AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The M Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Eateries, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, South Dakota, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 62, US Highway 70, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip.  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the M Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Muleshoe, Texas We made our from Clovis, New Mexico into Muleshoe to visit the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge and hopefully see some Sandhill Cranes (which we…
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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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I've Been Everywhere – Part III: More Unique Town Signs

Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Horses, Missouri, North Dakota, Place Names, Route 66, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Trinity Music Productions, Wildflowers
Rabbit Hash, KY[/caption] There are literally hundreds of fun town names around the U.S. and I have barely scratched the surface with them.  In my last post, I noted many names that are common adjectives or descriptive.  This post will have some signs from some of the more unusual place names and hopefully, a little about how the names came to be. [caption id="attachment_802" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Rabbit Hash, KY sign[/caption] Rabbit Hash, KY - This small town of about 40 people is right on the Ohio River in Boone County.  Besides its name, it is also famous for its string of mayors...all dogs. Nobody really knows for sure when the original name of Rabbit Hash came to be.  According to a Wikipedia article, " The hamlet was originally known as…
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