Offbeat and Quirky Roadside Attractions Now Available on Amazon!

Adventure, Antsy McClain, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Books, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Mythical Creatures, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Wanderlust, Whispering Giants, Yard Art
Yesterday my new book, "Less Beaten Paths of America: Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions" made its debut on Amazon! The book is 130 pages of FULL COLOR whimsy and kitsch as I tell stories of my visits to these places all over the U.S. and Canada. Definitely was fun taking these back roads trips to quirkville and I am excited to share them with you in words and photos. Even more exciting was that after a few hours the book was already #5 on Amazon's Road Travel New Releases chart and #24 on their Travel Reference chart!! I hope you will be able to check out the book or even get it on Kindle (#14 on the Road Travel chart). You Chang the book here: SEE NEW BOOK
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Ghost Signs, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Montana, Murals, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington
[caption id="attachment_20124" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sign post in Broadus, Montana[/caption] One thing that we all see when traveling America's highways is signs.  All kinds of them: road signs, exit signs, mile markers, billboards, "Welcome to Our Town" signs and the massive assortment of business signs from fast food places to local eateries.  Indeed, our eyes and minds are deluges with them! Over the course of my 6000 mile road trip to Washington State and back, I probably saw way more than a sign a mile (on average).  Yes, there are many places with no signs, but then, there are others, such as going through small towns, where they are in abundance. [caption id="attachment_20107" align="aligncenter" width="450"] One of hundreds of Wall Drug signs to be seen on I-90 from as far away…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: US Route 2 in Washington

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Ghost Signs, Idaho, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, Murals, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Waterfalls
[caption id="attachment_19897" align="alignleft" width="225"] US Route 2 in Washington[/caption] Over the years I have been able to travel the majority of US Route 2 from Michigan all the way to the other side of Glacier National Park.  But I have never had the opportunity travel Route 2 in Washington, which would effectively let me finish the western segment of the highway, which, ultimately stretches 2,112 miles from St. Ignace, MI to Everett, WA.  Within Washington, the highway traverses a 326.36-mile-long route that connects the western and eastern regions of the state as a part of the state highway system and the National Highway System. US 2 also forms parts of two National Scenic Byways, the Stevens Pass Greenway, which goes over a portion of the Cascades, and the Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway near Coulee City, which offers some wonderful views of…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: The Overview – Kentucky to Washington

Adventure, Animals, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Birds, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, LDS Temples, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Seagulls, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 6, Utah, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Whispering Giants, Wildflowers, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_19571" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam on the Road Again[/caption] In April 2018 I took a nice long road trip from my home in Lexington, Kentucky to my daughter's home in Port Orchard, Washington and back. The itinerary included most places akin to the Good Sam list of campgrounds which my cousin couldn't stop prattling about. Though I was gone for 15 days, I spent nine of them traveling more than 6000 miles through 14 states.  Many of my stops were in anticipation of my new book as I wanted some fresh content to add to it. [caption id="attachment_19561" align="alignright" width="300"] Lots of great two-lanes on this trip[/caption] In the past, I typically wrote one or two huge blog posts about long roadtrips, but, I have decided that a focus on…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The Y Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Amish Country, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bison, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, Mountains, National Parks, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Washington, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Wildflowers
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.   Yellowstone National Park - West Yellowstone, Montana ; Gardiner, Montana [caption id="attachment_14082" align="alignnone" width="400"] Visiting Yellowstone National Park in 2014[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8539" align="alignnone" width="400"] The Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park[/caption] [caption id="attachment_9647" align="alignnone" width="400"] The mountains and the Yellowstone River as seen from US 89[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4141" align="alignnone" width="400"] Bison grazing in Yellowstone Park along the Yellowstone River[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4133" align="alignnone" width="266"]…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The W Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Cebu, City Skylines, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Street People, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, Water Buffalo, Water Towers, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Whispering Giants, Wildflowers, Wyoming, Yard Art
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: [caption id="attachment_5682" align="alignnone" width="229"] Gigantic Peter Toth carved…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The U Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Giant Things, Idaho, Iowa, Japan, Japanese Shrines, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Museums, Offbeat Places, Oita, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Texas, Town Names, Travel in Japan, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal
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.   Usa Shrine - Usa, Japan [caption id="attachment_6975" align="alignnone" width="400"] Family at Usa Shrine in Oita Prefecture ca. 1990[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6982" align="alignnone" width="400"] Daughter Amaree in Usa, Japan 1987[/caption] Uncasville, Connecticut [caption id="attachment_14706" align="alignnone" width="400"] Wells Dinosaur Haven in Uncasville, CT[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15085" align="alignnone" width="400"] Sumoflam and Bronto at Wells Dinosaur Haven in Uncasville, CT[/caption] Upper Lake, California [caption id="attachment_12906" align="alignnone" width="400"] Welcome to Upper Lake, CA[/caption] [caption…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The T Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Fuji City, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Horse Art, Hot Springs, Idaho, Indian Ruins, Japan, Japanese Shrines, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mexico, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Tersier, Texas, Town Names, Travel in Japan, Tulum, Turkey Vultures, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
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.   Talent, Oregon [caption id="attachment_223" align="alignnone" width="342"] Welcome to Talent, Oregon[/caption] [caption id="attachment_224" align="alignnone" width="400"] Talent Mural[/caption] [caption id="attachment_221" align="alignnone" width="400"] Talent Police[/caption] Tee Pee Motel - Wharton, Texas [caption id="attachment_11564" align="alignnone" width="400"] Tee Pee Motel in Wharton, TX[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11565" align="alignnone" width="400"] Sumoflam at the Tee Pee Motel in Wharton, TX[/caption] Thoroughbred Park - Lexington, Kentucky [caption id="attachment_5844" align="alignnone" width="400"] Thoroughbred Park, Lexington, KY[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5864" align="alignnone"…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The S Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alberta, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Birds, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dream Highways, Eateries, Elephants, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Junk Art, Kansas, Kentucky, Kumamoto, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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.   Sunset Motel - Belle Fourche, South Dakota [caption id="attachment_19410" align="alignnone" width="400"] Great little place in the geographic center of the continental US![/caption] [caption id="attachment_19409" align="alignnone" width="400"] Always like places with these old keys![/caption] Spider Volkswagen - Wolf Creek, Oregon [caption id="attachment_5755" align="alignnone" width="400"] Spider Volkswagen - Wolf Creek, Oregon[/caption] Sandwich, New Hampshire WARNING: They do not have a place to get a sandwich in Sandwich. No Joke!…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The R Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, Car Art, Colorado, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, LDS Temples, Less Beaten Paths Books, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Squirrels, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Wyoming, Yard Art
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.   Ric's Grill - Steak in Water Tower - Lethbridge, Alberta [caption id="attachment_3228" align="alignnone" width="131"] Ric's Grill - Lethbridge, Alberta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3229" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ric's Grill - Lethbridge, Alberta[/caption] Route 66 Soda / Route Beer - Mokena, Illinois [caption id="attachment_6685" align="alignnone" width="400"] Route 66 "Route Beer"[/caption] Rabbit Hash, Kentucky [caption id="attachment_8249" align="alignnone" width="266"] Welcome to Rabbit Hash, KY[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8243" align="alignnone" width="400"] Sign at Rabbit Hash Road[/caption] [caption…
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