02May 2017 by David Kravetz

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? In my zealous travels, I have visited all 50 states and a few Canadian Provinces. I have at least one photo of me in almost all of them...a few exceptions where I traveled to those places years ago and the…
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01May 2017 by David Kravetz

Y is for Yard Art – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Burger Joints, Car Art, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Yard Art
One of the more interesting things I look for on roadtrips as I pass through small communities on back roads is yard art.  Funky art and decorations in people's yards, on their fences, on their houses. People have ingenuity.  Some people have junk.  But, as the saying goes, "One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure." For me, Yard Art is anything unique and unusual.  It could be chain saw art - wood carvings made with chain saws.  It could be art made from scrap metal.  It could be, like the photo above, a hodge podge of signs, junk or other things.  Following are some selections of yard art I have taken over the years.  Don't judge...some of these people love their "collections."  I just love my collection of photos of…
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01May 2017 by David Kravetz

X is for Xtreme Skies – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Parks, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Sandhill Cranes, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
OK.  I know.... Xtreme is not really a dictionary word, but many advertisers use it and there are company names and even a band name.  So, it is fair game. This post is about xtreme (extreme) skies - unique cloud formations, colorful skies, sunrises, sunsets, sunbeams, moon shots, rainbows and more.  A traveler on the highways of America always sees the skies.  It can't be helped. For me, I actually pay attention to them for the skies present their own fascinating form of art. For this post, I will provide an assortment of photos I have taken on my road trips (and a couple of local ones too - let's face it, I used a road to get there right?).  The skies offer up their own amazing beauty. I am…
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30Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

W is for Wildlife – #atozchallenge

Adventure, Alligators, Animals, Antelope, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Blue Heron, Buffalo, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Eagles, Egret, Elk, Fox, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Oregon, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Squirrels, Swamps, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Virginia, Wanderlust, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
There are not many better things on a back road trip than running into unexpected wildlife. There is an abundance of birds and animals to be discovered on the road.  For me, my camera is always at the ready for the chance meeting of some interesting animal or bird. One such incident happened on a gravel road near Dell, Montana.  I was on the lookout for bison as I drive along Ted Turner's massive bison ranch.  While stopped to look I heard a strange bird call that I had never heard and shortly thereafter a pair of large birds came zipping by.  I got some shots, but wasn't sure what I had until I got to the hotel later that night and discovered they were a pair of Sandhill Cranes,…
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29Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

V is for Vistas – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Family Travel, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, South Dakota, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Wanderlust, Washington, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Vistas are the joy of back roads travel. Every corner, every crest of a hill, every mile offers a new vista.  And this country has some spectacular and splendid vistas. Over the years I have seen some amazing vistas. Whether they be in the deserts of the southwest, the high plains of Montana or on the oceans in the east or the west, the views are endless and inspiring.  Following are some of the vistas I have enjoyed and their locations.  Enjoy the ride and the views.  
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28Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

U is for Unique Monsters: Dinos, Dragons & Other Monsters – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Family Travel, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Large Statues, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ontario, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wisconsin, Wyoming
People are enthralled by dinosaurs and dragons.  Maybe it is because humans have never really seen one alive.  All we have are fossil evidences and legends. A roadtrip on the back roads of America will almost always present a dinosaur or a dragon.  I have seen hundreds in my travels. In this post I hope to share some of the photos and fun of dinosaurs, dragons and other monster thingies as seen on the road. Let's look at a couple of strange monsters first.  First there is the Hodag, a unique monster found in Rhinelander, WI.  According to an 1893 newspaper article it was "the fiercest, strangest, most frightening monster ever to set razor sharp claws on the earth. It became extinct after its main food source, all white bulldogs,…
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25Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

R is for Roadsigns – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Amish Country, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Anyone who drives on a road, whether city street or an interstate highway, always depends on roadsigns and street signs to find their way. In this age of GPS, we sometimes miss the turns because we're not looking for the roadsigns. Well, on the back roads of America there are many fun and unique roadsigns. Perhaps they weren't meant to be that way as places were named certain names sometimes as far back as the 1600s and 1700s. But, sometimes neighborhood designers throw in funny names for streets or neighborhoods. In this post I want to take a look at some of the roadsigns I have come across in my travels. Indeed, that has been one of my fun challenges. As I have noted on one of my pages, I…
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23Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

P is for People – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alberta, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bobby Cochran, Bruce Wandmayer, Burger Joints, Canada, Cebu, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Edgar Cruz, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Twine Balls, Iowa, Japan, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michael Kelsey, Missouri, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Ontario, Patti Hall, Pauly Zarb, People Shots, Philippines, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street People, Television Shows, Texas, Tommy Emmanuel, Tulum, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
I am enriched by people. They inspire me, they teach me, they bring me joy. I have often been told that I have never met a stranger. And it's true. I am unabashed around people. Whether it's joking with a person in line at a grocery store or interacting with the person at a table next to me in a restaurant, I always feel comfortable. The same goes with my travels. I have been blessed to have met hundreds of unique individuals from all walks of life. The diversity of people enriches us. Unlike my other posts in this series, I am stretching far beyond the boundaries of back roads in America. This post will take the reader to Japan, the Philippines, Canada and beyond. As a tour guide in…
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21Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

O is for Offbeat Oddities – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mythical Creatures, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
For me there is a difference between "Offbeat" and "Quirky."  I like to look at things that are offbeat as being similar to something conventional or recognizable, but just somewhat off.  On the other hand, quirky is closer to non-conventional and sometimes even absurd (my Q post will focus on Quirky). When I am traveling I love looking at the beauty and nature around me, but I also seek out the offbeat and quirky.  One source I always use to help me find these locations is the Roadside America app. This app covers all 50 states and most of Canada and includes almost anything offbeat, odd, quirky and even downright outlandish and ridiculous. There are literally 1000s of sites and things to find and this makes for something fun on…
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19Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

N is for National Parks & Monuments – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wyoming
The US National Park System has 417 official units throughout the country including 59 National Parks, 87 National Monuments, 19 National Preserves, 51 National Historic Parks, 78 National Historic Sites, 4 National Battlefield Parks, 9 National Military Parks, 9 National Battlefields, 30 National Memorials and a number of other National sites including National Rivers, National Seashores, National Lakeshores, National Parkways and National Trails. Officially, the National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. The NPS is a great blessing to the citizens of this country…
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