Wildflowers – Page 3 – Less Beaten Paths of America

15Jan 2015 by David Kravetz

#TBT – Being an Arizona Tour Guide in the 1980s

#TBT, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Geologic Formations, Landscapes, National Monuments, National Parks, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Throwback Thursday, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 89, Volcanic Sites, Wildflowers

In the early 1980s my young family was living in Flagstaff, Arizona and I was going to school full time at Northern Arizona University. During this time, I had a stroke of luck in landing a job as a tour guide/bus driver for a company called Nava-Hopi Tours (The Gray Line of Flagstaff). (Note: After the 9/11 incidents, NHT had troubles as people didn't travel and they went out of business in Oct. 2001) At that time I had already changed my major to History/Geography and this job offered me the opportunity to build on that experience. It also provided me plenty of time to study as the tourists would be out looking at the sites. I would drive them to the locations and then would let them meander on…

18Dec 2014 by David Kravetz

Deep in the Heart of Texas: Galveston-Houston

Alligators, Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Yard Art

After a great three days in Galveston, it was time to get back on the road. I would head north to Houston, then on to Austin and eventually into Fort Worth. Texas is a BIG state and there is lots of ground to cover. My first day would cover some backroads from Galveston and meander my way into Houston where I would stay overnight with my uncle. There were things I had planned to see along the way and found a few things along the way as well. I figured that I may not get this way again (south of Houston) for a while, so I took advantage of a full day of driving to see some parts of Texas that many may not really get to. My plans were…

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. Galveston is not only a city in southern Texas but is also an island. The city actually sits on Galveston Island and Pelican Island. The town was named for Gálvez-town or Gálveztown in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez by Spanish explorer José de Evia during his charting of the…

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

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. The park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from May 18 to July 4, 1863 and also commemorates the greater Vicksburg Campaign, which preceded the battle. The expansive park includes 1,340 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles of historic trenches and earthworks, a 16-mile tour road, 144 emplaced cannons, a restored gunboat (the USS Cairo which sunk on December 12, 1862, on the Yazoo River, recovered successfully in 1964), and more. The Illinois State Memorial…

21Sep 2014 by David Kravetz

Highway 61 Visited: The Blues Highway of Mississippi – Day 1

Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Landscapes, Large Statues, Mississippi, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 61, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wildflowers, Yard Art

Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn have all sang about it. And now, Sumoflam has driven it. US Highway 61 cuts down the middle of Mississippi, all the way from Memphis to Natchez and more. Highway 61 is better known as "The Blues Highway" as many of the famed Blues musicians grew up along this swath of the state just east of the Mississippi River. In July 2014 I had the opportunity to travel this famed highway from North to South, visit many of the small towns and learn more about Blues History. It was an amazing drive through rural Mississippi! The highway, Route 61, actually extends 1407 miles north to south all the way from Wyoming, Minnesota to New Orleans. The highway generally follows the course of…

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

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. 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. This current trip's purpose was chiefly to attend a family reunion for my father's side of the family. It was in Galveston, Texas. It is always wonderful to see family and it was…

02Jun 2014 by David Kravetz

4600 Miles of Back Roads Bliss

Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horses, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, North Dakota, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Squirrels, Street Art, Train Bridges, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art

As I returned home from my long nine-day trip across America I wanted to take a quick look back at all the events. Over the course of this trip I have covered 12 states, over 4600 miles, taken almost 2000 photos (including over 100 "selfies" and have seen all kinds of things. The big highlights of this trip were visiting the Paul Bunyan and Big Blue in Bemidji, Minnesota, driving up the Beartooth Mountains in Wyoming/Montana, and hitting Carhenge in Nebraska. Along with these, I saw many other interesting places. I had numerous oddball sites along the way including a pink elephant, big bears, Jackalopes and many other roadside attractions. This trip took me along many US highways as I generally avoided the interstate whenever possible. I was fortunate enough…

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!!

13Oct 2013 by David Kravetz

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

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: We drove by Shakespeare's Pizza and they have a very unique long painted wall of art on the outside of the shop. Here are a…

02Oct 2013 by David Kravetz

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

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 into central Missouri with a planned overnight stay in Columbia. Following…

Category: Wildflowers