DAILY DIRT: How about snacking on a Big Mac on the floating golden arches under the St. Louis Gateway Arch?

A large order of fries in the middle of the desert might be interesting, too … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,075 of The Daily Dirt

1. I have always considered myself a connoisseur of fast food, but today I feel kind of ashamed.

I have never visited any of the following McDonald’s locations, but let’s be honest. I never will, because as much as I love fast food, I hate traveling even more. For me, a big trip is going cross town to Walmart. 

That being said, here are some of the strangest McDonald’s restaurants across the globe:

1. UFO-shaped McDonald’s in Roswell, N.M.: The town is known for one for the alleged UFO crash in 1947, and the Golden Arches site takes full advantage. The local McDonald’s has a space-theme design and is even shaped like a flying saucer. The interior also carries a science fiction motif.

2. The Plane McDonald’s in Taupo, N.Z.: It’s inside a de-commissioned commercial aircraft.

3. Ski-Through McDonald’s in Lindvallen, Sweden: It’s located in a ski resort, at the bottom of a slope and is the only McDonald’s you can ski to and though. Literally.

4. The McDonald’s in the middle of the desert in Negev, Israel: Despite being surrounded by vast stretches of sandy terrain, this McDonald’s offers all of its famous foods in an extremely unlikely location.

5. The McDonald’s inside the Louvre Museum in Paris: Located in the basement level of the famed museum, it opened in 2009. Nothing like munching on a Big Mac while looking at the Mona Lisa painting, right?

Honorable mention

The floating McDonald’s on the Mississippi River at St. Louis: The riverboat restaurant was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the and 80’s and 90’s.

The giant Happy Meal-shaped McDonald’s in Dallas, Texas: Shaped like a giant Happy Meal because … well, aren’t all things bigger in Texas? It can seat up to 1,500 customers.

2. Did you know (Part 139)

• That color-blind people have never seen a rainbow.
• That if you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?
• That if we’re not supposed to eat at night, why is there a light in the fridge?
• That your stomach thinks all potatoes that reach it are mashed.
• That among the newest snacks appearing in stores this fall/early winter will be Tostitos Hint of Queso, Tabasco-Flavored Bugles, M&Ms Toasty Holiday Peanut and Peanut Butter and Jelly, Reese’s Pieces Sugar Cookies and Tic Tac Chewy Fruit Adventure/Tic Tac Sour Adventure (cherry, apple, orange, lemon and grape for both), which are larger than the traditional Tic Tacs. 

3. Here are five things that are no longer found in most schools:

• Dodgeball 
• Cursive writing 
• Typing classes 
• Home economics classes
• Shop classes

Dodgeball was deemed too violent at some point, while the other four were deemed unnecessary or a victim of budget cuts.

Thoughts?

Steve Thought O’ The Day — “Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia” is the fear of long words. No, I’m not kidding.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. You also don’t see concrete or gravel on many school playgrounds anymore, either.