Carhenge – Less Beaten Paths of America Travel Blog

April 2, 2018April 2, 2018

A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The C Things #AtoZChallenge

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.

Cyclisk – Santa Rosa, California

“Cyclisk” – Obelisk made out of bicycle parts in Santa Rosa, CA

Charles Nagreen Statue – Seymour, Wisconsin

Hamburger Charlie statue in Seymour, WI. Charles Nagreen is credited with inventing the hamburger.

Sam & Eulalia Frantz “Field of Corn”- Dublin, Ohio

At the “Field of Corn” – Sam and Eulalia Frantz Park in Dublin, OH

The Field of Corn in Dublin, OH has 109 ears of corn

CastlePost Castle – Versailles, Kentucky

The CastlePost Castle near Versailles, KY

Coal Mine Canyon – near Tuba City, Arizona

Sumoflam at Coal Mine Canyon in Arizona in 1990

Chunky, Mississippi

Chelsea Teddy Bear Company – Chelsea, Michigan

A Christmas Story House – Cleveland, Ohio

Sumoflam at the Christmas Story House in Cleveland

Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo, Texas

One of America’s most famous roadside attractions

The iconic Route 66 roadside attraction known as Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX

Christman Studio & Sculpture Park – St. Louis, Missouri

Backyard view of Christman’s gallery – including a giant head

Chocolate Hills – Bohol, Philippines

Sumoflam at the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippines in 2007

Craters of the Moon National Monument – near Arco, Idaho

Visiting Craters of the Moon in Idaho in 2013

Craters of the Moon drive amidst the lava fields

Camp Disappointment – near Browning, Montana

Camp Disappointment Monument – a Lewis and Clark stopover

Cathedral Rock – Sedona, Arizona

Being a Tour Guide with Nava-Hopi Tours at Cathedral Rock on Oak Creek in Sedona, AZ 1983

The Chocolate Chicken – Egg Harbor, Wisconsin

Colter Bay Lodge – Grand Teton National Park

Mt. Moran in the Grand Tetons as seen from Colter Bay Lodge

Coffee Pot Water Tower – Nebraska City, Nebraska

Sapp’s Coffee Pot Water Tower in Nebraska City

Chain Saw Totem Pole Forest – near Medford, Wisconsin

Cattle Egret – Angleton, Texas

Commerce, Oklahoma

Another classic Route 66 town

Catfish Capitals of the World – Paris, Tennessee & Floodwood, Minnesota

Floodwood Water Tower claims it is the Catfish Capital

Welcome to Paris Catfish – they too claim to be the Catfish Capital

Crystal Wendy’s Hamburger – Dublin, Ohio

The Wendy’s Original $150,000 Crystal Cheeseburger created by Waterford Crystal

Carhenge – Alliance, Nebraska

Another of America’s premiere roadside attractions

Creeper Trail Cafe – Taylors Valley, Virginia

The Creeper Trail Cafe is along the Virginia Creeper bike trail in Taylors Valley…about 20 minutes from Damascus through Tennessee and then back into Virginia. They have world famous cake

Crescent Hotel – Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Claims to be America’s most haunted hotel. We stayed there one night and saw an apparition in our room!!

The Crescent Hotel, America’s Most Haunted in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum – Hamilton, Ontario

Canadian Warplane Museum in Hamilton, Ontario

Corn Palace – Mitchell, South Dakota

Another of America’s most famous roadside attractions. They change the designs every year.

Bridges of Madison County – Winterset, Iowa

Cut and Shoot, Texas

Cows with Sunglasses – Russellville, Kentucky & Normal, Illinois

Cow with Pink Sunglasses in Russellville, KY

A colorful cow in sunglasses seen in Normal, IL

Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

The famous Cowboy Bar neon sign in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar – Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Capulin Volcano National Monument – Capulin, New Mexico

Capulin Volcano – part of the Capulin National Monument in New Mexico

Cozy Drive In – Springfield, Illinois

Another Route 66 icon – home of the corn dog

Cozy Drive In – Home of the famous Hot Dog on a Stick

Chagrin Falls, Ohio

David and Julianne at Chagrin Falls in Ohio

Chinook, Montana

Cool, Texas

Cathedral Falls – Gauley Bridge, West Virginia

World’s Largest Can Pile – Casselton, North Dakota

No longer around, but wanted to include this classic roadside attraction

Carlos Bake Shop – Hoboken, New Jersey

Home of TV Show “Cake Boss”

Sumoflam at Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, NJ

National Corvette Museum – Bowling Green, Kentucky

Old Corvette on pedestal at Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Coot Statue – Ashby, Minnesota

Clayton Dinosaur Trackway – Clayton, New Mexico

Circus Workers’ Cemetery – Hugo, Oklahoma

Showmen’s Rest, a cemetery for circus workers in Hugo, Oklahoma

Church of Uncertain – Uncertain, Texas

If you like what you see, you may want to check out my book: Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names, available on Amazon. My second book, Less Beaten Paths of America: Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions, will be available in late April or early May 2018. Click on the photo below for more details or to get a copy of the book.

(31)

May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

Z is for Zeal – #atozchallenge

I am a zealous traveler. I travel passion and with all the gusto I can. A roadtrip with me can be grueling, but it is always fun. Indeed, I travel with the intent of creating many good memories. Many call me a Road Warrior. Well, I love that term. I travel with zeal.

When on roadtrips, I like to be up with the sun and travel until the sun goes down. I stop for the night wherever I am at sundown…I can’t take many pictures at night now can I?

Sumoflam and the FREE Stamp in Cleveland

In my zealous travels, I have visited all 50 states and a few Canadian Provinces. I have at least one photo of me in almost all of them…a few exceptions where I traveled to those places years ago and the photos either were lost or were never taken (Nevada, Rhode Island, Massachusetts…at least). But in recent years, I have become the “Shamelessly Self-Proclaimed Selfie King” and have tried to record my travels digitally, and include selfies along the way.

Without further adieu, following are selfies/photos of me in every state and Canadian Province I have visited (where I have photos). I have throw some “Road Warrior” and “Traveling with Zeal” pics in along the way for fun.

ALABAMA

ALASKA

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

At Golden Gate Bridge in in San Francisco, CA May 2015

COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

HAWAII

Well…I used to have a photo of me hitting a golf ball at Mililani Golf Course in Honolulu. Can’t find it…..

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

Sumoflam with Superman in Metropolis, IL in 2014

INDIANA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY – My Home Sweet Home since 1993

Visiting Cumberland Falls in Kentucky with grandchildren in 2016

Visiting Kentucky’s Red River Gorge in November 2016

LOUISIANA

Visiting Troy Landry of Swamp People fame in Pierre Part, LA in 2014

MAINE

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS – I last visited Massachusetts in 1990 on a trip to Boston. Photos were taken, but got long lost….

MICHIGAN

Sumoflam with Hiawatha, America’s tallest Indian Statue at over 50 feet in Ironwood, MI

MINNESOTA

Bemidji, MN in 2014 — one of my bucket list places

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

MONTANA – Lived in this wonderful state from 1970-1973

At the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park, still on US 89 in Montana

NEBRASKA

NEVADA – I have visited a few times but don’t think I ever got any photos. Oh well.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

Photo of NYC taken from Sinatra Park in Hoboken, NJ

NEW MEXICO

Have a Coke and a Smile?? Coke machine in Roswell…

NEW YORK

Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, NY 1990

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO – I was born in Little Italy in Cleveland. Home sweet home.

My first home – 2072 Murray Hill Road, now home of the Murray Hill Market

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND – Only visited once way back in 1988. No photos. Actually drove through. Need to stop again!!

SOUTH CAROLINA

SOUTH DAKOTA

Winner Winner..no chicken dinner, just the name of a town in SD

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

UTAH – Graduated High School in Murray, UT in 1974

Graduated from Murray High School in 1974

VERMONT – My 50th state visited — made it in 2016

State Number 50 – At NH/VT border in Brattleboro, VT

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON

Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market – what a place!

WEST VIRGINIA

Meeting a Friendly guy outside the Friendly, WV Post Office

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

WASHINGTON DC

ONTARIO, CANADA

Sumoflam at Screaming Heads in Burk’s Falls, Ontario

SASKATCHEWAN

MANITOBA

ALBERTA

(43)

April 28, 2017

U is for Unique Monsters: Dinos, Dragons & Other Monsters – #atozchallenge

People are enthralled by dinosaurs and dragons. Maybe it is because humans have never really seen one alive. All we have are fossil evidences and legends.

A roadtrip on the back roads of America will almost always present a dinosaur or a dragon. I have seen hundreds in my travels.

Dragon Biting my head off – Jurustic Park – Marshfield, Wisconsin

In this post I hope to share some of the photos and fun of dinosaurs, dragons and other monster thingies as seen on the road.

Autumn and “Grampz” with the Hodag of Rhinelander, WI

Let’s look at a couple of strange monsters first. First there is the Hodag, a unique monster found in Rhinelander, WI. According to an 1893 newspaper article it was “the fiercest, strangest, most frightening monster ever to set razor sharp claws on the earth. It became extinct after its main food source, all white bulldogs, became scarce in the area.”

A giant monster sculpture greets you at the Mount Horeb Welcome Center. Created by Wally Keller

Wisconsin really seems to be the monster capital of the country. In Mt. Horeb, there is another cool looking monster statue in front of the visitor center. Created by Wally Keller, an artist from nearby.

20 foot tall Jurustic Park dragon in Marshfield, WI

Clyde Wynia, the creator of Jurustic Park and the artist behind all of the work

Of course, the premier “dragon” stop in Wisconsin is Jurustic Park in Marshfield, WI. Created by artist (and former attorney) Clyde Wynia, this large property has well over 1000 pieces of welded scrap metal art, including a few dragons.

Clyde has a number of stories about his “artwork fossils” and makes it a fun place to visit. Note that it really is off the beaten path, but well worth a visit!

Big Dragon – Jurustic Park – Marshfield, Wisconsin

And the afore mentioned Wally Keller, who passed away a few years ago, also had a nice menagerie in his front yard.

Hungry Dinosaur – Wally Keller collection near Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin

Scrap Metal Dinosaur – work done by Wally Keller – near Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin

There is another scrap metal artist in Centralia, MO who also has created a number of similar dinosaurs.

Sumoflam and Larry Vennard at his Iron Sculpture Park in Centralia, MO

Larry Vennard’s Highway “T” Rex near Centralia, MO

Sumoflam and the Fire Breathing Dragon of Kaskaskia in Vandalia, IL

One of the most interesting dragons out there is the Kaskaskia Fire breathing dragon in Vandalia, IL

This monster was the brainchild of Kaskaskia Supply owner Walt Barenfanger. The 35 foot long beast is not only a nice piece of metal art, it is also FIRE BREATHING! Yes, go across the street to the Liquor Store or over to the Kaskaskia Hardware store and get a token for One Dollar, stick it into the self-service coin box and this guy’s eyes light up red and he breathes REAL fire for about 10 seconds!!

There are, of course, many other dragons out there.

“Horn Dragon” by Diego Harris. Currently on display at Real Goods Store in Hopland, CA

Dragon with Cowboy Boots at Big Texan Steak House in Amarillo, TX

Metal Dragon on a Building – Clayton, New Mexico

Guitar Playing Scrap Metal Dragon – Harrietsville, Ontario

Impressive Dragon mural on a Chinese Restaurant in Oak Creek, Colorado

But, its the dinosaurs that impress. Many have been built to the presumed size and shape of the various monsters. In fact, there are a number of T Rex statues out there.