Old-Timey General Stores Part 2: R.M. Brooks General Store – Rugby, TN

Old-Timey General Stores Part 2: R.M. Brooks General Store – Rugby, TN

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Tennessee, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Turkeys, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
[caption id="attachment_30597" align="alignleft" width="241"] R.M. Brooks General Merchandise[/caption] This is the second post of my visits to Old-Timey General Stores.  On March 5, 2021 I visited the R.M. Brooks General Merchandise Store in Rugby, Tennessee.  Established in 1917, this one was a blast from the front of the store to all of the great antiques on the inside.  Tiffany Jones Terry is the current proprietor and is the great-granddaughter of R.M. Brooks. She runs the place well. Their food offerings are amazingly good too!  And you gotta try the Hoop Cheese on a sandwich!   [caption id="attachment_30621" align="alignnone" width="700"] Come In sign at RM Brooks in Rugby[/caption] [caption id="attachment_30626" align="alignnone" width="700"] Old Gulf Pump makes for a great frame.[/caption] While my wife was hiking the Sheltowee Trace in the Big…
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Check out my Interview on the SECTION 500 Podcast.  Released LIVE on Oct. 6, 2020

Check out my Interview on the SECTION 500 Podcast. Released LIVE on Oct. 6, 2020

Adventure, Antsy McClain, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Travel Blogging, Unique Places
I am so excited to announce my newest podcast interview.  Honored to have been picked for their one year anniversary podcast too!! Please go #GRABALISTEN and Enjoy the Ride. These guys recently visited Mayor Louie Keen of Uranus in Missouri who turned them on to me. [caption id="attachment_25169" align="alignnone" width="640"] Mayor Louie Keen (L) and Sam Sprunger (R) in Uranus, MO. #MUGA[/caption] 500 Team in Uranus, MO with Louie Keen, the Mayor.
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8154 SNEAK PEAK: New Introduction

8154 SNEAK PEAK: New Introduction

Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Oregon, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Washington
While working on my new book 8154, I had written the typical generic introduction to the book.  However, since returning in late February, the world has changed dramatically.  As a result, I have totally reworked my introduction to the upcoming book of our amazing road trip to the West Coast.  As I have written before, this trip took us over 8000 miles through 20 states and much more.  Some of my earlier blog posts have detailed parts of this trip.  But, on this date (September 16, 2020) the United States is nearing 200,000 deaths as a result of the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 and it is much greater worldwide, the country's economy has taken a terrible downward turn and hundreds of businesses have dropped off of the face of the earth,…
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Driving The Dragon (US 129) – Southern Tennessee

Driving The Dragon (US 129) – Southern Tennessee

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dragons, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, Mythical Creatures, National Parks, North Carolina, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Tennessee, Tourist Traps, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US 129, Welcome Signs
At the end of August we had a family reunion down in North Carolina. We stayed in an AirBNB in a huge backwoods lodge at Huffman Creek Retreat about 12 miles west of Robbinsville, NC. Our daughter flew in from Washington, without her kids, so we had all five of our children, two of our in-law kids and six grandkids. This was the first time that all five of my children have gathered together since October 2016. We car-pooled it down there from Lexington, KY thru Knoxville, TN and then on to “The Dragon,” (also called the Tail of the Dragon) which started near Chilhowee Lake near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Dragon is an eleven mile stretch of US 129 that skirts the southwest border of Great…
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All Three Less Beaten Paths Books hit TOP 3 in US Travel Chart today

All Three Less Beaten Paths Books hit TOP 3 in US Travel Chart today

Back Roads, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Wanderlust
Really really excited. I know this will only be for a couple of days, but, my three books are now sitting #1, #2 and #3 on Amazon's Kindle US Travel chart. This is a first for me to hit the US Travel Chart like this. All three of my books are on Day 3 of the FREE Kindle Download (thru 7/9/20 at 4 AM EST). Get one or all at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JVV3PGH WATCH FOR MY NEW BOOK "8154" -- COMING LATER THIS YEAR TO AMAZON I am currently working on my FOURTH book, titled "8154" to represent the mileage of my epic road trip with family.  You can visit my Amazon Author Page to see my other books at https://amzn.to/3azY36l
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Less Beaten Paths Books hit Top 3 in Amazon today

Less Beaten Paths Books hit Top 3 in Amazon today

Back Roads, Books, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Whispering Giants, Whispering Giants
Beginning July 4 I set the Kindle versions of my first three books to be FREE downloads for the week. In less than 11 hours, the three books jumped up to the TOP THREE on three Amazon US Travel Charts for Free Kindle Downloads. I think this is a first to be in the Top Three. And, as of this writing, the books are also sitting #3-#5 on the Amazon Travel Food, Lodging and Transportation List.  I am currently working on Book Four, titled "8154." (See below for more details)  You can download the first three books at https://www.amazon.com/David-Kravetz/e/B0784XVGSW. They are yours to keep! ENJOY THE READ and ENJOY THE RIDE! WATCH FOR MY NEW BOOK "8154" -- COMING SOON TO AMAZON I am currently working on my FOURTH book,…
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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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8154: Unique Discoveries and Unplanned Adventures

8154: Unique Discoveries and Unplanned Adventures

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Montana, Murals, Museums, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 180, US Highway 385, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Wyoming, Yard Art
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 third of a few posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip.  In this post I'll introduce you to some of the unique places we happened upon on our back roads travels. Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz and, when noted, Marissa Noe) THE JOY OF BACK ROAD TRAVEL One of the reasons I like traveling on…
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8154: Visiting National and State Parks and the Junior Ranger Programs

8154: Visiting National and State Parks and the Junior Ranger Programs

Adventure, Antelope, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Books, Buffalo, California, Cormorants, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dream Highways, Eagles, Egret, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Oregon, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Raccoon, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Wanderlust, Washington, Welcome Signs, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_24469" align="alignleft" width="300"] George Washington on Mt. Rushmore in SD[/caption] In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks.    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 second of a few posts about some of the fun from the EPIC Road Trip with my daughter and three grandchildren.  Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz and, when noted, Marissa Noe) [caption id="attachment_24584" align="alignnone" width="525"] Departing for the Epic Road trip in late January[/caption] Taking a road trip with kids is always a fun…
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8154: The Whimsical Wonders of Sebastopol, California

8154: The Whimsical Wonders of Sebastopol, California

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_24408" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hanging in Sebastopol with A Sumoflam Fan[/caption] In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks.    During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 15 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. Over the next few weeks I will be posting about some of the fun from the EPIC Road Trip with my daughter and three grandchildren.  Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) [caption id="attachment_24404" align="alignnone" width="525"] Patrick Amiot's house on Florence Street in Sebastopol, CA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_24431" align="alignnone" width="525"] There are a couple of finely painted cars in front…
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