Planning a Road Trip Sumoflam Style: 2023

Planning a Road Trip Sumoflam Style: 2023

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside America Books, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops
If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there. - George Harrison As summer approaches we all get excited about travel of some sort.  For me, it is a long road trip on back roads that I look forward to.  There is so much to see in this great country of ours.  And, despite my having been to all 50 states, there is so much I have yet to see and experience.  I am going to share my travel planning secrets and methodologies in this post.  Have traveled well over 2 million road miles in my 66 years -- including a few years as a tour guide and charter bus driver.  In all of those miles I have learned a few things.  And, of course, I…
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The Bears of Kentucky Hwy 11 (and other fun stuff)

The Bears of Kentucky Hwy 11 (and other fun stuff)

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Burger Joints, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Kentucky, KY Highway 11, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Sasquatch Art, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Staycations, Tourist Traps, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Welcome Signs, Wood Carved Bears
[caption id="attachment_37383" align="alignnone" width="485"] Highway 11 runs north of Slade and joins Highway 15 near Campton, KY[/caption] Kentucky Highway 11 runs from Maysville to Barbourville, KY.  It is 182.5 miles in length and is planned to become a "macro-corridor" within Kentucky.  This post only covers a small section of the highway as it runs through the world famous Red River Gorge National Geologic Area and through Natural Bridge State Resort Park and into Slade.  This area is probably the most highly visited natural area in Kentucky and this section of Highway 11 is most certainly the most heavily traveled of anywhere along the nearly 183 mile stretch. Being a major tourist draw, especially near Natural Bridge, this section features numerous eating establishments, many cabin rentals, a smattering of gift shops…
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Route 66 in Illinois – Celebrating 66th Birthday

Route 66 in Illinois – Celebrating 66th Birthday

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Cities and Towns, City Skylines, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Highways and Roadways, Hot Dog Places, Illinois, Interstate 55, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 30, US Highway 40, US Highway 60, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_35900" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam on Route 66 in Illinois[/caption] Everyone knows that Route 66 is considered to be America's most iconic highway. Known as the Mother Road, there have been songs written about it, TV shows that feature it and hundreds of groups that travel it. To me, US Route 66 is really just another US Highway, but, due to its pop culture status, it is a fun highway to travel. As 2022 kicked in, it was my hope that I could use my 66th birthday on October 4 as an excuse to travel the entire length from Chicago to Santa Monica. As is typically the case, things don't always go as planned and/or hoped for, and such was the case for my 2022 Route 66 plan. Nevertheless, I…
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Towns of America A to Z: The P Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The P Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alligators, Antique Shops, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Church Signs, Cross Country Road Trips, Donut Places, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Iowa, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Street Art, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Yard Art
There are loads of places whose names begin with P.  For instance, there are 22 different places (15 cities) named Paris in the United States. I'll cover a few in this post. You can also Ponder and Prosper, and even reach Prosperity. If you're lucky you may even make it to Paradise. I'll take you on a Peculiar trip all over and hopefully you will have a great P experience. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! PARIS, TEXAS [caption id="attachment_33415" align="alignleft" width="300"] Paris, Texas - Home to the Cowboy Hat topped Eiffel Tower[/caption] I am going to start with the tales of a few places named Paris and will hit the town of Paris, Texas first. Paris, Texas currently lays claim to the tallest "Eiffel Tower" in the United States,…
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Towns of America A to Z: The O Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The O Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Canada, Church Signs, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dolphin, Dragons, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Ice Cream Places, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Murals, Nature and Scenery, Nature Events, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, People Shots, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 62, Vintage Neon, Volunteer Fire Departments, Washington, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Whispering Giants, Whispering Giants, Woody Guthrie, Yard Art
It may not yet be Obvious, but this one should be an Outstanding post about O towns as seen from my eyes. This is your Opportunity to visit the Only  town named Only I hope you find this post Noteworthy while also swinging by a couple of  and even one that is just Okay. I'll bring you some Obscure places and many Offbeat attractions in this post as well. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! ODDVILLE, KENTUCKY [caption id="attachment_30747" align="alignleft" width="300"] Oddville, Kentucky[/caption] I am going to start off with one close to home here in Kentucky, where I live.  Oddville, Kentucky can be found on US 62.  The place was established in 1799 and the name was apparently chosen so that its post office, which operated from 1851 to…
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Towns of America A to Z: The J Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The J Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Alligators, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Bison, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mountains, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, People Shots, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 287, Virginia, Wall Art, Welcome Signs, Wyoming
I am all Jazzed to present you with some J towns to jump to on your road trips.  This post will be Jam-packed with some joyful places so I hope you just have a jubilant time. There are not a lot of J Towns that I have been to, but the ones for this post were the best of the bunch. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE!     JOLLY, TEXAS [caption id="attachment_29444" align="alignleft" width="195"] Jolly, Texas[/caption] Let's kick it off on a happy note with a visit to Jolly, Texas. This is practically a truck stop town off of US Highway 287 southeast of Wichita Falls. Only has a population of about 170 jolly old souls. I made a stop because of the Jolly Travel Center, a fairly large…
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Towns of America A to Z: The H Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The H Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Big John, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Canada, Church Signs, Cities and Towns, Cross Country Road Trips, Distilleries, Donut Places, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Himeji, Ice Cream Places, Illinois, Japanese Castles, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Michigan, Muffler Man, Murals, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, States and Provinces, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Toy Collections, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Whispering Giants
Happiness is another A to Z post.  Today I post about places that begin with the letter H. As with all of my posts, I have been to all of these places and all of the photography is mine as well.  I never write about places I haven't personally visited. And why not start with something Happy? I'll take you to Hell and back on this post, but you will leave with some Hope and Happiness, among other things. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! HAPPY, TEXAS [caption id="attachment_27700" align="alignleft" width="300"] Happy is that way (notice it is the opposite direction from Hell -- see below?)[/caption] There are only three towns named Happy in the United States, and I have been to two of them, which are both featured here. …
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Towns of America A to Z: The G Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The G Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big John, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Ghost Towns, Giant Things, Indiana, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Uniroyal Gal, Vintage Neon, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Golly Gee Willikers another A to Z post.  Today I post about places that begin with the letter G. As with all of my posts, I have been to all of these places and all of the photography is mine as well.  I never write about places I haven't personally visited. I'll start out with something Goode, but then who knows where the trip will take us?? There will be stuff to gnaw on and I am sure we may even discover gold along the way! ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! GAINESVILLE, TEXAS Do you like to look for Muffler Men and Uniroyal Gals?  Well, a quick drive by Gainesville will get you a chance for some major selfies with the big guys and gals!! Glenn Goode has a…
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Towns of America A to Z: The E Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The E Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Ice Cream Places, Illinois, Iowa, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Texas, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Washington, Welcome Signs, Wisconsin
I continue on my A to Z journey today as I take you on a trip to a few places that begin with the letter E.  I am going to endeavor to give you some fun places that begin with the letter E, including a town named Endeavor!  As with all of my posts, I have been to all of these places and all of the photography is mine as well.  I never writer about places I haven't personally visited. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE!   EARTH, TEXAS [caption id="attachment_134" align="alignleft" width="300"] Earth is that way[/caption] I am going to start off with someplace familiar to all of my readers .... EARTH.  On a trip back home from Roswell, New Mexico and all of the UFO and alien stuff,…
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Towns of America A to Z: The D Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Airlines, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Bridges, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Hiking & Biking, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Murals, Nebraska, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, US Highway 18, Water Towers, Welcome Signs
I continue on my A to Z journey today as I take you on a trip to a few places that begin with the letter D.  Unlike the previous posts, all of the locations in this post are in the United States.  Nonetheless, I think you'll find some interesting places that, perhaps, you have never heard of. Since my name is David, I am gonna start out with a couple of my namesake towns. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE!   DAVID, KENTUCKY [caption id="attachment_34703" align="alignleft" width="300"] David, Kentucky[/caption] David, Kentucky is a small coal mining community in the Appalachian highlands of far eastern Kentucky.  It was named after David L. Francis, who was the president of the Princess Elkhorn Coal Company, which built the town. There is still a…
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