Mill Ends Park,
Portland, Orgeon
At 452 inches square, Mill Ends Park is the smallest municipal park in the world. The site of the park is a hole for a lightpost which was never installed. It was created in 1948 by Oregon Journal columnist Dick Fagan, and featured in Fagan's column for years as "the biggest leprechaun colony west of Ireland." Stories of the park and its head leprechaun, Patrick O'Toole, captured the hearts of readers who later took it upon themselves to maintain the park after Fagan's death in 1969. They have left leprechaun-sized goodies including a mini swimming pool and a mini Ferris Wheel. Just to cement the goofy leprechaun vibe, the park became official on St. Patrick's Day, 1976.
Sutter Buttes,
Sacramento, California
The Sutter Buttes show up as a small dot in the middle of a flat valley on a topographical map of California. Known as the "smallest mountain range in the world," the Buttes are remnants of a volcano that has been dormant for over a million years. The range is circular, with a diameter of 10 miles and a surface area of about 75 square miles. In 1846, Major General John C. Fremont and his expedition camped at the Sutter Buttes during the Bear Flag Uprising, which resulted in the acquisition of California from Mexico. Each spring, over 1,000 cyclists participate in the "Bike Around the Buttes," sponsored by the Diabetes Society of Yuba Sutter. hee hee, buttes.
Rincon Island,
Santa Barbara, California
Rincon Island is a completely man-made island designed for oil extraction off the 101 freeway between Santa Barbara and Ventura. Oil production in the surrounding area approaches 1.5 billion barrels per year. The island and its private causeway were completed in 1958. Weather stations are also installed on the island to determine tide tables wind speed. Look at that big old bridge though! I bet it weighs more than the island itself!
Lost Lake,
San Bernardino, California
Lost Lake is a sag pond on the San Andreas Fault, located near the 15 Interstate Highway and Old Route 66 (Cajon Blvd). It sits on a "right step" in the fault, or where the north-south oriented boundary hits a jog to the east. As the Pacific plate shifts north relative to the North American plate every year, the jog in the fault spreads into a sinkhole. Underground springs run through faults, and their flow combined with occasional rainfall fills the hole with water, producing the Lost Lake. It's basically a hole in the Earth that filled up with water! Trivia: the exact slip rate of the San Andreas fault, 24.5 mm/yr, was determined in the area surrounding Lost Lake.
Mr. Little Guy's house,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mr. Little Guy is an elf who lives at the base of a tree near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. Every summer since 1995, people have been encouraged to write him letters and leave them inside his little door. He gets as many as 1,500 letters a summer, but he answers every one. Nobody's ever seen him, but you can't doubt his existence. He's even written to me. Trivia: his real name is Thom and his favorite food is minnows. I know this for a fact.
The Mojave Phone Booth,
Mojave Preserve, California
From sometime in the 1960s (thanks, Wikipedia) to 2000, there was an operational phone booth in the middle of the desert. Some people made it their duty to trek all the way out there and answer calls. I personally would have just liked the opportunity to order a pizza.
Vulcan Point,
Luzon, Philippines
The "smallest island in a lake, on an island in a lake, on an island" in the world. Vulcan Point is in Crater Lake, on the Taal Volcano, in Lake Taal, on Luzon. That made my head hurt.
Floating Outhouse,
Pyramid Lake, California
When you're in the middle of a giant reservoir and have to pee, be thankful that the parks department installed a floating toilet that almost certainly does not dump back into the lake. I bet there's an awkward shimmy to pull yourself up onto the deck before going inside. The visitor center at the lake contains entire exhibits dedicated to water, if you need any peeing inspiration.
Prada Marfa,
Valentine, Texas
A teeny tiny Prada store, out in the middle of nowhere on Highway 90 in Texas. Just kidding - it's an art installation by two German dudes, part of the nearby art community of Marfa. There are shoes and purses from the Fall 2005 collection on display, but you can’t buy them because the doors are sealed shut and there's no cashier. Sadly, it sounds like it's a popular graffiti target.
Just Room Enough,
Hub Island, New York
Hub Island is one of the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence Seaway, between Canada and New York. Just like the salad dressing, there are thousands of islands, and each one has to have something to make it stand out. This island’s little trick is that it has a cottage (nicknamed “Just Room Enough”) which takes up exactly the amount of dry land provided. They'll be the first casualties of global warming and rising sea levels.
