04Mar 2012 by David Kravetz
Staying Cool..in Texas

Staying Cool..in Texas

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Flowers, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 180
Welcome to Cool, TX[/caption] Just over 2 years ago I was making my way from Fort Worth to Mineral Wells High School.  Along the way I came across the VERY small (blink your eye small) town of Cool, Texas.  In fact, the town is only 1.6 square miles in size. The only thing of significance in Cool is the Cool Cafe. [caption id="attachment_81" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cool Cafe: If We Ain't Shut We're Open[/caption] I had hoped to visit but they were "Shut".  On a subsequent visit in April 2010 I made my way to Mineral Wells again and tried again.  One more time: [caption id="attachment_82" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cool Cafe Shut[/caption] I thought it would be a Cool place to eat, but I may never know. The April trip did offer…
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03Mar 2012 by David Kravetz
Coolville – Now that's an awesome name!

Coolville – Now that's an awesome name!

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Ohio, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 50
Coolville, OH[/caption] Back in May 2008, on a return trip to Canada for work at the Toyota Plant in Woodstock, Ontario, I took a trip up along the Ohio River, basically on the Ohio/WV border.  (see my entire trip report for some unusual other places here).  Along the way I came into the town of Coolville.  Pretty cool name!! [caption id="attachment_69" align="alignleft" width="300"] There is a Post Office in Coolville![/caption] You Scooby Doo fans out there may remember the fictional place called Coolsville, OH in the cartoon series.  This is NOT that place.  Rather, Coolville is a small town of about 530 people clear in the southeastern part of the state.  It was named after Ashel Cooley, who was apparently a great grandson of Benjamin Cooley of Springfield, MA (see…
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01Mar 2012 by David Kravetz

I am certain this is Uncertain

Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Landscapes, Louisiana, Mythical Creatures, Pelicans, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Swamps, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art
Uncertain, Texas[/caption] Welcome to Uncertain, TX, a small village on the side of Caddo Lake in eastern Texas bordering Louisiana.  This is the home of the largest natural fresh water lake in Texas and is also home to a huge swamp...yes, gators and pelicans and swamp things, oh my... [caption id="attachment_47" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Uncertain General Store and Grill[/caption] Uncertain derives its name from surveyors who were attempting to delineate the border between Texas and Louisiana and discovered that they were "uncertain" as to which side of the line they were on as they began surveying that particular part of Caddo Lake.  I can imagine why this is.  The swamp always changes. I got to Uncertain on a cool February morning in 2010.  Fisherman were readying their boats to head…
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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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