Alliance and now includes additional outdoor art installations for guests to take in.