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.
Sunset Motel – Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Great little place in the geographic center of the continental US!Always like places with these old keys!
Spider Volkswagen – Wolf Creek, Oregon
Spider Volkswagen – Wolf Creek, Oregon
Sandwich, New Hampshire
WARNING: They do not have a place to get a sandwich in Sandwich. No Joke!
Sandwich, New Hampshire – Cool little village as long as you don’t want to find a sandwichSignposts in Sandwich, NH. No restaurants!
Story Inn – Story, Indiana
Sumoflam at the Story Inn in Story, INThe nice old wooden floors of the Story Inn dining areaAntique Checkerboard on the Story Inn front porch. Checkers are actually old pop bottle caps
San Xavier del Bac – Tucson, Arizona
Old Church “San Xavier del Bac” in TucsonMeditation – San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona
Success, Missouri
Finding Success in Missouri
Shoshoni, Wyoming
The seemingly run down business section of Shoshoni, WYOld Motel Neon sign in Shoshoni, WY
Space Aliens Grill & Bar – Waite Park, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota
Space Aliens Grill & Bar – Waite Park, MNSumoflam with an Alienized Smile at Space AliensSpace Aliens Grill & Bar, Fargo, ND
Screaming Heads – Burk’s Falls, Ontario
Screaming Heads. Canadian secondary school teacher Peter Camani created these spooky yet fascinating landscape artwork. Since the mid-1970s besides being a teacher, he has built these massive structures and amazing castle.Sumoflam at Screaming Heads in Burk’s Falls, OntarioScreaming Heads – Burk’s Falls, Ontario
Spud Drive-In – Teton Valley, Idaho
The Spud Drive-In – Teton Valley, IdahoThe Spud sign – Teton Valley, ID
Sandhill Cranes – Barren River Lake, Kentucky; Cecilia, Kentucky; Dell, Montana
Sandhill Cranes take flight1000s of sandhill cranes converge on a field near Cecilia, KYSandhill Cranes near Red Rock Ranch in Dell, MontanaA pair of Sandhill Cranes at sunset near Cecilia, KY
Stone Mountain – Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain, GA in 2015
Scary Creek, West Virginia
Scary Creek Church of God signScary Creek Paintball billboard
Silver Saddle Motel – Manitou Springs, Colorado
Silver Saddle Motel – Manitou Springs, CO
Sapp Brothers – Nebraska City, Nebraska; Council Bluffs, Iowa
Sapp’s Coffee Pot Water Tower in Nebraska CitySapp Brothers Water Tower in Council Bluffs, IA
Solomon, Kansas
US Post Office, Solomon, KansasSolomon Water Tower
Shipwrecked Brew Pub – Egg Harbor, Wisconsin
Ahoy matey…how about some lunch at the Shipwrecked Brew Pub in Egg Harbor, WI
Suizenji Park – Kumamoto, Japan
Enjoying a visit to the famed Suizenji Park in Kumamoto
Spar Cafe – Olympia, Washington
Spar Cafe – Olympia, WAInside the Spar Cafe in Olympia
Salida, Colorado
Salida, ColoradoOdd metal buffalo in Salida, Colorado
Seth, West Virginia
Seth, West Virginia
Sam Houston Statue – Huntsville, Texas
77 Foot Tall Sam Houston Statue in Huntsville, TexasSumoflam with Big Sam Houston towering behind him in Huntsville, TX
Star Trek Places – Vulcan, Alberta; Riverside, Iowa
Sol and Sumoflam live long and prosper with the Starship Enterprise in Vulcan, Alberta Sept 2007Live Long and Prosper – Sumoflam and the Starship Riverside
Seagull with clam in Port OrchardA flock of seagulls on the deck of the Hyak in Puget Sound, WAA couple of seagulls “converse” as they enjoy the view over a lake in Ashland, WisconsinSeagull in flight in Gulf of Mexico near Galveston, TexasA closeup shot of a seagull taken on Bremerton Ferry while crossing the Puget Sound in Washington
Chief Standing Brave – Big Cabin, Oklahoma
Giant Indian Chief “Standing Brave” in Big Cabin, OK
Spindle (Cars on a Spike) – Cermak Plaza – Berwyn, Illinois
As seen in the movie Wayne’s World – sadly, no longer around
The famed “Spindle” sculpture as seen in the movie Wayne’s World. Apparently, it wasn’t worthy. This was taken in 2007 and in 2008 it was torn down…meh
Smiley Water Towers – Adair, Iowa; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Beloit, Wisconsin; Cedar Creek, Texas; Smiley, Texas
Smiley Water Tower in Adair, IowaWinking Smiley on backside of Water Tower in Grand Forks, NDBeloit, WI Smiley Water TowerSmiley Water Tower – Cedar Creek, Texas
And finally…one without a Smiley Face….
A Smiley Water Tower without a Smiley Face…Smiley, Texas
Seattle as seen from a boat in the Puget SoundWelcome to the Seattle WaterfrontSeattle’s famed “Great Wheel”
Shenandoah National Park – Luray, Virginia
Visiting Shenandoah National Park on Easter Sunday 2017Easter Sunrise as seen from Shenandoah National ParkHills of Shenandoah Valley in presunrise hours on Easter 2017
Skeletons on the Highways – Port Orchard, Washington; San Francisco, California; Montrose, South Dakota; Murdo, South Dakota
Closeup of the Biker Skeleton at Bethel Saloon in Port Orchard, WAA skeleton pirate guards the entrance to a shop in Fisherman’s WharfA skeleton keeping guard at Porter’s Sculpture Park in Montrose, SDSkeleton Walking Dinosaur near Murdo, South DakotaCloseup of Murdo Skeleton
Sorehead Cafe – Rudyard, Montana
The Sorehead Cafe – Rudyard, Montana
Stoneville Saloon – Alzada, Montana
Stoneville Saloon in Alzada, MT taken in June 2005Stoneville Saloon – Cheap Drinks – Lousy FoodCanned Delicacies at Stoneville Saloon – Alzada, Montana
Saketumi Restaurant – Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Japanese food at the Saketumi Asian Bistro in Rehoboth Beach, DE
Stoner Drug – Hamburg, Iowa
Stoner Drug in Hamburg, IAThe old fashioned soda fountain inside of Stoner Drug
Sawtooth Mountains – Stanley, Idaho
Sawtooth Scenic Byway in IdahoJagged Sawtooths near Stanley, IDSawtooth Range as seen from Galena Overlook
Sod House Museum – Gothenburg, Nebraska
Sod House Museum, Gothenburg, NEBarbed Wire Indian Chief and Horse – Sod House Museum – Gothenburg, Nebraska
A bit of Superman – Metropolis, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Ashland, Wisconsin
Superman Mural in Metropolis, ILAt the house that used to be the home of Jerry Siegel, the Creator of the Superman stories. This is in Cleveland, OhioSuperman is hung forever on the side of Boudreau’s antiques…saving a little doll?Sumoflam and the 12 foot tall bronze Superman in Metropolis (not fiberglass, but a neighbor to Big John)
Sheep Capital of America – Newell, South Dakota
Livestock Sign – Newell, SDSign at the door of TJ’s Cafe in Newell, SD. Bear in mind this is sheep country.
Welcome to Shelby, MSColorful buildings of Shelby, MSDaniel’s Snack Shack, Shelby, MS
Sedona, Arizona
Agave in Sedona, ArizonaChapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, AZOak Creek runs by the famed Cathedral Rock in Sedona, AZ
Stinky’s Country Well – Gilboa, Ohio
Stinky’s Sign – Gilboa, OhioStinky’s Country Well – Gilboa, Ohio
Showmen’s Rest Cemetery – Hugo, Oklahoma
Showmen’s Rest in Hugo’s Mt. Olivet CemeterySumoflam with an Elephant Headstone at Showmen’s RestA final view of Showmen’s Rest
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus Welcome SignA Santa Selfie at Santa Claus Post OfficeSanta Claus Police
Scandinavian Heritage Museum – Minot, North Dakota
The Gol Stave Church replica and museum at the Scandinavian Heritage Center in Minot, NDThe 30 foot tall Dala Horse at the Scandinavian Heritage Center in Minot
Sparta House – Sparta, Ontario
Sparta House Tearoom – Sparta, Ontario
Scotty’s Hamburgers – Idaho Falls, Idaho
Scotty’s Hamburgers – Idaho Falls, Idaho
Severed Head Trading Post – Perryville, Kentucky
Severed Head Trading Post – Perryville, Kentucky
Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway – Nebraska
Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway on Nebraska Hwy 2Nebraska Highway 2 Sandhills JourneySunset over Beem Lake in the Sandhills of Nebraska…
Seabrook, New Hampshire
Sign Post in Seabrook, NHWelcome to New Hampshire! US State #48 for me.
Schroeder’s Drive-In – Danville, Illinois
Schroeder’s Drive-In – Danville, Illinois
Shakespeare, Ontario
Welcome to ShakespeareAntique Shops in Shakespeare
Steubenville, Ohio
Welcome to Steubenville, OHMarket Street by Michael Wojczuk. This was the first mural painted in SteubenvilleSumoflam and Dino in Steubenville
Swedesburg, Iowa
Welcome to SwedesburgThe famous Straw Goat from Swedesburg.Caution – Swedish Crossing in Swedesburg, IA
Sam Black Church, West Virginia
Sam Black Church in Sam Black Church, WVSam Black Church historical Marker
Sunset Crater National Monument – Flagstaff, Arizona
Family at Sunset Crater National Monument north of Flagstaff in July 1993
Silver Dollar Saloon – Leadville, Colorado
Silver Dollar Saloon storefront – Leadville, Colorado
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.
June 15, 2005: Today we departed on our trip to Great Falls, Montana for Amaree’s wedding, the second in a string of 3 weddings in 8 weeks. Accompanying me on the trip is Seth, Solomon and Marissa, who will be married on the 25th of June in Louisville, which is in 10 days. Our Road Trip will comprise about 4500 miles as we drive north thru Indiana and Illinois and then across Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and into Montana. Our return will be a
similar trip, except thru a corner of Wyoming and then across South Dakota and then Minnesota and Wisconsin. A general map of the trip can be seen below:
My goal was to leave at 5:30 AM since we have such a long trip ahead of us. However, we got out at 6:00 AM. Then, we had to stop at Wal-Mart to get some new tennis shoes for me since I blew my others ones out yesterday. After Wal-Mart, we made a quick stop at McDonald’s for breakfast and then headed on the road.
Before I go into detail about the trip, I need to make a special note of gratitude to Randy O’Neal and his wife. Randy works with me at Lexmark. We have worked in the same are for nearly five years. Anyway, last Sunday Randy called me out of the blue. I was curious why he would call me on a Sunday and wondered if there was a work
emergency that came up. In the long run Randy told me that he and his wife would like to offer us the use of their conversion van for the long trip. They felt that this was probably the best gift they could give for these weddings and that it would fill a big need since he knew we were planning on renting a car for the trip. I told him how far we were going and that I would feel bad if anything happened. But, he continued to press and so I graciously accepted. This was such an extremely kind and thoughtful act on the part of Randy and his wife. I know that this will make the trip more comfortable for all of us. Below is a picture of the van:
Randy’s van – our wheels for this trip
We finally got on the road at about 6:45 after taking care of all the errands. We headed west through Versailles and then onto I-64 towards Louisville. We then headed north on I-65 through Indianapolis and on up to Gary, Indiana. By the time we got to Gary it was already 11:45 AM. My goal was to be in Chicago at our first stop by 10:00. But, due to traffic and a late start, we were already way behind. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to be on the road. I had not taken a road trip like this for a couple of years and love to get out and see the countryside and the personality of these United States and all that is offered. I kind of themed our trip to see the ‘Wacky and Wonderful’. We would be going across the Northern states to Montana and they are fairly well known for a number of cheesy and interesting sites (and in the case of Wisconsin–REAL Cheesy). I spent alot of time scheduling out all of the sites, most of which would be free. But, we also had a tight schedule to keep since we had to make it to Great Falls by late Thursday night. So, we really had to push it.
Our first planned stop was in Chicago, at Millennium Park. We finally pulled into the underground parking lot in downtown Chicago at 12:54 PM, basically three hours later than planned. The traffic was TERRIBLE into Chicago. There were instances that we didn’t even move along Lake Shore Drive. But, I wanted to at least get to Millennium Park. I had read about it in the AAA Magazine and
thought it would match our theme. I also felt that this would be a great point for all of us to get out and stretch and walk a bit.
Chicago traffic was terrible.Thus parking garage was just one of many novelty sites on this trip.
Millennium Park is right in the center of downtown Chicago, on the location of Grant Park. It is a 24.5 acre park that features some fabulous art and architecture. I will not go into the history of the park here, but instead will provide a link to the park’s website:
Millenium Park
My hopes in visiting the park were to see the three main works: The Crown Fountain, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Kapoor sculpture, entitled “Cloud Gate”.
Our first stop was the Crown Fountain. The fountain consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images from a broad social spectrum of Chicago citizens (apparently over 1000 subjects were videoed), a reference to the traditional use of gargoyles in fountains, where
faces of mythological beings were sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out. I was excited to see the fountains and see how the faces were projected on to them. More details about the fountains can be found here: The Crown Fountain
Here we are visiting Crown Fountain:
Seth and Solomon get a toothy grin at the Crown Fountain.Missy and I are ooking at the “gargoyle”
The fountains are actually kind of freaky. The subjects were video-taped, so they blink, move their mouths, etc. It is as if the structures were alive.
Our next stop on the park was a stroll over to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. To me this looks very similar to the Sydney Opera House in architectural design. Details about the pavilion can be seen here: Jay Pritzker Pavilion
The Pavilion is a concert venue that stands about 120 feet high. The stage is surrounded by a number of brushed steel ribbons. I guess they call this the “headdress”. There is a large lawn in front of it that makes this much like an amphitheater. While we were here, there was an orchestra and choir rehearsing for an upcoming concert. It was pretty unique.
Solomon, Seth and me at the Jay Pritzker PavilionBrothers carrying sister Marissa under the “headdress” of the pavilion
Our next visit in the park was to the “Cloud Gate”. This is a large silver sculpture that looks like a drop of mercury. Unfortunately, we could not see it in its entirety as much of it was covered for repair work. Here is a link to more details about the sculpture by artist Anish Kapoor: Cloud Gate on SBC Plaza
Despite the construction, we were able to get some pictures as one side of it was open. It was pretty neat to take the pictures with a backdrop of the city behind us. Here we are at Cloud Gate:
If you look carefully, you can see me in the middle taking the picture…to the left of Seth’s head.One of the massive pieces of art at Millennium ParkA view of the fountain
We spent about an hour at the park. It was a refreshing experience and a nice break. But, we needed to get back on the road as we had a lot of ground to cover. I was quite disappointed that we were so far behind schedule. One of the other sites that I really, really, really wanted to see was the Cermak Plaza, famous for the Cars on a Spike (NOTE: I did eventually make it to Cermak to see Spindle and, thank goodness I did as it has since been taken down). Since we didn’t get there, I don’t have photos. But here is a link: Spindle
Another place I had hoped to see was the Leaning Tower
of Niles…Niles, Illinois that is. But, time did not allow for that
either. But, here is a link from my favorite site Roadside America: Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois
Hopefully, on my next Road Trip to Montana to see Amaree and Aaron we can hit those sites.
We finally got back on the road at about 2 PM and continued to head north towards Wisconsin. Along I-90 we must have hit 5 or 6 toll stations. What a pain. All totaled, we spent $11.00 on tolls between Gary, IN and the Wisconsin border.
We drove up I-90 through Madison, WI and then took exit 126 to DeForest, WI, which was our next scheduled stop. The first stop was the Ehlenbach Cheese Chalet, famous for its cheese and also famous for its large Holstein Cow statue in the front of the shop. Here we
are in Wisconsin:
Welcome to Wisconsin!Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet in DeForest, WI
Of course, besides a nice bag of cheese curds, the real goal here was to see Sissy the Cow:
Sissy the Cow..udderly mooving. Sissy the Cow is NOT wearing the tie dye shirt!!!I did say there were some cheesy things in Wisconsin!!
Sissy is 19 feet tall, 20 feet long, and two tons — a Holstein cow made of structural steel and fiber mixed with epoxy. She used to be known as the World’s Largest Cow, along with her sister Chatty Belle in nearby Janesville, WI. However, as you will soon see (in a later post), she is now nowhere near the world’s largest (which is Salem Sue, in New Salem, ND).
Another site we planned on just down the road from Sissy, in fact, at the same exit, is Pinky the Elephant. This was Marissa’s hope and dream to see Pinky. Pinky is one of three or four of these bespectacled Pink Elephants dotting the United States. I think there is one in Tennessee, one in Illinois and one in Georgia. However, due to its proximity with Sissy, this one is probably the most famous. Here are some shots of Pinky and Missy:
Pinky the Elephant in DeForest, WIMarissa kissing Pinky on the snoutMissy gave Pinky a love pat on the rear.And yes…you can EVEN buy souvenir stickers of Pinky for a quarter!! (As of 2014 they were 50 cents)
After our little venture into DeForest, it was time for us to head west towards Minnesota. There were many other places along the way that we wanted to see, but time was a factor for us as we needed to get to St. Cloud, Minnesota in time for dinner at a special place.
We cruised across the state and got to the Mississippi River at about 7:15 PM, still about 3 hours behind schedule. This was really disappointing to me here as well. I had hoped to get to Darwin, MN to see the Largest Ball of Twine made by one person. But, since
we couldn’t make it this time, I will at least put a link to it:
World’s Largest Ball of Twine. There are other Balls of Twine out
there as evidenced by this site: World’s Largest Twine Balls. I hope to get to all of them some time.
Solomon doesn’t look to excited to be welcomed to Minnesota.The kids with the Mississippi River behind them.
But, despite missing the twine ball, I was very determined to get to Space Aliens Grill and Bar in Waite Park, MN, just outside of St. Cloud. We were all hungry and we had to push it to get there, which we finally did at 10:00 PM. Thank goodness they close at 11:00 PM (I did my research in advance so I knew this!!). It was great to get there when we did too. It was a Wednesday and that meant All-You-Can-Eat Ribs. The boys were thrilled.
I wanted to go to Space Aliens either here or in Fargo, but didn’t think we could make it all the way to Fargo. This is one of those novelty theme restaurants as can be seen below. Here is a link to their web site: Space Aliens Grill & Bar
The Waite Park restaurant was not difficult to locate. We got there and all Seth and Solomon could say was “Let’s Eat!!” I don’t think I need to say anything about the restaurant except that the ribs were fantastic. The boys ate a ton of ribs, in fact, the waitress said she could not recall any group having as many as we did. The photos below should tell it all:
Notice that Earthlings are Welcome at this place.Sumoflam outside the restaurant at 10 PM CSTSeth at the ‘UFO Crossing’.Some of the typical artworkThe ceiling artworkNow this is what we came for!! All-You-Can-Eat Ribs.The boys set a record at this place and also wiped out the ribs.
Empty bones and platesAnd full tummies and smiling faces after a well-eaten meal!!
After a great dinner, and our first real meal of the day, we were ready to crash. We found a nearby motel and did just that. A long, long day 1 of the trip to Montana was finally over.
The entire roadtrip set of journals can be seen in its original form HERE
In late May of this year I finally had an opportunity to hit one of my “Bucket List” sites – Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska. This “Car Art” site (see my post on Car Art from last August) ranks up there with the other well known sites, Cadillac Ranch, in Amarillo, Texas and the former “Spindle” (Cars on a Spike) by Dustin Shuler that was displayed at Cermak Plaza in Berwyn, Illinois until May 2008.
Sumoflam at Carhenge in Alliance, NE in May 2014Sumoflam at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas in August 2013Sumoflam at Spindle in Berwyn, IL in May 2007 (subsequently torn down in May 2008)
Unlike Cadillac Ranch, which is set up on a farm in Amarillo, Carhenge is actually owned by the city of Alliance, Nebraska and is touted as one of their main tourist attractions.
Glowing sun on Carhenge, in Alliance, NE
My trip to Carhenge was on the the next to last leg of my return trip home from Montana (see the full day’s post HERE). I pushed hard to get here from Cody, Wyoming via Douglas (the Jackalope Capital of the World) and then finished the day off with a two hour drive along Nebraska Route 2 over the Sandhills to get to Grand Island for the night.
Welcome to CarhengeThis way to Carhenge
This unique piece of Car Art is the brainchild of Jim Reinders who completed the work in time to dedicate it on the June 1987 Summer Solstice. Reinders conceived it in 1987 to be a memorial to his father. While living in England, he studied the structure of Stonehenge, which helped him to copy the structure’s shape, proportions, and size.
Jim Reinders, creator of Carhenge, signs canvas prints (borrowed from Friends of Carhenge Facebook Page)
There are other automobile sculptures that have been added to the the area around Carhenge and the additional name of Car Art Reserve was added for these.
Panorama View of Carhenge
Carhenge consists of 38 automobiles arranged in a circle measuring about 95 ft in diameter. Some are held upright in pits trunk end down, and arches have been formed by welding automobiles atop the supporting models. The heelstone is a 1962 Cadillac. Three cars were buried at Carhenge. Their “gravestone” is a car that reads: “Here lie three bones of foreign cars. They served our purpose while Detroit slept. Now Detroit is awake and America’s great!”
Old Cadillac at Carhenge
After the long drive from Cody, I arrived at Carhenge around 6 PM CST as the sun made its way down. There were many nice shadows cast. I dropped in to the small Visitor’s Center and saw that they needed a license plate donation (chuckle)…I pulled out one of my old MARDUP license plates, signed the back and donated it to Alliance employee Beau at the Carhenge Gift Shop.
Carhenge Gift ShopDonating MARDUP License Plate to Carhenge Gift Shop staffer Beau
I also had fun trying out a new app while at Carhenge…my 360 Panorama App…here is what I got….
As I noted above, the actual Stonehenge like circle has 38 cars. I tried to capture a few of them in some of the photos below:
Carhenge in Alliance, NebraskaCarhenge in Alliance, NebraskaCarhenge in Alliance, NebraskaCarhenge in Alliance, NebraskaCarhenge in Alliance, NebraskaWide view of CarhengeYou are Loved at Carhenge
Ironically, cars are not the only feature at Carhenge. There are a couple of cool sculptures made from car parts. Of course, my readers know I love scrap metal art.
Spawning Salmon by Canadian artist Geoff Sandhurst.
One of the first sculptures to be added to the Car Art Reserve is a sculpture of a spawning salmon created by 29 year-old Canadian Geoff Sandhurst.
Spawning Salmon with Carhenge in backgroundSumoflam and Salmon
Then there is a fifteen foot metal dinosaur that overlooks Carhenge
A 15 foot dinosaur overlooks CarhengeDinosaur Head with sharp teethIn the belly of the beast!
Reinders created a second set as part of the Car Reserve called “Ford Seasons.” It is comprised only of Fords and was inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Season. It was meant to suggest the Nebraska landscape’s seasonal changes as wheat is planted, grows, is harvested, and then the field lies barren during a windy winter.
Ford Seasons – part of the Car Art Reserve
And finally, a few more scenes from Carhenge as the sun went down and I had to be on my way….
Sun shines through like a star in CarhengeCarhenge as seen from the Gift Shop. The colorful bench is also made from car partsBuried Car at CarhengeBuried cars at Carhenge
In closing….visit Alliance and Carhenge if you make it to western Nebraska. Well worth the visit!!