PHOTOS: The Best and Weirdest Roadside Dinosaurs
The concrete and plastic dinosaurs beside America's highways can be strange and beautiful. Tell us which one you think is the best
- By Brian Switek
- Smithsonian.com, September 07, 2012
(Brian Switek)
The stretch of Highway 40 that cuts through downtown Vernal, Utah is dotted with dinosaurs. Many of them take the form of Dinah, the town’s pink sauropod mascot. Of the many incarnations of the cartoon, one stands out as my favorite.
Right along the eastbound side of the road there is a version of Dinah in a polka dot bikini, and the platform she stands on exclaims “Let’s swim!” The sign makes me smile every time. Forgetting for a moment exactly why a dinosaur would need a swimsuit—and a bikini at that!—the sign was made during a time when the massive sauropod dinosaurs were thought to spend most of their time in the water. They didn’t so much swim as wallow in all those restorations, but having a “Brontosaurus” encourage tourists to go for a swim was fitting. We now know differently. Sauropods were not only dedicated land-lubbers, but as found by paleontologist Donald Henderson, complex air-filled pockets inside their bodies would have made them buoyant and unstable in the water. If Dinah went into the pool for a dip, she’d have an easier time just floating than swimming.
Vote for the dino you like best, now!
Think you've come across any dinos in your travels worth sharing? You can send your submissions to dinosaursightings@gmail.com.
Comments (5)
Hello Brian Switek, I was surprised to see no mention of Dinosaur World in Plant City Florida. It is not merely a single dinosaur used to attract attention to a road-side store et al, but rather it is an entire theme park devoted to dinosaurs of all types and sizes. As far as I know is it the largest Dinosaur themed park in the world and, in my humble opinion, should have received top billing in your review, as it is a very active and well maintained park devoted to dinosaurs...
Posted by Lawrence on March 4,2013 | 12:30 PM
Trixie" in all her 'arbored beauty is perhaps the most original one in the lot...loved all the others too--second choice the wrinkled-one who must have been the predecessor to the shar-pei.
Posted by dr. s.j. robinson on September 15,2012 | 01:38 PM
Up until now, I respected your publication, but with your "sponsored link" to Money Morning's inflammatory and baseless article about Obamacare, I will not be purchasing anything again or reading any more of your emails.
Posted by Tobi Tabor on September 9,2012 | 02:08 PM
There are some seriously obscure/fun Dino's here, but there's a missing set: The Prehistoric Gardens in Oregon. Unforgettable!
Posted by Ed Casper on September 9,2012 | 12:49 PM
Although the one with lipstick and pearls was cute, I'd have to go with the one that "eats union soldiers" as my favorite.
Posted by jim scott on September 9,2012 | 08:18 AM