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.
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.
Only, Tennessee
This way to Only, TNThe one and only Only Baptist Church
Oak Creek Canyon – Sedona, Arizona
Sumoflam at the Oak Creek Canyon Overlook in 1982A Century plant in bloom with the scenic Red Rock country of Sedona below. This was taken at the top of Schnebly Hill Road in 1983
Ostriches – Fossil Rim Wildlife Center – Glen Rose, Texas
Angry Ostrich at Fossil Rim
Otterville Falls – Otterville, Ontario
Otterville Falls in Otterville, Ontario, Canada
Owl Heads Grocery – South Irvine, Kentucky
Owl Heads Grocery in South Irvine. Love the sign!
Oculus – Council Bluffs, Iowa
Oculus by Broward Hatcher, at Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs
Family Home For 4 Years – Oita, Japan
Making a New Year’s TV Show in OitaThe village of Usuki, also in Oita, is home of a famous Buddha statue. It is also the original landing place of the Dutch when they first arrived in Japan in the 1600s.
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean as seen from Old Orchard Beach, MECatching the sunrise with grandchildren Jos and Rockwell at Old Orchard Beach
Odd, West Virginia
Odd, West Virginia Post OfficeOdd School Road takes you into the town of Odd, WV
Orca Art – Seattle, Washington & Port Orchard, Washington
Orca Wall Art in SeattleUndersea World mural in Port OrchardA nice Orca Sculpture across the street from the Seattle Aquarium
Dignity: Of Earth & Sky: Oacoma/Chamberlain, South Dakota
Dignity is a stainless steel, 50-foot-tall statue was specifically designed by sculptor Dale Lamphere to honor the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota people.Sumoflam at the base of the amazing statue called Dignity which overlooks the towns of Chamberlain and Oacoma in South Dakota.
Omaha, Nebraska
Pioneer brotherhood – Pioneer Memorial, Omaha, NebraskaGiant Wall Mural in Little Mexico district of OmahaOld Zesto Neon near the Omaha Zoo
Over-the-Rhine District – Cincinnati, Ohio
Historic buildings in the Over-the-Rhine district
Orin, Wyoming
US 20 east out of Orin, Wyoming
Orange Moose Bar & Grill – Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Orange Moose in Black River Falls, WI
Olympia, Washington
Washington State Capital Building – Olympia, WashingtonA wonderful Super Hero Mural located in Downtown Olympia, WashingtonAn Octopus mural, one of many wall murals in Olympia
Oldest Lake in America – Clear Lake, California
A view across Clear Lake, one of the oldest freshwater lakes in North America
Once in a Millennium Moon – America’s tallest wall mural – Shreveport, Louisiana
Tallest wall mural in US “Once in a Millennium Moon” is 14 stories tall…in Shreveport, LA
Olde Heidelberg Restaurant – Heidelberg, Ontario
Olde Heidelberg Restaurant – Heidelberg, OntarioSumoflam gnoshing on pig tails at Olde Heidelberg
Okay, Oklahoma
Sumoflam – An Okay ParentThis is an Okay Police DepartmentThis church caters to Okay followers
Our Lady of the Rockies – Butte, Montana
Our Lady of the Rockies, Butte, MTOur Lady of the Rockies info sign at Butte Overlook
Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ – Kansas City, Kansas & Kansas City, Missouri
Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ in a gas station – Kansas City, KSThe waiting line at Oklahoma Joe’sStopped in KC to enjoy lunch with my good friend Brad Sweeten at Oklahoma Joe’s in KC, MO
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath – Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Sumoflam at Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Ohio and Erie Towpath Bike Trailhead
Oddville, Kentucky
Oddville, KentuckyOddville United Methodist Church, Oddville, KY
Oil Springs, Ontario
Oil Springs, Ontario – The location of the First Commercial Oil Well in North AmericaScrap Metal Art in Oil Springs, OntarioOil Springs Scrap Metal Art
Off the Beaten Path Ice Cream – Damascus, Virginia
Off the Beaten Path Ice Cream in Damascus, VAIce Cream Chart in Off the Beaten Path… LOL
Annual Oshawa Rib Fest – Oshawa, Ontario
Davor Zuder and some smokin’ ribs at Oshawa Rib Fest in Ontario in 2008BBQ Pitmaster Oliver Zuder showing off his trophy at the Oshawa Ribfest in 2008 in Ontario
Ocean City, Maryland
Old Paradise Cafe sign in Ocean City. What is a beach resort town without a flamingo or two?Christmas sunrise near Ocean City, Maryland with a dolphin swimming byOcean City, MD in December 2016
Olympic National Park – Washington
Mount Olympus and Olympic National Park as seen from Hwy 104
Onalaska, Wisconsin
I-90 Near Onalaska, Wisconsin
Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse – Paxton, Nebraska
Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse – Paxton, NebraskaBig Moose at Ole’s (and one with antlers too)
Ohio Valley Steelworkers Statue – Steubenville, Ohio
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.
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.
The Nutt House Hotel – Granbury, Texas
Who would stay in the Nutt House Hotel?
Nice, California
We all know who is really Nice! Nice, CA
New River Gorge – Victor, West Virginia
A view of the New River Gorge in West Virginia taken in 1995New River Gorge Bridge – One of the largest Arch bridges in the United States
Neah Bay, Washington
At Neah Bay in the northwesternmost corner of the contiguous United States in 2015Looking out at Wa’atch Point, which is a cape off the northwestern peninsula near Neah Bay
Nashville, Indiana
One of the many kitschy shops in Nashville, Indiana. Really a fun place to visit
Not the Hotel California – Lima, Montana
“Not the Hotel California” in Lima, MontanaNo Steaks and Burgers at this place in Lima, Montana
Tuckhannock Viaduct – Nicholson, PennsylvaniaThe viaduct is dizzying when looking up from below
Nekoma Pyramid – Nekoma, North Dakota
The Pyramid in Nekoma, NDSumoflam and MSR Pyramid in Nekoma, ND
Nada Tunnel – Slade, Kentucky
The rough hewn stone Nada tunnel near Slade, Kentucky
Niagara Falls – Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls, OntarioNiagara Falls
Novelty, Ohio
I found Novelty in OhioNovelty Post Office
Normal, Illinois
Am I Normal? Who knows?A Normal Water Tower
Nikko Shrine – Nikko, Japan
Perhaps the best “old shrine” in Japan, Nikko has been around for centuries. This is north of Tokyo. I visited Nikko in 1990.The colorful pagoda in Nikko
National Mustard Museum – Middleton, Wisconsin
National Mustard Museum Sign, Middleton, WIPoupon U Degree from the Mustard Museum – I got my MBA (Master of Bad Attitude)
North Bend Rail Trail – Cairo, West Virginia
My wife Julianne and her sister Laura at the North Bend Rail Trail HQ in Cairo, WV
Naches Tavern – Greenwater, Washington
Naches Tavern in Greenwater, WA (featuring Bigfoot!)Dollar Bills on the walls at Naches Tavern
Newport, Oregon
Giant Mural on outside of Mo’s in Newport, OregonMo’s Seafood – Newport, Oregon
Salem Sue – New Salem, North Dakota
Salem Sue Sign in New Salem, NDSalem Sue in New Salem, ND – the World’s Largest Holstein Cow (Yes, that’s Sumoflam under the Udders)
Northside Murals – Cincinnati, Ohio
Large Mural on side of building representing the Northside districtTall mural on side of a building in Cincinnati’s Northside
Nagasaki, Japan
Remains from A-Bomb in Nagasaki in 1988Japans second most famous China Town (Tokyo’s is first). This one is located in Nagasaki
JJ’s Cafe – Newell, South Dakota
J J’s Cafe in Newell, SDSign at the door of TJ’s Cafe in Newell, SD. Bear in mind this is sheep country.
Nitro, West Virginia
Nitro WW I museum – Nitro, WVBig Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox in Nitro, WV
Nolan Ryan Statue – Alvin, Texas
Sumoflam with Nolan Ryan in Alvin, TXWelcome to Alvin, Texas, hometown of Nolan Ryan
New Orleans, Louisiana
Bourbon Street in New Orleans in 2011
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Sapp’s Coffee Pot Water Tower in Nebraska CityArbor Day Farm Tree Adventure – Nebraska City, NebraskaDowntown Nebraska City
Nauvoo, Illinois
The completed LDS Nauvoo Temple in 2002
The Jay Vintage Neon – Needville, Texas
The Jay Cafe in Needville, Texas. Vintage neon sign
Mark Twain Statue – New London, Missouri
Mark Twain Statue in New London, Missouri
Willie Nelson Shrine – LSA Burgers – Denton, Texas
Willie Nelson Shrine at LSA Burger Co. in Denton, TXWillie Nelson Portrait above his shrine
Nanobozho Muffler Man – Bemidji, Minnesota
Nanobozho, Muffler Man Indian in Bemidji, MN
Number Hill – Arco, Idaho
Number Hill – Arco, ID
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.