Towns of America A to Z: The A Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The A Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alligators, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Big Cities, Books, Bridges, Canada, Cities and Towns, Cross Country Road Trips, Donut Places, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Highways and Roadways, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Ontario, Oregon, Peter Wolf Toth, Philippines, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 212, Virginia, Wall Art, Washington, Welcome Signs, Whispering Giants
It's another year and another opportunity to provide a fun VIRTUAL road trip.  For the 2022 A to Z  Challenge, I will be taking you, the readers, to some of the many places I have visited.  Almost every little town to every big city has something unique to offer visitors. I hope to take you to some of these places across the United States, and even to Canada, the Philippines and Japan on some select posts, for a virtual trip to see places you may not know about. Today's post covers a number of towns and cities that begin with the letter A. Some are huge cities and some are barely dots on the maps.  I hope you'll enjoy this trip.  Ironically, on this April 1, I am visiting Anderson,…
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AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The P Signs #atozchallenge

AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The P Signs #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bridges, Burger Joints, Church Signs, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Elephants, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Highways and Roadways, Hot Dog Places, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Uncategorized, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Welcome to another year of the AtoZ Challenge.  This year I am doing signs that I have seen across the country.  This post will feature signs associated with the Letter P. ENJOY THE RIDE! We can't avoid signs.  They are everywhere.  Advertisements, informational signs, directional signs, business signs and, sometimes, even humorous and fun signs.  Each of my posts in this years' challenge will feature a hodgepodge of signs I have come across in my travels.  In most cases, I'll also note where they were taken.  Some were actually inside of shops or otherwise, so not all will have locations.  I hope you enjoy this fun trip each day of April. P is the perfect letter for this post. Ponder about the peculiar, prosperity, paradise and even peeing....but let's start…
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8154: Experiencing America’s Amazing Landscapes

8154: Experiencing America’s Amazing Landscapes

Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Eagles, Family Travel, Farmland, Geese, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Oregon, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese, South Dakota, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 1, US Highway 101, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, US Highway 16A, US Highway 18, US Highway 180, US Highway 2, Washington, Wyoming
In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks with my daughter and three grandchildren.    During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 10 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. This is the fourth of a few posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip.  In this post I'll share some scenes of some of America's diverse landscapes that we experienced on this epic road trip. Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz and, when noted, Marissa Noe) OH BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES [caption id="attachment_24234" align="alignnone" width="640"] SD Hwy 244 north…
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AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The Y Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Farmland, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mountains, National Parks, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Oregon, Place Names, Roadsigns, Route 66, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, Washington
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with  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 Y Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) EnjoY the rYde  as we drYve Across America - Part Two Throughout the course of our 8154 Road Trip, there was not anything with an X or a Y in it.  So, I thought I would take readers on a Virtual…
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AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The R Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Junk Art, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Museums, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Quirky Things, Raccoon, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, South Dakota, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, US Highway 16A, US Highway 180, US Highway 20, US Highway 200, US Highway 212, US Highway 277, US Highway 283, US Highway 30, US Highway 34, US HIghway 59, US Highway 60, US Highway 61, US Highway 62, US Highway 65, US Highway 70, US Highway 77, US Highway 80, US Highway 82, US Highway 84, US Highway 87, US Highway 93, US Highway 95, US Highway 97, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Washington, Wyoming
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with  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 R Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Route 66 - Here and There Though we didn't drive the entire route, we did hit a number of places on our trip along the famed Route 66.  Indeed, we got our kicks on Route 66! [caption id="attachment_23751" align="alignnone" width="525"] Route…
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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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Everywhere a Sign – Some A Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, South Dakota, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unique Places
(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!) Everywhere you drive you see signs...all kinds of them -- road signs, directional signs, business signs, advertisements, and more.  As I drive, with camera by my side, I am always on the look out for something unique, interesting and fun.  Here are just a couple of "A" Signs that I came across in my road trips across America in 2018. Alzada, Montana [caption id="attachment_21410" align="alignnone" width="525"] Alzada, Montana[/caption] I drove through Alzada on…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Ghost Signs, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Montana, Murals, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington
[caption id="attachment_20124" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sign post in Broadus, Montana[/caption] One thing that we all see when traveling America's highways is signs.  All kinds of them: road signs, exit signs, mile markers, billboards, "Welcome to Our Town" signs and the massive assortment of business signs from fast food places to local eateries.  Indeed, our eyes and minds are deluges with them! Over the course of my 6000 mile road trip to Washington State and back, I probably saw way more than a sign a mile (on average).  Yes, there are many places with no signs, but then, there are others, such as going through small towns, where they are in abundance. [caption id="attachment_20107" align="aligncenter" width="450"] One of hundreds of Wall Drug signs to be seen on I-90 from as far away…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: Peter Toth’s Whispering Giants

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Maryland, Montana, Selfies, Unique Places, Utah, Whispering Giants
[caption id="attachment_19665" align="alignleft" width="300"] Whispering Giant by Peter Toth, in Murray, UT[/caption] I have posted about the Trail of the Whispering Giants in earlier posts, but my April 2018 trip afforded me the opportunity to double my visits from the past as I was able to create a route that let me hit six more of them as I traveled west to Washington and then back.  In this post I will feature the new ones I visited, but will also include a brief view of the others I have visited in past years.   [caption id="attachment_19474" align="alignright" width="225"] Whispering Giant of Iowa Falls, IA in Veterans Park, placed in 1999[/caption] Peter "Wolf" Toth, a Hungarian-born sculptor now living in the United States, began creating a series of wooden sculptures to…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The W Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Cebu, City Skylines, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Street People, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, Water Buffalo, Water Towers, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Whispering Giants, Wildflowers, Wyoming, Yard Art
In 2018 I  will feature a random (yet alphabetical) selection of photos I have taken from my nearly 20 years of back roads travel in the United States and Canada.  I may even throw in a few random shots from other trips to Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. My theme is called America's Back Roads: A Grab Bag of Places in Pictures.   Let's start this off with a Whispering Bang!! Whispering Giants - art by Hungarian artist Peter Toth - Idaho Falls, Idaho; Bethany Beach, Delaware; Murray, Utah; Red Lodge, Montana; Ottawa, Illinois; Hopewell, Illinois; Paducah, Kentucky; Astoria, Oregon; Ocean City, Maryland; Iowa Falls, Iowa; Utica, Illinois Over 62 of these around the U.S.  Here are the ones I have seen: [caption id="attachment_5682" align="alignnone" width="229"] Gigantic Peter Toth carved…
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