Going to California: Santa Rosa – Ukiah – Red Bluff

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Mythical Creatures, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_12844" align="alignleft" width="300"] Goofing around at Carla's house with her pink flamingo hat and a few Antsy McClain posters[/caption] Day 2 of my Woodflock trip started off nice and slow.  No hurry so I was able to sleep in over at Carla's doublewide in Santa Rosa.  Woke up to a beautiful morning in the trailer park. Soon, Carla and I were on the road heading north.  She decided to go through Ukiah for a more scenic route (and likely to appeal to my wanderlust!) [caption id="attachment_12832" align="alignright" width="225"] In good hands with Carla!! Standing with Agraria by Larry Kirkland[/caption] Santa Rosa is home to a couple of quirky roadside attractions, so we stopped at these on our way out of town.  The first of them was a big hand…
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Going to California – San Francisco to Santa Rosa

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Eateries, Graffiti Walls, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Street Art, Street People, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art
Woodflock - a relatively unknown destination for those unfamiliar with Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours. For the last six years Flamingoheads from California and other places have gathered in the Sycamore Grove campground along the Sacramento River near Red Bluff, CA to enjoy time schmoozing with Antsy and the band and each other through music, meditation, arts and crafts and food. Held every Memorial Day weekend, the campground turns into a flamingo haven. [caption id="attachment_12817" align="alignright" width="300"] Singing with Antsy McClain[/caption] I have traveled with Antsy McClain on a cruise to Mexico, I have accompanied him on Field Trips in Kentucky and Texas and have toured with him and the band in Washington, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and California, but I have never had the opportunity to attend…
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#TBT – Visiting Erie Canal, JELL-O Museum, Bethlehem, Nicholson Bridge

#TBT, Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, New York, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Throwback Thursday, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Wildflowers
(Author's note: This post is another in my Throwback Thursday series.  Taken from August 2008 on a visit to Bethlehem for the Music Festival to join Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours.  I also visited a number of other sites. At the time I was still working in Woodstock, Ontario) August 1, 2008: Instead of heading back to Kentucky for the weekend, I had the opportunity to go to Bethlehem, PA and join Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours for their two performances at the 2008 Bethlehem MusikFest.  I decided to make a weekend of it and visit more places along the way that I had yet to get to.  It would be a fun weekend indeed!! I headed out early and headed southeast towards Buffalo.  My adventures…
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#TBT – Scenes from Cleveland

#TBT, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Bridges, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Large Statues, Ohio, Place Names, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Throwback Thursday, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon
[caption width="500" id="attachment_12704" align="aligncenter"] Murray Hill Rd...my birthplace[/caption] [caption width="500" id="attachment_12713" align="aligncenter"] The old house in Murray Hill...my first residence[/caption] A few years ago I made a couple of visits to Cleveland, Ohio.  I was born in the Little Italy section of Cleveland in 1956 and have sisters and brothers there.  The old house I was born in is still there as well. For my Throwback Thursday, I thought I would add a few Cleveland photos for fun. [caption width="333" id="attachment_12707" align="aligncenter"] The Old House around 2009.[/caption] [caption width="333" id="attachment_12706" align="aligncenter"] The old house is now a storefront for the Murray Hill Market. This is the reflection of the address on the old tile floor[/caption] Little Italy is a wonderful part of town...great eateries, old churches, brick roads (including Murray…
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#TBT – Wigwam Village Motel in Cave City, KY

#TBT, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Kentucky, National Parks, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Throwback Thursday, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon
[caption id="attachment_12656" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Wigwam Village, Cave City, KY[/caption] A few years ago I was traveling in Kentucky and made my way into Cave City, a sort of retro resort town close to Mammoth Cave National Park with lots of old 1960s style neon signs, mom-and-pop restaurants, unique tourist attractions, etc.  Apparently the actual Wigwam Villages were built in the 1930s and 1940s. [caption id="attachment_12654" align="aligncenter" width="333"] Sleep in a Wigwam neon sign[/caption] On my first trip into Cave City I saw the Wigwam Village and was astounded that there was one on this side of the country. As a bus driver/tour guide in Flagstaff, AZ in the 1980s, I would see the Wigwam Village located near Interstate 40 and old US Highway 66 near Holbrook, AZ quite often. Even…
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More Wall Art in Lexington: New Discoveries of Old Art

Graffiti Walls, Kentucky, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Wall Art
[caption id="attachment_12562" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Dronex Inc. Wall Art as seen on a wall behind CD Central[/caption] Recently, I was driving around in Lexington and came across a few more pieces of Wall Art on some walls around the University of Kentucky.  Most of these apparently have been around for a while, but they were new to me.  So, to add to my growing collection of Lexington outdoor wall art, I present you with a few more goodies. [caption id="attachment_12564" align="aligncenter" width="474"] More Dronex Inc. wall art at CD Central[/caption] Dronex Inc. always does a good job of parodies.  They really did a good job on their work on a wall behind CD Central.  Titled "Records Reimagined", this work was completed in June 2012.  These walls feature the work of over…
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North Texas/Oklahoma Odyssey and beyond

Antsy McClain, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Museums, Oklahoma, Ontario, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Yard Art
(Note: This is part 3 of my Texas road trip reports from June 2014, covering the trip from Austin to Ft. Worth and then on to Denton, Paris, Oklahoma, Arkansas and home to Kentucky.) After spending a nice day in Austin, it was time to head north to Ft. Worth and then on to Kentucky.  Along the way I went from weird to spooky to strange to Friendship.  Here is the map of this portion of the trip. [caption id="attachment_12336" align="aligncenter" width="664"] My route from Austin, TX (weird) to Friendship, AR. Traveled in late June 2014[/caption] On this route I visited friends but also visited some other fun and quirky places.  My first stop was in Georgetown, TX.  Georgetown is home to some lovely Victorian architecture and also has one…
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#TBT – Yard Art, Swans and Mennonites in Southern Ontario

#TBT, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Canada, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Landscapes, Large Statues, Mennonite Country, Museums, Ontario, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Swans, Throwback Thursday, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Yard Art
(Note: I was working at the Toyota Plant in Woodstock, Ontario as a Japanese interpreter at the time I wrote this post in 2008) March 26, 2008: It was a beautiful day and I got off work at 4:00 and decided to head out on a small road trip around the region.  A couple of days ago I met with Cathy Bingham, Director of the Oxford County, Ontario Tourism Office in Woodstock. She had contacted  me about my Jakeman's Syrup page and wanted to meet with me to give me more ideas.  We had a wonderful visit and she gave me some unique ideas, told me about the history of the area and focused me in on some different places to see, both in Oxford County as well as the…
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Austin Stays Weird – A Pictorial

Bakeries, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Graffiti Walls, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_11912" align="aligncenter" width="474"] greetings from Sumoflam in Austin[/caption] After a good night's rest at my cousins house in late June, I was able to spend my morning and part of my early afternoon in Austin, Texas. The motto of that town is "keep Austin weird." I must say that they have done that very successfully! [caption id="attachment_11914" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Sumoflam at Austin's Roadhouse Relics, one of the unique and quirky shops on South Congress[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11917" align="aligncenter" width="474"] I had breakfast at the South Congress Cafe. It was truly an upscale cafe, if there is such a thing[/caption] There are not many offbeat and quirky towns in this country, but those that are really go to town and Austin is certainly one of the best of these. Portland is…
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Top Ten Travel Photos for 2014

Alligators, Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, National Monuments, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
Throughout my travels I drove over 10,000 miles and took over 3000 photos in 2014. I have numerous shots from the road of quirky places, offbeat sites and some nice looking places.  If you missed my "nature photos", some of which are from my travels, please check them out on my Sumoflam's Singlewide Site.  Following are my ten favorite travel shots from 2014 and the stories behind them (and a number of honorable mentions). NUMBER 1 - OLD PRAIRIE SCHOOL HOUSE [caption id="attachment_9237" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Old Prairie School House on Smith-Frisno Road west of Havre, Montana. I wanted this one in black and white...more authentic feel[/caption] I once saw a photo of this old school house and knew that I had to get to this relic of the past.  So,…
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