Biggest, largest: It's all here on the road

We are truly a nation of superlatives. Let me explain.On today's leg of my Western swing, I have seen the Largest Cross in the Northern Hemisphere, the Largest Steak served in any Texas restaurant (72 oz.), and the World's Largest Petrified Tree. And that's just today!

We have a grand interest in the unique, the unusual and the just plain weird. Actually the Largest Cross in the Northern Hemisphere was an interesting view. It stands smack-dab in the middle of an interstate highway. I'm ashamed to say I can't recall if it is in New Mexico or Texas. But regardless, there it is. And who am I to question if it is indeed the Largest Cross in the Northern Hemisphere? Regardless, it is one big attraction.

The Largest Petrified Tree was a bit of a let-down.

The truth is, the billboard attracts your attention long enough to divert you briefly from the highway.

Once you arrive at the location, ample Native Americans are on hand to sell you other smaller pieces of petrified wood or blankets (non-petrified).

It was the Largest Steak however that got my attention. Of course, it had to be in Texas where everything is on a grander scale. I think it was the night before (the days are becoming muddled), that I enjoyed a 12-ounce hunk of meat at some roadside restaurant. It was a reasonable amount of meat to consume at one setting. So I started thinking about this 72-ounce monster and wondered what kind of person would attempt to eat such an enormous steak or be successful in eating such an enormous steak.

I passed on the 72-ounce feast. Probably one of the better decisions I've made on this trip.

I once paid a nickel to see the World's Fattest Man at a downtown carnival in Sikeston. So believe me, I know something about superlatives.

Tomorrow Oklahoma and points beyond will surely offer their own superlatives. If it's not the largest or smallest whatever, it doesn't stand a chance.

But the truth is this. Tired tourists traveling down an interstate highway will find any excuse possible to get away from the vehicle if for only a moment. And who can resist the sight of a 72-ounce steak?

Although many of these claims may indeed be bogus they offer a relief from the miles of travel and they give you something to talk about around the coffee table back home.