A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The T Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Fuji City, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Horse Art, Hot Springs, Idaho, Indian Ruins, Japan, Japanese Shrines, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mexico, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Tersier, Texas, Town Names, Travel in Japan, Tulum, Turkey Vultures, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, 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.   Talent, Oregon [caption id="attachment_223" align="alignnone" width="342"] Welcome to Talent, Oregon[/caption] [caption id="attachment_224" align="alignnone" width="400"] Talent Mural[/caption] [caption id="attachment_221" align="alignnone" width="400"] Talent Police[/caption] Tee Pee Motel - Wharton, Texas [caption id="attachment_11564" align="alignnone" width="400"] Tee Pee Motel in Wharton, TX[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11565" align="alignnone" width="400"] Sumoflam at the Tee Pee Motel in Wharton, TX[/caption] Thoroughbred Park - Lexington, Kentucky [caption id="attachment_5844" align="alignnone" width="400"] Thoroughbred Park, Lexington, KY[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5864" align="alignnone"…
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Y is for Yard Art – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Burger Joints, Car Art, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Yard Art
One of the more interesting things I look for on roadtrips as I pass through small communities on back roads is yard art.  Funky art and decorations in people's yards, on their fences, on their houses. People have ingenuity.  Some people have junk.  But, as the saying goes, "One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure." [caption id="attachment_2184" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Unique Yard Art in Parker, Idaho[/caption] For me, Yard Art is anything unique and unusual.  It could be chain saw art - wood carvings made with chain saws.  It could be art made from scrap metal.  It could be, like the photo above, a hodge podge of signs, junk or other things.  Following are some selections of yard art I have taken over the years.  Don't judge...some of these people love…
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X is for Xtreme Skies – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Parks, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Sandhill Cranes, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
OK.  I know.... Xtreme is not really a dictionary word, but many advertisers use it and there are company names and even a band name.  So, it is fair game. This post is about xtreme (extreme) skies - unique cloud formations, colorful skies, sunrises, sunsets, sunbeams, moon shots, rainbows and more.  A traveler on the highways of America always sees the skies.  It can't be helped. For me, I actually pay attention to them for the skies present their own fascinating form of art. [caption id="attachment_11801" align="aligncenter" width="568"] Shining sky above US 79/190 in central Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8475" align="alignleft" width="300"] A lovely view of the Big Sky in Montana as seen from US Route 2 west of Bainville, MT[/caption] For this post, I will provide an assortment of photos I…
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U is for Unique Monsters: Dinos, Dragons & Other Monsters – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Family Travel, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ontario, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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. [caption id="attachment_5591" align="aligncenter" width="459"] Dragon Biting my head off - Jurustic Park - Marshfield, Wisconsin[/caption] 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. [caption id="attachment_7427" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Autumn and "Grampz" with the Hodag of Rhinelander, WI[/caption] 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…
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A to Z Challenge: Reflections #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alaska, Alberta, Amish Country, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bucket List Trips, California, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Horse Art, Hot Springs, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Saskatchewan, Selfies, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Vintage Neon, Washington, Water Towers, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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…
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A to Z Challenge: The G Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Amish Country, Animals, Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big John, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Giraffe, Kentucky, Large Statues, Montana, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Place Names, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, US Highway 2, US Highway 31, US Highway 41, US Highway 68, US Highway 79, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wyoming, Yard Art, Zoos
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The G Towns Gainesville, Texas [caption id="attachment_12525" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sumoflam at Glen Goode's Big People in Gainesville, TX[/caption] [caption id="attachment_496" align="alignnone" width="300"] Glen Goode's Big People[/caption] [caption id="attachment_493" align="alignnone" width="300"] Glen Goode's Big People[/caption] Across this great country there are…
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Montana Roadtrip: Taking the Hi-Line Across Northern Montana

Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Montana, Museums, National Parks, Place Names, prairie dogs, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_9159" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US Route 2 Montana - The Hi-Line[/caption] My trip along Route 2 continued from Glasgow, Montana westward along what is known as the Montana Hi-Line (See my May 2013 post about a previous drive on a portion of the Hi-Line).  Back in May last year I drove through to Glasgow and then south.  On this trip I tried to spend a little more time in some of the smaller towns on the road and capture the essence of what I feel is a dieing breed hanging on.  In fact, to proclaim their existence, many of the towns have a big sign on the highway to proclaim "Hey, we're here!" [caption id="attachment_2970" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Chester, Montana welcome sign on West side of town - one of many…
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Montana Road Trip: Zipping across North Dakota on US Highway 2

Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Large Statues, Montana, North Dakota, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon
[caption id="attachment_9121" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US Route 2 in North Dakota[/caption] I continue my series on my Montana road trip and my drive along US Route two across the northern border from Michigan to Montana. [caption id="attachment_8983" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Welcome to North Dakota[/caption] As one progresses further west after leaving Minnesota, you soon discover that the land is flatter, full of prairies and grasslands and not as many lakes and streams as one would see in Minnesota. [caption id="attachment_8990" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US Route 2 in North Dakota[/caption] I spent the night in Grand Forks, North Dakota and then proceeded to head west early in the morning. The first thing I did was look for the famed Smiley Water Tower in Grand Forks. Unlike others with a similar smiley on them, this…
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Kentucky to Montana: Random Shots from the Road

Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wisconsin, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_8455" align="aligncenter" width="474"] An Old Truck by a pond in North Dakota[/caption] I have been on the road to Montana (chiefly along US Route 2) for the past three days now.  I will be writing detailed bogs about the trip, but wanted to post a few random shots from the drive.  The weather has been awesome the entire trip (May 20-22, 2014).  Following are just a few shots from the trip..... [caption id="attachment_8419" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Ran across this old piece of Americana in El Paso, IL[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8420" align="aligncenter" width="474"] On I 39 North near Bloomington, IL. Looks like we will drive right into the wind turbines[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8421" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Beloit, WI Smiley Water Tower[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8423" align="aligncenter" width="474"] The famous pink elephant of DeForest, WI[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8424"…
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