19Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

N is for National Parks & Monuments – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indian Ruins, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wyoming
The US National Park System has 417 official units throughout the country including 59 National Parks, 87 National Monuments, 19 National Preserves, 51 National Historic Parks, 78 National Historic Sites, 4 National Battlefield Parks, 9 National Military Parks, 9 National Battlefields, 30 National Memorials and a number of other National sites including National Rivers, National Seashores, National Lakeshores, National Parkways and National Trails. [caption id="attachment_9813" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Bison relax along Lava Creek in Yellowstone while pronghorned antelope look on from the background[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10764" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Sumoflam and Cannons at Vicksburg National Military Park[/caption] [caption id="attachment_16830" align="alignright" width="300"] Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley NP, Ohio[/caption] Officially, the National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration…
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17Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

M is for Mountains – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Travel Blogging, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming
I love the mountains.  I spent a good part of my life in the mountains - New Mexico, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Arizona.  These are the BIG mountains. Having lived in Kentucky for the past 25 years, I hear of people that live in "the mountains of Kentucky" or heading to "the mountains of West Virginia." In my perspective these are more like hills. But, by the broader definition, there are mountains in states like Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  Maybe even Tennessee. [caption id="attachment_4624" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Purple Mountain Majesties - Sawtooth range in Central Idaho[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17974" align="alignright" width="200"] Here I am at the Sandia Overlook near Albuquerque in 1964[/caption] When I take trips to the Western US, I always try to make an effort to get to the…
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10Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

H is for History – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, LDS Temples, Lewis and Clark Sites, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Museums, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
One cannot travel any road in America or Canada without running into some sort of historical site, monument or building.  That is part of the fun of a back road adventure.  Our country of 2017 is defined in great part by the history of the country dating back to the 1600s (and earlier if you count the Native Americans). [caption id="attachment_8530" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Camp Disappointment west of Cut Bank< Montana looks out towards the mountains of Glacier National Park.  This is one of many Lewis and Clark Monuments across the United States.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17786" align="alignleft" width="300"] Monument in Beachville, Ontario commemorating the first baseball game in Canada.[/caption] Dotting the roads of America are historical markers that tell about events that occurred in that exact location or nearby. There are literally…
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08Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

G is for Grandeur – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Bison, Buffalo, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Florida, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Kentucky, Landscapes, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, Pronghorn Antelope, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, South Dakota, Swamps, Texas, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Volcanic Sites, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming
The United States is a vast and diverse country. From sea to shining sea there are sweeping vistas and spectacular scenes of nature. The grandeur of this country is not seen on the interstate highways, but on the back roads and the gravel roads that have woven the fiber of this country. [caption id="attachment_17743" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Grandeur as seen on a back road in North Dakota - The Enchanted Highway[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15481" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mt. Moran in the Grand Tetons as seen from Colter Bay Lodge[/caption] I am always awestruck by the superb landscapes that one can witness on the back roads. Some of these landscapes, such as the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains, are known by everybody. But there are so many more spectacles to feast your eyes…
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05Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

D is for Diners, Dives and Drive-ins – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alabama, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, People Shots, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Selfies, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
What is April A to Z? Every April, bloggers from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to meet other bloggers. To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then visit as many other bloggers as you can. Road trips would never be the same without the opportunity to stop at local diners, dives and drive-ins (OK...I gotta give credit to Guy Fieri). Food is such an important part of a road trip. Obviously, no matter where one drives they always come across the chain shops like McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, etc. With those places, the food you get is…
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11Jan 2017 by David Kravetz

The Year in Travel: 2016 from A to Z

Amish Country, Antsy McClain, Arkansas, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bike Trails, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Eateries, Family Travel, Illinois, Kentucky, Large Statues, Maryland, National Monuments, National Parks, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Staycations, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia
The year 2016 was not a banner year for travel for me as there were no super long  cross country trips taken like I had done form 2012-2015. However, over the course of the year we did take a number of smaller trips and a couple of fairly long trips. I visited 11 states during the year and made it to some places where I hadn't been for nearly 30 years. Even made it into towns from A (Abingdon, VA) to Z (Zanesville, OH) and one with an X too (Xenia, OH)!! Here is a map that includes many of the places: [caption id="attachment_17253" align="aligncenter" width="316"] Abingdon, VA - Eastern terminus of the Virginia Creeper Trail[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15813" align="aligncenter" width="236"] Zanesville, Ohio home of the Y Bridge[/caption] [caption id="attachment_16769" align="aligncenter"…
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23Sep 2016 by David Kravetz

Life Gets Busy But I Still Try To Enjoy The Ride

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Bike Trails, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Kentucky, Landscapes, Ohio, People Shots, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Tennessee, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Virginia
[caption id="attachment_17164" align="alignleft" width="217"] Somewhere in Oregonia, OH[/caption] Recently, life has gotten pretty hectic for old Sumoflam.  So much so that my blogs are taking a beating and seemingly forgotten.  I am now teaching Japanese full time at the University of Kentucky and that, coupled with my website work, has taken a toll on available time. [caption id="attachment_17161" align="alignright" width="300"] Sunbeams through the trees at Jacobson Park in Lexington, KY[/caption] Traveling, blog writing and photography are my passions.  They are my art.  When I can't be working on them, it hurts. I feel like I am missing out on some of life's joys. Today we are traveling to the Pittsburgh area and I had a few minutes to write a couple of notes.  I have had some travel opportunities in…
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25Jul 2016 by David Kravetz

A visit to Damascus, Virginia

Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Bike Trails, Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Farmland, Flowers, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Kentucky, Landscapes, Murals, Muscovy Duck, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street People, Tennessee, Train Bridges, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 119, US Highway 23, US Highway 58, Virginia, Wall Art, Wildflowers, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_16847" align="alignleft" width="210"] Welcome to Damascus[/caption] Last weekend we made a trip to Damascus, VA with the goal of Julianne and our daughter Marissa riding their bikes on the Virginia Creeper Trail, one of many wonderful Rails to Trails bike trails that can be found in this part of the country.   I will have a different post about the Virginia Creeper Trail as part of my Bike Trail Series, but I wanted to post an article about the non-bike portion of our trip to Damascus, Abingdon, and Bristol, VA.  Besides the bike trail, there is so much more to see and do on a  road trip down to this part of Appalachia. We began our trip by leaving early in the morning on Saturday to drive to Damascus…
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09Mar 2016 by David Kravetz

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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24Sep 2015 by David Kravetz

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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