Raymond WA – Less Beaten Paths of America

26Apr 2022 by David Kravetz

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

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Antique Shops, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Buildings, Barns and Houses, Church Signs, Cross Country Road Trips, Delaware, Dream Highways, Eateries, Family Travel, Found Metal Sculptures, Frogs, Ghost Signs, Giant Things, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Mountains, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Monuments, National Parks, New Mexico, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Peter Wolf Toth, Place Names, Quirky Things, Random Thoughts, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Stop Signs, Street Art, Street People, Tennessee, Tourist Traps, Unique Eatery, Vintage Neon, Washington, Welcome Signs, Whispering Giants, Whispering Giants, Wisconsin, Yard Art

Folks, I know I am behind on my posts, but I promise I have not forgotten!! I have been to Reminderville, so I cant forget. I've been kicked in tow different Rugbys and have been scared into catching up by a monster in Rhinelander! Actually, life has been pretty swamped, but I have so many places I want to introduce you to and the R towns really will add a chunk of fun to my sections of the A to Z Challenge! ENJOY THE READ! ENJOY THE RIDE! RUGBY, NORTH DAKOTA There are eight different towns in the United States named Rugby. Though I have only been to two of them, I would argue that they are the two best places named Rugby in the United States. Arguably, Rugby, North…

27Apr 2021 by David Kravetz

AtoZ Challenge 2021 – Signs Signs – The R Signs #atozchallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, BBQ Places, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Donut Places, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Graffiti Walls, Hot Dog Places, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Murals, National and State Parks, Historic Sites and More, National Parks, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Restroom Signs, Restrooms, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, Signs and Billboards, Tennessee, Texas, Toy Collections, Travel Blogging, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Washington, Welcome Signs

I have fallen a few days behind on my A to Z posts this year, but I will get them all. This year I am doing signs that I have seen across the country. This post will feature signs associated with the Letter R. ENJOY THE RIDE! We can't avoid signs. They are everywhere. Advertisements, informational signs, directional signs, business signs and, sometimes, even humorous and fun signs. Each of my posts in this years' challenge will feature a hodgepodge of signs I have come across in my travels. In most cases, I'll also note where they were taken. Some were actually inside of shops or otherwise, so not all will have locations. I hope you enjoy this fun trip each day of April. I am gonna start off big…

26Jun 2020 by David Kravetz

8154: What’s a Trip Without Faces?

Adventure, Animals, Arizona, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bison, Blue Heron, Books, Buffalo, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Eagles, Egret, Elk, Family Travel, Geese, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Junk Art, Junk-art Sculptures, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Lewis and Clark Sites, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Mythical Creatures, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ocean Scenes, Offbeat Places, Oregon, People Shots, prairie dogs, Quirky Things, Raccoon, Roadside Attractions, Sandhill Cranes, Seagulls, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Washington, Wyoming

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 fifth of a few posts about some of the fun from this EPIC Road Trip. In this post I am sharing FACES. What is a trip without faces? And over 8000 miles of travel opens up the opportunity to see all kinds of faces -- family, friends, strange people, aliens, wild animals, birds, art, statues and who knows what else? Here are 125 of them. Enjoy…

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…

05Apr 2020 by David Kravetz

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

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Arizona, Backroads Discoveries, Books, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, California, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Family Travel, Flowers, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Junk Art, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Offbeat Places, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Sandhill Cranes, Selfies, Snow Geese, Street Art, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Vintage Neon, Washington, Welcome Signs, Yard Art

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 D Stories. (all photography by David "Sumoflam" Kravetz) Dinosaurs Seems like whenever you get near a trading post a fun place, there always seems to be a dinosaur or two hanging around. I have…

28Apr 2019 by David Kravetz

Everywhere a Sign – Some XTRA Signs From 2018 #AtoZChallenge

A to Z Challenge, Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, BBQ Places, Burger Joints, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Family Travel, Ghost Signs, Idaho, Indiana, Junk Art, Kentucky, Less Beaten Paths Books, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Murals, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Texas, Town Names, Toy Collections, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, Utah, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Welcome Signs, West Virginia

Throughout my travels in 2018, I did not come across a single X sign. In the past, I have been able to use Xenia, Ohio, but we didn't go there last year. So, I am Xcited to Xplain how I will post a number of fun XTRAs that I didn't use in previous posts. There were some Xceptionally funny ones and a few Xtremely interesting ones. I hope you'll enjoy my special edition of Xtra Signs from my travels over the years. Enjoy the Read. Enjoy the Ride. XTRA Fun For ALL -- We are open [caption id="attachment_21731" align="alignnone" width="450"] If We Are Here -- Decatur, Texas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_19018" align="alignnone" width="437"] Love the "Sorry, We're Open" sign!! At Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden Calvert City, Kentucky[/caption] At the X-Roads - Corssroads…

25Feb 2019 by David Kravetz

My Travels in 2018

Adventure, Alabama, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big Cities, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Car Art, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Dinosaurs, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Junk Art, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, Less Beaten Paths Books, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Murals, Museums, Mythical Creatures, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Tennessee, Texas, Tourist Traps, Town Names, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 20, US Highway 212, Utah, Wall Art, Wanderlust, Washington, Water Towers, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Life gets so busy. The first two months of 2019 have been exceptionally busy and so I am just now getting to my annual review posts for 2018. [caption id="attachment_21282" align="alignleft" width="225"] Visiting Route 66 in Oklahoma[/caption] At the beginning of 2018 I didn't have very high hopes for many travel opportunities. I had begun a new job in early October of the previous year and I didn't have any definitive travel plans. But, I had also learned to roll with things and, as good fortune would have it, 2018 actually became a really good travel year. Over the course of the year I was able to travel through 26 different states and drove nearly 12,000 miles. I was able to add a plethora of photos (I took over 15,000…

22May 2018 by David Kravetz

April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: Raymond Wildlife-Heritage Sculpture Corridor

Adventure, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Cross Country Road Trips, Found Metal Sculptures, Murals, Offbeat Places, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Wall Art, Washington, Yard Art

[caption id="attachment_19743" align="alignleft" width="300"] One of over 200 sculptures from around Raymond[/caption] One of the thrills of traveling back roads is coming across unique and unplanned sites that are worth taking time to visit and look at. Such is the case with the Raymond Wildlife-Heritage Sculpture Corridor in Raymond, Washington. On my return trip home from Port Orchard, I decided to take US 101 south towards Portland and just see what I come across. My goal was to drive US 101, and not necessarily have anything in mind to see. [caption id="attachment_19767" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Welcome to Raymond, Washington[/caption] [caption id="attachment_19766" align="aligncenter" width="375"] US 101[/caption] [caption id="attachment_19742" align="alignright" width="300"] A dog[/caption] To my glee and surprise, I came across Raymond. What a treat! As I drove into town, I noticed a…

15May 2018 by David Kravetz

April 2018 Cross-Country Road Trip: The Overview – Kentucky to Washington

Adventure, Animals, Arkansas, Back Roads, Backroads Discoveries, Big John, Birds, Books, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, Burger Joints, City Skylines, Colorado, Cross Country Road Trips, Deer, Dinosaurs, Dream Highways, Eagles, Eateries, Family Travel, Farmland, Found Metal Sculptures, Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Horse Art, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Landscapes, Large Statues, LDS Temples, Less Beaten Paths Books, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Mountains, Muffler Man, Murals, National Monuments, National Parks, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Offbeat Places, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Place Names, Post Offices, Quirky Things, Roadside Attractions, Roadsigns, Rocky Mountains, Seagulls, Selfies, South Dakota, Street Art, Town Names, Travel Blogging, Travel with grandchildren, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Places, US Highway 101, US Highway 2, US Highway 212, US Highway 6, Utah, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Washington, Whispering Giants, Wildflowers, Wyoming

[caption id="attachment_19571" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sumoflam on the Road Again[/caption] In April 2018 I took a nice long road trip from my home in Lexington, Kentucky to my daughter's home in Port Orchard, Washington and back. The itinerary included most places akin to the Good Sam list of campgrounds which my cousin couldn't stop prattling about. Though I was gone for 15 days, I spent nine of them traveling more than 6000 miles through 14 states. Many of my stops were in anticipation of my new book as I wanted some fresh content to add to it. [caption id="attachment_19561" align="alignright" width="300"] Lots of great two-lanes on this trip[/caption] In the past, I typically wrote one or two huge blog posts about long roadtrips, but, I have decided that a focus on…