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.
Feely, Montana
Feely, Montana
Fiberglass Snowman – Lewisburg, West Virginia
Huge snowman in Lewisburg, WV
Fireplace of States – Bemidji, Minnesota
Fireplace of States in Bemidji, MN
Fat Smitty’s – Port Townsend, Washington
Fat Smitty’s, a burger joint near Port Townsend, WA.Fat Smitty’s ceiling covered with money.
Futuro Flying Saucer House – Covington, Kentucky
The Futuro House in Covington, KY
Four Corners – Teec Nos Pos, Arizona
Four Corners – July 15, 1993
Frank L. White Grave Marker (The Cream of Wheat Guy) – Leslie, Michigan
Grave Marker of Frank L. White, the man featured on Cream of Wheat boxes. In Woodlawn Cemetery, Leslie, MI
Frostop Root Beer – Ashton, Idaho
Frostop Drive-in – Ashton, ID
Fair Play, South Carolina
Fair Play, SC
Fisherman’s Wharf – San Francisco, California
Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco
Fayetteville, West Virginia
The Hobbit Hole – a unique and quirky shop in Fayetteville, WV
Fisherman’s Dream – Enchanted Highway – Regent, North Dakota
Fisherman’s Dream, one of the many Ginormous scrap metal sculptures on the Enchanted HighwaySumoflam at “Fisherman’s Dream” on Enchanted Highway in North Dakota
First Church of Peculiar – Peculiar, Missouri
First Church of Peculiar – A Peculiar Church in Peculiar, MO
Fox in the Snow – Grand Teton National Park
Fox on Snow in Grand Teton National Park
Flippin, Arkansas
Flippin, ArkansasFlippin PoliceFlippin Christian Church
Fallasburg Covered Bridge – Fallasburg, MI
Fallasburg Covered Bridge, Fallasburg, MI
Fourway, Texas
Buffalo Mural in Fourway, TexasSign to Fourway, Texas
Forest Fire Department – Forest, Mississippi
Forest Fire Department, Forest, MS
Flatrock Coffee – Nashville, Tennessee
Had lunch at Flatrock Coffee in Nashville. Great food and a large collection of one of a kind Antsy McClain art on coffee cupsAntsy McClain art on Coffee Cups — one of dozens of original pieces on display at Flatrock Coffee in Nashville
Flying Saucer Monument – Mars, Pennsylvania
Flying Saucer in main town square in Mars, PA
Friendship, Arkansas
Found Friendship in ArkansasFriendship Police Department
Frank Sinatra Park – Hoboken, New Jersey
Blue Eyes Pizza and Gelato in Frank Sinatra Park
Flower Man House – Houston, Texas
Flower Man House – Houston, Texas
Fly, Ohio
Fly, Ohio
Future City, Illinois
Sign to Future City, Illinois…I guess it is not there yet??
Fox Theatre – Detroit, Michigan
Fox Theatre – Detroit, Michigan
Frog Pond Bar-B-Que – Frog Pond, Tennessee
Frog Pond Bar-B-Que – Frog Pond, Tennessee
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center – Glen Rose, Texas
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, TexasAngry Ostrich at Fossil Rim
Flood Wall Murals – Paducah, Kentucky; Jeffersonville, Indiana; Point Pleasant, West Virginia; Portsmouth, Ohio
Part of Flood Wall Murals in PaducahOne of the many flood wall murals of Jeffersonville, IndianaDafford’s History Mural on flood wall in Point Pleasant, WVChillicothe Street 1940s by Robert Dafford in Portsmouth, OH
Fort Worth Stockyards – Fort Worth, Texas
Pecos Bill, the giant longhorn for photo ops at the Fort Worth StockyardsCowboys – Fort Worth, Texas
Floodwood Catfish – Floodwood, Minnesota
A Catfish monument in Floodwood, MN where they claim to be the Catfish Capital of the World
Friendly, West Virginia
Meeting a Friendly guy outside the Friendly, WV Post Office
Fort Steuben – Steubenville, Ohio
Fort Steuben Historical Site, Steubenville, OHHistoric Fort Steuben
Findlay Market – Cincinnati, Ohio
Findlay Market, CincinnatiSumoflam at Findlay Market in the Over-the-Rhine District of Cincinnati
Frontier Bar & Supper Club – Dunkirk, Montana
Frontier Bar and Supper Club – Dunkirk, MontanaSumoflam and the Mailbox Guy at Frontier Bar and Supper Club
Mount Fuji – Fuji City, Japan
Mt. Fuji framed by Japanese flag, ca. 1978Mt. Fuji in the trees and clouds (ca. 1978)
Flower Bed Art – What Cheer, Iowa
A “Flower Bed” in What Cheer, Iowa
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.
Anyone who drives on a road, whether city street or an interstate highway, always depends on roadsigns and street signs to find their way. In this age of GPS, we sometimes miss the turns because we’re not looking for the roadsigns.
Well, on the back roads of America there are many fun and unique roadsigns. Perhaps they weren’t meant to be that way as places were named certain names sometimes as far back as the 1600s and 1700s. But, sometimes neighborhood designers throw in funny names for streets or neighborhoods.
Charm, OhioCorner of This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX
In this post I want to take a look at some of the roadsigns I have come across in my travels. Indeed, that has been one of my fun challenges. As I have noted on one of my pages, I am a “Collector of Places.” I can collect roadsigns, street signs and directional signs with the snap of a camera shutter. And that is what I do.
To start off with, I want to look at a few street signs. Some of these can be pretty unique. Perhaps the most interesting story comes out of Lake Jackson, Texas. The main drag if you will is named “This Way.” And, as a matter of fact, when it gets into downtown Lake Jackson, it intersects with another road called That Way. To be sure, there is a story associated with that and I have included the plaque that sits on the street by that intersection which 16 complete explains why there is a This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson.
This Way U TurnPlaque describing the naming of the roads This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX
Now, if you prefer, there is The Udder Way in Yellow Springs, OH. It’s just actually a small private drive that goes into a large ice cream shop in the Little Miami River region of Ohio.
Lost? Try going the Udder Way, This is in Yellow Springs, OH
If you were more into a fantasy trip, then how about taking Wonderland Road near Upton, KY or the Yellow Brick Road near Dayton, OH.
Wonderland Road, Upton, KYThere is a Yellow Brick Road in OhioThe Yellow Brick Road near Dayton, OH
If you don’t care about the name of the street, try No Name Street in Millersburg, OH.
No Name Street in Millersburg, OH
If you happen to be driving in Austin, Texas, you can find an interesting intersection at the corner of Music and Academy. Or, and yet another town in Ohio, there is an intersection of Sugar and Water in Chillicothe, OH.
Corner of Music and Academy in Austin, TXA Sugar and Water corner in Chillicothe, Ohio
There is a Normal St. in Bowling Green, Kentucky. And there are a couple of Bugtussle street names including Bugtussle Road in Bugtussle, Kentucky and Bugtussle Blvd. in the middle of nowhereville Texas.
Normal St. in Bowling Green, KYBugtussle, KYRoad sign in Bugtussle, TX…the only indication you are at the intersection of FM1550 and TX34
I got a chuckle when driving through Cary, NC and came across Ten-Ten Rd.
I also came upon a Bliss Rd. in Columbia, KY, but it did not seem to bring me any bliss, until I discovered Bliss Happens Lane and Easy Street!
Bliss Rd in Columbia KYAnd I found where Bliss Happens in MarylandEasy Street in Port Orchard, WA
Head to DeForest, WI and there is an Elephant Trail. Drive down that road and look carefully and you will find a giant pink elephant!
Elephant Trail in DeForest, WI
If you are not too picky, you can drive down Booger Hollow Rd. in Gray, KY.
Booger Hollow Rd. in Gray, KY
For a drive with a bit of zing, trying to drive down Chile Capital Lane in Hatch, NM.
Chile Capital Lane in Hatch, NM
And for a real Jurassic adventure, how about visiting the corner of Gorgosaurus Ave and T. Rex Trail in Indianapolis.
Gorgosaurus Ave in IndianapolisT. Rex Trail in Indianapolis
One time I was driving on the back roads of Lexington, where I live, and came upon Real Quiet Lane. But shhhhh… keep it quiet OK?
Shhh…this is a Real Quiet Lane in Lexington, KY
Back in Ohio, in the Little Italy section of Cleveland, there is just a Random Road.
Random Road, Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, OH
OK, yes, since you asked, I have been to Bourbon St. in New Orleans!
Bourbon Street in New Orleans in 2011
But, perhaps the best road to take is Only Rd. in Only, TN
The Only Rd. to Only, TNThis way to Only, TN
Perhaps it’s not a road that you’re looking for, but rather a town or community. There are an abundance of fun road signs for these.
If somebody tells you to go to Hell, there is a sign for that in Michigan! If you are seeking Romance or Success, these signs will point the way for you in Missouri. And, you can also get directions to Prosperity in Pennsylvania. And you can find Talent in Oregon or Wisdom in Kentucky.
This way to Hell, MI Indeed, you can get to Hell….I took the road, but never did find Romance in Missouri in 2011. Turned out to be a dead end.Success, Missouri directionHeading to Prosperity in PennsylvaniaTalent, OregonYou can find Charm in OhioAnd you can find Wisdom in KentuckyIf you go this route in Montana you will be able to Divide Wisdom, whatever that means
Along the way you may run into Normal, Peculiar, Odd or Oddville. You could even get stuck in Uncertain….it is one way in and one way out. Or maybe Boring.
Normal, ILThis way to Peculiar, MissouriOdd School Road takes you into the town of Odd, WVOr you can visit Oddville, KentuckyOddville Sunrise RoadFinding Uncertainty in Uncertain, TXBoring, Oregon
Lonely? Head to Friendship or Friendly.
Friendship, ArkansasFriendly, West Virginia
And these are cool places to visit…
Cool, TexasCoolville, OhioSanta Claus, IN
Lost? Go this way to Earth.
Muleshoe and Earth, TX
If you prefer to go to Muleshoe, maybe you would like Donkey or some other assortment of critters.
Donkey, VA near Pound, VAOne of my favorite shots…Alligator, MSFly, OhioBlack Gnat, KY
And a few more just for fun:
Home on the Range sign in North DakotaSign to Future City, Illinois…I guess it is not there yet??Feely, MontanaPonder, TexasWinner, South DakotaTruth or Consequences, NM
During the month of April 2016 I participated in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge had each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays.
This was my first opportunity to really participate in this annual event, which just completed its 6th year. It was not easy!! I had to not only post something daily, but also create a theme and stick with it. And, in my perfectionist way, I wanted to make sure there were plenty of photos and commentary. I wrote in such a way to draw people to the more detailed posts, where ever possible.
It was a load of fun and I completed the challenge. Not sure how many actually did, but it was certainly tough, yet fulfilling.
What I really loved about the event was being able to communicate and link up with others doing the same thing. I have made some new friends on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I have found some interesting blogs to follow and also have a few new followers.
I most certainly look forward to participating again next year. Now to start thinking of a good theme for next year. May actually take a long time!!!
A BIG Thanks to Arlee Bird and her wonderful team!!
My blog was number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts took readers across the back roads of America to many unique towns. See what other bloggers posted about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016
Following is a complete listing of each with the banners associated with each post’s link. Click on the Lettered Banner to go to the specific post.
The A Towns: Amarillo, TX – Adair, IA – Alzada, MT – Alamogordo, NM – Alligator, MS – Alliance, NE – Ada, MI – Akela Flats, NM
The B Towns: Bemidji, MN – Boring, OR – Blackfoot, ID – Burk’s Falls, ON – Booger Holler, AR – Brownsville, TN – Babb, MT – Blackwater, MO – Bena, MN – Bucksnort, TN – Bugtussle, KY – Bugtussle, TX
The C Towns: Cactus Flat, SD – Centralia, MO – Cape Elizabeth, ME – Climax, NC – Climax, KY – Choteau, MT – Cave City, KY – Charm, OH – Chelsea, MI – Champaign, IL – Cut Bank, MT – Caledonia, ON – Cut and Shoot, TX – China Grove, TX – Cool, TX – Coolville, OH
The D Towns: Douglas, WY – DeForest, WI – Discovery Bay, WA – Dublin, OH – Dublin, TX – Dragoon, AZ – Denton, TX – Durant, OK – Danville, IL – Dallas, SD – Denver, NC – Damon, TX
The E Towns: Earth, TX – Eureka Springs, AR – Elbe, WA – Easton, PA – Eldon, IA – Egg Harbor, WI – East Peoria, IL – Embro, ON – Eagle, CO – Endeavor, WI
The F Towns: Flagstaff, AZ – Friendly, WV – Friendship, AR – Flippin, AR – Fair Play, SC – Fergus Falls, MN – Feely, MT – Flippin, KY – Fly, OH – Four Way, TX – Future City, IL
The G Towns: Gainesville, TX – Gothenburg, NE – Guthrie, KY – Gregory, SD – Galata, MT – Glasgow, MT – Glasgow, KY – Gardiner, MT – Gillette, WY – Granbury, TX – Grand Forks, ND – Gravel Switch, KY – Gilboa, OH – Georgetown, TX
The H Towns: Hell, MI – Hamtramck, MI – Hamilton, ON – Hatch, NM – Hico, TX – Hopland, CA – Hoboken, NJ – Hugo, OK – Hershey, PA – Home on the Range, ND – Hamburg, IA
The I Towns: Indian Head, SK – Intercourse, PA – Ironwood, MI – Independence, MO – Idaho Falls, ID – Iona, ID – Inverness, MT – Iron River, WI
The J Towns: Jamestown, ND – Joseph, OR – Jeffersonville, IN – Juneau, AK – Jackson Hole, WY – Janesville, WI – Jackson Center, OH – Jamaica Beach, TX – Jamestown, NY
The K Towns: Kemmerer, WY – Keystone, SD – Ketchikan, AK – Kensington District, ON – Kadoka, SD – Kremlin, MT – Kirkwood, MO
The L Towns: LeClaire, IA – Lake Nebagamon, WI – Lesage, WV – LeRoy, NY – Lizard Lick, NC – Lake Jackson, TX – Lost Springs, WY – Langdon, ND
The M Towns: Mt. Horeb, WI – Meadville, PA – Metropolis, IL – Marshfield, WI – Moenave, AZ – Mystic, CT – Montrose, SD – Minot, ND – Mitchell, SD – Mapleton, ON – Medina, NY – Moose Jaw, SK – Mars, PA
The N Towns: Nicholson, PA – Nekoma, ND – Natchez, MS – Neah Bay, WA – Nauvoo, IL – Newport, OR – Newark, OH – Normal, IL – Nice, CA – New Salem, ND
The O Towns: Only, TN – Old Orchard Beach, ME – Okay, OK – Oil Springs, ON – Oak Creek, CO – Oacoma, SD – Odd, WV – Onawa, IA – Oddville, KY
The P Towns: Pella, IA – Peculiar, MO – Pierre Part, LA – Point Pleasant, WV – Paris, KY – Paris, TX – Paris, TN – Paris, ON – Port Orchard, WA – Powder River, WY – Paducah, KY – Port Gibson, MS – Palmyra, NY – Perryville, KY – Paxton, NE – Pembroke, NY – Penn Yan, NY – Ponder, TX
The Q Towns: Quincy, IL – Quartzsite, AZ – Queen City, OH (Cincinnati) – Quicksand, KY
The R Towns: Roswell, NM – Regent, ND – Rhinelander, WI – Rabbit Hash, KY – Raton, NM – Red Lodge, MT – Riverside, IA – Rugby, ND – Rudyard, MT
The S Towns: Steubenville, OH – Stanley, ID – Sedona, AZ – Santa Rosa, CA – Staunton, IL – Sisters, OR – Seymour, WI – Santa Claus, IN – Sandwich, NH – Sweet Grass, MT – Shakespeare, ON – Stratford, ON – Sikeston, MO – Success, MO – Soda Springs, ID
The T Towns: Tightwad, MO – Talent, OR – Toad Suck, AR – Thermopolis, WY – Teton Valley, ID – Tetonia, ID – Tuba City, AZ – Tornado, WV – Tavistock, ON – Tomahawk, WI – Tripp, SD – Tunica, MS – Tioga, TX – Ten Sleep, WY – Torch, OH
The U Towns: Uncertain, TX – Uncasville, CT – Upper Lake, CA – Ukiah, CA – Upton, KY
The V Towns: Vulcan, AB – Valier, MT – Vernal, UT – Vandalia, IL – Vicksburg, MS – Versailles, KY – Vincennes, IN
The W Towns: Wharton, TX – Welland, ON – Wapiti, WY – Wall, SD – Winterset, IA – Winner, SD – Walla Wall, WA – Worland, WY – Walcott, IA – Waldo, AR – West Montrose, ON
The X Towns: Xenia, OH – Lexington, KY – Cotopaxi, CO – Oxford County, ON – Texarkana, AR – Texline, TX – Rexburg, ID – Exie, KY
The Y Towns: Yampa, CO – West Yellowstone, MT – Yellville, AR – York, NE
The Z Towns: Zanesville, OH – Zelienople, PA – Zurich, MT