After reading my pal Bruce K's review, I'm almost convinced this is not the world's largest gavel -…read morewell, maybe the world's largest wooden one. But who knows; I'll read up on it later. As part of the City of Casey's "large things" promotion, they decided to spread the love of large to their county seat's court house. The court house does have a lot of history, especially Abraham Lincoln-related. There is a quote attributed to Lincoln under the gavel. If you're cruising through Marshall and/or the Historic National Road, don't miss out on this!

Lest I get smacked by the actual World's Largest Gavel (that appears to be in Columbus OH), this…read moreone is perhaps the World's Largest WOODEN Gavel and it is in the entranceway to the Clark County Courthouse in Marshall, Illinois. The city has it on their website as such, https://marshall-il.com/places/united-states/illinois/marshall/worlds-largest-gavel/. A plaque on the base reads, "'The best way to predict the future is to create it.' -Abraham Lincoln." Dedicated to the past, present and future judges of Clark County Illinois. There is street parking and the area was very quiet on a Sunday morning. Plenty of parking. [Review 19667 overall - 122 in Illinois - 639 of 2023.]

It was only a matter of time. The Mug Tree was an old tree. Mugs were placed with it and that…read morebrought it alive again in our hearts. Many, many mugs. Travelers along the highway admired that old tree, adorned with mugs. It offered a silent respite in our daily lives. It offered hope, that no matter what pains we carried, there was the Mug Tree. The Mug Tree, which was created out of the generosity of hundreds of people, most likely strangers to each other, but friends with a common goal of taking an old, dead tree along a country highway and giving it purpose, once more. The Mug Tree. A local landmark, never to be recognized as a national monument. Unlike the more famous curiosities just a few miles north in Casey, this oddity stood outside of the door to fame. Yet, to those of us who passed by, it stood for years alongside that country highway, day and night. Like an old trusted friend. So, to those who read these words and never knew the Mug Tree, I am sorry for your loss. And to those thousands of travelers that passed by and noticed, if you grieve, you grieve not alone. Dear Mug Tree: So long, my friend. Thanks for all the smiles you brought to our hearts.

So... It was fun to see this tree in passing on the way to Effingham but I felt like the house on…read moretop could've been utilized for birds or something.

The Two Story Outhouse. I loved being here. I smiled ear to ear the whole time. Such a great way to…read morebring some traffic to the village of Gays. They had a mini replica of the outhouse that had cars and pens inside where you can write where you are from. So fun! I recommend spending time here. It was fun and wholesome.

Me and my wife recently went here to see one this place was all about. Rich in history, the…read moreOuthouse had no people here and only a few people wrote their names and the log book presented. You get to learn a nice history lesson too! Obviously you cannot access the outhouse and it's not in its complete true form due to various changes but you can see more of its original form looking at the historic photos. Unfortunately if you read it, it's completely full of typos. The park is very well maintained and it's definitely worth stopping it. I wouldn't drive a few hours to visit this place personally. It's something fun to check out if you are going through the city. Great place to spend 15 minutes at! I really do wish the city of Gays can make a bigger attraction out of this and have more stores here.

Vigo County's Pioneer Village can be found within Fowler Park. Besides driving through the park to…read morevisit, you can use the small parking lot along Bono Road and walk into the park from that entrance which accesses the village and covered bridge. Most of the year, the village is open to browse, but the buildings are locked. Some have convenient windows to browse in, but not all of them. You will also notice that some are authentic buildings which have been preserved by moving them to this gathering spot from across the area (including Illinois). Others are constructed from wood salvaged from other cabins/structures that had met their demise. What is created is a homogeneous collection of buildings that you might find if you could travel back in time 180 years to a small town in the area. Vigo County does open the village up the first weekend in October to re-enactors and vendors to celebrate the annual Pioneer Days. I believe there is a $5 fee for attending. I was surprised that I didn't see any promotion for the event in 2019 since I was there just a few days too early. If you are interested, I would suggest contacting the county's parks department. From what I heard from the staff at the guard house, the village has grown over the years as additional buildings have been relocated. While there, be sure to check out one of the State's oldest covered bridges on the south side of the village. Review #2957

This is a small quiet winery a few miles off of Interstate 70. I have been visiting for a decade,…read moreand appreciate the quiet atmosphere. They have flights, so you can sample before you buy a bottle. There are snacks like cheese, nuts and meat, to purchase in a cooler if you are hungry. There are also plenty of beverage choices if you do not wish to have wine, and milk and juice for kiddos if you are visiting with your family. I have always felt comfortable walking in with my kids. We often stopped here on our way from Indianapolis to St. Louis and stretched our legs. It is also close to a beautiful covered bridge, so i t makes pulling off the interstate a nice experience to pair the winery and bridge together. I feel like the wines are a combination of excellent flavor and yet affordable for yourself or as a gift. This year they has a wine called "Let it Snow" with edible glitter that made a beautiful swirl.

Lovely vineyard nestled in Cumberland County close to the interstate…read more We really enjoyed the ambiance sitting on the porch overlooking flowers, grapevines, and nature. The owners were very friendly and helpful. I tried a flight of wine and a slushy, my husband had the Canoe. We left. with a bottle of Canoe and cherry wine. If you want food you can bring your own or they had cheese and crackers for sale.

The World's Largest Wooden Shoes are found in a candy shop in the quaint little town (population…read more3,000) of Casey, IL. This is one of a dozen "things" offically recognized as the World's Largest: World's Largest Wind Chime World's Largest Golf Tee World's Largest Pitchfork World's Largest Rocking Chair World's Largest Wooden Shoes World's Largest Mailbox World's Largest Gavel World's Largest Truck Key World's Largest Barbershop Pole World's Largest Teeter Totter World's Largest Golf Driver World's Largest Swizzle Spoon Well worth a detour off of I-70.

The Wooden Shoes are housed in a historic downtown building that dates back to the late 1800s. Once…read morelocated along the Doty Railroad, the building is now home to Wildflour Bakery and Candy Company. The Wooden Shoes gained the World's Largest title on October 20, 2015. Each Shoe weighs approximately 2500 pounds. To give an example of the size of the clogs, as part of a photoshoot, 15 people were able to stand inside one shoe. ​Coins thrown into the Shoes are donated to the Big Things Small Town Funds to continue to promote Casey and keep tourist areas looking beautiful.

A little distant from the town of Casey but it's still one of those "Largest Things" that you need…read moreto see if you're in the area. This is the World's Largest Horseshoe and yes, it's large. You can see that here as I parked next to it for scale. The claim to fame as world's largest became official in 2013, when this 1,144-pound cast iron horseshoe was verified by Guinness World Records. Then in 2015 it was surpassed by a slightly larger horseshoe in Kentucky that weighed half as much. So I wouldn't say that you need to go out of your way, unless you're interested in the world's largest things. Or perhaps you're already here for the Martinsville Agricultirual Fair. [Review 19672 overall - 127 in Illinois - 644 of 2023.]

The Bridgeton Mill was established in 1823 and is the oldest continuously runing grist mill in…read moreIndiana. Mike and Karen Roe bought the mill in 1995 and have worked feverishly to maintain and operate this 200 year old historical business. My husband and I visited the mill today and Mike spent an hour providing us with the fascinating history and tour of the mill, describing different types of ground flours and meals. He demonstrated how he mills grain. Today, the mill produces and sells a variety of different wheat flours, brans and corn meals. Grains are Amish sourced locally. I purchased blue corn meal, rare Einkorn flour, Miller's blend flour and wheat bran. I also bought a book about the local covered bridges. If you want to visit the mill, go during off peak time, before or after the Covered Bridge Festival. The crowds of tourists during the festival will make it difficult to enjoy and learn about the mill. And if you want to meet Mike, go soon, as he has the mill up for sale. Attached to the mill is a small snack bar that serves sandwiches, beverages and ice cream. The cheeseburgers are served on homemade wheat rolls and are juicy and delicious. Tables overlook the covered bridge and creek. The clerk/cook is friendly. The place is not fancy or upscale, but small town wonderful. There is no charge to visit the mill, although donations are requested to assist with repairs to the dam. Bridgeton Mill is a special place to visit and support a family-run business and learn about Indiana's history. There is plenty of parking and restroom are available.

It's a new bridge but still done in that classic style. We took this in before the Covered Bridge…read moreFestival so we could enjoy the beautiful area before the crowds. If you come during the festival this place is filled with activities and vendors