Unique Town Names Redux 2023

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…
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2023: Life Throws Us Loops But We Move On

2023: Life Throws Us Loops But We Move On

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Belted Kingfisher, Camel, Church Signs, Deer, Distilleries, Eagles, Emu, Geologic Formations, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_37040" align="alignleft" width="300"] Here goes a new year![/caption] The first 3 months of 2023 were pretty wild for me.  If you, my readers, have wondered about the relative drought of blog posts and book reveals, then read on. I started off the new year with a quick trip to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.  My wife, my daughter Marissa and my wife's sister Laura did some hiking and camping.  It was a cold, but fun adventure for them.  They stayed in tents while I stayed in a hotel in nearby Logan, Ohio.  Nothing like starting off the new year with a trip.  While they hiked, I drove around and did my usual sightseeing. Fun for all of us. Hocking Hills is a beautiful place.  It has some nice…
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2022: The Year in Travel – April/May Staycation Fun in Kentucky

2022: The Year in Travel – April/May Staycation Fun in Kentucky

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bison, Books, Bridges, Buffalo, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Caves and Caverns, Deer, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Kingbird, Elk, Family Travel, Farmland, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Graffiti Walls, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Horses, Indiana, Indigo Bunting, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Mountains, Murals, Nature and Scenery, Northern Cardinal, Offbeat Places, Osprey, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Staycations, Tennessee, Town Names, Turtles, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_36906" align="alignleft" width="300"] Staycationing in Kentucky in 2022[/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…
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2022: The Year in Travel – January thru March

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…
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Towns of America A to Z: The O Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The O Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Canada, Church Signs, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dolphin, Dragons, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Ice Cream Places, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Murals, Nature and Scenery, Nature Events, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, People Shots, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 62, Vintage Neon, Volunteer Fire Departments, Washington, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Whispering Giants, Whispering Giants, Woody Guthrie, Yard Art
It may not yet be Obvious, but this one should be an Outstanding post about O towns as seen from my eyes. This is your Opportunity to visit the Only  town named Only I hope you find this post Noteworthy while also swinging by a couple of  and even one that is just Okay. I'll bring you some Obscure places and many Offbeat attractions in this post as well. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! ODDVILLE, KENTUCKY [caption id="attachment_30747" align="alignleft" width="300"] Oddville, Kentucky[/caption] I am going to start off with one close to home here in Kentucky, where I live.  Oddville, Kentucky can be found on US 62.  The place was established in 1799 and the name was apparently chosen so that its post office, which operated from 1851 to…
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Towns of America A to Z: The H Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The H Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Big John, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Canada, Church Signs, Cities and Towns, Cross Country Road Trips, Distilleries, Donut Places, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Himeji, Ice Cream Places, Illinois, Japanese Castles, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Michigan, Muffler Man, Murals, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, States and Provinces, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Toy Collections, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Whispering Giants
Happiness is another A to Z post.  Today I post about places that begin with the letter H. As with all of my posts, I have been to all of these places and all of the photography is mine as well.  I never write about places I haven't personally visited. And why not start with something Happy? I'll take you to Hell and back on this post, but you will leave with some Hope and Happiness, among other things. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! HAPPY, TEXAS [caption id="attachment_27700" align="alignleft" width="300"] Happy is that way (notice it is the opposite direction from Hell -- see below?)[/caption] There are only three towns named Happy in the United States, and I have been to two of them, which are both featured here. …
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Towns of America A to Z: The D Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Airlines, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Bridges, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Hiking & Biking, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Murals, Nebraska, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, US Highway 18, Water Towers, Welcome Signs
I continue on my A to Z journey today as I take you on a trip to a few places that begin with the letter D.  Unlike the previous posts, all of the locations in this post are in the United States.  Nonetheless, I think you'll find some interesting places that, perhaps, you have never heard of. Since my name is David, I am gonna start out with a couple of my namesake towns. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE!   DAVID, KENTUCKY [caption id="attachment_34703" align="alignleft" width="300"] David, Kentucky[/caption] David, Kentucky is a small coal mining community in the Appalachian highlands of far eastern Kentucky.  It was named after David L. Francis, who was the president of the Princess Elkhorn Coal Company, which built the town. There is still a…
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BIG NEWS!! – April 1, 2022: Book Signing at Uranus Fudge Factory #2 in Anderson, Indiana

BIG NEWS!! – April 1, 2022: Book Signing at Uranus Fudge Factory #2 in Anderson, Indiana

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Indiana, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, Tourist Traps, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of the Uranus Fudge Factory in St Robert, Missouri.  I have written about their huge tourist attraction in two of my books.  Well, as Mayor Louie lies to exclaim "Uranus is Expanding!"  And indeed it is!  On April 1 they will be celebrating the GRAND OPENING of their new Uranus #2 off of Interstate 69 (exit 222) in Anderson, Indiana (a tad NE of Indianapolis).  See their Facebook Page. I am excited to announce today that I will be at the Grand Opening in Indiana from 11 AM to 2 PM to sign four of my five books, all of which are for sale at BOTH Uranus Fudge Factory locations. [caption id="attachment_34497" align="alignnone" width="960"] Mayor Louie and Miss Tiffany!![/caption] The…
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The Year in Travel – 2021 (Long post – may take a minute to load)

The Year in Travel – 2021 (Long post – may take a minute to load)

Adventure, Back Roads, Bike Trails, Books, Bridges, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Church Signs, Family Travel, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, Staycations, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 127, Virginia, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Yard Art
What an interesting year 2021 turned out to be for me.  I started out the year with dreams of a road trip down the Florida panhandle to the southernmost point, but it didn't pan out. With COVID on the rampage, there were limitations and I didn't want to risk getting out too much.  But, I was also very heavily engaged in doing support driving for the Sheltowee Trace Association and my wife and daughter who participated in the 2021 STA Hiking Challenge, hiking sections of the 343 mile trail each month.  This took up a great deal of my time and ended up becoming the theme of my fifth Less Beaten Paths book, which was published on November 30 (see the bottom of this post for more details).  I drove…
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SURPRISE! – Brand New Book on Sheltowee Trace is now available

SURPRISE! – Brand New Book on Sheltowee Trace is now available

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bike Trails, Books, Burger Joints, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Flowers, Geologic Formations, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Place Names, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_33788" align="alignleft" width="222"] Book 5[/caption] The year 2021 was a momentous year in terms of unique travel.  I spent nearly a month of driving and support on the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail from Big South Fork in Tennessee to the Northern Terminus north of Morehead, Kentucky.  The trail itself is 343 miles long and my wife Julianne, daughter Marissa and over 90 others completed the Sheltowee Trace Association Trace Challenge over the course of the year, hitting sections month by month.  I decided back in October to change my book writing schedule so that I could cover this amazing adventure as a support driver and Driving the Sheltowee Trace - Highlights from a Support Driver is now available in both Kindle and Paperback as Book 5 of my…
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