15Dec 2017 by David Kravetz

Sumoflam’s 2017 Travels in Review

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bike Trails, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Caves and Caverns, City Skylines, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Eagles, Eateries, Eclipse, Family Travel, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, LDS Temples, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, New York, North Carolina, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Staycations, Street Art, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, West Virginia
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 contact a mini bus rental in Chicago and 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…
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03May 2017 by David Kravetz

Blogging A to Z Challenge – The Complete List for 2017 – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Alligators, Amish Country, Animals, Antelope, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bike Trails, Birds, Bison, Blue Heron, Bobby Cochran, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Car Art, Cebu, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Edgar Cruz, Egret, Elk, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Fox, Fuji City, Geese, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Himeji, Hiroshima, Horse Art, Horses, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Japanese Castles, Japanese Shrines, Kansas, Kentucky, Kyoto, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico, Michael Kelsey, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nagasaki, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ogaki, Ohio, Oita, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Patti Hall, Pauly Zarb, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Saskatchewan, Seagulls, Selfies, Sendai, South Carolina, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Street Art, Street People, Swamps, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Tommy Emmanuel, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Tulum, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
During the month of April I participated with nearly 2000 other bloggers worldwide in the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge" which is now in its 7th year. This was my second year to participate and this year's theme for my series was "Wanderlust."  As a "Travelographer," my posts tend to be photo heavy.  I travel and take loads of photos. This is my way of sharing the wonders of the back roads of America. Following are links to the complete A to Z set.  Just click on the banner for each and letter and enjoy the posts and the photos.  I hope all readers will Enjoy the Ride as much as I have enjoyed sharing it! With over 6,300 locations worldwide, Choice Hotels has you covered! Book on our…
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30Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

W is for Wildlife – #atozchallenge

Adventure, Alligators, Animals, Antelope, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Blue Heron, Buffalo, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Eagles, Egret, Elk, Fox, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Oregon, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Squirrels, Swamps, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Virginia, Wanderlust, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
There are not many better things on a back road trip than running into unexpected wildlife. There is an abundance of birds and animals to be discovered on the road.  For me, my camera is always at the ready for the chance meeting of some interesting animal or bird. One such incident happened on a gravel road near Dell, Montana.  I was on the lookout for bison as I drive along Ted Turner's massive bison ranch.  While stopped to look I heard a strange bird call that I had never heard and shortly thereafter a pair of large birds came zipping by.  I got some shots, but wasn't sure what I had until I got to the hotel later that night and discovered they were a pair of Sandhill Cranes,…
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14Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

K is for Kentucky – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Blue Heron, Bridges, Eagles, Farmland, Horses, Kentucky, Landscapes, Museums, National Parks, Roadside Attractions, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Staycations, Street Art, Television Shows, Town Names, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Waterfalls
One word: Staycation My family moved to Kentucky with in 1993. We moved from the western United States and had not lived in a humid, green environment since our time in Japan in the late 1980s. Like many others, when we heard the word Kentucky, we thought about the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Kentucky bourbon. There was not much else to really understand or know about Kentucky. Honestly, looking back I can say that our move to Kentucky was one of the best things we ever did. Kentucky is a beautiful and diverse state. Living in Lexington, which is the Horse Capital of the World, we are surrounded by beautiful horse farms. In fact, I can leave my driveway and be driving through horse farm country within five…
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06Oct 2015 by David Kravetz

Washington State: Point Defiance Zoo

Birds, Budgies, Cross Country Road Trips, Eagles, Elephants, Family Travel, Flowers, LDS Temples, Mountains, Polar Bears, Puffins, Tigers, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Washington, Zoos
On Day 4 of our visit to Washington we packed up the kids and a couple of cars and made our way south to Tacoma to visit the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.   Though not as huge as some of the zoos we have been to (such as San Diego, Louisville, Cincinnati), it is still a nice zoo with some great opportunities to see some good wildlife.  The thing I like about most zoos is that they not only have a lot of animals, but they also have an abundance of flowers and foliage that is always pleasant.  So, this trip on this day was about grandkidz, animals and flowers. The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is apparently the only combined facility in the Pacific Northwest.  It is a 29…
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