14Sep 2020 by David Kravetz
Driving The Dragon (US 129) – Southern Tennessee

Driving The Dragon (US 129) – Southern Tennessee

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dragons, Dream Highways, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, Mythical Creatures, National Parks, North Carolina, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Tennessee, Tourist Traps, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US 129, Welcome Signs
At the end of August we had a family reunion down in North Carolina. We stayed in an AirBNB in a huge backwoods lodge at Huffman Creek Retreat about 12 miles west of Robbinsville, NC. Our daughter flew in from Washington, without her kids, so we had all five of our children, two of our in-law kids and six grandkids. This was the first time that all five of my children have gathered together since October 2016. We car-pooled it down there from Lexington, KY thru Knoxville, TN and then on to “The Dragon,” (also called the Tail of the Dragon) which started near Chilhowee Lake near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Dragon is an eleven mile stretch of US 129 that skirts the southwest border of Great…
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02Aug 2020 by David Kravetz
8154: Taylor, Nebraska and the Taylor Villagers

8154: Taylor, Nebraska and the Taylor Villagers

Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Less Beaten Paths Books, Nebraska, Offbeat Places, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, US Highway 183, Welcome Signs
[caption id="attachment_25070" align="alignleft" width="193"] Lazy D boy in Taylor, NE[/caption] In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks with my daughter and three grandchildren.    During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 10 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. This is the sixth in a series of posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip.  As we drove through Nebraska 's Sandhills, we took a detour from Nebraska Hwy 2 heading east and hopped on US 183 to go north to the small community of Taylor.  I had received a recommendation from the staff of…
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11Jun 2020 by David Kravetz
8154: Unique Discoveries and Unplanned Adventures

8154: Unique Discoveries and Unplanned Adventures

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Montana, Murals, Museums, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 180, US Highway 385, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, Wyoming, Yard Art
In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks with my daughter and three grandchildren.    During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 10 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. This is the third of a few posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip.  In this post I'll introduce you to some of the unique places we happened upon on our back roads travels. Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz and, when noted, Marissa Noe) THE JOY OF BACK ROAD TRAVEL One of the reasons I like traveling on…
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04Jun 2020 by David Kravetz
8154: Visiting National and State Parks and the Junior Ranger Programs

8154: Visiting National and State Parks and the Junior Ranger Programs

Adventure, Antelope, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Books, Buffalo, California, Cormorants, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dream Highways, Eagles, Egret, Family Travel, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Oregon, prairie dogs, Pronghorn Antelope, Raccoon, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Wanderlust, Washington, Welcome Signs, Wyoming
[caption id="attachment_24469" align="alignleft" width="300"] George Washington on Mt. Rushmore in SD[/caption] In early 2020 I traveled across the country over the course of three weeks.    During this trip we traveled 8154 miles across 20 states and visited over 100 destinations, saw all sorts of animals, all sorts of geography, 10 National Parks and Monuments, various state parks, oceans, deserts, mountains, beaches, grasslands, canyons and more. This is the second of a few posts about some of the fun from the EPIC Road Trip with my daughter and three grandchildren.  Enjoy the Read! Enjoy the Ride! (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz and, when noted, Marissa Noe) [caption id="attachment_24584" align="alignnone" width="525"] Departing for the Epic Road trip in late January[/caption] Taking a road trip with kids is always a fun…
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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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25Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

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

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Illinois, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Volunteer Fire Departments, Washington, Welcome Signs
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 V Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Various Volunteer Fire Departments [caption id="attachment_24022" align="alignnone" width="525"] Volunteer Fire Department - Happy, Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_24023" align="alignnone" width="525"] Volunteer Fire Department - Opportunity, Montana[/caption] [caption id="attachment_24024" align="alignnone" width="525"] Volunteer Fire Department, Tightwad, Missouri[/caption] [caption id="attachment_24030" align="alignnone" width="525"] Volunteer Fire Department -…
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24Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

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

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Family Travel, Interviews, Junk-art Sculptures, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Montana, Museums, Offbeat Places, People Shots, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 14, US Highway 16, Vintage Neon, Welcome Signs, 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 U Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) This post is basically short and sweet. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. Ucross, Wyoming We passed through this non-descript little community that sits at the intersection of US Route 14 and US Route 16.   It has an interesting name, but…
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23Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

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

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Turkeys, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, 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 T Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Tillamook Creamery - Tillamook, Oregon Driving down US Highway 101 in Oregon, you can drive through the town of Tillamook.  There you will find the Disneyland of Ice Cream places.  Tillamook Creamery is huge and it is a giant tourist attraction. …
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22Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

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

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Books, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geese, Giant Things, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lighthouses, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Museums, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, Snow Geese, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 16, Vintage Neon, Washington, Welcome Signs, Wyoming, Yard Art
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 S Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Please note that this one is a fairly lengthy post. So, Enjoy the Read and Enjoy the Ride! Sesame Street - Seabeck, Washington While driving through Seabeck, Washington we came upon Sesame Street.  So now I can tell you how to…
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20Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

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

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Animals, Antelope, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bison, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Eagles, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Geese, Idaho, Iowa, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Pronghorn Antelope, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, Snow Geese, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Water Towers, Welcome Signs, 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 Q Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) There are not many places that fit within the Q Stories category.  But, we did have a nice visit to Quitaque, Texas. Quitaque, Texas Quitaque is a small community of a little over 400 near the Texas Panhandle.  The town is…
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