A New Photo Gallery: Sumoflam’s Weird and Wonderful America

A New Photo Gallery: Sumoflam’s Weird and Wonderful America

Alberta, Amish Country, Animals, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cebu, City Skylines, Colorado, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Georgia, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Horse Art, Horses, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Kentucky, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Musicians, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, South Carolina, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Street Art, Street Musicians, Street People, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Train Bridges, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Washington, West Virginia, Wildflowers, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
Recently I was assigned by a client to look into the creation of a SmugMug website. I had to do some testing on it, but in the process I created my own SmugMug site. This site has hundreds of photographs that I've taken on my travels around the country, in Canada, in Japan, and in the Philippines. Sumoflam's Weird & Wonderful America I have not always focused on just the unique and offbeat, but I also have visited many national parks, many scenic wonderlands, have focused on animal life, flowers and trees, and other unique and interesting places and things. My new SmugMug site will feature a great variety of all of these photographs. I hope you'll give it a visit and Enjoy the Ride!!
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New Wall Art in Lexington, KY – Part II More PRHBTN works completed

Backroads Discoveries, Eateries, Giant Things, Horse Art, Kentucky, Mythical Creatures, Roadside Attractions, South Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art
[caption id="attachment_7456" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sumoflam stares down a character from the huge mural just completed by British urban artist Phlegm[/caption] A few days ago I posted about a number of new and recent murals that now grace the walls of buildings in Lexington (see the post here).  Some of these, including the massive Lincoln mural, are part of the annual PRHBTN celebration of art forms that have been criminalized, marginalized, and under-appreciated in the mainstream.  In the past week since the completion of the Lincoln project, four other giant works have been completed by three different urban artists including Phlegm from Britain, GAIA from Baltimore, and Odeith, from Portugal.  All of these works are just a tad off the beaten path, but well worth seeking out. [caption id="attachment_7458" align="aligncenter" width="512"]…
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Creating the Wanderlust – 30 Years of Back Roads Travel with Family – Pt 2

Alberta, Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Minnesota, Montana, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, North Dakota, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Travel with grandchildren, Wisconsin, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_7268" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Akela Flats near Deming, New Mexico, December 1999[/caption] This is Part 2 of a Three Part series on "Creating the Wanderlust" - how I have shared travel experiences with my children and grandchildren over the last 30+ years and how this has opened their eyes to the world around them.  You can see Part 1 here. During 1996 and 1997 we didn't travel much though we did visit a couple of Kentucky sites including the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln near Hodgenville, KY and Cumberland Gap. [caption id="attachment_7271" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Chelsea and Seth at the Lincoln Birthplace monument in Hodgenville, Kentucky July 4, 1997[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6850" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Kids with Grandpa Kravetz at Cumberland Gap in 1997[/caption] The big highlight of 1997 was when our 1995 French…
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My 100th Post! Creating the Wanderlust – 30 Years of Back Roads Travel with Family – Pt 1

Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Large Statues, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery
[caption id="attachment_6990" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Fredericksburg, Virginia Aug 1995[/caption] This is my 100th Post on Less Beaten Paths.  It is Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on travel with my family over the last 30 years.  This Post will cover the "Early Years: 1980-1995."  Subsequent posts will be "1995-2005" and then the "Grandparent Years: 2005-present." [caption id="attachment_6902" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Kravetz girls in Sedona, AZ Oct 1992[/caption] As a family man (5 children, 9 grandchildren), I want to dedicate this post to my travels with all of them since the 1980s.  These are fairly long posts with lots of family travel photos, so, feel free to skim through if interested, or pass onto another post in my blog.  But, I do also want to use this post to show how the…
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Vintage Neon Everywhere

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, South Dakota, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_6800" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Old Mojo Gas Sign - Rock Springs, Wyoming[/caption] Everywhere I go I see old neon.  These signs remind me of the my youthful days in the 1960s and 70s when we traveled.  Alas, for many, the only signs they see are the same unoriginal fast food, gas station and motel chain signs all over the place.  But, in the by gone days there were few McDonald's and Motel 6 spots.  Instead, there were the little cozy motels with the old metal chairs in the front and the unique neon signs.  There were the local burger joints with their big shiny signs.  And there were the drive in movie theaters and the downtown theatres with their unique names.  Here is a trip down memory lane with neon…
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A 5 Day Midwest Adventure: Day 5 – Columbia, St. Louis, Ra66it Ranch and a Fire Breathing Dragon

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Muffler Man, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, States and Provinces, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_6504" align="aligncenter" width="512"] University of Missouri - Columbia, Missouri[/caption] The final day of our five day whirlwind trip to Nebraska and back began in Columbia, Missouri and took us through St. Louis and then some interesting spots in Illinois along old Route 66 and then eventually home to Lexington.  Following is our final day route: View Larger Map - Columbia, MO to Lexington, KY Columbia was a pleasant surprise.  A beautiful college town with lots of murals and color and historical buildings, like the administration building for the University of Missouri (shown above).  Before we headed down the road towards St. Louis, we took a brief drive around Columbia.  Here are a few shots: [caption id="attachment_6495" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Colorful Phone Booth in downtown Columbia, MO[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6496" align="aligncenter" width="300"]…
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A 5 Day Midwest Adventure – Day 4: Omaha, Council Bluffs and offbeat Central Missouri

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Illinois, Iowa, Large Statues, Nebraska, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Television Shows, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wildflowers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_6386" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Home of Sliced Bread - Chillicothe, Missouri[/caption] After a good day of rest in Nebraska City, we were off the next morning.  My daughter was to meet her friends at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha (which by many reports is one of the Top Ten Zoos in America) and I was going to visit some places in Council Bluffs while they were all at the zoo.  I actually visited the Henry Doorly Zoo in 2012 during the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials though I didn't write any blog posts about the visit.  So, I will include some of my photos from my visit as well as a couple of my daughter's photos.  After my visit to Council Bluffs we were then to make our way east …
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A 5 Day Midwest Adventure – Day 3: Hanging around Nebraska City, NE

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Car Art, Eateries, Giant Things, Nebraska, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Squirrels, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_6180" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Old Car - Nebraska City, Nebraska[/caption] After two days of hard driving with three children, we were ready for a brief break.  Marissa's friends live near Nebraska City, so we stayed here for a couple of nights.  After a good night's rest, I took them over to the Arbor Day Farm so that they could enjoy each others company.  Nebraska City is also the home of Arbor Day, which is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City United States by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872. [caption id="attachment_6254" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Arbor Day Farm Tree House - 50 feet tall (from arbordayfarm.org)[/caption] I didn't attend the Arbor…
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A 5 Day Midwest Adventure – Day 2: Walcott, IA to Nebraska City, NE

Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Iowa, Nebraska, Roadside Attractions, Television Shows, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_6137" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Welcome to Nebraska[/caption] Day 2 of my trip with Marissa would take us through Iowa and into Nebraska.  I promised to be a fun day of driving the backroads of the Midwest (kind of....) View Larger Map - Walcott, IA to Nebraska City, NE With the Grandkidz with us, every morning was an early one, so we were on the road in Walcott fairly early.  First thing I saw as I stepped out of the hotel was this big semi carrying a blade for a wind turbine.  This would set the stage for some subsequent visits along the road this day. You never really know how big these are until you have a frame of reference, like a huge truck. [caption id="attachment_6061" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Truck with…
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A 5 Day Midwest Adventure – Day 1: Lexington, KY to Walcott, IA

Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_5990" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Danville, Illinois[/caption] On September 9, 2013 I had the opportunity to accompany my daughter and three grand kids on a an adventure across the midwest from Kentucky to Omaha, Nebraska.  She wanted to visit her close friend there and needed a "tour planner and driver."  I was free and able to make the journey.  All totaled, we spent 5 days on the road visiting spots in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri.  This post covers our adventures on Day 1 as we made our way to Walcott, Iowa, home of the World's Largest Truck Stop. View Larger Map - Lexington, KY to Walcott, IA We left plenty early so that we could hit Indianapolis by early morning with the intent to surprise the three grand kids…
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