22Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The S Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geese, Giant Things, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lighthouses, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Museums, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, Snow Geese, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 16, Vintage Neon, Washington, Welcome Signs, Wyoming, Yard Art
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with  the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip.  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the S Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Please note that this one is a fairly lengthy post. So, Enjoy the Read and Enjoy the Ride! Sesame Street - Seabeck, Washington While driving through Seabeck, Washington we came upon Sesame Street.  So now I can tell you how to…
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20Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The Q Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Animals, Antelope, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eagles, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Geese, Idaho, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, Snow Geese, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Wyoming
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with  the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip.  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the Q Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) There are not many places that fit within the Q Stories category.  But, we did have a nice visit to Quitaque, Texas. Quitaque, Texas Quitaque is a small community of a little over 400 near the Texas Panhandle.  The town is…
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09Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The H Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Illinois, Iowa, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip.  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the H Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Hamburg, Iowa Hamburg, Iowa is a small town just off of Interstate 29 and a few miles north of the Missouri border and a miles southeast…
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05Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The D Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Family Travel, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Snow Geese, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Vintage Neon, Washington, Welcome Signs, Yard Art
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet, and not the order of the trip  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the D Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Dinosaurs Seems like whenever you get near a trading post a fun place, there always seems to be a dinosaur or two hanging around.  I have…
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26Feb 2020 by David Kravetz

Book 4 Cover Art Reveal – New Book is Titled “8154”

Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nature Events, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Welcome Signs, Wyoming, Yard Art
GREAT NEWS! Book 4 is now officially underway! Thanks to my friend Antsy McClain, the new cover for Book 4 has been setup and here it is. Titled "8154" after the number of miles we traveled for 23 days from late January to mid-February 2020, this book will detail my EPIC Roadtrip with my daughter Marissa and her three children. You'll finally get to take a trip as seen from our eyes. Marissa will help write the book with me. We hope to have it ready for sale by the end of March 2020. We hope you'll watch for it. Some of the sights we visited were kindly suggested by our friends at Roadside America.  Visit them and get their app!! [caption id="attachment_5929" align="aligncenter" width="160"] Roadside America iPhone app[/caption]  
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10Dec 2019 by David Kravetz

PRHBTN 2019: More Murals to Decorate Lexington

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Graffiti Walls, Kentucky, Murals, Offbeat Places, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Wall Art
Once again, John and Jessica Winters and their PRHBTN organization has brought some amazing art into Lexington.  October and the first part of November saw four more unique artists into the city to colorize more walls in the city. This year we got visits from Venezuelan artist Koz Dos,  New Yorker Elle, SNUB23 from Great Britain and Alexandrea Pangburn from the Denver area.  Each of them brought their own unique styles to add to the beauty of the city. [caption id="attachment_22512" align="alignnone" width="525"] Detail of Koz Dos mural[/caption] [caption id="attachment_22496" align="alignleft" width="300"] KOZ DOS[/caption] The first one to get started was Koz Dos.  Born in 1986 in Caracas, Venezuela, he is a graffiti artist who made his first steps in the Caracas hood. Since then, he has become famous for…
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16Sep 2019 by David Kravetz

Paradise Point (KY) Revisited: September 2019

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Hot Dog Places, Junk Art, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Staycations, Street Art, Tourist Traps, Toy Collections, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 31, Welcome Signs, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_22208" align="alignleft" width="300"] Visiting with John and Sebrina Erskine to celebrate my new book, which includes a chapter about them![/caption] Back in January of 2018 I made my first visits to the Paradise Point Marketplace in Scottsville, KY and did a blog post about it (see the original post).  In celebration of my newest book release, which features a chapter about Paradise Point, I made a trip down there in mid-September 2019 to sign the book and have a fun visit.  Since they are also an excellent and whimsical eatery, they will also be included in a future book on eateries, so I needed more photos of the place, especially the amazing breakfast items, bakery items and hot dogs. [caption id="attachment_22218" align="alignnone" width="525"] Paradise Point Marketplace in Scottsville, KY[/caption]…
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03Apr 2019 by David Kravetz

Everywhere a Sign – Some C Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Street Art, The Beatles, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 212, US Highway 67, Wall Art, Washington
(Editor's Note:  For  my  2019  posts,  I will be posting photos from my travels in 2018.  I visited 26 states and drive over 13,000 miles in 2018.  These posts will feature of few of the road signs and business signs I came across, as well as some stories behind them.  Enjoy the Read and Enjoy the Ride!) One of the challenges of doing the Bloggers A to Z Challenge is coming up with a reasonable theme.  As a traveler, I can actually think of numerous themes, but the signs from my 2018 travels seemed like an adventurous way to go this time around.  Here are some C signs I came across in my road trips across America in 2018. Cloudy, Oklahoma [caption id="attachment_21333" align="alignnone" width="525"] I had hoped for a…
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25Feb 2019 by David Kravetz

My Travels in 2018

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Junk Art, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 212, Utah, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Water Towers, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Life gets so busy. The first two months of 2019 have been exceptionally busy and so I am just now getting to my annual review posts for 2018. [caption id="attachment_21282" align="alignleft" width="225"] Visiting Route 66 in Oklahoma[/caption] At the beginning of 2018 I didn't have very high hopes for many travel opportunities. I had begun a new job in early October of the previous year and I didn't have any definitive travel plans. But, I had also learned to roll with things and, as good fortune would have it, 2018 actually became a really good travel year. Over the course of the year I was able to travel through 26 different states and drove nearly 12,000 miles. I was able to add a plethora of photos (I took over 15,000…
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15Nov 2018 by David Kravetz

PRHBTN 2018: Five More Murals Now Decorate Lexington

Backroads Discoveries, Graffiti Walls, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Wall Art
Chalk up another successful year of artwork for John and Jessica Winters and the PRHBTN team of volunteers and donors.  This year brought in four artists from diverse places to add more color and variety to ever-growing mural collection in Lexington, Kentucky.  In fact, this year had some huge and lovely works completed. More than most years, I was able to follow some of the artists and track their work from beginning to end to see how they do it.  It was fascinating. Spencer Reinhard Panel Mural - near Lexington Transit Center [caption id="attachment_21123" align="alignleft" width="300"] Reinhard Eagle[/caption] The first of the five works to be completed came from local Lexington artist Spencer Reinhard (who now currently resides in Cali, Colombia), who did a colorful four panel  piece next to…
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