1

Bacon Cheeseburger

Image: Erik Odiin

Let us begin with the most obvious and ubiquitous diner staple of all time: the bacon cheeseburger . This decadent concoction of ground beef, buns, melted cheddar, bacon, and a few more ingredients has graced the menus of diners forever.

While most are meant to be eaten as a sandwich, more than a few places offer monstrous creations that have to be opened and eaten in pieces or with a knife and fork, as the sheer size of the hamburger cannot fit in an open mouth.

2

Club Sandwich

Image: Suea Sivilaisith

Another menu classic, the club sandwich consists of three superimposed slices of toast with two fillings, cut into triangular quarters that point upward like they're reaching for the heavens. Fresh turkey breast and bacon are the standard ingredients, but some diners have come to specialize in clubs and their variations.

Supposedly, the sandwich was invented in Saratoga Springs, New York, at the racetrack clubhouse in 1894, hence its name.

3

Hash browns

Image: Uwe Conrad

An iconic breakfast side, hash browns are an omnipresent add-on to scrambled eggs, bacon strips, and many more classic dishes. They consist of finely julienned potatoes that have been fried until golden browned.

No matter which diner you visit to get breakfast, you’ll more than likely find these crispy potato strings on the menu, as they are appreciated for their simplicity, versatility, and satisfying crunch.

4

Eggs Benedict

Image: bady abbas

A breakfast or brunch dish with a funny name, Eggs Benedict consists of two halves of an English muffin, each topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce.

While it was popularized in New York City, it is generally believed to have been created in New York City in the late 19th century, this dish can be found all over the country and is a menu staple in diners everywhere.

5

Biscuits and gravy

Image: John Cameron

A hearty breakfast ideal for chilly Midwest mornings and a cowboy diet staple, biscuits and gravy are made with warm, soft dough biscuits, covered in white gravy made from the drippings of cooked pork sausage, flour, milk, and often bits of sausage, bacon, ground beef, or other meat.

Most classic diners worth their salt will offer some variation of this delicious dish.

6

Tuna Melt

Image: Youjeen Cho

Even though the title of this diner favorite suggests it, nobody has ever melted a fish yet. The "melt" part of a tuna melt is achieved by a substance that is much more capable of reaching that state: cheese.

Supposedly, this delicious sandwich was invented when a lunch counter cook accidentally tipped a bowl of tuna salad onto a piece of toasted cheese already frying on the flat top. The result proved quite tasty, and thus, the dish was born. Whether one decides to believe it or not, tuna melt makes for a great diner menu item.

7

Meatloaf

Image: Verena Böttcher

A close cousin to the traditional diner hamburger, the meatloaf also has German origins. However, instead of the pork and veal meat that must be used in its homeland, the American meatloaf is done with ground beef. Its distinctive flavor comes from masses of onions that meld with the beef fat, and the flavor mellows as the meatloaf bakes.

The resulting dish is smothered in gravy, and presented with lots of mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables, and extra gravy on the side.

8

Pancakes

Image: nikldn

Passing on now to the desserts, we encounter a champion of American breakfasts and a menu item that no respectable diner should be without: the almighty pancake .

Whether it comes with fruit, chocolate chips, or more, this comfort food is covered with a generous amount of syrup to help lubricate and ease the journey from mouth to stomach with every bite.

9

Pie a La Mode

Image: Element5 Digital

French speakers might ask: "To Which Mode?" to which the answer would be: ice cream! Pie à la Mode is, simply put, a slice of -usually- apple pie with ice cream on top.

This sweet treat can be found in refrigerated glass display cases showcased in diners since refrigeration was invented. And there is a great reason for that, as the resulting mix of the crunchy base, the sweet apple, and the ice cream make for an amazing dessert.

10

Waffles

Image: Mae Mu

Sure, waffles can be thrown into a toaster right out of the box, in the comfort of your own home. But that is no match for a diner-style freshly made waffle (that is, if the diner is any good).

Waffles are a breakfast staple, readily available at your local eateries. There are few things better than biting into a waffle and being met with a pocket of melted butter and warm syrup.

1

"Play it again, Sam." Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca remains one of Hollywood’s most memorable classics, but what if we all remember one of the movie's most quoted lines incorrectly? In the famous scene where Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) approaches Sam (Dooley Wilson) at the piano, she asks him to play a song for her.

The line is most commonly quoted as: " Play it again, Sam. " But Ilsa never says these exact words. What she actually tells Sam is: "Play it once, Sam, for old time's sake. Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’"

2

"Luke, I am your father." The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Few plot twists in movie history have been as shocking as the scene where Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) finally reveals to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that he’s his father in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back . So how did we end up remembering Vader’s line wrong?

People always recall the line as: "Luke, I am your father." But in the scene, Luke says, "He told me you killed him!" referring to his father. Vader then answers, "No. I am your father." He never really says "Luke."

3

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The characters, story, and indelible scenes of The Wizard of Oz have made it one of the most beloved films of all time, and even though we’ve seen this countless times, we still misquote one of its most famous lines .

Believe it or not, Dorothy (Judy Garland) didn’t say "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." After she and Toto arrive in Oz’s Munchkinland, what she says is: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The difference is small, but the misquote has become far more ubiquitous than the original.

4

"Life is like a box of chocolates." Forrest Gump (1994)

At the beginning of the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump , Forrest (Tom Hanks) fondly remembers his mom’s analogy comparing life to a box of chocolates. While the line stuck with us, it's not quite how folks usually repeat it.

Forrest doesn’t exactly say "Life is like a box of chocolates." He says: "My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." The most commonly remembered version changes both the opening and the verb tense.

5

"If you build it, they will come." Field of Dreams (1989)

What if the mysterious voice in Field of Dreams said something different to Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) than what we’ve been repeating all this time? The quote is most commonly remembered as "If you build it, they will come." But again, there’s a catch.

The voice actually tells Ray that "If you build it, he will come," where "he" refers to Shoeless Joe Jackson, whose appearance is central to the movie’s plot.

6

"Do you feel lucky, punk?" Dirty Harry (1971)

Clint Eastwood has played so many iconic characters throughout his career, but antihero cop Harry Callahan has stuck around, and his line "Do you feel lucky, punk?" has been repeated ad nauseam. But if you watch Dirty Harry again, you’ll notice he never says it like that.

After Harry stops a bank robbery, he tells the criminal, "You've got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk? " He’s challenging the robber to guess whether his .44 Magnum still has a bullet in it.

7

"Houston, we have a problem." Apollo 13 (1995)

This line has been repurposed everywhere to convey that something has gone wrong. Turns out, the 1995 movie Apollo 13 changed the wording of what the real Commander Jim Lovell said.

In Apollo 13 , Tom Hanks, playing Lovell, says "Houston, we have a problem." During the actual Apollo 13 mission, astronaut Jack Swigert radioed Mission Control and said: "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here," and then Lovell repeated, "Houston, we've had a problem."

8

"Hello, Clarice." The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The line "Hello, Clarice" from The Silence of the Lambs is synonymous with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) himself. But as surprising as it sounds, Hannibal never says those words at all. In that first tense encounter between Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Hannibal, the serial killer and cannibal simply says " Good morning ." It’s unclear why this conversation has been misquoted.

9

"Mirror, mirror on the wall…" Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Here’s another one that almost everyone gets wrong: the Evil Queen never said "Mirror, mirror on the wall…" in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . The actual line in the movie goes: " Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

The confusion stems from the original German text from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale: " Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand ," which literally translates to "Mirror, mirror on the wall." This version caught on so well that even Disney has used "mirror, mirror" in official merchandise, movie posters, and even in the animated series The 7D (a spin-off focusing on the dwarfs), in which an episode is titled "Mirror, Mirror."

10

"He’s alive!" Frankenstein (1931)

The exact moment when Frankenstein’s monster comes to life in James Whale's 1931 movie, based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, isn’t quite how most people remember. In the scene, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) doesn’t cry "He’s alive!" What he actually says is: " It’s alive ."

Dr. Frankenstein uses "it" instead of "he," emphasizing his creation’s monstrous, rather than human, nature. Interestingly, the iconic scene doesn't happen the same way in Shelley's original novel. In the book, there’s no lightning storm, no kites, and no massive electronic equipment as in the movie; he simply brings the creature to life during a quiet, rainy November night and never screams "It’s alive" when the monster starts moving.

1

Miniature Graceland

Image: Florian Herzog

If you are on the East Coast and you are not planning a trip to the South to visit the real Graceland in Memphis anytime soon, you can always settle for Roanoke, Virginia's miniature version.

The handcrafted structures at Miniature Graceland include the mansion itself, a replica of the Elvis Presley Car Museum, as well as the King's birthplace in the city of Tupelo. This magical tribute was built in 1980 by Don Epperly, an Elvis fan, on the property next to his home. Over time, the attraction deteriorated, but a local group is now in charge of maintaining the site, which can still be visited.

2

World’s largest Christmas store

Image: Brandi Alexandra

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan, is the self-proclaimed world's largest Christmas store. And no wonder—the amount of electricity required to run the 100,000 lights that illuminate the sales floor costs approximately $1,250 per day.

The salesroom showcases more than 350 decorated trees, and you can find decorations and gifts from 70 countries, as well as over 150 styles of nutcrackers. Also, Bronner's has in-house artists who customize over 100,000 ornaments annually. This place is so fantastic that hundreds of celebrities have visited it. So, now you know—if you're ever in Frankenmuth, chances are you'll be rubbing elbows with a Hollywood star while shopping for your next Christmas tree.

3

Missouri’s Mount Rushmore

Image: Takefreebies

Although often overshadowed by the original Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Missouri’s Mount Rushmore with Fake Celebrity Heads still manages to attract a crowd. The "monument," located in Branson since 1996, includes sculpted faces of John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Charlie Chaplin.

This attraction is part of the Hollywood Wax Museum and is featured on the exterior of the building. Inside, you can find wax replicas of dozens of iconic stars —a true photo opportunity! But, if you get bored, Branson offers plenty of other attractions for the curious tourist. Just next door to the museum, you’ll find the Castle of Chaos, the world's first 5D ride and game, as well as Hannah's Maze of Mirrors.

4

World’s Largest Egg

Image: Daniele Levis Pelusi

There have been four versions of the "World's Largest Egg" throughout the history of Winlock, Washington, where it is displayed. The current version is made of fiberglass, weighs 1,200 pounds , and sits atop a ten-foot steel pole in the center of town. But why an egg?

Until the 1950s, Winlock was America's second-largest egg-producing town, and its residents were very proud of this distinction. In fact, the first "big egg" they built to celebrate it, a canvas version, dates back to 1923. In 1944, it was replaced by a plastic version, and in the 1960s, a fiberglass model took its place. The current version, crafted in 1993, was made possible thanks to a local chicken hatcheryman.

5

Virginia’s Dinosaur Kingdom

Image: Fausto García-Menéndez

If you ever wondered what would happen if giant dinosaurs had fought during the Civil War, look no further than the Dinosaur Kingdom in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Visitors to this quirky destination are treated to scenes of giant plastic lizards devouring Union soldiers in re-enactments of famous battles.

But it’s not all fantasy—there's some truth to it all. The park's 30 fiberglass statues are built around the premise that paleontologists discovered dinosaurs in 1863. This unique attraction was created in 2005 by local artist Mark Cline, who was inspired by the movie The Valley of Gwangi, in which cowboys discover living dinosaurs in a Mexican valley.

6

Thomas Edison’s Last Breath

Image: Zach Lucero

Who wouldn’t want to capture the soul of a loved one before they passed away? Believe it or not, that's what American industrialist Henry Ford did in 1931. Ford considered Thomas Edison a hero and a role model. In fact, as a young man, he took a job at the Edison Illuminating Company while working on his first experimental automobile. Edison, impressed by young Ford’s inventiveness, eventually became his friend.

As the legend goes, Ford asked Edison's son to sit by the inventor's deathbed. Believing that the soul left the body with one’s dying breath, Ford captured the final gasp of his dear friend in a test tube. The artifact, labeled "Edison’s Last Breath?", is now on display at Henry Ford’s Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. If you ever visit, you'll find other interesting memorabilia, like George Washington's camp bed and the rocker in which Lincoln was shot.

7

The Golden Driller

Image: Zbynek Burival

To celebrate the discovery of vast oil reserves in the area, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, created a statue depicting an oil worker and presented it at the International Petroleum Exposition in 1953. The monument became so popular that in 1966, a new twenty-two-ton concrete and iron statue of a golden man standing next to an oil derrick was permanently installed in front of the Tulsa Expo Center.

The Golden Driller stands seventy-six feet tall and can withstand a 200 mph tornado. In 1979, it was declared Oklahoma’s official state monument. A plaque at its base reads: "To the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from God’s abundance a better life for mankind."

8

Glass Beach

Image: Kevin Lanceplaine

From 1950 to 1967, the citizens of Fort Bragg, California, dumped tons of garbage onto a nearby beach. Over the decades, the ocean transformed the refuse into thousands of small, smooth, colored glass pebbles that still litter the shoreline today.

Now known as Glass Beach, this area adjacent to MacKerricher State Park attracts thousands of treasure seekers each year. The beach is accessible by foot via a short climb down the cliffs, although collecting the remaining glass is discouraged by State Park Rangers.

9

Hometown of Superman

Image: Zachariah Aussi

Although the rural town of Metropolis, Illinois, is a far cry from the bustling, imaginary city featured in the Superman comics, it has fully embraced its superhero ties. In 1972, Metropolis proudly declared itself the "Hometown of Superman."

A fifteen-foot bronze statue of the Man of Steel stands on Main Street in front of the county courthouse, while Lois Lane has her own statue just a few blocks away. If this inspires you to visit Metropolis, mark your calendar for the second weekend of June. Every year, Superman fans from around the world gather here for the Superman Celebration , which features discussion panels, costume contests, and appearances by celebrity guests.

10

Wonder Tower

Image: Martin Podsiad

One hundred miles east of Denver, in Genoa, Colorado, sits the World’s Wonder View Tower, a tribute to all things weird and obscure. In reality, it was a roadside attraction built in the mid-1920s by American showman P.T. Barnum as a sort of tourist trap. The promoters claimed that if guests climbed to the top, they could allegedly view six different states: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

For years, the sixty-five-foot tower housed a museum and gift shop featuring stuffed two-headed animals, a collection of 50,000 glass bottles, rooster eyeglasses, and scores of other curiosities. Unfortunately, today the tower is closed to the public due to the owner’s death. Nevertheless, visitors can still admire the weird-looking structure from the outside and, we assure you, it’s totally worth it!