The Western U.S. Site With A Name That Rivals Dickshooter Idaho
One can't help but wonder how some destinations in the United States got their names, and who signed off on them. I recently drove through an oddly-named recreation area 600 miles southwest of Twin Falls, Idaho, on my way home from a trip.
Idaho has some pretty humorously named locations. Beer Bottle Crossing, Shells Lick, and Dickshooter are all prime examples. Dickshooter is a region in Owyhee County, which is approximately 180 miles west of Twin Falls and has a creek, a ridge, and a reservoir named after it. People tend to chuckle when the name is brought up.
I recently returned to the Magic Valley from a trip west and passed through a small community that is made up of a market, gas station, a boating area, a few homes, a recreation site, and a sporting goods store. I almost drove off the highway upon reading the name on the sign that identified where I was in this tiny, California community.
Glory Hole Recreation Area is located just outside the city of Angels Camp. Angels Camp is 77 miles southeast of Sacramento and is known for being the former stomping ground of famous writer Mark Twain. It's a very beautiful area of the state.
The name, Glory Hole, might be familiar to those who possess an unsavory slang vocabulary. Its name is as equally ridiculous as Dickshooter, Idaho, and again is one of those roadside identifiers that makes a person do a double-take when they pass by it.