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, MOA Peculiar Police CarA Peculiar Elementary School
Possum Trot Supper Club – Oakwood, Illinois
Possum Trot Supper Club, Oakwood, IL
Pierre Part, Louisiana
Sumoflam in Pierre Part, LAVisiting Troy Landry of Swamp People fame in Pierre Part, LA in 2014Swamp 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 MontanaPrairie Dog — standing watch in Cactus FlatPrairie Dog – Cactus Flat, SD
Pal’s Sudden Service – Bristol, Tennessee
After eating Pal’s food make sure to Exercise Daily. Couldn’t help but chucklePal’s Sudden Service in Bristol, TN
Perryville Battlefield – Perryville, Kentucky
Perryville Battlefield – Perryville, KYPerryville Battlefield ReEnactmentWelcome to Perryville
Pink Elephant in DeForest, WIMartini bearing pink and white elephant pair at Hipp Nursery in Haubstadt, INThis pink elephant is in the Huntington, WV suburb of Barboursville on US 60Big pink elephant in Russellville, KY, just around the corner from the big cow with pink sunglassesNeed 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 yummiferousnessChomping 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 LightVisiting 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 goodiesItalian Yumminess in the case at Presti’s
Prosperity, Pennsylvania
Prosperity Post Office in PennsylvaniaHeading to Prosperity
Pain Reliever Bar – Nekoma, North Dakota
Pain Reliever Bar, Nekoma, NDInternational 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 muralsThe enormous “I Am MO” mural in the Lexington Distillery DistrictLouis Armstrong Mural by Sergio Odeith from Portugal, for PRHBTN 2015
Papa Joe’s – Crescent Junction, Utah
Papa Joe’s in Crescent Junction, UTSumoflam at Papa Joe’s in Crescent JunctionThe 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, LAP’MAWS is open 24/7
Pat’s King of Steaks – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pat’s King of Steaks – Philadelphia, PAGrilling up the steaks at Pat’sBest of Philly – Pat’s King of Steaks
Puget Sound – Seattle, Washington
Seattle as seen from a boat in the Puget SoundOn the Ferry in Puget Sound
Perry Como Statues – Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Singing Perry Como statue in downtown Canonsburg, PAPerry Como Statue in the Canonsburg McDonald’s
Fun Stuff in Portland, Oregon
Hung Far Low – Famous Chop Suey and Famous name – Portland, OregonVoodoo 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, MNa Big Paul Bunyan in Minocqua, WisconsinBig Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox in Nitro, WVPaul 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, WyomingAn 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, KYFrom one hot dog to another…
Scenes from Paris – or four or five of them – Paris, Ontario; Paris, Kentucky; Paris, Texas; Paris, Tennessee
Paris, OntarioHomes and businesses along the river in Paris, OntarioWelcome to Paris, KentuckyParis, TexasWelcome to Paris Catfish – they too claim to be the Catfish Capital
Point Defiance Zoo – Tacoma, Washington
Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, WAA tiger at the Point Defiance ZooA Blue Budgie at the Point Defiance Zoo
Paul’s Hamburgers – Kansas City, Kansas
Paul’s Hamburgers – Kansas City, KansasGiant 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 IdahoGrandview 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 DakotaPelicans in formation over the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, TXA rare sighting of a White Pelican flying over Lexington in late April 2018
Plaza Theatres – Glasgow, Kentucky & Wharton, Texas
Plaza Theatre – Glasgow, KentuckyOld Plaza Theater in Wharton, TX
Artistic view of One PPG PlaceA 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 SignPenn’s Store – Gravel Switch, KY
Pella, Iowa
Welcome to PellaVermeer Dutch Windmill in Pella, IA – the largest working windmill in the United StatesBuilding fronts in Pella, IA
Penguins – Omaha, Nebraska; Tacoma, Washington
Penguins at Henry Doorly Zoo in OmahaThe 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 PrairieSumoflam at Pheasants on the Prairie
Pickle’s Place – Arco, Idaho
EAT sign at Pickle’s Place in Arco, IDPickle’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 SandwichCooking 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 DogSumoflam 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.
During the month of April I participated with nearly 2000 other bloggers worldwide in the “Blogging from A to Z Challenge” which is now in its 7th year. This was my second year to participate and this year’s theme for my series was “Wanderlust.” As a “Travelographer,” my posts tend to be photo heavy. I travel and take loads of photos. This is my way of sharing the wonders of the back roads of America.
Corner of This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX
Following are links to the complete A to Z set. Just click on the banner for each and letter and enjoy the posts and the photos. I hope all readers will Enjoy the Ride as much as I have enjoyed sharing it!
I am a zealous traveler. I travel passion and with all the gusto I can. A roadtrip with me can be grueling, but it is always fun. Indeed, I travel with the intent of creating many good memories. Many call me a Road Warrior. Well, I love that term. I travel with zeal.
When on roadtrips, I like to be up with the sun and travel until the sun goes down. I stop for the night wherever I am at sundown…I can’t take many pictures at night now can I?
Taking photos along the waySumoflam and the FREE Stamp in Cleveland
In my zealous travels, I have visited all 50 states and a few Canadian Provinces. I have at least one photo of me in almost all of them…a few exceptions where I traveled to those places years ago and the photos either were lost or were never taken (Nevada, Rhode Island, Massachusetts…at least). But in recent years, I have become the “Shamelessly Self-Proclaimed Selfie King” and have tried to record my travels digitally, and include selfies along the way.
Without further adieu, following are selfies/photos of me in every state and Canadian Province I have visited (where I have photos). I have throw some “Road Warrior” and “Traveling with Zeal” pics in along the way for fun.
Sumoflam at Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, NJAm I Normal? Who knows?
ALABAMA
Visiting Alabama with some of my grandchildren in early 2017
ALASKA
On Glacier Bay in Alaska in 2004
ARIZONA
Visiting the Grand Canyon in 1983Sumoflam at Montezuma Castle National Monument in Arizona in 1983
ARKANSAS
Welcome to ArkansasFound Friendship in Arkansas
CALIFORNIA
At Golden Gate Bridge in in San Francisco, CA May 2015
COLORADO
Welcome to Colorado WY 789 and CO 13Sitting high up on Mt. Evans in Colorado in 1990 looking down at a crystal lake
CONNECTICUT
Mystic, CT Amtrak Station in Sept 2015
DELAWARE
Welcome to Delaware…first time since 1986. Visited in 2016 during Christmas Holiday
FLORIDA
Sumoflam at the Everglades in Florida in July 1990
GEORGIA
Stone Mountain, GA in 2015
HAWAII
Well…I used to have a photo of me hitting a golf ball at Mililani Golf Course in Honolulu. Can’t find it…..
IDAHO
At the Idaho Potato Museum in 2013 – Blackfoot, ID
ILLINOIS
A visit to Illinois in 2014Sumoflam with Superman in Metropolis, IL in 2014
INDIANA
Santa Claus, IN, Christmas 2015Story General Store, Story, IN
IOWA
World’s Largest truckstop is in Iowa. Been there three times
KANSAS
Little House on the Prairie in Eastern Kansas with the family in 1993
KENTUCKY – My Home Sweet Home since 1993
Visiting Cumberland Falls in Kentucky with grandchildren in 2016Visiting Kentucky’s Red River Gorge in November 2016
LOUISIANA
Entering Louisiana in 2014Visiting Troy Landry of Swamp People fame in Pierre Part, LA in 2014
MAINE
Visiting the beautiful lighthouse on the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Portland, Maine in 2015
MARYLAND
Ocean City, MD in December 2016
MASSACHUSETTS – I last visited Massachusetts in 1990 on a trip to Boston. Photos were taken, but got long lost….
MICHIGAN
On the blazing Hell Bench in Hell, MISumoflam with Hiawatha, America’s tallest Indian Statue at over 50 feet in Ironwood, MI
MINNESOTA
Sumoflam in Floodwood, MinnesotaBemidji, MN in 2014 — one of my bucket list places
MISSISSIPPI
On the Blues highway in Mississippi in 2014One of my favorite shots…Alligator, MSChunky, MS
MISSOURI
Welcome to MissouriAt the St. Louis Arch in MissouriFinding Success in Missouri
MONTANA – Lived in this wonderful state from 1970-1973
Hitting Montana on a road trip in 2014At the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park, still on US 89 in Montana
NEBRASKA
Visiting Nebraska in 2015Sumoflam at Carhenge in Alliance, NE
NEVADA – I have visited a few times but don’t think I ever got any photos. Oh well.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Welcome to New Hampshire in Sept 2015 – State #49!
NEW JERSEY
Welcome to Hoboken, NJPhoto of NYC taken from Sinatra Park in Hoboken, NJ
NEW MEXICO
Welcome to New Mexico at Raton PassHave a Coke and a Smile?? Coke machine in Roswell…
NEW YORK
In New York City in 1990 before the World Trade Center Twin Towers met their demiseStatue of Liberty, Ellis Island, NY 1990
NORTH CAROLINA
Jos with Grampz at rest area in North Carolina – April 2013
NORTH DAKOTA
Welcome to North DakotaOn the Enchanted Highway in Western North Dakota in 2013Rugby, ND in 2014
OHIO – I was born in Little Italy in Cleveland. Home sweet home.
My first home – 2072 Murray Hill Road, now home of the Murray Hill MarketSumoflam at the place of his birthI found Novelty in Ohio
OKLAHOMA
Visiting Oklahoma in 2014Okay, Oklahoma in 2012
OREGON
At Multnomah Falls in Oregon
PENNSYLVANIA
Smile…you are in Pennsylvania…so I smiled!Found Prosperity in PA
RHODE ISLAND – Only visited once way back in 1988. No photos. Actually drove through. Need to stop again!!
SOUTH CAROLINA
On the beach in Hilton Head, South Carolina in 2013
SOUTH DAKOTA
Visiting South Dakota for the 4th or 5th time in 2013Winner Winner..no chicken dinner, just the name of a town in SD
TENNESSEE
Visiting Tennessee in 2014 on my way to GalvestonWelcome to Bristol. I took this from the Tennessee side of the road.
TEXAS
Visiting Texas in 2014We visited Texas in October 2016. This was in Texarkana, TXSumoflam visits Austin, Texas
UTAH – Graduated High School in Murray, UT in 1974
Graduated from Murray High School in 1974At Monument Valley in Utah in 1982Welcome to Salt Lake
VERMONT – My 50th state visited — made it in 2016
State Number 50 – At NH/VT border in Brattleboro, VT
VIRGINIA
Welcome to Virginia…taken in early August 2016At the Cross Roads of the Virginia Creeper and Appalachian Trails
WASHINGTON
Neah Bay, Washington – the northwestern most point in the continental USSeattle’s famed Pike Place Market – what a place!
WEST VIRGINIA
Welcome to West Virginia!Meeting a Friendly guy outside the Friendly, WV Post Office
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin welcomes Sumoflam on US Route 2With the famed Hodag in Rhinelander, WI
WYOMING
Wyoming’s Wildlife?Sumoflam at Top of the World on the Beartooth Highway in Wyoming
WASHINGTON DC
Sumoflam at the White House – July 1990Washington DC 2016
ONTARIO, CANADA
Sumoflam at Screaming Heads in Burk’s Falls, OntarioCustomers Needed – Toronto, Ontario
SASKATCHEWAN
Welcome to Saskatchewan
MANITOBA
Virden, ManitobaAt an oil well display in Virden, Manitoba
ALBERTA
Solomon and Sumoflam become part of the Star Trek gang in Vulcan, Alberta Sept 2007Sumoflam at the USS Enterprise Monument (with Crafty Jack) in Vulcan, Alberta (2007)