A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The P Things #AtoZChallenge

In 2018 I  will feature a random (yet alphabetical) selection of photos I have taken from my nearly 20 years of back roads travel in the United States and Canada.  I may even throw in a few random shots from other trips to Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. My theme is called America’s Back Roads: A Grab Bag of Places in Pictures.

 

Peculiar, Missouri

Welcome to Peculiar, MO
A Peculiar Police Car
A Peculiar Elementary School

Possum Trot Supper Club – Oakwood, Illinois

Possum Trot Supper Club, Oakwood, IL

Pierre Part, Louisiana

Sumoflam in Pierre Part, LA
Visiting Troy Landry of Swamp People fame in Pierre Part, LA in 2014
Swamp People Truck at Duffy’s Bait Shop in Pierre Part

Pound Gap, Virginia

Pound Gap Historical Sign on the Virginia/Kentucky Border

Prairie Dogs – Browning, Montana; Cactus Flat, South Dakota

A prairie dog scampers near the Camp Disappointment Monument in Montana
Prairie Dog — standing watch in Cactus Flat
Prairie Dog – Cactus Flat, SD

Pal’s Sudden Service – Bristol, Tennessee

After eating Pal’s food make sure to Exercise Daily. Couldn’t help but chuckle
Pal’s Sudden Service in Bristol, TN

Perryville Battlefield – Perryville, Kentucky

Perryville Battlefield – Perryville, KY
Perryville Battlefield ReEnactment
Welcome to Perryville

Pink Elephants Everywhere! – DeForest, Wisconsin; Haubstadt, Indiana; Barboursville, West Virginia; Russellville, Kentucky

Pink Elephant in DeForest, WI
Martini bearing pink and white elephant pair at Hipp Nursery in Haubstadt, IN
This pink elephant is in the Huntington, WV suburb of Barboursville on US 60
Big pink elephant in Russellville, KY, just around the corner from the big cow with pink sunglasses
Need a Pink Elephant T-Shirt? I know where you can get one!

And then there is the Pink Elephant Car Wash – Seattle, Washington

Pink Elephant Car Wash in Seattle, Washington

Poutine – A Canadian Favorite – Paris, Ontario

Poutine – Fries, Brown Gravy and Cheese Curds -Pure yummiferousness
Chomping on poutine in Paris in 2008

Portsmouth Murals – Portsmouth, Ohio

Chillicothe Street 1940s by Robert Dafford in Portsmouth, OH

Portland Head Light – Portland, Maine

Portland Head Light
Visiting the beautiful lighthouse on the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Portland, Maine in 2015

Just down the road from Hell – Pinckney, Michigan

Howell Rd. to Hell – Pinckney, MI

Planet Damon Water Tower – Damon, Texas

There is Planet Hollywood and then there is Planet Damon…

Presti’s Bakery – Little Italy – Cleveland, Ohio

Prestis Bakery….the best cannoli in the world!! And some other good Italian goodies
Italian Yumminess in the case at Presti’s

Prosperity, Pennsylvania

Prosperity Post Office in Pennsylvania
Heading to Prosperity

Pain Reliever Bar – Nekoma, North Dakota

Pain Reliever Bar, Nekoma, ND
International Pain Reliever Bar in Nekoma, ND (notice they used a New Mexico flag??)

PRHBTN Murals (there are more than 20 – here are a couple) – Lexington, Kentucky

Sumoflam at MrDHEO’s wall painting in Lexington, one of a few new PRHBTN murals
The enormous “I Am MO” mural in the Lexington Distillery District
Louis Armstrong Mural by Sergio Odeith from Portugal, for PRHBTN 2015

Papa Joe’s – Crescent Junction, Utah

Papa Joe’s in Crescent Junction, UT
Sumoflam at Papa Joe’s in Crescent Junction
The Scooby Doo Mystery Machine at Papa Joe’s

P’Maws Bait Shack – Pierre Part, Louisiana

P’MAWS Bait Shack in Pierre Part, LA (Notice it is SWAMP spelled backwards)
Cuddling with a White Gator at P’MAWS in Pierre Part, LA
P’MAWS is open 24/7

Pat’s King of Steaks – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pat’s King of Steaks – Philadelphia, PA
Grilling up the steaks at Pat’s
Best of Philly – Pat’s King of Steaks

Puget Sound – Seattle, Washington

Seattle as seen from a boat in the Puget Sound
On the Ferry in Puget Sound

Perry Como Statues – Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Singing Perry Como statue in downtown Canonsburg, PA
Perry Como Statue in the Canonsburg McDonald’s

Fun Stuff in Portland, Oregon

Hung Far Low – Famous Chop Suey and Famous name – Portland, Oregon
Voodoo Doughnut – Portland, Oregon

Pheasant Bar – Winner, South Dakota

Pheasant Bar, Winner, SD

Petrified Forest National Park – Holbrook, Arizona

Sumoflam and tourists at Petrified Forest in 1983

Pinto McBean – Bow Island, Alberta, Canada

Pinto McBean statue in Bow Island, Alberta

A few Paul Bunyan guys here and there – Bemidji, Minnesota; Nitro, West Virginia; Minocqua, Wisconsin; Wentzville, Missouri

Paul Bunyan and Babe in Bemidji, MN
a Big Paul Bunyan in Minocqua, Wisconsin
Big Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox in Nitro, WV
Paul Bunyan Muffler Man just off of the interstate in Wentzville, MO

Price Less Foods – Irvine, Kentucky

Price Less Foods in Irvine, KY

Popeye Statue – Alma, Arkansas

At the Popeye Statue in Alma, AR in 2009

Port Gibson First Presbyterian Church – Port Gibson, Mississippi

Unique Steeple of the First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, MS

Powder River, Wyoming

Powder River, Wyoming
An old neon relic of the past, the Tumble Inn Lounge/Cafe, with a vintage neon look in Powder River, WY

Paradise Point – Scottsville, Kentucky

Paradise Point – Scottsville, KY
From one hot dog to another…

Scenes from Paris – or four or five of them – Paris, Ontario; Paris, Kentucky; Paris, Texas; Paris, Tennessee

Paris, Ontario
Homes and businesses along the river in Paris, Ontario
Welcome to Paris, Kentucky
Paris, Texas
Welcome to Paris Catfish – they too claim to be the Catfish Capital

Point Defiance Zoo – Tacoma, Washington

Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, WA
A tiger at the Point Defiance Zoo
A Blue Budgie at the Point Defiance Zoo

Paul’s Hamburgers – Kansas City, Kansas

Paul’s Hamburgers – Kansas City, Kansas
Giant Ice Cream Cone at Paul’s Hamburgers – Kansas City, KS

Peaks to Craters Scenic Highway – Idaho

Peaks to Craters scenic byway through the mountains of central Idaho
Grandview Canyon on US 93 – northern section of the Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway

Pelicans – Lake Andes, South Dakota; Galveston, Texas; Lexington, Kentucky

White Pelicans at Lake Andes in South Dakota
Pelicans in formation over the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, TX
A rare sighting of a White Pelican flying over Lexington in late April 2018

Plaza Theatres – Glasgow, Kentucky & Wharton, Texas

Plaza Theatre – Glasgow, Kentucky
Old Plaza Theater in Wharton, TX

Playhouse Square – Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland’s Playhouse Square
Cleveland’s Playhouse Square Giant Chandelier

Pea Meal Breakfast Anyone? – Woodstock, Ontario

Peameal Breakfast – Woodstock, Ontario
Pea Meal Breakfast

PPG Glass Castle – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Artistic view of One PPG Place
A view from below One PPG Place

Professor Market – Tremont District – Cleveland, Ohio

Professor Market wall advertisement…located in the Tremont District of Cleveland

Pochahontas, Illinois

Pochahontas, IL – “Pokey” – Home of Country Singer Gretchen Wilson (Gimme a Hell Ya!)

Plaquemine, Louisiana

Welcome to Plaquemine, LA

Pike Place Market – Seattle, Washington

Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market – what a place!
Pike Place Market was packed

Penn’s Store – Gravel Switch, Kentucky

Penn’s Store Sign
Penn’s Store – Gravel Switch, KY

Pella, Iowa

Welcome to Pella
Vermeer Dutch Windmill in Pella, IA – the largest working windmill in the United States
Building fronts in Pella, IA

Penguins – Omaha, Nebraska; Tacoma, Washington

Penguins at Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha
The small penguins stand majestically at feeding time at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, WA

Pheasants on the Prairie – Enchanted Highway – Regent, North Dakota

Enchanted Highway Stop #5 – Pheasants on the Prairie
Sumoflam at Pheasants on the Prairie

Pickle’s Place – Arco, Idaho

EAT sign at Pickle’s Place in Arco, ID
Pickle’s Place – Home of the “Atomic Burger”

Pete the Curler – Bemidji, Minnesota

Pete the Curler by Dale Lewis – one of 25 pieces in the 2014 Bemidji Sculpture Walk

Pork Chop Sandwiches (as seen on Andy Griffith) – Mt. Airy, North Carolina

Snappy Lunch – home of the Pork Chop Sandwich
Cooking up the pork chops at Snappy Lunch

Old Prairie School House – Frisno, Montana

Old Prairie School House on Smith-Frisno Road west of Havre, MT. I wanted this one in black and white…

Giant Prairie Dog Statue – Cactus Flat, South Dakota

Giant Prairie Dog
Sumoflam with the Giant Prairie Dog – Cactus Flat

Pelo’s Sundries – LeClaire, Iowa

Old neon for Pelo’s Sundries

If you like what you see, you may want to check out my book: Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names, available on Amazon.  My second book, Less Beaten Paths of America: Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions, will be available in late April or early May 2018. Click on the photo below for more details or to get a copy of the book.

Books 1 & 2

One thought on “A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The P Things #AtoZChallenge

  • Arlee Bird

    I was just remembering the pork chop sandwiches that I used to get at John’s in Butte, MT–googled it just the other day in fact. Never tried the NC variety, but those in Butte sure were good.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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