17Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

L is for Love Traveling With Grandchildren – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bucket List Trips, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Landscapes, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, National Monuments, National Parks, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin
I am rich...very rich.  Not in money, but rather rich in experiences and rich in grandchildren.  As the Proverb says "Children are like arrows. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them." At age 60 I have been blessed to have 10 grandchildren (so far). These are my joy and I am so grateful. And, besides loving them to death, I have also passed on the fascination of wanderlust.  Most of my grandchildren are already well traveled thanks to my daughters and sons that have continued the tradition of getting on the road and seeing the world. [caption id="attachment_17948" align="aligncenter" width="583"] With some family and geandkidz in Port Orchard, WA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14653" align="alignleft" width="300"] Heading east with the grandkidz![/caption] I have had numerous opportunities to join my…
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14Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

K is for Kentucky – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Blue Heron, Bridges, Eagles, Farmland, Horses, Kentucky, Landscapes, Museums, National Parks, Roadside Attractions, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Staycations, Street Art, Television Shows, Town Names, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Waterfalls
One word: Staycation My family moved to Kentucky with in 1993. We moved from the western United States and had not lived in a humid, green environment since our time in Japan in the late 1980s. [caption id="attachment_17836" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Kentucky the Beautiful[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17860" align="alignright" width="178"] Kentucky Backroads[/caption] Like many others, when we heard the word Kentucky, we thought about the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Kentucky bourbon. There was not much else to really understand or know about Kentucky. Honestly, looking back I can say that our move to Kentucky was one of the best things we ever did. Kentucky is a beautiful and diverse state. Living in Lexington, which is the Horse Capital of the World, we are surrounded by beautiful horse farms. In fact, I…
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08Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

G is for Grandeur – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Bison, Buffalo, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Kentucky, Landscapes, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, South Dakota, Swamps, Texas, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming
The United States is a vast and diverse country. From sea to shining sea there are sweeping vistas and spectacular scenes of nature. The grandeur of this country is not seen on the interstate highways, but on the back roads and the gravel roads that have woven the fiber of this country. [caption id="attachment_17743" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Grandeur as seen on a back road in North Dakota - The Enchanted Highway[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15481" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mt. Moran in the Grand Tetons as seen from Colter Bay Lodge[/caption] I am always awestruck by the superb landscapes that one can witness on the back roads. Some of these landscapes, such as the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains, are known by everybody. But there are so many more spectacles to feast your eyes…
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07Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

F is for Falls – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Arizona, Back Roads, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Idaho, Kentucky, Landscapes, Lewis and Clark Sites, National Parks, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unexpected Discoveries, Washington, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Wyoming
I love visiting all of the offbeat and quirky places when I'm out on the road. But, I must confess that I am also addicted to the beauty of nature in all its forms. One of the more splendid beautiful objects of nature is the waterfall. Every state in the country has waterfalls, those though some are more magnificent than others. [caption id="attachment_17709" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Sumoflam at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17701" align="alignright" width="300"] Niagara Falls[/caption] Like millions of other tourists, I have most certainly been to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and to American Falls on the American side. These are beyond spectacular! Though the roar of Niagara Falls will always be in the back of my mind, there are others that I've drawn me closer in…
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03Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

B is for Back Roads – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alaska, Amish Country, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Saskatchewan, Selfies, South Dakota, Staycations, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
What is April A to Z? Every April, bloggers from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to meet other bloggers. To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then visit as many other bloggers as you can. I live to travel the back roads of America. These are the core of my travels around the United States and Canada. They always offer the best of everything: scenery, traffic conditions and a myriad of surprises.   [caption id="attachment_17615" align="aligncenter" width="660"] A gravel road south of Belvidere, SD[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17586" align="alignright" width="300"] A road approaching a checkerboard wheat farm near…
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01Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

A is for Adventure – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Car Art, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Idaho, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Ohio, Pelicans, Place Names, Post Offices, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Staycations, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Wanderlust, Washington, Wyoming
What is April A to Z? Every April, bloggers from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to meet other bloggers. To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then visit as many other bloggers as you can. Today is day one of the A to Z bloggers challenge. I am focusing on Wanderlust and for my first post I will look at what is probably the biggest result of wanderlust. That is, adventure. Those that travel in most cases do so for the adventure. Indeed, the opportunity to discover new things, experience new things and taste new things…
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23Sep 2016 by David Kravetz

Life Gets Busy But I Still Try To Enjoy The Ride

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Kentucky, Landscapes, Ohio, People Shots, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia
[caption id="attachment_17164" align="alignleft" width="217"] Somewhere in Oregonia, OH[/caption] Recently, life has gotten pretty hectic for old Sumoflam.  So much so that my blogs are taking a beating and seemingly forgotten.  I am now teaching Japanese full time at the University of Kentucky and that, coupled with my website work, has taken a toll on available time. [caption id="attachment_17161" align="alignright" width="300"] Sunbeams through the trees at Jacobson Park in Lexington, KY[/caption] Traveling, blog writing and photography are my passions.  They are my art.  When I can't be working on them, it hurts. I feel like I am missing out on some of life's joys. Today we are traveling to the Pittsburgh area and I had a few minutes to write a couple of notes.  I have had some travel opportunities in…
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04Aug 2016 by David Kravetz

Ohio’s Amish Country – Holmes County, OH

Amish Country, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bridges, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Giant Things, Landscapes, Ohio, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 62, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_17018" align="alignleft" width="300"] Holmes County Trail, Ohio[/caption] We took a road trip to Holmes County, OH in late July 2016 for Julianne to ride the Holmes County Bike Trail and the Mohican Valley Bike Trail.  (I will have Bike Trail posts about both of these coming soon) While she rode, I visited a few of the places in the area.  I had visited the area in 2008, including the town of Charm.  (See my post HERE) In another trip in the early 2000s, we had also visited the unique town of Berlin.  I never did a post about the town and hope to make it there again sometime in the future.  On this particular visit, we didn't make it to that part of Holmes County.  Rather, we focused on…
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28Jul 2016 by David Kravetz

Bike Trails: Montour Trail, Canonsburg, PA

Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Landscapes, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places
This is the third post in a continuing series of Bike Trail posts.  Like the back roads of America, the recent interest in bike paths and rails-to-trails paths provides a new insight on "back roads".  Each Bike Path post will include surrounding information, vehicle support info and trail ratings as provided by my wife Julianne.  One bike pump equals a "poor" rating while five pumps equals an "excellent" rating.  We'll also provide links to the RTC TrailLinks overview of the trail. Complete Trails Overview Post is HERE Montour Trail - Pittsburgh/Canonsburg, PAClick here for RTC TrailLink Details [caption id="attachment_16766" align="alignleft" width="225"] Julianne at the Montour Trail in Pennsylvania[/caption] In late May 2016, Julianne and I visited her sister Laura in Canonsburg, PA. Right outside of Canonsburg (you can see my…
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25Jul 2016 by David Kravetz

A visit to Damascus, Virginia

Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Bike Trails, Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Farmland, Flowers, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Kentucky, Landscapes, Murals, Muscovy Duck, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street People, Tennessee, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 119, US Highway 23, US Highway 58, Virginia, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_16847" align="alignleft" width="210"] Welcome to Damascus[/caption] Last weekend we made a trip to Damascus, VA with the goal of Julianne and our daughter Marissa riding their bikes on the Virginia Creeper Trail, one of many wonderful Rails to Trails bike trails that can be found in this part of the country.   I will have a different post about the Virginia Creeper Trail as part of my Bike Trail Series, but I wanted to post an article about the non-bike portion of our trip to Damascus, Abingdon, and Bristol, VA.  Besides the bike trail, there is so much more to see and do on a  road trip down to this part of Appalachia. We began our trip by leaving early in the morning on Saturday to drive to Damascus…
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