A 32 mile stretch of North Dakota highway not only is home to two world records, but also tells an incredible story of one man’s perseverance
There is a 32 mile stretch of road in the southwestern part of the state of North Dakota known as the Enchanted Highway. This highway happens to be the largest collection of scrap metal sculptures in the world, and is home to many incredible and uniquely American stories, despite its weirdness. It runs from the town of Regent, ND to Gladstone, ND. This is a fairly remote area that will be somewhat difficult to access, but well worth the trip nevertheless. A common yet sad tale of the Midwest involves young professionals moving away from small towns, and taking job opportunities with them. The town of Regent was not unique in facing this threat, but a local artist named Gary Greff wanted to do something about that in 1991. His plan was to create a captivating tourist attraction pointing visitors from nearby major interstate 94 to his town through his art, which were giant sculptures along the road that became known as the Enchanted Highway. Aside from how touching the story is of a man trying to save his hometown, the sculptures along the road are incredibly interesting and impressive as well. There are currently seven sculpture exhibits along the road, each of which tells its own unique story. One of the sculptures, which is called Geese in Flight, actually turns out to be the largest scrap metal statue in the world standing at 110 feet tall and was featured in the 2002 Guinness Book of World Records. Greff plans on eventually making 10 sculptures to complete the highway. All of the statues are worth checking out, with the Enchanted Highway making up one of the most unique roadside attractions in America. Next time you are in North Dakota, try and make some time for this incredible 32 miles.
