Antsy McClain – Page 4 – Less Beaten Paths of America

10Feb 2015 by David Kravetz

North Texas/Oklahoma Odyssey and beyond

Antsy McClain, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Museums, Oklahoma, Ontario, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Yard Art

(Note: This is part 3 of my Texas road trip reports from June 2014, covering the trip from Austin to Ft. Worth and then on to Denton, Paris, Oklahoma, Arkansas and home to Kentucky.) After spending a nice day in Austin, it was time to head north to Ft. Worth and then on to Kentucky. Along the way I went from weird to spooky to strange to Friendship. Here is the map of this portion of the trip. [caption id="attachment_12336" align="aligncenter" width="664"] My route from Austin, TX (weird) to Friendship, AR. Traveled in late June 2014[/caption] On this route I visited friends but also visited some other fun and quirky places. My first stop was in Georgetown, TX. Georgetown is home to some lovely Victorian architecture and also has one…

30Jan 2015 by David Kravetz

#TBT – Looking back to a day in Arkansas 2007

#TBT, Antsy McClain, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Large Statues, National Parks, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Throwback Thursday, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art

For this edition of Throwback Thursday (a day late....), I look back to June 2007, when my son Solomon graduated from Lafayette High School in Lexington. He was the last of my five children to graduate. On the occasion of this event, my sister Sherry and her husband Brian, in Ft. Worth, TX, kindly and generously offered to give Sol their 1998 Toyota Camry, which they no longer needed. There was some work required, which Solomon had paid for, but the real catch was that he needed to go down there to pick it up. So, early on June 2 he and I drove down to Ft. Worth to get the car. It would be a short trip in terms of days and a long trip in terms of miles. …

08Jan 2015 by David Kravetz

Travel #TBT: Jan. 2010 – A Weekend in KC and St. Louis

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Indiana, Landscapes, Large Statues, Missouri, Murals, Museums, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Street Art, Throwback Thursday, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art

A weekend in St. Louis/Kansas City - Jan. 14-17, 2010 January 14, 2010: ROAD TRIP!! After quite a hiatus on road trips, I finally took one. Now that I am working for iHigh.com (was until 2012) I do have occasion to take a trip or two for support. In this instance I was to travel to Kirkwood High School in St. Louis to Live Stream a basketball tournament on January 15, and then travel to Kansas City to Live Stream a large wrestling tournament at Center High School. Naturally, along the way both there and back I made some side trips, as is always my custom, but in this case I did not veer too far off the beaten path. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1145"] Lexington, KY to Santa Claus, IN…

28Oct 2014 by David Kravetz

Three Days in Galveston – Pelican Fascination

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Large Statues, Murals, Museums, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wildflowers

After a long two days of driving from Lexington thru Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, I got to spend three days with family relaxing on the beaches of Galveston Island and visiting many of the interesting sites on the island. And, for me, I got to spend some time watching the amazing brown pelicans as they flew in formation, glided over the Gulf of Mexico and took amazing dives for fish. It was a wonderously amazing visit. [caption id="attachment_11053" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Pelicans fly in formation over the beach in Galveston[/caption] Galveston is not only a city in southern Texas but is also an island. The city actually sits on Galveston Island and Pelican Island. [caption id="attachment_11092" align="aligncenter" width="961"] Map of Galveston Island[/caption] The town was named for Gálvez-town or Gálveztown in…

20Oct 2014 by David Kravetz

Highway 61 Visited – Day 2: Vicksburg, MS to Galveston, TX

Alligators, Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Louisiana, Mississippi, Murals, National Parks, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 61, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wildflowers, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_10738" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sumoflam at US 61 south just south of Tunica, MS[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10820" align="aligncenter" width="657"] Map of travels from Vicksburg, MS down US 61 to Natchez, MS and then thru Louisiana and on to Galveston, TX via the Bolivar Peninsula.[/caption] Highway 61 in Mississippi may be called the Blues Highway, but there is much more to it than the Blues. After my first long drive from Kentucky to Vicksburg, I woke up early the next day to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park before heading south on Highway 61. [caption id="attachment_10651" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Cannon line the grounds of Vicksburg National Military park in many places[/caption] The park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from May 18 to July 4, 1863 and…

27Jun 2014 by David Kravetz

It’s All in the Trip

Antsy McClain, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="768"] The Corner of This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX[/caption] I started off today on the last leg of a 9 Day Road trip. This was my second 9 day road trip in one month. Both road trips were mainly for family affairs of one type or another. So, that being said, I did have destinations for both trips. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Giant Cow with glasses in Guthrie, KY[/caption] My first trip took me to Montana for my grandson's baptism. I've already posted some content about that, but that trip took me almost 4600 miles in nine days and thru 12 states. I still have a few post to go to finish my blogs on that trip. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Riding the…

21Apr 2014 by David Kravetz

A Quirky and Offbeat Weekend in Cincinnati

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Kentucky, Ohio, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Wall Art, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_8362" align="aligncenter" width="474"] The Singing Mural - Designed by C.F. Payne[/caption] The first week of April 2014 provided a great fun time for my wife and I as we went to Cincinnati for a weekend getaway. The main reason was to see my good friend Antsy McClain perform with a new "Trailer Park Troubadours" band that included amazing Aussie musician Pauly Zarb and the fabulous finger picking virtuoso Pat Kirtley and his brother. We decided to make a weekend of it and visit a few places around Cincy that we have not seen yet. [caption id="attachment_8184" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Cincinnati Skyline[/caption] Our first stop in town was a place that I have wanted to visit for quite a while. Called the "Mushroom House," it is truly one of the quirkiest…

31Jan 2014 by David Kravetz

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!!

22Nov 2013 by David Kravetz

Creating the Wanderlust – 30 Years of Family Travel – Pt 3

Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Georgia, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Musicians, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, South Carolina, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wisconsin

[caption id="attachment_6868" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Joselyn on the Beach - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina summer 2013[/caption] This is the last in my 3 part series on "Creating the Wanderlust" through family travel adventures. (see the other two Part 1 Part 2 ) [caption id="attachment_6856" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Autumn in Rhinelander, WI with the Hodag - Aug 2012[/caption] After three weddings in 2005 I was fried...and, to top things off I had knee surgery later in the year, so there was no travel the rest of that year. In fact, I didn't take any trips until 2007 when I had a couple of big ones. These were with Solomon as Seth was off serving a Mormon mission in Utah. Then, since that time many of the trips from 2008 thru 2013 have…

13Aug 2013 by David Kravetz

Car Art: Cars in art around the US

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Roadside Attractions, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Washington

One of the more unique American traditions along the Less Beaten Paths is the recycling of auto parts for art. Indeed, a couple of the most famous roadside attractions in the US are made from cars. This post will look at a few pieces of "car art" that I have seen over the years and, then, at the end, I will note a few others that are out there and worth a visit from all of us -- some that I hope to get to over the next couple of years. [caption id="attachment_5769" align="aligncenter" width="239"] "Spindle" by Dustin Shuler was in Cermak Plaza in Berwyn, Illinois until it was removed in May 2008[/caption] Probably one of the two most famous Car Art pieces that I am aware of, this car…

Category: Antsy McClain