Full tank. Wandering heart.
As I prefer to do, I skipped taking the interstate on my way back towards Knoxville from Dayton, Tennessee. Invariably it takes longer to get anywhere this way, but passing through small towns and...
Since the spring of 2025, I’d seen the Mac Auto Loans neon sign sitting in a sign yard which I drove by often. Seeing it off in the distance as I zipped by for...
This Arby’s big cowboy hat neon sign is one of four found in Knoxville, Tennessee. You’ll find this one on N. Broadway in Fountain City. Of all the signs around town, I pass this...
In 2024, I walked past The Original Freezo on N. Central St. in Knoxville for the first time. They were closed. And each time I’d passed by in the year between December 2024 and...
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rachael (@fuzzygalore) At Christmas time, we went to the parade in downtown Knoxville. I nearly lost my mind with excitement when I saw a familiar...
Whenever I research the particulars of something I’ve seen while out exploring, I’m bound to find an interesting little tidbit that makes me say, “Huh. I didn’t know that.” The most recent such instance...
Sometimes you just catch lightning in a bottle. That’s what seeing this See Rock City barn on Rutledge Pike felt like. The spectacular December sunset was the perfect backdrop for this Americana icon. It’d...
If you’re traveling along I-75 out of Knoxville, about 35 miles north of the city in the town of Caryville, Tennessee a curious sight comes into view. Nestled in a kudzu nest behind a...
This standing Esso Tiger statue at Action Antique Barn waves at the traffic along Winfield Dunn in Sevierville, Tennessee. This joint is a great spot to pick through if you’re in the area. As...
Pal’s Sudden Service, or more commonly just Pal’s is a fast food chain in northeastern Tennessee and a little smidge of Virginia in what’s called the Tri-Cities area. What initially drew me to Pal’s...
After languishing as a lonely star on my Google Map for years, in March of ’25, I made a pilgrimage to see this barn. It’s a lovely two-sided number which features advertising for Ruby...
Sometimes it feels like I’m a broken record when I say “stop and take the picture.” If I’m honest, I myself have had many occasions where I sailed right on by something, muttering to...
Throughout 2025, I bounced around here and there roadtripping. Some of my favorite sights during these excursions were the murals featuring large-letter postcard styling or just a greeting welcoming visitors to town. Here are...
There’s just something irresistibly American about giant white letters painted on a weathered barn. Especially if those letters are pointing the way to a roadside attraction. Think~ Merrimac Caverns, Ruby Falls, and of course,...
During the fall of 2024, I stopped to see the “Junaluska” the 16ft tall Whispering Giant in Johnson City, Tennessee. He stands facing the road at Metro-Kiwanis Park. Plaque: JunaluskaTrail of the Whispering GiantsThis...
Arby’s Original Hat Sign: Giant 10-Gallon Icons of Knoxville, Tennessee Okay, friends. Let’s talk about this fantastic roadside beast. Give a big, warm “howdy” to your old friend, the original Arby’s 10-gallon cowboy hat...
I love this Pink Panther mural so much! It’s painted on the rollup door on the back of 4511 Central Ave Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee. It’s so vibrant and eye catching, you get a...
Get a load of this ghost sign, huh? Tuxedo Tobacco is a new to me brand. This is the first time I’ve encountered it. As best as I can tell from searching around is...
Greetings from Knoxville and Hello from the Volunteer state! This Greetings Tour mural is on N. Broadway, in Knoxville, Tennessee – but this large letter postcard style mural is everywhere now, and I for...
People have scoffed, nee mocked! the idea of a giant chicken army, out there amassing on the byways of America. But ladies and gentlemen, how much more evidence do you need? The rooster battalion...
