Throughout my travels in 2018, I did not come across a single X sign. In the past, I have been able to use Xenia, Ohio, but we didn’t go there last year.
So, I am Xcited to Xplain how I will post a number of fun XTRAs that I didn’t use in previous posts. There were some Xceptionally funny ones and a few Xtremely interesting ones. I hope you’ll enjoy my special edition of Xtra Signs from my travels over the years. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride.
XTRA Fun For ALL — We are open
If We Are Here — Decatur, TexasLove the “Sorry, We’re Open” sign!! At Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden Calvert City, Kentucky
At the X-Roads – Corssroads signs from 2018
Business Crossroads sign, Wallace, IdahoSign post in Broadus, MontanaI always love coming across direction markers that also give a mileage – Raymond, WashingtonRoute 66 Crossroads Sign in Bushyhead, OklahomaGo This Way — I need one of these!! Paradise Point, Scottsville, Kentucky
A Few Xceptionally Interesting Xtra Signs From 2018
Eat Me neon sign from Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Lexington, KentuckyHowdy Sign from Doolittle, Missouri on Route 66Wiener World, Home of the Cheese Dog – Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaWhatever Sign in West, Texas
A Few Real Oinkers!
Flying Pigs Cafe, Thomas, West VirginiaTaken in the Pigtown District of Baltimore, MarylandWhen Pigs Fly sign at a shop called Uniques in Stratford, OklahomaPig on car at Slap Ya Momma’s Barbeque in Biloxi, Mississippi
Now Back to More Xcellent Xtras
Signs at Hillbilly Garden in Calvert City, KentuckyWelcome to Flatwoods, West Virginia. Home of the Green MonsterIs there such a thing as a Sanitary Sewer? Seen in Lexington, KentuckySocial Vegan sign found in Austin, TexasWalgreen’s Temperature sign in Cypress, TexasRoute 66 Gateway sign in Miami, OklahomaHipHop Fish and Chicken – a chain of at least 24 shops in Baltimore, MarylandPeace Love & Little Donuts in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – feed your inner hippie. Like other doughnut shops (Voodoo and Hurt’s, among others), they make unusual combinations, except these are smaller.Stayed at the Silver Saddle Motel in Manitou Springs, Colorado – best view of Pikes Peak! Really!Roll On In Sushi Burritos sign in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sushi Burritos??Route 66 in Chelsea, OklahomaI Got VD in Austin – Voodoo Doughnut, Austin, TexasBucky’s in Stratford, Oklahoma. Fresh and tasty Fried PiesNot to be confused with Bucky’s above, Buc-ee’s in Waller, TexasBuc-ee’s is one of the largest convenience store gas stations anywhere. Over 100 gas pumps!! HUGE storeBe Nice or Leave sign at Paradise Point in Scottsville, KentuckyMissing Balls… Uranus, MissouriOne of Delta, Colorado’s many murals. They call themselves the City of MuralsThe Skuller’s Clock with eyes in downtown Lexington, KentuckyComfort Station this way – West Side Market, Cleveland, OhioCookin’ from Scratch chicken place in Doolittle, MissouriComplaint Department sign at K’s Cafe in Clarkson, KentuckyOlympia Film Society mural in Olympia, WashingtonOld Orange Crush sign – Helper, UtahWall Drug Sign on I-90 in South Dakota Do Lunch or Be LunchWonder if they take Running Backs? Or Forwards? Or Goalies? Or do they require certain types of positions? How about just a plain old sitting position? Certainly don’t want to be a stander. Taken in Ferdinand, IndianaWelcome to Raymond, WashingtonLots of cool stuff at the DFW Elite Toy Museum in Haltom City, TexasSign on the back of an old school bus at Paradise Point in Kentucky
Like what you see? Well, there is lots more! I currently have two books about offbeat and quirky places to take on your road trips. You can see both of my books at http://amzn.to/2ks6fQZ. Working on Book 3, coming in late Spring 2019!!
Well, the Blogging Challenge is winding down. It has been a wild and wacky challenge for me.
Through the month I have provided readers with a wide variety of wonderful signs which I wandered upon during the year. As I do with all of my posts, I try to be witty and wry in my presentation. I hope that I have brought out the wanderlust in my readers as well. This post will be all about Welcome Signs. Please now enjoy my special edition of W Signs from my travels over the years. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride.
Welcome Signs Everywhere!
Welcome to my happy place…traveling everywhere
I love feeling welcome in places! Perhaps one of my bigger “collections” of place signs along the highways of America are the Welcome signs to states, communities and places. Here are just a few of the dozens and dozens have wandered upon in my travels. This post features welcome signs taken from 2005 to present. Want everyone to feel Welcome.
Welcome to my Welcome Blog PostWelcome to Oklahoma
Welcome to Carew Tower Sign in Carew Tower Elevators, CincinnatiWelcome to Henry, IllinoisWelcome to Kentucky, home sweet homeWelcome to Dime Box, TexasWelcome to Zelienople-Harmony, PennsylvaniaWelcome to Kingston, WashingtonWelcome to Punkyville, Kentucky… near Falmouth, Kentucky
We all know who is really Nice! Nice, CA
Welcome to Nevada sign in Denio, NevadaWelcome to Leavenworth, WashingtonWelcome to Shiner, TexasKabetogama Lake – Voyageurs National Park, MinnesotaWelcome to Gauley Bridge, West VirginiaWelcome to Cave City, Kentucky… gateway to Mammoth Cave National ParkWelcome to Tonica, IllinoisWelcome to the Monongahela Incline in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaWelcome to Millersburg, OhioWelcome to Butte, MontanaWelcome to Big Stone Gap, VirginiaWelcome to Dublin, OH, Home of Wendy’sWelcome to Estill County, KentuckyWelcome to Santa Claus, IndianaWelcome to West, TexasWelcome to Alligator, MississippiWelcome to Silver Gate, MontanaWelcome to Choteau, Montana signWelcome to Metropolis, IllinoisWelcome to the Rockpile Museum in Gillette, WyomingWelcome to Council Bluffs, IowaWelcome to New Mexico at Raton PassWelcome to Damascus, VirginiaWelcome to Wyoming sign on US 30Welcome to What Cheer, IowaWelcome to Winner, South Dakota – Pheasant Capital of the WorldWelcome to Hope, Arkansas – birthplace of Bill ClintonWelcome to PittsburghWelcome to Viborg, South DakotaWelcome to Hell, MichiganWelcome to Peculiar, MissouriWelcome to Sisters, OregonWelcome to Yellville, ArkansasWelcome to Boring, OregonWelcome to Earth, TexasWelcome to Vulcan, Alberta sign in KlingonWelcome to Mystic Seaport, Mystic, ConnecticutWelcome to Seymour, Wisconsin Home of the HamburgerWelcome to Pella, IowaWelcome to Montana in West YellowstoneWelcome to Clallam Bay and Sekiu, WashingtonWelcome to Stanley, IdahoWelcome to Colorado at WY 789 and CO 13Welcome to Bemidji, MinnesotaWelcome to Crawford, NebraskaWelcome to Sharkheads in Biloxi Beach, MississippiWelcome to Salem Sue in New Salem, North DakotaWelcome to Paris, Tennessee Catfish – they claim to be the Catfish CapitalWelcome to Real Goods, a great store in Hopland, CaliforniaWelcome to Kountry Korner’s Krazy Kreatures in Kingston, WashingtonWelcome to Orr, MinnesotaWelcome to Mena, ArkansasWelcome to White Castle, LouisianaWelcome to New Hampshire in Sept 2015 – State #49!Welcome to Gourdough’s Donuts in Austin, TexasWelcome to Vermont, near Brattleboro on Vermont Hwy 142 — the 50th state I visitedWelcome to KansasWelcome to Alvin, Texas, hometown of Nolan RyanWelcome to West VirginiaWelcome to Kensington District of Toronto, Ontario
Welcome to Whitetop, VirginiaWelcome to Delaware…first time since 1986. Visited in 2016 during Christmas HolidayWelcome to Heini’s Cheese Factory in Charming, OhioWelcome to Uranus, MissouriWelcome to Hopkinsville, KY for the Solar Eclipse 2017Welcome to Egg Harbor, WisconsinWelcome to Huntsville, TexasWelcome to Wilsall, Montana (with the Welcome Bird on top of the sign!)Welcome to Crookston mural in Crookston, MinnesotaWelcome to Cokeville, WyomingWelcome to Gregory, South DakotaWelcome to Mars, PennsylvaniaWelcome to Talent, OregonWelcome to Pascagoula, Mississippi, Birthplace of Jimmy BuffetWelcome to Waterville, WashingtonWelcome to Canonsburg, PennsylvaniaWelcome to Ketchikan, Alaska … from my wifeWelcome to the Guitar Walk at Cavanaugh Park in Walnut Ridge, ArkansasWelcome to Dienner’s Country Restaurant in Amish Country, Ronks, PennsylvaniaWelcome to Granbury, TexasWelcome to North DakotaWelcome to Hugo, Oklahoma… home of the country’s only cemetery dedicated to Circus PerformersWelcome to North CarolinaWelcome to Papa Joe’s Oasis, Crescent Junction, UtahWelcome to Hochatown, OklahomaWelcome to Doolittle, MissouriWelcome to Nitro, West VirginiaWelcome to Hipp Station of the Holmes County Rails to Trails in Millersburg, OhioWelcome to Pierre Part, LA, home of the TV Show Swamp PeopleWelcome to the Oyster Capital of the World, South Bend, WashingtonWelcome to the Corn Palace…Mitchell, South DakotaWelcome to Sweet Home Alabama with some of my grandchildren in early 2017Sumoflam in Floodwood, MinnesotaWelcome to Luling, TexasWelcome to Washington, PennsylvaniaWelcome to Jackson, Wyoming!!A giant troll sculpture greets you at the Mount Horeb, Wisconsin Welcome Center. Created by Wally KellerWelcome to Oacoma, South DakotaWelcome to the Seattle WaterfrontWelcome to Hemingford, NebraskaWelcome to Saco, Montana, birthplace of 1960s newscaster Chet HuntleyWelcome to Nekoma, North DakotaWelcome to Jackson Center, Ohio. Home of AirstreamWelcome to Rabbit Hash, KentuckyNicholson, Pennsylvania’s welcome sign features the famous ViaductWelcome to Chelsea, MichiganWelcome to Lost Springs, Wyoming Population 1 in 2007. Population 4 in 2017.Welcome to Chinook, MontanaWelcome to Dallas, South Dakota where the main street goes under the water towerWelcome to Buffalo, WyomingWelcome to Salida, ColoradoWelcome to Swedesburg, IowaWelcome to Steubenville, Ohio, a small town full of murals and historyWelcome to Montana on US Route 2 heading westWelcome to MissouriWelcome to Salt Lake City, UtahWelcome to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas…home of the Rock N Roll HighwayWelcome to Wall, South Dakota, home of Wall Drug. Now you know where the heck it is.Welcome to Many, Louisiana Not just a few here!Welcome Sign in Indianapolis, IndianaWelcome to Gold Bar, Washington Gateway to the CascadesWelcome to Virden, ManitobaWelcome to SaskatchewanWelcome to Vulcan, Alberta Sept 2007 (look for me…)Welcome to Beachville, Ontario…birthplace of BaseballENJOY!
Like what you see? Well, there is lots more! I currently have two books about offbeat and quirky places to take on your road trips. You can see both of my books at http://amzn.to/2ks6fQZ. Working on Book 3, coming in late Spring 2019!!
Obviously, one of my favorite things to do on road trips short or long is locate the fun, unique and offbeat roadside attractions. And, fortunately, 2018 provided me a plethora of these. I have already written about a few of them individually in past months, but this post will be a nice little “photo tour” of some of my favorites.
Having been through 26 different states in 2018, I had plenty of sites and loads of fun. I got to share many of these with grandchildren, which made it even better.
Dignity: Of Earth and Sky – 50 foot tall statue by Dale Lamphere
Sumoflam with Dignity near Chamberlain, SD
Perhaps my favorite from 2018 was the amazing giant Dignity: Of Earth and Sky statue in Chamberlain, South Dakota. This giant 50 foot tall steel statue honors the women of the Lakota and Dakota tribes. It was created by artist South Dakota Dale Lamphere. It sits in a rest area overlooking the Missouri River and can be seen from quite a distance.
The statue also features a Star Quilt that has more than 100 blue diamond shapes that move in the wind. Really a wonderful site and it is also one of America’s tallest statues (the 20th tallest according to Wikipedia listing).
80 Foot Long and 37 Foot Tall Brontosaurus statue in Wall Drug created by Emmett Sullivan
Sumoflam takes a selfie with Wall’s giant Brontosaurus
Another giant is just down the road from Dignity. Wall Drug’s giant brontosaurus stretches 80 feet and sits 37 feet tall as it overlooks Interstate 90 at the Wall Exit. Even there is no time for a visit to Wall Drug, there is always time to stop for a photo-op with a giant friendly dino!
Dinosaurs seem to be all over the country and on my four big trips in 2018 I came across a few more of them. Always fun!
A Scary Dino in Uranus, Missouri
A colorful scrap metal dinosaur in Carmine, Texas
Skeleton Walking Dinosaur near Murdo, SD
Scary Dino in Price, Utah
Another Giant dino in Uranus
A T-Rex stands at the entrance to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas
Grandson Rockwell and I hanging with Ms. Pearl
Dinosaurs are not the only giants that I came across on the road in 2018. One of my favorite “giants” was “Ms. Pearl” the giant squirrel in Cedar Creek, Texas at the Berdoll Pecan Candy factory. Created in 2011, it stands 14 feet tall and currently lays claim to be the tallest squirrel statue in the world. Like many “roadside” attractions, this one is very visible off of TX Hwy 71.
Nice thing about Berdoll’s is that you can get your picture with Ms. Pearl and even get some Pecan goodies from their 24/7 Pecan Vending Machine.
Ms. Pearl, the 14 foot tall squirrel in Cedar Creek, Texas
Other big things I came across in 2018
A Big Bull and Bison at Chef Louie’s steakhouse in Mitchell, SD
There is a big pig (named Wilbur of course) and then a spider web, with Charlotte, in Wilbur, Washington
Giant Shark Head at Sharkheads in Biloxi, Mississippi
A Giant Metal Owl in southern Houston
Giant Spurs in Hico, Texas
The Giant Bowie knife in Bowie, Texas
The Big Black Muffler Man wielding a miner’s ax in Helper, Utah
Then there are the big Muffler Men and Big John statues. There are dozens and dozens of these dotting the landscape. I came across a couple of fun ones in 2018. In Helper, Utah there is one that is painted totally black…to represent the Coal Miners.
These guys are about 15 feet tall and basically all look alike except for the additional things added to them by the local sites. Over the years I personally have photographed nearly 40 different versions of Big John, Muffler Men or Uniroyal Gals.
You can find them looking like Paul Bunyan, cowboys, Indians and other fun things.
I always like coming across these unique pieces of funky Americana.
Another look at the big black muffler man in Helper, Utah
A Big John at Steppin’ Out Western Wear in Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma
Then there is the Big John in Hochatown, Oklahoma…with a golf club
I am working on Part 2 of this travel report with more big and unique things to see. Watch for it soon.
