City Skylines – Less Beaten Paths of America Travel Blog

April 13, 2018April 13, 2018

A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The L 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.

Lost Springs, Wyoming (Was Population 1, now Population 4)

Visited Lost Springs, WY, Pop 1 in 2007. Went back in 2014 and it had grown 400% to Pop 4. And yes, I have a photo of that sign too!

Lost Springs in 2014 – ironically I was wearing the same shirt 7 years later!!!

Lost Springs Store and Post Office, Lost Springs, WY

Lake Andes, South Dakota

White Pelicans at Lake Andes in South Dakota

Lambert’s Cafe – Home of Throwed Rolls – Sikeston, Missouri

Sumoflam and wife at Lambert’s Cafe – Home of Throwed Rolls

Lambert’s Cafe – Sikeston, Missouri – big place

Lima, Montana

Lexington Cemetery in Spring – Lexington, Kentucky

Letchworth State Park – Castile, New York

Lindley Sign Post Forest – Danville, Illinois

Lindley Sign Post Forest in Danville, IL

Lake Oswego Art Walk – Lake Oswego, Oregon

Large Skelephant, part of the Lake Oswego Art Walk

Lethbridge, Alberta

Lawn Order – Nebraska City, Nebraska

Great Name for a Lawn Care Business – Lawn Order

Lincoln Mural – Lexington, Kentucky

Lordsburg, New Mexico

Leland, Mississippi – Birthplace of Kermit the Frog

Birthplace of Kermit the Frog, Leland, MS

Sumoflam at the “Birthplace of Kermit the Frog” in Leland, MS

Lake Wobegon Trail – Avon, Minnesota

Libby’s Pumpkin Factory – Morton, Illinois

Welcome to Morton, Illinois – Pumpkin Capital of the World

We missed the Morton Pumpkin Festival by only a few days.

Lookout, West Virginia

Log Cabin Motel – Ashton, Idaho

Lucy in Disguise Costumes – Austin, Texas

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, KY as seen from across the Ohio River in Indiana

Detail of Noah Church mural in Louisville. Not sure who all of these folks are…

Larry Vennard Iron Sculpture Park – Centralia, Missouri

Sumoflam and Larry Vennard at his Iron Sculpture Park in Centralia, MO

Larry Vennard’s Highway “T” Rex near Centralia, MO

Lostant, Illinois

Id the ant is lost, how do they know which direction it is?

Leif Erikson Statues – Cleveland, Ohio and Duluth, Minnesota

Statue of Leif Erikson in Cleveland, Illinois

Leif Erikson Statue in Duluth, Minnesota

Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

Abraham Lincoln Statue – Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Leaning Tree Cafe – Babb, Montana

Kade and Charlie, with their Dad Aaron at Leaning Tree Cafe in Babb, MT at the base of Glacier National Park – March 2013

Laboratory, Pennsylvania

Community Honor Roll for Veterans in Laboratory, PA

Large Wooden Trolls – Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin

One of dozens of HUGE trolls in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin

Welcome to Louisiana

Laughing Ladies Cafe – Salida, Colorado

Langdon Wind Energy Center – Langdon, North Dakota

Langdon Wind Farm Info Center near Langdon, ND

Little Big Horn National Monument – Crow Agency, Montana

Grave markers of the US Calvary Soldiers that died at the Battle of Little Big Horn in Little Big Horn National Monument in Montana

Lizard Lick, North Carolina

Lizard Lick Towing mural on sign outside of towing place

Lizard Lick lizard on top of gas station

Lucille Ball Birthplace – Jamestown, New York

Jamestown Banner advertising Lucille Ball Festival

Landry and Lombardi – NFL Coaching Icons – Dallas, Texas and Green Bay, Wisconsin

Legendary Dallas Cowboy Coach Tom Landry (At Cowboys Stadium)

Legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi (At Lambeau Field)

Longaberger Baskets – Newark, Ohio

Amaree, Solomon and Seth at Longaberger Basket HQ in Newark, OH Fall 1999

Lynn’s Paradise Cafe – Louisville, Kentucky

Unfortunately, this place closed down around 2010 or so.

Lovesick Falls – Ontario, Canada

Little Italy – Cleveland, Ohio

Little Italy Historic District in Cleveland

Mayfield Road and Random Road, by the little park in Little Italy

Lopatapillar – Butterfly House – Chesterfield, Missouri

Grandkids play on the 30 foot long “Lopatapillar”, created by artist Bob Cassilly at the Butterfly House in Chesterfield, Missouri

Logan’s Shoe Shop Neon Sign – Denton, Texas

Lusk, Wyoming

Little River Cafe – Oregonia, Ohio

The Little River Cafe in Oregonia, OH is most easily reached by bike. It is literally on the side of the trail. The road to Oregonia is way out of the way.

Troy Landry – Swamp People icon – Pierre Part, Louisiana

Sumoflam and Troy Landry from Swamp People

LSA Burger Company – Denton, Texas

Texas Instruments, a unique sculpture at the LSA Burger Co., in Denton

Lewistown, Montana

Eagle I saw when driving by Lewistown, Montana (my very first Bald Eagle sighting/photo)

Lund Theatre – Viborg, South Dakota

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.

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April 12, 2018April 12, 2018

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

Kutter’s Cheese Factory – Corfu, New York

Mural at Kutter’s Cheese Factory in Corfu, New York

Kaskaskia Dragon – Vandalia, Illinois

Sumoflam and the Fire Breathing Dragon of Kaskaskia in Vandalia, IL

Kaskaskia Dragon Breathes Fire in Vandalia, IL

Ketchikan, Alaska

The road in Ketchikan, AK ends with a cruise ship

King Kong Burgers – Omaha, Nebraska

King Kong Burgers in Omaha, near the Omaha Zoo

Kitsap Transit Foot Ferry – Port Orchard, Washington

Kensington District – Toronto, Ontario

Kumano Magaibutsu – Kunisaki Peninsula – Oita, Japan

Some of Japan’s oldest stone carved Buddhas can be seen at Kumano Magaibutsu park in Oita

King’s Island – Cincinnati, Ohio

King’s Island Amusement Park north of Cincinnati, OH

Kool Breeze Motel – Irving, Texas

Kregel Windmill Factory Museum – Nebraska City, Nebraska

Kregel Windmill Factory Museum in Nebraska City, NE

Kregel ELI Windmill framed by a flag on 9/11 in Nebraska City, Nebraska

Kabetogama Lake – International Falls, Minnesota

Kabetogama Lake – Voyageurs National Park

Key Tower – Cleveland, Ohio

Key Tower (R – 947 feet) and Terminal Tower (L – 771 feet)

Kemmerer-Diamondville, Wyoming

Antler Motel Neon Sign in Kemmerer. Love old neon signs.

Keelboat Park – Bismarck, North Dakota

Lewis and Clark Sculpture – Keelboat Park

Horse Racing at Keeneland – Lexington, KY

Kanahwa Falls – Glen Ferris, West Virginia

Kremlin, Montana

Kumamoto Castle – Kumamoto, Japan

Kountry Korners Krazy Kreatures – Kingston, Washington

A couple of wood carved folk at Kountry Korners

Kadoka, South Dakota

Old Wagon Wheel Motel Neon Sign in Kadoka

Kentucky Stonehenge – Munfordsville, Kentucky

Keeper of the Plains – Wichita, Kansas

Keeper of the Plains – 50 foot tall statue in Wichita

Kings Hill Pass – Meagher County, Montana

Sumoflam at Kings Hill Summit in Montana

Killbuck, Ohio

Killbuck Depot on the Holmes County Trail in Ohio

Keystone, South Dakota

Ketchum, Idaho

Gnome on a Bike – loved this graphic on a bike shop in Ketchum

Kansas City, Missouri

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December 15, 2017December 15, 2017

Sumoflam’s 2017 Travels in Review

Sunrise in Ocean City, MD on New Year’s Day 2017

On January 1, 2017 I sat on a beach in Ocean City, Maryland to watch a spectacular sunrise and pondered to myself about the opportunities I would have to travel throughout the year. Little did I really know the extent that I would actually travel over the year and I’m grateful that I’ve had a wonderful year of seeing more of this beautiful country.

Beginning with that glorious morning in Maryland, over the course of the year I have driven nearly 15,000 miles on road trips, many to visit family or be with family, but all of the trips have been wonderful. Some have been close by doing what I refer to as “staycation“ trips in Kentucky. But, throughout the course of the year I have been to 19 different states and have seen a plethora of places and things. Many of the trips included time with my wife, my children and my grandchildren. That makes things so much better and enjoyable!

Welcome to Louisiana with some of my grandchildren

All the family gathered at my sister’s Mayfield Smoke Shop in Little Italy, Cleveland

In July we had a family reunion. It was the first in five years and all of my 10 grandchildren and all my five children were here at one time or another and even my sister and her husband and daughter came up to visit. During that time we also visited my extended family in Cleveland, Ohio. So, travel was not the only joyful thing. Family is the best.

The following photos tell just a small story of the past year. I have already posted some of the things in more detail and have five or six others in the works about specific places. But here are just some of the places and things form this past year. ENJOY THE RIDE!