Cross Country Road Trips – Page 30 – Less Beaten Paths of America

01Sep 2014 by David Kravetz

The Back Road to Memphis: US Route 79

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Street Art, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Water Towers, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_10502" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Bozo's Hot Pit BBQ - Mason, TN[/caption] With this post I continue blogging about some of our wonderful US Highways as I strive to avoid the interstates in my travels. In June, I took a trip to Galveston, Texas for a family reunion. The entire length of the trip was predominantly US Highways or State Highways as I made my way to Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and then southern Texas. [caption id="attachment_10509" align="aligncenter" width="889"] Route to Memphis from Lexington via Russellville, KY and US Route 79[/caption] The first leg of this trip would take me from Lexington to Russellville, KY where US Highway 79 begins. Following that highway, I would make my way into downtown Memphis, TN. From there I would catch US Highway 61 (The Blues…

13Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

The Two Towers of Paris – Tennessee and Texas

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Tennessee, Texas, Unique Places, Water Towers

[caption id="attachment_10359" align="aligncenter" width="474"] A Tale of Two Towers[/caption] This is a tale of Two Towers - both in a place named Paris, but one is in Tennessee and the other in Texas. The map below shows that they are about 8 hours away from each other. [caption id="attachment_10364" align="aligncenter" width="819"] Paris, TN and Paris, TX - Home of the battling Two Towers[/caption] There are seventeen towns in the U.S. with the name of Paris (and one in Ontario, Canada as well -- and I lived there for a while). I have been to Paris in Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Idaho, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri. But the towns of Paris, TX and Paris, TN are the only ones to have an Eiffel Tower that is fairly large. Paris, Michigan has a…

12Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

Taking the Long Way Home from Nebraska – 800 miles in a day

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Farmland, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Missouri, Muffler Man, Nebraska, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Water Towers

[caption id="attachment_10327" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Giant Clouds over Concordia, Missouri[/caption] The best and worst part of a long road trip is the coming home part. Its always nice to be at home in my own bed after a grueling trip across the country. But, it is bittersweet. All of the adventures, sights, sounds and exhilaration are behind me. The last leg of the trip is usually on the Interstates to get home as quickly as possible (with a few brief stops along the way). This trip was no different. My trip home was the "long way home" as it covered over 870 miles on the last day as I traveled straight from Grand Island, Nebraska to Lexington (via Kansas City and St. Louis in order to visit a friend in KC).…

09Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

From Cody to Carhenge with a Jackalope in-between

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, National Monuments, Nebraska, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 20, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wyoming, Yard Art

After a marvelous time in the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, it was time to head east through the high deserts of Wyoming and across Nebraska and eventually back home to Kentucky. [caption id="attachment_10276" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Map of trip from Cody to Grand Island, Nebraska[/caption] After a restful evening at the Moose Creek Lodge in Cody, Wyoming, I was ready to hit the road running early the next morning. I had visited Cody in 2013 and so I didn't spend a lot of time, but I did want to get back over to the Buffalo Bill Center and take some pictures of some of the numerous statues there. [caption id="attachment_10012" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Buffalo Bill Cody statue in Cody, Wyoming[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10013" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Plaque under Buffalo Bill statue[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10278"…

29Jul 2014 by David Kravetz

Dream Highway: US Highway 212 and the Beartooth Highway

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dream Highways, Elk, Geologic Formations, Horses, Landscapes, Montana, National Parks, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 212, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wyoming, Yard Art

Like so many other people, I have a bucket list of places I want to visit in my lifetime. On my trip in May 2014 I was able to scratch off TWO of them! The first was a trip across US Route 2 from Michigan to Montana, with a stop in Bemidji, MN to see the giant Paul Bunyan and Ox statues (so it was kind of a three for the price of two really). You can read about that portion of the trip HERE. [caption id="attachment_9735" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Sumoflam on the Beartooth Highway (All-American Road)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_9843" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US 212 East on Beartooth Highway[/caption] The second, and perhaps more thrilling and fulfilling to me, was being able to travel US Highway 212 across Yellowstone and then over the…

24Jul 2014 by David Kravetz

Montana Trip: US Highway 89 thru Montana – South 89

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Horses, Landscapes, Large Statues, Montana, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Place Names, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art

[caption id="attachment_9645" align="aligncenter" width="474"] 89 South in Montana[/caption] After spending a nice day with my children and grandchildren along US Highway 89 north of Great Falls, it was time to begin the long trip back to Kentucky the next day. I would begin the return trip with a quick jaunt south on I-15 to Great Falls and then south on US 87/89 towards Kings Hill Pass on the Kings Hill Scenic Byway, which runs along US 89 from the US 87 junction to the US 12 junction just north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. [caption id="attachment_9478" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Welcome to Conrad, Montana[/caption] Before moving on, I should mention that on the previous day we made a quick stop in Conrad, Montana to see if there is anything interesting there. Conrad…

23Jul 2014 by David Kravetz

Montana Trip: US Highway 89 thru Montana – North 89

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Horses, Landscapes, Large Statues, Montana, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Place Names, prairie dogs, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, States and Provinces, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 287, US Highway 89, US Highways, Vintage Neon

[caption id="attachment_9398" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Snow covered mountains of Glacier National Park as seen from US 89 just south of US Route 2 near Browning, MT[/caption] As I continued my trip in Montana, I spent some time with my daughter and her children in Shelby. From there I proceeded to head back to Kentucky the "back roads" way over a number of US Highways and State Highways. [caption id="attachment_9399" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US Route 2 and US Route 89[/caption] My goal was to travel the majority of Montana's US 89 during this trip. I did not hit the portion north of Browning to Alberta on this trip, though I have traveled it in the past. In fact, over the years I have traveled US 89 from the Canadian border all the way…

17Jul 2014 by David Kravetz

Montana Roadtrip: Taking the Hi-Line Across Northern Montana

Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Montana, Museums, National Parks, Place Names, prairie dogs, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_9159" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US Route 2 Montana - The Hi-Line[/caption] My trip along Route 2 continued from Glasgow, Montana westward along what is known as the Montana Hi-Line (See my May 2013 post about a previous drive on a portion of the Hi-Line). Back in May last year I drove through to Glasgow and then south. On this trip I tried to spend a little more time in some of the smaller towns on the road and capture the essence of what I feel is a dieing breed hanging on. In fact, to proclaim their existence, many of the towns have a big sign on the highway to proclaim "Hey, we're here!" [caption id="attachment_2970" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Chester, Montana welcome sign on West side of town - one of many…

04Jul 2014 by David Kravetz

Montana Road Trip: Zipping across North Dakota on US Highway 2

Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Large Statues, Montana, North Dakota, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon

[caption id="attachment_9121" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US Route 2 in North Dakota[/caption] I continue my series on my Montana road trip and my drive along US Route two across the northern border from Michigan to Montana. [caption id="attachment_8983" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Welcome to North Dakota[/caption] As one progresses further west after leaving Minnesota, you soon discover that the land is flatter, full of prairies and grasslands and not as many lakes and streams as one would see in Minnesota. [caption id="attachment_8990" align="aligncenter" width="474"] US Route 2 in North Dakota[/caption] I spent the night in Grand Forks, North Dakota and then proceeded to head west early in the morning. The first thing I did was look for the famed Smiley Water Tower in Grand Forks. Unlike others with a similar smiley on them, this…

29Jun 2014 by David Kravetz

A Grizzly Experience: Grizz Works in Maple, WI

Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Large Statues, People Shots, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wisconsin, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_8706" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Grizz Works in Maple, WI[/caption] During my trip on US Route 2 across Wisconsin, I came across a unique place called Grizz Works in the small town of Maple, Wisconsin. It amounted to a roadside stop with a whole bunch of big, realistic looking chainsaw carved wooden animals and other statues. I have seen many of these along the roads in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ontario, Arkansas and Kentucky, but the work that they had there was absolutely astounding! [caption id="attachment_8974" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Grizz Works Art[/caption] What caught my eye from the road was a 10 foot tall giant wooden grizzly that looked alive! [caption id="attachment_8964" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Giant Grizzly[/caption] Since I passed it, I found the next place to turn around and I went back and stop…

Category: Cross Country Road Trips