07Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The F Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 6, Welcome Signs
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip.  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the F Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Friend, Nebraska I am always looking for places with friendly names such as Friendly (in West Virginia), Friendship (in Arkansas) and others.  Nebraska has a Friend…
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06Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The E Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Books, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Egret, Elk, Family Travel, Illinois, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, Vintage Neon, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip.  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the E Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Egyptian Theatre - Coos Bay, Oregon I love classic theatres and wish I had more time and opportunity to visit them on the insides and see…
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05Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The D Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Family Travel, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Snow Geese, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Vintage Neon, Washington, Welcome Signs, Yard Art
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet, and not the order of the trip  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the D Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Dinosaurs Seems like whenever you get near a trading post a fun place, there always seems to be a dinosaur or two hanging around.  I have…
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03Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The C Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Antelope, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Books, Buffalo, California, Cormorants, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Ghost Signs, Ghost Towns, Idaho, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Montana, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 70, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Wyoming
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet, and not the order of the trip  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the C Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Caddo Lake - Uncertain, Texas In my "A Stories," I mentioned Aaron Applebaum of Mystique Tours and his great boat rides through the swamps of Caddo…
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02Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The B Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eagles, Family Travel, Junk Art, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, New Mexico, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Washington, Welcome Signs, Wyoming
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet, and not the order of the trip  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the A Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Bald Eagles - all over On our 8154 mile drive across the United States, we were fortunate enough to see 24 Bald Eagles...we saw them in…
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01Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The A Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Ghost Towns, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, National Parks, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 60, Vintage Neon, Welcome Signs
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet, and not the order of the trip  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the A Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Alcatraz Island - San Francisco, CA While in California in mid-February, we visited San Francisco and viewed Alcatraz Island, the famed island-prison, from afar. [caption id="attachment_22941"…
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24Apr 2019 by David Kravetz

Everywhere a Sign – Some U Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, National Monuments, National Parks, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 1, US Highway 101, US Highway 177, US Highway 183, US Highway 190, US Highway 2, US Highway 271, US Highway 287, US Highway 51, US Highway 58, US Highway 60, US Highway 68, US Highway 79, US Highway 81, US Highway 89, US Highway 90, US Highways, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Water Towers, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Its a unanimous understatement to say that I love traveling the back roads of America looking for the interesting and unique. It is ultimately my utmost passion (well, besides my family and my grandchildren). I will also do something in this post. I will be posting some of the US Highway signs I have picked up, most specifically in 2018. I'll explain down below.  I hope you enjoy some of the U Signs I discovered in my 2018 travels.  Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Uranus, Missouri [caption id="attachment_20977" align="alignnone" width="525"] Welcome to Uranus Missouri[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20969" align="alignnone" width="403"] Uranus, Missouri water tower[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20958" align="alignnone" width="525"] Thanks for Picking Uranus[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20964" align="alignnone" width="525"] Sounds yummy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20965" align="alignnone" width="412"] Help Keep Uranus Clean[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20951" align="alignnone" width="525"] The…
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18Apr 2019 by David Kravetz

Everywhere a Sign – Some P Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, National Parks, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 191, US Highway 287, US Highway 50, US Highway 6, US Highway 81, Utah, Wanderlust, Washington
Perfection is not something I seek on a road trip.  Play is the key word for me.  Driving from here to there on a back road is like playing.  The game of discovery is so much fun. And I am passionate about the places I venture into, whether it be a small country community on a narrow two-lane road or a big city amid the proud tall-standing buildings.  Pure passionate playfulness. And here are some of the interesting P signs I discovered in my 2018 travels. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Putnam's One-Stop Bait Shop Sign, Rogersville, Alabama [caption id="attachment_21682" align="alignnone" width="525"] Putnam's One stop Bait Shop, Rogersville, Alabama[/caption] [caption id="attachment_21718" align="alignnone" width="525"] Putnam's Shad Guts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_21719" align="alignnone" width="525"] Putnam's Fiddle Worms[/caption] Driving to Houston through Alabama brought…
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03Apr 2019 by David Kravetz

Everywhere a Sign – Some C Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Street Art, The Beatles, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 212, US Highway 67, Wall Art, Washington
(Editor's Note:  For  my  2019  posts,  I will be posting photos from my travels in 2018.  I visited 26 states and drive over 13,000 miles in 2018.  These posts will feature of few of the road signs and business signs I came across, as well as some stories behind them.  Enjoy the Read and Enjoy the Ride!) One of the challenges of doing the Bloggers A to Z Challenge is coming up with a reasonable theme.  As a traveler, I can actually think of numerous themes, but the signs from my 2018 travels seemed like an adventurous way to go this time around.  Here are some C signs I came across in my road trips across America in 2018. Cloudy, Oklahoma [caption id="attachment_21333" align="alignnone" width="525"] I had hoped for a…
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05Mar 2019 by David Kravetz

Travel in 2018: The Best of the Roadside Attractions – Part 1

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Muffler Man, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Toy Collections, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Utah, Washington, Water Towers, Whispering Giants, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_20889" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sharkheads in Biloxi, MS[/caption] 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. [caption id="attachment_20271" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Dignity: Of Earth and Sky - 50 foot tall statue by Dale Lamphere[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20268" align="alignright" width="225"] Sumoflam with Dignity near Chamberlain, SD[/caption] Perhaps my favorite from…
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