Blogging A to Z Challenge – The Complete List for 2017 – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Alligators, Amish Country, Animals, Antelope, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bike Trails, Birds, Bison, Blue Heron, Bobby Cochran, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Car Art, Cebu, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Edgar Cruz, Egret, Elk, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Fox, Fuji City, Geese, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Himeji, Hiroshima, Horse Art, Horses, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Japanese Castles, Japanese Shrines, Kansas, Kentucky, Kyoto, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico, Michael Kelsey, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nagasaki, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ogaki, Ohio, Oita, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Patti Hall, Pauly Zarb, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Saskatchewan, Seagulls, Selfies, Sendai, South Carolina, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Street Art, Street People, Swamps, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Tommy Emmanuel, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Tulum, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
During the month of April I participated with nearly 2000 other bloggers worldwide in the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge" which is now in its 7th year. This was my second year to participate and this year's theme for my series was "Wanderlust."  As a "Travelographer," my posts tend to be photo heavy.  I travel and take loads of photos. This is my way of sharing the wonders of the back roads of America. [caption id="attachment_17824" align="aligncenter" width="523"] Corner of This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX[/caption] Following are links to the complete A to Z set.  Just click on the banner for each and letter and enjoy the posts and the photos.  I hope all readers will Enjoy the Ride as much as I have enjoyed…
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Z is for Zeal – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Florida, Georgia, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Saskatchewan, Selfies, South Carolina, South Dakota, Staycations, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wall Art, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
I am a zealous traveler. I travel passion and with all the gusto I can.  A roadtrip with me can be grueling, but it is always fun.  Indeed, I travel with the intent of creating many good memories.  Many call me a Road Warrior. Well, I love that term. I travel with zeal. When on roadtrips, I like to be up with the sun and travel until the sun goes down.  I stop for the night wherever I am at sundown...I can't take many pictures at night now can I? [caption id="attachment_15212" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Taking photos along the way[/caption] [caption id="attachment_16314" align="alignleft" width="150"] Sumoflam and the FREE Stamp in Cleveland[/caption] In my zealous travels, I have visited all 50 states and a few Canadian Provinces. I have at least one…
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The Shack Burger Resort in Cypress, Texas

Backroads Discoveries, Burger Joints, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Graffiti Walls, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wall Art, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_17411" align="alignleft" width="174"] The Shack Burger Resort in Cypress, TX[/caption] I occasionally write about unique eateries that I come across in my travels.  In the past I have written about Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, WV (see link), Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, OR (see link), Lambert's Cafe - the Home of Throwed Rolls in Sykston, MO (see link), the Wigwam in Ravenna, KY (see link), Fat Smitty's Burgers in Port Townsend, WA (see link) and dozens of other unique places.  Last week (Feb.  8, 2017) we were introduced to another fabulous place called The Shack Burger Resort in Cypress, TX.  Much like Fat Smitty's in Washington or Hillbilly Hot Dogs in West Virginia, this is a quirky themed eatery (or in this case, a resort...). [caption id="attachment_17419" align="aligncenter" width="474"]…
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A Super Day in Cleveland

Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bridges, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Large Statues, Murals, Museums, Ohio, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Television Shows, Train Bridges, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_16197" align="alignleft" width="248"] Cleveland Water Tower[/caption] I recently made a trip up to Cleveland to visit family in Little Italy (see the post about the Little Italy neighborhood HERE).  While there, I got to spend a day with my sister and her husband visiting sites in and around Cleveland as well as a few small treks on my own.  With the challenge of only a couple of days, I made it a point to visit some of the quirky and offbeat sites as well as a couple of historic things.  We saw a good deal of Cleveland and also visited the Kirtland area, which will be added to a different post. [caption id="attachment_16111" align="aligncenter" width="474"] A Lake Erie sunrise as caught from the Kenneth J. Sims park in Euclid,…
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A to Z Challenge: The K Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alaska, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Graffiti Walls, Landscapes, Missouri, Montana, Murals, National Parks, Ontario, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 30, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wyoming, Yard Art
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The K Towns Kemmerer, Wyoming [caption id="attachment_15493" align="alignnone" width="300"] Welcome to Kemmerer-Diamondville, Wyoming[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4434" align="alignnone" width="300"] US 30 east of Kemmerer/Diamondville[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15496" align="alignnone" width="300"] Harvey Jackson mural on a corner in Kemmerer, WY[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15494" align="alignnone" width="300"] Oregon…
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A to Z Challenge: The C Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Amish Country, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Caves and Caverns, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Lighthouses, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National Parks, Ohio, Ontario, Place Names, prairie dogs, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 1, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique towns, some known for their names, other for unique sites in town. To see what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The C Towns Cactus Flat, South Dakota [caption id="attachment_4015" align="alignnone" width="225"] Sumoflam with the Giant Prairie Dog - Cactus Flat, SD[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3953" align="alignnone" width="194"] Prairie…
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2015 In Review: The Year In Travel

2015 In Review: The Year In Travel

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Kentucky, Large Statues, Maine, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National Parks, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Seagulls, Selfies, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Wall Art, Washington, West Virginia
[caption id="attachment_15055" align="alignnone" width="474"] San Francisco, May 2015[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15062" align="alignnone" width="474"] Seattle, WA, August 2015[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14669" align="aligncenter" width="474"] New York City at night as seen from Hoboken, NJ, September 2015[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15067" align="alignleft" width="300"] Golden Gate Bridge[/caption] The year 2015 started off with plans to travel to a couple of locations, but not the extent of the travel that I enjoyed in 2014. As it turned out, I had some great experiences and more travel than had been originally planned. It was truly a good year for my travel as I have noted in my blog posts and Facebook posts throughout the year. [caption id="attachment_13584" align="alignright" width="225"] Flying in 2015[/caption] Unlike most of my travel, which I like to do by car on back roads, the year's travel…
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Wall Art in Lexington: PRHBTN 2015 Projects and more

Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Kentucky, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Unique Places, Wall Art
Once again the great team at PRHBTN and all of its supporters have brought 4 great artists into Lexington to add 4 more lovely wall murals around Lexington.  These artists from New York, Italy and Portugal all visited Lexington and left with their art work colorizing more of town. (See updated map of all murals in Lexington embedded below) [caption id="attachment_14537" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Some PRHBTN Art on a wall in the Distillery District[/caption] [caption id="attachment_14536" align="alignleft" width="300"] Detail of Louis Armstrong mural in Lexington's East Side[/caption] The first week of November I made my rounds to grab shots of these murals. I have done similar posts in the past ( see 2014 2013a 2013b ) and this is the 2015 version. Unlike the art the past couple of years, we…
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Finally Made It! All 50 US States – Sept. 2015

Alabama, Alaska, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bucket List Trips, California, Caves and Caverns, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Selfies, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 61, US Highway 89, Utah, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
WARNING-This is a long post. It took me nearly 59 years to get to all 50 states! [caption id="attachment_14144" align="alignleft" width="210"] Made it to State #50![/caption] On September 8, 2015, I set foot on the side of the road just north of Brattleboro, VT after we crossed over the Connecticut River from New Hampshire on Hwy 9. I got out and took a selfie of myself under a Welcome to Vermont sign.  I had finally set foot in my 50th US state...a nearly 59 year journey. Stay 3 or more nights & save up to 25% now! At participating hotels Following is a state by state chronicle of my nearly 59 year journey in order of states visited. [caption id="attachment_14142" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Four Corners - July 15, 1993[/caption] My 50…
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Washington State: A Week of Travel and Variety

BBQ Places, Birds, City Skylines, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Parks, Roadside Attractions, Seagulls, Selfies, States and Provinces, Street Art, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Wall Art, Washington, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_13662" align="aligncenter" width="474"] A Wide View of Mt. Rainier[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13657" align="aligncenter" width="474"] The family getting ready to head to Seattle on Day 1 of our visit. We made the T-shirts ourselves[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13623" align="alignright" width="225"] Julianne and David at the Beach in Washington[/caption] After our beautiful vacation and stay at the Borneo lodge which you can find on borneoecotours.com/borneo-rainforest-lodge, my wife and I had the opportunity to fly to Seattle at the end of July for a nice week (actually 9 days) of fun with our family out there.  Over the next couple of weeks I will have a few posts about our adventures, but wanted to provide a brief preview of what we experienced: Beaches, Mountains, Sights, Sounds, Eats and Quirky fun!! [caption id="attachment_13643" align="aligncenter" width="474"] The…
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