As Fargo the eye can see: the great water tower of Fargo, North Dakota

 I ramped up the color contrast...cue the dramatic music.

 I never met a water tower I didn't like, but this one takes the cake.

I love looking at water towers on a cross-country trip. Their grand scale and proud proclamation of each hamlet's names break up the monotony of traveling through places where there isn't all that much to look at. One of my all-time favorites is this beauty from Fargo, North Dakota. The very name Fargo gives you the sense of being somewhere you wouldn't normally expect to be (unless, of course, you live here). And the fact that the eccentric Coen brothers made a famous movie with this same name adds to the je ne sais quoi. We hit it under perfect conditions: dark clouds in one direction, bright sun over the shoulder illuminating the white huge bulbous monolith and gray Times Bold lettering. Thanks, Fargo, for such an awesome water tower, so Fargo from the maddening crowd.

Doing Battle: Scenes from Battle Mountain, Nevada

Interstate 80 is a long, lonely stretch of road when traveling through the great state of Nevada. Many miles separate the small points on the route, with hours of pretty but desolate scenery in between. We had the pleasure of stopping in the gloriously melancholy little town of Battle Mountain, between Elko and Winnemucca, for a night's stay at the Super 8. There wasn't a heck of a lot going on, but there was one honey of a sky that day -- dark menacing-looking clouds with bright shards of sun illuminating the worn landscape. They have some terrific mid-century signs here, courtesy of the Owl Club casino and the Nevada Hotel, which boasts of both food and fun, and one of the nicest water towers I've ever seen next to the fireworks emporium. Their name is derived from a clash between the white settlers and the original Shoshone inhabitants, but it's a peaceful community now and provides a place to gas up, get some grub, a good night's rest, and a hand or two of Texas Holdem before hitting the open road in the morning. That's their Battle cry and they're sticking to it.

Next stop, Roswell: Ogallala, Nebraska's Alien Water Tower

I love gazing and taking pictures of water towers on long road trips. They break up the monotony, especially in the Midwest where the landscape is flat. I've often thought they look like aliens on the horizon, like in "War of the Worlds." Apparently, the folks in Ogallala, Nebraska had this same notion, as they have painted one of their towers to look like a alien spacecraft. Nice to have a bit of whimsy in an otherwise plain landscape. You've really made the grade and the papers want to know whose shirts you wear.

Our cup runneth over: Lexington, Kentucky's Dixie Cup water tower

I love looking at water towers while driving around the country. They come in all shapes, sizes and styles and every one is a gem, especially the ones that proudly announce the name of their community in big letters for all to see or ones that have a bit of whimsy painted on them. A particularly awesome tower is in Lexington, Kentucky, a town with a few other great eccentric roadside attractions (see previous posts). On the property of the Georgia-Pacific plant is a water tower in the shape of a giant Dixie cup. In 1958, the Dixie Cup Company decided to have their tower function as a giant beacon of corporate branding and the cup water tower was erected. I've read that the current owners, Georgia-Pacific, wanted to take the tower down but the city wouldn't let them because the tower serves as a navigation device for the nearby airport. I'd love to hear a tape of the air traffic control booth in this area: "Roger, niner, you're cleared for landing. Bring her in just past the Dixie cup." If Georgia-Pacific was upset about this you wouldn't know it because they do a nice job of maintaining the tower and it really does look like a Dixie cup. Corporate America should be commended for maintaining classic roadside attractions like these, and I ain't just whistling Dixie.

Roadtrip water towers

One of my absolute favorite things to do on a long roadtrip is take pictures of water towers you see along the way. It mostly helps relieve some of the tedium of driving long distances without a heck of a lot else to see, but there's something about these giant, oddly shaped receptacles looming in the distance that I find intriguing. The old pointy ones look like they could be from the Civil War era, and the the more modern bulbous ones look like alien invaders overtaking the earthen landscape. I also like how many towns spruce up their water towers with their names proudly displayed or some other bit of whimsy like the mascot for the local high school football team (go badgers!) or a smiley face. In 2006, we drove from Rhode Island to Glacier National Park in Montana and saw many great water towers along the way. The best ones seem to be in the midwest. They appear to have more of them and when the landscape is more plain, they really sing out when they appear. Here's a slide show. And if you really like water tower pictures (and who doesn't?), check out these websites: http://www.watertowers.com/ and http://www.angelfire.com/tx6/watertower/pict.html

Roadtrip water towers slide show

If you don't see any pictures, click on the X in the upper right corner.