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 2: Barbecue Places and Diners on Less Beaten Paths

BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, West Virginia, Wisconsin
[caption id="attachment_3350" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Arthur Bryant's - Kansas City[/caption] As I travel across these great United States (and Canada too) perhaps the most common sight along the way is Barbecue (BBQ) places and diners, big and small.  Following are a few of the places I have visited (or at least passed and wished I had time to stop in for a visit....). Hillbilly Hot Dogs - Lesage, WV [caption id="attachment_3361" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hillbilly Hot Dogs - Lesage, WV[/caption] Ever eaten at a junk yard?  Ever had enough guts to do so?  Well, if you head north of Huntington, WV along the Ohio River to the small little village of Lesage you can do just that at Hillbilly Hot Dogs.  A junk collector's dream and a neatnik's nightmare! [caption id="attachment_3364" align="aligncenter"…
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Road Trip Home from Idaho – Day 3: Glendive, MT thru Enchanted Highway, Mt. Rushmore to Oacoma, SD

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big John, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, North Dakota, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Yard Art
South Dakota Badlands in northern South Dakota as seen from SD Hwy 79[/caption] April 1, 2013:  We started the month of April off with a non-foolish bang as we got up fairly early to hit the road towards home, with a detour through North and South Dakota. This is the route we took on this leg of the trip: View Larger Map - Glendive, MT to Oacoma, SD We first took a brief zip around Glendive to catch some of the sights... [caption id="attachment_3033" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Giant Dinosaur Sign in Glendive, Montana next to the museum[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3032" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mural at the Glendive Museum[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3008" align="aligncenter" width="199"] There were signs like these in various parts of Glendive[/caption] Glendive, Montana is surrounded by badlands and there have been many finds…
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A Few Days in Shelby, Montana and surrounding area

Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, North Dakota, South Dakota
Shelby, Montana[/caption] March 28, 2013:  On our way back to Kentucky from Rexburg, Idaho we made a three day detour to Shelby, Montana to visit our daughter and her husband and their 4 children. Thanks to our new best trailer tires we were able to go on rough roads quite smoothly, and I have to say till date they have been my best investment on the RV. During our three days here, we were very busy with a trip to the base of Glacier National Park, a drive around town capturing the "Neon Essence" of Shelby, and a trip north to Sweetgrass, just south of the Canadian border, where we also visited a Hutterite colony and learned of their amazing communal ways.  This post will cover these activities through photos…
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Road Trip Home from Idaho – Day 1: Rexburg, ID to Shelby, MT

Bridges, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, North Dakota, South Dakota
Gold Butte in Northern Montana as seen from Frontier Bar near Shelby, Montana[/caption] Mar. 27, 2013: After almost two weeks in Rexburg working with my new employer DSN America, it was time to return back to Kentucky and home sweet home.  They had flown Julianne out to Idaho, so I was blessed to have my very best friend and sweetheart with me for the long drive home, with a brief stopover in Shelby, Montana to see our daughter and their kids.  It was an easy first day. Rexburg, ID to Shelby, MT We left Rexburg in the afternoon and eventually zipped up I-15.  We crossed over Monida Pass, which serve as the border between Idaho and Montana. The mountains were still snow covered and beautiful, especially as we came close to the…
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Sumoflam is Everywhere – A Photo Gallery

Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Colorado, Horses, Missouri, North Dakota, Place Names, Route 66, South Carolina, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Trinity Music Productions, Wildflowers, Yard Art
Sumoflam and Thunderbirds in Bismarck, ND[/caption] Over the years I have taken nearly 30,000 photos of my travels and in most cases I have not been in the photos.  Over the coming months I will add new galleries that are thematic. this is the first one.  Enjoy!! [nggallery id=2] ]]>
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Traveling the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota

Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, City Skylines, North Dakota, South Dakota
If you are at all interested in the whimsical, unique and humongous roadside attractions of this great country, then a drive down the amazing Enchanted Highway in North Dakota is a MUST!! On April 2, 2013, I finally had the opportunity to drive one of the "Bucket List" trips for me in all of my travels across the country.  The 32 mile drive features a number of pieces of the amazing artwork of retired Regent, ND school teacher Gary Greff who has taken on this effort in order to keep the small dying town from becoming a ghost town.  I hope to have a pretty comprehensive overview of the entire route, including the map below and detailed directions, mileage, photos and even some details about each stop along the way.…
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Road Trip to Idaho – Day 2: Savage, MN to Miles City, MT

Backroads Discoveries, Bison, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geese, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Minnesota, Montana, Murals, North Dakota, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Wall Art, Yard Art
Rural Scene on Enchanted Highway, South of Gladstone, ND[/caption] I embarked on Day 2 of my trip to Idaho - left Savage, MN in the midst of snow and fog.  The roads were scary heading northwest to Fargo, ND. [caption id="attachment_1818" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Snowy highways in Minnesota[/caption] Today (March 9, 2013) was the second leg of my trip to Idaho.  Today I drove from Savage, MN to Miles City, MT.  I drove 781 miles over a 14 hour stretch.  Following is the map of the trip. View Larger Map My first stop along the way was for gas.  I stopped in Avon, MN.....which, I discovered, is also the home of the Lake Wobegon Trail.  The trail is 46 miles long and 10 feet wide.  It opened in 1998.  Avon is…
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Looking Back: Places Gone But Not Forgotten

Bridges, Colorado, North Dakota, Route 66, South Dakota
THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO THE THOUSANDS WHO EITHER LOST THEIR LIVES OR WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE TERRIBLE EVENTS OF SEPT. 11, 2001 [caption id="attachment_1757" align="aligncenter" width="640"] World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty - Dec. 1990[/caption] All of us have been to a local store or restaurant that is now no longer in business.  Many times we drive by the empty shell of the former restaurant or store and may have a sense of sadness.  I know that here in Lexington I can probably drive by well over a dozen such restaurant locations and probably as many store locations. World Trade Center - Formerly in New York City Sometimes, similar things happen to tourist attractions, roadside attractions and the like.  I am pleased that I have had an…
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I've Been Everywhere – Part III: More Unique Town Signs

Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Horses, Missouri, North Dakota, Place Names, Route 66, South Dakota, Squirrels, States and Provinces, Trinity Music Productions, Wildflowers
Rabbit Hash, KY[/caption] There are literally hundreds of fun town names around the U.S. and I have barely scratched the surface with them.  In my last post, I noted many names that are common adjectives or descriptive.  This post will have some signs from some of the more unusual place names and hopefully, a little about how the names came to be. [caption id="attachment_802" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Rabbit Hash, KY sign[/caption] Rabbit Hash, KY - This small town of about 40 people is right on the Ohio River in Boone County.  Besides its name, it is also famous for its string of mayors...all dogs. Nobody really knows for sure when the original name of Rabbit Hash came to be.  According to a Wikipedia article, " The hamlet was originally known as…
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