Giant Things – Page 19 – Less Beaten Paths of America

15Jul 2013 by David Kravetz

Road Trip: Dallas to Lexington, KY via Branson, MO

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Missouri, Oklahoma, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places

[caption id="attachment_4929" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Scrap Metal Horses by Doug Owen in Durant, Oklahoma[/caption] After being gone for nearly a month in Idaho and then a few days in Dallas for work in mid June (2013), I took the final leg of this adventure and a two day trip to return home to Lexington via Branson, Missouri, where my wife was visiting with her sister. This would turn out to be another fun adventure as I traveled through Oklahoma and the Ozarks. Following is the route I took for the trip. I left in the afternoon and arrived about midnight in Branson. View Larger Map - Dallas, TX to Branson, MO I headed straight up US 75 to Denison and while there at least got a glimpse of the HUGE Eisenhower…

12Jul 2013 by David Kravetz

Sumoflam Flashback: JFK the Twine Ball Man of Lake Nebagamon, WI

Antsy McClain, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wisconsin

[caption id="attachment_4897" align="aligncenter" width="239"] James Frank Kotera - JFK - The Twine Ball Man of Lake Nebagamon, WI[/caption] In this Flashback Edition of Less Beaten Paths, I take you back to August 2007 when I visited with James Frank Kotera in the town of Highlands, near Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin. Kotera, who just refers to himself as JFK -- the most famous JFK -- claims to have the world's largest ball of twine and my son and I had to see it. And trust me, it as an out of the way drive worth taking!! (Don't miss the video below!!!) View Larger Map - JFK, The Twine Ball Man -8009 S. Oakdale Rd., Lake Nebagamon, WI [caption id="attachment_4911" align="aligncenter" width="266"] Satellite shot of JFK's place. The big building on the left…

07Jul 2013 by David Kravetz

Two Days to Dallas – Day 2: Eagle, Colorado to Dallas

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bison, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Horses, Landscapes, Large Statues, Mountains, Murals, National Monuments, New Mexico, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 24, US Highway 87, Vintage Neon, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wildflowers

[caption id="attachment_4752" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Heading south on US 24 towards the Sangre de Cristo range[/caption] I began Day 2 of my trip from Idaho to Dallas with an early morning in Eagle, Colorado. It would turn out to be a long day and I would actually end up stopping overnight in Wichita Falls, TX due to the length of the day. Following is the route all the way to the Dallas area. View Larger Map - Eagle, Colorado to Dallas, TX After a late night into Eagle, I had no idea what I would see when I awoke. I had an early start, at about 6:30 AM and when I walked out of the hotel, this is what I saw... [caption id="attachment_4658" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Morning view from Hotel in Eagle,…

02Jul 2013 by David Kravetz

Two Days to Dallas: Day 1 – Idaho Falls, Idaho to Eagle, Colorado

Antelope, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Idaho, Landscapes, Large Statues, Mountains, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Street Art, Town Names, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Wyoming, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_4478" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Flowery Meadows near Hayden, Colorado[/caption] On June 12 I commenced on a trip to Dallas, Texas from Idaho Falls, Idaho. This would be a long two day trip, but I certainly wanted to hit some places I had never been before. So, on Day 1 I ventured south through Pocatello and then onto Eagle, Colorado, about 588 miles. Following is my route map for Day 1. View Larger Map - Idaho Falls, ID to Eagle, CO Just near the hotel I stayed at in Idaho Falls, there was an amazing Eagle Sculpture in a roundabout. This is a HUGE work and is quite stunning. Called "The Protector", it is touted as the "World's Largest Eagle Monument" and was unveiled in the fall of 2006. The work…

15Jun 2013 by David Kravetz

Eastern Wyoming to Yellowstone: Cowboy Country, Buffaloes and more

Animals, Antelope, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Elk, Family Travel, Farmland, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Hot Springs, Landscapes, Large Statues, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National Parks, Place Names, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Street Art, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 16, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Wyoming, Yard Art

Buffalo Bill Reservoir[/caption] On June 2, 2013 I continued my trip westward from Lexington thru South Dakota and into Wyoming. On this leg I started in Gillette, Wyoming and made my way to Rexburg with a trip through Yellowstone National Park. [caption id="attachment_4159" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Welcome to Gillette, WY[/caption] Gillette, Wyoming is the first large town in Wyoming on the western end of I-90. It was incorporated in 1892 and is now called the "Energy Capital of the Nation" due to the high grade coal reserves as well as nearly 13,000 oil wells. [caption id="attachment_4053" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Downtown Cowboy Mural by Harvey Jackson[/caption] Downtown Gillette is not too large, but, along the main street there are a number of sculptures and a great wall mural. The mural above was done…

09Jun 2013 by David Kravetz

South Dakota Backroads: Prairie Dogs and Badlands

Backroads Discoveries, Bison, Deer, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, National Parks, Place Names, prairie dogs, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wildflowers

Badlands National Park[/caption] On my previous post I covered my travels from Omaha to Kadoka, South Dakota along the Oyate Trail. This post covers the second part of that day, basically, my visit to the hauntingly wondrous Badlands National Park in western South Dakota. [caption id="attachment_4031" align="aligncenter" width="284"] Scrappy the Scrap Metal Buck by Brett Prang[/caption] Before I get into the Badlands visit, one more final comment about Kadoka. While at a gas station off if I-90 I came across this giant scrap metal buck. I did some research and found out that it's name is "Scrappy" and it is the creation of metal artist Brett Prang, who resides in the Badlands area and runs Incredible Metal from his Guest House and their Frying Pan Ranch. I wish I would…

04Jun 2013 by David Kravetz

Jurustic Park – The Land of Scrap Metal Dragons and Critters

Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Mythical Creatures, Roadside Attractions, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wisconsin

Jurustic Park - Marshfield, Wisconsin[/caption] Last October (2012) I made a trip to Wisconsin with my daughter and granddaughter. We visited a number of places, but there was none better than Jurustic Park. (You can see the entire trip report posts here -- Wisconsin Trip 2012). Jurustic Park is the brainchild of former attorney Clyde Wynia, who calls himself a paleontologist. [caption id="attachment_3793" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Clyde Wynia - the local Jurustic Park paleontologist[/caption] In reality, he has taken to doing metal work and welding of a hundreds of critters, which, he claims (in his paleontologist hat), were many of the "extinct creatures that inhabited the large McMillan Marsh near Marshfield during the Iron Age." He claims to have discovered these creatures and has worked to get them back together. Wisconsin Public…

31May 2013 by David Kravetz

FOOD FOOD FOOD – Part 4: Some Leftovers – Huevos, Poke Sallet, Poutine, Pea Meal and more

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Eateries, Giant Things, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Customers Needed - Toronto, Ontario[/caption] As I have traveled the many back roads of the U.S. and Canada I have seen hundreds of places to eat, many of the are the normal fast food places (we all know THEY are). But, there are also many other unique Mom and Pop shops, small drive ins, BBQ joints and burger places. I have covered the main stops from my last 8 or 9 years of travel, but there are many more I have passed along the way and a few that I didn't cover in the previous three posts. I will touch on them here, though most of them with a photo and a comment or two. Enjoy! The Leftovers - More of the Places I have been [caption id="attachment_3681" align="aligncenter" width="300"]…

15May 2013 by David Kravetz

Road Trip Home from Idaho – Day 4: Oacoma, SD to Des Moines, IA

Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Iowa, Landscapes, Large Statues, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art

Covered Bridges of Madison County in Iowa[/caption] April 2, 2013: After a good night's rest in Oacoma, we were back on the road heading east with our first planned stop being an early morning visit to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. View Larger Map - Oacoma, SD to Des Moines, IA Originally built in 1892 as the "Corn Belt Exposition," it became an iconic landmark and attraction in Mitchell after 1921. Every year the exterior decorations are stripped and a new theme is created. The work is done by local artists. The 2013 theme is "We Celebrate" and each mural is a depiction of an American holiday. The artists use 13 different colors or shades of corn to decorate with. Typically there are over 275,000 ears of corn…

07May 2013 by David Kravetz

Road Trip Home from Idaho – Day 3: Glendive, MT thru Enchanted Highway, Mt. Rushmore to Oacoma, SD

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big John, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, North Dakota, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Yard Art

South Dakota Badlands in northern South Dakota as seen from SD Hwy 79[/caption] April 1, 2013: We started the month of April off with a non-foolish bang as we got up fairly early to hit the road towards home, with a detour through North and South Dakota. This is the route we took on this leg of the trip: View Larger Map - Glendive, MT to Oacoma, SD We first took a brief zip around Glendive to catch some of the sights... [caption id="attachment_3033" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Giant Dinosaur Sign in Glendive, Montana next to the museum[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3032" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mural at the Glendive Museum[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3008" align="aligncenter" width="199"] There were signs like these in various parts of Glendive[/caption] Glendive, Montana is surrounded by badlands and there have been many finds…

Category: Giant Things