Y is for Yard Art – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Burger Joints, Car Art, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Large Statues, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Yard Art
One of the more interesting things I look for on roadtrips as I pass through small communities on back roads is yard art.  Funky art and decorations in people's yards, on their fences, on their houses. People have ingenuity.  Some people have junk.  But, as the saying goes, "One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure." [caption id="attachment_2184" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Unique Yard Art in Parker, Idaho[/caption] For me, Yard Art is anything unique and unusual.  It could be chain saw art - wood carvings made with chain saws.  It could be art made from scrap metal.  It could be, like the photo above, a hodge podge of signs, junk or other things.  Following are some selections of yard art I have taken over the years.  Don't judge...some of these people love…
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Q is for Quirky – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Car Art, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Horse Art, Iowa, Large Statues, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Yard Art
There is a difference between quirky and offbeat in my mind.  Quirky is typically off the chain and unexpected, or even downright weird.  On the other hand, as noted in my O is for Offbeat post, the offbeat and odd things are typically recognizable. Obviously, there is a fine line between what is quirky and what is offbeat.  I think we all make those determinations ourselves.  In this post, I will offer up a few Quirky things...those that I think are beyond offbeat and into the realm of quirky. [caption id="attachment_12871" align="aligncenter" width="485"] "Cyclisk" - Obelisk made out of bicycle parts in Santa Rosa, CA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_12834" align="alignleft" width="225"] Sumoflam at the base of "Cyclisk"[/caption] I'll start off with a biggie...a giant obelisk made completely of bicycle parts.  Why quirky? …
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Road Trip to Idaho – Day 2: Savage, MN to Miles City, MT

Backroads Discoveries, Bison, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Dream Highways, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Geese, Geologic Formations, Giant Things, Landscapes, Large Statues, Lewis and Clark Sites, Minnesota, Montana, Murals, North Dakota, Place Names, Post Offices, Roadside Attractions, Selfies, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 2, Wall Art, Yard Art
Rural Scene on Enchanted Highway, South of Gladstone, ND[/caption] I embarked on Day 2 of my trip to Idaho - left Savage, MN in the midst of snow and fog.  The roads were scary heading northwest to Fargo, ND. [caption id="attachment_1818" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Snowy highways in Minnesota[/caption] Today (March 9, 2013) was the second leg of my trip to Idaho.  Today I drove from Savage, MN to Miles City, MT.  I drove 781 miles over a 14 hour stretch.  Following is the map of the trip. View Larger Map My first stop along the way was for gas.  I stopped in Avon, MN.....which, I discovered, is also the home of the Lake Wobegon Trail.  The trail is 46 miles long and 10 feet wide.  It opened in 1998.  Avon is…
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