Sunday, May 27, 2007
Indy Speedway
May 27 … Sun – Went to church in Monticello and then yet another trip to the RV supply store, a.k.a. Walmart. It was rainy in the morning but later in the day the weather turned out nice and sunny. We watched the Indy 500 (it meant a lot more since we were just there)! The weather cleared up around 430p.
May 26 … Sat – Rain off and on most of the day. We hung out at the park and went to the fitness center that afternoon.
May 25 … Fri – Today we took a drive through the country-side to the town of Logansport, IN.
May 24 … Thur – Headed to Lafayette for Dixie’s 930a m. eye dr. follow up appt. From there we drove into Indianapolis, or more specifically, the town of Speedway, the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Today was a time-trial day so we watched the cars do their thing as their time determined their start location in the field. We also walked around “gasoline alley” or as they’re calling it now, “ethanol alley” since the cars run on 100% ethanol fuel these days. We watched a team practice a pit stop tire change several times. We then toured the Hall of Fame Museum which is on the grounds of the Speedway. Every car that has won the race since its inception in 1911 is on display as well as all the winning drivers. We also watched a short documentary film of the history of the track and the races over the years. We also visited the AAA display booth where they had an Indy car simulator set up. Mike took a turn at it and drove it four laps without crashing into a wall. We had a great time – there’s nothing quite like the sound of a race car going around the track!
May 23 … Wed – Hung out at the park. Went to the gym.
May 22 … Tue – Today we drove into Monticello. Dixie did laundry while I went to the library and used their free internet connection. When we returned to the park, we learned that park management had begun informing people that, even though the sewer lines were still not repaired, they could move to the more desirable sites by the lake. Although the better sites were already taken (we got back before noon) we did get a site that has a partial view of the water.
May 26 … Sat – Rain off and on most of the day. We hung out at the park and went to the fitness center that afternoon.
May 25 … Fri – Today we took a drive through the country-side to the town of Logansport, IN.
May 24 … Thur – Headed to Lafayette for Dixie’s 930a m. eye dr. follow up appt. From there we drove into Indianapolis, or more specifically, the town of Speedway, the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Today was a time-trial day so we watched the cars do their thing as their time determined their start location in the field. We also walked around “gasoline alley” or as they’re calling it now, “ethanol alley” since the cars run on 100% ethanol fuel these days. We watched a team practice a pit stop tire change several times. We then toured the Hall of Fame Museum which is on the grounds of the Speedway. Every car that has won the race since its inception in 1911 is on display as well as all the winning drivers. We also watched a short documentary film of the history of the track and the races over the years. We also visited the AAA display booth where they had an Indy car simulator set up. Mike took a turn at it and drove it four laps without crashing into a wall. We had a great time – there’s nothing quite like the sound of a race car going around the track!
May 23 … Wed – Hung out at the park. Went to the gym.
May 22 … Tue – Today we drove into Monticello. Dixie did laundry while I went to the library and used their free internet connection. When we returned to the park, we learned that park management had begun informing people that, even though the sewer lines were still not repaired, they could move to the more desirable sites by the lake. Although the better sites were already taken (we got back before noon) we did get a site that has a partial view of the water.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Indiana
May 19-21... - Sun & Mon - Not much happening. Dixie has done a couple of Haircuts, we made a trip to Monticello for groceries and we've been catching up on our reading!!!!! Pretty boring blog reading.
May 19 ... Sat - The park had a clean up day. Dixie raked tree branches and twigs from a recent storm and helped plant some flowers. In the afternoon we attended a litte get together with fellow campers.
May 18 … Fri – Today we decided to take a drive (20 miles) into Lafayette. Dixie wanted to get her eyes checked for new contact lenses. We went to the mall where we inquired at a couple of places but decided on Lenscrafters where she had the exam done this afternoon. I spent the time in the Panera Bread Co. having a café latte and using their free internet service.
May 17 … Thu – We went down to the clubhouse to use the high speed internet this morning. Since there’s a fitness center here as well, we worked the muscles a bit on some of the hand-me-down equipment that’s typical in RV parks. Dixie did some aerobics watching a video.
May 16 … Wed – Move day; this time to a Western Horizon park in Monticello, IN. We made intermediate stops at a Flying J for fuel and at Bill Gardner RV in Lafayette (home of Purdue University) to have them look at our Dometic refrigerator. They are ordering a part for it so next week we’ll be making the 20 mile trip back to have it installed. The park is having sewer problems so we have to park in an area with no sewer hookups. Hopefully we will be able to move to the section that is on the lake by early next week. We have no internet service at our site and the phone service is minimal! We are at this park for 3 weeks….it could be a long 3 weeks!
May 15 … Tue – We drove into Scottsburg and visited a nice “coffee bar” that offered free wifi to its customers. We spent the morning and the afternoon doing things around the motorhome. Mike put everything away because rain was expected (we got it) later in the evening.
May 14 … Mon – We woke up to a cool morning of about 44 degrees but by noon it was sunny and in the 70’s. We took a drive into Scottsburg to look around at yet another small town in America. We then had a delicious lunch at the local Cracker Barrel Restaurant. Back at the mh Mike did some cleaning and re-arranging of items in the cargo compartment.
May 19 ... Sat - The park had a clean up day. Dixie raked tree branches and twigs from a recent storm and helped plant some flowers. In the afternoon we attended a litte get together with fellow campers.
May 18 … Fri – Today we decided to take a drive (20 miles) into Lafayette. Dixie wanted to get her eyes checked for new contact lenses. We went to the mall where we inquired at a couple of places but decided on Lenscrafters where she had the exam done this afternoon. I spent the time in the Panera Bread Co. having a café latte and using their free internet service.
May 17 … Thu – We went down to the clubhouse to use the high speed internet this morning. Since there’s a fitness center here as well, we worked the muscles a bit on some of the hand-me-down equipment that’s typical in RV parks. Dixie did some aerobics watching a video.
May 16 … Wed – Move day; this time to a Western Horizon park in Monticello, IN. We made intermediate stops at a Flying J for fuel and at Bill Gardner RV in Lafayette (home of Purdue University) to have them look at our Dometic refrigerator. They are ordering a part for it so next week we’ll be making the 20 mile trip back to have it installed. The park is having sewer problems so we have to park in an area with no sewer hookups. Hopefully we will be able to move to the section that is on the lake by early next week. We have no internet service at our site and the phone service is minimal! We are at this park for 3 weeks….it could be a long 3 weeks!
May 15 … Tue – We drove into Scottsburg and visited a nice “coffee bar” that offered free wifi to its customers. We spent the morning and the afternoon doing things around the motorhome. Mike put everything away because rain was expected (we got it) later in the evening.
May 14 … Mon – We woke up to a cool morning of about 44 degrees but by noon it was sunny and in the 70’s. We took a drive into Scottsburg to look around at yet another small town in America. We then had a delicious lunch at the local Cracker Barrel Restaurant. Back at the mh Mike did some cleaning and re-arranging of items in the cargo compartment.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
There is a natural spring at the bottom of the hill. It is a beautiful site for a homesite!
Happy Mother's Day from Kentucky
May 13 … Sun – Happy Mother’s Day to all you Mothers! We are hitting the road today – however only going about 80 miles to Scottsburg, In. The park is around 30 miles from Louisville.
May 12 … Sat – A very nice weather day so we started out around 9:30a.m. and made a few stops at stores where we needed a few things. After that, we drove to Abraham Lincolns’ birth place just south of Hodgenville, Ky where he lived in a log cabin until the age of two. His family then moved to Knob Creek, Ky which was only about ten miles away. At the age of seven, his family moved to Indiana. We then drove into Hodgenville and visited the Lincoln Museum. It was very interesting and had several wax figures displayed depicting others during the time of his life.
We drove through Bardstown which is where “My Old Kentucky Home” is located. (home that inspired the Stephen Foster song) Next stop was the Jim Beam Distillery. We watched a film about the history of the family that has been making bourbon for more than 210 years. We received a sample “bourbon ball” when we entered the visitor center. Later, when we did the walking tour of the property and home, we were offered samples of the world famous Jim Beam bourbon.
May 11 … Fri – Rain in the a.m. so Dixie did some laundry. In the afternoon we went grocery shopping. It was a pretty uneventful day to say the least.
May 10 … Thurs – We got on the road early and drove about 45 miles to the Churchill Downs Race Park in Louisville, the place where the 133 Kentucky Derby was held last weekend. We did the walking tour around the complex that was led by a knowledgeable and humorous tour guide. The guide took us to the paddock, track, grandstands and the winners circle. We also saw the ‘resident thoroughbred’ and his companion, a miniature horse. She explained much of the history of the track which is the oldest continuously operated race track in the nation. The museum also features an award-winning, High Definition Kentucky Derby film entitled "The Greatest Race". Displayed on a 360-degree screen, "The Greatest Race" places the viewer in the center of Derby Day action.
We then drove to downtown Louisville and visited the Louisville Slugger Museum. It consisted of another walking tour; this one was of the working factory where the baseball bats are manufactured. Many Major League ball players are under contract to have their bats made specifically for them with their autograph on the bat. I got to hold the bats that Houston Astro players Jeff Bagwell (retired), Lance Berkman and Craig Biggio have made for them.
May 9 … Wed – We arrived at the Yarwood Mobile home park aka an rv park here in Radcliff, Ky. The rv part of this park is probably only about 5% of this park. Needless to say it’s not much of a park. The check-in person told Dixie very little about the sites so we spent half an hour looking for the electric/water/sewer connections. Believe me, they were hard to find. When we arrived there was one fifth wheel and one travel trailer in the rv part of the park.
After set up, we decided to visit the Patton Museum which was only a few miles away. It was quite an experience seeing many restored battle tanks going back to WWI. We also saw the ‘Gold Vault’ at Fort Knox….you can only see it from the road as they allow no visitors! From our understanding there is very little gold left in there.
May 12 … Sat – A very nice weather day so we started out around 9:30a.m. and made a few stops at stores where we needed a few things. After that, we drove to Abraham Lincolns’ birth place just south of Hodgenville, Ky where he lived in a log cabin until the age of two. His family then moved to Knob Creek, Ky which was only about ten miles away. At the age of seven, his family moved to Indiana. We then drove into Hodgenville and visited the Lincoln Museum. It was very interesting and had several wax figures displayed depicting others during the time of his life.
We drove through Bardstown which is where “My Old Kentucky Home” is located. (home that inspired the Stephen Foster song) Next stop was the Jim Beam Distillery. We watched a film about the history of the family that has been making bourbon for more than 210 years. We received a sample “bourbon ball” when we entered the visitor center. Later, when we did the walking tour of the property and home, we were offered samples of the world famous Jim Beam bourbon.
May 11 … Fri – Rain in the a.m. so Dixie did some laundry. In the afternoon we went grocery shopping. It was a pretty uneventful day to say the least.
May 10 … Thurs – We got on the road early and drove about 45 miles to the Churchill Downs Race Park in Louisville, the place where the 133 Kentucky Derby was held last weekend. We did the walking tour around the complex that was led by a knowledgeable and humorous tour guide. The guide took us to the paddock, track, grandstands and the winners circle. We also saw the ‘resident thoroughbred’ and his companion, a miniature horse. She explained much of the history of the track which is the oldest continuously operated race track in the nation. The museum also features an award-winning, High Definition Kentucky Derby film entitled "The Greatest Race". Displayed on a 360-degree screen, "The Greatest Race" places the viewer in the center of Derby Day action.
We then drove to downtown Louisville and visited the Louisville Slugger Museum. It consisted of another walking tour; this one was of the working factory where the baseball bats are manufactured. Many Major League ball players are under contract to have their bats made specifically for them with their autograph on the bat. I got to hold the bats that Houston Astro players Jeff Bagwell (retired), Lance Berkman and Craig Biggio have made for them.
May 9 … Wed – We arrived at the Yarwood Mobile home park aka an rv park here in Radcliff, Ky. The rv part of this park is probably only about 5% of this park. Needless to say it’s not much of a park. The check-in person told Dixie very little about the sites so we spent half an hour looking for the electric/water/sewer connections. Believe me, they were hard to find. When we arrived there was one fifth wheel and one travel trailer in the rv part of the park.
After set up, we decided to visit the Patton Museum which was only a few miles away. It was quite an experience seeing many restored battle tanks going back to WWI. We also saw the ‘Gold Vault’ at Fort Knox….you can only see it from the road as they allow no visitors! From our understanding there is very little gold left in there.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
My Old Kentucky Home!
May 8 … Tue – U. S. Army Major Brandon Scott Teague was born on this day in 1971. That would make him 36 years old today. Dixie did laundry and did campground research on the computer. Mike climbed atop the motorhome and cleaned the roof; a job he had been putting off for some time. He says it now looks great!! Travel day tomorrow but only about 60 miles to Radcliff, Ky, a small town about 35 miles south of Louisville.
May 7 … Mon – The weather is cool and sunny this morning so we decided to try the Ranger led hike from the Visitor Center today. We were the only two people who showed up for it so we had a personal tour done by Ranger Carol Pike. She was very knowledgeable (formerly a school librarian) pointing out several wild flowers and told us much of the history of the early visitors to Mammouth Cave. We took a different route back where the trail took us to a impressive lookout point over the Green River.
May 6 … Sun – We got the bikes down, packed a lunch, and hit the trail today. We estimated we rode 13 miles along the woods trail that had many ups and downs to it. We were hoping to ride the six miles to the Mammouth Cave Visitors Center, however, the trail had not been completed all the way. We later came to the end of the trail where we discovered a very old cemetery where some of the dates went back to 1877.
May 5 … Sat – Our plan was to go on a Ranger led hike today, however, not the weather didn't co-operate. After the rain stopped, around 11:00a.m., we ventured out and drove to Glasgow, the largest town in the area. They have a Walmart, so of course, we had to do some “necessary” shopping. This town was recently voted by Progressive Farmer Magazine as the #1 Top Rural Community in America. Also along the way in Park City we saw historic Bells Tavern - the remains of a tavern that many of the rich stopped at on their way to tour Mammoth Cave in the 1800's. Of course we had to watch the Kentucky Derby and then go to a derby party at the clubhouse where we enjoyed Chili, Derby Pie & a Mint Julep! The derby is a very big deal in this part of the country.
May 4 … Fri – A cloudy, rainy day where laundry was in order. We did some computer work from the office/gym where the park has wireless internet available. Dixie did more park planning for our future travels into Michigan and Wisconsin later this summer.
May 3 … Thurs – Today we went on one of the several Mammoth Cave tours here in the Mammoth Cave National Park. This particular one was 2 miles in length and took about 2 hours and was led by a very knowledgeable National Park Ranger who actually grew up in the area. The cave has more than 350 known miles to it and is thought to be the largest in the world and has been explored extensively since around 1800. Unbelievably, a former slave discovered and mapped much of the caves system in the mid-1800’s. At one point in the tour, the guide turned off the interior lights as well as his lantern and a ask everyone to be quiet as possible. The darkness and silence was astounding! He told the story of a man who got lost from his tour and spent 39 hours in the cave until he was rescued. He said the worst part was the silence of the cave, not the darkness.
May 2 … Wed – We got up early today and got on the road around 9:00a.m. headed for the Diamond Caverns RV resort in Park City, KY. Of course, we can’t pass up a Flying J stop where the diesel fuel was .20cents less than unleaded for a change. The RV park is 6 miles from the Mammoth Cave visitors center and is an OK park. It has WIFI in the clubhouse area and also has a small exercise room.
May 7 … Mon – The weather is cool and sunny this morning so we decided to try the Ranger led hike from the Visitor Center today. We were the only two people who showed up for it so we had a personal tour done by Ranger Carol Pike. She was very knowledgeable (formerly a school librarian) pointing out several wild flowers and told us much of the history of the early visitors to Mammouth Cave. We took a different route back where the trail took us to a impressive lookout point over the Green River.
May 6 … Sun – We got the bikes down, packed a lunch, and hit the trail today. We estimated we rode 13 miles along the woods trail that had many ups and downs to it. We were hoping to ride the six miles to the Mammouth Cave Visitors Center, however, the trail had not been completed all the way. We later came to the end of the trail where we discovered a very old cemetery where some of the dates went back to 1877.
May 5 … Sat – Our plan was to go on a Ranger led hike today, however, not the weather didn't co-operate. After the rain stopped, around 11:00a.m., we ventured out and drove to Glasgow, the largest town in the area. They have a Walmart, so of course, we had to do some “necessary” shopping. This town was recently voted by Progressive Farmer Magazine as the #1 Top Rural Community in America. Also along the way in Park City we saw historic Bells Tavern - the remains of a tavern that many of the rich stopped at on their way to tour Mammoth Cave in the 1800's. Of course we had to watch the Kentucky Derby and then go to a derby party at the clubhouse where we enjoyed Chili, Derby Pie & a Mint Julep! The derby is a very big deal in this part of the country.
May 4 … Fri – A cloudy, rainy day where laundry was in order. We did some computer work from the office/gym where the park has wireless internet available. Dixie did more park planning for our future travels into Michigan and Wisconsin later this summer.
May 3 … Thurs – Today we went on one of the several Mammoth Cave tours here in the Mammoth Cave National Park. This particular one was 2 miles in length and took about 2 hours and was led by a very knowledgeable National Park Ranger who actually grew up in the area. The cave has more than 350 known miles to it and is thought to be the largest in the world and has been explored extensively since around 1800. Unbelievably, a former slave discovered and mapped much of the caves system in the mid-1800’s. At one point in the tour, the guide turned off the interior lights as well as his lantern and a ask everyone to be quiet as possible. The darkness and silence was astounding! He told the story of a man who got lost from his tour and spent 39 hours in the cave until he was rescued. He said the worst part was the silence of the cave, not the darkness.
May 2 … Wed – We got up early today and got on the road around 9:00a.m. headed for the Diamond Caverns RV resort in Park City, KY. Of course, we can’t pass up a Flying J stop where the diesel fuel was .20cents less than unleaded for a change. The RV park is 6 miles from the Mammoth Cave visitors center and is an OK park. It has WIFI in the clubhouse area and also has a small exercise room.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Nashville, Tennessee area
May 1 … Tue – 85 degrees today. House cleaning day. Mike attempted to change the oil in the generator but was unable to get the job completed. We had heard how hard it was to loosen the filter --- after a lot of trying he was able to get that loose but then was unable to loosen the oil cap! They sure put this stuff on tight in the factory! This afternoon we went into the Hendersonville library once again to check email and do various internet work. Tomorrow we move about 80 miles up the road to Park City, KY. The park is about 7 miles from Mammoth Cave Natl Park.
Apr 30 … Mon – Another beautiful day so this morning we rode the bikes around the neighborhood and along part of the lake. We drove into Nashville this afternoon to see some more sites. We saw all the country music sites when we were here before but we decided to go back to the famous Wildhorse Saloon to hear some music. The barbeque sandwich was great but the music was so-so. The singer did a couple of country songs but mostly other stuff that we have never heard before.
Apr 29 … Sun – A day of sun and 75 degrees. We took a drive in the country side but spent most of the day reading and working around the motorhome. There are lots of big beautiful homes in this area. Many with alot of land surrounding them.
Apr 28 … Sat – The Music City Marathon is happening today in downtown Nashville so we decided to steer clear of the huge crowd expected. We made stops at an Academy store, a Dick’s sporting goods store and a Sam’s club looking for a match to one of our outside “bag” chairs. No luck … again. The crowds around the malls and stores were large because the state had suspended the sales tax for the weekend.
Apr 27 … Fri – Today we decided to drive into Nashville and visit a few of the sites. Since we were here a few years ago and did many of the “touristy” things, we thought we would see some other things not commonly done in “music city”. Our first stop was the Greek Parthenon which is the only full-scale replica anywhere in the world. Originally built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition it serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. Inside is a re-creation of the 42 foot statue of Athena, the mythical goddess of wisdom. The double doors inside weighed 7.5 tons each, was 24 ft. high, 7 ft. wide and 1 ft. thick and are still used daily. From there we went to the “Upper Room” Chapel. As one enters the chapel, your attention is focused on the wood carving of “The Last Supper”. It is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting and is done in lime wood and walnut by the late Ernest Pellegrini. They have a very nice museum, with hundred of nativity scenes made out of anything you could think of.
Apr 26 …Thurs – The morning was rainy and cloudy but we decided to venture out and find a library anyway. This is necessary because there is no internet connection at this park. We spent a couple of hours in the library and then found the local Walmart Supercenter where we again replenished our supplies.
Apr 25 … Wed - Today we drove about 175 miles (after stopping at a Camping World store) to Cages Bend RV Park on Old Hickory Lake. This U.S. Army Corp of Engineers park is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Nashville, TN. From our large paved site, we have a partial view of the lake. Unfortunately the weather tonight and tomorrow is forecasted to be stormy and wet.
Apr 30 … Mon – Another beautiful day so this morning we rode the bikes around the neighborhood and along part of the lake. We drove into Nashville this afternoon to see some more sites. We saw all the country music sites when we were here before but we decided to go back to the famous Wildhorse Saloon to hear some music. The barbeque sandwich was great but the music was so-so. The singer did a couple of country songs but mostly other stuff that we have never heard before.
Apr 29 … Sun – A day of sun and 75 degrees. We took a drive in the country side but spent most of the day reading and working around the motorhome. There are lots of big beautiful homes in this area. Many with alot of land surrounding them.
Apr 28 … Sat – The Music City Marathon is happening today in downtown Nashville so we decided to steer clear of the huge crowd expected. We made stops at an Academy store, a Dick’s sporting goods store and a Sam’s club looking for a match to one of our outside “bag” chairs. No luck … again. The crowds around the malls and stores were large because the state had suspended the sales tax for the weekend.
Apr 27 … Fri – Today we decided to drive into Nashville and visit a few of the sites. Since we were here a few years ago and did many of the “touristy” things, we thought we would see some other things not commonly done in “music city”. Our first stop was the Greek Parthenon which is the only full-scale replica anywhere in the world. Originally built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition it serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. Inside is a re-creation of the 42 foot statue of Athena, the mythical goddess of wisdom. The double doors inside weighed 7.5 tons each, was 24 ft. high, 7 ft. wide and 1 ft. thick and are still used daily. From there we went to the “Upper Room” Chapel. As one enters the chapel, your attention is focused on the wood carving of “The Last Supper”. It is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting and is done in lime wood and walnut by the late Ernest Pellegrini. They have a very nice museum, with hundred of nativity scenes made out of anything you could think of.
Apr 26 …Thurs – The morning was rainy and cloudy but we decided to venture out and find a library anyway. This is necessary because there is no internet connection at this park. We spent a couple of hours in the library and then found the local Walmart Supercenter where we again replenished our supplies.
Apr 25 … Wed - Today we drove about 175 miles (after stopping at a Camping World store) to Cages Bend RV Park on Old Hickory Lake. This U.S. Army Corp of Engineers park is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Nashville, TN. From our large paved site, we have a partial view of the lake. Unfortunately the weather tonight and tomorrow is forecasted to be stormy and wet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
