Road Trip: Dallas to Lexington, KY via Branson, MO

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Missouri, Oklahoma, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
[caption id="attachment_4929" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Scrap Metal Horses by Doug Owen in Durant, Oklahoma[/caption] After being gone for nearly a month in Idaho and then a few days in Dallas for work in mid June (2013), I took the final leg of this adventure and a two day trip to return home to Lexington via Branson, Missouri, where my wife was visiting with her sister.  This would turn out to be another fun adventure as I traveled through Oklahoma and the Ozarks.  Following is the route I took for the trip.  I left in the afternoon and arrived about midnight in Branson. View Larger Map - Dallas, TX to Branson, MO I headed straight up US 75 to Denison and while there at least got a glimpse of the HUGE Eisenhower…
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Two Days to Dallas – Day 2: Eagle, Colorado to Dallas

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bison, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Horses, Landscapes, Large Statues, Mountains, Murals, National Monuments, New Mexico, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 24, US Highway 87, Vintage Neon, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_4752" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Heading south on US 24 towards the Sangre de Cristo range[/caption] I began Day 2 of my trip from Idaho to Dallas with an early morning in Eagle, Colorado.  It would turn out to be a long day and I would actually end up stopping overnight in Wichita Falls, TX due to the length of the day.  Following is the route all the way to the Dallas area. View Larger Map - Eagle, Colorado to Dallas, TX After a late night into Eagle, I had no idea what I would see when I awoke.  I had an early start, at about 6:30 AM and when I walked out of the hotel, this is what I saw... [caption id="attachment_4658" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Morning view from Hotel in Eagle,…
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America the Beautiful: The Song in Photos for the 4th of July

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, LDS Temples, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, South Carolina, South Dakota, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wildflowers, Wisconsin, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_4643" align="aligncenter" width="239"] Nicholson, Pennsylvania[/caption] I have traveled the broad expanses of this beautiful nation we call America and have seen and enjoyed this country that I call home.  On this July 4th birthday,  I would like to celebrate by adding photos to the words of the song "America the Beautiful", which was written by American Poet Katharine Lee Bates. All photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz [caption id="attachment_4632" align="aligncenter" width="183"] Katharine Lee Bates[/caption] AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL [caption id="attachment_4633" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sunrise over Keller, Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4622" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Badlands of South Dakota[/caption] Oh Beautiful, for Spacious Skies [caption id="attachment_4621" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Spacious Skies over South Dakota[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4626" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Spacious Skies over the Grand Canyon in Arizona[/caption] For Amber Waves of Grain [caption id="attachment_4608" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Amber Waves…
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FOOD FOOD FOOD – Part 4: Some Leftovers – Huevos, Poke Sallet, Poutine, Pea Meal and more

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Eateries, Giant Things, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Customers Needed - Toronto, Ontario[/caption] As I have traveled the many back roads of the U.S. and Canada I have seen hundreds of places to eat, many of the are the normal fast food places (we all know THEY are).  But, there are also many other unique Mom and Pop shops, small drive ins, BBQ joints and burger places.  I have covered the main stops from my last 8 or 9 years of travel, but there are many more I have passed along the way and a few that I didn't cover in the previous three posts.  I will touch on them here, though most of them with a photo and a comment or two.  Enjoy! The Leftovers - More of the Places I have been [caption id="attachment_3681" align="aligncenter" width="300"]…
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FOOD FOOD FOOD – Part 1: Restaurants and Cafes on the Less Beaten Paths

Alberta, Arkansas, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Eateries, Family Travel, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ontario, Oregon, Texas, Unique Eatery, Wisconsin
Maid Rite - Lexington, MO[/caption] One of the important facets of traveling the less beaten paths of America (and Canada) is the food.  As I travel the country, I look for good food at local places. This post covers some of the restaurants, steak houses, cafes and fine (or semi-fine) dining places.  Subsequent FOOD posts will include Diners/Drive-Ins, Barbecue Joints, Burger Places and Bakeries/Donut Shops. [caption id="attachment_3217" align="aligncenter" width="448"] Food - Cozy Dog, Springfield, Illinois[/caption] Ric's Grill - Lethbridge, Alberta Ric's Grill - Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada [caption id="attachment_3227" align="aligncenter" width="324"] Ric's Grill - Dinner in a Water Tower[/caption] Ric's Grill is one of those REALLY unique places to eat.  I visited Lethbridge on a cross-country trip from Kentucky to Washington in 2005.  I have friends in Lethbridge who took us…
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I've Been Everywhere – Part I: The Collector

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Am I Normal? Who knows?[/caption] As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with statistics and numbers.  I have also been a collector.  As a young fifth-grader in Dallas in the late 1960s, I was already obsessed with statistics.  I looked at baseball boxscores daily and kept my own tabulations of most homeruns, doubles, RBIs, etc.  I also had a huge collection of bottlecaps from sodas.  I would pick them up a couple of times a week at the 7-11 (which in those days was really open from 7 AM to 11 PM).  I had bags of them and would lay them out in the driveway and count the various types...Coke and Pepsi were always the clear leaders, followed by Dr. Pepper, 7-UP and Sprite.  But I…
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People Shots from My Travels – Part 1 (Canada and US)

Amish Country, Arizona, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Kentucky, Murals, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, People Shots, Street Musicians, Street People, Texas, Wall Art, Washington
Street Person - Toronto[/caption] Throughout my travels in Canada and the US, I have run across many opportunities to get random shots of people.  Our world is made up of people of all types. [caption id="attachment_618" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Strolling by Mo's Seafood Restaurant - Newport, Oregon[/caption] So, for this entry and the next couple of them, it will be more about people, than places.  I hope you will enjoy this little cruise.  People are fun! [caption id="attachment_613" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Soccer in the Shadows - Hoboken, NJ[/caption] [caption id="attachment_615" align="aligncenter" width="640"] "Super" Family Trip - Metropolis, Illinois[/caption] [caption id="attachment_614" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Old Man - Paducah, Kentucky[/caption] I got the next couple of shots while on a visit to Niagara Falls with my family.  I took quite a few, but these were…
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Some REAL Giants – Glen Goode's Big People, Gainesville, TX

Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Family Travel, Giant Things, Large Statues, Muffler Man, Texas, Uniroyal Gal
On a recent trip home from Texas in November 2012,  we made our way through Gainesville.  While there, we decided to take a small diversion to go see Glen Goode's Big People, some large fiberglass statues on the side of the road. [caption id="attachment_494" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Glen Goode's from the Road[/caption] [caption id="attachment_495" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Glen Goode's Big People[/caption] [caption id="attachment_497" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Glen Goode's Big People[/caption] [caption id="attachment_493" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Glen Goode's Big People Glen Goode's Big People[/caption]   Glen Goode's Big People, near Gainesville, TX]]>
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Bugtussle?  What is it?  Where is it?

Bugtussle? What is it? Where is it?

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places
[/caption] So, have you ever heard of Bugtussle?  I did, I remember the episodes from the Beverly Hillbillies where the "Mayor of Bugtussle" paid a visit to its richest former citizen Jed Clampett.  This fictitious Bugtussle was in Tennessee.  Well, on a trip in February 2010 I became possibly the only person to ever drive from one Bugtussle to another one, all in one day (see entire trip journal). [caption id="attachment_234" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bugtussle Rd, Kentucky"][/caption] In my research on the Bugtussles of America, I found three actual places called Bugtussle...one in Kentucky, on in Alabama and on in Texas.  So, I chose the two between Lexington, KY and Keller, TX. [caption id="attachment_232" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bugtussle Blvd., Texas"][/caption] I left very early in the morning and got to Bugtussle, KY…
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Here's an interesting DISH for you

Here's an interesting DISH for you

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Texas
[/caption] I have been busy in Texas all this week so it is only appropriate I add a Texas comment on the blog. Just about two years ago I was on business in Texas (except I drove here instead of flying). On my way back to Kentucky, I made it a point to drive to DISH, TX. This community, established in June 2000, was originally named Clark. In November 2005, the community accepted an offer to rename itself "DISH" as part of a commercial agreement with the satellite television company of the same name. [caption id="attachment_198" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="DISH Town Hall"][/caption] The day I went through (April 17, 2010) was also NASCAR day at the Dallas Speedway, which is just a few miles away from DISH.  To my shear enjoyment,…
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