20Oct 2014 by David Kravetz

Highway 61 Visited – Day 2: Vicksburg, MS to Galveston, TX

Alligators, Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Louisiana, Mississippi, Murals, National Parks, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 61, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wildflowers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_10738" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sumoflam at US 61 south just south of Tunica, MS[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10820" align="aligncenter" width="657"] Map of travels from Vicksburg, MS down US 61 to Natchez, MS and then thru Louisiana and on to Galveston, TX via the Bolivar Peninsula.[/caption] Highway 61 in Mississippi may be called the Blues Highway, but there is much more to it than the Blues.  After my first long drive from Kentucky to Vicksburg, I woke up early the next day to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park before heading south on Highway 61. [caption id="attachment_10651" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Cannon line the grounds of Vicksburg National Military park in many places[/caption] The park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from May 18 to July 4, 1863 and…
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21Sep 2014 by David Kravetz

Highway 61 Visited: The Blues Highway of Mississippi – Day 1

Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Landscapes, Large Statues, Mississippi, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 61, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wildflowers, Yard Art
Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn have all sang about it. And now, Sumoflam has driven it. US Highway 61 cuts down the middle of Mississippi, all the way from Memphis to Natchez and more. [caption id="attachment_10789" align="aligncenter" width="556"] Map of the Blues Highway (US 61) through Mississippi[/caption] Highway 61 is better known as "The Blues Highway" as many of the famed Blues musicians grew up along this swath of the state just east of the Mississippi River. [caption id="attachment_10777" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sumoflam at the Blues Highway in Mississippi[/caption] In July 2014 I had the opportunity to travel this famed highway from North to South, visit many of the small towns and learn more about Blues History. It was an amazing drive through rural Mississippi! [caption id="attachment_10592" align="aligncenter"…
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01Sep 2014 by David Kravetz

The Back Road to Memphis: US Route 79

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Street Art, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Water Towers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_10502" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Bozo's Hot Pit BBQ - Mason, TN[/caption] With this post I continue blogging about some of our wonderful US Highways as I strive to avoid the interstates in my travels. In June, I took a trip to Galveston, Texas for a family reunion. The entire length of the trip was predominantly US Highways or State Highways as I made my way to Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and then southern Texas. [caption id="attachment_10509" align="aligncenter" width="889"] Route to Memphis from Lexington via Russellville, KY and US Route 79[/caption] The first leg of this trip would take me from Lexington to Russellville, KY where US Highway 79 begins.  Following that highway, I would make my way into downtown Memphis, TN. From there I would catch US Highway 61 (The Blues…
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13Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

The Two Towers of Paris – Tennessee and Texas

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Tennessee, Texas, Unique Places, Water Towers
[caption id="attachment_10359" align="aligncenter" width="474"] A Tale of Two Towers[/caption] This is a tale of Two Towers - both in a place named Paris, but one is in Tennessee and the other in Texas. The map below shows that they are about 8 hours away from each other. [caption id="attachment_10364" align="aligncenter" width="819"] Paris, TN and Paris, TX - Home of the battling Two Towers[/caption] There are seventeen towns in the U.S. with the name of Paris (and one in Ontario, Canada as well -- and I lived there for a while).  I have been to Paris in Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Idaho, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri.  But the towns of Paris, TX and Paris, TN are the only ones to have an Eiffel Tower that is fairly large.  Paris, Michigan has a…
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12Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

Taking the Long Way Home from Nebraska – 800 miles in a day

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Farmland, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Missouri, Muffler Man, Nebraska, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Water Towers
[caption id="attachment_10327" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Giant Clouds over Concordia, Missouri[/caption] The best and worst part of a long road trip is the coming home part.  Its always nice to be at home in my own bed after a grueling trip across the country.  But, it is bittersweet.  All of the adventures, sights, sounds and exhilaration are behind me.  The last leg of the trip is usually on the Interstates to get home as quickly as possible (with a few brief stops along the way).  This trip was no different.  My trip home was the "long way home" as it covered over 870 miles on the last day as I traveled straight from Grand Island, Nebraska to Lexington (via Kansas City and St. Louis in order to visit a friend in KC).…
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07Jun 2013 by David Kravetz

South Dakota Backroads: The Oyate Trail across southern South Dakota

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Eateries, Edgar Cruz, Family Travel, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Horses, Landscapes, Lewis and Clark Sites, Murals, National Parks, North Dakota, Pelicans, Place Names, prairie dogs, Roadside Attractions, South Dakota, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 18, US Highway 83, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers
Land of the Pheasants - southern South Dakota[/caption] In early April 2013 I had the opportunity to drive across the Hi-Line (US Route 2) in Northern Montana and then made our way to South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore and all the across South Dakota to Mitchell and the Corn Palace.   With another work trip to Idaho, I took a different route and, similar to the Hi-Line Drive, I mainly took US Route 18 (also known as the Oyate Trail) as it crosses most of South Dakota.  It goes through many small and unique towns. [caption id="attachment_4002" align="aligncenter" width="201"] Oyate Trail[/caption] The Oyate Trail is a 388 mile route that generally follows SD 50 and US Route 18 across southern South Dakota.  The name is derived from the Lakota word…
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10Mar 2012 by David Kravetz
Where on earth is Earth?

Where on earth is Earth?

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers
Earth is that way[/caption] When returning from a trip to Arizona in May 2011, we came back through NM, visited Roswell and then, from all the UFO stuff in Roswell, we found ourselves arriving in Earth, TX. [caption id="attachment_135" align="alignleft" width="300"] Earth is only 6 miles away[/caption] According to a Wikipedia article, "Earth was established by William E. Halsell, who laid out the townsite in 1924. Originally Halsell named the town Fairlawn, but in 1925 it was renamed Earth when it was learned that there was already a town in Texas by the name of Fairlawn.In order to find a new name the townspeople sent in suggestions, and the agreed-upon best name was chosen. The name Earth was submitted by Ora Hume (O.H.) Reeves, who became the owner of the…
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29Feb 2012 by David Kravetz
Maybe not strange, but Peculiar…

Maybe not strange, but Peculiar…

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Missouri, Place Names, Post Offices, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Water Towers
Peculiar, MO[/caption] Just as there is a Normal in Illinois, there is a Peculiar in Missouri.  Yes, this is more than a strange name for a town, it is a Peculiar name.  On a trip to Kansas City in January 2011, I made my way to Peculiar. [caption id="attachment_34" align="alignleft" width="300"] Peculiar welcome sign[/caption] I love hitting places like this.  According to legend, Peculiar received its name when the first postmaster, Edgar Thomson, had his first choice, Excelsior, rejected because it already existed in Atchison County, MO. Apparently, a number of  other choices were also rejected. So, the annoyed Thomson wrote to the Postmaster General to complain saying, among other things, "We don't care what name you give us so long as it is sort of 'peculiar'." Thomson submitted the…
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