Louisville KY – Less Beaten Paths of America

12Mar 2025 by David Kravetz

2024 in Review: A Few More Murals

Adventure, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Graffiti Walls, Indiana, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Murals, Offbeat Places, Oklahoma, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Selfies, Tennessee, Texas, Wall Art

One final post about murals. There were a couple of places with a large number of mural walls and I wanted to touch on these because they provided a great perspective on the history of the specific locations. MISSISSIPPI RIVER TALES MURAL - CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI [caption id="attachment_40098" align="alignnone" width="640"] Mississippi River Tales in Cape Girardeau, MO[/caption] This 1,100-foot-long mural wall comprises 24 panels of murals covering nearly 18,000 square feet on the 15-foot high floodwall near downtown Gape Girardeau. Though all seem similar, each panel represents a specific period in the history of the area, beginning with the Native Americans who inhabited the area in the early 900s to 1200s and then continuing on to the 1900s. It thus provides a wonderful pictorial narrative of the history. The majority…

06Mar 2025 by David Kravetz

2024 in Review: Town Name Murals – My 500th Post

Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Family Travel, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Murals, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Selfies, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Wanderlust, West Virginia

[caption id="attachment_40088" align="alignnone" width="640"] Sumoflam in Fate, TX[/caption] First of all, this is my 500th blog post since beginning my blogging in 2008!! When I am traveling I am always going through the small towns and big ones on the lookout for large murals that welcome visitors to their towns and cities. This continued to be one of my objectives in travel in 2024. There is always a great variety of these from large to small. Unlike my regular mural posts, I don't spend any time looking for the artists of these signs. Just want to share the photos and the locations. Have a lot from Oklahoma and Texas since I took a couple of trips there. Let's go!! Enjoy the Ride. [caption id="attachment_40163" align="alignnone" width="640"] Welcome to Hillsboro, TX[/caption]…

03Mar 2025 by David Kravetz

2024 in Review: Favorite Murals and Street Art

Arkansas, Big Cities, Books, Bucket List Trips, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Eagles, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Roadside Attractions, Route 66, Selfies, Street Art, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, West Virginia

[caption id="attachment_40078" align="alignnone" width="640"] Having fun with Groucho in Richmond, Indiana[/caption] As many of you already know, I am a big mural and street art enthusiast. In 2024 I took well over 500 photos of murals on my various road trips through about 15 states. This will be my first post of three or four mural posts, with this one focused on my most favorite finds in the year. I am always amazed at the creativity of mural and street artists. There is so much out there and such a variety of art to be found. From unique graffiti to massive portraits of famous people to representing history in art. There is seemingly no end to what can be found in even the smallest of towns to the corners of…

29Jan 2025 by David Kravetz

2024 in Review: Roadside Attractions – Part 1 – The Big Stuff

Adventure, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Garth Brooks, Giant Things, Illinois, Indiana, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kansas, Kentucky, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Muffler Man, Murals, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Quirky Things, Roadside America Books, Roadside Attractions, Sasquatch Art, Selfies, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, West Virginia, Yard Art

At the beginning of 2024 I had hopes of traveling across the country to Washington State, but sadly, that didn't work out. Sickness, job losses and other challenges seriously reduced my travels. Despite all of that, I still was able to get some travel in. I had the opportunity to travel to or through eleven different states as I visited my sister in Texas and in Oklahoma. She also traveled with me on a couple of occasions. I also made trips to Ohio for family, a small trip to West Virginia and trips to Indiana and Missouri for my late 2024 job with Uranus Fudge Factory while it lasted. Along the way, as is my travel routine, I hit up numerous road side attractions and oddities. I had a few…

12Apr 2022 by David Kravetz

Towns of America A to Z: The J Towns #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Alligators, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Bison, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Buffalo, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Burger Joints, City Skylines, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Giant Things, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mountains, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, People Shots, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 287, Virginia, Wall Art, Welcome Signs, Wyoming

I am all Jazzed to present you with some J towns to jump to on your road trips. This post will be Jam-packed with some joyful places so I hope you just have a jubilant time. There are not a lot of J Towns that I have been to, but the ones for this post were the best of the bunch. ENJOY THE READ! ENJOY THE RIDE! JOLLY, TEXAS [caption id="attachment_29444" align="alignleft" width="195"] Jolly, Texas[/caption] Let's kick it off on a happy note with a visit to Jolly, Texas. This is practically a truck stop town off of US Highway 287 southeast of Wichita Falls. Only has a population of about 170 jolly old souls. I made a stop because of the Jolly Travel Center, a fairly large…

31Jan 2022 by David Kravetz

The Year in Travel – 2021 (Long post – may take a minute to load)

Adventure, Back Roads, Bike Trails, Books, Bridges, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Church Signs, Family Travel, Hiking & Biking, Hiking Trails, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Less Beaten Paths Books, Mountains, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nature and Scenery, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Sheltowee Trace, Signs and Billboards, Staycations, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, Unique Shops, US Highway 127, Virginia, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, Welcome Signs, West Virginia, Yard Art

What an interesting year 2021 turned out to be for me. I started out the year with dreams of a road trip down the Florida panhandle to the southernmost point, but it didn't pan out. With COVID on the rampage, there were limitations and I didn't want to risk getting out too much. But, I was also very heavily engaged in doing support driving for the Sheltowee Trace Association and my wife and daughter who participated in the 2021 STA Hiking Challenge, hiking sections of the 343 mile trail each month. This took up a great deal of my time and ended up becoming the theme of my fifth Less Beaten Paths book, which was published on November 30 (see the bottom of this post for more details). I drove…

13Apr 2018 by David Kravetz

A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The L Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Alberta, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Bike Trails, Birds, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Hot Springs, Idaho, Illinois, Junk Art, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, National Monuments, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oregon, Pelicans, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

In 2018 I will feature a random (yet alphabetical) selection of photos I have taken from my nearly 20 years of back roads travel in the United States and Canada. I may even throw in a few random shots from other trips to Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. My theme is called America's Back Roads: A Grab Bag of Places in Pictures. Lost Springs, Wyoming (Was Population 1, now Population 4) [caption id="attachment_14108" align="alignnone" width="400"] Visited Lost Springs, WY, Pop 1 in 2007. Went back in 2014 and it had grown 400% to Pop 4. And yes, I have a photo of that sign too![/caption] [caption id="attachment_9984" align="alignnone" width="400"] Lost Springs in 2014 - ironically I was wearing the same shirt 7 years later!!![/caption] [caption id="attachment_9983" align="alignnone" width="400"] Lost…

09Apr 2018 by David Kravetz

A Grab Bag from America’s Back Roads – The G Things #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Alligators, Amish Country, Antsy McClain, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Enchanted Highway, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Geologic Formations, Gifu, Giraffe, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Japanese Castles, Junk Art, Kentucky, Kyoto, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, Museums, National Monuments, National Parks, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Selfies, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Travel in Japan, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Uniroyal Gal, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Water Towers, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Yard Art

In 2018 I will feature a random (yet alphabetical) selection of photos I have taken from my nearly 20 years of back roads travel in the United States and Canada. I may even throw in a few random shots from other trips to Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. My theme is called America's Back Roads: A Grab Bag of Places in Pictures. Gronk's Grill and Bar - Superior, Wisconsin [caption id="attachment_8720" align="alignnone" width="400"] Gronk's Grill and Bar in Superior, WI[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8714" align="alignnone" width="300"] The fickle finger of fate at the entrance of Gronks in Superior, WI[/caption] Gettysburg National Battlefield - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania [caption id="attachment_7015" align="alignnone" width="400"] Sons Seth and Solomon at the Gettysburg Museum, July 4 1998[/caption] Glacier Bay National Park - Gustavus, Alaska [caption id="attachment_4625" align="alignnone" width="360"]…

15Dec 2017 by David Kravetz

Sumoflam’s 2017 Travels in Review

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Bike Trails, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, Caves and Caverns, City Skylines, Covered Bridges, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Delaware, Eagles, Eateries, Eclipse, Family Travel, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, LDS Temples, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, New York, North Carolina, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Selfies, Staycations, Street Art, Television Shows, Tennessee, Texas, Town Names, Train Bridges, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Virginia, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Waterfalls, West Virginia

[caption id="attachment_18682" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sunrise in Ocean City, MD on New Year's Day 2017[/caption] On January 1, 2017 I sat on a beach in Ocean City, Maryland to watch a spectacular sunrise and pondered to myself about the opportunities I would have to travel throughout the year. Little did I really know the extent that I would actually contact a mini bus rental in Chicago and travel over the year and I’m grateful that I’ve had a wonderful year of seeing more of this beautiful country. [caption id="attachment_18697" align="alignright" width="300"] Oddville, Kentucky[/caption] Beginning with that glorious morning in Maryland, over the course of the year I have driven nearly 15,000 miles on road trips, many to visit family or be with family, but all of the trips have been…

29Apr 2017 by David Kravetz

V is for Vistas – #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Connecticut, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Family Travel, Farmland, Geologic Formations, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Lighthouses, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, South Dakota, Swamps, Tennessee, Texas, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Utah, Virginia, Wanderlust, Washington, Waterfalls, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Vistas are the joy of back roads travel. Every corner, every crest of a hill, every mile offers a new vista. And this country has some spectacular and splendid vistas. Over the years I have seen some amazing vistas. Whether they be in the deserts of the southwest, the high plains of Montana or on the oceans in the east or the west, the views are endless and inspiring. Following are some of the vistas I have enjoyed and their locations. Enjoy the ride and the views. [caption id="attachment_4039" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Sunset at the Badlands in South Dakota[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2194" align="aligncenter" width="660"] St. Anthony Sand Dunes in Idaho[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15120" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A view of the Portland Head Light in Maine[/caption] [caption id="attachment_18082" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Hills of Shenandoah Valley in…

Tag: Louisville KY