This is the final post from my April 2018 cross-country road trip from Lexington to Port Orchard, Washington and back. As a reminder, I covered 6000 miles and ventured through 16 states. Along the way I not only stopped to visit attractions and see the sites in towns small and large, but I also tried to capture the grandeur of the landscapes and scenery I passed by along the way. Following are a number of scenic photos from that trip. Enjoy the ride! I have randomized these, so they are not in any particular order. Captions tell the story.
Sunset in Colorado, taken on US 24 near Hartsel, ColoradoLovely sunset after a windy day. Taken on a side road of Interstate 70 just east of Abilene, KansasMorning sky taken between Bend, OR and Brothers, OR (near Millican, OR) on US Hwy 20 heading east.This is a sunset scene taken from the Edmonds to Kingston Ferry in Washington. The mountains in the distance are Olympic National Park. Water is Puget Sound.This is US Route 2 heading west towards Waterville, WAA huge dust storm as seen from Nevada Hwy 140 west of Winnemucca, NVLovely mountain scene from US Route 2 near Skykomish, WAMt. Rainier as seen from the Edmonds to Kingston Ferry crossing the Puget Sound.US 101 near South Bend, WA. I was heading south and it was raining. Still beautifulAnother shot of Garden of the Gods in Manitou Springs, COThis is Hole in the Mountain Peak, taken from I-80 near Deeth, NV. I was heading east and this was south of me.Blue Mesa Reservoir in Curecanti National Recreation Area east of Gunnison, CO. This was taken from US Hwy 50.Mt. Aetna as seen from US 50 near Monarch Pass, Colorado. heading east.Sunbeams over Garden of the Gods in Manitou Springs, COOne of the peaks of the Cascades near Goldbar, WAA snowy Interstate 90 heading west towards Livingston, MontanaSeattle, Washington as seen from a ferry in Puget SoundA scene of the high Utah desert near Crescent Junction, UTHeading towards Pine Canyon near Waterville, WASunset over Sinclair Inlet near Port Orchard, WAMissouri River Valley near Chamberlain, South Dakota
US Route 2 just past Steven’s Pass, WA – notice how high the show walls are on the side
Wenatchee Valley, near Wenatchee, WAUS Route 2 in Eastern WashingtonA view from Oregon 202Colorado Highway 94 near Rush, ColoradoUS 50 East of Gunnison near Monarch, COFrenchglen Highway in Central OregonSkykomish River near Skykomish, WA as seen from US Hwy 2A beach scene in Manchester, WAThe Bonneville Salt Flats in UtahThe high deserts of central Oregon are lovely.The view of the Cascades as seen from the Skykomish / Gold Bar area of Washington, east of Everett.
ENJOY THE RIDE! CHOOSE HAPPY!
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, is currently being worked on and I hope to make it available in late June 2018. Click on the photo below for more details or to get a copy of the book.
On a long road trip like the one I did in April, there are so many places visited, but some didn’t fit into a post for one reason or another. Here are some odds and ends leftovers from my 6000 mile cross country trek through 14 states. There is really no rhyme or reason, but the opportunity to address these places in a little more depth.
Papa Joe’s Stop & Go – Crescent Junction, Utah
Papa Joe’s in Crescent Junction – fun “tourist trap”
Out in the middle of nowhere in Utah is the small place called Crescent Junction at the junction of I-70 and US 191. There is really not much there and it is basically a tourist-trappy stopover point for folks heading to and from the lovely canyons of Moab. At the center of it all is Papa Joe’s Stop & Go. Called a C-Store (short for Convenience Store), Papa Joe has a number of unique “attractions” in store.
Welcome to Papa Joe’sMystery Machine replica (from Scooby-Doo) — flat tire and allAnother funky van at Papa Joe’sThe usual Tourist Trap fare — I have seen this around the countryGotta get a cup… maybe?Skullduggery – lots of skeletonesque souvenirsA Gnasty Gnome…Crop Circle Popcorn – Strawberry LemonadeCaramel Crop Circle PopcornSumoflam and alien in Bad Ass Joe’s
The main store has all of the amenities… a restroom (if you are a paying customer of course — but face it, water is in short supply out here), drinks and food and quirky and kitschy knick-knacks and then there is the “gourmet” crop-circle popcorn. Recently he has opened a second building next door that he is calling “Bad Ass Joe’s Jerky” and it has a UFO-esque theme complete with life size cutouts of Star Wars characters and aliens.
Inside the Jerky StoreSouvenirsPapa Joe’s “Lightning McQueen”
If you get online, you will see many nasty reviews of the place. And, honestly, Joe and his gal are really not the friendliest sorts. But, I am always the optimist and try to find the good out there. The place offers some fun photo ops, the “gourmet” popcorn is OK. Prices are quite high, but then, I have been to dozens of places like this across the country.
He has a replica Mystery Mobile from Scooby-Doo, a South Park themed car, a Lightning McQueen “replica (actually an old Toyota Camry) and some other odds and ends. They are all in poor repair. Mystery Mobile has a flat tire (or two). But heck…its quirky. Just make sure you are filled up with gas BEFORE you get there.
Belle Inn – Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Inn – Belle Fourche, SD
You know you have found THE PLACE to eat when the sign in the door tells Cowboys to “scrape shit from boots before entering.” When I stayed the night in Belle Fourche I sought after a locally owned place that would perhaps have some comfort food. I found that place in Belle’s Inn. Not just burgers, but other things like chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, etc.
Sign at Belle Inn front doorA scene from inside the Belle Inn – Be Nice or You’ll Get the BootBelle Inn – Comfort Food
There were only four staff members when I got there. The chef looked like a renegade biker (and turns out that indeed he was!! From Lead, SD — but he didn’t like his Harley. Preferred his Kawasaki!). The food was good…freshly made chicken fried steak, onion rings, mashed potatoes. And it was indeed a comfortable price.
Kreative Korners Krazy Kreatures – Kingston, Washington
Kreative Korners Krazy Kreatures
I am a sucker for wood carving. And this little collection is a trip!
After we had gotten off of the Ferry in Kingston and were driving to Port Orchard, WA, this place just suddenly showed up on a corner. I had to turn around and do my thing.
Some fun stuff here. Most of the carvings are pretty well life size — five or six feet tall.
Some of the KreaturesFound her! – She’s a mermaidA bearded guy and a burger bearing bearGotta have an eagle!!A Fish in Jeans…. whaddya call this guy?Mmmm….. Ice Cream (well, not really)
Murals and Metal Art – Ottawa, Illinois
Detail of “Day of the Great Debate” by Don Gray in Ottawa, Illinois
Yet another town with lots of murals, this is Abraham Lincoln country and Ottawa was where the great debate between Lincoln and Douglas took place. Murals and park statues depict the scene and the history.
Ottawa calls their mural art projects “A Brush With History,” a program which began in 2002. There are now eight or nine murals in town including the massive “Day of the Great Debate” mural by artist Don Gray.
Day of the Great Debate mural by Don Gray in Ottawa, Illinois
Some of the other murals I found in my quick drive through town include the following:
Peltier Glass Factory mural by E. Colin Williams and Murals by Jericho.A Section Ottawa as a Canal Town mural by Gregory AckersMore detail of Ottawa as a Canal TownA section of the mural Ottawa’s Earliest Residents by Roger Cooke Fine ArtsThe head detail from “Bending”
But murals aren’t all that is in the town. Over in Allen Park, along the Illinois River, I found one of the Whispering Giants. While there, I also discovered two big metal sculptures, which I didn’t know anything about. Created by native artist, Mary Meinz-Fanning, these historical art structures were fashioned from parts of Ottawa’s old Hilliard Bridge, originally built in 1933. Ms. Meinz-Fanning built these two to commemorate the bridge: the yellow sculpture is named “Reclining” and the red one is known as “Bending”.
Reclining Sculpture by Mary Mary-Meinz Fanning – Allen Park in Ottawa, IllinoisBending by Mary Meinz-Fanning in Ottawa, Illinois
Cheyenne Murals in a Sinclair Convenience Store – Ashland, Montana
Men’s Room Door at the gas station
I had to stop for drinks and gas while on US Highway 212. I was driving over the pass and stopped in Ashland, Montana, which sits in the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Went into this little Sinclair gas station in the small town and was stunned by the fabulous art. Turns out the guys working the registers and managing the store were also the artists.
Happy Chief art in the Gas Station in Ashland, MTAn eagle on the all and the women’s restroomA Sumoflam Staredown!!
Bear in a Box Wood Carvers – Allyn, Washington
Sumoflam and Justin Howland at Grizz Works in Maple, WI. (2014)
A few years ago I was driving on US Route 2 through Maple, Wisconsin when I ran into a place called Grizz Works. It was filled amazing chainsaw wood carvings of bears and other unique characters. I had to feature it on its own post.
On my trip in April, driving down Washington Highway 3 into Allyn, Washington I ran into Bear in a Box, another “must stop and get photos” wood carving place. Their work was a tad more whimsical than was Grizz Works, but amazing nonetheless. I loved it.
Bear in a Box – Allyn, WASumoflam at Bear in a Box, Allyn, WAOne of the whimsical Sasquatch carvings at Bear in a BoxBear in a Box Bear, Allyn, WAUnique horse carving at Bear in a BoxAnother Bear in the Box Horse (and an eagle in the background)Bear in the Box OwlStaring down the SasquatchTotem Poles at Bear in a BoxOld Smiley the Sasquatch….I love this one.Bear in a Log at Bear in a Box
Orval’s Used Cars – Delta, Colorado
Orval’s Used Cars – Delta, CO
On my drive down US Route 50 in central Colorado, I came across a most unexpected scene in Delta, Colorado. I found a “Used Car” lot that carried a couple dozen or more REALLY used cars. I am talking about antique classics.
In my travels I have come across these kinds of old cars dotting the scenery here and there, and usually only one or two, and sometimes three. But, in this unique lot in Delta, an out of the way little town in out of the way Colorado, I would have never imagined I would see the collection like this guy had. In fact, I was so amazed by the collection that I forgot to get a photo of the place’s sign. But, the place does have a name — Orval’s Used Cars. And it is like a walk back in time.
Some of the cars in Orval’sOld Trucks in Orval’sSome really old fixer uppers in Orval’sMore cars from Orval’s
Murals and Wall Art – Delta, Colorado
Old Egyptian Theater in Delta, Colorado. Originally built in 1928
While on the subject of Delta, Colorado, a nice little town that came about originally to be a trading post for the Ute Nation and later was the home of Fort Uncompahgre, I should add some of the great murals that can be found here. I was not able to get all of them, but here are a few.
I am also adding a photo of the lovely Egyptian Theater of Delta, which was built in 1928 and remodeled in the 1990s. Unusual to find something like this in a small town in the middle of Colorado.
Delta City of Murals mural – “Train’s Arrival” by Seth Weber and Phil Wassell (16′ x 32′)
Delta, like other cities with a number of murals, calls itself the City of Murals as the town boasts at least 15 murals that dot the small city of about 8000.
One of Delta’s many murals – West Elk Wilderness by Ginny AllenAnna-Dora Opera House Mural by W. Richard DohertyMural in Delta, Colorado – Greetings from Delta by Lee BowermanOld Advertisement mural in Delta, Colorado
Starved Rock State Park – Oglesby, Illinois
Starved Rock State Park near Oglesby, IL
On my first day of my 6000 mile long road trip across America, I had hoped to hit the three Peter Toth “Whispering Giants” carvings in Central Illinois since they were relatively close to each other. One of these was located in Starved Rock State Park near Oglesby and Utica, Illinois and not too far from Ottawa (see above).
A Starved Rock CarvingVisiting the Whispering Giant at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois
I had never heard of the park, but some tout it as the #1 Attraction in the State of Illinois (at least, that is what the park says on its website). I drove around on the main road to find the Peter Toth giant and discovered a number of other wood carvings along the road, a nice lodge and more. Sadly, this is one of those parks that deserves an all day visit and I couldn’t do that. The park is apparently full of trails to waterfalls and gorges and more. All I got to see was a few of the wood carvings and the main lodge. This is certainly a “visit again” place in the future.
A Boy Scout Carving at Starved RockFoxridge Carving at Starved RockOne of the unique signs at the park. Make sure you know to stay away from the riverA Raccoon Home Sculpture at Starved Rock
ENJOY THE RIDE! CHOOSE HAPPY!
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, is currently being worked on and I hope to make it available in late June 2018. Click on the photo below for more details or to get a copy of the book.
I love having the opportunity to come upon new and unplanned discoveries in my roadtrips. While traveling, I constantly check my Roadside America app (which is available for iPhone download here) which has a handy dandy location finder and will tell you the closest of their featured attractions. While driving through South Dakota near Chamberlain, I did so and came across “Dignity: A 50 foot-tall Indian Woman” statue entry. Turns out it is located at a rest area near Chamberlain, SD overlooking the Missouri River valley way below. It was also a Lewis and Clark stopover.
Dignity: Of Earth and Sky – 50 foot tall statue by Dale LamphereDignity statue as seen from below
Dignity (a.k.a. Dignity of Earth & Sky) is a 50-foot high stainless steel statue by South Dakota artist Dale Lamphere that depicts an indigenous woman in Plains-style dress receiving a star quilt. The massive sculpture honors the culture of the Lakota and Dakota peoples who are indigenous to South Dakota. Lamphere notes on his website:
“Dignity represents the courage, perseverance and wisdom of the Lakota and Dakota cultures in South Dakota. My intent is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place. My hope is that the sculpture might serve as a symbol of respect and promise for the future.”
Giant foot of DignityBlackfeet Warriors by Jay Polite Laber, in East Glacier, Montana
I am always interested in things about the various Native American tribes. Having worked as a tour guide in Arizona, I became somewhat expert on the Navajo and Hopi as well as the old Anasazi cultures. My travels across the United States and Canada have allowed me to pass through many Native American reservations and lands. In these travels I have come across many large statues dedicated to these great indigenous peoples (such as the Hiawatha statue in Ironwood, MI – which stands 52 feet tall and the Standing Brave statue in Big Cabin, OK – which is also nearly 50 feet tall). And of course, in an earlier post on my April road trip, I mentioned the “Whispering Giants” series by Peter Toth, of which I have seen more than a dozen. And there are the Blackfeet Warrior metal sculptures that are at all four entries to the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. The 44 foot tall Keeper of the Plains in Wichita, Kansas is another good one. I believe the tallest Native American statue is the 62 foot tall Indian of Skowhegan in Skowhegan, Maine, which I have not visited.
Sumoflam with Hiawatha in Ironwood, MIGiant Indian Chief “Standing Brave” in Big Cabin, OKVisiting the Whispering Giant at Starved Rock State Park in IllinoisThe Dignity quilt
Back to Dignity – Representing the rich Native American culture of South Dakota, the 50-foot Native American woman wears a dress that is patterned after a two-hide Lakota or Dakota dress of the 1850s. She also holds a quilt that has 128 stainless steel blue diamond shapes designed to flutter in the wind. Apparently, the quilt was also bedecked with LED lights that cause the diamond shapes to glow in the night sky which can be seen from Interstate 90 (which I would have loved to have seen). The quilt is very impressive as you can see in the photo on the left as well as the expanded one below.
Dignity with QuiltDignity FaceWith Dignity
Dignity is not only 50 feet tall, but her base is 16 feet deep (to help withstand the strong South Dakota winds on this bluff) and is 32 feet wide. The statue weighs in at nearly 11 tons and cost over $1 million dollars to make. The money was kindly donated by a couple from nearby Rapid City, South Dakota. The statue was officially dedicated in September 2016. It is truly a sight to see and I was so glad to have been on this highway.
Keeper of the Plains – 44 foot tall statue in Wichita
At 50 feet tall, the statue is one of the 25 tallest statues in the United States. I have been to 13 of the 25 including #2 – Statue of Liberty in NYC (151 ft tall); #4 – Our Lady of the Rockies in Butte, MT (88.6 ft. tall); Tuo Phat Quan Am in Houston, TX (72 ft. tall); Brachiosauraus in Indianapolis, IN (70 ft. tall); Giraffe at Dallas Zoo, Dallas, TX (67.6 ft tall); A Tribute to Courage – Sam Houston in Huntsville, TX (67 ft. tall); Christ of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs, AR (65.5 ft. tall); Stephen F. Austin in Angleton, TX (60 ft. tall); Hiawatha in Ironwood, MI (52 ft. tall); Standing Tall in Big Cabin, OK (50 ft. tall); Paul Bunyan and Babe in Bemidji, MN (49.2 ft. tall); Hammering Man in Seattle, WA (48 ft. tall); and The Keeper of the Plains in Wichita, KS (44 ft. tall).
The view from Dignity is impressive as it overlooks the Missouri River valley down below. This was also a Lewis and Clark observation point.
Missouri River Valley near Chamberlain, South DakotaLewis and Clark Plaque at overlook behind Dignity
Finally, I would like to note that South Dakota is proud of its tourism and especially its numerous sculptures which would include the famed Mt. Rushmore, the giant Crazy Horse statue still under construction and the giant brontosauraus at Wall Drug. They have a website especially focused on the sculptures of South Dakota called the South Dakota Sculpture Trail.
In closing, I want to note that in my upcoming book (hopefully to be released at the end of June), I will have a complete chapter on Native American statues and art.
ENJOY THE RIDE! CHOOSE HAPPY!
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, is currently being worked on and I hope to make it available in late June 2018. Click on the photo below for more details or to get a copy of the book.
