Adventure Beckons At A Historic Utah Tourist Attraction With Stunning Views And Secret Tunnel

Some places don't aspire to be a destination. Instead, they revel in their quirky and kitschy allure. Highways across the United States are full of unique roadside attractions, the better to break up long drives across the country. Their wacky charm compels travelers to pull over and investigate if only to answer that age-old question: What on earth is that?

The Hole N" The Rock is one such place that delivers on that and more. It's a short drive from Moab, Utah. If you're planning a trip through Utah's unforgettable national parks, you'll find Hole N" The Rock sandwiched between Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. 

The attraction is impossible to miss. "Hole N" The Rock" is spelled out, completely mispunctuated, in blazing white letters 20 feet high on the red cliffs. A giant arrow helpfully points motorists to the entrance, throwing subtlety out the window. Hole N" The Rock tells you exactly what to expect. Yet this odd little place has plenty of surprises for curious visitors.

When the Christensen family settled this 80-acre homestead in the early 20th century, their two young sons, Albert and Leo, hollowed a shelter into the sandstone cliffs to escape the desert sun. Albert liked it so much that he decided to make it his family home. He started in the 1940s and, over 12 years, excavated 50 thousand cubic feet of sandstone. The result was a 14-room home with huge rock pillars. When Albert died in 1957, Gladys opened up her unusual family home to make ends meet, painting the letters on the cliff as advertising.

The Christensen family no longer lives in or owns Hole N" The Rock, and it's since been converted from a home into a 12-minute tour for curious travelers. The current owners, Wyndee and Erik Hansen, maintain the details of the home, like the 1950s mint-green kitchen and the fireplace and 65-foot chimney. Then there's the huge bathtub, hewn from the sandstone walls. Visitors can see the original furnishings, including Albert's questionable taxidermy and Gladys' doll collection. 

Albert and Gladys are buried on the property, and some believe their spirits still linger. Visitors have reported the smell of fried chicken, Albert's favorite dinner. "I've been back there working all by myself, and my nose fills up with this overwhelming stench of cheap perfume ..." Wyndee Hansen told Country Living Magazine, "It's like, 'OK Gladys, I know you're here, but I don't like that smell.' It's just kind of fun. They're not scary ghosts at all."

Gladys' spirit is likely happy with the steady business that Hole N" The Rock brings in. About 500 visitors a day come through, and the site's iconic letters were featured in a scene from the "Transformers: Age of Extinction" movie. The Hansens have added a petting zoo and a sprawling collection of whimsical metal sculptures from Colorado artist Lyle Nichols. Visitors can wander the grounds to discover a desert dragon or a towering cactus made from bowling balls, among other creations. Besides the zoo and home, the grounds are completely free to explore. 

Some visitors have derided Hole N" The Rock as a tourist trap. It's certainly not the biggest tourist trap in the country. That dubious distinction lies elsewhere. The charm of Hole N" The Rock is that it does not claim to be a major destination but rather an intriguing diversion. Perhaps one deserving of consideration among the most unique roadside stops across America. A place to pull over for a picnic lunch and wonder how on earth a place like this came to be.