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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Download BOTH of my books on Kindle for FREE: November 1 – November 5

Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Amish Country, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Big John, Books, California, Car Art, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Georgia, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Junk Art, Kansas, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Muffler Man, Murals, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Quirky Things, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Carolina, South Dakota, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Toy Collections, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Whispering Giants, Wisconsin, Wyoming
As an After Halloween Treat, for a limited time you will be able to download both of my books - my newest -- "Less Beaten Paths of America: Quirky and Offbeat Roadside Attractions" and also "Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names." TOTALLY FREE!! This is part of the Trick-Or-Treat Book Blog Hop hosted by Author Patricia Lynne. Both of these volumes are collections of my many travels across the United States and Canada. As you know, I have photographed well-known and not so well-known attractions along the way. In this book I share my experiences and occasional challenges, but always provide some fun and personal anecdotal stories of the quirky and offbeat places that the large and small communities offer. My first book is all about Unique Town…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: The Landscape in Photos

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Nevada, Oregon, Roadside Attractions, South Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 24, US Highway 50, Utah, Washington
[caption id="attachment_20669" align="alignleft" width="300"] Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, CO[/caption] This is the final post from my April 2018 cross-country road trip from Lexington to Port Orchard, Washington and back. As a reminder, I covered 6000 miles and ventured through 16 states. Along the way I not only stopped to visit attractions and see the sites in towns small and large, but I also tried to capture the grandeur of the landscapes and scenery I passed by along the way.  Following are a number of scenic photos from that trip.  Enjoy the ride!  I have randomized these, so they are not in any particular order.  Captions tell the story. [caption id="attachment_20671" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Sunset in Colorado, taken on US 24 near Hartsel, Colorado[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20654" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Lovely sunset…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Ghost Signs, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Montana, Murals, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington
[caption id="attachment_20124" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sign post in Broadus, Montana[/caption] One thing that we all see when traveling America's highways is signs.  All kinds of them: road signs, exit signs, mile markers, billboards, "Welcome to Our Town" signs and the massive assortment of business signs from fast food places to local eateries.  Indeed, our eyes and minds are deluges with them! Over the course of my 6000 mile road trip to Washington State and back, I probably saw way more than a sign a mile (on average).  Yes, there are many places with no signs, but then, there are others, such as going through small towns, where they are in abundance. [caption id="attachment_20107" align="aligncenter" width="450"] One of hundreds of Wall Drug signs to be seen on I-90 from as far away…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: Oregon’s High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Geologic Formations, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 20, Wanderlust
[caption id="attachment_19826" align="alignleft" width="300"] Oregon's High Desert[/caption] If the words "Scenic Byway" appear on a map or a highway, I try to take that road! And this is what I did on my return trip from Washington in mid April 2018. After driving south from Port Orchard, WA on US 101, I skirted past Portland, OR and headed towards Bend, where I spent a night in a cozy, nice motel. My next day of travel was going to be rather long as I intended to make it all the way to Salt Lake City, which I ultimately did. [caption id="attachment_19845" align="aligncenter" width="397"] The High Desert Route through east-central Oregon[/caption] But I did not want to take the roads thru southern Idaho and come south on the interstate from Idaho into…
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April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: The Overview – Kentucky to Washington

Adventure, Animals, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Birds, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, LDS Temples, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Seagulls, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 6, Utah, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Whispering Giants, Wildflowers, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_19571" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam on the Road Again[/caption] In April 2018 I took a nice long road trip from my home in Lexington, Kentucky to my daughter's home in Port Orchard, Washington and back. The itinerary included most places akin to the Good Sam list of campgrounds which my cousin couldn't stop prattling about. Though I was gone for 15 days, I spent nine of them traveling more than 6000 miles through 14 states.  Many of my stops were in anticipation of my new book as I wanted some fresh content to add to it. [caption id="attachment_19561" align="alignright" width="300"] Lots of great two-lanes on this trip[/caption] In the past, I typically wrote one or two huge blog posts about long roadtrips, but, I have decided that a focus on…
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A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The W Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Cebu, City Skylines, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Street People, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, Water Buffalo, Water Towers, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Whispering Giants, Wildflowers, Wyoming, Yard Art
In 2018 I  will feature a random (yet alphabetical) selection of photos I have taken from my nearly 20 years of back roads travel in the United States and Canada.  I may even throw in a few random shots from other trips to Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. My theme is called America's Back Roads: A Grab Bag of Places in Pictures.   Let's start this off with a Whispering Bang!! Whispering Giants - art by Hungarian artist Peter Toth - Idaho Falls, Idaho; Bethany Beach, Delaware; Murray, Utah; Red Lodge, Montana; Ottawa, Illinois; Hopewell, Illinois; Paducah, Kentucky; Astoria, Oregon; Ocean City, Maryland; Iowa Falls, Iowa; Utica, Illinois Over 62 of these around the U.S.  Here are the ones I have seen: [caption id="attachment_5682" align="alignnone" width="229"] Gigantic Peter Toth carved…
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Blogging A to Z Challenge – The Complete List for 2017 – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Alligators, Amish Country, Animals, Antelope, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bike Trails, Birds, Bison, Blue Heron, Bobby Cochran, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Canada, Car Art, Cebu, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Edgar Cruz, Egret, Elk, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Fox, Fuji City, Geese, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Himeji, Hiroshima, Horse Art, Horses, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Japanese Castles, Japanese Shrines, Kansas, Kentucky, Kyoto, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico, Michael Kelsey, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nagasaki, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ogaki, Ohio, Oita, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Patti Hall, Pauly Zarb, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, People Shots, Philippines, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Saskatchewan, Seagulls, Selfies, Sendai, South Carolina, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Street Art, Street People, Swamps, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Tommy Emmanuel, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Tulum, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
During the month of April I participated with nearly 2000 other bloggers worldwide in the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge" which is now in its 7th year. This was my second year to participate and this year's theme for my series was "Wanderlust."  As a "Travelographer," my posts tend to be photo heavy.  I travel and take loads of photos. This is my way of sharing the wonders of the back roads of America. [caption id="attachment_17824" align="aligncenter" width="523"] Corner of This Way and That Way in Lake Jackson, TX[/caption] Following are links to the complete A to Z set.  Just click on the banner for each and letter and enjoy the posts and the photos.  I hope all readers will Enjoy the Ride as much as I have enjoyed…
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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? [caption id="attachment_15212" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Taking photos along the way[/caption] [caption id="attachment_16314" align="alignleft" width="150"] Sumoflam and the FREE Stamp in Cleveland[/caption] In my zealous travels, I have visited all 50 states and a few Canadian Provinces. I have at least one…
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A to Z Challenge: Reflections #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alaska, Alberta, Amish Country, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bucket List Trips, California, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Horse Art, Hot Springs, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, 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, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Saskatchewan, Selfies, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Utah, Vintage Neon, Washington, Water Towers, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
During the month of April 2016 I participated in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge had each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. This was my first opportunity to really participate in this annual event, which just completed its 6th year.  It was not easy!!  I had to not only post something daily, but also create a theme and stick with it.  And, in my perfectionist way, I wanted to make sure there were plenty of photos and commentary.  I wrote in such a way to draw people to the more detailed posts, where ever possible.  It was a load of fun and I completed the challenge.  Not sure how many…
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