Traveling this great country brings me joy! You can see this thru the myriad selfies I take while on the road.
I make it a point to take selfies for posterity sake. First of all, it proves I was there. Secondly, it provides a record for my family to see where I’ve been. Lastly…it shows my joy of being on the road!
Jolly Sumoflam! In Jolly, TX
It makes me Jolly.
We all know who is really Nice! Nice, CA
It makes me Nice.
I found Novelty in Ohio
Travel is always a Novelty
Wherever I go I try to Endeavor,
Made it to Hope, AR,
To have Hope
Finding Success in Missouri
And find Success
Sumoflam at Friendship Post Office in Arkansas
Being on the road has helped find Friendship
Meeting a Friendly guy outside the Friendly, WV Post Office
And to be Friendly
Chunky, MS
And perhaps even Chunky
Welcome to Earth, Texas
It has brought me down to Earth
Township of Moon, PA
Zipped me to a Township named Moon
At the Starship Enterprise in Vulcan, Alberta 2007
Or by a Starship in Vulcan
And found Prosperity in PA
And to even find Prosperity
Santa Claus, IN
Heck…I even found Santa Claus!
Though I try to be Real Quiet about it,
Sumoflam and Big Fish in Bena, MN
I find that I have some Big Fish stories
Sumoflam at “Fisherman’s Dream” on Enchanted Highway in North Dakota
Maybe even Bigger Fish Stories
Willie the Walleye in Baudette, MN
Indeed, Giant Fish Stories
The Beef House in Covington, Indiana
I have found The Beef
Say “Cheese!” – You’re in Wisconsin!
But also found the cheese
Giant Macaroni in Champaigne, IL
And even a Macaroni to go with it!
Sumoflam with the cow that wears pink glasses
Those big cows are moooving
Salem Sue in New Salem, ND – the World’s Largest Holstein Cow (Yes, that’s Sumoflam under the Udders)
But they can be Udderly huge
Big Bull in Minnesota
And that is certainly no Bull
Giant Pheasant in Gregory SD
I have gotten joy at the feet of a big bird
Giant Sandhill Crane in Steele, SD
And maybe even a bigger bird
Sumoflam at Pheasants on the Prairie on Enchanted Highway in North Dakota
Ok, perhaps even giant birds!
One of my favorite shots…Alligator, MS
I have become a big Alligator
Baby Gator at Gator Chateau in Jennings, LA
But have held a small one
Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, NY 1990
Travel gives me Liberty
Sumoflam with Big Sam Houston towering behind him in Huntsville, TX
And helps me to stand at the foot of giants
The iconic Route 66 roadside attraction known as Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX
I have had many out of car experiences
Sumoflam at Carhenge in Alliance, NE
And I have been surrounded by cars
At Magnolia Market in Waco, TX – Home of the TV Program Fixer Upper
I have learned to be a Fixer Upper
Sumoflam with old Nash at Antique Archaeology in LeClaire, Iowa (home of American Pickers)
And an Antique Archaeologist
Voodoo Doughnut in Portland — lost my selfie
I’ve enjoyed some Voodoo doughnuts
Sumoflam at Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, NJ
And other baked goods from coast to coast
Sumoflam at Wonderland Rd. in Upton, KY
And have found the road to Wonderland
The Yellow Brick Road near Dayton, OH
I even found the Yellow Brick Rd.
A street with No Name in Millersburg, OH
A road with No Name
Finding Uncertainty in Uncertain, TX
May lead me to be Uncertain
Corner of This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX
But whether I go This Way or That Way
Okay, Oklahoma in 2012
I’ll always be Okay
Winner Winner..no chicken dinner, just the name of a town in SD
Which makes me a Winner when I travel
Sumoflam at Top of the World on the Beartooth Highway in 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 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
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 N Towns
Nicholson, Pennsylvania
Tuckhannock Viaduct – Nicholson, PennsylvaniaNicholson, PennsylvaniaThe viaduct is dizzying when looking up from belowTuckhannock Viaduct towers over the small town of Nicholson, PA
Nicholson, Pennsylvania is a rather non-descript town in the eastern part of the state, close to New York. But, it does have one major attraction….The Nicholson Bridge (actually the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct) which is 2375 feet long , 240 feet tall and 34 feet wide. Yes, 24 stories tall !!!!! The bridge was built as part of the Clark’s Summit-Hallstead Cutoff, which was part of a project of the Lackawanna Railroad to revamp a winding and hilly system. This rerouting was built between Scranton, Pennsylvania and Binghamton, New York. All thirteen piers were excavated to bedrock, which was up to 138 feet (42 m) below ground level. Almost half of the bulk of the bridge is underground. The bridge was built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and was designed by Abraham Burton Cohen. Construction on the bridge began in May 1912, and dedication took place on November 6, 1915. Amazing to think that this bridge is over 100 years old!! See more about the bridge HERE.
Nekoma, North Dakota
Welcome to Nekoma, NDThe Pyramid in Nekoma, NDSumoflam and Pyramid in Nekoma, NDInternational Pain Reliever Bar in Nekoma, NDA silo and wind turbine coexist near Nekoma, ND
Go north on ND Highway 1 from US Highway 2 in central North Dakota and it will take you to Nekoma, North Dakota, not too far from the Canadian border. Like Nicholson above, the town is rather non-descript and practically a ghost town except for a few wind turbines and one other major item – America’s largest pyramid. In the middle of nowhere. Actually, the pyramid is part of a larger installation called the Stanley R. Mickelson Safeguard Complex (SRMSC). This complex was the United States’ first operational ABM (anti-ballistic missile) defense system. The Mickelsen Safeguard complex was deployed during the 1970s to defend the offensive Minuteman missiles based at Grand Forks Air Force Base in the event of a nuclear ICBM attack by the Soviet Union or China. The 80 foot high truncated pyramid “turret” of the MSR gave the radar its ability to see in all directions and is the only visible part of the MSCB. Nekoma is also the home of the Langdon Wind Farm which has 106 Wind Turbines, some of them right up on the Mickelsen Safeguard complex. In the middle of prairie lands, it offers unique views. See more about northern North Dakota in my 2013 post HERE.
Natchez, Mississippi
Entering Natchez, MSMammy’s Cupboard in Natchez, MSSumoflam at Mammy’s Cupboard in Natchez, MSMammy’s Cupboard Dining Room – Much bigger than it looks on the outside
US Highway 61 in Mississippi is known as the Blues Highway. From the Tennessee border near Memphis all the way to Natchez are historical towns filled with blues history. In the midst of all of this is Mammy’s Cupboard Cafe….the epitome of vintage novelty architecture. Built in the 1940s, this unique place is a MUST SEE and MUST STOP destination if anywhere close. All of the food is home made. I had a nice sandwich with their wonderful homemade bread. But their homemade cake was to die for!! I couldn’t resist…. See more about southern Mississippi in my 2014 post HERE.
Neah Bay, Washington
Welcome to Neah Bay, WashingtonWooden guardians of Neah Bay?Sail Rock in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the Pacific Ocean in NW WashingtonA totem pole in Neah Bay, WAOn the Pacific Coast at Neah Bay, the most northwestern point in the contiguous United States
In 2015 my wife and I flew to Seattle to visit our daughter and her family. While there, we all went northwest to the small town of Neah Bay, which is located on the Makah Indian Reservation. It is a small fishing town nestled in a corner by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the east. Much of the area near the Pacific is high cliffs over looking the ocean. Lots of Makah Culture surrounds the town. It is a beautiful place that is a long, fun drive! See more about our 2015 visit to Neah Bay HERE.
Nauvoo, Illinois
Family at the Nauvoo Temple under construction in Nauvoo, Illinois. Summer 2001The completed LDS Nauvoo Temple in 2002Another view of the Nauvoo Temple in 2002
There are not many Mormon historical sites as important or famous as Nauvoo, Illinois. As members of the LDS Church, my family has visited there a few times both before and after the completion of the current temple there. The town is full of Mormon history, many small shops, and folks dressed in period clothing doing things as they did in the 1800s, such as making soap, printing presses, etc. Every year they also have a magnificent pageant that covers the history of the LDS Church including the storied history of Nauvoo. See more about Nauvoo on their website HERE.
Newport, Oregon
Mo’s Seafood – Newport, OregonGiant Mural on outside of Mo’s in Newport, OregonMo’s InteriorMo’s Halibut with their “world famous clam chowder”
Back to the West Coast, but in Oregon. Along the famed Pacific Coast Highway (US Highway 101), Newport sits on the Pacific southwest of Portland and is home of Mo’s Seafood, which supposedly has the best Clam Chowder in America (and I can attest to the fact that it was amazing!!). It is also home to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, which the mural above represents. See more about Mo’s and other unique eateries all over the US and Canada HERE.
Newark, Ohio
Amaree, Solomon and Seth at Longaberger Basket HQ in Newark, OH Fall 1999
Want to see a HUGE picnic basket? Visit Newark, OH, home of the Longaberger Basket Company. Their headquarters building is shaped just like a picnic basket. No Joke!
Normal, Illinois (Honorable Mention)
A Normal Water TowerAm I Normal? Who knows?A colorful cow in sunglasses seen in Normal, IL
Not a lot to see in Normal, Illinois. But I do like the town name. I have written a bit about Normal HERE.
Nice, California (Honorable Mention)
We all know who is really Nice!
Then there is a place in California I visited in 2015 called Nice. Just stopped for a picture with the sign! Be Nice or go away! See more about Nice and other central California oddities HERE.
New Salem, North Dakota (Honorable Mention)
Salem Sue Sign in New Salem, NDSalem Sue in New Salem, ND – the World’s Largest Holstein Cow
Finally…the humongous Holstein known as Salem Sue in New Salem, North Dakota. Talk about udderly moooving roadside attractions. Read about our 2005 visit to see Salem Sue and a number of other GIANTS along Interstate 94 in Minnesota and North Dakota HERE.
Did You Miss My Other A to Z Challenge Posts? Click on a letter below to see the others.
Traveling this great country brings me joy! You can see this thru the myriad selfies I take while on the road.
![A-to-Z Reflection [2016]](https://i2.wp.com/lessbeatenpaths.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/A-to-Z-Reflection-2016.jpg?resize=400%2C190)
![A2Z-BADGE [2016]](http://<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n547/Jeremy-iZombie/A2Z-BADGE%202016-smaller_zpslstazvib.jpg" title="Blogging from A to Z April Challenge" /></a>)