Backroads Discoveries – Page 5 – Less Beaten Paths of America

30Nov 2021 by David Kravetz

SURPRISE! – Brand New Book on Sheltowee Trace is now available

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bike Trails, Books, Burger Joints, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Flowers, Geologic Formations, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Place Names, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, Wildflowers

[caption id="attachment_33788" align="alignleft" width="222"] Book 5[/caption] The year 2021 was a momentous year in terms of unique travel. I spent nearly a month of driving and support on the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail from Big South Fork in Tennessee to the Northern Terminus north of Morehead, Kentucky. The trail itself is 343 miles long and my wife Julianne, daughter Marissa and over 90 others completed the Sheltowee Trace Association Trace Challenge over the course of the year, hitting sections month by month. I decided back in October to change my book writing schedule so that I could cover this amazing adventure as a support driver and Driving the Sheltowee Trace - Highlights from a Support Driver is now available in both Kindle and Paperback as Book 5 of my…

11Nov 2021 by David Kravetz

Visiting Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Greenville, Kentucky

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Covered Bridges, Family Travel, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Hiking & Biking, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Vintage Neon, Welcome Signs

[caption id="attachment_33745" align="alignleft" width="300"] Visiting Greenville[/caption] This is the eighth and final installment on my visit to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. On August 18, 2021 I was invited by Misty Deason, the owner of Apple House Mercantile and a member of the Muhlenberg County Board of Tourism, to come out for a visit. She now carries my Less Beaten Paths books in her shop and wanted me to come out and sign them and then visit some of the major tourist attractions in this small, but unique, Kentucky county. [caption id="attachment_33738" align="alignnone" width="700"] Greenville Alley[/caption] [caption id="attachment_33741" align="alignright" width="700"] Colbi Ferguson in her domain at the Greenville Tourism Office.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_33740" align="alignleft" width="300"] Greenville Tourism and Courthouse[/caption] I had a great visit with Colbi Ferguson, the director of the Greenville…

16Sep 2021 by David Kravetz

Visiting Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: A Visit With the Big Twigs

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Family Travel, Giant Things, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, People Shots, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Welcome Signs

[caption id="attachment_33710" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam visiting with Happy Malone[/caption] This is the seventh post in my series on Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. On August 18, 2021 I was invited by Misty Deason, the owner of Apple House Mercantile and a member of the Muhlenberg County Board of Tourism, to come out for a visit. She now carries my Less Beaten Paths books in her shop and wanted me to come out and sign them and then visit some of the major tourist attractions in this small, but unique, Kentucky county. [caption id="attachment_33695" align="alignnone" width="700"] The Big Twigs[/caption] I had many reasons for a visit to Muhlenberg County via Misty's kind invitation. Besides signing the books, I was most excited to visit with the county's newest giant residents in Lake Malone…

01Sep 2021 by David Kravetz

Visiting Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: The Bard Distillery – Graham, Kentucky

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Distilleries, Eateries, John Prine, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Signs and Billboards, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 62, Wanderlust, Welcome Signs

[caption id="attachment_33682" align="alignleft" width="300"] Bard Distillery - Graham, Kentucky[/caption] This is the sixth in my series on Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. On August 18, 2021 I was invited by Misty Deason, the owner of Apple House Mercantile and a member of the Muhlenberg County Board of Tourism, to come out for a visit. She now carries my Less Beaten Paths books in her shop and wanted me to come out and sign them and then visit some of the major tourist attractions in this small, but unique, Kentucky county. [caption id="attachment_33661" align="alignright" width="300"] Bard Distillery Plaque[/caption] Among the many places visited was The Bard Distillery located in the small community of Graham, Kentucky. Though I don't drink alcoholic beverages of any kind, I am still interested in the processes that distillers…

29Aug 2021 by David Kravetz

Visiting Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: The Music and Motorsports Museums – Part II

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Museums, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unique Places, Vintage Neon

[caption id="attachment_33611" align="alignleft" width="182"] Motorsports Museum[/caption] In my previous post, I presented the Muhlenberg County Music Museum. It is only part of the bigger picture as the entire back of the building features the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum. As with the Music Museum, Dr. Freddie Mayes manages the facility. The museum features a variety of motorsports treasures that includes most everything from racing. Dr. Mayes said that their current garage can't handle a Monster Truck yet, but they are working on a way to display one. The facility also includes a vintage soda shop, a number of vintage neon signs, Hall of Fame trophies and other memorabilia. [caption id="attachment_33613" align="alignnone" width="700"] A view of the Motorsports Museum[/caption] [caption id="attachment_33612" align="alignnone" width="700"] Another view of the Motorsports…

22Aug 2021 by David Kravetz

Visiting Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: The Music and Motorsports Museums – Part I

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Chet Atkins, Everly Brothers, Family Travel, Ike Everly, John Prine, Kennedy Jones, Kentucky, Merle Travis, Mose Rager, Murals, Museums, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Staycations, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places

[caption id="attachment_33608" align="alignleft" width="300"] Don Everly put his 1977 MG on display in the Music Museum.[/caption] Yesterday was August 21, 2021. Famed singer and part of the Everly Brothers, Don Everly, passed away at the age of 84. Just a few days ago I was standing next to his car and listening to Everly Brothers music at the Muhlenberg County Music Museum. We had been discussing how Don Everly was still alive and well and living in the county. Things can change in an instant. That said, I had a fun time visiting the dual museums -- The Muhlenberg Music Museum and the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum. Both museums are housed together in a large building on First Street in Central City. My guide, Misty Deason, owner…

20Aug 2021 by David Kravetz

Visiting Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: The House of Onyx

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Staycations, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Wanderlust

[caption id="attachment_33560" align="alignleft" width="255"] House of Onyx Brass Plaque[/caption] Take a drive down North Main Street in Greenville, Kentucky and you will come across a very non-descript tan brick building with a bronze plaque on the front as well as a brass name across the wall. All they say is "House of Onyx Inc." The bronze plaque also includes an inscription with the Established 1967 and the names Fred & Shirley Rowe. My guide, Misty Deason, the Proprietor of Apple House Mercantile, would tell me nothing about the place, but said we were going there and that I would be very surprised. I am always up for a "mysterious place" and so I was all in. [caption id="attachment_33593" align="alignright" width="300"] DFW Elite Toy Museum plaque in Haltom City, Texas[/caption] Only…

19Aug 2021 by David Kravetz

Visiting Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Apple House Mercantile

Adventure, Antique Shops, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Family Travel, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Nature and Scenery, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Staycations, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places

[caption id="attachment_33549" align="alignleft" width="300"] Apple House Mercantile, Central City, Kentucky[/caption] On August 18, 2021 I had the opportunity to get an in-depth visit to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky courtesy of the Misty Deason and also the some of the tour departments in the county. I originally met Misty along the Sheltowee Trace in 2020. She saw some of my photos from the trail and began following me on Facebook. As she had recently opened a new tourist/gift-centric business called Apple House Mercantile in Central City ( 110 W. Everly Brothers Blvd.), she wanted to add my travel books to her inventory. This then blossomed in an invite to visit the county to see the newly dedicated Big Twigs at Lake Malone State Park, as well as a number of other places…

29Jul 2021 by David Kravetz

Book 4 – 8154: An Epic Family Road Trip Across America – NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon

Adventure, Animals, Antelope, Antique Shops, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bison, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Donut Places, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Egret, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Highways and Roadways, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Jimmy Jackson, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Nebraska, Nevada, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Oregon, People Shots, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Raccoon, Restroom Signs, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Snow Geese, South Dakota, Street Art, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, US Highway 16A, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 31, US Highway 60, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Welcome Signs, Wyoming

[caption id="attachment_33522" align="alignleft" width="193"] 8154 Cover[/caption] Big News!! My newest book, titled "8154: An Epic Family Road Trip Across America" is now available on Amazon in both print and Kindle versions. The book details the three week long 8,154 mile road trip with my daughter Marissa Noe and her three children. New print programs on Amazon have also made it cheaper than previous books!! The book is 138 pages and full of color photos from 20 different states. I have included a chapter all about how to plan for a long trip like this, especially with children. A long road trip can be a challenge for the kids, so there are all sorts of ideas including in this book for making it fun and memorable for the kids. There are…

17May 2021 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The V Signs #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alberta, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, California, Canada, Donut Places, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Large Statues, Manitoba, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, South Dakota, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Volunteer Fire Departments, Welcome Signs, Wisconsin

I have fallen way behind on my A to Z posts this year due to added work and travel, but I will get them all! This year I am doing signs that I have seen across the country. This post will feature signs associated with the Letter V. ENJOY THE RIDE! We can't avoid signs. They are everywhere. Advertisements, informational signs, directional signs, business signs and, sometimes, even humorous and fun signs. Each of my posts in this years' challenge will feature a hodgepodge of signs I have come across in my travels. In most cases, I'll also note where they were taken. Some were actually inside of shops or otherwise, so not all will have locations. I hope you enjoy the remainder of my posts as get to them…

Category: Backroads Discoveries