2023 Gulf Coast Road Trip: The Overview

2023 Gulf Coast Road Trip: The Overview

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Beaches, Big Cities, Big John, Birds, Books, Bridges, Brown Pelican, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Cities and Towns, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Georgia, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Highways and Roadways, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, US Highway 98, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Whispering Giants, Whispering Giants, Wood Stork, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_37550" align="alignnone" width="640"] On our way for a fun road trip! Autumn in the front with me and Chelsea and Jorge in the back.[/caption] I  was thrilled to finally get in a good road trip in July 2023.  My last multi-day road trip took place back in October 2022 when I traveled Route 66 in Illinois to celebrate by 66th birthday.  The July 2023 was taken south to the Gulf Coast, then along the coastal highways and eventually into New Orleans.  From there were went on to Houston, Keller and Uncertain, all in Texas, before heading back to Kentucky.  All in all, we traveled 3001 miles over an eight day period and traveled through ten different states.  I say we as on this trip I was accompanied by my…
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2022: The Year in Travel – April/May Staycation Fun in Kentucky

2022: The Year in Travel – April/May Staycation Fun in Kentucky

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bison, Books, Bridges, Buffalo, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Caves and Caverns, Deer, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Kingbird, Elk, Family Travel, Farmland, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Graffiti Walls, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Horses, Indiana, Indigo Bunting, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Mountains, Murals, Nature and Scenery, Northern Cardinal, Offbeat Places, Osprey, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Staycations, Tennessee, Town Names, Turtles, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_36906" align="alignleft" width="300"] Staycationing in Kentucky in 2022[/caption] What a year 2022 was!!  I started off the year in the midst of another COVID outbreak and high fuel prices.  My hopes for much travel in 2022 weren't very high. I expected it would be a lean travel year, but it turned out much different than I had anticipated.  By December 31 I had visited 14 states and driven nearly 21,000 miles.  This included nearly 1,300 miles (out of a total of 2,400) of driving on Route 66 from Albuquerque to Chicago.  I had actually dreamt of driving the entire length of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA in October, which was when I would celebrate my 66th birthday, but it wasn't meant to be.  Nevertheless, I was…
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2022: The Year in Travel – January thru March

2022: The Year in Travel – January thru March

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Graffiti Walls, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Ice Cream Places, Indiana, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Murals, Offbeat Places, Pelicans, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Staycations, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 31, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_35952" align="alignleft" width="300"] Welcome to Pontiac, Illinois[/caption] What a year 2022 was!!  I started off the year in the midst of another COVID outbreak and high fuel prices.  My hopes for much travel in 2022 weren't very high. I expected it would be a lean travel year, but it turned out much different than I had anticipated.  By December 31 I had visited 14 states and driven nearly 21,000 miles.  This included nearly 1,300 miles (out of a total of 2,400) of driving on Route 66 from Albuquerque to Chicago.  I had actually dreamt of driving the entire length of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA in October, which was when I would celebrate my 66th birthday, but it wasn't meant to be.  Nevertheless, I was thrilled…
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Route 66 in Illinois – Celebrating 66th Birthday

Route 66 in Illinois – Celebrating 66th Birthday

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Cities and Towns, City Skylines, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Highways and Roadways, Hot Dog Places, Illinois, Interstate 55, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 30, US Highway 40, US Highway 60, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_35900" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam on Route 66 in Illinois[/caption] Everyone knows that Route 66 is considered to be America's most iconic highway. Known as the Mother Road, there have been songs written about it, TV shows that feature it and hundreds of groups that travel it. To me, US Route 66 is really just another US Highway, but, due to its pop culture status, it is a fun highway to travel. As 2022 kicked in, it was my hope that I could use my 66th birthday on October 4 as an excuse to travel the entire length from Chicago to Santa Monica. As is typically the case, things don't always go as planned and/or hoped for, and such was the case for my 2022 Route 66 plan. Nevertheless, I…
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New Murals in Cincinnati – 2022

New Murals in Cincinnati – 2022

Big Cities, Books, Graffiti Walls, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Ohio, Selfies, Street Art, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art
[caption id="attachment_35832" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam at the Cincinnati Toy Heritage mural, Nov 2022[/caption] It has been a while since I posted photos of murals in Cincinnati. My previous post that included a number of murals was in 2014 (See it here). Like many larger cities, Cincinnati has an organization dedicated to the promotion of public and theirs is called ArtWorks. ArtWorks has been around since 1996 and, since that time, has completed more than 14,000 public and private art projects in its 26 years, including more than 230 permanent outdoor murals. This post will feature a few of them that I captured on November 6, 2022. It by no means even comes close to all of the murals to be found in the Cincinnati Metro area. [caption id="attachment_35849" align="alignnone" width="700"]…
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Towns of America A to Z: The S Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The S Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Canada, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Distilleries, Family Travel, Flowers, Ghost Signs, Graffiti Walls, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Mountains, Mountains, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Ontario, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, States and Provinces, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Volunteer Fire Departments, Washington, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
Sadly, I didn't get all of these posted with the month of April, but I most certainly want to finish.  I am like the guy in the 5K that shows up last....at least I will complete the race. So, the biggest list of town names in the alphabet is probably those that begin with the letter S.  There are a load of towns and places, but I will limit them to a readable amount.  I do have some fun names at the end. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! SANDWICH, NEW HAMPSHIRE [caption id="attachment_15115" align="alignnone" width="522"] Sandwich Historical Society - Sandwich, New Hampshire[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15107" align="alignnone" width="516"] Signposts in Sandwich, NH. No restaurants![/caption] Hungry?  Maybe a sandwich?  If so, don't visit Sandwich, New Hampshire as there is not a place…
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Towns of America A to Z: The H Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The H Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Big John, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, Canada, Church Signs, Cities and Towns, Cross Country Road Trips, Distilleries, Donut Places, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Himeji, Ice Cream Places, Illinois, Japanese Castles, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Michigan, Muffler Man, Murals, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, States and Provinces, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Toy Collections, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Unique Shops, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, Whispering Giants
Happiness is another A to Z post.  Today I post about places that begin with the letter H. As with all of my posts, I have been to all of these places and all of the photography is mine as well.  I never write about places I haven't personally visited. And why not start with something Happy? I'll take you to Hell and back on this post, but you will leave with some Hope and Happiness, among other things. ENJOY THE READ!  ENJOY THE RIDE! HAPPY, TEXAS [caption id="attachment_27700" align="alignleft" width="300"] Happy is that way (notice it is the opposite direction from Hell -- see below?)[/caption] There are only three towns named Happy in the United States, and I have been to two of them, which are both featured here. …
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Towns of America A to Z: The C Towns #atozchallenge

Towns of America A to Z: The C Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Animals, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Canada, Car Art, Cebu, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Iowa, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, National Parks, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Tersier, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Welcome Signs, West Virginia
It's another year and another opportunity to provide a fun VIRTUAL road trip.  For the 2022 A to Z  Challenge, I will be taking you, the readers, to some of the many places I have visited.  Almost every little town to every big city has something unique to offer visitors. I hope to take you to some of these places across the United States, and even to Canada, the Philippines and Japan on some select posts, for a virtual trip to see places you may not know about. Today's post covers a number of towns and cities that begin with the letter C. These are all over the place, including the Philippines and Canada!!  I have been to dozens of towns that begin with the letter C, but here is…
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New Murals in Lexington – 2021 PRHBTN and More

New Murals in Lexington – 2021 PRHBTN and More

Books, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Eateries, Graffiti Walls, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Quirky Things, Selfies, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wall Art, Welcome Signs
I have fallen seriously behind in my blog posts recently. I am trying to catch up and would be seriously remiss if I did not do my annual post about new murals and wall art in Lexington. Last October was the celebration of the 10th anniversary of PRHBTN. This is the group that brings in famed street artists from all over the world to put wonderful art on the walls of Lexington. For 2022, PRHBTN brought in a few artists that have been here before, including the whimsical Kraken art of Patch Whisky, the lovely realism of Alexandrea Pangburn, colorful artist GAIA, and a couple of others including Key Detail, Joe King and Aerosol Kingdom (who worked with Alexandrea on the 2022 project). Along the way, I have also come…
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AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The T Signs #atozchallenge

AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The T Signs #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Graffiti Walls, Hot Dog Places, Ice Cream Places, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Turkeys, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Volunteer Fire Departments, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Wyoming
I have fallen way behind on my A to Z posts this year due to added work and travel, but I will get them all!  This year I am doing signs that I have seen across the country.  This post will feature signs associated with the Letter T. ENJOY THE RIDE! We can't avoid signs.  They are everywhere.  Advertisements, informational signs, directional signs, business signs and, sometimes, even humorous and fun signs.  Each of my posts in this years' challenge will feature a hodgepodge of signs I have come across in my travels.  In most cases, I'll also note where they were taken.  Some were actually inside of shops or otherwise, so not all will have locations.  I hope you enjoy the remainder of my posts as get to them…
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