Everywhere a Sign – Some WELCOME Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Amish Country, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Family Travel, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Manitoba, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Well, the Blogging Challenge is winding down.  It has been a wild and wacky challenge for me. Through the month I have provided readers with a wide variety of wonderful signs which I wandered upon during the year.  As I do with all of my posts, I try to be witty and wry in my presentation. I hope that I have brought out the wanderlust in my readers as well.  This post will be all about Welcome Signs. Please now enjoy my special edition of W Signs from my travels over the years.  Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Welcome Signs Everywhere! [caption id="attachment_19874" align="alignnone" width="525"] Welcome to my happy place...traveling everywhere[/caption] I love feeling welcome in places!  Perhaps one of my bigger "collections" of place signs along the highways…
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Everywhere a Sign – Some U Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, National Monuments, National Parks, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 1, US Highway 101, US Highway 177, US Highway 183, US Highway 190, US Highway 2, US Highway 271, US Highway 287, US Highway 51, US Highway 58, US Highway 60, US Highway 68, US Highway 79, US Highway 81, US Highway 89, US Highway 90, US Highways, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Water Towers, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Its a unanimous understatement to say that I love traveling the back roads of America looking for the interesting and unique. It is ultimately my utmost passion (well, besides my family and my grandchildren). I will also do something in this post. I will be posting some of the US Highway signs I have picked up, most specifically in 2018. I'll explain down below.  I hope you enjoy some of the U Signs I discovered in my 2018 travels.  Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Uranus, Missouri [caption id="attachment_20977" align="alignnone" width="525"] Welcome to Uranus Missouri[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20969" align="alignnone" width="403"] Uranus, Missouri water tower[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20958" align="alignnone" width="525"] Thanks for Picking Uranus[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20964" align="alignnone" width="525"] Sounds yummy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20965" align="alignnone" width="412"] Help Keep Uranus Clean[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20951" align="alignnone" width="525"] The…
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Everywhere a Sign – Some P Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alabama, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, National Parks, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 191, US Highway 287, US Highway 50, US Highway 6, US Highway 81, Utah, Wanderlust, Washington
Perfection is not something I seek on a road trip.  Play is the key word for me.  Driving from here to there on a back road is like playing.  The game of discovery is so much fun. And I am passionate about the places I venture into, whether it be a small country community on a narrow two-lane road or a big city amid the proud tall-standing buildings.  Pure passionate playfulness. And here are some of the interesting P signs I discovered in my 2018 travels. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Putnam's One-Stop Bait Shop Sign, Rogersville, Alabama [caption id="attachment_21682" align="alignnone" width="525"] Putnam's One stop Bait Shop, Rogersville, Alabama[/caption] [caption id="attachment_21718" align="alignnone" width="525"] Putnam's Shad Guts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_21719" align="alignnone" width="525"] Putnam's Fiddle Worms[/caption] Driving to Houston through Alabama brought…
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Everywhere a Sign – Some M Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alabama, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Car Art, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 26, US Highway 90, US Highway 97, US Highways, Utah, Vintage Neon
(Editor's Note:  For  my  2019  posts,  I will be posting photos from my travels in 2018.  I visited 26 states and drive over 13,000 miles in 2018.  These posts will feature of few of the road signs and business signs I came across, as well as some stories behind them. ) There are many road signs and store front signs to be seen across this magnificent country.  The endlessly marvelous variety of signs and places always has me camera ready.  Here are some of the Many signs I found along the way, including some that say Many!  Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Many, Louisiana [caption id="attachment_21345" align="alignnone" width="525"] Welcome to Many. Not just a few here![/caption] I am always on the lookout for a unique town name and its…
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Everywhere a Sign – Some H Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Muffler Man, Murals, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 259, US Highway 68, Utah, Wanderlust
(Editor's Note:  For  my  2019  posts,  I will be posting photos from my travels in 2018.  I visited 26 states and drive over 13,000 miles in 2018.  These posts will feature of few of the road signs and business signs I came across, as well as some stories behind them.  Enjoy the Read and Enjoy the Ride!) H is the beginning of Happy.  Being on a road trip always keeps me happy and healthy and hopping.  I saw many H signs during my travels across the states in 2018.  Here are a few of them.  Enjoy the Read.  Enjoy the Ride. Happyville Rd., Greensburg, Kentucky [caption id="attachment_21514" align="alignnone" width="525"] Happyville Rd., Greensburg, Kentucky[/caption] I was down in southern Kentucky early in 2018 to view the Sandhill Crane migrations, one of…
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Travel in 2018: The Best of the Roadside Attractions – Part 1

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Muffler Man, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Toy Collections, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Utah, Washington, Water Towers, Whispering Giants, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_20889" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sharkheads in Biloxi, MS[/caption] Obviously, one of my favorite things to do on road trips short or long is locate the fun, unique and offbeat roadside attractions.  And, fortunately, 2018 provided me a plethora of these.  I have already written about a few of them individually in past months, but this post will be a nice little "photo tour" of some of my favorites. Having been through 26 different states in 2018, I had plenty of sites and loads of fun.  I got to share many of these with grandchildren, which made it even better. [caption id="attachment_20271" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Dignity: Of Earth and Sky - 50 foot tall statue by Dale Lamphere[/caption] [caption id="attachment_20268" align="alignright" width="225"] Sumoflam with Dignity near Chamberlain, SD[/caption] Perhaps my favorite from…
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Travel in 2018: Fun Place Names and Street Signs

Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, States and Provinces, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 171, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 212, US Highway 26, US Highway 270, US Highway 412, US Highway 49, US Highway 71, US Highway 87, US Highway 90, Utah, Water Towers
[caption id="attachment_21323" align="alignleft" width="300"] Smiling in Smiley, Texas[/caption] I am always on the lookout for fun places to visit when on the backroads of America.  My travels in 2018 took me to 26 different states and along the way I found more unique town names and fun street signs to add to my collection.  In 2017 I published my first book titled "Less Beaten Paths of America: Unique Town Names."  (Check out the book here) At the time I wrote it, I didn't think I would get enough new places to fill up a second book, but , indeed, I have.  And 2018 really helped with that. [caption id="attachment_21293" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Happyville Road in Greensburg, Kentucky (I always #CHOOSEHAPPY)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_21324" align="alignright" width="300"] Autumn and me in Marvel, Alabama with…
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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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