19Oct 2018 by David Kravetz

Experiencing Old-Timey Decatur, Texas

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 287, Vintage Neon, Wall Art
Heading north out of Keller, Texas on US 287 you can enjoy a scenic ride and make your way into the town of Decatur, Texas.  Named after naval hero Stephen Decatur, the town was originally set up in 1856 and eventually was a stopover for ranchers and herders on the Chisholm Trail. [caption id="attachment_21052" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The old Eighter from Decatur Sign[/caption] By 1882, the railway came into Decatur from Fort Worth.  It was apparently at that time a gambling railway worker was talking about a female from Decatur and coined the phrase an "Eighter from Decatur," which has stuck around ever since. [caption id="attachment_21050" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Welcome to Decatur sign[/caption] Today, the peaceful little town still draws traffic from ranchers and railway folk, but also from tourists trying to…
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29Sep 2018 by David Kravetz

Offbeat and Quirky Roadside Attractions Now Available on Amazon!

Adventure, Antsy McClain, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Books, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Mythical Creatures, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Wanderlust, Whispering Giants, Yard Art
Yesterday my new book, "Less Beaten Paths of America: Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions" made its debut on Amazon! The book is 130 pages of FULL COLOR whimsy and kitsch as I tell stories of my visits to these places all over the U.S. and Canada. Definitely was fun taking these back roads trips to quirkville and I am excited to share them with you in words and photos. Even more exciting was that after a few hours the book was already #5 on Amazon's Road Travel New Releases chart and #24 on their Travel Reference chart!! I hope you will be able to check out the book or even get it on Kindle (#14 on the Road Travel chart). You Chang the book here: SEE NEW BOOK
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24Sep 2018 by David Kravetz

My new book is right around the corner!

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Books, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Enchanted Highway, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Mythical Creatures, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Tourist Traps, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Wanderlust, Whispering Giants, Yard Art
Getting so close to publishing my second book! I am getting so excited! My good friend Antsy McClain completed the back cover of the book so, attached you can see the front and back cover of the book. Start getting excited because I hope that by October 1 or thereabouts my book will be ready for purchase
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06Sep 2018 by David Kravetz

Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions – BOOK UPDATE

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Car Art, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Whispering Giants
Hey friends - I spent most of Labor Day weekend trying to finish up my SECOND BOOK! All about Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions, this book will be about 150 pages and have over 80 full color photos. It looks like the book will retail for about $25. It will be paperback with glossy paper.  I hope you can let me know via a comment or instant message on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn if you are interested. I had to cut the book down from 320 pages due to the prohibitive cost (yes, I have a start on Book 3 already!!!).  I have inserted the cover (above) and four sample images (below) so you can see what the book will be like. (Thanks to Antsy McClain for the artwork on the cover.) As my…
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14Aug 2018 by David Kravetz

Welcome to Uranus (Missouri) – Really?

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Eateries, Family Travel, Missouri, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
[caption id="attachment_21013" align="alignleft" width="240"] One of the Uranus Billboards along Interstate 44[/caption] In late July and early August 2018 I had been on the road traveling with my granddaughter for nearly two weeks and we finally made our way to US Route 66 in Oklahoma and Missouri. On our last night on the road, we spent the night in Springfield, Missouri. As we departed down Interstate 44, one of the first things I saw was a sign telling us to visit Uranus at exit 163! REALLY? In all my years of traveling, I had never heard of this place. As we headed east we continued to see signs...you know, the "Tourist Trap" type of signs that try to draw you in. [caption id="attachment_20958" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Thanks for Picking Uranus[/caption] [caption…
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25Jun 2018 by David Kravetz

Less Beaten Paths of America: Book 2 Update

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Books, Car Art, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Wanderlust, Whispering Giants, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_18978" align="alignleft" width="194"] Less Beaten Paths of America: Book 2 Cover[/caption] Still working hard on my new book, titled Less Beaten Paths of America: Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions. Writing a book is always a challenge.   It takes time to do it correctly and, unfortunately, I have had numerous other things tugging at my time over the past few months, which has put my release date later and later. Well, I want you all to know that I am working diligently on the book and have a number of chapters completed.  When finished, this book will be well over 200 pages and chock full of color photos of some of America's offbeat roadside attractions. Check out Book 1: Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names [caption id="attachment_18868" align="aligncenter"…
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21Jun 2018 by David Kravetz

Cincinnati: A View from the Top – Carew Tower

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, City Skylines, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Ohio, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Train Bridges, Unique Places, Vintage Neon
[caption id="attachment_20739" align="alignleft" width="300"] A view of downtown Cincinnati from atop the Carew Tower[/caption] Had a wonderful (but hot) Father's Day 2018.  My wife asked me what I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to take a trip to Cincinnati and visit the downtown area for fun.  Cincinnati is one of those cities that has a great skyline to photograph. So, before we went, I looked for places that we could get good views of Cincinnati.  In the past, I have taken shots from across the river in Newport, KY and a couple of other spots, but I wanted something more unique. [caption id="attachment_20704" align="aligncenter" width="333"] Cincinnati skyline as seen from Devou Park in Covington, KY. Carew Tower is tall brown building on the left[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20779" align="aligncenter"…
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12Jun 2018 by David Kravetz

April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: The Landscape in Photos

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Nevada, Oregon, Roadside Attractions, South Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 24, US Highway 50, Utah, Washington
[caption id="attachment_20669" align="alignleft" width="300"] Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, CO[/caption] This is the final post from my April 2018 cross-country road trip from Lexington to Port Orchard, Washington and back. As a reminder, I covered 6000 miles and ventured through 16 states. Along the way I not only stopped to visit attractions and see the sites in towns small and large, but I also tried to capture the grandeur of the landscapes and scenery I passed by along the way.  Following are a number of scenic photos from that trip.  Enjoy the ride!  I have randomized these, so they are not in any particular order.  Captions tell the story. [caption id="attachment_20671" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Sunset in Colorado, taken on US 24 near Hartsel, Colorado[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20654" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Lovely sunset…
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07Jun 2018 by David Kravetz

April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: Miscellaneous Leftovers

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Burger Joints, Car Art, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Junk Art, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, Murals, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 50, Utah, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_20013" align="alignleft" width="300"] Steven's Pass - Washington[/caption] On a long road trip like the one I did in April, there are so many places visited, but some didn't fit into a post for one reason or another.  Here are some odds and ends leftovers from my 6000 mile cross country trek through 14 states.  There is really no rhyme or reason, but the opportunity to address these places in a little more depth. Papa Joe's Stop & Go - Crescent Junction, Utah [caption id="attachment_19673" align="alignright" width="300"] Papa Joe's in Crescent Junction - fun "tourist trap"[/caption] Out in the middle of nowhere in Utah is the small place called Crescent Junction at the junction of I-70 and US 191.  There is really not much there and it is basically a…
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04Jun 2018 by David Kravetz

April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: The Wall Art Murals of Olympia

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Graffiti Walls, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wall Art, Washington
[caption id="attachment_20299" align="alignleft" width="300"] Wall art on front of Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia, WA.  Painted by Dennis Lyons[/caption] I love entering a town plastered with Wall Art Murals, especially when it is totally unexpected. Such was the case in April 2018 when I arrived in Olympia, WA to join some friends for breakfast on the first day of my return trip back to Lexington. While driving around to find parking for the Spar Cafe, I noticed that around almost every corner a new mural would make itself known. Olympia claims to have over 70 murals dotting the city and even calls the city "A City of Murals." I would have to concur. The city has also created a slick online map with pictures of the murals and their…
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