Unexpected Discoveries – Page 5 – Less Beaten Paths of America

03Apr 2021 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The C Signs #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Canada, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mississippi, Missouri, Murals, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadsigns, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wall Art, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Welcome to another year of the AtoZ Challenge. This year I am doing signs that I have seen across the country. This post will feature signs associated with the Letter C. ENJOY THE RIDE! We can't avoid signs. They are everywhere. Advertisements, informational signs, directional signs, business signs and, sometimes, even humorous and fun signs. Each of my posts in this years' challenge will feature a hodgepodge of signs I have come across in my travels. In most cases, I'll also note where they were taken. Some were actually inside of shops or otherwise, so not all will have locations. I hope you enjoy this fun trip each day of April. [caption id="attachment_30958" align="alignnone" width="400"] Say Cheese! Beloit, Wisconsin[/caption] If you think my posts are kind of cheesy, you'll find…

01Apr 2021 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The A Signs #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Amish Country, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Eateries, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Maryland, Missouri, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Ohio, People Shots, Place Names, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tourist Traps, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Utah, Washington

Welcome to another year of the AtoZ Challenge. This year I am doing signs that I have seen across the country. This post will feature signs associated with the Letter A. ENJOY THE RIDE! We can't avoid signs. They are everywhere. Advertisements, informational signs, directional signs, business signs and, sometimes, even humorous and fun signs. Each of my posts in this years' challenge will feature a hodgepodge of signs I have come across in my travels. In most cases, I'll also note where they were taken. Some were actually inside of shops or otherwise, so not all will have locations. I hope you enjoy this fun trip each day of April. Let's get started with Apples! Everyone likes apples. Wenatchee, Washington is the purported Apple Capital of the World. In…

25Mar 2021 by David Kravetz

Old-Timey General Stores Part 2: R.M. Brooks General Store – Rugby, TN

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Tennessee, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Turkeys, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places

[caption id="attachment_30597" align="alignleft" width="241"] R.M. Brooks General Merchandise[/caption] This is the second post of my visits to Old-Timey General Stores. On March 5, 2021 I visited the R.M. Brooks General Merchandise Store in Rugby, Tennessee. Established in 1917, this one was a blast from the front of the store to all of the great antiques on the inside. Tiffany Jones Terry is the current proprietor and is the great-granddaughter of R.M. Brooks. She runs the place well. Their food offerings are amazingly good too! And you gotta try the Hoop Cheese on a sandwich! [caption id="attachment_30621" align="alignnone" width="700"] Come In sign at RM Brooks in Rugby[/caption] [caption id="attachment_30626" align="alignnone" width="700"] Old Gulf Pump makes for a great frame.[/caption] While my wife was hiking the Sheltowee Trace in the Big…

23Dec 2020 by David Kravetz

Roadtrippin’ 2020: An Overview

Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Books, Bridges, Buffalo, California, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Dream Highways, Eagles, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Raccoon, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US 129, US Highway 101, US Highway 16, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Welcome Signs, Wyoming

[caption id="attachment_25138" align="alignleft" width="300"] With family at Stitch the Dragon on the Tail of the Dragon (US 129) in Tennessee[/caption] The year 2020 has been a tough year for many people around the world. Its thrown me for a few loops as well. But, overall, as I look back on the year, it has been an absolutely amazing one. In fact, this may very well have been one of my biggest domestic road tripping years ever. Including the 8154 epic road trip in January and February, I put on an additional 4-5000 miles. Following are some of the highlights, which will be covered in separate posts over the next few days. Many of the trips included some of my children and grandchildren. We had some mini-reunions together. From the Blue…

04Nov 2020 by David Kravetz

Murals of Hamilton, Ohio

Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Graffiti Walls, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Wall Art

[caption id="attachment_25261" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hamilton's namesake, Alexander Hamilton, has a nice mural in downtown Hamilton. Painted by Nicole Trimble[/caption] Many cities are moving towards becoming "mural towns" as a drawing card to their towns. The nice thing about murals is that they are each so unique and original. In late October 2020 I had the opportunity to visit Hamilton, Ohio, which has now added numerous murals to buildings all around the town. Thanks to an organization called StreetSpark, some lovely murals have begun dotting the town. StreetSpark is similar to Lexington's PRHBTN organization, which I have written about a number of times. StreetSpark is a public art program established in 2016 in partnership with the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Community Foundation, and…

14Sep 2020 by David Kravetz

Driving The Dragon (US 129) – Southern Tennessee

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dragons, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, Mythical Creatures, National Parks, North Carolina, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Tennessee, Tourist Traps, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US 129, Welcome Signs

At the end of August we had a family reunion down in North Carolina. We stayed in an AirBNB in a huge backwoods lodge at Huffman Creek Retreat about 12 miles west of Robbinsville, NC. Our daughter flew in from Washington, without her kids, so we had all five of our children, two of our in-law kids and six grandkids. This was the first time that all five of my children have gathered together since October 2016. We car-pooled it down there from Lexington, KY thru Knoxville, TN and then on to “The Dragon,” (also called the Tail of the Dragon) which started near Chilhowee Lake near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Dragon is an eleven mile stretch of US 129 that skirts the southwest border of Great…

26Jun 2020 by David Kravetz

8154: What’s a Trip Without Faces?

Adventure, Animals, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bison, Blue Heron, Books, Buffalo, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Eagles, Egret, Elk, Family Travel, Geese, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oregon, People Shots, prairie dogs, Quirky Things, Raccoon, Roadside Attractions, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Washington, Wyoming

In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks with my daughter and three grandchildren. During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 10 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. This is the fifth of a few posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip. In this post I am sharing FACES. What is a trip without faces? And over 8000 miles of travel opens up the opportunity to see all kinds of faces -- family, friends, strange people, aliens, wild animals, birds, art, statues and who knows what else? Here are 125 of them. Enjoy…

17Jun 2020 by David Kravetz

8154: Experiencing America’s Amazing Landscapes

Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Eagles, Family Travel, Farmland, Geese, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Oregon, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese, South Dakota, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 1, US Highway 101, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, US Highway 16A, US Highway 18, US Highway 180, US Highway 2, Washington, Wyoming

In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks with my daughter and three grandchildren. During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 10 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. This is the fourth of a few posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip. In this post I'll share some scenes of some of America's diverse landscapes that we experienced on this epic road trip. Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz and, when noted, Marissa Noe) OH BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES [caption id="attachment_24234" align="alignnone" width="640"] SD Hwy 244 north…

11Jun 2020 by David Kravetz

8154: Unique Discoveries and Unplanned Adventures

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Montana, Murals, Museums, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 180, US Highway 385, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Wyoming, Yard Art

In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks with my daughter and three grandchildren. During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 10 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. This is the third of a few posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip. In this post I'll introduce you to some of the unique places we happened upon on our back roads travels. Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz and, when noted, Marissa Noe) THE JOY OF BACK ROAD TRAVEL One of the reasons I like traveling on…

20May 2020 by David Kravetz

8154: The Whimsical Wonders of Sebastopol, California

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_24408" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hanging in Sebastopol with A Sumoflam Fan[/caption] In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks. During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 15 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. Over the next few weeks I will be posting about some of the fun from the EPIC Road Trip with my daughter and three grandchildren. Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) [caption id="attachment_24404" align="alignnone" width="525"] Patrick Amiot's house on Florence Street in Sebastopol, CA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_24431" align="alignnone" width="525"] There are a couple of finely painted cars in front…

Category: Unexpected Discoveries