West Virginia Capitol Building – Less Beaten Paths of America Travel Blog

May 3, 2018May 3, 2018

A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The W Things #AtoZChallenge

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.

Let’s start this off with a Whispering Bang!!

Whispering Giants – art by Hungarian artist Peter Toth – Idaho Falls, Idaho; Bethany Beach, Delaware; Murray, Utah; Red Lodge, Montana; Ottawa, Illinois; Hopewell, Illinois; Paducah, Kentucky; Astoria, Oregon; Ocean City, Maryland; Iowa Falls, Iowa; Utica, Illinois

Over 62 of these around the U.S. Here are the ones I have seen:

Gigantic Peter Toth carved Indian Head in North Tourist Park in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Placed in 1980

Chief Little Owl in Bethany Beach, Delaware placed in 2002

Chief Wasatch in Murray, UT placed in 1985

Detail of the “Whispering Giant” of Red Lodge, Montana, placed in 1979

Ho-Ma-Sjah-Nah-Zhee-Ga in Ottawa, IL, placed in 1990

Hopewell Giant in Hopewell, IL placed in 1975

Chief Wacinton in Paducah, KY placed in 1985

Ikala Nawan in Astoria, Oregon placed in 1987

The Inlet Indian, Nanticoke, dedicated to the Assateague tribe, is in Ocean City, MD and placed in 1976

Whispering Giant of Iowa Falls, IA in Veterans Park, placed in 1999

Chief Walks With The Wind in Starved Rock State Park, Utica, IL

Wigwam Village – Sleep in Wigwam – Cave City, KY

Sleep in a Wigwam neon sign in Cave City, KY

Hanging with ALL 10 Grandkids at Wigwam Village in Cave City, KY

Wahkeena Falls – Corbett, Oregon

Wupatki National Monument – near Cameron, Arizona

Son Seth at Wupatki Ruins off of US 89 south of Flagstaff in 1992

Water Buffalo – Cebu, Philippines

Carabao Water Buffalo taken on Cebu Island in the Philippines

Winnett, Montana

Wallace, Idaho

Weatherford, Texas

Skinnys Hamburger sign in Weatherford, TX

Murals of Welland, Ontario

Mural of Grandfather telling stories about Welland to Grandson

A portion of a massive mural on the side of a shopping mall. Entitled “History of the Niagara Peninsula” by Heinz Gaugel

Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington County Courthouse in Washington, PA

Williams, California

Williams Hotel mural by John Ton in Williams, CA

Detail of a mural on the side of a building in Williams, CA

Winner, South Dakota

Winner Winner..no chicken dinner, just the name of a town in SD

Waldo, Arkansas

Winterset, Iowa

Welcome to Winterset, Covered Bridge Capital of Iowa

Roseman Covered Bridge in Winterset, Iowa

Wyoming Dinosaur Center – Thermopolis, Wyoming

Large Sign about the Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, Wyoming

World Trade Center (before 9/11) – New York City

In New York City in 1990 before the World Trade Center Twin Towers met their demise

One World Trade Center (after 9/11) – New York City

One World Trade Center all lit up at night, as seen from Sinatra Park in Hoboken, NJ

One World Trade Center under construction – March 2, 2013

Wall Drug – Wall, South Dakota

One of many Wall Drug Billboards – notice the uniqueness?

West Virginia Capital Building with the gold dome – Charleston, West Virginia

Wonde West Virginia’s Capital Building in Charleston, WV

Wharton, Texas

Future of Wharton, TX Mural by Dayton Wordrich

Wonderland Road – Upton, Kentucky

Winter Wheat – Sparta, Ontario

Broom People at Winter Wheat in Sparta, ON

Walpi, Arizona

While working in Arizona I made over 100 trips to Walpi on the Hopi Indian Reservation in Northern Arizona

White Sands National Monument – east of Alamagordo, New Mexico

Granddaughter Joselyn runs on a sand dune at White Sands National Monument in NM

Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

Sumoflam with the Beatles in Walnut Ridge, AR

Wendy’s Museum – Dublin, Ohio

Dave Thomas statue at Wendy’s in Dublin, OH

The Wendy’s Original $150,000 Crystal Cheeseburger created by Waterford Crystal

“Where’s the Beef?” memorabilia from the famed advertising campaign in the Wendy’s Museum in Dublin, OH

Wigwam Drive-In – Ravenna, Kentucky

Sumoflam at the Wigwam Drive-In in Ravenna, KY

Interior of the Wigwam Drive-in Ravenna, KY

Washington Court House, Ohio

The Washington Court House in Washington Court House, OH was one of many unique buildings I got to visit in 2016

Whitetop, Virginia

All of us at Whitetop Station at the beginning of the 10 mile downhill Virginia Creeper Bike Trail near Damascus, VA

West Side Theater – Newman, California

West Side Theatre – a common stop for Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours

Wimpy’s Hamburgers – Dallas, Texas

Walcott Castle – Walcott, Iowa

One of the Towers on Castle Hall in Walcott

Wind Farms – Shelby, Montana; Nekoma, North Dakota; Adair, Iowa; Bloomington, Illinois; Iona, Idaho; Rugby, North Dakota; Port Burwell, Ontario

An old cabin falls apart in the midst of the giant wind turbines of the Glacier Wind Farm near Shelby, Montana

A silo and wind turbine coexist near Nekoma, ND

Wind Turbines of the Rolling Hills Wind Farm near Adair, IA

Approaching Wolverine Creek Wind Farm, near Iona, ID

Wind Turbines seem to blossom like flowers out of the corn fields of Iowa

Wind Farm info center in Port Burwell, Ontario

Watkins Glen State Park – Watkins Glen, New York

One of over 50 waterfalls in Watkins Glen State Park, NY

Wilbur, Washington

Big Pig and Spider at Welcome center in Wilbur, WA

Winnemucca, Nevada

Mount Washington – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Panoramic View of Pittsburgh from atop Mt. Washington

West Yellowstone, Montana

Whiskey Rebellion – Washington, Pennsylvania

Whiskey Rebellion Statue in Washington, PA

Webster Falls – Hamilton, Ontario

White Castle, Louisiana

There is a White Castle Fire Dept, but no White Castle restaurants to be seen

Worland, Wyoming

Mammoth Bronze Statue by Chris Navarro in Worland, WY

Working Women mural – Welland, Ontario

“Working Women” by Ted Ziegler shows the contribution of women to the industrial
work force in the factories of Welland

Wolf Creek Pass – Colorado

Wind River Canyon – Wyoming

One of many spectacular views of Wind River Canyon

Entering Wind River Canyon on US 20 from Thermopolis, WY

Walking to the Sky Sculpture – Pittsburgh, Penssylvania

“Walking to the Sky” by Jonathan Borofsky

Washington Monument – Washington, D.C.

The Washington Monument and the US Capitol in Washington DC in 2016

Willie the Walleye – Baudette, Minnesota

Son Solomon (at 6’3″) at Willie the Walleye in Baudette, MN

Wichita, Kansas

Keeper of the Plains – 50 foot tall statue in Wichita

What Cheer, Iowa

Downtown What Cheer – many abandoned buildings

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.

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December 15, 2017December 15, 2017

Sumoflam’s 2017 Travels in Review

Sunrise in Ocean City, MD on New Year’s Day 2017

On January 1, 2017 I sat on a beach in Ocean City, Maryland to watch a spectacular sunrise and pondered to myself about the opportunities I would have to travel throughout the year. Little did I really know the extent that I would actually travel over the year and I’m grateful that I’ve had a wonderful year of seeing more of this beautiful country.

Beginning with that glorious morning in Maryland, over the course of the year I have driven nearly 15,000 miles on road trips, many to visit family or be with family, but all of the trips have been wonderful. Some have been close by doing what I refer to as “staycation“ trips in Kentucky. But, throughout the course of the year I have been to 19 different states and have seen a plethora of places and things. Many of the trips included time with my wife, my children and my grandchildren. That makes things so much better and enjoyable!

Welcome to Louisiana with some of my grandchildren

All the family gathered at my sister’s Mayfield Smoke Shop in Little Italy, Cleveland

In July we had a family reunion. It was the first in five years and all of my 10 grandchildren and all my five children were here at one time or another and even my sister and her husband and daughter came up to visit. During that time we also visited my extended family in Cleveland, Ohio. So, travel was not the only joyful thing. Family is the best.

The following photos tell just a small story of the past year. I have already posted some of the things in more detail and have five or six others in the works about specific places. But here are just some of the places and things form this past year. ENJOY THE RIDE!

Giant Pepsi Pop Bottle Cap in Johnson City, TN

Welcome to Hopkinsville, KY for the Solar Eclipse

Ran into a HUGE flock of migrating snow geese in central Arkansas

The swamp of Caddo Lake near Uncertain, TX

Chicago LIVE in Cincinnati. First time I had seen them in over 40 years

Giant Indian Chief “Standing Brave” in Big Cabin, OK

Duck Commander HQ, home of Duck Dynasty in West Monroe, LA

West Virginia’s Capitol Building in Charleston, WV

One of over 50 waterfals in Watkins Glen State Park, NY

Tallest wall mural in US “Once in a Millenium Moon” is 14 stories tall…in Shreveport, LA

Chief Wacinton in Paducah, KY was one of three Peter Toth Whispering Giants I visited this year.

The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia

Chief Little Owl, one of three Peter Toth Whispering Giants. This one is in Bethany Beach, Delaware

King’s Island Amusement Park north of Cincinnati, OH

The Shack Burger Resort – amazingly quirky and fun – in Cypress, TX

Caught the Sand Hill Migration in early January near Cecilia, KY

The Indian River Inlet Bridge between Maryland and Delaware

A section of the Virginia Creeper Trail near Damascus, VA

Big Monster at Big Mike’s Rock shop near Cave City, KY

Genesee Falls at Letchworth State Park, near Castile, New York

The Inlet Indian, dedicated to the Assateague tribe, is in Ocean City, MD and is one of three of Peter Toth’s Whispering Giants visited in 2017

The CastlePost Castle near Versailles, KY

Found a nice beach on Lake Erie… Presque Isle State Park

Hanging with Grandkids at Wigwam Village in Cave City, KY

The “diamond ring” effect begins as seen from Hopkinsville, KY

Large Saturn Rocket at Welcome Center in Elkmont, Alabama

Fall Colors over the Red River Gorge in Kentucky

Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, TX (Home of the TV Show Fixer Upper)

We slept in Wigwam Village in Cave City, KY

Deer at sunrise in Shenandoah National Park on Easter Morning 2017

Bald Eagle shot taken in mid April 2017 near Cave Run Lake, KY

Waveland State Historic Park in Lexington, KY

The Hobbit Hole – a unique and quirky shop in Fayetteville, WV

Easter Sunrise as seen from Shenandoah National Park

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September 18, 2017September 18, 2017

West Virginia’s Midland Trail – US Route 60 – Charleston, WV

This is part two of my Midland Trail series and this post will focus on West Virginia’s Capital Charleston. During most of May I spent a great deal of time in this lovely river town while visiting a friend of mine who was ill and eventually passed away. That is another story.

During my time in Charleston, I took the opportunity to drive around the town and get photos of the unique Capitol Building, a few other buildings, murals and other things. The town certainly does have its own unique personality.

Charleston is the capital and largest city West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. The city apparently got its start in the late 1700s and historical conjecture indicates that Charleston is named after Col. George Clendenin’s father, Charles. Col. Clendenin acquired the deed to the area in 1786. Charles Town was later shortened to Charleston to avoid confusion with another Charles Town in eastern West Virginia, which was named after George Washington’s brother Charles. Daniel Boone was a resident for a time and served on the Virginia House of Delegates.

A short drive around the area near the Capitol Building provides the opportunity to see a few murals, one of my favorite things to look for. Here are a few murals in the area…but I don’t think I found them all yet!!

Charleston West Side Mural titled “West Side Wonder” by Charly Jupiter Hamilton.

Detail of Charly Jupiter Hamilton mural in Charleston’s West Side

Another detail of Charly Jupiter Hamilton’s mural

Another mural I came across was on the back side of a convenience store in an alley.

All Together Now by Jeff Pierson – Mural in an Alley on the East End

Murals aren’t the only public art in Charleston. As noted in their website Public Art in Charleston, the town has promoted art works including murals and sculptures for over 13 years. While driving around town I came across one sculpture that looked oddly familiar. Titled “Hallelujah,”, the piece below is by artist Albert Paley, who made four massive sculptures entitled “Odyssey” in Council Bluffs, IA (see my post here).

Hallelujah by Albert Paley, located in downtown Charleston

Another shot of Albert Paley’s Hallelujah

Another interesting sculpture, very close by is the “Festival Delle Arti” by artist Harry Marinsky. This whimsical work of art is likely appealing to children (and adults with the hearts of children!).