Buildings, Barns and Houses – Page 10 – Less Beaten Paths of America

15May 2013 by David Kravetz

Road Trip Home from Idaho – Day 4: Oacoma, SD to Des Moines, IA

Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Iowa, Landscapes, Large Statues, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art

Covered Bridges of Madison County in Iowa[/caption] April 2, 2013: After a good night's rest in Oacoma, we were back on the road heading east with our first planned stop being an early morning visit to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. View Larger Map - Oacoma, SD to Des Moines, IA Originally built in 1892 as the "Corn Belt Exposition," it became an iconic landmark and attraction in Mitchell after 1921. Every year the exterior decorations are stripped and a new theme is created. The work is done by local artists. The 2013 theme is "We Celebrate" and each mural is a depiction of an American holiday. The artists use 13 different colors or shades of corn to decorate with. Typically there are over 275,000 ears of corn…

06Apr 2013 by David Kravetz

In and Around Rexburg, ID

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Buffalo, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Elk, Farmland, Idaho, LDS Temples, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National Parks, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art

Rexburg, ID[/caption] I spent two weeks in Rexburg from March 11 thru March 25, 2013 working on a job possibility. During my free time I spent a good deal of time in town and also looking around town and some of the surrounding areas. [caption id="attachment_2176" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Rexburg LDS Temple at sunrise[/caption] Perhaps Rexburg is best known for its LDS (Mormon) population, BYU-Idaho and the Rexburg Temple of the church (shown above). But Rexburg is also famous as the town that was practically destroyed by the Teton Dam Flood in June of 1976 (see story here). The town has been totally rebuilt since that time. [caption id="attachment_2179" align="aligncenter" width="448"] More murals from downtown Rexburg[/caption] Rexburg is kind of in a bowl, with mountain ranges all around it. To the…

13Apr 2012 by David Kravetz

Oregon's got Talent!!

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Found Metal Sculptures, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art

Welcome to Talent, Oregon[/caption] I am currently on another business trip in Oregon and was down in the Ashland area in Southern Oregon. Just near Ashland is a small town called Talent, OR. I first heard about it when there was a participant from Talent that appeared on America's Got Talent. [caption id="attachment_223" align="alignleft" width="256"] Welcome to Talent[/caption] Called "The City of Talent", I am not sure how much talent there actually is here. The community does have nearly 7000 people. According to the Talent website, the story of Talent begins in 1852 with the arrival of the first recorded settler, Jacob Wagner. Jacob completed his homestead in 1853 and named his settlement "Wagner." In 1854, the military came from Yreka and set up a fort on Jacob's property. The…

01Mar 2012 by David Kravetz

I am certain this is Uncertain

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Landscapes, Louisiana, Mythical Creatures, Pelicans, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Swamps, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art

Uncertain, Texas[/caption] Welcome to Uncertain, TX, a small village on the side of Caddo Lake in eastern Texas bordering Louisiana. This is the home of the largest natural fresh water lake in Texas and is also home to a huge swamp...yes, gators and pelicans and swamp things, oh my... [caption id="attachment_47" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Uncertain General Store and Grill[/caption] Uncertain derives its name from surveyors who were attempting to delineate the border between Texas and Louisiana and discovered that they were "uncertain" as to which side of the line they were on as they began surveying that particular part of Caddo Lake. I can imagine why this is. The swamp always changes. I got to Uncertain on a cool February morning in 2010. Fisherman were readying their boats to head…