20Nov 2014 by David Kravetz

Ten Giant Reasons to Visit North Dakota

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, National Parks, North Dakota, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Water Towers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_11604" align="aligncenter" width="699"] MapLoco States I Have Visited[/caption] In the last few days there has been a viral survey on Facebook (seems like there is one every week!!).  Simply put, "How Many States Have You Visited" is fun for all because it is simple and adds color and is really a "go viral" piece.  MapLoco.com has apparently used it to draw attention to their site.  I did it and my results are above - yes, I only have three states to go.  Many of my friends have done it as well and one common theme I found among many of them....they had not yet been to North Dakota.  In fact, a couple of my friends even indicated that they may never find a reason to go to North Dakota.…
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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…
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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. [caption id="attachment_10789" align="aligncenter" width="556"] Map of the Blues Highway (US 61) through Mississippi[/caption] 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. [caption id="attachment_10777" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sumoflam at the Blues Highway in Mississippi[/caption] 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! [caption id="attachment_10592" align="aligncenter"…
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01Sep 2014 by David Kravetz

The Back Road to Memphis: US Route 79

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Street Art, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Water Towers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_10502" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Bozo's Hot Pit BBQ - Mason, TN[/caption] With this post I continue blogging about some of our wonderful US Highways as I strive to avoid the interstates in my travels. In June, I took a trip to Galveston, Texas for a family reunion. The entire length of the trip was predominantly US Highways or State Highways as I made my way to Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and then southern Texas. [caption id="attachment_10509" align="aligncenter" width="889"] Route to Memphis from Lexington via Russellville, KY and US Route 79[/caption] The first leg of this trip would take me from Lexington to Russellville, KY where US Highway 79 begins.  Following that highway, I would make my way into downtown Memphis, TN. From there I would catch US Highway 61 (The Blues…
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17Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

Three Texas Giants – Giant Statues of Southern Texas

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Dream Highways, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Kansas, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places
[caption id="attachment_10395" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sumoflam with the 76 foot tall Stephen F. Austin Statue in Angleton, Texas[/caption] Texas is the home to three giant free standing statues, all of which exceed 70 feet in height (including the pedestal/base). This puts these giants in the top seven tallest monuments in the United States. The tallest of the three is the "Tribute to Courage" statue of Sam Houston, located in Huntsville, Texas.  This one stands 67 feet but also has a 10 foot pedestal, giving it a ground to top height of 77 feet. [caption id="attachment_10390" align="aligncenter" width="338"] 77 Foot Tall Sam Houston Statue in Huntsville, Texas[/caption] The second tallest of the giants is the 76 foot tall Stephen F. Austin "Father of Texas" Statue in Angleton, TX. [caption id="attachment_10396" align="aligncenter" width="338"]…
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13Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

The Two Towers of Paris – Tennessee and Texas

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Tennessee, Texas, Unique Places, Water Towers
[caption id="attachment_10359" align="aligncenter" width="474"] A Tale of Two Towers[/caption] This is a tale of Two Towers - both in a place named Paris, but one is in Tennessee and the other in Texas. The map below shows that they are about 8 hours away from each other. [caption id="attachment_10364" align="aligncenter" width="819"] Paris, TN and Paris, TX - Home of the battling Two Towers[/caption] There are seventeen towns in the U.S. with the name of Paris (and one in Ontario, Canada as well -- and I lived there for a while).  I have been to Paris in Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Idaho, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri.  But the towns of Paris, TX and Paris, TN are the only ones to have an Eiffel Tower that is fairly large.  Paris, Michigan has a…
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12Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

Taking the Long Way Home from Nebraska – 800 miles in a day

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Farmland, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Missouri, Muffler Man, Nebraska, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Water Towers
[caption id="attachment_10327" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Giant Clouds over Concordia, Missouri[/caption] The best and worst part of a long road trip is the coming home part.  Its always nice to be at home in my own bed after a grueling trip across the country.  But, it is bittersweet.  All of the adventures, sights, sounds and exhilaration are behind me.  The last leg of the trip is usually on the Interstates to get home as quickly as possible (with a few brief stops along the way).  This trip was no different.  My trip home was the "long way home" as it covered over 870 miles on the last day as I traveled straight from Grand Island, Nebraska to Lexington (via Kansas City and St. Louis in order to visit a friend in KC).…
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09Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

From Cody to Carhenge with a Jackalope in-between

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, National Monuments, Nebraska, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 20, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wyoming, Yard Art
After a marvelous time in the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, it was time to head east through the high deserts of Wyoming and across Nebraska and eventually back home to Kentucky. [caption id="attachment_10276" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Map of trip from Cody to Grand Island, Nebraska[/caption] After a restful evening at the Moose Creek Lodge in Cody, Wyoming, I was ready to hit the road running early the next morning. I had visited Cody in 2013 and so I didn't spend a lot of time, but I did want to get back over to the Buffalo Bill Center and take some pictures of some of the numerous statues there. [caption id="attachment_10012" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Buffalo Bill Cody statue in Cody, Wyoming[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10013" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Plaque under Buffalo Bill statue[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10278"…
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02Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

Carhenge: One of America’s Premier “Car Art” Sites

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Museums, Nebraska, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Yard Art
In late May of this year I finally had an opportunity to hit one of my "Bucket List" sites - Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska. This "Car Art" site (see my post on Car Art from last August) ranks up there with the other well known sites, Cadillac Ranch, in Amarillo, Texas and the former "Spindle" (Cars on a Spike) by Dustin Shuler that was displayed at Cermak Plaza in Berwyn, Illinois until May 2008. [caption id="attachment_9999" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sumoflam at Carhenge in Alliance, NE in May 2014[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5800" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sumoflam at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas in August 2013[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10256" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Sumoflam at Spindle in Berwyn, IL in May 2007 (subsequently torn down in May 2008)[/caption] Unlike Cadillac Ranch, which is set up on a farm…
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24Jul 2014 by David Kravetz

Montana Trip: US Highway 89 thru Montana – South 89

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Horses, Landscapes, Large Statues, Montana, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Place Names, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art
[caption id="attachment_9645" align="aligncenter" width="474"] 89 South in Montana[/caption] After spending a nice day with my children and grandchildren along US Highway 89 north of Great Falls, it was time to begin the long trip back to Kentucky  the next day. I would begin the return trip with a quick jaunt south on I-15  to Great Falls and then south on US 87/89 towards Kings Hill Pass on the Kings Hill Scenic Byway, which runs along US 89 from the US 87 junction to the US 12 junction just north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. [caption id="attachment_9478" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Welcome to Conrad, Montana[/caption] Before moving on, I should mention that on the previous day we made a quick stop in Conrad, Montana to see if there is anything interesting there.  Conrad…
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