A to Z Challenge: The J Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alaska, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bison, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Indiana, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Mountains, Murals, National Parks, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pelicans, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Television Shows, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The J Towns Jamestown, North Dakota [caption id="attachment_12430" align="alignnone" width="300"] World's Largest Buffalo in Jamestown, ND[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15468" align="alignnone" width="199"] Frontier Village, an old-timey Western Village in Jamestown, ND[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15469" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Chuckwagon Cafe - serving a 4…
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A to Z Challenge: The H Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big John, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Iowa, Landscapes, Large Statues, Michigan, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National Parks, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ontario, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Television Shows, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Waterfalls, Yard Art
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The H Towns Hell, Michigan [caption id="attachment_756" align="alignnone" width="300"] Hell, Michigan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15426" align="alignnone" width="300"] Hell Bench in Hell, MI[/caption] [caption id="attachment_190" align="alignnone" width="300"] Hell Post Office[/caption] [caption id="attachment_758" align="alignnone" width="300"] Direction to Hell from Pinckney, MI[/caption] [caption id="attachment_189" align="alignnone"…
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A to Z Challenge: The G Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Amish Country, Animals, Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big John, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Giraffe, Kentucky, Large Statues, Montana, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Place Names, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, US Highway 2, US Highway 31, US Highway 41, US Highway 68, US Highway 79, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wyoming, Yard Art, Zoos
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The G Towns Gainesville, Texas [caption id="attachment_12525" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sumoflam at Glen Goode's Big People in Gainesville, TX[/caption] [caption id="attachment_496" align="alignnone" width="300"] Glen Goode's Big People[/caption] [caption id="attachment_493" align="alignnone" width="300"] Glen Goode's Big People[/caption] Across this great country there are…
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A to Z Challenge: The E Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Illinois, Iowa, Lewis and Clark Sites, Lighthouses, Mountains, Mythical Creatures, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Seagulls, Selfies, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Washington, Wisconsin
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique  what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The E Towns Earth, Texas [caption id="attachment_141" align="alignnone" width="300"] Welcome to Earth, Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_139" align="alignnone" width="300"] Yes, there is Earth Police[/caption] [caption id="attachment_137" align="alignnone" width="300"] Old Earth Welcome sign[/caption] I finally visited Earth.  All of my travels and I…
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A to Z Challenge: The D Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Illinois, Jackalope, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Ohio, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique towns, some known for their names, other for unique sites in town. To see what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The D Towns Douglas, Wyoming [caption id="attachment_560" align="alignnone" width="300"] Large Jackalope - Douglas, WY[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10135" align="alignnone" width="300"] Another Jackalope is spotted in Douglas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_9979"…
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A to Z Challenge: The C Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Amish Country, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Caves and Caverns, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Lighthouses, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National Parks, Ohio, Ontario, Place Names, prairie dogs, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 1, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art
During the month of April I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique towns, some known for their names, other for unique sites in town. To see what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link: A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The C Towns Cactus Flat, South Dakota [caption id="attachment_4015" align="alignnone" width="225"] Sumoflam with the Giant Prairie Dog - Cactus Flat, SD[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3953" align="alignnone" width="194"] Prairie…
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A to Z Challenge: The A Towns #atozchallenge

#TBT, A to Z Challenge, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Iowa, Large Statues, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Texas, Throwback Thursday, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 61, Wall Art, Water Towers
During the month of April I am participating in the  Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  The challenge has each blogger select a theme and then do a post thematically from A to Z during each day of April , except Sundays. My blog is number 1337 out of 1670 participating blogs. This year my A to Z posts will take you across the back roads of America to many unique towns, some known for their names, other for unique sites in town. To see what other bloggers will be posting about, check out the link:  A to Z Theme Reveal List for 2016 The A Towns Amarillo, Texas [caption id="attachment_5800" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sumoflam at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas in August 2013[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6709" align="alignnone" width="199"] Big Texan Steak…
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Traveling US Numbered Highways – Part I: An Overview and History

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, 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, Route 66, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 212, US Highway 287, US Highway 61, US Highway 79, US Highway 89, US Highways, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_8529" align="alignleft" width="300"] US 89 and US 2 meet up in northern Montana[/caption] When I was young and living in Albuquerque, NM in the 1960s, there were not many Interstate Highways.  Most of the country still relied on the U.S. Numbered Highway System. Even to this day I can recall our family drives along the iconic Route 66 out of Albuquerque to Gallup, NM and then, eventually, when we moved to Dallas in 1968 we took it all the way to Amarillo, TX.  Even at that young age I was already enamored by the maze of highways and the desire to see what lays along these long black roads with millions of white lines in the middle and endless telephone poles and wires along both sides.  I too remember…
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Finally Made It! All 50 US States – Sept. 2015

Alabama, Alaska, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Bucket List Trips, California, Caves and Caverns, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dream Highways, Eateries, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Georgia, Giant Things, Giant Twine Balls, Graffiti Walls, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Rhode Island, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Selfies, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 61, US Highway 89, Utah, Vermont, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
WARNING-This is a long post. It took me nearly 59 years to get to all 50 states! [caption id="attachment_14144" align="alignleft" width="210"] Made it to State #50![/caption] On September 8, 2015, I set foot on the side of the road just north of Brattleboro, VT after we crossed over the Connecticut River from New Hampshire on Hwy 9. I got out and took a selfie of myself under a Welcome to Vermont sign.  I had finally set foot in my 50th US state...a nearly 59 year journey. Stay 3 or more nights & save up to 25% now! At participating hotels Following is a state by state chronicle of my nearly 59 year journey in order of states visited. [caption id="attachment_14142" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Four Corners - July 15, 1993[/caption] My 50…
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Flying High To Utah: Home Sweet Home

Airlines, Geologic Formations, Landscapes, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Texas, Unique Places, Utah, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_13587" align="alignleft" width="225"] Rob Roy's Navy SEAL Art of War has been an inspiring book for me[/caption] In mid-July I had an unexpected opportunity to go to Utah for a website-related photo job with former Navy SEAL and author Rob Roy, who recently published the Navy SEAL Art of War (see my review). Rob is also the owner of SOT-G (which stands for Special Operations Training Group) where he does Leadership Training sessions called "LUF Redux."  My trip was to both experience and photograph one of these training sessions that SOT-G was carrying out for a client of theirs. [caption id="attachment_13607" align="alignright" width="300"] In the mountains of Utah[/caption] For me this was going to be a unique experience as I watched former Navy SEALS and other former military staff…
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