Vacation Ideas: Visiting Strange Place Names

Every year, it's the same old thing… trying to come up with interesting vacation plans that aren't just the trips that everyone else is taking. Perhaps instead of plotting yet another vacation to some large theme park, you might consider a themed vacation... take a week (or maybe just a weekend) and visit some of the truly strange and unusually named towns in the United States. Not sure where to start? Luckily, you usually don't have to travel far to find some of these towns where naming convention seems to have been thrown out the window.

Numbers

If you're looking for places that are named after numbers, you might want to start with Zero, Montana. Jumping way up the number scale from there are towns such as Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, Eighty Eight, Kentucky, Ninety Six, South Carolina, and even Hundred, West Virginia. Certainly, these towns with numerical monikers won't mind an extra person or two visiting for a few days.

Sounds

Numbers aren't your thing? Maybe you should consider some of the towns that are named after sounds. The people who live in Yellville, Arkansas will probably be glad to see you stopping in, as will folks in Yeehaw, Florida, Lower Harmony, New Jersey, and Ding Dong, Texas. And of course you can't forget about Buzz, Pennsylvania and Disco, Michigan, can you? Of course not.

Heat

Perhaps you're thinking that visiting a town named after a sound isn't the greatest idea that you've heard. You might be looking for some place where the name has a bit more sizzle… a town like Hell, Michigan. Too hot for you? Maybe you'd prefer Half Hell, North Carolina, then. If you'd still like your fire without going straight to Hell (or Half Hell, as the case may be), then you might want to consider alternative destinations such as Frying Pan, North Carolina, Firebrick, Kentucky, Fireworks, Massachusetts, Flintstone, Maryland, or Blowout, Texas. (Okay, so Blowout is a bit of a stretch. There's still a connection to the theme.)

Animals

Fire-named towns a bit too hot for you? Let's look at some of the animal-named towns for a moment, then. Of course, there are Monkey's Eyebrow and Possom Trot in Kentucky, as well as Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania. There's also the… interesting… name of Ticktown, Virginia, and we can't forget Lizard Lick, North Carolina, and Toad Suck, Arkansas. Finally, for those who feel like vacationing in places named after industrious river-dwellers there's Beaver, West Virginia and Beaver Dam, Kentucky. (And, since he is technically an animal, you might as well include Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania on this list as well.)

Foods

Feel like getting a bite to eat in a city or town named for a bite to eat? You might want to check out destinations such as Orange, California and Sugar Land, Texas. Hungry for more? You might also consider trips to Appleton, Wisconsin, Citrus Heights, California, Coconut Creek, Florida, and Pearland, Texas. Finish up with Walnut Creek, California, Peach Bottom, Virginia, and Port Orange, Florida, and your appetite for food-named towns should be sated.

Lands of the Unsure Naming Committee

Still not sure where to go? Maybe you'd feel right at home in Uncertain, Texas. Other locales that just seem like the founding fathers weren't able to make up their minds are Unalaska, Alaska, No Name, Ohio, Surprise, Arizona, Okay, Arkansas, and Between, Georgia. If you can't decide which of these prime vacation spots you should look in on, you might want to just go with Fickle, Indiana. (As a bonus, we'll throw in Boring, Oregon, just because it sounds so exciting.)

Sexual Naming

No list could be complete without the cities and towns that were named by people who seemed to have something else on their minds. Starting in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, and ending up in Letcher, Kentucky, there are a variety of places with names that make you scratch your head and wonder, "Did I really see that on the map?" (Caress and Virginville, both in West Virginia, as well as Wankers Corner, Oregon and Virgin, Utah, are favorites on this list.)

Money

From Poverty, Kentucky to Jackpot, Nevada, cities and towns with monetary-related monikers can be found all across the United States. Poor Town, North Carolina and Bingo, Maine are also top picks.

Everything Else

Of course, there are names of towns out there that just won't fit in any category. Places like North Pole, Alaska, and Santa Claus, Indiana (which actually has an excellent water park) can make interesting vacation spots, or a trip to Telephone, Texas or Why, Arizona might be just what you're looking for. And no matter whether you take a trip to Jot Em Down or Gun Barrel City (both of which are in Texas, by the way), you're sure to have interesting stories to tell to friends and family upon your return.