OldTroubador's blog post - People, Places, and Things

As I travel around, I love to see the names of places, whether towns, parks, stores, what-have-you. And, being a bit of a wordsmith, sometimes the wording of these signs makes me wonder and conjures up thoughts that probably were not intended by the originators. Here are a few examples.


Withlacoochee River:
Many rivers still carry the names the Amercian Indians gave them. Unfortunately, the translation to English from the original (probably Cherokee in this case) sometimes lends itself to a chuckle. This one is in Georgia. Maybe this is where the local tribe held fertility ceremonies. Or maybe you can't go fishing here unless you have a woman of questionable morals with you.

Semi Accessible:

I saw a billboard for a travel plaza along I-90 in Minnesota. On the billboard were listed all the amenities that one could find there. At the bottom were the words Semi-Accessible. What??? Does this mean half the driveway is blocked? You can get in the driveway and park, but not walk into the store? Only half the doors to the store are open? I mean really now, what good is a travel plaza like that?

David Weekley Homes:

David Weekley Homes, rated best home builder in 2013. I'm sorry, but I think I want a house that is a built a little stronger than a Weekley built home. And he got an award for this?

De Bone Stuffed Chicken:

This billboard is located on I-10 westbound in Louisiana. It is advertising a local truck stop/restaurant along the highway and lists some of the local specialities offered. I know there has to be a couple of letters missing, but – De Bone Stuffed Chicken? Chickens have enough bones in them, no need to add to that. I can see Crab Meat Stuffed Chicken, all kinds of other good possibilities, but stuffing a chicken with bones? Is this maybe some kind of voodoo ritual? Think I'll pass on this and get some alligator etouffee.

Toad Suck State Park:

This state park can be found in Arkansas, north and west of Little Rock. Toad Suck? How this name came about is potentially disturbing, to say the least, even for Arkansas. It must have been named by a side of the family that named Lizard Lick, North Carolina. Yeah, the side of the family even THEY won't acknowledge.

Big Bone Lick State Park:

This state park is located in Kentucky. Big Bone Lick – need I say more?


Paradise and Intercourse:

These two little towns are located in southeastern Pennsylvania. And, as you can well imagine, the local joke is that, to get to Paradise, you have to go through Intercourse first.

Hot Coffee:

I left a paper mill in Monticello, Mississippi one day and was headed east on US84, where I was going to get on an interstate in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As I was driving along, I saw a sign that said “Hot Coffee – Next Left”. Hell yeah, I could use some fresh java in my thermos. When I got to the intersection, another sign said “Hot Coffee – 7 miles”. Well, that's just too far out of the way for me and the coffee would be cold by the time I got back to the main drag anyway. On further investigation, it is the name of a small town there. GuitarTxn, I found your retirement home.


Kum and Go:
In Missouri and Iowa, this is the name of a chain of convenience stores, some of which are truck stops too. I guess that “The Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am Travel Stop” is just too long to put on a lighted sign.