Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. ~ George S. Patton
The giant Las Cruces roadrunner is an unlikely landmark.
It doesn’t tower over the city like the Chrysler Building does Manhattan nor is it so large anyone can see it from great distances like Honolulu’s Diamond Head volcano.
It stands atop a hill at exit 135 on the I-10 East and if you’re coming in or out of Las Cruces on any other interstate, you’ll miss it.
But this rendition of New Mexico’s state bird is worth a detour.
The 20 foot high and 40-foot long sculpture ~ dubbed “Big Bird” by some ~ is a scavenger’s dream. Las Cruces artist, Olin Calk, built it with a hodgepodge of salvaged materials.
What is the Las Cruces roadrunner made of?
Keyboards, a few pairs of crutches, hubcaps, automobile headlight eyes that gaze for days on end without blinking, a boatload of rubber-soled shoes and more.
It’s in there.
Check out our “Big Bird” your next trip to or through LC.
Open all day, every day.
Also Roadrunner Sculpture-Related: Ugliest Fastest Bird in the West