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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Going to California – San Francisco to Santa Rosa

Antsy McClain, Backroads Discoveries, Birds, Bridges, Bucket List Trips, California, City Skylines, Colorado, Eateries, Graffiti Walls, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Rocky Mountains, Street Art, Street People, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Eatery, Unique Houses, Unique Places, US Highway 101, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art
Woodflock - a relatively unknown destination for those unfamiliar with Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours. For the last six years Flamingoheads from California and other places have gathered in the Sycamore Grove campground along the Sacramento River near Red Bluff, CA to enjoy time schmoozing with Antsy and the band and each other through music, meditation, arts and crafts and food. Held every Memorial Day weekend, the campground turns into a flamingo haven. [caption id="attachment_12817" align="alignright" width="300"] Singing with Antsy McClain[/caption] I have traveled with Antsy McClain on a cruise to Mexico, I have accompanied him on Field Trips in Kentucky and Texas and have toured with him and the band in Washington, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and California, but I have never had the opportunity to attend…
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Wall Art in Lexington 2014: PRHBTN & more

Giant Things, Graffiti Walls, Horse Art, Horses, Kentucky, Murals, Roadside Attractions, Street Art, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wall Art, Water Towers
[caption id="attachment_11659" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sumoflam with the newly designed PRHBTN truck[/caption] Lexington again has new art covering some of its formerly barren walls around town as the Street Art promoting organization PRHBTN brought in four new world renown street artists to enhance the growing collection of unique murals that dot the town. The contributing artists this year included How and Nosm (twin brothers Raoul & Davide Perre  originally from Spain), ROA (from Ghent, Belgium), Andrew Hem (a Cambodian immigrant currently from Los Angeles) and MTO (a French born graffiti artist currently from Berlin). Each of these four artists have very unique styles and techniques as can be seen from their photos in this post. [caption id="attachment_11634" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The enormous "I Am MO" mural in the Lexington Distillery District[/caption] Perhaps…
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A 5 Day Midwest Adventure – Day 3: Hanging around Nebraska City, NE

Animals, Backroads Discoveries, Bridges, Car Art, Eateries, Giant Things, Nebraska, People Shots, Roadside Attractions, Squirrels, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Vintage Neon, Wall Art, Yard Art
[caption id="attachment_6180" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Old Car - Nebraska City, Nebraska[/caption] After two days of hard driving with three children, we were ready for a brief break.  Marissa's friends live near Nebraska City, so we stayed here for a couple of nights.  After a good night's rest, I took them over to the Arbor Day Farm so that they could enjoy each others company.  Nebraska City is also the home of Arbor Day, which is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City United States by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872. [caption id="attachment_6254" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Arbor Day Farm Tree House - 50 feet tall (from arbordayfarm.org)[/caption] I didn't attend the Arbor…
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A 5 Day Midwest Adventure – Day 2: Walcott, IA to Nebraska City, NE

Backroads Discoveries, Bakeries, Cross Country Road Trips, Eateries, Giant Things, Iowa, Nebraska, Roadside Attractions, Television Shows, Unexpected Discoveries, Unique Places, Wildflowers
[caption id="attachment_6137" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Welcome to Nebraska[/caption] Day 2 of my trip with Marissa would take us through Iowa and into Nebraska.  I promised to be a fun day of driving the backroads of the Midwest (kind of....) View Larger Map - Walcott, IA to Nebraska City, NE With the Grandkidz with us, every morning was an early one, so we were on the road in Walcott fairly early.  First thing I saw as I stepped out of the hotel was this big semi carrying a blade for a wind turbine.  This would set the stage for some subsequent visits along the road this day. You never really know how big these are until you have a frame of reference, like a huge truck. [caption id="attachment_6061" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Truck with…
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