Backroads Discoveries – Page 3 – Less Beaten Paths of America

24Jun 2023 by David Kravetz

Using the Roadside America App (for iPhone or iPad): A Primer

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside America Books, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, States and Provinces, Travel Blogging, Uniroyal Gal, Whispering Giants

Over the years of my blogging, I have often mentioned Roadside America, both the website and the iPhone/iPad app, as excellent tools to assist in both your road trip planning and actual road trip guidance while on the road. In this post I am going to explain the app and why one should use it on a road trip. This is not a sponsored post, but rather a detailed post based on my own personal experiences with the app for the past 13 years. I will note upfront, however, that I highly recommend this app to all who may plan on traveling. WHAT IS ROADSIDE AMERICA? I have been a fan and user of Roadside America content since 1992, when I discovered their book in a public library…

01Jun 2023 by David Kravetz

The Bears of Kentucky Hwy 11 (and other fun stuff)

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Burger Joints, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Kentucky, KY Highway 11, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Sasquatch Art, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Staycations, Tourist Traps, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Welcome Signs, Wood Carved Bears

Kentucky Highway 11 runs from Maysville to Barbourville, KY. It is 182.5 miles in length and is planned to become a "macro-corridor" within Kentucky. This post only covers a small section of the highway as it runs through the world famous Red River Gorge National Geologic Area and through Natural Bridge State Resort Park and into Slade. This area is probably the most highly visited natural area in Kentucky and this section of Highway 11 is most certainly the most heavily traveled of anywhere along the nearly 183 mile stretch. Being a major tourist draw, especially near Natural Bridge, this section features numerous eating establishments, many cabin rentals, a smattering of gift shops and even a a Reptile Zoo where visitors can see one of the largest collections of venomous…

29Apr 2023 by David Kravetz

Unique Town Names Redux 2023

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, California, Church Signs, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Indiana, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Murals, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unique Places, US Highway 77, US Highway 87, Volunteer Fire Departments, Water Towers, Welcome Signs

Back in 2017 I published the first book in my Less Beaten Paths of America travel book series. Titled "Unique Named Towns," I featured a number of towns and places that I had visited over the years. You can see (and even order) that book on Amazon if interested. Since then, I have continued to travel and come across the unique, fun and quirky places. This post is all about these great places. However, don't expect any fantastic scenery pictures in this post. Signs and selfies with signs aren't really anything to shout home about, but they do tell the story of how fun America can be. I am only adding a few for fun here. In writing this, I want to note that at the 2017 juncture I had…

20Apr 2023 by David Kravetz

2023: Life Throws Us Loops But We Move On

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Belted Kingfisher, Camel, Church Signs, Deer, Distilleries, Eagles, Emu, Geologic Formations, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Wildflowers

The first 3 months of 2023 were pretty wild for me. If you, my readers, have wondered about the relative drought of blog posts and book reveals, then read on. I started off the new year with a quick trip to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio. My wife, my daughter Marissa and my wife's sister Laura did some hiking and camping. It was a cold, but fun adventure for them. They stayed in tents while I stayed in a hotel in nearby Logan, Ohio. Nothing like starting off the new year with a trip. While they hiked, I drove around and did my usual sightseeing. Fun for all of us. Hocking Hills is a beautiful place. It has some nice waterfalls and lots of lovely nature. They enjoyed that…

07Feb 2023 by David Kravetz

2022: The Year in Travel – April/May Staycation Fun in Kentucky

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bison, Books, Bridges, Buffalo, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Caves and Caverns, Deer, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Kingbird, Elk, Family Travel, Farmland, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Graffiti Walls, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Horses, Indiana, Indigo Bunting, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Mountains, Murals, Nature and Scenery, Northern Cardinal, Offbeat Places, Osprey, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Staycations, Tennessee, Town Names, Turtles, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Wildflowers

What a year 2022 was!! I started off the year in the midst of another COVID outbreak and high fuel prices. My hopes for much travel in 2022 weren't very high. I expected it would be a lean travel year, but it turned out much different than I had anticipated. By December 31 I had visited 14 states and driven nearly 21,000 miles. This included nearly 1,300 miles (out of a total of 2,400) of driving on Route 66 from Albuquerque to Chicago. I had actually dreamt of driving the entire length of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA in October, which was when I would celebrate my 66th birthday, but it wasn't meant to be. Nevertheless, I was thrilled that I could knock out 1,300 miles of…

18Jan 2023 by David Kravetz

2022: The Year in Travel – January thru March

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Graffiti Walls, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Ice Cream Places, Indiana, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Murals, Offbeat Places, Pelicans, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Staycations, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 31, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Yard Art

What a year 2022 was!! I started off the year in the midst of another COVID outbreak and high fuel prices. My hopes for much travel in 2022 weren't very high. I expected it would be a lean travel year, but it turned out much different than I had anticipated. By December 31 I had visited 14 states and driven nearly 21,000 miles. This included nearly 1,300 miles (out of a total of 2,400) of driving on Route 66 from Albuquerque to Chicago. I had actually dreamt of driving the entire length of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA in October, which was when I would celebrate my 66th birthday, but it wasn't meant to be. Nevertheless, I was thrilled that I could knock out 1,300 miles of…

18Dec 2022 by David Kravetz

I’ve Been Everywhere

Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Place Names

Johnny Cash had a famous song in the 1990s (a remake of a Hank Snow song actually) which stated "I've Been Everywhere". In some respects that could be my theme song. I have been very blessed in my short 68 year life to have traveled far and wide across these United States and even into Canada and Mexico. Indeed, I have been to almost every major city in the country and most in Canada (with the exception of eastern cities in Canada -- from Montreal on). I have been to every state in the United States. I have been to most National Parks and Monuments, major museums and tourist spots. It all started when I was young, watching "On the Road with Charles Kuralt" and looking…

13Dec 2022 by David Kravetz

Chester, Illinois: The Birthplace of Popeye

Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Illinois, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Murals, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Welcome Signs

With every trip I take, I am always looking for something interesting. Not just a one off quirky statue somewhere, but hopefully something bigger. Back in October when I visited Route 66 in Illinois, I looked for something interesting to see on the way home. Thanks to my good friends at RoadsideAmerica.com, I was guided to the river town of Chester, Illinois. It sits on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River just across from Missouri. The view of the Chester Bridge over the river from Segar Memorial Park is really a splendid view and the town itself is a pleasant little town. That in and of itself was worth the visit. But, the real treasure to this town is its connection to the famous cartoon character Popeye. Indeed, Chester is…

03Dec 2022 by David Kravetz

Olney, Illinois: White Squirrels and More

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Squirrels, Street Art, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 50, Wall Art, Washington, Welcome Signs, White Squirrels, Yard Art

I have already posted about my Illinois Route 66 trip, but along the way I had many small adventures. One of the bigger "small" adventures was a visit to Olney, Illinois on October 1. The town of Olney is on US 50 where it crosses IL 130 and is only about 34 miles east of the Indiana border. Its biggest drawing card is their White Squirrels. Yes, White Squirrels. Recorded sightings of the Olney-area white squirrels go as far back as the 1890s. Bu 1941 there were about 800 white squirrels. Since the mid-1970s the town has done a white squirrel census annually. But, cats and dogs often had a negative impact, so, in 1997 the Olney City Council made a stringent ordinance which disallowed BOTH dogs and cats from…

29Nov 2022 by David Kravetz

Casey, Illinois: Big Things, Small Town

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, People Shots, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 40, US Highway 50, US Highway 60

In my previous post I wrote about taking Route 66 for my 66th birthday in October. On the way to Chicago, I made a detour to visit the fun little town of Casey, Illinois which prides itself for its numerous roadside attractions, unique downtown area and their small town charm. The real draw for this place is all of the World's Largest and numerous other Big Things that are peppered around the town. The town features 12 Guinness World Book certified World's Largest things and at least 25 other Big Things. On my visit I didn't get to all of them, even though I spent the night. Casey is really an all-day experience for those that want to see everything and also enjoy the town and its other features. This particular trip began…

Category: Backroads Discoveries