29Nov 2022 by David Kravetz
Casey, Illinois: Big Things, Small Town

Casey, Illinois: Big Things, Small Town

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, People Shots, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 40, US Highway 50, US Highway 60
[caption id="attachment_36139" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam at the World's Largest Rocking Chair in Casey, Illinois[/caption] In my previous post I wrote about taking Route 66 for my 66th birthday in October.  On the way to Chicago, I made a detour to visit the fun little town of Casey, Illinois which prides itself for its numerous roadside attractions, unique downtown area and their small town charm. The real draw for this place is all of the World's Largest and numerous other Big Things that are peppered around the town.  The town features 12 Guinness World Book certified World's Largest things and at least 25 other Big Things.  On my visit I didn't get to all of them, even though I spent the night.  Casey is really an all-day experience  for those that want to see…
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27Nov 2022 by David Kravetz
Route 66 in Illinois – Celebrating 66th Birthday

Route 66 in Illinois – Celebrating 66th Birthday

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Big Cities, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Cities and Towns, City Skylines, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Highways and Roadways, Hot Dog Places, Illinois, Interstate 55, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Muffler Man, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 30, US Highway 40, US Highway 60, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_35900" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam on Route 66 in Illinois[/caption] Everyone knows that Route 66 is considered to be America's most iconic highway. Known as the Mother Road, there have been songs written about it, TV shows that feature it and hundreds of groups that travel it. To me, US Route 66 is really just another US Highway, but, due to its pop culture status, it is a fun highway to travel. As 2022 kicked in, it was my hope that I could use my 66th birthday on October 4 as an excuse to travel the entire length from Chicago to Santa Monica. As is typically the case, things don't always go as planned and/or hoped for, and such was the case for my 2022 Route 66 plan. Nevertheless, I…
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29Jul 2021 by David Kravetz
Book 4 – 8154: An Epic Family Road Trip Across America – NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon

Book 4 – 8154: An Epic Family Road Trip Across America – NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon

Adventure, Animals, Antelope, Antique Shops, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bison, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Donut Places, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Egret, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Highways and Roadways, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Jimmy Jackson, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Nebraska, Nevada, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Oregon, People Shots, Place Names, Post Offices, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Raccoon, Restroom Signs, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Snow Geese, South Dakota, Street Art, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, US Highway 16A, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 31, US Highway 60, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Welcome Signs, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_33522" align="alignleft" width="193"] 8154 Cover[/caption] Big News!!  My newest book, titled "8154: An Epic Family Road Trip Across America" is now available on Amazon in both print and Kindle versions. The book details the three week long 8,154 mile road trip with my daughter Marissa Noe and her three children. New print programs on Amazon have also made it cheaper than previous books!! The book is 138 pages and full of color photos from 20 different states.  I have included a chapter all about how to plan for a long trip like this, especially with children.  A long road trip can be a challenge for the kids, so there are all sorts of ideas including in this book for making it fun and memorable for the kids. There are…
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30Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The A to Z Links Page #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Giant Things, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, US Highway 16A, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 60, US Highway 61, US Highway 70, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Washington, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Wyoming
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with  the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 15 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. Each entry highlights a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip. This post is an index for all of the posts in case you may have missed some. Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David…
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21Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The R Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Junk Art, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Museums, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Quirky Things, Raccoon, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, South Dakota, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, US Highway 16A, US Highway 180, US Highway 20, US Highway 200, US Highway 212, US Highway 277, US Highway 283, US Highway 30, US Highway 34, US HIghway 59, US Highway 60, US Highway 61, US Highway 62, US Highway 65, US Highway 70, US Highway 77, US Highway 80, US Highway 82, US Highway 84, US Highway 87, US Highway 93, US Highway 95, US Highway 97, US Highways, Vintage Neon, Washington, Wyoming
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with  the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet and not the order of the trip.  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the R Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Route 66 - Here and There Though we didn't drive the entire route, we did hit a number of places on our trip along the famed Route 66.  Indeed, we got our kicks on Route 66! [caption id="attachment_23751" align="alignnone" width="525"] Route…
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01Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2020 – 8154: An Epic Road Trip – The A Stories #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Ghost Towns, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Montana, National Parks, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 60, Vintage Neon, Welcome Signs
In early 2020 I traveled across the country with one of my daughters and three grandchildren.  We traveled 8154 miles through 20 states over the course of three weeks.  My A to Z posts this year will have the "8154" theme, which will also be the title of my forthcoming new book that will document the epic road trip.  Each entry will highlight a few stories with photos based on the alphabet, and not the order of the trip  I hope you will enjoy this bouncy ride across the back roads of America.  Please enjoy the A Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Alcatraz Island - San Francisco, CA While in California in mid-February, we visited San Francisco and viewed Alcatraz Island, the famed island-prison, from afar. [caption id="attachment_22941"…
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24Apr 2019 by David Kravetz

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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17Apr 2019 by David Kravetz

Everywhere a Sign – Some O Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Museums, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Tennessee, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 31, US HIghway 59, US Highway 60, US Highway 62, US Highway 71, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Woody Guthrie
(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. ) Obviously, there are many outstanding places to visit in this outrageously wonderful country. Whether you are an occasional traveler or you take every opportunity to wander, there is always something to see. Here are some of the odd O signs I discovered in my 2018 travels. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Old Potter, Arkansas [caption id="attachment_21274" align="alignnone" width="525"] Old Potter, Arkansas[/caption] A few miles south of Mena, Arkansas, on US Routes 59/71, is a small unincorporated community called…
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18Sep 2017 by David Kravetz

West Virginia’s Midland Trail – US Route 60 – Charleston, WV

Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, City Skylines, Eateries, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Large Statues, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Unique Places, US Highway 60, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, West Virginia, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_18354" align="alignleft" width="300"] Charleston Capitol Building[/caption] This is part two of my Midland Trail series and this post will focus on West Virginia's Capital Charleston.  During most of May I spent a great deal of time in this lovely river town while visiting a friend of mine who was ill and eventually passed away.  That is another story. During my time in Charleston, I took the opportunity to drive around the town and get photos of the unique Capitol Building, a few other buildings, murals and other things.  The town certainly does have its own unique personality. [caption id="attachment_18386" align="alignnone" width="525"] Welcome to Charleston[/caption] Charleston is the capital and largest city  West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County.  The…
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01Jul 2017 by David Kravetz

West Virginia’s Midland Trail – US Route 60 from Virginia to Charleston

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Murals, National Parks, Offbeat Places, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Street Art, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 60, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Yard Art
During the month of May I made several trips to West Virginia to assist a friend in need.  Also, during Easter Weekend (2017) I had occasion to take my wife to northern Virginia near Shenandoah National Park and on my return started my treks along US Route 60 in West Virginia, what they refer to as the Midland Trail.   On subsequent visits, I tried to hit US 60 in the western part of the state as well.   [caption id="attachment_18311" align="alignnone" width="525"] A scene from along US 60 in WV[/caption] [caption id="attachment_18256" align="alignright" width="300"] The WV State Capitol Building in Charleston[/caption] The Midland Trail crosses some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain of the Mountain State and extends for approximately 100 miles from White Sulphur Springs in the east…
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