Vintage Neon Everywhere

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, South Dakota, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_6800" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Old Mojo Gas Sign - Rock Springs, Wyoming[/caption] Everywhere I go I see old neon.  These signs remind me of the my youthful days in the 1960s and 70s when we traveled.  Alas, for many, the only signs they see are the same unoriginal fast food, gas station and motel chain signs all over the place.  But, in the by gone days there were few McDonald's and Motel 6 spots.  Instead, there were the little cozy motels with the old metal chairs in the front and the unique neon signs.  There were the local burger joints with their big shiny signs.  And there were the drive in movie theaters and the downtown theatres with their unique names.  Here is a trip down memory lane with neon…
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Yard Art: Creativity with Scrap Metal, Chain Saw Art and “stuff” collections

Arkansas, California, Car Art, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Muffler Man, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_5626" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Need some dolls? Shop in Buena Vista, Colorado[/caption] As I travel the backroads of America and Canada I always run across all sorts of what some call "Yard Art".  Others call it folk art, offbeat art, quirky things, etc.  Well, there is the whimsical and fun, there is the unique and then the downright strange. Some of the sites, like Cadillac Ranch above, are world famous.  Others are in the middle of nowhere and are happenstance and unexpected.  Following is a menagerie of quirky and offbeat whimsy and creativity that I have seen.  Enjoy the ride and see if you have been to any of these places... SCRAP METAL DINOSAURS AND DRAGONS [caption id="attachment_5519" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Guitar Playing Scrap Metal Dragon - Harrietsville, Ontario[/caption] Perhaps one…
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Road Trip: Dallas to Lexington, KY via Branson, MO

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Missouri, Oklahoma, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places
[caption id="attachment_4929" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Scrap Metal Horses by Doug Owen in Durant, Oklahoma[/caption] After being gone for nearly a month in Idaho and then a few days in Dallas for work in mid June (2013), I took the final leg of this adventure and a two day trip to return home to Lexington via Branson, Missouri, where my wife was visiting with her sister.  This would turn out to be another fun adventure as I traveled through Oklahoma and the Ozarks.  Following is the route I took for the trip.  I left in the afternoon and arrived about midnight in Branson. View Larger Map - Dallas, TX to Branson, MO I headed straight up US 75 to Denison and while there at least got a glimpse of the HUGE Eisenhower…
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America the Beautiful: The Song in Photos for the 4th of July

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, LDS Temples, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, South Carolina, South Dakota, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wildflowers, Wisconsin, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_4643" align="aligncenter" width="239"] Nicholson, Pennsylvania[/caption] I have traveled the broad expanses of this beautiful nation we call America and have seen and enjoyed this country that I call home.  On this July 4th birthday,  I would like to celebrate by adding photos to the words of the song "America the Beautiful", which was written by American Poet Katharine Lee Bates. All photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz [caption id="attachment_4632" align="aligncenter" width="183"] Katharine Lee Bates[/caption] AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL [caption id="attachment_4633" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sunrise over Keller, Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4622" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Badlands of South Dakota[/caption] Oh Beautiful, for Spacious Skies [caption id="attachment_4621" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Spacious Skies over South Dakota[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4626" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Spacious Skies over the Grand Canyon in Arizona[/caption] For Amber Waves of Grain [caption id="attachment_4608" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Amber Waves…
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FOOD FOOD FOOD – Part 4: Some Leftovers – Huevos, Poke Sallet, Poutine, Pea Meal and more

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Eateries, Giant Things, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Customers Needed - Toronto, Ontario[/caption] As I have traveled the many back roads of the U.S. and Canada I have seen hundreds of places to eat, many of the are the normal fast food places (we all know THEY are).  But, there are also many other unique Mom and Pop shops, small drive ins, BBQ joints and burger places.  I have covered the main stops from my last 8 or 9 years of travel, but there are many more I have passed along the way and a few that I didn't cover in the previous three posts.  I will touch on them here, though most of them with a photo and a comment or two.  Enjoy! The Leftovers - More of the Places I have been [caption id="attachment_3681" align="aligncenter" width="300"]…
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FOOD FOOD FOOD – Part 1: Restaurants and Cafes on the Less Beaten Paths

Alberta, Arkansas, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Eateries, Family Travel, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ontario, Oregon, Texas, Unique Eatery, Wisconsin
Maid Rite - Lexington, MO[/caption] One of the important facets of traveling the less beaten paths of America (and Canada) is the food.  As I travel the country, I look for good food at local places. This post covers some of the restaurants, steak houses, cafes and fine (or semi-fine) dining places.  Subsequent FOOD posts will include Diners/Drive-Ins, Barbecue Joints, Burger Places and Bakeries/Donut Shops. [caption id="attachment_3217" align="aligncenter" width="448"] Food - Cozy Dog, Springfield, Illinois[/caption] Ric's Grill - Lethbridge, Alberta Ric's Grill - Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada [caption id="attachment_3227" align="aligncenter" width="324"] Ric's Grill - Dinner in a Water Tower[/caption] Ric's Grill is one of those REALLY unique places to eat.  I visited Lethbridge on a cross-country trip from Kentucky to Washington in 2005.  I have friends in Lethbridge who took us…
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I've Been Everywhere – Part I: The Collector

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Am I Normal? Who knows?[/caption] As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with statistics and numbers.  I have also been a collector.  As a young fifth-grader in Dallas in the late 1960s, I was already obsessed with statistics.  I looked at baseball boxscores daily and kept my own tabulations of most homeruns, doubles, RBIs, etc.  I also had a huge collection of bottlecaps from sodas.  I would pick them up a couple of times a week at the 7-11 (which in those days was really open from 7 AM to 11 PM).  I had bags of them and would lay them out in the driveway and count the various types...Coke and Pepsi were always the clear leaders, followed by Dr. Pepper, 7-UP and Sprite.  But I…
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What in the world does Toad Suck mean?

What in the world does Toad Suck mean?

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places
Toad Suck, AR[/caption] In June 2007 I took a trip with my son Solomon down to Texas (see here for full trip report).  Along the way we visited some unique places.  Like Kentucky and West Virginia, Arkansas has a number of odd place names.  Toad Suck is one of those places. [caption id="attachment_96" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sumoflam in Toad Suck, AR[/caption] Like many odd named communities, Toad Suck has a small population. According to a local website, the town got its name as follows: "What does "Toad Suck" mean anyway? Well, the answer is quite simple... Long ago, steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it wasn't, the captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now…
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