Roadside Attractions – Page 23 – Less Beaten Paths of America

28Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

U is for Unique Monsters: Dinos, Dragons & Other Monsters – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Family Travel, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ontario, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wisconsin, Wyoming

People are enthralled by dinosaurs and dragons. Maybe it is because humans have never really seen one alive. All we have are fossil evidences and legends. A roadtrip on the back roads of America will almost always present a dinosaur or a dragon. I have seen hundreds in my travels. In this post I hope to share some of the photos and fun of dinosaurs, dragons and other monster thingies as seen on the road. Let's look at a couple of strange monsters first. First there is the Hodag, a unique monster found in Rhinelander, WI. According to an 1893 newspaper article it was "the fiercest, strangest, most frightening monster ever to set razor sharp claws on the earth. It became extinct after its main food source, all white bulldogs,…

26Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

S is for Super Statues – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Giant Things, Kansas, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Museums, New York, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places

There are some super huge statues in this country. Giant behemoths that can be seen from far away. Perhaps there is no place better for BIG than in Texas, where everything is supposedly bigger. Texas actually has three of the tallest statues in the United States, including two that honor the great Texas heroes Sam Houston and Stephen Austin. All three giant free standing statues exceed 70 feet in height (including the pedestal/base). This puts these giants in the top seven tallest monuments in the United States. "Tribute to Courage" - Sam Houston Statue - The First Texas Giant "World's Tallest Statue of an American Hero" The tallest of the three is the “Tribute to Courage” statue of Sam Houston, located in Huntsville, Texas home of Sam Houston State University. …

25Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

R is for Roadsigns – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Amish Country, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Anyone who drives on a road, whether city street or an interstate highway, always depends on roadsigns and street signs to find their way. In this age of GPS, we sometimes miss the turns because we're not looking for the roadsigns. Well, on the back roads of America there are many fun and unique roadsigns. Perhaps they weren't meant to be that way as places were named certain names sometimes as far back as the 1600s and 1700s. But, sometimes neighborhood designers throw in funny names for streets or neighborhoods. In this post I want to take a look at some of the roadsigns I have come across in my travels. Indeed, that has been one of my fun challenges. As I have noted on one of my pages, I…

24Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

Q is for Quirky – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Car Art, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Iowa, Large Statues, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Yard Art

There is a difference between quirky and offbeat in my mind. Quirky is typically off the chain and unexpected, or even downright weird. On the other hand, as noted in my O is for Offbeat post, the offbeat and odd things are typically recognizable. Obviously, there is a fine line between what is quirky and what is offbeat. I think we all make those determinations ourselves. In this post, I will offer up a few Quirky things...those that I think are beyond offbeat and into the realm of quirky. I'll start off with a biggie...a giant obelisk made completely of bicycle parts. Why quirky? Because who would ever think of making a 65 foot tall statue totally out of bicycle parts? The artwork, entitled “Cyclisk” was created in 2010 by…

23Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

P is for People – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alberta, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bobby Cochran, Bruce Wandmayer, Burger Joints, Canada, Cebu, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Edgar Cruz, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Twine Balls, Iowa, Japan, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michael Kelsey, Missouri, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Ontario, Patti Hall, Pauly Zarb, People Shots, Philippines, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street People, Television Shows, Texas, Tommy Emmanuel, Tulum, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

I am enriched by people. They inspire me, they teach me, they bring me joy. I have often been told that I have never met a stranger. And it's true. I am unabashed around people. Whether it's joking with a person in line at a grocery store or interacting with the person at a table next to me in a restaurant, I always feel comfortable. The same goes with my travels. I have been blessed to have met hundreds of unique individuals from all walks of life. The diversity of people enriches us. Unlike my other posts in this series, I am stretching far beyond the boundaries of back roads in America. This post will take the reader to Japan, the Philippines, Canada and beyond. As a tour guide in…

21Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

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). 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 this makes for something fun on…

19Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

N is for National Parks & Monuments – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wyoming

The US National Park System has 417 official units throughout the country including 59 National Parks, 87 National Monuments, 19 National Preserves, 51 National Historic Parks, 78 National Historic Sites, 4 National Battlefield Parks, 9 National Military Parks, 9 National Battlefields, 30 National Memorials and a number of other National sites including National Rivers, National Seashores, National Lakeshores, National Parkways and National Trails. Officially, the National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. The NPS is a great blessing to the citizens of this country…

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. I have had numerous opportunities to join my grandchildren on roadtrips. It is absolutely amazing to see their reactions to the world around them, to watch them scamper on a…

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. 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 can leave my driveway and be driving through horse farm country within five…

12Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

J is for Joy – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alberta, Alligators, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, California, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mountains, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Television Shows, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wanderlust, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Traveling this great country brings me joy! You can see this thru the myriad selfies I take while on the road. I make it a point to take selfies for posterity sake. First of all, it proves I was there. Secondly, it provides a record for my family to see where I've been. Lastly...it shows my joy of being on the road! It makes me Jolly. It makes me Nice. Travel is always a Novelty Wherever I go I try to Endeavor, To have Hope And find Success Being on the road has helped find Friendship And to be Friendly And perhaps even Chunky It has brought me down to Earth Zipped me to a Township named Moon Or by a Starship in Vulcan And to even find Prosperity Heck...I…

Category: Roadside Attractions