Parrottrek Journal 2007
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Old Faithful was named in 1870 by surveyor General Washburn. He erupts about every 76 minutes, varying by 45-110 minutes. How that makes him faithful
amazes me a bit considering that he can be absolutely unfaithful in his timing of eruptions, but who am I to rename him? I must say he was very faithful when we
arrived at his site. The sign in the store said 11:40 +/- 10 minutes, and we walked out to see him at 11:35 and only had to wait about 5 minutes, so apparently
his name can stay. According to research however, his timings are getting a little further apart and the water coming out of him is getting a little less as well.
This of course has to do with the underground effects that cause the geyser, and small earthquakes below the ground can and have caused him to slow a bit.
After all the guys is over 200 years old so I guess it's fair to let him wait a little between eruptions. He was very interesting to watch since he would sputter a few
times before he actually blew. With our handy binoculars we could see his water bubbling up slowly and then all of a sudden whoosh it all came up. Very cool!
amazes me a bit considering that he can be absolutely unfaithful in his timing of eruptions, but who am I to rename him? I must say he was very faithful when we
arrived at his site. The sign in the store said 11:40 +/- 10 minutes, and we walked out to see him at 11:35 and only had to wait about 5 minutes, so apparently
his name can stay. According to research however, his timings are getting a little further apart and the water coming out of him is getting a little less as well.
This of course has to do with the underground effects that cause the geyser, and small earthquakes below the ground can and have caused him to slow a bit.
After all the guys is over 200 years old so I guess it's fair to let him wait a little between eruptions. He was very interesting to watch since he would sputter a few
times before he actually blew. With our handy binoculars we could see his water bubbling up slowly and then all of a sudden whoosh it all came up. Very cool!
August 2nd - The Peregrine Center for Birds of Prey - Boise Idaho -
Well wonders never cease. We actually did leave the house today and venture out into the touristy side of Boise, Idaho. Goldie, Kari and Suzy went into town
and visited the Peregrine Fund, which is the National Center for Birds of Prey. They breed them here and release them back out into the wild. In fact it was
because of this place that the Peregrine Falcon was taken off of the endangered species list. Cody, Abbey and Bradley are always excited to hear of one of
their cousins being saved from extinction. They also breed various types of hawks as well as California Condors. The California Condor that we saw here today
weighed 20lbs and had an 11 foot wingspan, and people think Cody is a big bird. Please keep in mind that birds have hollow bones so 20lbs in ginormous!
They had a few different birds out on display eating lunch right there in front of us. It was very educational and quite intriguing to watch a falcon eat a quail and
a hawk eat chicken legs. Goldie of course was more interested in the flowers and the stream that crossed the property so we sat on a park bench and watched
the water for a bit. It was a very nice day to be outside. After our visit to the bird center we headed back home to meet up with Toby and Frank, ordered some
pizza and hit Dairy Queen for desert with Kari's cousin Heather and her husband Mike. Since all of the kids were with relatives for the evening the parents let
loose with a wild night of hot fudge sundaes. It was all in all a wonderful two days and a great visit with beautiful Goldie and her parents. Love you guys!
Well wonders never cease. We actually did leave the house today and venture out into the touristy side of Boise, Idaho. Goldie, Kari and Suzy went into town
and visited the Peregrine Fund, which is the National Center for Birds of Prey. They breed them here and release them back out into the wild. In fact it was
because of this place that the Peregrine Falcon was taken off of the endangered species list. Cody, Abbey and Bradley are always excited to hear of one of
their cousins being saved from extinction. They also breed various types of hawks as well as California Condors. The California Condor that we saw here today
weighed 20lbs and had an 11 foot wingspan, and people think Cody is a big bird. Please keep in mind that birds have hollow bones so 20lbs in ginormous!
They had a few different birds out on display eating lunch right there in front of us. It was very educational and quite intriguing to watch a falcon eat a quail and
a hawk eat chicken legs. Goldie of course was more interested in the flowers and the stream that crossed the property so we sat on a park bench and watched
the water for a bit. It was a very nice day to be outside. After our visit to the bird center we headed back home to meet up with Toby and Frank, ordered some
pizza and hit Dairy Queen for desert with Kari's cousin Heather and her husband Mike. Since all of the kids were with relatives for the evening the parents let
loose with a wild night of hot fudge sundaes. It was all in all a wonderful two days and a great visit with beautiful Goldie and her parents. Love you guys!
After three days here we haven't even scratched the surface of all there is to see here at the park. However Friday night didn't count too much since we didn't
get to the actual park, only the little town outside Yellowstone. This is definitely a site to put on next years list of places to stop on the way. The RV Park we
stayed was nice as well. It was nested in the trees, but still right on the road to the park. The jacuzzi was out on a redwood deck where you felt as tough you
were sitting in the forest. The air here smells so good. We slept every night with the windows open breathing in all of the fresh air. It rained most of Friday night
which turned out to be a great thing since all of the smoky air from the wildfires was washed away and the last two days have been beautiful without any smoke
to spoil the views. Our plan for next year is to actually camp at one of the RV parks inside Yellowstone and take the bikes out for a few hours to explore the
back hills and trails that only the bikes can get to. According to the map there are all sorts of hiking and biking trails so it should make for a fun few days.
get to the actual park, only the little town outside Yellowstone. This is definitely a site to put on next years list of places to stop on the way. The RV Park we
stayed was nice as well. It was nested in the trees, but still right on the road to the park. The jacuzzi was out on a redwood deck where you felt as tough you
were sitting in the forest. The air here smells so good. We slept every night with the windows open breathing in all of the fresh air. It rained most of Friday night
which turned out to be a great thing since all of the smoky air from the wildfires was washed away and the last two days have been beautiful without any smoke
to spoil the views. Our plan for next year is to actually camp at one of the RV parks inside Yellowstone and take the bikes out for a few hours to explore the
back hills and trails that only the bikes can get to. According to the map there are all sorts of hiking and biking trails so it should make for a fun few days.
August 1st - Meridian Idaho -
Hooray!!! We made it to Idaho and a relaxing bit of time to enjoy with fabulous friends. Kari (Brown) King, one of my very very best friends from childhood lives
here in the wonderful city of Meridian, just outside of Boise. One of the greatest things in the entire world, is to have friends that you have known since not
knowing life without them. Kari, all of her sisters and I have been friends just that long. It's one of those relationships where there isn't a phase of life, or
experience that we have not gone through together nor is there any phase of life that we weren't either side by side or a phone call away. It's also a friendship
you don't want to end because the other one might just sell your deep dark secrets and actually make a few bucks off of them (of course neither Kari or I have
ever done anything that would be of blackmail material) Almost every high school memory I have has at least one of the Brown girls in it, or our dear Holly
(Adams) North who is another friend from before time. Kari and I have the greatest of friendships. It's the kind where you can not see each other for months on
end, other than talking through phone calls and e-mails, and once you meet again it is as though not a day has past. Obviously a day or two has past since we
last saw each other considering that Frank and I have been across the country 4 times since our last visit with the Kings and there is now a new member of the
King family. Marigold Grace King, positively the cutest 8 month old anyone has ever laid eyes on, promise I'm not biased at all. She has a constant smile on her
sweet little face, and laughs pretty much non stop. We had a terrific day today. We did pretty much nothing other than watch Goldie, the name fits her perfectly,
and play with a whole bunch of baby toys. Where else can you regress back to childhood and act like a crazy little kid except around another little kid? Frank
brought his guitar, and even played a little piano with our precious Goldie. Due to the wonderful world of Internet and pictures we have watched Goldie grow up
through e-mails and the Kings blog, www.kingsofidaho.blogspot.com Seeing her in person and being able to snuggle and play beats the old Internet any day.
Tomorrow we might actually leave the house and explore Boise a bit, however laying around and playing with toys sounds like a good plan for one more day.
Hooray!!! We made it to Idaho and a relaxing bit of time to enjoy with fabulous friends. Kari (Brown) King, one of my very very best friends from childhood lives
here in the wonderful city of Meridian, just outside of Boise. One of the greatest things in the entire world, is to have friends that you have known since not
knowing life without them. Kari, all of her sisters and I have been friends just that long. It's one of those relationships where there isn't a phase of life, or
experience that we have not gone through together nor is there any phase of life that we weren't either side by side or a phone call away. It's also a friendship
you don't want to end because the other one might just sell your deep dark secrets and actually make a few bucks off of them (of course neither Kari or I have
ever done anything that would be of blackmail material) Almost every high school memory I have has at least one of the Brown girls in it, or our dear Holly
(Adams) North who is another friend from before time. Kari and I have the greatest of friendships. It's the kind where you can not see each other for months on
end, other than talking through phone calls and e-mails, and once you meet again it is as though not a day has past. Obviously a day or two has past since we
last saw each other considering that Frank and I have been across the country 4 times since our last visit with the Kings and there is now a new member of the
King family. Marigold Grace King, positively the cutest 8 month old anyone has ever laid eyes on, promise I'm not biased at all. She has a constant smile on her
sweet little face, and laughs pretty much non stop. We had a terrific day today. We did pretty much nothing other than watch Goldie, the name fits her perfectly,
and play with a whole bunch of baby toys. Where else can you regress back to childhood and act like a crazy little kid except around another little kid? Frank
brought his guitar, and even played a little piano with our precious Goldie. Due to the wonderful world of Internet and pictures we have watched Goldie grow up
through e-mails and the Kings blog, www.kingsofidaho.blogspot.com Seeing her in person and being able to snuggle and play beats the old Internet any day.
Tomorrow we might actually leave the house and explore Boise a bit, however laying around and playing with toys sounds like a good plan for one more day.
Lunchtime for the Peregrine Falcon
Momma falcon and her featherless chicks
Momma Kari and her sweet Goldie
Frank and Marigold playing the piano
Donner Pass on the drive to Boise
| August 3rd- 5th - Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming - How handy is this? Yellowstone just happens to be right on the way to Minnesota so we decided to stop for a couple nights. We started out this morning with the top on the Jeep, due to the chilly morning, but by noon the sun came out and the top came off. Yellowstone is the most diverse National Park we have ever seen. As you're driving all of a sudden you notice the ground and mountains steaming due to all of the hot springs and geysers around you. It makes for some beautiful scenery. There are tons of pullouts and parking lots, so you can stop and see anything you want. We walked around a huge area with all sorts of geysers and mud pools and hot springs. Almost everywhere we stopped we also saw all sorts of wildlife and the biggest patch of lily pads ever! |
| August 5th - The Wildlife of Yellowstone National Park - Who needs a zoo when you can just drive through Wyoming and observe the beautiful animals all around. We saw a herd of girl elks bathing and drinking in a stream. Not too far from them was daddy elk. All you could see were his antlers and boy were they huge. I would have loved for him to stand up, but he was napping while the girls bathed so we didn't bother him. Near one of the visitor centers in the grass walkway was a group of lunching mule deer, babies and all. They apparently don't mind people since they didn't even flinch as we all broke out our cameras. Bison roamed around munching on the grass as well as some of the cutest chipmunks ever. In the lily pads there were tons of dragonflies, and finally one sat still long enough for me to snap his picture. |
A Canoe Ride Through the Grand Tetons -
The last few lakes we have driven by we have daydreamed about floating down one in a canoe or raft. Deciding that it has been far too long since we have
floated on a lake we decided that the Grand Tetons was the best place to get some lake time. The mountains here are gorgeous. They look like they are made
of granite, and on quite a few of the really tall ones there was still some snow. The weather was perfect today. Warm enough to enjoy floating along in shorts,
and cool enough to not be upset that we hadn't packed our bathing suits. The very chilly water also made it okay that we didn't wear our swimming attire since
swimming just might have turned us blue. We did hang our legs over the edge of the canoe and dangle them in Jackson Lake when we did get warm, and that
was plenty to cool us off again. We docked on a rocky beach for a bit and watched a family of Canadian Geese cruise around the shores as well as a momma
duck and all her little ducklings. After a couple hours and a good arm workout we headed back to the dock to return the boat and explore the rest of the Tetons
The last few lakes we have driven by we have daydreamed about floating down one in a canoe or raft. Deciding that it has been far too long since we have
floated on a lake we decided that the Grand Tetons was the best place to get some lake time. The mountains here are gorgeous. They look like they are made
of granite, and on quite a few of the really tall ones there was still some snow. The weather was perfect today. Warm enough to enjoy floating along in shorts,
and cool enough to not be upset that we hadn't packed our bathing suits. The very chilly water also made it okay that we didn't wear our swimming attire since
swimming just might have turned us blue. We did hang our legs over the edge of the canoe and dangle them in Jackson Lake when we did get warm, and that
was plenty to cool us off again. We docked on a rocky beach for a bit and watched a family of Canadian Geese cruise around the shores as well as a momma
duck and all her little ducklings. After a couple hours and a good arm workout we headed back to the dock to return the boat and explore the rest of the Tetons
Old Faithful begins to stir before he blows
Old faithful erupts with 8,000 gallons
One of the many waterfalls we past on our drive
A 200 degree mud pool Ouch don't touch!
Dinner in an Old Train Stop -
We stopped in the town of West Yellowstone this evening and had dinner at the Oregon Short Line. It was the old train stop for the Short Line Train. Trains from
all over the country would come here bringing people to see Yellowstone since Yellowstone didn't allow automobiles into the park at this time, and the Short Line
would take you through the park. Many other railroads jumped on the band wagon and began to offer rides to and from the park as well. As time went on Short
Line, offered only one train ride a day. After World War II ended, the trains ran a bit more often, but by 1960 all of the railroads stopped offering service to the
park. Private automobiles and National Park buses are now the only way to tour the park, except of course by foot or mountain bike, however considering that
the Grand Loop is over 174 miles long you might want to bring something other than your bike in case your legs get tired. The train cars were still set up just like
they were back in those days with dinning and sleeping quarters along with a lounge and potties. All the conveniences of home, sort of like our bus, except that
the train had to stay on the tracks, while we can go pretty much anywhere. Too bad The Short Line no longer runs. A train ride through here would be fun.
We stopped in the town of West Yellowstone this evening and had dinner at the Oregon Short Line. It was the old train stop for the Short Line Train. Trains from
all over the country would come here bringing people to see Yellowstone since Yellowstone didn't allow automobiles into the park at this time, and the Short Line
would take you through the park. Many other railroads jumped on the band wagon and began to offer rides to and from the park as well. As time went on Short
Line, offered only one train ride a day. After World War II ended, the trains ran a bit more often, but by 1960 all of the railroads stopped offering service to the
park. Private automobiles and National Park buses are now the only way to tour the park, except of course by foot or mountain bike, however considering that
the Grand Loop is over 174 miles long you might want to bring something other than your bike in case your legs get tired. The train cars were still set up just like
they were back in those days with dinning and sleeping quarters along with a lounge and potties. All the conveniences of home, sort of like our bus, except that
the train had to stay on the tracks, while we can go pretty much anywhere. Too bad The Short Line no longer runs. A train ride through here would be fun.
Abbey and her new Bison friend
August - 25th - Indianapolis, Indiana -
...And the adventure continues. We are now in the grand state of Indiana with
lots of stuff to do. Since the Hershey Factory Tour wasn't really a tour of the
factory where the candy was made we decided to find a chocolate factory that
did in fact show us a real candy factory and we did. On our way here we stopped
in Ohio and watched the Anthony-Thomas Factory at work making caramel filled
chocolate and peanut butter cups. At the end of the tour we all sampled some
and then hit the gift shop for all sorts of different types of candies we had never
tried. Cody was quite impressed with the array of delights we brought home,
and even more upset at the fact that he wasn't allowed to have any of them.
Heartland Resort is our home here for the last couple days. It's an enormous RV
Park with a wonderful lake that we spent yesterday in since the temperature
outside was a bit warm. This morning we hit IMS also known as Indianapolis
Raceway Park, the home of the infamous Indy 500 and NASCAR's Brickyard
400. Frank and I came here last year, but since Frank's dad is such a racing fan
we had to bring them here to see it for themselves. In exchange for the last few
days spent in the world of racing, which also included a tour of the Monster shop
here in town we made it up to Jan, Frank's mom, by going to a WNBA playoffs
game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Suns. Not being avid
watchers of the sport we weren't sure who to cheer for, so we choose the Suns.
Jan preferred them a bit over the Fever team, and Frank and I like the state of
...And the adventure continues. We are now in the grand state of Indiana with
lots of stuff to do. Since the Hershey Factory Tour wasn't really a tour of the
factory where the candy was made we decided to find a chocolate factory that
did in fact show us a real candy factory and we did. On our way here we stopped
in Ohio and watched the Anthony-Thomas Factory at work making caramel filled
chocolate and peanut butter cups. At the end of the tour we all sampled some
and then hit the gift shop for all sorts of different types of candies we had never
tried. Cody was quite impressed with the array of delights we brought home,
and even more upset at the fact that he wasn't allowed to have any of them.
Heartland Resort is our home here for the last couple days. It's an enormous RV
Park with a wonderful lake that we spent yesterday in since the temperature
outside was a bit warm. This morning we hit IMS also known as Indianapolis
Raceway Park, the home of the infamous Indy 500 and NASCAR's Brickyard
400. Frank and I came here last year, but since Frank's dad is such a racing fan
we had to bring them here to see it for themselves. In exchange for the last few
days spent in the world of racing, which also included a tour of the Monster shop
here in town we made it up to Jan, Frank's mom, by going to a WNBA playoffs
game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Suns. Not being avid
watchers of the sport we weren't sure who to cheer for, so we choose the Suns.
Jan preferred them a bit over the Fever team, and Frank and I like the state of
Connecticut more so than the state of Indiana so we all cheered them on. Unfortunately they didn't win, but it was still a very entertaining evening. There was a
clown that made us all balloon hats in the shape of basketball hoops and we were also given these really fun things called bam-bams that you blew up like a
long and think balloon and when you knocked them together they made an enormous BAM-BAM sound. We of course being in the home court for the Fevers,
and cheering when the opposing team scored by slamming together our bam-bams drove a few of our neighbors a little crazy, but it sure was fun being a little
rebellious. One of the girls on the Suns team was 7 foot 2. She was enormous. It was hilarious to watch anyone try and guard when she had the ball since all
she had to do was reach over their head and throw the ball into the basket. We took a picture of a few of the girls and Jan, above, just to show you how tall they
all were. Okay yes they are cut outs, but you can still a good idea of their size. The band that played during the timeouts and half-time was very good,
especially with all their dancing. The little 8 year old girl that sang the National Anthem before the game almost made us cry since her voice was so great.
clown that made us all balloon hats in the shape of basketball hoops and we were also given these really fun things called bam-bams that you blew up like a
long and think balloon and when you knocked them together they made an enormous BAM-BAM sound. We of course being in the home court for the Fevers,
and cheering when the opposing team scored by slamming together our bam-bams drove a few of our neighbors a little crazy, but it sure was fun being a little
rebellious. One of the girls on the Suns team was 7 foot 2. She was enormous. It was hilarious to watch anyone try and guard when she had the ball since all
she had to do was reach over their head and throw the ball into the basket. We took a picture of a few of the girls and Jan, above, just to show you how tall they
all were. Okay yes they are cut outs, but you can still a good idea of their size. The band that played during the timeouts and half-time was very good,
especially with all their dancing. The little 8 year old girl that sang the National Anthem before the game almost made us cry since her voice was so great.
The trophy for winning the Indy 500
Where the team works when not at a race
All the old cars of previous Indy 500 races
Jan and Frank get up close with the cars
Two rafts (and a little light headedness)
A nice evening floating on the lake
Take one lake on a hot day
The Parrot Flower -
Aren't these the most amazing flowers? They actually do look like parrots. They are only found in Thailand and India. Since neither destination is attainable via
motorhome we will have to be content with just looking at the pictures of them. I would however like to order a dozen of them for Valentine's Day but that might
be a bit pricey, so once again these pictures will have to suffice. I've heard a few rumors that these flowers don't actually exist, but I choose not to believe that.
Aren't these the most amazing flowers? They actually do look like parrots. They are only found in Thailand and India. Since neither destination is attainable via
motorhome we will have to be content with just looking at the pictures of them. I would however like to order a dozen of them for Valentine's Day but that might
be a bit pricey, so once again these pictures will have to suffice. I've heard a few rumors that these flowers don't actually exist, but I choose not to believe that.
August 21st - Martin Guitar (again) -
Yes it was well worth hitting Martin a second time today. We went earlier in the day
this time so we saw a lot more hands on building by the employees. Yesterday
when we took the tour, it was a little after 2:30 which is after most of the employees
had left for the day, due to the fact that they all work 6:15 to 2:15. Today the shop
was in full working mode at 1:00 when our tour started. The entire process of
building a guitar is done by hand and the finishing touches such as buffing and
adding the final coat of lacquer is done by very careful and specific robots. These
steps used to be done by hand but they had alot of problems with the guitars when
people would press too hard with the buffer or would add to much lacquer and
there were a lot of injuries to employees arms and wrists. The automated buffing
arm, pictured on the left, knows just how hard to push and won't develop carpel
tunnel as a side effect of doing so. At the end of th tour we all headed to the Pickin
Parlour and listened to Frank sample of few of the nicer and specialty guitars. We
also were given a fun souvenir that is part of the wood that is cut out of each guitar
to create the sound hole. Cody loved tearing these to shreds as soon as got home.
Mack Truck Factory Tour - Macungie, PA -
The other activity of the day was watching Mack Trucks get built and put together.
It was fascinating to see how an assembly line works with something as large as a
Mack Truck. In fact there was one spot on the line we were watching where the cab
of the truck was not where it was supposed to be. Considering that the line never
Yes it was well worth hitting Martin a second time today. We went earlier in the day
this time so we saw a lot more hands on building by the employees. Yesterday
when we took the tour, it was a little after 2:30 which is after most of the employees
had left for the day, due to the fact that they all work 6:15 to 2:15. Today the shop
was in full working mode at 1:00 when our tour started. The entire process of
building a guitar is done by hand and the finishing touches such as buffing and
adding the final coat of lacquer is done by very careful and specific robots. These
steps used to be done by hand but they had alot of problems with the guitars when
people would press too hard with the buffer or would add to much lacquer and
there were a lot of injuries to employees arms and wrists. The automated buffing
arm, pictured on the left, knows just how hard to push and won't develop carpel
tunnel as a side effect of doing so. At the end of th tour we all headed to the Pickin
Parlour and listened to Frank sample of few of the nicer and specialty guitars. We
also were given a fun souvenir that is part of the wood that is cut out of each guitar
to create the sound hole. Cody loved tearing these to shreds as soon as got home.
Mack Truck Factory Tour - Macungie, PA -
The other activity of the day was watching Mack Trucks get built and put together.
It was fascinating to see how an assembly line works with something as large as a
Mack Truck. In fact there was one spot on the line we were watching where the cab
of the truck was not where it was supposed to be. Considering that the line never
stops, even though it is only going .05 mph it can cause a bit of a problem. All of a sudden from around the corner came a fork lift, driving a lot faster than .05
mph, bringing the missing cab to the line. The cab was lifted and put into place just in the knick of time. Unfortunately they don't allow cameras into the plant so
we have no pictures to show you all just how fascinating it was. We did however take a few pictures in front of the sample trunk of a Mack Truck and a picture of
the entryway into the plant where they hold the cabs that are waiting to be put on the line. After our day of factory tours we headed to Amish Country and had
dinner at Shady Maples Smorgasboord, the best restaurant in Pennsylvania. It was seafood night so we had all the different seafood dishes you can imagine
along with every type of veggie to choice from along with a 20 foot salad bar and 20 foot desert bar. YUM! Even if you don't like seafood they have all sorts of
chicken dishes along with pulled pork and countless other main dishes. We usually aren't big buffet eaters, but Shady Maples is so good it is the only buffet we
hit anywhere. One dinner here and you are spoiled for life. It almost makes you want to become Amish to learn all the recipes that these ladies have. After
dinner we walked all around their 42,000 square foot gift shop. They have everything you can even imagine in this gift shop. We found a great Playmobile toy
set that is a pirate ship for our sweet Bradley since Noah, his family and his Ark have all succumbed. Good thing the bird that brought back the olive branch was
a dove and not an African Grey Parrot. The story may not have had such a happy ending if Bradley had access to the original Ark. Good thing this pirate ship
was only designed for ages four plus since it took three adults to put it together as it was. However we did have three birds trying to play with it and pull it apart
just as fast as we could put it together. Once it was completed it was an instant hit. Bradly was hilarious, the first thing he did was pull off the little parrot that sat
next to the pirate on the poop deck, threw it on the ground and stood in it's place. Apparently he wanted to be the only parrot on the ship.
mph, bringing the missing cab to the line. The cab was lifted and put into place just in the knick of time. Unfortunately they don't allow cameras into the plant so
we have no pictures to show you all just how fascinating it was. We did however take a few pictures in front of the sample trunk of a Mack Truck and a picture of
the entryway into the plant where they hold the cabs that are waiting to be put on the line. After our day of factory tours we headed to Amish Country and had
dinner at Shady Maples Smorgasboord, the best restaurant in Pennsylvania. It was seafood night so we had all the different seafood dishes you can imagine
along with every type of veggie to choice from along with a 20 foot salad bar and 20 foot desert bar. YUM! Even if you don't like seafood they have all sorts of
chicken dishes along with pulled pork and countless other main dishes. We usually aren't big buffet eaters, but Shady Maples is so good it is the only buffet we
hit anywhere. One dinner here and you are spoiled for life. It almost makes you want to become Amish to learn all the recipes that these ladies have. After
dinner we walked all around their 42,000 square foot gift shop. They have everything you can even imagine in this gift shop. We found a great Playmobile toy
set that is a pirate ship for our sweet Bradley since Noah, his family and his Ark have all succumbed. Good thing the bird that brought back the olive branch was
a dove and not an African Grey Parrot. The story may not have had such a happy ending if Bradley had access to the original Ark. Good thing this pirate ship
was only designed for ages four plus since it took three adults to put it together as it was. However we did have three birds trying to play with it and pull it apart
just as fast as we could put it together. Once it was completed it was an instant hit. Bradly was hilarious, the first thing he did was pull off the little parrot that sat
next to the pirate on the poop deck, threw it on the ground and stood in it's place. Apparently he wanted to be the only parrot on the ship.
As soon as one of us would put the parrot back on the ship, each time putting him in a new place, Bradley would find the parrot and again remove him. He even
did a little victory dance after the little parrot was off his ship and on the floor. We were quite entertained by this. How he knows it is a bird I have no idea.
did a little victory dance after the little parrot was off his ship and on the floor. We were quite entertained by this. How he knows it is a bird I have no idea.
August 20th - Allentown Pennsylvania - Martin Guitar Tour-
Surprise surprise! It rained all day on Sunday in Reading! They rescheduled the race this year to the middle of Summer in hopes that the rain would stay away
and the weather would be nice and sunny. It was nice and sunny on Friday and Saturday. Even Sunday morning wasn't terrible. Cold, but not terrible. Both of
our teams lost first round and as soon as the Monster Funny Car went down the track the rains came. Not it's ever good to loose but it was sort of nice not
having to stay till Monday to finish the race. Especially since we are now in Allentown which has been one of the most anticipated stops along the way for our
darling Frank. He has been waiting months to tour the C.F.Martin and Company guitar manufacturing plant. This is the company that made his beautiful guitar
that keeps him occupied, and all of us entertained. We were going to wait until tomorrow, after Frank's parents arrive, but Frank was far too anxious to wait.
Besides we actually had so much fun today that we are planning on going back again tomorrow with his parents! They take you through the entire process of
creating these amazing instruments. From the development and design, from raw pieces of wood to the finished product. They finish 250 guitars, on average, a
day. They don't necessarily start all 250 of these the same day since many of the guitars take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months to complete depending on
the detail of the design and the type of wood they are made from. After seeing all the work that goes into them it sure gives you a new appreciation for guitars.
Surprise surprise! It rained all day on Sunday in Reading! They rescheduled the race this year to the middle of Summer in hopes that the rain would stay away
and the weather would be nice and sunny. It was nice and sunny on Friday and Saturday. Even Sunday morning wasn't terrible. Cold, but not terrible. Both of
our teams lost first round and as soon as the Monster Funny Car went down the track the rains came. Not it's ever good to loose but it was sort of nice not
having to stay till Monday to finish the race. Especially since we are now in Allentown which has been one of the most anticipated stops along the way for our
darling Frank. He has been waiting months to tour the C.F.Martin and Company guitar manufacturing plant. This is the company that made his beautiful guitar
that keeps him occupied, and all of us entertained. We were going to wait until tomorrow, after Frank's parents arrive, but Frank was far too anxious to wait.
Besides we actually had so much fun today that we are planning on going back again tomorrow with his parents! They take you through the entire process of
creating these amazing instruments. From the development and design, from raw pieces of wood to the finished product. They finish 250 guitars, on average, a
day. They don't necessarily start all 250 of these the same day since many of the guitars take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months to complete depending on
the detail of the design and the type of wood they are made from. After seeing all the work that goes into them it sure gives you a new appreciation for guitars.
The bare wood before anything is added
Mack built the first bus ever made
Bradley tries to tear his toy open
It's almost together with Grandpa's help
August 22nd - Hershey Pennsylvania - Chocolate World -
One cannot drive out of Pennsylvania without visiting the sweetest place in the state, the town of Hershey. We took a trolley tour around the grounds of the
Chocolate Factory and the Milton S. Hershey School for under privileged children that is funded only by the proceeds from the sale of Hershey candies and
chocolates around the world. We made a couple stops along our tour. One of them was at the schools visitor center and main auditorium. The inside of the
foyer is made completely of granite, and is it beautiful. In the center of the floor in the foyer of the visitor center is a dedication to the founders of the school.
Milton Hershey and his wife Kitty. Also in the room stands a statue in honor of Mr. Hershey that was donated to the school by the class that graduated the year
Milton Hershey died. The statue states 'His deeds are his monument, his life is our inspiration'. The arch in the ceiling is the only free standing arch in the USA.
One cannot drive out of Pennsylvania without visiting the sweetest place in the state, the town of Hershey. We took a trolley tour around the grounds of the
Chocolate Factory and the Milton S. Hershey School for under privileged children that is funded only by the proceeds from the sale of Hershey candies and
chocolates around the world. We made a couple stops along our tour. One of them was at the schools visitor center and main auditorium. The inside of the
foyer is made completely of granite, and is it beautiful. In the center of the floor in the foyer of the visitor center is a dedication to the founders of the school.
Milton Hershey and his wife Kitty. Also in the room stands a statue in honor of Mr. Hershey that was donated to the school by the class that graduated the year
Milton Hershey died. The statue states 'His deeds are his monument, his life is our inspiration'. The arch in the ceiling is the only free standing arch in the USA.
Enjoying the views as we drive to Hershey
Mr. Bull takes our picture on the ride
There is a park on the grounds where every year the graduating class plants a tree in memory of all of the previous students that past away during their senior
year. Considering that the school has been around for over 100 years they have no way of knowing just how many people the trees are planted for. In the
distance you can see the amusement park and the actual chocolate factory where they stopped doing guided tours in back in the 1970's. The tour they have
now is an animated ride where you sit in a little car and it takes you through the steps of making chocolate. It's a lot like the fun kiddie rides at Disneyland.
year. Considering that the school has been around for over 100 years they have no way of knowing just how many people the trees are planted for. In the
distance you can see the amusement park and the actual chocolate factory where they stopped doing guided tours in back in the 1970's. The tour they have
now is an animated ride where you sit in a little car and it takes you through the steps of making chocolate. It's a lot like the fun kiddie rides at Disneyland.
All aboard the chocolate tour
The corn field & walking trail at the park
August 7th - Detroit Lakes, Minnesota - Lake Gwana -
Aaaaahhhhhh!! What a relaxing two days. However I do apologize for the rather dark and grainy pictures above. For some reason I thought that I had put all of
our fun pictures on the computer and safely saved them. As we left I decided to delete the chip as I always do, after said pictures are safely tucked away. Now
that I am sitting here trying to find those saved pictures, I realized that I did not actually put them in my computer. Darn darn, double darn. The pictures from the
last two days are all gone except for the four above, which are taken from stills of the videos that my camera takes. I guess I can't complain too much since
there were a couple salvageable shots. We stayed at a very tiny yet pretty much perfect park. A very nice older couple owns the property which until 10 years
ago was just that, the backyard of their property. The We Fest, which is an enormous country western concert, takes place every year literally across the street
from this park. Over 150,000 people attend the We Fest everyday every year which means lots of cars come with all those people. About 13 years ago people
started asking if they could park on the property in order to go to the concert. The very nice couple decided that they would let people park on their land for 3
bucks a day per car. Realizing that they had quite a money making business they continued to allow the cars to park here for the next few years. Thinking of a
way to make a little more money from their home they decided to add a few RV sites. This took off quite well during the event as well as most of the summer, so
Country Campground was born and now hosts 30 enormous sites with still plenty of property to allow the We Fest cars to still park, however now the price is 25
bucks per car per day. They have a very nice lake on their property, and the most enormous corn field ever seen with a nice walking trail. The lake has two
different peddle boats that you can tour the lake in, and their is no charge to use them as long as you are a guest of the park. It's been a bit hot the last couple
days so it was perfect to cool down with a swim in the lake. Around the dock of the lake there were all sorts of lily pads with tons of flowers and the prettiest
snails floating on the pads. They weren't your average snails, they were more like sea shells with snails living in them. Yes I could have shown you just how
pretty the shells were, but alas Suzy had a blond moment and those pictures have been abolished. Darn darn, double darn.
Aaaaahhhhhh!! What a relaxing two days. However I do apologize for the rather dark and grainy pictures above. For some reason I thought that I had put all of
our fun pictures on the computer and safely saved them. As we left I decided to delete the chip as I always do, after said pictures are safely tucked away. Now
that I am sitting here trying to find those saved pictures, I realized that I did not actually put them in my computer. Darn darn, double darn. The pictures from the
last two days are all gone except for the four above, which are taken from stills of the videos that my camera takes. I guess I can't complain too much since
there were a couple salvageable shots. We stayed at a very tiny yet pretty much perfect park. A very nice older couple owns the property which until 10 years
ago was just that, the backyard of their property. The We Fest, which is an enormous country western concert, takes place every year literally across the street
from this park. Over 150,000 people attend the We Fest everyday every year which means lots of cars come with all those people. About 13 years ago people
started asking if they could park on the property in order to go to the concert. The very nice couple decided that they would let people park on their land for 3
bucks a day per car. Realizing that they had quite a money making business they continued to allow the cars to park here for the next few years. Thinking of a
way to make a little more money from their home they decided to add a few RV sites. This took off quite well during the event as well as most of the summer, so
Country Campground was born and now hosts 30 enormous sites with still plenty of property to allow the We Fest cars to still park, however now the price is 25
bucks per car per day. They have a very nice lake on their property, and the most enormous corn field ever seen with a nice walking trail. The lake has two
different peddle boats that you can tour the lake in, and their is no charge to use them as long as you are a guest of the park. It's been a bit hot the last couple
days so it was perfect to cool down with a swim in the lake. Around the dock of the lake there were all sorts of lily pads with tons of flowers and the prettiest
snails floating on the pads. They weren't your average snails, they were more like sea shells with snails living in them. Yes I could have shown you just how
pretty the shells were, but alas Suzy had a blond moment and those pictures have been abolished. Darn darn, double darn.
A day on floating on the lake
August 12th - Lucas Oil National Finals - Winners Circle - Almost twice -
4/1000th of a second. Do you have any idea how quick that passes by? What almost an immeasurable amount of time that is? Well let us tell you first hand just
how much 4/1000th of a second can affect one's day. There we all were at the starting line of the finals. Both teams lined up for the taking of duel Wallys. We
were so excited, every member of the team was there. The Monster car was up first. Kenny staged first, left the line first, was dead even almost the entire way
down to the finish line. In fact from where we were standing it seemed as though we were out in front. I was jumping up and down screaming like a maniac
clapping like a crazy person thinking that Kenny had John Force and the win light was going to come on in our lane indicating that the Wally was in fact ours.
For a moment I thought the light was broken, why isn't it coming on? But then I realized that in fact it had come on, only in the opposite lane. Force's crew went
crazy and the Monster men went quiet. It was heartbreaking and literally brought tears to my eyes. Yes it was a fabulous run, just the kind of race that all the
fans come to see and love to see. And yes, the team did an amazing job all day long, this car just keeps getting better and better every week. A Wally will be
theirs before the year is up, I can feel it. The Monster car was on top of the world with great lights and great times defeating every other opponent, and they
had some really fast cars as opponents in the earlier rounds. It all came down to 4/1000th of a second. The amount of time that John Force's bumper touched
the finish line before ours did. UGH!!They were brave boys, not one of them burst into tears, unlike emotional Suzy. A few choice words were said, and not
under their breath I might add, but they were more than allowed. Moments later the Budweiser team was at the starting line. Brandon, although leaving the line
second, chased Larry Dixon down for the win in almost as quick of a race as the Monster race. It quickly changed the mood to a happy one, however duel
Wallys would have been priceless. Earlier in the day, during the semi-finals, the Monster mobile broke a few parts and oil downed the track and the car. Since
there are only 75 minutes between the rounds and there is already enough for the boys to do without having to wipe down the Funny Car, Frank, Eddie and
Joe (our Monster sponsor rep) ran to their aide with brake cleaner, rags and Windex in hand to clean the entire body of the car inside and out. Usually if one
car is in really bad shape before going into the next round the other team will lend a hand, however since the Budweiser team was also going to the finals they
had absolutely no spare time to help.
4/1000th of a second. Do you have any idea how quick that passes by? What almost an immeasurable amount of time that is? Well let us tell you first hand just
how much 4/1000th of a second can affect one's day. There we all were at the starting line of the finals. Both teams lined up for the taking of duel Wallys. We
were so excited, every member of the team was there. The Monster car was up first. Kenny staged first, left the line first, was dead even almost the entire way
down to the finish line. In fact from where we were standing it seemed as though we were out in front. I was jumping up and down screaming like a maniac
clapping like a crazy person thinking that Kenny had John Force and the win light was going to come on in our lane indicating that the Wally was in fact ours.
For a moment I thought the light was broken, why isn't it coming on? But then I realized that in fact it had come on, only in the opposite lane. Force's crew went
crazy and the Monster men went quiet. It was heartbreaking and literally brought tears to my eyes. Yes it was a fabulous run, just the kind of race that all the
fans come to see and love to see. And yes, the team did an amazing job all day long, this car just keeps getting better and better every week. A Wally will be
theirs before the year is up, I can feel it. The Monster car was on top of the world with great lights and great times defeating every other opponent, and they
had some really fast cars as opponents in the earlier rounds. It all came down to 4/1000th of a second. The amount of time that John Force's bumper touched
the finish line before ours did. UGH!!They were brave boys, not one of them burst into tears, unlike emotional Suzy. A few choice words were said, and not
under their breath I might add, but they were more than allowed. Moments later the Budweiser team was at the starting line. Brandon, although leaving the line
second, chased Larry Dixon down for the win in almost as quick of a race as the Monster race. It quickly changed the mood to a happy one, however duel
Wallys would have been priceless. Earlier in the day, during the semi-finals, the Monster mobile broke a few parts and oil downed the track and the car. Since
there are only 75 minutes between the rounds and there is already enough for the boys to do without having to wipe down the Funny Car, Frank, Eddie and
Joe (our Monster sponsor rep) ran to their aide with brake cleaner, rags and Windex in hand to clean the entire body of the car inside and out. Usually if one
car is in really bad shape before going into the next round the other team will lend a hand, however since the Budweiser team was also going to the finals they
had absolutely no spare time to help.
Monster crashes the Winner's Circle party
| Break Cleaner sure is helpful on cleaning oil off of fiberglass under the car |
Eddie cleaning the inside Joe the outside
August 11th - Brainerd Minnesota - The Zoo -
Brainerd Minnesota, the wildest and craziest stop on the entire NHRA circuit.
Apparently people here in Minnesota don't get to do much of anything in the
Winter due to the 50 below zero weather, so they more than make up for it
during their stay here at the Drag Races. There is an area of the property within
the track that is 120 acres. In this area they charge each person $50
for the weekend to camp and you can pretty much set up whatever you want
wherever you want and camp there. You can also bring pretty much anything
imaginable with wheels on it, inside this area to drive around and see the sites.
This area is appropriately nicknamed, The Zoo. Hearing about all of the crazy
set ups that people have out here we, along with the Monster men, decided that
we needed to check it out. We took the Monster golf cart, which we had at least
10 offers of cash for, and headed into The Zoo. It's a little tricky to maneuver 9
people on a golf cart, but it's better than footin' it. We drove around for a little
over two hours, and once it got dark we made our way out realizing that yes the
truly crazy people and things happen after dark. Personally I have had my fill of
The Zoo for many years to come, but it was entertaining to experience it once.
.
Brainerd Minnesota, the wildest and craziest stop on the entire NHRA circuit.
Apparently people here in Minnesota don't get to do much of anything in the
Winter due to the 50 below zero weather, so they more than make up for it
during their stay here at the Drag Races. There is an area of the property within
the track that is 120 acres. In this area they charge each person $50
for the weekend to camp and you can pretty much set up whatever you want
wherever you want and camp there. You can also bring pretty much anything
imaginable with wheels on it, inside this area to drive around and see the sites.
This area is appropriately nicknamed, The Zoo. Hearing about all of the crazy
set ups that people have out here we, along with the Monster men, decided that
we needed to check it out. We took the Monster golf cart, which we had at least
10 offers of cash for, and headed into The Zoo. It's a little tricky to maneuver 9
people on a golf cart, but it's better than footin' it. We drove around for a little
over two hours, and once it got dark we made our way out realizing that yes the
truly crazy people and things happen after dark. Personally I have had my fill of
The Zoo for many years to come, but it was entertaining to experience it once.
.
One of the patrons let you hit his car with a bat!
A traveling Tiki Hut bar
Frank cheers on the motorcycle riders
An amazing motorcycle stunt show
| Above:The Winnebago is about the same year as our motorhome but not nearly as loved. Below: The Coors mobile drives around handing out beers to the crowd. Left: Frank was very bummed he didn't have a skateboard to do a flips behind the boat. |
| The weekend started with a Walleye cookout. RFC (Racer's For Christ) had a fund raiser by cooking everyone dinner and putting on a puppet show. It was very good food and nice to run into other friends out here that we don't get to see at every race. |
Moments before the exciting final round
The team puts on the finishing touches
A pretty darn good replica of the car in a cake
Kenny blows out all the candles in one breath!
The Elvis Dragster is ready for it's unveiling
September 1st - U.S. Nationals - Indianapolis Raceway Park -
The U.S. Nationals is the biggest race of the year. This is the race where all the
announcements are made for the following year in regards to what drivers will change
teams and what sponsors will join in on the fun of the NHRA. Along with all the new
news of the following year a lot of the teams have a new paint scheme or logo for this
race. Our Monster mobile stayed the same all weekend, but the Budweiser Dragster
took on a whole new look. Budweiser is having a big celebration these next few weeks
to honor the death of legendary Elvis Presley so they dressed the car to add to the
festivities in an all out tribute to the King. The entire Budweiser team wore white
uniforms, including Brandon along with his blue suede boots and Elvis shades for
everyone. All sorts of other teams changed their looks as well. The Funny Car driven
by Mike Ashley and designed by Jim Jannard, the owner of Oakley, was created as a
memorial to a dear couple who lost their son earlier this year. The shell of the car will
be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson next year and the proceeds will be donated to
charities that were there for Erik's parents in their time of need and mourning.
Another festivity of the weekend was Kenny's 63rd birthday. To add to the themed
cars of the weekend a fan made him a cake in the exact likeness of his Funny Car.
The birds favorite part of the weekend was when wonderful Auntie Melissa brought
them a bag of treats. Lots of toys with mirrors for Cody, bells for Bradley and
pineapple treats for Abbey. Thanks Auntie Melissa, your the best! We love our treats!
The U.S. Nationals is the biggest race of the year. This is the race where all the
announcements are made for the following year in regards to what drivers will change
teams and what sponsors will join in on the fun of the NHRA. Along with all the new
news of the following year a lot of the teams have a new paint scheme or logo for this
race. Our Monster mobile stayed the same all weekend, but the Budweiser Dragster
took on a whole new look. Budweiser is having a big celebration these next few weeks
to honor the death of legendary Elvis Presley so they dressed the car to add to the
festivities in an all out tribute to the King. The entire Budweiser team wore white
uniforms, including Brandon along with his blue suede boots and Elvis shades for
everyone. All sorts of other teams changed their looks as well. The Funny Car driven
by Mike Ashley and designed by Jim Jannard, the owner of Oakley, was created as a
memorial to a dear couple who lost their son earlier this year. The shell of the car will
be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson next year and the proceeds will be donated to
charities that were there for Erik's parents in their time of need and mourning.
Another festivity of the weekend was Kenny's 63rd birthday. To add to the themed
cars of the weekend a fan made him a cake in the exact likeness of his Funny Car.
The birds favorite part of the weekend was when wonderful Auntie Melissa brought
them a bag of treats. Lots of toys with mirrors for Cody, bells for Bradley and
pineapple treats for Abbey. Thanks Auntie Melissa, your the best! We love our treats!
The Bud team dressed as Elvis for the race
Outside the entrance waiting for our tour
The main entrance of the plant
The 1,000,000th Corvette built
The first corvette ever created in 1953
Very friendly butterflies all around
Our poor Jeep banished to the back lot
September 6th - Bowling Green, KY - GM Corvette Assembly Plant -
We have seen our fair share of Factory tours on our adventures out here on the
road, but today's made the other's pale in comparison. Watching Corvettes come
together on an assembly line that takes one million square feet of building to
hold, was amazing and I'm not a big Corvette fan. The Bowling Green Assembly
Plant also builds the Cadillac XLR which is the most expensive vehicle that GM
makes starting at a $100,000 base price. Ouch! We saw the entire process of
the cars. From the engines and chassis being built, to the shell of the cars and
interiors being put together. Next, we saw all the tires and fluids added to the
cars and then watched as they drove off the line, into the rain chambers where
they test them for leaks and then out on to the quarter mile track to test stability
and handling. The Corvettes are a bit less with the base price of these starting at
43,000 for the C6 and around $55,000 for the top of the line Z06. After the tour
of the plant we headed to The National Corvette Museum where you can see
each and every model year of the Corvette from the first one in 1953 to the
millionth in 1991 to a current 2008 model waiting for it's new owner to pick it up
and everything in between. Including what a Corvette looks like after it's been
through a crash test. There was even a 1957 beautiful cascade green Corvette
(below) that a man from Buellton, California (where we lived before our
adventures began) donated to the museum. In fact his son used to work for us at
the pizza place we owned in that very town. What a small world it is out here.
We have seen our fair share of Factory tours on our adventures out here on the
road, but today's made the other's pale in comparison. Watching Corvettes come
together on an assembly line that takes one million square feet of building to
hold, was amazing and I'm not a big Corvette fan. The Bowling Green Assembly
Plant also builds the Cadillac XLR which is the most expensive vehicle that GM
makes starting at a $100,000 base price. Ouch! We saw the entire process of
the cars. From the engines and chassis being built, to the shell of the cars and
interiors being put together. Next, we saw all the tires and fluids added to the
cars and then watched as they drove off the line, into the rain chambers where
they test them for leaks and then out on to the quarter mile track to test stability
and handling. The Corvettes are a bit less with the base price of these starting at
43,000 for the C6 and around $55,000 for the top of the line Z06. After the tour
of the plant we headed to The National Corvette Museum where you can see
each and every model year of the Corvette from the first one in 1953 to the
millionth in 1991 to a current 2008 model waiting for it's new owner to pick it up
and everything in between. Including what a Corvette looks like after it's been
through a crash test. There was even a 1957 beautiful cascade green Corvette
(below) that a man from Buellton, California (where we lived before our
adventures began) donated to the museum. In fact his son used to work for us at
the pizza place we owned in that very town. What a small world it is out here.
Many Corvettes are used as Pace Cars
A 1974 Corvette- the year of Frank's birth
The 1972 model - the year Suzy was born
September 5th - Cave City Kentucky - Singing Hills RV Park -
As we find ourselves with another glorious week off we decided to find an area we have yet to visit. Cave City, Kentucky fits the bill. It is just outside Mammoth
Caves National Park, whence the name of the town, and 20 minutes from the Corvette capitol of the world. A perfect combination since Kurt and Frank are both
dying to see the cars made and Philly and I are ready to explore the caves. Singing Hills RV Park is a nice, quiet and pretty place, so sitting outside reading and
relaxing has been just as nice and enjoyable as it is to play tourist. We have been here a little over two days with four more to go and have yet to do anything
other than lounge by the pool and be outside with the birds. They are in heaven here with perfect weather and lots of butterflies to chase and nip at. Bradley
has become quite the brave little parrot over the last few days. He usually gets nervous outside and flaps his wings until we put him back inside, but the last few
days he has turned our awning into a jungle gym and runs up and down the poles talking up a storm and making his wheeee sound, which translates to "I'm
having so much fun!". However when we do want him to come down the only way to get him to come within an arms reach is to tempt him with a peanut. He runs
down just as fast as he can, grabs the peanut and tries to run back up before we can catch him. Lucky for us the awning poles are quite smooth so the faster he
runs the less traction he gets which makes it easy to pick him up since he is pretty much running in place by the time we reach him. He's so cute to watch play.
As we find ourselves with another glorious week off we decided to find an area we have yet to visit. Cave City, Kentucky fits the bill. It is just outside Mammoth
Caves National Park, whence the name of the town, and 20 minutes from the Corvette capitol of the world. A perfect combination since Kurt and Frank are both
dying to see the cars made and Philly and I are ready to explore the caves. Singing Hills RV Park is a nice, quiet and pretty place, so sitting outside reading and
relaxing has been just as nice and enjoyable as it is to play tourist. We have been here a little over two days with four more to go and have yet to do anything
other than lounge by the pool and be outside with the birds. They are in heaven here with perfect weather and lots of butterflies to chase and nip at. Bradley
has become quite the brave little parrot over the last few days. He usually gets nervous outside and flaps his wings until we put him back inside, but the last few
days he has turned our awning into a jungle gym and runs up and down the poles talking up a storm and making his wheeee sound, which translates to "I'm
having so much fun!". However when we do want him to come down the only way to get him to come within an arms reach is to tempt him with a peanut. He runs
down just as fast as he can, grabs the peanut and tries to run back up before we can catch him. Lucky for us the awning poles are quite smooth so the faster he
runs the less traction he gets which makes it easy to pick him up since he is pretty much running in place by the time we reach him. He's so cute to watch play.
September 8th - Mammoth Cave National Park - The Frozen Niagara Cave Tour -
285 feet below the surface of the earth. Sounds like the title of the latest Harrison Ford action adventure movie. Well I guess it is, except that it's main stars are
Frank and Suzy Whitmore and you are among the lucky few that will ever read about it. The entrance to the cave was a bit small and the stairs a little narrow,
but luckily we aren't the claustrophobic type so it was quite fun. We actually felt like we were on some wild cave exploring adventure. As you looked over the
handrails of the stairwell you could see just how far down you were going. Once you felt like you might be at the bottom, the stairs turned again and you
descended further down. The only light was from the hanging lanterns on each side of the stairs. Yes they did have real bulbs and electricity in them but it gave
you the ambiance of the 1800's and the feeling of being in an Indiana Jones type predicament. Once we made it down the last flight of stairs the cave opened
up into huge rooms with boulders and limestone everywhere. We walked through a few different rooms and saw all sorts of rock formations and a few stalactites
and stalagmites. At one point of the tour our guide turned off all the lanterns and boy was it dark. He left it that way for about 2 minutes just to show us how
your eyes will never adjust to that type of darkness because they is literally no light whatsoever 285 feet below the earth. He then lite one little candle and it lite
almost the whole cave. It was a little scary to think that way back when the caves were first discovered this was the only light they had and the risk of falling into
a 285 foot hole, like the one we came down, was quite high with the light of only one candle. Near the end of our tour we descended another 100 feet or so
where the Frozen Niagara column stood. It was amazing. Where we exited the cave we actually had only come back up about 150 feet, but luckily for us there
was a bus to take us the rest of the way to the visitor center so we didn't have to hike our way back to where we started. On our drive back we saw lots of deer
eating by the side of the road and a handful of wild turkey. This area hasn't had much rain lately so the grass was brown and the poor deer were very skinny.
285 feet below the surface of the earth. Sounds like the title of the latest Harrison Ford action adventure movie. Well I guess it is, except that it's main stars are
Frank and Suzy Whitmore and you are among the lucky few that will ever read about it. The entrance to the cave was a bit small and the stairs a little narrow,
but luckily we aren't the claustrophobic type so it was quite fun. We actually felt like we were on some wild cave exploring adventure. As you looked over the
handrails of the stairwell you could see just how far down you were going. Once you felt like you might be at the bottom, the stairs turned again and you
descended further down. The only light was from the hanging lanterns on each side of the stairs. Yes they did have real bulbs and electricity in them but it gave
you the ambiance of the 1800's and the feeling of being in an Indiana Jones type predicament. Once we made it down the last flight of stairs the cave opened
up into huge rooms with boulders and limestone everywhere. We walked through a few different rooms and saw all sorts of rock formations and a few stalactites
and stalagmites. At one point of the tour our guide turned off all the lanterns and boy was it dark. He left it that way for about 2 minutes just to show us how
your eyes will never adjust to that type of darkness because they is literally no light whatsoever 285 feet below the earth. He then lite one little candle and it lite
almost the whole cave. It was a little scary to think that way back when the caves were first discovered this was the only light they had and the risk of falling into
a 285 foot hole, like the one we came down, was quite high with the light of only one candle. Near the end of our tour we descended another 100 feet or so
where the Frozen Niagara column stood. It was amazing. Where we exited the cave we actually had only come back up about 150 feet, but luckily for us there
was a bus to take us the rest of the way to the visitor center so we didn't have to hike our way back to where we started. On our drive back we saw lots of deer
eating by the side of the road and a handful of wild turkey. This area hasn't had much rain lately so the grass was brown and the poor deer were very skinny.
The basement of the home was turned into a TV room with electric blue and sunshine yellow paint on the walls and the most amazing wrap around couch ever,
however the technology of the TV's lack a bit in today's standards. He had two different planes one named after his daughter. Both planes are on display along
with many of his cars, including a pink Cadillac that he bought for his mother & about a dozen different golf carts that he and his friends raced around his home
however the technology of the TV's lack a bit in today's standards. He had two different planes one named after his daughter. Both planes are on display along
with many of his cars, including a pink Cadillac that he bought for his mother & about a dozen different golf carts that he and his friends raced around his home
September 10th - Elvis Presley's Graceland -
We celebrated Frank's birthday today at the home of the King of Rock and Roll.
He was hoping Elvis' ghost would come out and play a little guitar with him, but no
such luck. Elvis Aaron Presley was born January 8th 1935 in a very small two
bedroom home in Tupelo, Mississippi. Shortly after his 19th birthday he signed on
with Sun Records, within 2 years he was an international singing sensation and
after that well, the rest is history. In fact most of the history of Elvis was unknown
to Frank and I, before visiting Graceland, since all of this happened, including his
death, before either of were avid music fans. When Elvis was 22 years old he
purchased Graceland and moved himself and his parents into his beautiful new
home, which in those days cost him $100,000. He and his friends set up what is
now called "the jungle room" into a makeshift recording studio by placing green
shag carpet of the walls and ceiling. They would play in this room for hours since
the acoustics sounded so great. The grounds of Graceland are beautiful with
rolling hills and horses and a 10 car garage. What used to be a racketball court is
now a room where a large majority of his awards are kept including a few of his
suits and most of his gold and platinum record awards. He stared in 33 different
movies and released countless songs. The rest of his awards line pretty much
every hallway in his entire home including his 3 Grammys. It was amazing to see
just how full Elvis' life was. As most of you know he did die in his own home, just
upstairs from where we stood, on August 16, 1977. Due to the family and their
wish for some privacy, which is understandable, no one is allowed upstairs.
We celebrated Frank's birthday today at the home of the King of Rock and Roll.
He was hoping Elvis' ghost would come out and play a little guitar with him, but no
such luck. Elvis Aaron Presley was born January 8th 1935 in a very small two
bedroom home in Tupelo, Mississippi. Shortly after his 19th birthday he signed on
with Sun Records, within 2 years he was an international singing sensation and
after that well, the rest is history. In fact most of the history of Elvis was unknown
to Frank and I, before visiting Graceland, since all of this happened, including his
death, before either of were avid music fans. When Elvis was 22 years old he
purchased Graceland and moved himself and his parents into his beautiful new
home, which in those days cost him $100,000. He and his friends set up what is
now called "the jungle room" into a makeshift recording studio by placing green
shag carpet of the walls and ceiling. They would play in this room for hours since
the acoustics sounded so great. The grounds of Graceland are beautiful with
rolling hills and horses and a 10 car garage. What used to be a racketball court is
now a room where a large majority of his awards are kept including a few of his
suits and most of his gold and platinum record awards. He stared in 33 different
movies and released countless songs. The rest of his awards line pretty much
every hallway in his entire home including his 3 Grammys. It was amazing to see
just how full Elvis' life was. As most of you know he did die in his own home, just
upstairs from where we stood, on August 16, 1977. Due to the family and their
wish for some privacy, which is understandable, no one is allowed upstairs.
A downstairs living room
Sitting on the steps of Graceland mansion
The stairway leading upstairs
A model of Elvis' birthplace
He played this piano the morning of his death
| Elvis' tomb alongside his parents and grandparents on the grounds of Graceland |
September 23rd - Dallas Texas - The NHRA Fall Nationals -
"Oh my" The voice of Bob Frye, our usually very witty and lighthearted announcer of the racing weekends, comes over the radio as Frank and I sit listening in
our hospitality area to the live broadcast of the race that was happening merely yards away from our location. It is a very hot day so neither of us opted to head
to the starting line to watch the race. Kenny Bernstein, our beloved boss, friend and legend of the NHRA, and John Force, another icon in the sport, have just
faced off in the second round of the finals today. "The cars seems to have touched down at the top end of the track. Oh my." He says again. Touched? When
someone is driving a vehicle over 300mph the only thing you want to touch is the air going by you and your parachute release, definitely not the car in the
other lane. That could be disastrous. After listening to Bob at every race for over three years we realize that the inflection in his voice is saying it was much
more than just a touch, but he's doing his best not to react to what he just witnessed. What comes next is an incredibly long silence. I immediately begin to pray.
"It appears Kenny got the win light, but it seems he may have crossed the center line, so we are waiting to hear on that." We realize Bob is stalling for time
since there has been no mention of whether either man is out of their car. My chest begins to tighten. "Yes Kenny did go over the center line, so he has been
DQ'd." Bob continues, still with a very heavy tone. All of a sudden we hear the crowd go wild as Bob's voice announces that Kenny is indeed out of his car and
walking around. He appears to be okay. Bob goes on to explain that John is still in his car, and no word yet on his condition. This goes on for what seems to be
an eternity. Thank God the story ends with a somewhat positive outcome. Kenny is okay and John Force suffered a couple broken bones and a few abrasions.
Both men are alive and no one has sustained any head trauma. Apparently at some point before the finish line John's car began to come apart. By the end of
the track his chassis had split in half. The half he was in ended up against the left wall and the other half of the car turned hard to the right and straight into
Kenny's Monster mobile. This impact in turn took Kenny's car into the wall as both bodies were ripped off of the cars and torn apart. I am so glad that I chose
not to watch it from the starting line. Just seeing the crash on the JumboTron, the enormous screen the fans can watch from their seats, and the ESPN replay
over and over again was scary enough. Below is a link to the crash for those of you brave enough to watch. Just be forewarned it is a bit scary. Thank God
these men's guardian angels were able to keep up with their over 300 mph runs, which is how fast they were going when they hit.
"Oh my" The voice of Bob Frye, our usually very witty and lighthearted announcer of the racing weekends, comes over the radio as Frank and I sit listening in
our hospitality area to the live broadcast of the race that was happening merely yards away from our location. It is a very hot day so neither of us opted to head
to the starting line to watch the race. Kenny Bernstein, our beloved boss, friend and legend of the NHRA, and John Force, another icon in the sport, have just
faced off in the second round of the finals today. "The cars seems to have touched down at the top end of the track. Oh my." He says again. Touched? When
someone is driving a vehicle over 300mph the only thing you want to touch is the air going by you and your parachute release, definitely not the car in the
other lane. That could be disastrous. After listening to Bob at every race for over three years we realize that the inflection in his voice is saying it was much
more than just a touch, but he's doing his best not to react to what he just witnessed. What comes next is an incredibly long silence. I immediately begin to pray.
"It appears Kenny got the win light, but it seems he may have crossed the center line, so we are waiting to hear on that." We realize Bob is stalling for time
since there has been no mention of whether either man is out of their car. My chest begins to tighten. "Yes Kenny did go over the center line, so he has been
DQ'd." Bob continues, still with a very heavy tone. All of a sudden we hear the crowd go wild as Bob's voice announces that Kenny is indeed out of his car and
walking around. He appears to be okay. Bob goes on to explain that John is still in his car, and no word yet on his condition. This goes on for what seems to be
an eternity. Thank God the story ends with a somewhat positive outcome. Kenny is okay and John Force suffered a couple broken bones and a few abrasions.
Both men are alive and no one has sustained any head trauma. Apparently at some point before the finish line John's car began to come apart. By the end of
the track his chassis had split in half. The half he was in ended up against the left wall and the other half of the car turned hard to the right and straight into
Kenny's Monster mobile. This impact in turn took Kenny's car into the wall as both bodies were ripped off of the cars and torn apart. I am so glad that I chose
not to watch it from the starting line. Just seeing the crash on the JumboTron, the enormous screen the fans can watch from their seats, and the ESPN replay
over and over again was scary enough. Below is a link to the crash for those of you brave enough to watch. Just be forewarned it is a bit scary. Thank God
these men's guardian angels were able to keep up with their over 300 mph runs, which is how fast they were going when they hit.
Watch for this couple on future CMT videos
September 26th - Nashville Tennessee - A night on the town -
Not that we don't do tons of fun things out here on the road, but one thing we don't do very often is dress up and have a night out on the town. In our old age we
usually enjoy the day trips out here in the wild blue yonder. Everyone that we have met or talked to here in Nashville has said that we MUST go downtown and
enjoy all the nightlife. Boy were they right! Every restaurant we walked by had some sort of live music, whether it was Fuel, where we loved, that had 3 hours of
acoustical guitar bands, or BB Kings, where we ended up for dinner with a fun blues band with dancing flappers and all. We had so much fun. Wow! To think
that this city was so alive on a weeknight, it would be an amazing place on the weekend. After dinner we walked along the Riverfront and enjoyed the beautiful
bridges and architecture of the city. Tomorrow we are going to check out the city in the daylight. The pictures above are a bit of an experiment with my new
camera and it's nighttime lights options. Kinda cool with the warbled light look huh? Our night life just may have to expand since we had so much fun here.
Not that we don't do tons of fun things out here on the road, but one thing we don't do very often is dress up and have a night out on the town. In our old age we
usually enjoy the day trips out here in the wild blue yonder. Everyone that we have met or talked to here in Nashville has said that we MUST go downtown and
enjoy all the nightlife. Boy were they right! Every restaurant we walked by had some sort of live music, whether it was Fuel, where we loved, that had 3 hours of
acoustical guitar bands, or BB Kings, where we ended up for dinner with a fun blues band with dancing flappers and all. We had so much fun. Wow! To think
that this city was so alive on a weeknight, it would be an amazing place on the weekend. After dinner we walked along the Riverfront and enjoyed the beautiful
bridges and architecture of the city. Tomorrow we are going to check out the city in the daylight. The pictures above are a bit of an experiment with my new
camera and it's nighttime lights options. Kinda cool with the warbled light look huh? Our night life just may have to expand since we had so much fun here.
A view of downtown with a band at every stop
also where they make many of their guitars and banjos. It, of course being Saturday, was unfortunately not in operation mode, but you could still see quite a bit
of how their production line went. Frank played a few of the guitars that they had on display, but wasn't to impressed with them. He still by far prefers the Martin
series, which is great since that it what he owns. After the mall we headed home, made homemade tacos, and sat outside with the birds and some friends. We
ran into a couple here in Nashville that we had previously met in Eugene Oregon at the Marathon dealer there. What a small world it is, and boy isn't it grand!
of how their production line went. Frank played a few of the guitars that they had on display, but wasn't to impressed with them. He still by far prefers the Martin
series, which is great since that it what he owns. After the mall we headed home, made homemade tacos, and sat outside with the birds and some friends. We
ran into a couple here in Nashville that we had previously met in Eugene Oregon at the Marathon dealer there. What a small world it is, and boy isn't it grand!
September 29th - Nashville Tennessee -
We started today out with a picnic along the banks of the Cumberland River at
Riverview Park. Frank brought his guitar, I a book and we relaxed as we watched
the boats go by. Frank is well into his John Denver collection of songs so it made
for great background music. After lunch we walked through Fort Nashborough
where the Battle of the Bluffs took place back in 1781. We then headed a little
further west and visited The Grand Ole Opry and The Opryland Hotel. The hotel
is amazing. It has enormous gardens and waterfall areas. It feels like you are in
the amazon, except that the climate is nice and cool. In the Magnolia Level there
are the most amazing and beautiful flowers all around you with walking trails that
lead you from there to the Cascades where you find the waterfalls. The hotel
rooms and suites in these areas have balconies so you can look at the beautiful
views even in the summer and stay nice and cool. The entire hotel is enclosed,
however with the ceiling being completely glass it feels like you are outside. All
through each section of this is a flowing river where one can take either a dinner
boat just the two of you with a candlelit table on a boat, or you can take a
gondola around with a group. They even have DaVine, who is a walking vine that
roams from area to area, and at times blends into the trees so well it almost
takes you a minute to realize that no, you are not hallucinating and yes, that tree
does in fact have a face. Across from The Opryland Hotel is the enormous Opry
Mills Mall. We walked around it for a little while and happened along the Gibson
Showcase and Experience, which is an enormous Gibson music store, but
We started today out with a picnic along the banks of the Cumberland River at
Riverview Park. Frank brought his guitar, I a book and we relaxed as we watched
the boats go by. Frank is well into his John Denver collection of songs so it made
for great background music. After lunch we walked through Fort Nashborough
where the Battle of the Bluffs took place back in 1781. We then headed a little
further west and visited The Grand Ole Opry and The Opryland Hotel. The hotel
is amazing. It has enormous gardens and waterfall areas. It feels like you are in
the amazon, except that the climate is nice and cool. In the Magnolia Level there
are the most amazing and beautiful flowers all around you with walking trails that
lead you from there to the Cascades where you find the waterfalls. The hotel
rooms and suites in these areas have balconies so you can look at the beautiful
views even in the summer and stay nice and cool. The entire hotel is enclosed,
however with the ceiling being completely glass it feels like you are outside. All
through each section of this is a flowing river where one can take either a dinner
boat just the two of you with a candlelit table on a boat, or you can take a
gondola around with a group. They even have DaVine, who is a walking vine that
roams from area to area, and at times blends into the trees so well it almost
takes you a minute to realize that no, you are not hallucinating and yes, that tree
does in fact have a face. Across from The Opryland Hotel is the enormous Opry
Mills Mall. We walked around it for a little while and happened along the Gibson
Showcase and Experience, which is an enormous Gibson music store, but
Gibson uses a press to form their guitars
Instruments ready for the buffing step
This evenings moon says Halloween is near
The enormous tuning head at the entrance
September 30th - The Cartoon of the Year!!
Isn't this fabulous! I love this cartoon. A friend of ours e-mailed this to us and I must admit that I usually delete
forwarded jokes that we receive, unless the title really grabs me. Needless to say I had to peek at this one out of sheer
curiosity. My favorite member of the jury is Snoopy. I love the angry look on his face. Mainly because he is usually the
happy go lucky dog in all the cartoons leaping around as if to say "my life is great and I don't have a care in the world"
while poor dysfunctional Charlie Brown is in yet another predicament. Also because Snoopy brings back fond
memories of growing up. My dad, still to this day will break out in what he calls his 'Snoopy Laugh' when someone,
especially the politicians on TV or the newscasters or worthless experts they have on their show for the day, are
essentially giving you a load of crap story. The 'Snoopy Laugh' pretty much says "Do you think I'm dumb enough to
believe what you are trying to tell me?" You remember The Snoopy Laugh right? When Snoopy would grab is belly
and roll around on the floor laughing hysterically? It was one of the very few noises he ever made. I think when
Michael Vick first plead not guilty the judge should have given him a Snoopy Laugh. I love ya Pops!
Isn't this fabulous! I love this cartoon. A friend of ours e-mailed this to us and I must admit that I usually delete
forwarded jokes that we receive, unless the title really grabs me. Needless to say I had to peek at this one out of sheer
curiosity. My favorite member of the jury is Snoopy. I love the angry look on his face. Mainly because he is usually the
happy go lucky dog in all the cartoons leaping around as if to say "my life is great and I don't have a care in the world"
while poor dysfunctional Charlie Brown is in yet another predicament. Also because Snoopy brings back fond
memories of growing up. My dad, still to this day will break out in what he calls his 'Snoopy Laugh' when someone,
especially the politicians on TV or the newscasters or worthless experts they have on their show for the day, are
essentially giving you a load of crap story. The 'Snoopy Laugh' pretty much says "Do you think I'm dumb enough to
believe what you are trying to tell me?" You remember The Snoopy Laugh right? When Snoopy would grab is belly
and roll around on the floor laughing hysterically? It was one of the very few noises he ever made. I think when
Michael Vick first plead not guilty the judge should have given him a Snoopy Laugh. I love ya Pops!
Michael Vick's Jury
September 17, 2007 - Murfreesboro, Arkansas - Digging for Diamonds -
Haven't you always wanted to walk around an enormous 37 acre patch of dirt only to find a bright and shiny rock that is worth thousands of dollars? Well we
attempted that today, yes the key word in that sentence was attempted. Craters of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond producing site in the world that is
open to the public. Everyday ordinary people find diamonds in these hills. In fact one was found today, however not by us. Frank found a little piece of quartz,
which I must say looked exactly like the picture of what a diamond in the rough looks like, and I found a few jasper stones which are pretty to look at, but
basically worthless. The largest diamond ever found here was in 1924. It was a 40.23 diamond in the rough. Can you even imagine what a diamond over 40
carats must look like? The funny thing is, is that they nick named it the 'Uncle Sam Diamond'. I wonder if that's because a man named Sam found it, or the fact
that Uncle Sam probably received a nice chunk of cash once the diamond was cut and sold. You could make quite a few nice pieces of jewelry with a rock that
size. The last diamond found that was substantial was in 1998. It was 7.28 carats, not too shabby. I will say it was very intriguing, hunting for diamonds. We had
a claw tool and a screen to sift the dirt with. There were a few shinny rocks that we did come across, but considering they would crumble once we hit them with a
rock, gave a pretty good indication that they might not be diamonds. As with any potential money making venture, there were some very serious and dedicated
diggers out around us. These people have buckets and wheels barrows full of dirt that they would dig up from a certain area. They would take these enormous
loads of dirt to one of the washing areas and slowly sift through each clump in their collections. We did get a bit into it and had a very fun afternoon, but they
made it look like work. I much preferred our way of simple sifting instead. Outside the visitor's center they had a mine car full of dirt to show you just how much
dirt would go through the washing stations each load when it was an actual working diamond mine. No there weren't actually real diamonds in it, but they did
have a few stones that were bright and shiny. It never ceases to amaze me what wacky things we find to do on our way to the next race. This country truly is
wonderful and amazing to explore. How many people, other than crazy locals and a few nutty full time RVers, can say they have dug for diamonds in Arkansas?
Haven't you always wanted to walk around an enormous 37 acre patch of dirt only to find a bright and shiny rock that is worth thousands of dollars? Well we
attempted that today, yes the key word in that sentence was attempted. Craters of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond producing site in the world that is
open to the public. Everyday ordinary people find diamonds in these hills. In fact one was found today, however not by us. Frank found a little piece of quartz,
which I must say looked exactly like the picture of what a diamond in the rough looks like, and I found a few jasper stones which are pretty to look at, but
basically worthless. The largest diamond ever found here was in 1924. It was a 40.23 diamond in the rough. Can you even imagine what a diamond over 40
carats must look like? The funny thing is, is that they nick named it the 'Uncle Sam Diamond'. I wonder if that's because a man named Sam found it, or the fact
that Uncle Sam probably received a nice chunk of cash once the diamond was cut and sold. You could make quite a few nice pieces of jewelry with a rock that
size. The last diamond found that was substantial was in 1998. It was 7.28 carats, not too shabby. I will say it was very intriguing, hunting for diamonds. We had
a claw tool and a screen to sift the dirt with. There were a few shinny rocks that we did come across, but considering they would crumble once we hit them with a
rock, gave a pretty good indication that they might not be diamonds. As with any potential money making venture, there were some very serious and dedicated
diggers out around us. These people have buckets and wheels barrows full of dirt that they would dig up from a certain area. They would take these enormous
loads of dirt to one of the washing areas and slowly sift through each clump in their collections. We did get a bit into it and had a very fun afternoon, but they
made it look like work. I much preferred our way of simple sifting instead. Outside the visitor's center they had a mine car full of dirt to show you just how much
dirt would go through the washing stations each load when it was an actual working diamond mine. No there weren't actually real diamonds in it, but they did
have a few stones that were bright and shiny. It never ceases to amaze me what wacky things we find to do on our way to the next race. This country truly is
wonderful and amazing to explore. How many people, other than crazy locals and a few nutty full time RVers, can say they have dug for diamonds in Arkansas?
September 11th - Beale Street - Lansky's -
Historic Beale Street, a sight everyone must see while spending a few days in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a little slow in the middle of the afternoon, but for us
old souls it was more enjoyable to see it in the daylight instead of full party mode after dark. We stopped at Lansky's Clothiers, which is the little shop that Elvis
himself used to shop at, still owned and operated by Bernard Lansky the tailor of many of Elvis' fun stage suits. He is a hilarious guy, with all sorts of funny
sayings and lots of pictures of him and The King. If you look closely in the picture above with Frank and Bernard you can see him with Elvis in the picture on the
wall. After a bit of shopping and sight-seeing we had lunch down the street at The Flying Fish "get your tails in here" was their motto and they had delish fish.
Historic Beale Street, a sight everyone must see while spending a few days in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a little slow in the middle of the afternoon, but for us
old souls it was more enjoyable to see it in the daylight instead of full party mode after dark. We stopped at Lansky's Clothiers, which is the little shop that Elvis
himself used to shop at, still owned and operated by Bernard Lansky the tailor of many of Elvis' fun stage suits. He is a hilarious guy, with all sorts of funny
sayings and lots of pictures of him and The King. If you look closely in the picture above with Frank and Bernard you can see him with Elvis in the picture on the
wall. After a bit of shopping and sight-seeing we had lunch down the street at The Flying Fish "get your tails in here" was their motto and they had delish fish.
| Beale Street is closed off to vehicle traffic to keep their walking patrons safe |
September 9 - 12th - Mississippi River - Tom Sawyer RV Park -
The Mississippi River winds it's way from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico which is more or less the entire height of the United States. Enormous barges pushed
by small tugboats move all sorts of materials up and down this river all day long and watching them is a bit mesmerizing, especially while you listen to Frank play
the guitar as the sun sets. Tom Sawyer lies literally on the banks of the Mississippi so these last few days we have enjoyed the views and scenery immensely.
We are actually in Arkansas here, but Tennessee and Graceland are only about 10 minutes away. The last few times we have been near Memphis in has been
over 100 degrees, so having weather in the low 80's in wonderful and rare and we are making the most of it, as are the birds by getting lots of sunshine
The Mississippi River winds it's way from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico which is more or less the entire height of the United States. Enormous barges pushed
by small tugboats move all sorts of materials up and down this river all day long and watching them is a bit mesmerizing, especially while you listen to Frank play
the guitar as the sun sets. Tom Sawyer lies literally on the banks of the Mississippi so these last few days we have enjoyed the views and scenery immensely.
We are actually in Arkansas here, but Tennessee and Graceland are only about 10 minutes away. The last few times we have been near Memphis in has been
over 100 degrees, so having weather in the low 80's in wonderful and rare and we are making the most of it, as are the birds by getting lots of sunshine
Then, you look to see what you've found
Frank grabs a handful of diamonds
The sight of the largest diamond found
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
The Erik Blake memorial car won the race
Hello down there! Where's the bottom?
A self portrait in the black cave
The amazing ceiling of the caves
First, you put a bunch of dirt in your screen
| ... or start reading about another year |