Pictures: The odd, quirky and weird sights of I-4
What would you say if I told you that thousands of vasectomies, a confederate flag and a few dinosaurs help elect a president every four years? Yes, religion and patriotism also come into play, but the afore mentioned oddities appear along the hotly contested I-4 corridor that runs through Central Florida.
Starting in Daytona Beach, heading west at the start of I-4, if you look to your right you will see one large white cross in a field. Also heading west, and before Orlando, you will see the billboard for the doctor boasting that he has performed more than 26,000 vasectomies. That leads you into Altamonte Springs where the ironically named Majesty building sits unfinished.The weird train derails a bit through Orlando, but the exit for SR 535 offers a large painted mural featuring a patriotic theme. If you time it right, you can then catch a glimpse of the Characters In Flight balloon soaring over the skyline in the Disney area, but don’t blink or you will miss the cool Mickey Mouse shaped utility pole directly past the attractions.
You can take a sightseeing break until you reach the sign for Downtown Orlampa, whatever that is. Not far from there you can see the man waving to you on top of the airplane at Fantasy of Flight. Now you will begin to see that the Lakeland/Tampa-area is “out-weirding” the Orlando-area as you see the prehistoric beasts welcoming you to Dinosaur World. Look to your left a short time later and you will see Florida’s Stonehenge called Airstream Ranch, which features eight Airstreams sticking out of the ground like they were dropped from outer space. Before you reach Tampa, look again to your left where I-75 meets I-4, and you will see a large confederate flag that flies above a Civil War monument.
Now, turn around, enjoy them again and look for other hidden gems.
- Jacob Langston, staff photographer