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!!
(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. )
Obviously, there are many outstanding places to visit in this outrageously wonderful country. Whether you are an occasional traveler or you take every opportunity to wander, there is always something to see. Here are some of the odd O signs I discovered in my 2018 travels. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride.
Old Potter, Arkansas
Old Potter, Arkansas
A few miles south of Mena, Arkansas, on US Routes 59/71, is a small unincorporated community called Old Potter. It is also referred to as Potter Junction. One can take AR Hwy 375 west from there a couple of miles, to Potter, Arkansas. I have no idea how the name Potter cam about. But I like the name Old Potter. Kind of fun.
Okie Noodling Tournament Sign, Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
Okie Noodling Tournament Sign, Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
I first learned about the sport of Noodling on a documentary television program by Bradley Beesley titled Okie Noodling, which came out in 2001. If you are not sure what noodling is, well here is the scoop…(or the grab is probably better) — it is the practice of wading in murky water and sticking your hand into dark holes hoping a 30-pound plus catfish will latch onto your hand and arm. Missing fingers and toes on some noodlers attest to the danger and excitement of the sport. The film emphasizes how noodling is believed to have originated with white settlers, with at least one reference known to have dated from 1775.
From that documentary, a tournament was developed at Bob’s Pig Shop in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. This year (2019), on June 14/15, the Okie Noodling Tournament will celebrate its 20th anniversary. There is an “O’FISH’Al” Okie Noodling website with all of the details, if you are interested. I will be returning from Texas on that weekend and may just drop by for a looksee and maybe a visit to Bob’s Pig Shop on June 15!
Driving south on US 31W near Franklin, Kentucky, I came across a sign to Octagon Hall Museum. This is one of the joys of traveling back roads. I have come across so many unique places that were unplanned on my trips. Though we were early and couldn’t visit this Antebellum eight-sided Civil War home built by Andrew Jackson Caldwell, it was still a unique place to see, especially from the outside. Octagon Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was used during the Civil War by both Confederate and Federal troops and served as a Civil War hospital.
Orlinda, Tennessee
Orllinda, Tennessee
I always like town signs, but this may be in my favorites list. I love the “Sunniest Spot in Tennessee” catch phrase. The town of Orlinda is located off of US Hwy 31W, just south of the Kentucky border (and not too far from Octagon Hall). There are about 1000 sunshiny folks living in this community.
Okemah, Oklahoma
Okemah, OklahomaOkemah Hot, Cold and Woody Guthrie Water Towers
Okemah, Oklahoma was named after a Kickapoo Indian Chief and is the home to the Creek Nation and specifically the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, a group that speaks the Mvskoke language (thus Muscogee). Even though there is a great Native American Heritage here, it is also the birthplace of the famous Folk Singer Woody Guthrie who wrote such well-known songs as This Land is Your Land, Mule Skinner Blues, and hundreds of other songs. Okemah is just off of Interstate 40 and US Highway 62 passes through the town.
Olive Hill, Kentucky
Olive Hill, Kentucky
Last on my O list is one closer to home. Olive Hill, Kentucky is in eastern Kentucky on US Highway 60. It is an old railroad town established in 1861. I especially like the town because of its layout and the many murals that can be found along a wall in town. The main street of town is Railroad Street. Just a cool little town.
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!!
