A true homegrown treasure awaits those who decide to cut east or west between Highway 59 and Highway 169 via Route 47. About a mile west of Highway 59, a local family has created their own Jurassic Park. A herd of metal dinosaurs roam and graze on their property, delighting people like me.
Finally, after driving past the site two days a week while working on an assignment in Independence, I couldn't take it anymore and pulled in across the road. (Note: Be careful! Depending on what time of day it is, this highway is busy!). Standing on the roadbank, I took these photos. It didn't look like anyone was home, so I stayed on the highway side of the property line. Next spring I want to introduce myself and hopefully get close ups of this amazing artistic wonderland. I believe most of these critters are made of cast-off oil rig parts. If you know differently, please leave a comment.
An Apatosaurus grazes in the trees. The mobile home in the background gives you some scale. Even so, I can't describe how huge this sculpture is.
While the big dinosaurs are occupied, the smaller ones roam and sun themselves.
What kid wouldn't want a pet Mastadon in his backyard?
Uh oh . . . Raptors . . .
At the east end of the property, a Tyrannosaurus Rex rules supreme. The T-Rex tail is a masterpiece. The machine parts look just like vertebrae. And kudos to the artist for building T-Rex in the correct posture.