Planning on a Blue Moon to Release my new book!

Adventure, Antsy McClain, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Books, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Enchanted Highway, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Horse Art, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Vintage Neon, Wanderlust, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_19139" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Books 1 & 2[/caption] Hey all. Just a reminder that I am working on my new book -- Book 2 (Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions) -- and hope to have it available for purchase on Amazon by March 31... yes, it'll take a Blue Moon for me to get this done. Also, if you don't have Book 1 yet, please go grab a copy online! Some crazy author in Central Kentucky will be grateful (he told me so!) You can get Book 1 (Unique Town Names) on my Amazon Page. http://amzn.to/2ks6fQZ Book Two will have over 200 pages chock full of fun places to visit on the back roads of America and ALL COLOR PHOTOS this time.  I'll even have a chapter about the amazing Roadside…
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Get an Amazon Gift Card for Christmas? Try Out My New Book!

Adventure, Alabama, Alberta, Amish Country, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Books, California, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Staycations, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Virginia, Wanderlust, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Looking for something fun to use that Amazon gift card on? How about a fun travel book? Read some of my first hand experiences visiting America’s Unique Named Towns!  Visit places like Tightwad, Uncertain, Boring, Oddville, Cool, Earth, Prosperity and many more! See more at http://amzn.to/2ks6fQZ
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Sumoflam’s 2017 Travels in Review

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bike Trails, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Caves and Caverns, City Skylines, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Eagles, Eateries, Eclipse, Family Travel, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, LDS Temples, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, New York, North Carolina, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Staycations, Street Art, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, West Virginia
[caption id="attachment_18682" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sunrise in Ocean City, MD on New Year's Day 2017[/caption] On January 1, 2017 I sat on a beach in Ocean City, Maryland to watch a spectacular sunrise and pondered to myself about the opportunities I would have to travel throughout the year. Little did I really know the extent that I would actually contact a mini bus rental in Chicago and travel over the year and I’m grateful that I’ve had a wonderful year of seeing more of this beautiful country.   [caption id="attachment_18697" align="alignright" width="300"] Oddville, Kentucky[/caption] Beginning with that glorious morning in Maryland, over the course of the year I have driven nearly 15,000 miles on road trips, many to visit family or be with family, but all of the trips have been…
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Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names now available for Kindle!

Antsy McClain, Books, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Selfies, Town Names, Unique Places
The book is finally completed and I am offering a preorder of the Kindle version for only $3.99 through December 15.  The PRINT version should be available on December 15 and the Kindle version will come free with that. CHECK IT OUT HERE [caption id="attachment_18642" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The Full Cover of the Print Edition - designed by Antsy McClain[/caption]
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New Book Update! Sample Chapter Included

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Family Travel, Mississippi, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Town Names, Unique Places
New Book Update!!! For those of you interested in my forthcoming book “Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names,” here are some updates! The chapters are all done - 22 of them. I am making some final edits, doing the acknowledgements, and a few other things. It has more than 100 pages and covers more than 35 unique places. I am attaching a sample Chapter on Alligator, MS so you can see the format. Please make sure to send me an email at [email protected] to get on the mailing list for more updates.
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Announcing My First Book! Now in progress

Less Beaten Paths Books, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries
[caption id="attachment_17818" align="alignleft" width="300"] Finding Success in Missouri[/caption] Hello all! Just wanted to announce that I am in the midst of writing my FIRST BOOK (in a planned series of 12) - Titled "Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names," the book is all about a number of unique named places I have been to on my numerous travels along the back roads of America. The cover art is currently being designed by my good friend Antsy McClain, who is not only an amazing singer/songwriter/storyteller, but also a very accomplished graphic artist. I also want to thank my friend and fellow travel writer Tui Snider for her divine advice on self-publishing. [caption id="attachment_17230" align="alignnone" width="525"] Happy Happy Happy...yes, there is a Happy, KY[/caption] I hope to have the book…
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West Virginia’s Midland Trail – US Route 60 from Virginia to Charleston

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Murals, National Parks, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 60, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Yard Art
During the month of May I made several trips to West Virginia to assist a friend in need.  Also, during Easter Weekend (2017) I had occasion to take my wife to northern Virginia near Shenandoah National Park and on my return started my treks along US Route 60 in West Virginia, what they refer to as the Midland Trail.   On subsequent visits, I tried to hit US 60 in the western part of the state as well.   [caption id="attachment_18311" align="alignnone" width="525"] A scene from along US 60 in WV[/caption] [caption id="attachment_18256" align="alignright" width="300"] The WV State Capitol Building in Charleston[/caption] The Midland Trail crosses some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain of the Mountain State and extends for approximately 100 miles from White Sulphur Springs in the east…
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Blogging A to Z Challenge – The Complete List for 2017 – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Alligators, Amish Country, Animals, Antelope, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bike Trails, Birds, Bison, Blue Heron, Bobby Cochran, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Car Art, Cebu, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Edgar Cruz, Egret, Elk, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Fox, Fuji City, Geese, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Himeji, Hiroshima, Horse Art, Horses, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Japanese Castles, Japanese Shrines, Kansas, Kentucky, Kyoto, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico, Michael Kelsey, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nagasaki, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ogaki, Ohio, Oita, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Patti Hall, Pauly Zarb, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Saskatchewan, Seagulls, Selfies, Sendai, South Carolina, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Street Art, Street People, Swamps, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Tommy Emmanuel, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Tulum, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
During the month of April I participated with nearly 2000 other bloggers worldwide in the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge" which is now in its 7th year. This was my second year to participate and this year's theme for my series was "Wanderlust."  As a "Travelographer," my posts tend to be photo heavy.  I travel and take loads of photos. This is my way of sharing the wonders of the back roads of America. [caption id="attachment_17824" align="aligncenter" width="523"] Corner of This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX[/caption] Following are links to the complete A to Z set.  Just click on the banner for each and letter and enjoy the posts and the photos.  I hope all readers will Enjoy the Ride as much as I have enjoyed…
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Z is for Zeal – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Florida, Georgia, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Saskatchewan, Selfies, South Carolina, South Dakota, Staycations, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wall Art, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
I am a zealous traveler. I travel passion and with all the gusto I can.  A roadtrip with me can be grueling, but it is always fun.  Indeed, I travel with the intent of creating many good memories.  Many call me a Road Warrior. Well, I love that term. I travel with zeal. When on roadtrips, I like to be up with the sun and travel until the sun goes down.  I stop for the night wherever I am at sundown...I can't take many pictures at night now can I? [caption id="attachment_15212" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Taking photos along the way[/caption] [caption id="attachment_16314" align="alignleft" width="150"] Sumoflam and the FREE Stamp in Cleveland[/caption] In my zealous travels, I have visited all 50 states and a few Canadian Provinces. I have at least one…
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O is for Offbeat Oddities – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mythical Creatures, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
For me there is a difference between "Offbeat" and "Quirky."  I like to look at things that are offbeat as being similar to something conventional or recognizable, but just somewhat off.  On the other hand, quirky is closer to non-conventional and sometimes even absurd (my Q post will focus on Quirky). [caption id="attachment_783" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Oddville, Kentucky[/caption] When I am traveling I love looking at the beauty and nature around me, but I also seek out the offbeat and quirky.  One source I always use to help me find these locations is the Roadside America app. This app covers all 50 states and most of Canada and includes almost anything offbeat, odd, quirky and even downright outlandish and ridiculous. There are literally 1000s of sites and things to find and…
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