30Jan 2015 by David Kravetz

#TBT – Looking back to a day in Arkansas 2007

#TBT, Antsy McClain, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Large Statues, National Parks, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Throwback Thursday, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Yard Art
For this edition of Throwback Thursday (a day late....),  I look back to June 2007, when my son Solomon graduated from Lafayette High School in Lexington.  He was the last of my five children to graduate.  On the occasion of this event, my sister Sherry and her husband Brian, in Ft. Worth, TX, kindly and generously offered to give Sol their 1998 Toyota Camry, which they no longer needed.  There was some work required, which Solomon had paid for, but the real catch was that he needed to go down there to pick it up.  So, early on June 2 he and I drove down to Ft. Worth to get the car.  It would be a short trip in terms of days and a long trip in terms of miles. …
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21Jan 2015 by David Kravetz

Austin Stays Weird – A Pictorial

Bakeries, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Graffiti Walls, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Yard Art
After a good night's rest at my cousins house in late June, I was able to spend my morning and part of my early afternoon in Austin, Texas. The motto of that town is "keep Austin weird." I must say that they have done that very successfully! There are not many offbeat and quirky towns in this country, but those that are really go to town and Austin is certainly one of the best of these. Portland is another fun and quirky town and I am sure there are a few more bouncing around out there in the country. What makes the town of Austin fun is all of the old neon signs, the unique in kitschy stores and eateries. The main drag through the best part of Austin is…
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20Jan 2015 by David Kravetz

Top Ten Travel Photos for 2014

Alligators, Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, National Monuments, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 89, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yard Art
Throughout my travels I drove over 10,000 miles and took over 3000 photos in 2014. I have numerous shots from the road of quirky places, offbeat sites and some nice looking places.  If you missed my "nature photos", some of which are from my travels, please check them out on my Sumoflam's Singlewide Site.  Following are my ten favorite travel shots from 2014 and the stories behind them (and a number of honorable mentions). NUMBER 1 - OLD PRAIRIE SCHOOL HOUSE I once saw a photo of this old school house and knew that I had to get to this relic of the past.  So, on my way to Shelby, MT from Havre, I sought to track it down.  Instructions from most are difficult to find, so I figured if…
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16Jan 2015 by David Kravetz
Houston to Austin: The Scenic Route

Houston to Austin: The Scenic Route

Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Street Art, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Yard Art
This is the second part of my Galveston return trip journey (see first post if you missed it).  After a night in Houston with my Uncle, I was back on the road through Houston and on to Austin, the long and scenic route.... I chose this roundabout way through the heart of Texas in order to enjoy the unique Texas scenery and perhaps run into some of those quirky things that little towns have.  Initially, I had a business meeting scheduled in Conroe, but it fell through, so I headed to Huntsville, but, as I checked the map I noticed that not too far from Conroe was a small town called Cut and Shoot, Texas.  Voila!!  An unexpected town name treat! According to the history of Cut and Shoot, the…
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31Dec 2014 by David Kravetz

2014: The Highlights and Top 10 Sites Visited

Alligators, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, North Dakota, Roadside Attractions, States and Provinces, Street Art, Texas, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 61, Wall Art, Wyoming, Yard Art
The year 2014 brought me some wonderful opportunities to travel and even fulfill some travel dreams. In the past year I traveled nearly 10,000 miles on road trips and traversed through 19 states (including my home state of Kentucky).  With all of this travel I was able to hit a few "bucket list" stops and also drive a good part of some "bucket list" highways as well. Overall, the year was splendid. The Big Highlights 9,700 Miles Driven Traveled through 19 states Drove about 1,200 miles of US Route 2, one of my Bucket List Highways.  Drove from Ironwood, MI to Browning, MT Drove the Blues Highway in Mississippi Drove the Beartooth Highway in Wyoming (which Charles Kuralt noted as "the most beautiful drive in America" and I concur My…
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18Dec 2014 by David Kravetz

Deep in the Heart of Texas: Galveston-Houston

Alligators, Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Murals, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Yard Art
After a great three days in Galveston, it was time to get back on the road.  I would head north to Houston, then on to Austin and eventually into Fort Worth. Texas is a BIG state and there is lots of ground to cover.  My first day would cover some backroads from Galveston and meander my way into Houston where I would stay overnight with my uncle. There were things I had planned to see along the way and found a few things along the way as well.  I figured that I may not get this way again (south of Houston) for a while, so I took advantage of a full day of driving to see some parts of Texas that many may not really get to. My plans were…
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28Oct 2014 by David Kravetz

Three Days in Galveston – Pelican Fascination

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Large Statues, Murals, Museums, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wildflowers
After a long two days of driving from Lexington thru Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, I got to spend three days with family relaxing on the beaches of Galveston Island and visiting many of the interesting sites on the island. And, for me, I got to spend some time watching the amazing brown pelicans as they flew in formation, glided over the Gulf of Mexico and took amazing dives for fish. It was a wonderously amazing visit. Galveston is not only a city in southern Texas but is also an island. The city actually sits on Galveston Island and Pelican Island. The town was named for Gálvez-town or Gálveztown in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez by Spanish explorer José de Evia  during his charting of the…
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20Oct 2014 by David Kravetz

Highway 61 Visited – Day 2: Vicksburg, MS to Galveston, TX

Alligators, Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Louisiana, Mississippi, Murals, National Parks, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 61, Wall Art, Water Towers, Wildflowers, Yard Art
Highway 61 in Mississippi may be called the Blues Highway, but there is much more to it than the Blues.  After my first long drive from Kentucky to Vicksburg, I woke up early the next day to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park before heading south on Highway 61. The park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from May 18 to July 4, 1863 and also commemorates the greater Vicksburg Campaign, which preceded the battle. The expansive park includes 1,340 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles of historic trenches and earthworks, a 16-mile tour road, 144 emplaced cannons, a restored gunboat (the USS Cairo which sunk on December 12, 1862, on the Yazoo River, recovered successfully in 1964), and more. The Illinois State Memorial…
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13Sep 2014 by David Kravetz

Life Gets Busy – Blog Suffers

Arkansas, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Farmland, Large Statues, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Murals, Place Names, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 61, Vintage Neon, Wall Art
To all of you who faithfully follow my Travel Blog, I don't want you to think I have quit writing. I am in the midst of an extremely busy work season (I work in high school sports web management and social media and it's football season!) I still have plenty to write: US 61 through Mississippi, a drive through the swamplands of Louisiana, a visit to Galveston, some back roads in Texas and more. Indeed, life has sent me this way and that way. So, watch soon for more fun and quirky offbeat back roads travel.
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17Aug 2014 by David Kravetz

Three Texas Giants – Giant Statues of Southern Texas

Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Dream Highways, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Kansas, Large Statues, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Roadside Attractions, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places
Texas is the home to three giant free standing statues, all of which exceed 70 feet in height (including the pedestal/base). This puts these giants in the top seven tallest monuments in the United States. The tallest of the three is the "Tribute to Courage" statue of Sam Houston, located in Huntsville, Texas.  This one stands 67 feet but also has a 10 foot pedestal, giving it a ground to top height of 77 feet. The second tallest of the giants is the 76 foot tall Stephen F. Austin "Father of Texas" Statue in Angleton, TX. The third giant doesn't quite fit the nature of these two Texas heroes.  Instead, the Quan The Am Bo Tat (Also known as Quan Am - Mother of Buddha) statue in Sugar Land stands…
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