From Pie Town to Yum Yum: Weird and Wacky Place Names Across the United States

Our travels for the fall are not over yet. We're not really the type to take a lot of summer vacations because we're not bound by school schedules (as of yet.) We really are enjoying the freedom and flexibility to explore when everyone else is in school so that we can avoid crowds and the-height-of-vacation-season-traveling-costs. It IS fun to travel (more so once the children are all sleeping through the night.) I think I like to travel more in my head than in actuality at the moment (Diapers? Check! white noise maker? Whoops! Forgot to pack that!) but it's fun to dream and plan for the future.

One book that makes the idea of traveling (and getting to know the United States a bit better!) is From Pie Town to Yum Yum. (It's also just a fun fact book for geography buffs or people with a decent sense of humor.)




From Pie Town to Yum Yum explores the wacky names that exist for towns and cities through the United States. Like, for instance: Boring, Oregon. Or what about Oddville, Kentucky? Wynot, Nebraska? Truth or Consequences, New Mexico? Where are these cities and how exactly did they come by their rather unusual names? Well, this book will help answer those questions! (I like trivia books about odd and strange things.)

This book takes you alphabetically through the states, pointing out odd names for towns and cities, and giving you a brief history of how each one received its name. It is filled with cartoons to illustrate absurdities and, of course, maps to show you where everything is located. It's a curiously clever book, new from Kane Miller, and caught my attention in their new release line-up. It's just plain awesome, that's what! Definitely not Dull Center, Wyoming. (Sorry. I couldn't resist.) Just plain good fun in a crazy sort of way, leaving you wondering about the people who named these places!

If you're curious - take a peek! And next time you find yourself on a road trip you might want to jot down the names of the towns you pass through. It's a crazy world out there!

Thanks, Kane Miller, for sending me a copy of this book to peruse and enjoy!