What roadside attraction did you always want to visit but your parents would never stop?
We drove from Ohio to Florida pretty much every summer when I was a kid. My dad was from there and my grandma and lots of aunts and uncles were still there so each summer we’d drive down to visit. It was way too hot at that time of year and my grandma had the first AC I had ever seen. We’d pack up the car with 7 of us, later just 6 when my brother got older. Packed in like sardines and we never had a car with an AC til the very end. I tend to remember those trips fondly but they were hell, at least the driving part.
That was before the freeways were completed and I remember going thru Tenn (I think) and see bill boards for the Lost Lake that was in a huge cave and they gave boat tours. All the kids begged to stop but we never did. Probably would have been too expensive for my parents. We drove almost straight thru; we’d spend one night in a motel and all stayed at my grandmas when we were there. I’ve always wondered if that lost lake was as cool S it sounded or just a tourist trap.
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We took a field trip there when I was in 6th grade, and it was pretty awesome!
They have lights under the water and glass-bottom boats, so we could see all the blind trout swimming around beneath the boat. There were steps descending down into another cave chamber, and when the whole group of us finally made it to the bottom, they briefly turned off all lights so that we could experience pitch blackness. Now, that was really something! I had never been anywhere in my 11 years on earth where it got so dark that I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. I mean, not even the tiniest amount of light....it was downright spooky!
The tour guide was wonderful, as I recall. We learned a lot about stalagmites and stalactites, as well as learned about the history of the cave itself, and learned about different animals and insects inhabiting the cave.
When my children were young, my husband and I stopped there and went on a tour on our way to visit my mom out of town. My kids were pretty fascinated by it all and even asked to go back.
I am 65 years old now, and it made such an impression on my young self that I can remember it all just like it was yesterday. I can’t say that about many experiences of my youth.
On another note, my stepdad was the kind of person who would stop at all kinds of roadside places when we drove to Florida for vacation. Nothing really astounding, just places that had animals in cages like alligators and bears, etc. As a child, I thought seeing the animals was pretty interesting, but I also felt sorry for the animals because they looked so lethargic and depressed. I hate seeing animals in cages.
I think the Lost Sea could be viewed as a tourist trap, but I wouldn’t have ever seen a cave in person had my school not signed us up for that field trip. I enjoyed it!
in the late 50's and I always wanted to stay in those 'motels' that had the sign that said 'colored' - I thought they had the 'new TV's' - GAWD, was I naive!
Went to "Lookout Mountain" in Tennessee one summer and needed a drink. Went to a row of water fountains and grabbed a drink.
Walked back over and my Dad said, "Hey, you gotta' read! You could get in trouble if you don't." Turns out I'd used a fountain marked "For Colored."
People don't believe that times like that actually existed here - but thanks to Trump - we still see that in people's minds .............. 
To answer the OP - I ALWAYS wanted to stop at ANY 'CAVE' - but like another post said, Dad was on a mission and short on cash for 'tourist traps!' 
However, it was on some road side!
But we were not that well off.
I sure wanted dad to stop there.
I guess my 34 year career is a huge irony
“NO DAMMIT!!!”
he would never stop, said it was just a tourist gimmick. We visited my Uncle and Aunt out there often but never got to see the Dinosaur. 
