Go Big or Go Home: Every State Has Its Own Claim to Fame

Each and every state has its own claim to fame. The biggest, weirdest, longest – anything with “est” at the end – is what puts each state on the map. Each state can claim to be the location of a gigantic or longest something, whether it’s a bubble gum bubble, serving of salsa, or a distance run barefoot.

three men standing before the very large wedding cake, they’re pretty small in comparison / Zeus the dog standing as tall as his owner, a full-grown woman beside him

We’ve scoured thousands of records to find what state has the biggest, best, or most of. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t go big, you can just go home. So, where does your state stand? (And if you feel like your state has something even better to offer, feel free to let us know.)

Arkansas: Most Layers in a Layer Cake

Maybe it’s your daughter’s birthday, maybe it’s that time of the month (ladies), or maybe you’re trying to impress your coworkers. Whatever the reason, most people put about three layers in a cake. But three layers is pretty much a joke to the people of Winona, Arkansas.

The Watkins Co. beat the record for the greatest number of layers in a layer cake with 260 layers in September of 2018. It was conducted at an event celebrating the company’s 150th anniversary. The cake weighed 1,250 lbs., measured 6 feet 1 inch tall, and was 32 inches wide and 24 inches across. It offered a total of 5,000 individual servings, which were handed out to members of the community and donated to local businesses and charitable organizations.

Wisconsin: Most Big Macs Eaten in a Lifetime

Just so you know, there are 540 calories in a McDonald’s Big Mac, and one man from Wisconsin has eaten 30,000 of them. That’s right, this guy – Don Gorske – had cameras from local TV stations in Wisconsin following him one day in 2018 as he walked into his favorite McDonald’s. People stared in awe as he chowed down the burger (with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a sesame-seed bun) for the 30,000th time.

He had already set the Guinness World Record for the biggest Macs consumed in a lifetime in 2017, with Big Mac number 29,482. The 62-year-old from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, said, “When I was very little even, I told my dad once that someday I’m going to eat here every day. It’s kind of funny that it really did happen.” He started eating Big Macs 48 years ago.

Alaska: Greatest Distance Barefoot in 24 Hours

A rather unconventional record was broken in 2014 inside The Dome in Anchorage, Alaska. A Georgian man named Andrew Snope covered 136.98 miles barefoot in a 24-hour race, meaning he broke the existing record of 131.43 miles (which was set a year prior by Peter Wayne Botha of New Zealand) by more than five miles.

Snope’s record was the highlight of a series of races in “Six Days in the Dome,” which began with a six-day race. Snope told the Dispatch News that he’s actually new to running, confessing that he never even owned a pair of running shoes. He would do all of his running barefoot or in sandals. He became inspired to compete after reading Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run.

Kansas: Largest Serving of Nachos

Las Cruces, Kansas, unofficially set the world record for the biggest serving of nachos in 2018. The massive nacho plate endeavor took place at the Plaza de Las Cruces during the city’s Noche de Nachos event. The humungous creation weighed in at 5,039 pounds and measured at 110 feet long.

Thousands of spectators came to witness the event as well as to help devour it. 20 volunteers spread truckloads of tortilla chips, endless amounts of cheese, mountains of chilies and salsa, giant scoops of sour cream, and huge amounts of beans, meat, and jalapeños.

The official record was set by Centerplate at the University of Kansas, serving up a 4,689-pound, 80-foot long meal on April 21, 2012.

Nebraska: Largest Advertising Poster

The world’s smallest ad was created when Arby’s and engineers at Georgia Tech’s Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology teamed up to write on a sesame seed the sentence, “A big announcement is coming. This isn’t it.”. And it started a wave of speculation.

What came next was Arby’s –and the world’s – largest ad placed in Monowi, Nebraska, which claims the spot as the country’s smallest town with a population of one. The 212,000-square foot banner announced: “Arby’s now has Coke.” The five-acre ad took a place in the Guinness World Records as the largest advertising poster. The world’s largest and smallest ads were a celebration of the partnership between Arby’s and Coca-Cola.

Maryland: Largest Crab Cake

A Maryland crab company decided to make the world’s largest crab cake in 2012, beating its own record on the way. Handy International’s creation was over three feet in diameter and 7.5 inches high. It took nine hours to cook and six people to carefully hoist the 300 pounds of crabmeat.

It beat the previous record of 253 pounds in 2009. The final product — made from crabmeat, eggs, breadcrumbs, and seasoning — resulted in 584 crab cake sandwiches at the Maryland State Fair. For the record, according to the New York Times, the best time to catch crabs is “during the new moon and the first quarter and the full moon.”

Alabama: Biggest Bubble Ever Blown

41-year-old Chad Fell of Haleyville, Alabama, got his name written into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004. The challenge: blowing the largest unassisted bubble from chewing gum. Fell actually held the resulting bubble, which measured 20 inches in diameter, for five full minutes.

He prepared for the challenge for years, in fact, by chewing two bags of Double Bubble gum every week. In Reader’s Digest’s May 2009 issue, Fell offered some tips on blowing the best bubbles. Here’s one tip: Bubbles expand more in warm temperatures, so you should chew gum for at least 15 minutes before trying to blow one (as sugar decreases elasticity). Oh, and chew on the side of your mouth.

Montana: Longest Ramp Jump by a Truck Cab

Gregg Godfrey can be proud that he reset the world record for the longest semi-truck jump ever, soaring 166 feet in the sky at Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana, in 2015. Godfrey confessed that he was just hoping to make 140. Going over 160 was a happy accident, so to speak.

Godfrey told Yahoo News shortly after the jump: “I hit so hard, I think I’m concussed. I don’t think I’m all there.” The previous world record was held by the Lotus F1 Team, which was set at 83 feet and 7 inches. In other words, Godfrey doubled that.

Arizona: Largest Serving of Salsa

Most people like to enjoy a dollop, or even a full bowl, of salsa from time to time. But salsa, at least to me, is not something you generally associate with world records. But then again, you haven’t been eating salsa in Gilbert, Arizona.

Arizona can boast of being the locale of the largest serving of salsa known to man, weighing in at 7,308 lbs. Why on earth? Well, it was made to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge in 2014. It was prepared by El Sol Foods and Arizona Hemophilia. It only begs the question: What will the 40th anniversary bring in 2024?

Mississippi: Fastest Time Traveling the Mississippi River by Canoe

Kirk “KJ” Millhone and teammates Kevin Eckelkamp and Nate Lastinger pulled a carbon fiber canoe out of the Mississippi at Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul. They were tired and hungry and deserved to spend a half hour eating Egg McMuffins.

The men paddled the 2,320-mile river from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico in less than 18 days. That meant six miles an hour, day and night, with one stop a day for a hot meal, a bathroom break and a change of clothes. In 1980, Millhone and Eckelkamp set the world speed record for canoeing the length of the Mississippi River in 35 days, 11 hours and 27 minutes.

Colorado: Largest Gathering of False Mustaches

“Movember” (when you see all the guys you know growing their mustaches during the month of November) has nothing on this. Colorado’s claim to fame is being the state where the largest gathering of people wearing false moustaches convened. How many fake-mustached people are we talking about here? Well, does 6,471 sound like a lot to you?

This strange but hilarious feat was achieved by the University of Colorado Health and the Denver Broncos at the Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on November 29th, 2015. Oh, and the moustaches were orange in order to match the Broncos’ team colors.

Illinois: Most Loops in a Hot Wheels Track

Jaguar Land Rover made history in 2020 at the Chicago Auto Show when they took home the record for the most loop-the-loops in a Hot Wheels track. One day before the show, Jaguar, Hot Wheels and author, and avid Hot Wheels toys and accessories collector Mike Zarnock set the record with seven loops, using a custom-made Hot Wheels concept car.

Jaguar and Hot Wheels also launched their Ultimate Track Challenge, which is a collegiate engineering competition where teams of college students partner with local Jaguar dealerships to build the most challenging, record-breaking Hot Wheels tracks.

Massachusetts: Largest Wallet

In 2010, the designers of the World’s Thinnest, Smallest, and Lightest Wallets decided to go rogue and create the World’s Largest Wallet. It stood at 10 feet tall and 21 feet long when opened, and 10 1/2 feet wide when closed. It set a new Guinness World Record along the way.

The big red wallet was on display in Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. There were donation pockets, where 100% of the proceeds went directly to the non-profits. It kind of makes our tiny, little wallets seem worthless in comparison, huh? My wallet doesn’t go directly to non-profits, either.

Idaho: Largest Straw Bale Maze

The Garden Cents “Mega Maze” used to sit in the humble town of Rupert, Idaho. It was made official in 2011, after meeting certain requirements. It had to be continuous, fully enclosed, tall enough for the average adult to not be able to see over the walls, and at least 12,916.7 square feet in size.

The official measurements were about eight times the record at 96,847 square feet – that’s over two miles of twists and turns! The now-defunct maze had a 3D component, a climbing tower, and more. It was also published in the 2013 Guinness Book of World Records.

Nevada: The Burger With the Most Calories

Las Vegas’ aptly named burger joint Heart Attack Grill is proud to say they make the burger with the most calories ever. That’s a gut-busting (or heart attack-inducing) 8,000-calorie burger. The name of the hamburger: the Quadruple Bypass Burger.

The burger contains four half-pound beef patties, cheese, and bacon. It also comes with a milkshake that contains the world’s “highest butterfat content” (an extra pat of butter) and “Flatliner Fries,” deep-fried in pure lard. Believe it or not, customers who weigh more than 350 lbs. can eat for free. The Heart Attack Grill is the third restaurant in the chain that has the slogan “A Taste Worth Dying For.”

Connecticut: The Largest Wedding Cake

Bridezillas, listen up. If you want the biggest, baddest (best) cake in town for your wedding, then take notes. The largest wedding cake in the world is something that the chefs at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, can brag about.

In February of 2004, they baked and decorated a wedding cake that weighed in at 15,032 lbs., which was presented at a bridal showcase. Can you just imagine the price tag on that thing? Is it just me, or would you love to see a pair of googly eyes on that cake?

Hawaii: Largest Wave Surfed

Makaha, Hawaii, is the location of the largest wave surfed on record – at 30 feet. The epic swell that came on December 4, 1969, is perhaps the most told-about days in the big-wave surf history books.

That day, most of the north shore of Oahu was closed out and flooded by the giant waves, but Greg Noll wasn’t deterred. He paddled out at Makaha with a few other surfers and waited to ride what was at that time “the biggest wave ever ridden.” It was also the last big wave of his career.

Delaware: Oldest Woman to Cross America by Bicycle

In October of 2016, Lynn Salvo set a record as the oldest woman to cross the United States solo on her bike. Known for its pretty beaches, Delaware is also the ideal place to ride a bike. For Salvo, it was more like the journey of a lifetime.

The 67-year-old retired art, history, and math teacher rode from Oceanside, California to Bethany Beach, Delaware, covering a total of 3,163 miles over 59 days. For the last few miles, she was accompanied by her sister Elise Greenberg, brother Mike West and some members of Sussex Cyclists.

Vermont: Highest Drop of Dropping a Grape in the Mouth

Hey, no one said this list was meant to be normal or sensible. This is one of the stranger records that absolutely no one would ever think of. Well, except for Brent Fraser. On October 24, 2016, Fraser caught a grape in his mouth that had been dropped from a hot air balloon 101 feet in the air.

He achieved the record-making act in Post Mills, Vermont. Fraser realized he had a talent for catching food in his mouth when he was in high school and was inspired to give the grape stunt a try after catching four consecutive marshmallows during a Blue Man Group performance.

Georgia: Largest Whoopee Cushion

When it comes to whoopee cushions, most people associate them with childhood pranks – the kind of stuff that stops being funny when you grow up. That said, maybe those of Covington, Georgia, never really grew up. The state is home to a 25-foot whoopee cushion.

On August 5, 2017, Matt Funk and Lee Burgess constructed the largest whoopee cushion, measuring 25 feet in diameter. Students from the community helped the men deflate the whoopee cushion at an event held by First Baptist Church Covington. One can only imagine the sounds coming out of that thing!

Indiana: Largest High Heel Race

Ladies, do you think you could do this? The largest high heel race was achieved at Headwaters Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on September 11, 2010, by 967 participants at an event organized by the Women’s Bureau, Inc.

The shoes had to have a height of at least 2.75 inches and needed to be proper heels – not wedges. The whole point of the event was to raise funds to support counseling for victims of sexual assault. And what better way to make a difference than to run around in high heels and risk spraining your ankles?

Iowa: Longest Beard

Harold Stephenson, 62, from Center Point, won the “longest beard” at the Iowa State Fair on August 13, 2019, in Des Moines, for the 11th time – in a row. How long is his beard? 40.5 inches to be exact, reaching down past his thighs.

Stephenson said he continues to enter the contest for the simple reason that he has his beard. When asked about the practicality of his beard, he said, “I farm, so I roll it up to keep it out of the way… And I just wash it with hair shampoo.”

Kentucky: Largest Ark

Grant County, Kentucky, is home to the Ark Encounter, the largest wooden ship of its kind. The Ark Encounter is a Christian, creationist theme park that opened in Grant County, Kentucky in 2016. It’s 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high.

The group Answers in Genesis (AiG) and Ark Encounter, LLC announced that they were building a theme park that would “lend credence to the biblical account of a catastrophic flood and to dispel doubts that Noah could have fit two of every kind of animal onto a 500-foot-long ark.”

Louisiana: Biggest Voodoo Doll

The largest voodoo doll was 21 feet, 8 inches, and was created by Catherina Williams of Intuitions and Fusion-io at the Sugar Mill in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 17, 2010. The doll had an arm span of 1 foot, 8 inches.

It was also blessed by a bona fide voodoo priestess. Louisiana Voodoo is a set of spiritual beliefs and practices that have been developed from the traditions of the African diaspora in Louisiana. Some call it Mississippi Valley Voodoo, and it is one of many incarnations of African-based spiritual folk culture.

Texas: Largest Diaper Cake

The largest diaper cake (not a real, edible one) was created on November 18, 2018, in Austin, Texas. The cake consisted of 24,900 diapers and was created by Austin LifeCare, a nonprofit pregnancy and parenting support organization. The diapers were donated by the local community.

The diaper cake was made in order to raise funds and awareness. In 2020, in an effort to advance awareness for families in need within the Cedar Park Community, a diaper cake was made in an attempt to beat the world record at the Twin Lakes Fellowship Campus in Cedar Park, Texas.

Maine: Most Corn Husked in a Minute

Who’s hungry for corn? Maine is proud to be the state that boasts the world record for the most corn husked in one minute, which is 13 ears of corn. It was achieved by Michael Diggins Jr. on November 15, 2015. Diggins Jr. is the first record holder for this category.

Fun corn fact: The states of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, and Kentucky all make up the “Corn Belt,” which is basically a region that has the ideal conditions to grow the crop.

North Dakota: Most Simultaneous Snow Angels

I gotta say, this is one of the more adorable ones on this list. What better way to celebrate the first crisp snowfall than to make snow angels? That was the idea of the State Historical Society of North Dakota in 2007 when 8,962 people gathered to make classic snow angels all at the same time.

All these people were seen flapping their arms and legs in unison, creating angels during a world record attempt in Bismarck, North Dakota, on February 17, 2007. The Guinness World Records confirmed that the state holds the world record for the act.

California: Fastest 100-Meter on a Skateboard by a Dog

In another very odd world record, this one goes to a dog named Jumpy. The dog holds the record for the fastest 100 meters on a skateboard. Jumpy achieved the feat on the set of “Officially Amazing” in Los Angeles on September 16, 2013, with a record of 19.65 seconds.

Another skateboarding dog is Otto from Peru, who was the first one to hold a Guinness World Record. He was the only one who pulled off skating beneath 30 people. His owners, Luciana Viale and Robert Rickards, were inspired by the other famous skating bulldog, Tillman.

Pennsylvania: Largest Ouija Board

Are you in the mood for some spirits? A man named Blair Murphy has, yes, a haunted hotel, with creepy dolls, antlered animals, and an enormous tarot card painted across the ceiling. But the Ouija board on the roof is even bigger, at 44 by 29 feet.

Murphy actually grew up in a funeral home in Haddonfield, N.J. (which explains a lot) and owns a former church up the street. Murphy said he doesn’t need prayers to address “Ouijazilla,” which was a recent challenger to his Guinness Book of World Records title for the “World’s Biggest Ouija Board.”

Florida: Greatest Distance Run on Sand in 24 Hours

Most of us know that running on sand is like trying to run in a dream – it’s pretty hard to do. So, it makes this record quite impressive. The record was set in Florida because, well, there’s a lot of sand there. In 24 hours, a man named Joe Fejes ran 134 miles on the sand in Destin, Florida.

In those 24 hours, he ran 134 miles, between the 16th and 17th of February 2013.

Fun sand fact: Sand dunes are important to our ecosystem. They’re created by the wind and can be found in deserts, but sometimes on beaches, too. Dunes protect our coast from both wind and waves and are important for coastal grasses and plants, and provide a safe haven for sea turtle nests and other animals.

Michigan: Tallest Dog Ever

A Great Dane from Michigan is very, very tall. The Guinness World Records was set in 2013 with Zeus of Otsego, Michigan, making him the world’s tallest dog. Zeus, by the way, drinks from the kitchen faucet. The three-year-old measured in at 44 inches from foot to shoulder. He weighs 155 pounds and devours a 30-pound bag of food every two weeks.

If he stands on his hind legs, he stretches to 7-foot-4, towering over his owner, Denise Doorlag, who says she had to get a van to transport the dog. Zeus is only an inch taller than the previous record-holder, Giant George.

Minnesota: Biggest Collection of Cow Related Things

Minnesota is home to – of all things – the largest cow collection in the world. Ruth Klossner, a woman from Lafayette, built a “cow-llection,” earning her a spot in the record books. She has thousands of bovine items in her herd, covering pretty much every inch of her house.

She has cow cookie jars, figurines, wall hangings, wood carvings, clothes, toys, games, books, candles, pencils, coffee mugs, ornaments, floor mats, salt and pepper shakers… to name just a few. The total amount of cow items came to 15,144, which was verified by Guinness World Records officials.

Missouri: Longest Scarf Knitted During a Marathon

David Babcock killed two birds with one stone, so to speak, and even got himself a world record along the way. He holds the record for having knit the longest scarf while running a marathon. He participated in the Kansas City Marathon on October 19, 2013.

On the way, Babcock completed a scarf that was over 12 feet long. Why? He was inspired by the previous record-holder, Susie Hewer, who broke her own record three times by knitting while running the London Marathon. It kind of makes those of us who don’t knit or run marathons look pretty, um, lazy?

New York: The Heaviest Newspaper

On Sunday, September 13, 1987, any New Yorker who subscribed to The New York Times had a handful to pick up that morning. That particular newspaper happened to go on record as the heaviest ever.

The massive paper weighed more than 12 pounds and had 1,612 pages of news. The TV Guide alone was 24 pages, Business & Finance was 64 pages, Sports was 38 pages, Real Estate at 88 pages, Want Ads were 64 pages, Travel was 42 pages, and Residential Properties was 80 pages… to name only a few sections.

New Hampshire: Most Jack-O-Lanterns on Display

A pumpkin festival in Keene, New Hampshire, broke a world record for the most carved and lit jack-o-lanterns in one place. 30,581 pumpkins were all lit at the same time, breaking a record set by Boston in 2006 with 30,128.

Meanwhile, a competing contest in Chicago was attempting to set the record, but they never reported their results. Keene had originally broken the world record in 1992 with 1,628, and again in 2003 with 28,952. In 2013, Keene took back the world record, and it has yet to be defeated.

North Carolina: Largest Gathering of Elvis Impersonators

The largest gathering of Elvis wannabes wasn’t held in Mississippi, Tennessee, or Las Vegas. It was actually held in Cherokee, North Carolina, at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort on July 12, 2014. A total of 895 Elvis impersonators showed up to the record-breaking event.

They broke the 2010 record of 645 impersonators. In order to set the record, the ticketed guests (aka the Elvises) were given free Elvis outfits to put on. They also sang, in unison, the chorus of Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love. Elvis happens to be one of the most coveted stars that people impersonate professionally.

Ohio: Largest Pie (Pumpkin)

The pumpkin folk at New Bremen, Ohio, did it again. They broke their own record for the World’s Largest Pumpkin Pie on September 25, 2010. They baked a 3,699-pound pie, surpassing their prior record of 2,020 pounds. The pie was 20 feet in diameter!

It was the biggest attraction at that year’s New Bremen Pumpkinfest. If you’re curious as to what the recipe was for such a massive pie, it included 1,212 pounds of canned pumpkin, 2,796 eggs, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 525 pounds of sugar, 7 pounds of salt, and 14.5 pounds of cinnamon.

New Jersey: Most Rubik’s Cubes Solved Underwater

While most of us struggle to complete even one Rubik’s Cube, Anthony Brooks managed to solve five of them underwater in a single turn. He set the world record at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 2014.

Brooks is a speedcubing champion who specializes in the 2×2 cube and classic 3×3 cube. He’s been officially ranked in the top five in the world. He first learned to solve the cube in 2008 and has since become known for developing advanced speed-solving methods and promoting speed-cubing in the media.

South Dakota: Dog With the Longest Tongue

A St. Bernard in South Dakota known as Mochi, or Mo, has set a new world record. He holds the Guinness World Records title for the longest tongue on a dog, measuring in at 7.31 inches. Mochi’s owner, Carla Rickert of Sioux Falls, says she has a happy dog, but one who has some breathing problems because of her tongue.

She slobbers more than usual when she’s nervous, for example. Mochi has to be given treats in a certain way, and it’s hard for her to pick items up from the floor. The 8-year-old dog broke the record held by a male Pekingese, whose tongue was 4.5 inches.

Rhode Island: Largest Sock

The people of Rhode Island know that in the dead of winter, the temperatures can get frigid. Some might even wish they could crawl into a warm sock, hide away from the cold, and basically hibernate. Well, with this particular world record, there is a possibility.

The charity organization Project Undercover, Inc. set the record for the largest sock, which is a massive creation that stands at 32 feet, 7 inches by 22 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 2 inches. The cream-and-brown colored sock was an attempt to raise awareness of those in need in the area. They used 600 feet of cotton and 42,000 feet of thread.

New Mexico: Longest Walk-Through Haunted House

Are you one of those people who love to be scared and take every opportunity to go to a haunted house? If so, then you should head to New Mexico. Dragon’s House of Horror in Albuquerque holds the record for the longest walk-through, indoor haunted house.

The place is nearly 7,200 feet long and, according to its creators, the establishment took two years of planning to build. Thanks to the new virus, the haunted house adapted and now offers a drive-thru version! So, if you live in the area, it’s a good way to pass the lonely nights.

Oklahoma: Largest Parade of Fire Trucks

Oklahoma’s Atoka Fire Department made history with a parade of 290 fire trucks. There were 280 emergency vehicles in total, with 22 of them fire trucks. It beat the previous Guinness World Record of 159 firetrucks in Switzerland.

The event kicked off a two-day training event for firefighters hosted by Oklahoma State University’s Fire Services Training program. “Seeing firetrucks lined up for 3 1/2 miles made all the hard work worth the effort,” said Atoka Fire Chief Donnie Allen. “The streets of Atoka were full of supporters, and when truck 160 (the one that broke the record) crossed the end of the parade line, the roar was equal to that of the winning touchdown at a Super Bowl.”

Oregon: Heaviest Squash

Oregon is home to many treats and snack foods, like doughnuts, hazelnuts, craft beer, and pinot noir. But they are also the place where the heaviest squash sits. Thanks to bountiful weather, Scott Holub of Eugene grew the heaviest squash, which weighed in at 1,844.5 pounds in 2016.

According to Bauman’s Farm spokesperson Jim Beriault, Oregon has the world record for the largest squash on the planet. The farm, in Gervais, Oregon, hosts an annual “Great Pumpkin Weigh Off,” which saw Holub’s squash weigh in at 1,578 pounds. Growers from all over the region attended the annual event.

Washington: The World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog

We already have a burger on this list with the most calories, so why not add the most expensive hot dog? Most people who stop by a street vendor in a city to grab a hot dog are okay with spending two or three bucks.

But those who want to grab a hot dog at Tokyo Dog in Seattle will have to scrounge up a bit more than that. Would you pay $169 for a hot dog? Those who go to Tokyo Dog do. The place won the record for the most expensive hot dog in the world. I say you should just pay the $5 and get a pack to grill at home.

South Carolina: Hottest Chili

South Carolina is known for its southern sunshine and apparently for its fire-breathing chilies. In fact, a local producer in Charleston, Ed Currie from the PuckerButt Pepper Company, said their “Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper” is the world’s hottest chili pepper.

Just how hot, you ask? It earned 1,569,300 Scoville Heat Units. Just so you know, Tabasco is between 30,000 and 50,000 Scoville heat units. So, yeah, that’s pretty darn spicy! The Scoville scale measures the spiciness, or “heat,” of chili peppers based on the concentration of capsaicinoids (in which capsaicin is the predominant component).

Utah: Most Bridal Bouquets Caught

Jamie Jackson, also known as “The Bouquet Slayer,” has become a local celebrity in her home state of Utah. She managed to break a world record by catching the most bridal bouquets. 50 bouquets were caught at the weddings of friends and family across the country between June 15, 1996, and April 30, 2016.

She keeps all the bouquets that she catches in a cabinet case (dried and labeled) as a keepsake of all the weddings. With only four divorces out of the 50 weddings she attended, she considers herself something of a good luck charm.

Virginia: Largest Simultaneous Yo-Yo

Once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to stop the up-and-down yo-yo game. And this one goes to show you that the toy is not just for kids. Fort A.P. Hill is the home of the World Record holders of the largest simultaneous yo-yo. Virginia Yomega Corporation and Boys’ Life Magazine organized the event in 2010, attracting 2,036 yo-yoers.

The Virginia State Yo-Yo Contest is the biggest yo-yo contest in the nation’s Mid-Atlantic region. For over a decade, the event has been popular among both newcomers to the hobby and seasoned veterans.

Tennessee: Longest Picnic Table

In May 2019, Memphis built a 1,332-foot-long picnic table for a “Celebrate Memphis” event, setting the new world record. They used about 16,300 deck screws to put together the 18,436-foot table. The event organizers needed at least 1,000 people to sit at the table in order to qualify for the record.

ATL Hundreds of people out for a nice picnic day, and all of them get to sit at the longest never-ending picnic table.

After the goal was accomplished, they broke apart the table into multiple picnic tables to donate to sponsors and community organizations. The previous world record for the longest picnic table measured 1,315 feet 8 inches and was achieved by Rungis Marché International in Rungis, France.

West Virginia: Largest Bird Feeder

West Virginia is known for its beautiful mountain ranges, hiking, and natural wildlife. So, this record isn’t much of a surprise to those who know the area. In Greenbrier County, West Virginia, William Greene from Keister built the world’s largest bird feeder, weighing in at 760 pounds.

Inside the feeder was a mix of black oil sunflower seeds, millet, mixed fruit, and nuts. The bird that caught the first whiff was a Black-Capped Chickadee. Today, the largest bird feeder in the world hangs near the Greenbrier River Trail. Greene is a retired school teacher.

Wyoming: Oldest National Park

Yellowstone National Park happens to be the oldest national park in America and the second oldest in the world. The park is home to hot springs and the world’s largest collection of geysers. The Yellowstone River runs through the park, and the notorious wildlife includes the gray wolf, grizzly bear, bison, lynx, and elk.

So, there you have it, folks. Surely, there are going to be some records that have now been beaten. And if you have any that you want to add to the list, let us know!