Cross Country Road Trips – Less Beaten Paths of America

15Nov 2024 by David Kravetz No Comments

2023: Year in Travel and Other Stories – Part 3 – June and July

Adventure, Antique Shops, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Museums, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, National Parks, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 31, US Highway 70, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs

The month of June 2023 kicked off a very busy couple of months of travel including some big road trips and a long-awaited and long overdue trip to Florida and the Gulf Coast (see post here). The month started off with a visit to Grayson Lake State Park in Kentucky and the area around it including Carter Caves State Park. We had visited both of these places in the past, so I am not posting much from that first week. However, in mid-June Julianne and a friend went kayaking near Magnolia, Kentucky While they did, I made my to Hodgenville, Kentucky and the Lincoln Heritage areas nearby. Hodgenville has a couple of nice Lincoln statues in the town square. And they have a fairly well known hole in the wall…

14Aug 2023 by David Kravetz

2023 Gulf Coast Road Trip: A Breakfast Surprise in Houma

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, People Shots, Selfies, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places

Home Sweet Houma mural in Houma, LA In July we took a 3001 mile road trip through ten states over eight days. We visited many local eateries along the way - I take road trips with an “Eat Local” philosophy. Bayou Country Café in Houma, LA We spent the fourth night of our trip in the fabulous city of New Orleans. But we wanted to get on the road early and get down to Houma for breakfast. Houma is one of the main places for the filming of the History Channel’s “Swamp People” and is in the heart of Cajun country. We had hoped to find a good “Cajun” place for breakfast. Inside the Bayou Country Café After looking at options, we decided on the Bayou Country…

05Aug 2023 by David Kravetz

2023 Gulf Coast Road Trip: The Overview

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Beaches, Big Cities, Big John, Birds, Books, Bridges, Brown Pelican, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Cities and Towns, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Georgia, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Highways and Roadways, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, US Highway 98, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Whispering Giants, Whispering Giants, Wood Stork, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_37550" align="alignnone" width="640"] On our way for a fun road trip! Autumn in the front with me and Chelsea and Jorge in the back.[/caption] I was thrilled to finally get in a good road trip in July 2023. My last multi-day road trip took place back in October 2022 when I traveled Route 66 in Illinois to celebrate by 66th birthday. The July 2023 was taken south to the Gulf Coast, then along the coastal highways and eventually into New Orleans. From there were went on to Houston, Keller and Uncertain, all in Texas, before heading back to Kentucky. All in all, we traveled 3001 miles over an eight day period and traveled through ten different states. I say we as on this trip I was accompanied by my…

24Jun 2023 by David Kravetz

Planning a Road Trip Sumoflam Style: 2023

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside America Books, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops

If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there. - George Harrison As summer approaches we all get excited about travel of some sort. For me, it is a long road trip on back roads that I look forward to. There is so much to see in this great country of ours. And, despite my having been to all 50 states, there is so much I have yet to see and experience. I am going to share my travel planning secrets and methodologies in this post. Have traveled well over 2 million road miles in my 66 years -- including a few years as a tour guide and charter bus driver. In all of those miles I have learned a few things. And, of course, I…

24Jun 2023 by David Kravetz

Using the Roadside America App (for iPhone or iPad): A Primer

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside America Books, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, States and Provinces, Travel Blogging, Uniroyal Gal, Whispering Giants

Over the years of my blogging, I have often mentioned Roadside America, both the website and the iPhone/iPad app, as excellent tools to assist in both your road trip planning and actual road trip guidance while on the road. In this post I am going to explain the app and why one should use it on a road trip. This is not a sponsored post, but rather a detailed post based on my own personal experiences with the app for the past 13 years. I will note upfront, however, that I highly recommend this app to all who may plan on traveling. WHAT IS ROADSIDE AMERICA? [caption id="attachment_37483" align="alignnone" width="316" alt="" height="475"] Cover of the original Roadside America book from 1986[/caption] I have been a fan and user…

29Apr 2023 by David Kravetz

Unique Town Names Redux 2023

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, California, Church Signs, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Indiana, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Murals, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unique Places, US Highway 77, US Highway 87, Volunteer Fire Departments, Water Towers, Welcome Signs

Back in 2017 I published the first book in my Less Beaten Paths of America travel book series. Titled "Unique Named Towns," I featured a number of towns and places that I had visited over the years. You can see (and even order) that book on Amazon if interested. Since then, I have continued to travel and come across the unique, fun and quirky places. This post is all about these great places. However, don't expect any fantastic scenery pictures in this post. Signs and selfies with signs aren't really anything to shout home about, but they do tell the story of how fun America can be. I am only adding a few for fun here. [caption id="attachment_26768" align="alignnone" width="358"] Less Beaten Paths books[/caption] In writing this, I want to…

18Jan 2023 by David Kravetz

2022: The Year in Travel – January thru March

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Graffiti Walls, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Ice Cream Places, Indiana, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Murals, Offbeat Places, Pelicans, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Staycations, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 31, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_35952" align="alignleft" width="300"] Welcome to Pontiac, Illinois[/caption] What a year 2022 was!! I started off the year in the midst of another COVID outbreak and high fuel prices. My hopes for much travel in 2022 weren't very high. I expected it would be a lean travel year, but it turned out much different than I had anticipated. By December 31 I had visited 14 states and driven nearly 21,000 miles. This included nearly 1,300 miles (out of a total of 2,400) of driving on Route 66 from Albuquerque to Chicago. I had actually dreamt of driving the entire length of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA in October, which was when I would celebrate my 66th birthday, but it wasn't meant to be. Nevertheless, I was thrilled…

13Dec 2022 by David Kravetz

Chester, Illinois: The Birthplace of Popeye

Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Illinois, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Murals, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Welcome Signs

[caption id="attachment_36205" align="alignnone" width="481"] Hanging with Popeye in Chester, Illinois.[/caption] With every trip I take, I am always looking for something interesting. Not just a one off quirky statue somewhere, but hopefully something bigger. Back in October when I visited Route 66 in Illinois, I looked for something interesting to see on the way home. Thanks to my good friends at RoadsideAmerica.com, I was guided to the river town of Chester, Illinois. It sits on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River just across from Missouri. [caption id="attachment_36202" align="alignnone" width="640"] Welcome to Chester, Illinois[/caption] The view of the Chester Bridge over the river from Segar Memorial Park is really a splendid view and the town itself is a pleasant little town. That in and of itself was worth the visit. But,…

03Dec 2022 by David Kravetz

Olney, Illinois: White Squirrels and More

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Squirrels, Street Art, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 50, Wall Art, Washington, Welcome Signs, White Squirrels, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_36318" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sumoflam, sun and a White Squirrel[/caption] I have already posted about my Illinois Route 66 trip, but along the way I had many small adventures. One of the bigger "small" adventures was a visit to Olney, Illinois on October 1. The town of Olney is on US 50 where it crosses IL 130 and is only about 34 miles east of the Indiana border. Its biggest drawing card is their White Squirrels. Yes, White Squirrels. Recorded sightings of the Olney-area white squirrels go as far back as the 1890s. Bu 1941 there were about 800 white squirrels. Since the mid-1970s the town has done a white squirrel census annually. But, cats and dogs often had a negative impact, so, in 1997 the Olney City Council made…

11Sep 2022 by David Kravetz

Saguaro National Park – A Magnificent Display of Desert’s Giants

Adventure, Animals, Arizona, Back Roads, Barrel Cactus, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Desert Cardinal, Desert Scenes, Gila Monster, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Ocotillo, Plants, Prickly Pear Cactus, Saguaro Cactus, Selfies, Squirrels, Tree Cholla Cactus, Unique Places, Welcome Signs

[caption id="attachment_35561" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam at Saguaro National Park[/caption] In early August 2022 I had an opportunity to visit Arizona's Saguaro National Park, making it my 36th National Park (out of the current 63) visit over the course of my life. Though I had lived in Arizona for a number of years, I never had the opportunity to get to Saguaro. So, in the middle of a hot summer morning, we made our way to the home of the majestic saguaro cactus outside of Tucson. It was a splendid day to see these symbols of the American west, despite the cacti really only growing in a small portion of the United States. The saguaro, the largest of all cactus species, can grow over 40 feet tall and can live over…

Category: Cross Country Road Trips