The welcome sign to Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Photo Credit: Derek Ramsey / Wikimedia

April 25, 2010, (Sawf News) - Intercourse, Hell, and Accident are amidst the top 10 oddly named towns that are excellent destinations for short escapes.

Oddly named towns abound in the US. Our pick represents the 10 best travel destinations amidst them.

They offer travelers a varied experience ranging from Gold Rush history, fishing, healing waters and the best in countryside.

The list has been compiled by SmarterTravel, a comprehensive travel advice resource for the budget-conscious traveler.

"While they may not be the most sought after destinations, these towns really are quite charming and offer some good bargains and family fun," said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel. "They make for the perfect stop on your road trip; if only for the family photo next to the city limits sign."

The top 10 oddly named travel destinations are:

Intercourse, Pennsylvania
Boring, Oregon
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Hell, Michigan
Cool, California
Uncertain, Texas
Carefree, Arizona
Last Chance, Idaho
Accident, Maryland
Normal, Illinois

Like we said earlier, oddly named towns abound. Here are some that didn't make the cut as the best travel destinations, presented in no particular order.

Elephant Butte, New Mexico
Experiment, Georgia
Monkey's Eyebrow, Arizona
California, Maryland - Yes we have that right!
Odd, West Virginia
Stalker, Pennslyvania
Ordinary, Kentucky
Poop Creek, Oregon
Gayville, South Dakota
Coward, South Carolina.
Outlaw Ridge, Texas
Cut and Shoot, Texas
Humptulips, Wa
Toad Suck, Arkansas
Climax, Kansas
Climax, Michigan
Why, Arizona
Cut and Shoot, Texas
No Name, Colorado
Peculiar, Missouri

Intercourse, Pennsylvania

Intercourse is a popular tourist destination located in "Amish country". The movie Witness, starring Harrison Ford, was filmed there and in the surrounding area. For Richer or Poorer was set in Intercourse but not filmed there.

The town was founded in 1754 and initially named Cross Keys. In 1814 its name was changed to Intercourse.

So why the edgy name? No one knows for sure but the town website gives three possible explanations.

There used to be an old race track near the town known as Entercourse. It is believed Entercourse evolved to Intercourse.
Two famous roads crossed at the town prompting the town to be named Cross Keys first and then Intercourse.
The name reflects the interaction, fellowship and mutual support amidst the community.

One problem when you name a town Intercourse: Sign posts for the town tend to disappear at the hands of thieves.

Town attractions include locally crafted quilts and Amish buggy rides.

Incidentally, the town is close to Blue Ball, PA, which too is Amish country!

Boring, Oregon. Photo Credit: functioruser/Chris Phan/Flickr

Boring, Oregon

The community was named in 1903 after W. H. Boring, an early resident of the area.

The town is located near Mount Hood and is a 30 minute drive from Portland. Its proximity to Portland makes Boring an affordable daytrip.

The Springwater Corridor biking and walking trail is a fun outdoor attraction. It follows a former railway line of the same name, roughly along the course of Johnson Creek; from Boring, through Gresham, to Portland, where it connects with the Eastbank Esplanade.

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Incredibly enough, Truth or Consequences in Sierra County, New Mexico is named after a popular NBC radio program!

According to Wikipedia, in 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of the radio quiz show Truth or Consequences, announced that he would air the program from the first town that renamed itself after the show. Hot Springs, NM, was the first to comply and became Truth or Consequences.

Ralph Edwards came to the town during the first weekend of May for the next fifty years. This event was called "Fiesta" and included a beauty contest, a parade, and a stage show. The city still celebrates Fiesta each year on the first weekend of May.

As its original name, Hot Springs, suggests, Truth or Consequences has several geothermal springs and is a spa city. Hotwater from the springs is routed to many bathhouses in the downtown historic district. Tourists also come to the city to visit nearby Elephant Butte Lake - talk about oddly named towns - just 51/2 miles north.

Truth or Consequences is a destination that is easy on the wallet. It is a favored retirement location because of low house prices.

The country store in Hell, Michigan. Photo Credit: David Ball

Hell, Michigan

George Reeves is considered to have founded the town in 1841. He settled at the place with his wife and seven daughters after buying a large saw mill with 1000 acres of farmland. He later built a mill to grind grain from his farm as well as from nearby farms. He also dammed a creek, now called Hell Creek, to power the mill.

Folklore has it that local farmers would haul their grain to the mill for grinding into flour, but since George also ran a whiskey still, the first 7-10 bushels of grain would inevitably end up as moonshine.

According to the local website:

"Horses would return home without riders, wagons without drivers. When someone would ask the wife, where is your husband?

"She'd shrug her shoulders, throw up her arms and exclaim, 'Ahh, he's gone to Hell!'"

In 1841, after Michigan gained statehood, state officials asked George what he thought the town that he helped settle should be named.

"Call it Hell for all I care, everyone else does," he replied. The name became official on October 13, 1841.

Hell offers travelers...well...Hell! You can marry in Hell at a small chapel, uou can play golf in Hell at a minicourse, you can even buy Mayor of Hell for a day, if you are ready to fork out $100, that is!

The mini golf course is also available for fundraisers and birthday parties. You can rent canoes and kayaks.

Hell Creek runs through the town and over a dam; a bar at the location is known as "The Dam Site Inn".

Cool, California

Cool, in El Dorado County, is located in the foothills of the Sierras, 70 miles from Sacramento, the state capital, at an elevation of 1532 feet (467 m).

Formerly known as Cave Valley, the town sits along historic Highway 49. It was renamed after an itinerant preacher in the 1800.

James Marshall discovered gold a stone's throw from the town at Sutter's Mill in 1848, leading to the Gold Rush.

Town attractions include:

Sutter's Mill Replica - A full sized replica of Sutter's Mill that was completed in 1968. It operates regularly for demonstrations for park visitors. A monument now stands at the original site of Sutter's Mill.

The Gold Discovery Museum - Built in 1960 - also operates as the visitors' center, where you can pick up maps, exhibits, and artifacts relating to the gold discovery and gold rush.

Uncertain, Texas

Located on the banks of Caddo lake, Uncertain lies on the border between Texas and Louisiana.

The City of Uncertain was incorporated in 1961 as a Type B, General Law City with a mayor and five aldermen on an at large basis.

The city has a population of 150, and a total area of 0.5 square miles, all of it land.

Caddo lake, the only naturally formed lake in Texas, is the town's biggest attraction. Uncertain residents are 'certain' that the 32,700-acre wetland, full of bayous, sloughs, and Spanish-moss-draped cypress trees, is the most scenic lake of the state.

Folklore on the origins of the town's name is inconsistent.

According to Wikipedia, the town got its name after surveyors attempting to delineate the border between Texas and Louisiana noted they were uncertain as to which side of the border they were on.

The town website says, "steamboats, loaded with goods destined for the developing west, traveled through Caddo Lake in route to Jefferson, Texas. Because of fluctuating water levels, mooring was often 'uncertain'."

The lake offers visitors fishing, hunting, bird watching and a variety of tour boats (steamboat, pontoon boats, john boats with air-cooled engines) to explore the meandering bayous and sloughs.

Boulder's Resort in Carefree, AZ. Photo Credit: Tillman/Wikimedia

Carefree, Arizona

Carefree in Maricopa County, Arizona, was created in the 1950s as a community dedicated to leisure.

During the last census in 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $88,702.

Carefree has 1 restaurant for every 247 people, the highest per capita in the Phoenix metropolitan area, so you are assured you will always find something that suites your palate.

Carefree borders Scottsdale, Az. to the south and east, and Cave Creek, Az. to the west. The Tonto National Forest borders Carefree on the north with rolling hills and desert terrain.

The essence of Carefree - tranquility, casual air and a western heritage - is evident from its street names such as - Tranquil Trail, Easy Street, Ho-and-Hum Roads and Long Rifle, Stagecoach and Bloody Basin.

City attractions include:

The Sundial - Located in downtown Carefree and built in 1959, it's the third largest working sundial in the Western hemisphere, measuring 90 feet in diameter. It points to the North Star and is made from a steel frame and covered in anodized copper.

Cave Creek Museum - It houses Indian artifacts and pottery, cowboy memorabilia from the untamed west and items from the gold rush days. It also offers a delightful peek into local history.

Frontier Town - A recreation of the Wild West, Frontier Town features one of the areas oldest restaurants - The Silver Spur.

Last Chance, Idaho

Last Chance is a community in Island Park, Fremont County, Idaho.

Island Park was incorporated by owners of the many lodges and resorts along U.S. Route 20 in 1947, primarily to circumvent Idaho's liquor laws that prohibited the sale of liquor outside of city limits.

The city, only 500 feet (150 m) wide in most locations and 33 miles (53 km) long, claims to have the longest "Main Street" in the world.

It is located 33 miles south of West Yellowstone, the gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

Travelers can pause in Last Chance because of its outdoor supply shops and grocery store. If you are more creative:

You can fish for trout at the Henry's Fork River, though it's a real challenge with the fast water and boulders.

Hike on trails around Mesa Falls and let the sights of the Upper and Lower Falls gladden your heart.

Accident, Maryland. Photo Credit: Garrett County Chamber of Commerce

Accident, Maryland

Accident is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The population was 353 at the 2000 census.

A person from Accident is called an "Accidental".

The town of Accident is located near Deep Creek Lake in northern Garrett County, the westernmost county of Maryland.

The unusual name of the town has an interesting story.

In 1750 King George II of England paid off a debt to George Deakins by giving him 600 acres of land in western Maryland.

To make the best of the opportunity, Deakins dispatched two independent survey teams to scout for the most promising land in that section of Maryland. When the teams returned it was discovered that they had marked the exact same 600 acres, even starting with the same oak tree.

A delighted Mr. Deakins had the location patented as "The Accident Tract."

The town is best known for The Drane House, which was constructed circa 1800 by James Drane, the first permanent settler in the Accident area.

Located on a high ground to the east of the town, approximately 150 yards from the Accident-Bittinger Road and one-half mile east of U.S. Route 219, it is believed to be the oldest standing structure in Garrett County.

The Drane House was purchased by the Town of Accident in 1987, reconstructed and preserved on the original site, and dedicated in 1994.

Recreational activities such as rafting and climbing programs from Adventure Sports Center International offer a more varied experience.

Children Disocvery Museum, Normal, Il. Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Normal, Illinois

Normal, Illinois, with a population of over 52,000, is the largest of the 10 oddly named towns listed here.

It is adjacent to Bloomington, Illinois. The two cities are together referred to as the "Twin Cities," "Bloomington-Normal," or simply "B-N."

Originally known as North Bloomington, the town was founded under the name of Normal in February 1865 and officially incorporated in 1867.

The town took its name from Illinois State Normal University, a normal school. The term Normal was derived from the French term école normale, for teacher's college. In other words, the school trained high school graduates to be teachers.

Normal schools are now called graduate schools and the school has since been renamed to Illinois State University.

Attractions in the city of Normal range from the

Children's Discovery Museum to performance venues.
The Illinois State University Planetarium
The Bloomington-Normal Constitution Trail

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