Oddball Wisconsin: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places (Oddball series) [Paperback]

Jerome Pohlen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001 | Series: Oddball series

Chatty Belle, the World's Largest Talking Cow. The Mendota Monster. Apostles on Parade. The UFO Capital of the World. Romeo, the clown-stomping elephant. Car-washing octopi. Other travel guides suggest the same old scenic driving tours, homey bed-and-breakfasts, and the best fall foliage—Oddball Wisconsin offers offbeat travel destinations and little-known historical tidbits. Where was Liberace born? What is a hodag and where do you catch one? Who invented the hamburger? And will a Polka Hall of Fame ever be built? This is the guide to the real Wisconsin, birthplace of the snowmobile, the typewriter, and the ice cream sundae, home to Jimmy the Groundhog and home of the Rudolph Grotto and Wonder Cave—the state where people proudly wear the moniker “cheesehead.”

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Which state can boast not one, but two citizens who have had their names legally changed to Elvis Presley? What state is the UFO Capital of the World? The answer to both questions is Wisconsin, according to Oddball Wisconsin: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places, by Jerome Pohlen (Oddball Illinois), a detailed tour of the state's many truly strange attractions. These include the Houdini Historical Center, Teddy Roosevelt's "Near-Assassination Site" and Jeffrey Dahmer's house. Birthplace of Orson Welles, the hamburger, Liberace, the ice cream sundae, the Republican Party and the typewriter, Wisconsin can truly boast of many... accomplishments. While it's unlikely that the guide will inspire anyone outside the state to make the trip, it's sure to please genuine cheeseheads. 50 b&w photos.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Similar to Michael Feldman's Wisconsin Curiosities (LJ 12/00), this second title in the "Oddball" series (following Oddball Illinois, also authored by Pohlen) documents such curiosities and wonders as the world's largest corkscrew, a concrete frog, the world of miniature buildings, and acrobatic goats. Travel writer and editor Pohlen known for his self-published "Cool Spots, USA" series, which consists of 22 volumes, each covering a different state intersperses among these offbeat tourist attractions more legitimate ones such as the Circus World Museum, the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio. The well-written description of each curiosity is both informative and humorous and is followed by an address, telephone number, hours, cost, directions, and web site. Libraries in Wisconsin should own both Pohlen and Feldman's guides; those in the Midwest and large public libraries with strong U.S. travel collections should consider purchasing at least one. [The next title in the series, "Oddball Indiana," is due out in next spring. Ed.] John McCormick, NH State Lib., Concord, N.
- John McCormick, NH State Lib., Concord, NH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556523769
• ISBN-13: 978-1556523762
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheeze Heads Unite!, May 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Oddball Wisconsin: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places (Oddball series) (Paperback)

Where does this guy get all this information? I thought the book would only be full of goofy things like monolithic cheese monuments and the world's largest six pack. Although it has that in spades, there are also plenty of historical places to see, like the shrine to the birthplace of the Republican party and the grave of Edward Gein, inspiration for Silence of the Lambs.

Growing up on the west coast, we used to watch movies about the midwest and say things like, "Wouldn't you go absolutely insane in some small town out there?" Oddball Wisconsin has answered my question.

This is a great book if you're in the area or just want to get out of Chicago for a while.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On, Wisconsin, indeed., June 21, 2006

By 

mary_1979 "Mary" (Ashland, WI United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Oddball Wisconsin: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places (Oddball series) (Paperback)

This is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read about my home state--in the midst of so much (generally) endearing weirdness, Jerome Pohlen manages to capture the spirit of this place better than any "Discover Wisconsin" ad campaign I've ever seen.

Pohlen casts a broad swath over the entire state, even above Highway 8 "up nort" (a lot of people tend to forget that we even exist, so it's always refreshing to find someone who hasn't), in search of the strange, the homespun, the downright wacky, even the morbid. And he finds it in spades. Whether you're a local Sconny looking for some ideas for day trips, or an out-of-stater passing through on the way to the Dells, there's something in this book that you'll feel compelled to stop & see. Well, if you're into fiberglass oddities and going somewhere other than Door County, that is.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Road tripping through Wisconsin's unusual side, July 11, 2002

By 

Bobby Dillard (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oddball Wisconsin: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places (Oddball series) (Paperback)

Most people when they go on vacation go to national parks like the Grand Canyon or theme parks like Disneyland. How many would go to see the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame with a giant embalmed worm on display? Or how about the world's biggest corkscrew? A serial killer's grave? The author saw these things and more in Wisconsin and compiled them into this book. It's an enjoyable journey through Wisconsin's strange side and is recommended for die-hard road trippers or those interested in America's stranger side.