05Jun 2012 by David Kravetz

Now for Something Completely Different: Taxidermy and Cheese Store

Backroads Discoveries, Canada, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Ontario, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
Mapleton Taxidermy and Cheese Store[/caption] I was stunned to see the above sign, so much so that I had to stop and take a look see. While there, I entered the store and tried my best to get a shot of the nexus of taxidermy and cheese, as shown below: [caption id="attachment_282" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Taxidermy and Cheese[/caption] Upon exiting I ran into Dave...he is the husband and runs the taxidermy side.  His wife runs the cheese store.  Dave was out tanning some bear hides.  He told me some interesting stories. [caption id="attachment_281" align="aligncenter" width="327"] David Snook, the Taxidermist[/caption] If you are ever in southern Ontario and making your way to Sparta (which is really a cool and unique little town in and of itself -- see my Trip Journal), make…
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06May 2012 by David Kravetz

A Super Place called Metropolis

Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Illinois, Large Statues, Muffler Man, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery
Metropolis Welcome Sign[/caption] This blog entry not only includes a unique name of a town, but is now introducing the second theme of this blog...the big statues and unusual sites along the road. [caption id="attachment_265" align="alignleft" width="96"] Metropolis Signs[/caption] Metropolis is the home of the Giant Superman Statue - a 200 foot tall statue of the Man of Steel. Funny thing is, as I drove into this town, the first big statue I saw was in front of a grocery store and was NOT the Giant Superman Statue!! The town is really all about Superman.         [caption id="attachment_266" align="aligncenter" width="199"] The Giant non-Superman Statue - Big John the Grocery Clerk[/caption] [caption id="attachment_268" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Giant Superman with not so giant Sumoflam[/caption] [caption id="attachment_267" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Flying Superman…
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20Apr 2012 by David Kravetz
Ho Ho Ho…Welcome to Santa Claus!

Ho Ho Ho…Welcome to Santa Claus!

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Indiana, Large Statues, Roadside Attractions, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
Santa Claus Post Office[/caption] OK, you want Christmas year round?  You like looking at jolly old elves in red clothing daily?  Then Santa Claus, Indiana is for you. [caption id="attachment_240" align="alignleft" width="300"] Santa Claus Town Hall[/caption] According to Wikipedia, Santa Claus was established in 1854. In 1856, when the town (then known as Santa Fe, mispronounced "fee") was working to establish a Post Office, the US Postal Service refused their first application as there was already another Santa Fe in the state. Several town meetings were held, during which the name Santa Claus was selected. [caption id="attachment_241" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Santa Claus, Indiana[/caption] The town apparently has the world's only post office to bear the nameof Santa Claus. Because of this popular name, the post office receives thousands of letters to…
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08Apr 2012 by David Kravetz
A place called Tightwad….really?

A place called Tightwad….really?

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Missouri, People Shots, Place Names, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
Tightwad Bank[/caption] On a trip to Kansas City back in November 2011, I returned via some back roads in south central Missouri.  My main destination of choice was Tightwad, Missouri.  This is an unincorporated town of about 65 or 70 people. [caption id="attachment_201" align="alignleft" width="300"] Tightwad, Missouri[/caption] The village's unusual name is said to stem from an episode in which a store owner cheated a customer, who was a postman, by charging him an extra fifty cents for a better watermelon. Some sources claim the transaction involved a rooster rather than a watermelon.  However, there is really nothing definitive.  Nonetheless, the town is fun. Perhaps the biggest point of excitement is the Tightwad Bank, a real bank.  According to its website, The bank was founded on September 5, 1900 as…
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01Apr 2012 by David Kravetz
Yes, I have been to Hell and lived to tell about it

Yes, I have been to Hell and lived to tell about it

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Michigan, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unique Eatery, Wall Art
[/caption] Back in late May 2008 I was on a return trip home from Ontario via Michigan.  I made my way through Central Michigan.  As I had been told to "go to Hell" a few times, I decided I would finally go to Hell...in Michigan (see entire trip report) [caption id="attachment_191" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Howell Rd. to Hell"][/caption] Hell, Michigan is actually not a real town.  It is a "tourist trap" in the midst of the Pinckney Recreation Area, about five miles north of Pinckney, MI.  It is, honestly, quite a scenic drive. To get there from the town of Pinckney you need to take south Howell Rd. (no joke...you get to Hell via Howell Rd. -- Hell is in the name of the road).     The village of Hell…
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14Mar 2012 by David Kravetz
From Earth to Vulcan

From Earth to Vulcan

Alberta, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Large Statues, Murals, Museums, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Television Shows, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
Welcome to Vulcan[/caption] A couple of days ago I posted an article about Earth, Texas.  Back in 2007 I had occasion to visit a friend of mine in Alberta, Canada.  One of the side trips we tool was to the town of Vulcan, which has taken full advantage of its name and the association with the TV show Star Trek. [caption id="attachment_160" align="alignleft" width="300"] Welcome sign in Klingon[/caption] Vulcan is a town located midway between the cities of Calgary and Lethbridge inthe prairies of Southern Alberta, Canada.  The population of the town was 1,940 in 2006, and the population of the county, which is also named Vulcan, was 3,718.  According to Wikipedia, "The town was named by a surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railroad in 1915 after the Roman God of…
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06Mar 2012 by David Kravetz
A Boring Trip

A Boring Trip

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Landscapes, Mountains, Oregon, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
Entering Boring, OR[/caption] Today I actually flew to Portland for iHigh work and a couple of hours to spare, so I took a drive south of Clackamas, where I am staying and made my way to Boring, a small town south of Portland. [caption id="attachment_105" align="alignleft" width="300"] Welcome to Boring[/caption] Boring really is actually a nice town nestled in the fir covered hills heading towards Mt. Hood. Boring was actually  named after William H. Boring, who was an early resident of the area.  He  was a Union veteran who had moved out to Oregon after the Civil War and had served with the 33rd Illinois Infantry. Boring died in 1932 at the age of 91 and was buried with his wife Sarah in Damascus Pioneer Cemetery, just north of Boring.…
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04Mar 2012 by David Kravetz
Staying Cool..in Texas

Staying Cool..in Texas

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Flowers, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 180
Welcome to Cool, TX[/caption] Just over 2 years ago I was making my way from Fort Worth to Mineral Wells High School.  Along the way I came across the VERY small (blink your eye small) town of Cool, Texas.  In fact, the town is only 1.6 square miles in size. The only thing of significance in Cool is the Cool Cafe. [caption id="attachment_81" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cool Cafe: If We Ain't Shut We're Open[/caption] I had hoped to visit but they were "Shut".  On a subsequent visit in April 2010 I made my way to Mineral Wells again and tried again.  One more time: [caption id="attachment_82" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cool Cafe Shut[/caption] I thought it would be a Cool place to eat, but I may never know. The April trip did offer…
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29Feb 2012 by David Kravetz
Maybe not strange, but Peculiar…

Maybe not strange, but Peculiar…

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Missouri, Place Names, Post Offices, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Water Towers
Peculiar, MO[/caption] Just as there is a Normal in Illinois, there is a Peculiar in Missouri.  Yes, this is more than a strange name for a town, it is a Peculiar name.  On a trip to Kansas City in January 2011, I made my way to Peculiar. [caption id="attachment_34" align="alignleft" width="300"] Peculiar welcome sign[/caption] I love hitting places like this.  According to legend, Peculiar received its name when the first postmaster, Edgar Thomson, had his first choice, Excelsior, rejected because it already existed in Atchison County, MO. Apparently, a number of  other choices were also rejected. So, the annoyed Thomson wrote to the Postmaster General to complain saying, among other things, "We don't care what name you give us so long as it is sort of 'peculiar'." Thomson submitted the…
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