White Sands National Monument – 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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April 29, 2017April 29, 2017

V is for Vistas – #atozchallenge

Vistas are the joy of back roads travel. Every corner, every crest of a hill, every mile offers a new vista. And this country has some spectacular and splendid vistas.

Over the years I have seen some amazing vistas. Whether they be in the deserts of the southwest, the high plains of Montana or on the oceans in the east or the west, the views are endless and inspiring. Following are some of the vistas I have enjoyed and their locations. Enjoy the ride and the views.

A view of the Portland Head Light in Maine

Hills of Shenandoah Valley in presunrise hours on Easter 2017

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean as seen from Old Orchard Beach, ME

A lonely highway in south central Nebraska, near Overland

Spacious skies over the Grand Canyon in Arizona

The river into Juneau, Alaska as seen from a mountain top near Juneau

The mountains and the Yellowstone River as seen from US 89

The long straight highway near Cohagen, MT

Beautiful Highway heading into Virginia from Kentucky

Louisville, KY as seen from across the Ohio River in Indiana

The Oyate Trail highway in southern South Dakota

Fall colors from the Virginia Creeper Trail in Virginia

Beach at Clallam Bay, WA adorned with seagulls

New York City at night as seen from Hoboken, NJ

Sawtooths as seen from Lower Stanley, Idaho

Scenic cinder Hills and Shadows as seen on Idaho Hwy 33

Bison relax along Lava Creek in Yellowstone while pronghorned antelope look on from the background

The Tetons as seen from near Drummond, ID

Sunset in the Sweetgrass, north of Dunkirk, MT

A view of the New River Gorge in West Virginia

Pennsylvania sunrise as seen from Boyce Mayview Park near Upper St. Clair, PA

Fall Colors from the Eagle’s Nest above Bancroft, Ontario near Algonquin

Texas Hwy 30 between Huntsville and Shiro

Hells Canyon in northeast Oregon is actually wider and deeper than the Grand Canyon

Three Sisters – nicknamed Faith/Hope/Charity near Sisters, Oregon

View of the Beartooths near Red Lodge, Montana from the highway was awesome

America the Beautiful – A scene near Glacier National Park

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April 19, 2017April 19, 2017

N is for National Parks & Monuments – #atozchallenge

The US National Park System has 417 official units throughout the country including 59 National Parks, 87 National Monuments, 19 National Preserves, 51 National Historic Parks, 78 National Historic Sites, 4 National Battlefield Parks, 9 National Military Parks, 9 National Battlefields, 30 National Memorials and a number of other National sites including National Rivers, National Seashores, National Lakeshores, National Parkways and National Trails.

Sumoflam and Cannons at Vicksburg National Military Park

Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley NP, Ohio

Officially, the National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

Some of the scenic and colorful hills of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

A couple of my children at the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln in Kentucky in 1997

The NPS is a great blessing to the citizens of this country and all others that may visit. They have some amazing offerings and a road trip that passes by these is not a worthy roadtrip. These sites are the gems of our country!

Though I have visited all 50 states in the US, I have not been able to get to many of the sites. Of the 59 National Parks, for instance, I have only visited 28 of them and some of those were way before my travel blogging and photography days. Of all of the others, I have been to 77 of the nearly 350 sites. So, I still have a long way to go.

Visiting Shenandoah National Park on Easter Sunday 2017

Gettysburg Address Commemorative Sign, July 1998

That said, I have thoroughly enjoyed my visits to many of the National Parks, Monuments and other NPS sites. My personal favorites are Glacier National Park (Montana), Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming) and Yellowstone National Park (WY) — OK…I love the mountains!!

Following are some photos of some of the other NPS Sites that I have visited over the years. More are sure to come soon!! (In fact, just this past weekend — Easter weekend 2017 — I drove the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and got photos of the Easter Sunrise!!)