June 10th - Joliet, Illinois - Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals -
The Monster car had a pretty darn good weekend! We didn't win the race, but they made great runs down the track even in the heat and the gremlins that seem
to have taken hold of the car seem like they may have been found and killed off. The Monster men qualified 3rd out of 16, which is outstanding for anyone.
They ran the quarter mile in 4.75 seconds on Friday night and hit 327 mph. That's pretty darn fast no matter who you are. The best part of the weekend was
that there was absolutely no rain!! This is the only race this entire year so far that we haven't had rain. We did have a bit of wind on Thursday during set up. If
you notice in the picture of Frank and I the top of the tent is pretty mush an enormous sail. In 35 mile an hour winds this sail is not the most fun thing to set up.
While we set it up two of us literally had to lay on top of the tent on top of the semi in order to hold in down so Frank could attach it without the awning taking off
with him attached to the strap that holds it to the semi. The wind was so strong it almost took the sail out from underneath us. We had a plan to roll to the left if it
did lift us up in order to not fall of the 12 foot tall semi roof, but luckily we were fat enough to hold it down. It definitely got the heart pumping a little. Our party
tent wasn't quite as full this weekend so I took full advantage of being able to go up to the starting line to watch the races with the team. Since the last few trips
to the starting line I left my handy camera behind, today I kept it in my pocket all day in order to get a few shots of a day in our work lives to share with you all.
Kenny won the first round with an amazing run, but lost round number two by just a smidgen. Let's hope the fast runs stay with us on what has become known
as the 'U.S. Tour' that we re about to embark on. Since the Tennessee race was postponed we will now have 6 races in 6 weekends. After this week off we will
head to New Jersey and within six weeks we will be all the way over on the West Coast in Sonoma California. It will be a busy time, but very exciting to see how
the competition of the races stacks up since none of the teams will have any time to test in between these next 6 races. We are off to New Hampshire to visit
some good friends and squeeze in the last few states of the U.S that we haven't yet been to.
The Monster car had a pretty darn good weekend! We didn't win the race, but they made great runs down the track even in the heat and the gremlins that seem
to have taken hold of the car seem like they may have been found and killed off. The Monster men qualified 3rd out of 16, which is outstanding for anyone.
They ran the quarter mile in 4.75 seconds on Friday night and hit 327 mph. That's pretty darn fast no matter who you are. The best part of the weekend was
that there was absolutely no rain!! This is the only race this entire year so far that we haven't had rain. We did have a bit of wind on Thursday during set up. If
you notice in the picture of Frank and I the top of the tent is pretty mush an enormous sail. In 35 mile an hour winds this sail is not the most fun thing to set up.
While we set it up two of us literally had to lay on top of the tent on top of the semi in order to hold in down so Frank could attach it without the awning taking off
with him attached to the strap that holds it to the semi. The wind was so strong it almost took the sail out from underneath us. We had a plan to roll to the left if it
did lift us up in order to not fall of the 12 foot tall semi roof, but luckily we were fat enough to hold it down. It definitely got the heart pumping a little. Our party
tent wasn't quite as full this weekend so I took full advantage of being able to go up to the starting line to watch the races with the team. Since the last few trips
to the starting line I left my handy camera behind, today I kept it in my pocket all day in order to get a few shots of a day in our work lives to share with you all.
Kenny won the first round with an amazing run, but lost round number two by just a smidgen. Let's hope the fast runs stay with us on what has become known
as the 'U.S. Tour' that we re about to embark on. Since the Tennessee race was postponed we will now have 6 races in 6 weekends. After this week off we will
head to New Jersey and within six weeks we will be all the way over on the West Coast in Sonoma California. It will be a busy time, but very exciting to see how
the competition of the races stacks up since none of the teams will have any time to test in between these next 6 races. We are off to New Hampshire to visit
some good friends and squeeze in the last few states of the U.S that we haven't yet been to.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Parrottrek Journal 2007
May 6th - Madison, Illinois aka Saint Louis, Missouri -
So, does this make sense? What they call the 'St. Louis race" is actually located in Madison, Illinois. Not only is St. Louis a different city, but it's in an entirely
different state. Why don't they just call it the "Madison race'? Same thing with last week's race. They call it the Atlanta race, but the track is actually located in
Commerce, however at least Commerce and Atlanta are in the same state. Just a funny thing I thought I'd share. Well anyways... The St. Louis race is usually
held at the end of June which really sucked since the weather here in both Missouri and Illinois, regardless of where they tell you you are, at that time of the
year is 110 degrees with the heat index somewhere around 120 degrees, no lie. This year it was scheduled earlier in the hopes that we all wouldn't melt. It
worked out pretty well since the weather, aside from rain all day Friday, was rather nice. Neither of our teams went very far in the race, but I guess you can't
win them all. Let's pray for better results in Bristol. We now have 10 days off before we have to be at work in Bristol. The Bristol track, which yes is actually in
the city of Bristol :-) is the most beautiful track we visit the entire year. This week we will be driving through a different part of both Kentucky and Tennessee
with all sorts of new sights to see including the Kentucky Horse Park where they have all sorts of retired champion horses housed for people to visit. There is a
campground right on the grounds where we will stay, and are planning on taking a long horseback ride around the grounds. It should be a lot of fun.
So, does this make sense? What they call the 'St. Louis race" is actually located in Madison, Illinois. Not only is St. Louis a different city, but it's in an entirely
different state. Why don't they just call it the "Madison race'? Same thing with last week's race. They call it the Atlanta race, but the track is actually located in
Commerce, however at least Commerce and Atlanta are in the same state. Just a funny thing I thought I'd share. Well anyways... The St. Louis race is usually
held at the end of June which really sucked since the weather here in both Missouri and Illinois, regardless of where they tell you you are, at that time of the
year is 110 degrees with the heat index somewhere around 120 degrees, no lie. This year it was scheduled earlier in the hopes that we all wouldn't melt. It
worked out pretty well since the weather, aside from rain all day Friday, was rather nice. Neither of our teams went very far in the race, but I guess you can't
win them all. Let's pray for better results in Bristol. We now have 10 days off before we have to be at work in Bristol. The Bristol track, which yes is actually in
the city of Bristol :-) is the most beautiful track we visit the entire year. This week we will be driving through a different part of both Kentucky and Tennessee
with all sorts of new sights to see including the Kentucky Horse Park where they have all sorts of retired champion horses housed for people to visit. There is a
campground right on the grounds where we will stay, and are planning on taking a long horseback ride around the grounds. It should be a lot of fun.
Tuesday May 8th - Kentucky Horse Park Campground - Lexington, Kentucky -
What could be better than 3 days at a 600 acres campground where for 20 bucks a night you pretty much get an entire acre to yourself with electricity and
views of rolling green hills and horses grazing all around. We took all three birds outside where they happily sunned themselves for hours. We took a long
bike ride all around the park with Cody tagging along. His new thing is to open his wings and pretend he is flying. After he is too tired to flap anymore he just
keeps his wings open and soars next to Frank. Just up the road was a Hunter/Jumper horse show that we walked over to and watched for awhile. The trees
outside our motorhome housed about 10 squirrels. It was fun to watch them play tag with each other and scamper up and down the trees. None of them were
half as friendly as our little Guido from Tennessee, but they weren't against eating peanuts, they just like them to be thrown to them at about 20 paces instead
of running up to the door and begging. There are so many different colors and types of birds here it was like having our own wildlife show right in front of us.
What could be better than 3 days at a 600 acres campground where for 20 bucks a night you pretty much get an entire acre to yourself with electricity and
views of rolling green hills and horses grazing all around. We took all three birds outside where they happily sunned themselves for hours. We took a long
bike ride all around the park with Cody tagging along. His new thing is to open his wings and pretend he is flying. After he is too tired to flap anymore he just
keeps his wings open and soars next to Frank. Just up the road was a Hunter/Jumper horse show that we walked over to and watched for awhile. The trees
outside our motorhome housed about 10 squirrels. It was fun to watch them play tag with each other and scamper up and down the trees. None of them were
half as friendly as our little Guido from Tennessee, but they weren't against eating peanuts, they just like them to be thrown to them at about 20 paces instead
of running up to the door and begging. There are so many different colors and types of birds here it was like having our own wildlife show right in front of us.
Cody flies while Frank rides his bike
An acre of Kentucky beauty all to ourselves
Wednesday May 9th - Kentucky Horse Park - Lexington, Kentucky -
As the old saying goes 'When in Rome do as the Romans do', so we decided that since we were in the horse capital of the world, we should do as the
horsemen do, so we went horseback riding. The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1200 acre park that is dedicated to preserving champion race horses and the
different breeds of horses that are linked to these champions. Our horseback ride took us for a 45 minute tour of the outskirts of the park passing all sorts of
fields of horses, barns that have housed almost all of the passed champion of the Kentucky Derby, which is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky just
about 60 miles up the road, and by a horse cemetery that holds remains of many of these horses such as Man-O-War. We went to a show called Parade of
Champions where they bring out horses such as Cigar who has won over 9 million dollars over his lifetime in the racing world, and John Henry who is the
richest Gelding ever. Yes, all of the other male horses were still intact due to the fact that after they are no longer running races they still make income off of
breeding, or shipping out their necessary breeding components. I worked at a horse ranch in California where they stud out all sorts of well known horses of
great breeding potential. Let me just say, if you ever get the chance to watch the activity of how they go about 'withdrawing' the horses it is a sight you should
not miss. This is a great time of year to be here because there are all sorts of baby horses running along side their mothers and grazing in the fields. The
horses we rode were of lower genetic superiority, but they were fun to trot around on and take in the views of the park. Frank's horse Indigo was the smallest
of the bunch but was very sweet. My horse on the other hand kept biting the horse in front of him in the fanny causing him to trot a bit faster. After our
horseback ride we took a horse drawn carriage ride and learned all sorts of things about the ranch and how it got to be what it is today. This is another city,
just like Chicago and Chattanooga, where we would never have thought to visit on a regular vacation if we were still in CA, but we are very glad to have
stumbled upon it and have definitely marked it as a place to come back to in the years to come.
As the old saying goes 'When in Rome do as the Romans do', so we decided that since we were in the horse capital of the world, we should do as the
horsemen do, so we went horseback riding. The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1200 acre park that is dedicated to preserving champion race horses and the
different breeds of horses that are linked to these champions. Our horseback ride took us for a 45 minute tour of the outskirts of the park passing all sorts of
fields of horses, barns that have housed almost all of the passed champion of the Kentucky Derby, which is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky just
about 60 miles up the road, and by a horse cemetery that holds remains of many of these horses such as Man-O-War. We went to a show called Parade of
Champions where they bring out horses such as Cigar who has won over 9 million dollars over his lifetime in the racing world, and John Henry who is the
richest Gelding ever. Yes, all of the other male horses were still intact due to the fact that after they are no longer running races they still make income off of
breeding, or shipping out their necessary breeding components. I worked at a horse ranch in California where they stud out all sorts of well known horses of
great breeding potential. Let me just say, if you ever get the chance to watch the activity of how they go about 'withdrawing' the horses it is a sight you should
not miss. This is a great time of year to be here because there are all sorts of baby horses running along side their mothers and grazing in the fields. The
horses we rode were of lower genetic superiority, but they were fun to trot around on and take in the views of the park. Frank's horse Indigo was the smallest
of the bunch but was very sweet. My horse on the other hand kept biting the horse in front of him in the fanny causing him to trot a bit faster. After our
horseback ride we took a horse drawn carriage ride and learned all sorts of things about the ranch and how it got to be what it is today. This is another city,
just like Chicago and Chattanooga, where we would never have thought to visit on a regular vacation if we were still in CA, but we are very glad to have
stumbled upon it and have definitely marked it as a place to come back to in the years to come.
Abbey, happy to be hanging out in the trees
He look like an old pro in his cowboy hat!
Suzy's horse was Greg, Frank's was Indigo.
A view of the pastures from our ride
The old Methodist church of Cades Cove
The sinks waterfall
May 11th - The Great Smoky Mountains - Tennessee -
Wow!! What a beautiful mountain range it is. We arrived here in Tennessee yesterday at the Eagle's Nest Campground on the banks of Little Pigeon River.
Today was a gorgeous day! After hitting up the Welcome Center to figure out which way to see the forest, whether it be hiking, biking or Jeeping we decided to
take the Jeep with the bikes on board and see what lay ahead. Since it was a bit warm we decided to take the top of the Jeep down and turn on the A/C! Yes we
did cheat but it was worth every moment. We took an amazing 30 miles trek into the Great Smoky Mountains to take in the views. Once we hit the end of the
driving trail we set out on foot to see the old buildings from the 1800's and the waterfalls all along the way. After we left one of the log cabins that was built in
1820 we noticed something moving in the bushes. It was a sweet little baby bear chewing on the weeds and digging in the dirt. He was darling. We also noticed
about 10 feet behind him was his ever watchful mother on the other side of a fallen tree. She looked at us as if the say "yes you can look at him but don't touch
or you will have to deal with me". No worries, we were up on our 'When a bear attacks' knowledge. According to the hiking brochure it said that if a bear begins
to run at you, you should throw your arms up in the air growl and throw rocks at him/her. HELLO!??! Are you crazy? One would have to have nerves of steel to
throw a rock at an oncoming aggressive bear. However, if it was between my life and a rock fight with Goliath the bear I think a little bit of David might come out
in me. By the way, I think that Frank may have had a few rocks stashed in his pocket from the beginning of the trail just in case such a scenario should arise.
Wow!! What a beautiful mountain range it is. We arrived here in Tennessee yesterday at the Eagle's Nest Campground on the banks of Little Pigeon River.
Today was a gorgeous day! After hitting up the Welcome Center to figure out which way to see the forest, whether it be hiking, biking or Jeeping we decided to
take the Jeep with the bikes on board and see what lay ahead. Since it was a bit warm we decided to take the top of the Jeep down and turn on the A/C! Yes we
did cheat but it was worth every moment. We took an amazing 30 miles trek into the Great Smoky Mountains to take in the views. Once we hit the end of the
driving trail we set out on foot to see the old buildings from the 1800's and the waterfalls all along the way. After we left one of the log cabins that was built in
1820 we noticed something moving in the bushes. It was a sweet little baby bear chewing on the weeds and digging in the dirt. He was darling. We also noticed
about 10 feet behind him was his ever watchful mother on the other side of a fallen tree. She looked at us as if the say "yes you can look at him but don't touch
or you will have to deal with me". No worries, we were up on our 'When a bear attacks' knowledge. According to the hiking brochure it said that if a bear begins
to run at you, you should throw your arms up in the air growl and throw rocks at him/her. HELLO!??! Are you crazy? One would have to have nerves of steel to
throw a rock at an oncoming aggressive bear. However, if it was between my life and a rock fight with Goliath the bear I think a little bit of David might come out
in me. By the way, I think that Frank may have had a few rocks stashed in his pocket from the beginning of the trail just in case such a scenario should arise.
What are you doing on that side of the log?
Just talking to these people mama!
We interrupt this exciting journal to bring you the greatest news of the year!!!!! Diesel fuel, which is really just nasty
nasty crude oil is not only less than $3.00 a gallon it is now less than regular gasoline. We were sooooo very excited to
see this sign as we drove through Kentucky, that we had to stop and fill up. After I resuscitated Frank and had him
back on his feet he took a closer look just to make sure that our eyes were NOT deceiving us. For what ever reason
each picture I took of this sign the $2.98 lights of the price of regular didn't turn out in the picture. I think perhaps even
my camera was in disbelief. Let's just pray that this 50 cents a gallon less begins to catch on everywhere. It may not
seem too much for the average Joe, but when one fills a 165 gallon tank on the average of three times a week while
driving across the country 50 cents per gallon pretty much averages to be a heck of a lot of money saved. For kicks,
let's just use our math skills here. Before today it was an average of $3.00 per gallon and at 165 gallons that is $495
per fill up and at 5-6 miles per gallon that is about 1000 miles, so the fact that we are now saving .50 per gallon that
saves us 82.50 a tank. If you ask Cody, you could buy a lot of extra bird treats with that, so we will refrain from telling
him about our monthly savings! We apologize for the interruption we will now continue on with this weeks outings.
nasty crude oil is not only less than $3.00 a gallon it is now less than regular gasoline. We were sooooo very excited to
see this sign as we drove through Kentucky, that we had to stop and fill up. After I resuscitated Frank and had him
back on his feet he took a closer look just to make sure that our eyes were NOT deceiving us. For what ever reason
each picture I took of this sign the $2.98 lights of the price of regular didn't turn out in the picture. I think perhaps even
my camera was in disbelief. Let's just pray that this 50 cents a gallon less begins to catch on everywhere. It may not
seem too much for the average Joe, but when one fills a 165 gallon tank on the average of three times a week while
driving across the country 50 cents per gallon pretty much averages to be a heck of a lot of money saved. For kicks,
let's just use our math skills here. Before today it was an average of $3.00 per gallon and at 165 gallons that is $495
per fill up and at 5-6 miles per gallon that is about 1000 miles, so the fact that we are now saving .50 per gallon that
saves us 82.50 a tank. If you ask Cody, you could buy a lot of extra bird treats with that, so we will refrain from telling
him about our monthly savings! We apologize for the interruption we will now continue on with this weeks outings.
Are my eyes deceiving me? I can't believe it!!!
May 12th - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee -
We had a nice relaxing day today. It was about 85 degrees so we hit the pool for a nice swim. The campground here is gorgeous so we took all three birds
outside and I read in the sunshine while Frank played his guitar. Cody has gotten so accustomed to his daily runs/flys around the park that he now almost begs
to go running. He climbs down the chair or perch that he is on and begins to walk away from home. As soon as Frank picks him up he opens his wings and
begins to flap. I really is the cutest thing. After his long flight around the park we put the birds back in their cages with a handful of peanuts for each one and
headed into town to see what else there is do to for the upcoming week. Gatlinberg is about 10 minutes away and appears to be full of all sorts of touristy things
to do. It looks a lot like the town of Big Bear, only it's about 4 times the size. We stopped at a Vineyard and did a bit of wine testing and walked all around the
little shops. Oh my gosh!!! I almost forgot!!! We found Frank's hat today!!! As most of you know, we have been searching high and low, and have looked in
about 10 states for the perfect Panama hat. We found it in a little country store. We almost didn't even go in the country store because it looked like the last
place to find a Panama hat, but isn't that always the case? In front of one of the restaurants was the old bus that the band Alabama used for their early day
tours. It's a bit older than ours, and I would bet it is no longer road worthy since it has been sitting so long, but it was cool to see the inside. We stopped on our
walk back to the car for an ice cream cone and headed home. The evening was still nice and warm so we all had dinner outside. Cody is such a pig when it
comes to broccoli and potatoes that he got his own plate to eat from. This way Frank and I were able to enjoy our dinner without Cody trying to steal it all. I think
he ate more dinner than I did, however this is not an uncommon occurrence. Someday he is going to grow little pink ears and curly tail and say Oink Oink Oink.
We had a nice relaxing day today. It was about 85 degrees so we hit the pool for a nice swim. The campground here is gorgeous so we took all three birds
outside and I read in the sunshine while Frank played his guitar. Cody has gotten so accustomed to his daily runs/flys around the park that he now almost begs
to go running. He climbs down the chair or perch that he is on and begins to walk away from home. As soon as Frank picks him up he opens his wings and
begins to flap. I really is the cutest thing. After his long flight around the park we put the birds back in their cages with a handful of peanuts for each one and
headed into town to see what else there is do to for the upcoming week. Gatlinberg is about 10 minutes away and appears to be full of all sorts of touristy things
to do. It looks a lot like the town of Big Bear, only it's about 4 times the size. We stopped at a Vineyard and did a bit of wine testing and walked all around the
little shops. Oh my gosh!!! I almost forgot!!! We found Frank's hat today!!! As most of you know, we have been searching high and low, and have looked in
about 10 states for the perfect Panama hat. We found it in a little country store. We almost didn't even go in the country store because it looked like the last
place to find a Panama hat, but isn't that always the case? In front of one of the restaurants was the old bus that the band Alabama used for their early day
tours. It's a bit older than ours, and I would bet it is no longer road worthy since it has been sitting so long, but it was cool to see the inside. We stopped on our
walk back to the car for an ice cream cone and headed home. The evening was still nice and warm so we all had dinner outside. Cody is such a pig when it
comes to broccoli and potatoes that he got his own plate to eat from. This way Frank and I were able to enjoy our dinner without Cody trying to steal it all. I think
he ate more dinner than I did, however this is not an uncommon occurrence. Someday he is going to grow little pink ears and curly tail and say Oink Oink Oink.
May 13th - Pigeon Gorge, Tennessee-
Today we visited a different type of amusement park. It was an amusement park for the mind. It had over 100 interactive things to do including walking on the
moon, making enormous bubbles with a huge bubble wand. Lying on a bed of nails, creating your own roller coaster and then riding it, in a virtual machine that
turned and flipped and went up and down. The place was called Wonderworks and it was very imaginative. They had all sorts of mind teasing puzzles and
things to test your coordination skills as well as your brain skills. One of the most fun rides was the Cycler. You sit in what feels like a bumper car with a
shoulder strap and you start to pedal. The faster you pedal the quicker it goes. However it doesn't just go forwards and backwards it actually is like a swing
that can go around and around and flip through the air. There were no lines so we each sat in our own. At one point I was laughing so hard I lost all
concentration, and footing on my pedals, so my car stopped completely upside down and froze in mid air for a moment. It gave me a chance to regain my
footing and not loose too much momentum so I could catch back up with Frank and the loop count. It was sooo fun! Even the structure of the building was
quite ingenious. The entire building looked as though it had been through a hurricane that was thrown upside down and has crashed into another building that
housed a theater where they perform the most hilarious melodrama ever. Frank and I used to get annual passes to the Great American Melodrama each year
in Oceano, California so we have seen our fair share of them. Even though this one was a bit shorter it was very well done and they served a three course
dinner as well. They even had a few of the characters played by members of the audience that were brought on stage including a 6 year old who played Paul
Bunyan with an axe and all. I laughed so hard my stomach actually hurt. After dinner we waled back through the interactive section to hit the stops we had
missed earlier in the day and then headed home.
Today we visited a different type of amusement park. It was an amusement park for the mind. It had over 100 interactive things to do including walking on the
moon, making enormous bubbles with a huge bubble wand. Lying on a bed of nails, creating your own roller coaster and then riding it, in a virtual machine that
turned and flipped and went up and down. The place was called Wonderworks and it was very imaginative. They had all sorts of mind teasing puzzles and
things to test your coordination skills as well as your brain skills. One of the most fun rides was the Cycler. You sit in what feels like a bumper car with a
shoulder strap and you start to pedal. The faster you pedal the quicker it goes. However it doesn't just go forwards and backwards it actually is like a swing
that can go around and around and flip through the air. There were no lines so we each sat in our own. At one point I was laughing so hard I lost all
concentration, and footing on my pedals, so my car stopped completely upside down and froze in mid air for a moment. It gave me a chance to regain my
footing and not loose too much momentum so I could catch back up with Frank and the loop count. It was sooo fun! Even the structure of the building was
quite ingenious. The entire building looked as though it had been through a hurricane that was thrown upside down and has crashed into another building that
housed a theater where they perform the most hilarious melodrama ever. Frank and I used to get annual passes to the Great American Melodrama each year
in Oceano, California so we have seen our fair share of them. Even though this one was a bit shorter it was very well done and they served a three course
dinner as well. They even had a few of the characters played by members of the audience that were brought on stage including a 6 year old who played Paul
Bunyan with an axe and all. I laughed so hard my stomach actually hurt. After dinner we waled back through the interactive section to hit the stops we had
missed earlier in the day and then headed home.
A look on the inside.
Alabama's tour bus back in the day
But we had to share dinner with the birds! :-)
We had the pool all to ourselves
Weeeeeeee!!!!!!! Keep pedaling!!!!
Bubbles bubbles everywhere!
Booooo!!!! The villain returns!
Frank steers the space capsule back to earth
Suzy walks on the moon
The Wonderworks building
May 14th - Another drive through the Great Smoky Mountains -
One thing that everyone must do before they die is to walk through the Smoky Mountains, find a grassy place to lie down and just look up at the trees and the
mountains and the sky. I know I know, it sounds really cheesy, but it is so pretty up here and the way the blue sky and white clouds peek through the trees that
are about 10 different shades of green each and the mountains around them, is one of the most beautiful sights anywhere to see. The way you feel just laying
here breathing in the fresh air and listening to the birds and the animals around you relaxes you. It's just as relaxing as Yoga but the air here is better than
anywhere else. We drove to the base of the path that leads up to highest point in all of Tennessee which is right above Newfound Gap, which happens to be the
lowest point in Tennessee so the views are amazing. It feels like you are on top of the world. There are two different trails that actually start up here. One of
them goes to the lookout and the other goes to Maine, yes the state, so we obviously chose the shorter of the two and stayed in the state of Tennessee. We did
however meet a couple that was actually doing the entire trail up to Maine. They were planning on it taking them 7 months! Yikes! One must really love to hike in
order to head out on a 2,501 mile trail, but I commend them greatly for their determination. It would probably be an amazing 7 months. Heck we've been out here
for longer than that in a motorhome and are still having a great time, so whatever means you choose to see the country, its a great move in our book.
One thing that everyone must do before they die is to walk through the Smoky Mountains, find a grassy place to lie down and just look up at the trees and the
mountains and the sky. I know I know, it sounds really cheesy, but it is so pretty up here and the way the blue sky and white clouds peek through the trees that
are about 10 different shades of green each and the mountains around them, is one of the most beautiful sights anywhere to see. The way you feel just laying
here breathing in the fresh air and listening to the birds and the animals around you relaxes you. It's just as relaxing as Yoga but the air here is better than
anywhere else. We drove to the base of the path that leads up to highest point in all of Tennessee which is right above Newfound Gap, which happens to be the
lowest point in Tennessee so the views are amazing. It feels like you are on top of the world. There are two different trails that actually start up here. One of
them goes to the lookout and the other goes to Maine, yes the state, so we obviously chose the shorter of the two and stayed in the state of Tennessee. We did
however meet a couple that was actually doing the entire trail up to Maine. They were planning on it taking them 7 months! Yikes! One must really love to hike in
order to head out on a 2,501 mile trail, but I commend them greatly for their determination. It would probably be an amazing 7 months. Heck we've been out here
for longer than that in a motorhome and are still having a great time, so whatever means you choose to see the country, its a great move in our book.
This is as far as we got on the trail to Maine
Just lay here and relax!
Heeeelllloooo Suzy!
May 16th - Wild Turkey Distillery - Lawrenceburg, Kentucky -
So, for all of you out there that enjoy a good Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, then Lawrenceburg, Kentucky is the place to visit. First they mix wheat, rice,
yeast and other secret ingredients into 15,500 gallon steel tubs. Then they mix that together with limestone water that is fresh from the mountains on the Wild
Turkey property and let it sit for about 2 weeks until the sugar from the grains turn to alcohol. After this they put it through various other things that I can't seem
to recall, which just goes to show that my future in making Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey won't start tonight in the kitchen sink. I do remember that they
poor the Bourbon into wooden barrels that have been charred, which is what gives the Bourbon it's color. The corks they use to close the barrel are called
bungs. They Frank and I a couple of bungs to take home to the birds, which Cody destroyed in about 5 minutes. After they store the Bourbon in the barrels they
store them in huge warehouses for the certain number of years in takes to turn this concoction into aged Bourbon. They are 26 warehouses on the property
and each one holds 20,000 barrels. Wow! That's a lot of darn booze. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is not to be confused with any other type of plain
Whiskey, or Bourbon. There are very certain criteria and aging devices that go into creating your perfect Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in order for it to
have it's distinctive flavor and color, or so the government says. Such as the proof of the Bourbon and the limestone water part. People say that there is nothing
like a good 12 year old bottle of Bourbon Whiskey. The way they described it during the aging process makes you think it will be the greatest tasting drink
you've ever had and so romantic to sip over a nice fire. We even bought a bottle to try it ourselves. YUCK!! They were right about one thing, nothing I have ever
tasted was quite like the first sip of it. That is, nothing as nasty and bitter as a bottle of 12 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. By the time ours is
empty it will probably be about a 15 years old bottle of Bourbon. However learning about how Wild Turkey is made, walking through the distillery and
warehouses that hold all those barrels and seeing that things haven't changed on how they make it today versus 100 years ago was very educational,
especially if one ever wants to take up creating their own bourbon and make their own still.
So, for all of you out there that enjoy a good Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, then Lawrenceburg, Kentucky is the place to visit. First they mix wheat, rice,
yeast and other secret ingredients into 15,500 gallon steel tubs. Then they mix that together with limestone water that is fresh from the mountains on the Wild
Turkey property and let it sit for about 2 weeks until the sugar from the grains turn to alcohol. After this they put it through various other things that I can't seem
to recall, which just goes to show that my future in making Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey won't start tonight in the kitchen sink. I do remember that they
poor the Bourbon into wooden barrels that have been charred, which is what gives the Bourbon it's color. The corks they use to close the barrel are called
bungs. They Frank and I a couple of bungs to take home to the birds, which Cody destroyed in about 5 minutes. After they store the Bourbon in the barrels they
store them in huge warehouses for the certain number of years in takes to turn this concoction into aged Bourbon. They are 26 warehouses on the property
and each one holds 20,000 barrels. Wow! That's a lot of darn booze. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is not to be confused with any other type of plain
Whiskey, or Bourbon. There are very certain criteria and aging devices that go into creating your perfect Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in order for it to
have it's distinctive flavor and color, or so the government says. Such as the proof of the Bourbon and the limestone water part. People say that there is nothing
like a good 12 year old bottle of Bourbon Whiskey. The way they described it during the aging process makes you think it will be the greatest tasting drink
you've ever had and so romantic to sip over a nice fire. We even bought a bottle to try it ourselves. YUCK!! They were right about one thing, nothing I have ever
tasted was quite like the first sip of it. That is, nothing as nasty and bitter as a bottle of 12 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. By the time ours is
empty it will probably be about a 15 years old bottle of Bourbon. However learning about how Wild Turkey is made, walking through the distillery and
warehouses that hold all those barrels and seeing that things haven't changed on how they make it today versus 100 years ago was very educational,
especially if one ever wants to take up creating their own bourbon and make their own still.
May 15th - Lexington, Kentucky - The Whitmore Ranch -
This is such a beautiful part of the country we decided we had to come back, and since the race in Bristol, Tennessee was cancelled due to damage on the
track, we now have another two weeks off to enjoy it. One of our favorite things to do in new areas, that are pretty and green, is to look at property for sale.
Usually we look just for kicks, but here we found some amazing horse ranches for sale at very reasonable prices in flourishing areas of town. The pictures
above give you a bit of an idea of what our most favorite property looked like. It was 12 acres of gorgeous rolling hills, a small lake and even an old rundown
barn to give it just enough character to feel homey, and enough firewood to last a lifetime once it falls down. There is a gravel road that leads to a hill on the
top of the property where it overlooks all the ranches around with horses grazing all about, a few goats and green hills as far as the eye can see. At the top of
the gravel road is a large level area just perfect to park about 5 motorhomes. The property already has water and electric and sewer. We even drove back
later this evening to see what the sunset would look like. It was amazing! It was just screaming to house our little house on wheels, but alas, since we aren't yet
ready to settle down anywhere, and we don't own our own ride on mower to keep the grass trimmed, we drove on. It was fun though to plan out what we would
do on the land, and with property values increasing back here how they are it would be a nice little investment. Maybe in 10 years in will be for sale again.
This is such a beautiful part of the country we decided we had to come back, and since the race in Bristol, Tennessee was cancelled due to damage on the
track, we now have another two weeks off to enjoy it. One of our favorite things to do in new areas, that are pretty and green, is to look at property for sale.
Usually we look just for kicks, but here we found some amazing horse ranches for sale at very reasonable prices in flourishing areas of town. The pictures
above give you a bit of an idea of what our most favorite property looked like. It was 12 acres of gorgeous rolling hills, a small lake and even an old rundown
barn to give it just enough character to feel homey, and enough firewood to last a lifetime once it falls down. There is a gravel road that leads to a hill on the
top of the property where it overlooks all the ranches around with horses grazing all about, a few goats and green hills as far as the eye can see. At the top of
the gravel road is a large level area just perfect to park about 5 motorhomes. The property already has water and electric and sewer. We even drove back
later this evening to see what the sunset would look like. It was amazing! It was just screaming to house our little house on wheels, but alas, since we aren't yet
ready to settle down anywhere, and we don't own our own ride on mower to keep the grass trimmed, we drove on. It was fun though to plan out what we would
do on the land, and with property values increasing back here how they are it would be a nice little investment. Maybe in 10 years in will be for sale again.
The rundown barn at the top of the hill
The sunsets over the pretty lake
Views to the North from the lake
Rolling hills on the South side of the property
It's time to go into the barrels
The lovely mixture after about a week
An enormous barrel to fill with the mixture
Enjoying the fire Cody and Frank made
The rocky banks of the Ohio River
May 17th - Otter Creek Park, Elizabethtown, Kentucky -
Another lazy day on God's great earth. It's always nice to start out in a new place with a lazy day and the birds. They love being outside just sitting in the
sunshine, and all the neighbors in the campground love to see them and all the tricks they do. Cody has gotten so smart about doing his tricks outside the
house, that unless there is food in our hands being shown to him he just looks at us as if to say "You crazy humans you think I'm dumb enough to do a trick
when you want me to, without a peanut or cracker? Well forget it." But once the treats are shown to him he will do anything to get them and will continue to do
so until he is full, which trust me we always run out of treats long before he gets full. Today we took a nice leisurely bike ride around the campground with Cody
on Frank's handlebars. This park is enormous, and since we wanted to check out more than what was just on the small roads around us we had to put him away
for a bit in order to go out into the main area. He loves the bike rides, but the cars startle him a bit, and the last thing we would want is to have him get startled
and fly off. So after he and his siblings were safely tucked into their cages we went to find the Ohio River. The ride there was a lot of fun. It was all downhill from
the campground. The hills were pretty steep, so it felt as you were flying while you went down them. Of course about halfway down we realized that we must go
back up these same hills to get home. This caused them to loose a little appeal, but we needed a good workout since we had been sitting still the last two days
so we decided to fly down the rest of the hills. The Ohio River is enormous, and quite wide in most places. We stopped at one point on a rocky shore before
heading back up the hill to put our toes in the water. Just then a train came around the corner, so since we hadn't taken off the shoes yet we ran up a bit of a
hill to watch the train go by and once it passed we mounted up for the trek home. Boy were the legs burning half way home. In times like these I really really
miss the Spinning classes I used to teach. There's no workout like a 45 minute Spinning class to get the blood running and the fat melting. Once we hit the top
of the second enormous hill, home was close. It turned out to be a bit of a downhill for the last section which was music to our legs. Once we got back to the
campsite the birds came back out, Cody helped start a fire with Frank while Abbey and I searched the woods behind us for kindling. There were old dried out
branches all over the place since there are tons and tons of trees everywhere, so we had enough wood to keep the fire burning long into the night. It's been
awhile since we just sat by a fire and read. The days are nice and long now and the sun doesn't go down here until around 9:15 which is wonderful. It sure bets
those darn days in October when the sun sets around 5:15. The moon came out early and was a beautiful sight to see behind the trees.
Another lazy day on God's great earth. It's always nice to start out in a new place with a lazy day and the birds. They love being outside just sitting in the
sunshine, and all the neighbors in the campground love to see them and all the tricks they do. Cody has gotten so smart about doing his tricks outside the
house, that unless there is food in our hands being shown to him he just looks at us as if to say "You crazy humans you think I'm dumb enough to do a trick
when you want me to, without a peanut or cracker? Well forget it." But once the treats are shown to him he will do anything to get them and will continue to do
so until he is full, which trust me we always run out of treats long before he gets full. Today we took a nice leisurely bike ride around the campground with Cody
on Frank's handlebars. This park is enormous, and since we wanted to check out more than what was just on the small roads around us we had to put him away
for a bit in order to go out into the main area. He loves the bike rides, but the cars startle him a bit, and the last thing we would want is to have him get startled
and fly off. So after he and his siblings were safely tucked into their cages we went to find the Ohio River. The ride there was a lot of fun. It was all downhill from
the campground. The hills were pretty steep, so it felt as you were flying while you went down them. Of course about halfway down we realized that we must go
back up these same hills to get home. This caused them to loose a little appeal, but we needed a good workout since we had been sitting still the last two days
so we decided to fly down the rest of the hills. The Ohio River is enormous, and quite wide in most places. We stopped at one point on a rocky shore before
heading back up the hill to put our toes in the water. Just then a train came around the corner, so since we hadn't taken off the shoes yet we ran up a bit of a
hill to watch the train go by and once it passed we mounted up for the trek home. Boy were the legs burning half way home. In times like these I really really
miss the Spinning classes I used to teach. There's no workout like a 45 minute Spinning class to get the blood running and the fat melting. Once we hit the top
of the second enormous hill, home was close. It turned out to be a bit of a downhill for the last section which was music to our legs. Once we got back to the
campsite the birds came back out, Cody helped start a fire with Frank while Abbey and I searched the woods behind us for kindling. There were old dried out
branches all over the place since there are tons and tons of trees everywhere, so we had enough wood to keep the fire burning long into the night. It's been
awhile since we just sat by a fire and read. The days are nice and long now and the sun doesn't go down here until around 9:15 which is wonderful. It sure bets
those darn days in October when the sun sets around 5:15. The moon came out early and was a beautiful sight to see behind the trees.
A crescent moon peeks through the trees
Here's another stick Daddy
| Along with the view please note Frank's new hat! |
May 21st - Otter Creek Park - A beautiful wake up call -
The weather has been so nice here that we have slept with the windows open at night. The other bonus about open windows, other than the fresh mountain air,
is in the mornings we are awoken by the soft call of about 10 different types of birds. No not ours, since they are so lazy they sleep in until at least 9:00. If we
take their cover off much earlier than that they are a bit grumpy for the first 15 minutes or so until they wake up. They have no idea that just outside their window
are hundreds of birds that have to wake up early in order to find enough food for themselves and any other feathered friends that are sharing their nest that
day, including momma and little babies. Our birds know that their bowls will be there full of food when they wake up, and if for some reason they are empty
Bradley will say "Do you want some more?" until we fill them. Cody and Abbey on the other hand are a bit less sweet about the empty dish and remind you by
either banging on it, or throwing the bowl on the ground to show you that it is empty. This morning, like all the past mornings here at Otter Creek Park, we have
had brunch outside. Before we eat, we sprinkle a bunch of bird seed and peanuts around in order to lure the local tree dwelling neighbors and have brunch with
all sorts of our forest friends. Today there were four squirrels, two beautiful blue jays, a very talkative cardinal, that Abbey showed quite a bit of interest in.
Abbey and the cardinal talked back and forth for quite awhile. It's was hilarious. Also part of the brunch bunch was a very curious woodpecker that would peek
around the tree every so often to see if the mean blue jay, that kept scaring every off, including the squirrels was still there eating all the seed and peanuts. It
was funny since the birds were the ones that like the peanuts and the squirrels ate the bird seed. Once the blue jay had enough peanuts stashed away in his
belly and his nest ofr a few months, he left the party and the squirrels returned to finish off what he had left behind. After they had their fill they climbed into the
tree and after they bathed each other they snuggled down together and fell asleep. ABout two hours later they awoke, came back down the tree and stared at
us until we filled the ground with the wild bird seed that they loved. We kept trying to show them the peanuts but would sniff them and move on.
The weather has been so nice here that we have slept with the windows open at night. The other bonus about open windows, other than the fresh mountain air,
is in the mornings we are awoken by the soft call of about 10 different types of birds. No not ours, since they are so lazy they sleep in until at least 9:00. If we
take their cover off much earlier than that they are a bit grumpy for the first 15 minutes or so until they wake up. They have no idea that just outside their window
are hundreds of birds that have to wake up early in order to find enough food for themselves and any other feathered friends that are sharing their nest that
day, including momma and little babies. Our birds know that their bowls will be there full of food when they wake up, and if for some reason they are empty
Bradley will say "Do you want some more?" until we fill them. Cody and Abbey on the other hand are a bit less sweet about the empty dish and remind you by
either banging on it, or throwing the bowl on the ground to show you that it is empty. This morning, like all the past mornings here at Otter Creek Park, we have
had brunch outside. Before we eat, we sprinkle a bunch of bird seed and peanuts around in order to lure the local tree dwelling neighbors and have brunch with
all sorts of our forest friends. Today there were four squirrels, two beautiful blue jays, a very talkative cardinal, that Abbey showed quite a bit of interest in.
Abbey and the cardinal talked back and forth for quite awhile. It's was hilarious. Also part of the brunch bunch was a very curious woodpecker that would peek
around the tree every so often to see if the mean blue jay, that kept scaring every off, including the squirrels was still there eating all the seed and peanuts. It
was funny since the birds were the ones that like the peanuts and the squirrels ate the bird seed. Once the blue jay had enough peanuts stashed away in his
belly and his nest ofr a few months, he left the party and the squirrels returned to finish off what he had left behind. After they had their fill they climbed into the
tree and after they bathed each other they snuggled down together and fell asleep. ABout two hours later they awoke, came back down the tree and stared at
us until we filled the ground with the wild bird seed that they loved. We kept trying to show them the peanuts but would sniff them and move on.
Abbey's newfound love
Breakfast time for all the forest friends
The squirrels snuggle down in
their tree for a nap after lunch
their tree for a nap after lunch
A shy woodpecker peeks to see it's safe to eat
May 22nd - Liberty, Missouri -
Clay County Savings Association was the first bank ever to be robbed in broad daylight. The date was February 13, 1866 and the robbers were known as the
Jesse James Gang, led by the notorious James brothers, Jesse and his brother Frank. The bank still stands today in the small city of Liberty, exactly how it was
back then. Of course it is now a museum and no longer an actual bank. The James Gang got away with $60,000 that day. That's more than any bank robber
gets these days by just robbing a teller. It's because of people like Jesse James that bank tellers have maximum cash drawer levels. I was a bank teller for
almost 3 years and every so often they would do what was called a 'surprise cash count'. Not only were they doing it to make sure that your drawer had the
amount of money the computer said it should have, and making sure that no one was dipping into the till, they also did it to make sure that your cash level
wasn't over your limits. It meant big trouble if you had more than $2,000 in the top drawer and $8,000 in your bottom large bill drawer. Apparently the Clay
County Savings Association hadn't had the "How to keep your cash safe" seminar. Nowadays you have to break into the vaults of a bank to get anywhere near
$60,000, not that we recommend doing any such deed. I am happy to say that at no time in the almost 10 years that I worked at the bank did we ever get
robbed. In fact in Valley Oaks Bank history they have never been robbed. Okay I'm looking for some wood to knock on. The James Gang went on the rob
numerous other banks and business establishments in their impressively long careers as criminals, but were finally stopped, well actually they were finally both
killed which is how most of the old west's bad guys went down. Just up the road from the bank sits the farm that Jesse and Frank were raised on and where
they were laid to rest. The James Gang as they were called back then were the most notorious criminals of their time, in fact of almost anytime for that matter.
Historical Liberty Square looks like something out of an old western movie. All the streets are cobblestone and all the buildings are as they were back in the
1800's. The little tour guide we had was the cheeriest and friendliest woman I have ever met. We asked her about what book would be the best to get to read
up on our criminals of the old west and she went into the longest explanation imaginable of each and every book she had in the book section. We didn't even
need to buy any of them since she gave us their entire story. I think reading the books may not have taken as long as it did to hear her explain them to us. We
headed back home to Basswood RV Park at the end of our tour and ordered a pizza from the office. They had great pizza, and they made it right there in the
lobby and delivered it to your campsite via a golf cart. It's a great little side business for them. The RV Park is a bit off the highway and there are all sorts of
houses on the roads around it so even the locals order their pizza from there since the Pizza Hut in town won't deliver that far out. Frank is now trying to figure
out how we can make these little pizzas in the bus and sell them at all the RV Parks and campgrounds we visit in the future. Always an entrepreneur that one!
Clay County Savings Association was the first bank ever to be robbed in broad daylight. The date was February 13, 1866 and the robbers were known as the
Jesse James Gang, led by the notorious James brothers, Jesse and his brother Frank. The bank still stands today in the small city of Liberty, exactly how it was
back then. Of course it is now a museum and no longer an actual bank. The James Gang got away with $60,000 that day. That's more than any bank robber
gets these days by just robbing a teller. It's because of people like Jesse James that bank tellers have maximum cash drawer levels. I was a bank teller for
almost 3 years and every so often they would do what was called a 'surprise cash count'. Not only were they doing it to make sure that your drawer had the
amount of money the computer said it should have, and making sure that no one was dipping into the till, they also did it to make sure that your cash level
wasn't over your limits. It meant big trouble if you had more than $2,000 in the top drawer and $8,000 in your bottom large bill drawer. Apparently the Clay
County Savings Association hadn't had the "How to keep your cash safe" seminar. Nowadays you have to break into the vaults of a bank to get anywhere near
$60,000, not that we recommend doing any such deed. I am happy to say that at no time in the almost 10 years that I worked at the bank did we ever get
robbed. In fact in Valley Oaks Bank history they have never been robbed. Okay I'm looking for some wood to knock on. The James Gang went on the rob
numerous other banks and business establishments in their impressively long careers as criminals, but were finally stopped, well actually they were finally both
killed which is how most of the old west's bad guys went down. Just up the road from the bank sits the farm that Jesse and Frank were raised on and where
they were laid to rest. The James Gang as they were called back then were the most notorious criminals of their time, in fact of almost anytime for that matter.
Historical Liberty Square looks like something out of an old western movie. All the streets are cobblestone and all the buildings are as they were back in the
1800's. The little tour guide we had was the cheeriest and friendliest woman I have ever met. We asked her about what book would be the best to get to read
up on our criminals of the old west and she went into the longest explanation imaginable of each and every book she had in the book section. We didn't even
need to buy any of them since she gave us their entire story. I think reading the books may not have taken as long as it did to hear her explain them to us. We
headed back home to Basswood RV Park at the end of our tour and ordered a pizza from the office. They had great pizza, and they made it right there in the
lobby and delivered it to your campsite via a golf cart. It's a great little side business for them. The RV Park is a bit off the highway and there are all sorts of
houses on the roads around it so even the locals order their pizza from there since the Pizza Hut in town won't deliver that far out. Frank is now trying to figure
out how we can make these little pizzas in the bus and sell them at all the RV Parks and campgrounds we visit in the future. Always an entrepreneur that one!
The Clay County Savings Association
The old style teller windows of the Old West
May 19th - Churchill Downs - Louisville, Kentucky -
Churchill Downs is home to one of the greatest horse races there is, The Kentucky Derby, which was held here just a few weeks back. Even though today's
races weren't nearly as popular, we had a fun day. We each bet 2 bucks on each race to the horse of our choice. We read a little about the horses in the
program, but my favorite thing to do is still go down to the paddock and see who looks like they want to run that day. One of my bets was on a long shot who
had never run a race before, and looked very antsy! He threw his rider off at one point, and was almost scratched, but somehow the jockey managed to get
back on and come in second place. He was almost dead last in the beginning, and all of a sudden his energy rush paid off. All our bets were 'to show' which
means you win if your horse comes in first, second or third place, so the odds are a bit more in your favor. One race, in honor of today being my dad's birthday,
I wagered on a horse named 'Silver Minister' since my dear dad is a silver haired minister. Sorry Pops, no such luck on that bet, but he was a beautiful horse. He
tried his very best and came in fourth. Just a nose short, but enough distance to loose my big bet. By the end of the day we were down about a dollar and a
half, but it was worth every cent. It's much more fun to scream and cheer for a horse when you have a couple bucks riding on him (ha ha, no pun intended). The
buildings here are like nothing we have ever seen. All the spires and steeples are like something out of a movie set and the seating was enormous. It was
interesting to read all about the horses that have won the various Kentucky Derbies over the years and the select few that won the Triple Crown. They also had
areas that told about other great horses such as Man-O-War and War Admiral, who by the way was the horse that Seabiscuit beat at the infamous Match Race.
It's always a good day when you can visit a place with such history and be able to view such glorious horses. Kentucky is amazing.
Churchill Downs is home to one of the greatest horse races there is, The Kentucky Derby, which was held here just a few weeks back. Even though today's
races weren't nearly as popular, we had a fun day. We each bet 2 bucks on each race to the horse of our choice. We read a little about the horses in the
program, but my favorite thing to do is still go down to the paddock and see who looks like they want to run that day. One of my bets was on a long shot who
had never run a race before, and looked very antsy! He threw his rider off at one point, and was almost scratched, but somehow the jockey managed to get
back on and come in second place. He was almost dead last in the beginning, and all of a sudden his energy rush paid off. All our bets were 'to show' which
means you win if your horse comes in first, second or third place, so the odds are a bit more in your favor. One race, in honor of today being my dad's birthday,
I wagered on a horse named 'Silver Minister' since my dear dad is a silver haired minister. Sorry Pops, no such luck on that bet, but he was a beautiful horse. He
tried his very best and came in fourth. Just a nose short, but enough distance to loose my big bet. By the end of the day we were down about a dollar and a
half, but it was worth every cent. It's much more fun to scream and cheer for a horse when you have a couple bucks riding on him (ha ha, no pun intended). The
buildings here are like nothing we have ever seen. All the spires and steeples are like something out of a movie set and the seating was enormous. It was
interesting to read all about the horses that have won the various Kentucky Derbies over the years and the select few that won the Triple Crown. They also had
areas that told about other great horses such as Man-O-War and War Admiral, who by the way was the horse that Seabiscuit beat at the infamous Match Race.
It's always a good day when you can visit a place with such history and be able to view such glorious horses. Kentucky is amazing.
May 19th - Louisville Slugger Museum and factory - Louisville, Kentucky
Downtown Louisville is full of history and old brick buildings. Almost every block has a Historical Marker on it describing something that had occurred. I must
admit most of the events were not familiar to us, but then again neither of us have ever studied the history of Kentucky at any depth, maybe we should start!
Our activity of the morning was touring the Louisville Slugger Factory and learning all about how they build bats for the minor league players the Major League
players and your everyday bat consumer. It's amazing to see just how much goes into creating a wooden bat for such people as Cal Rifkin or Barry Bonds.
Along with Kentucky history we aren't quite up on our who's who in the big bad game of baseball, but the names were familiar. Back in the days of handcrafting
wooden bats it took a man about an hour to create each bat that a Major League player would order. The player would tell the Louisville Slugger craftsman
how long he wanted the bat, how much it was to weigh, what wood it was to be made out of and how many he wanted to this exact specification. Apparently
since there is such a science to each player swinging his bat in order to hit the ball out of the park there is a noticeable difference to them if their new bats are
even an ounce off of their others. I'll let you know if this is true if I ever make to the Major Leagues. Nowadays there are machines that do just this for the bats.
Actually there is only one machine in existence for the production of the Major League player's bats and it is housed here. The craftsman now types in all the
specifications that the bat is to have except of course how much it will weigh. This still takes a certain knowledge to know what piece of wood you put into the
machine will produce the weight of the bat you want to come out. Once the wood is selected and placed into the machine the machine cuts the bat it 3
seconds! Yes it was amazing. We actually saw them make two bats while we were on tour for Cal Rifkin. Don't ask me who he plays for, or what position. The
only player's position that I could name on the tour was Johnny Bench, and that was only because of the Bill Cosby Himself comedy tape where Bill makes a
comment on how the doctor that was delivering his child sat at the end of the table like Johnny Bench. My dad and I listened to that tape endlessly when I was
young. At the end of the tour we were each given a free miniature bat. They are the perfect size for the birds, and since they love to chew on any kind of
wood, they will love these..
Downtown Louisville is full of history and old brick buildings. Almost every block has a Historical Marker on it describing something that had occurred. I must
admit most of the events were not familiar to us, but then again neither of us have ever studied the history of Kentucky at any depth, maybe we should start!
Our activity of the morning was touring the Louisville Slugger Factory and learning all about how they build bats for the minor league players the Major League
players and your everyday bat consumer. It's amazing to see just how much goes into creating a wooden bat for such people as Cal Rifkin or Barry Bonds.
Along with Kentucky history we aren't quite up on our who's who in the big bad game of baseball, but the names were familiar. Back in the days of handcrafting
wooden bats it took a man about an hour to create each bat that a Major League player would order. The player would tell the Louisville Slugger craftsman
how long he wanted the bat, how much it was to weigh, what wood it was to be made out of and how many he wanted to this exact specification. Apparently
since there is such a science to each player swinging his bat in order to hit the ball out of the park there is a noticeable difference to them if their new bats are
even an ounce off of their others. I'll let you know if this is true if I ever make to the Major Leagues. Nowadays there are machines that do just this for the bats.
Actually there is only one machine in existence for the production of the Major League player's bats and it is housed here. The craftsman now types in all the
specifications that the bat is to have except of course how much it will weigh. This still takes a certain knowledge to know what piece of wood you put into the
machine will produce the weight of the bat you want to come out. Once the wood is selected and placed into the machine the machine cuts the bat it 3
seconds! Yes it was amazing. We actually saw them make two bats while we were on tour for Cal Rifkin. Don't ask me who he plays for, or what position. The
only player's position that I could name on the tour was Johnny Bench, and that was only because of the Bill Cosby Himself comedy tape where Bill makes a
comment on how the doctor that was delivering his child sat at the end of the table like Johnny Bench. My dad and I listened to that tape endlessly when I was
young. At the end of the tour we were each given a free miniature bat. They are the perfect size for the birds, and since they love to chew on any kind of
wood, they will love these..
... ... and they're off and running!
The glorious entrance to Churchill Downs
Abbey with her fun souvenir
The early days when bats were made by hand
| The world's largest bat leans against the Louisville Slugger Factory |
Batter up! Anyone wanna play with me?
May 20th - Otter Creek Trail - 8.2 miles of biking trails -
There must be about 12 different trails here at the park. Most of them are for hiking or horses, but there are 3-4 that are intended for mountain biking. We
started out riding to the Nature Center of the park which was only about a half a mile from home. From there we picked up a trail guide and set out on the
Otter Creek trail which wound up and down the mountain a little over 8 miles. The trail was in the shade for over 80% of the time which made it nice and cool. It
was like a roller coaster ride, although you didn't have anything holding you from going over a ledge, but that made it even more fun. Frank lead the way with
the trusty map that showed the trail along with certain markers to look for. I only crashed twice, once when I misjudged by wheelie ability over a large stump
and another when I was attempting to down shift but my bike had other ideas. Neither of them was too bad, and the bruises will heal. At least i got up from the
ground laughing. Another near crashed occurred as we were coming down a bit of a steep hill to what appeared to be a cliff. I was reaching for my camera to
get a picture and trying to break at the same time. Since the roads are all dirt and the hill was steep as I pulled the breaks the wheels stopped, but my bike
kept sliding down the hill. Luckily Frank was right in front of me and I was able to use him and his bike to stop the sliding bike before we both went over the
edge of the cliff. We did pass a couple guys that were out on the trail for exercise, in fact I should say they passed us, twice in fact coming the opposite way.
Oh well we were out there fun and accomplished just that. The best part of the trail was that it was all pretty much downhill so we didn't have to kill ourselves
up any huge hills as we did the other day. The worst part of the trail? The fact that it was downhill pretty much the entire way and the speed you got going
down some of the hills made your heart rate go up even more than the exercise did, while you prayed "Please God keep me from doing a header into the
woods." The last 3 miles of the trail was nice and flat, and by the end of it we were both ready to go again, but figured we would probably change our minds
about halfway through. We also realized that the reason the other mountain bikers were going the opposite way was for the challenge of the hills. No thanks!
I'm all for a good workout, but I would rather not kill myself in the process. Oh by the way, the mini baseball bats went over like a charm. In fact it took Cody
about an hour to demolish his. As soon as his was torn up he stole his sisters and is making quick work of that as well. Maybe we should order a few more!
There must be about 12 different trails here at the park. Most of them are for hiking or horses, but there are 3-4 that are intended for mountain biking. We
started out riding to the Nature Center of the park which was only about a half a mile from home. From there we picked up a trail guide and set out on the
Otter Creek trail which wound up and down the mountain a little over 8 miles. The trail was in the shade for over 80% of the time which made it nice and cool. It
was like a roller coaster ride, although you didn't have anything holding you from going over a ledge, but that made it even more fun. Frank lead the way with
the trusty map that showed the trail along with certain markers to look for. I only crashed twice, once when I misjudged by wheelie ability over a large stump
and another when I was attempting to down shift but my bike had other ideas. Neither of them was too bad, and the bruises will heal. At least i got up from the
ground laughing. Another near crashed occurred as we were coming down a bit of a steep hill to what appeared to be a cliff. I was reaching for my camera to
get a picture and trying to break at the same time. Since the roads are all dirt and the hill was steep as I pulled the breaks the wheels stopped, but my bike
kept sliding down the hill. Luckily Frank was right in front of me and I was able to use him and his bike to stop the sliding bike before we both went over the
edge of the cliff. We did pass a couple guys that were out on the trail for exercise, in fact I should say they passed us, twice in fact coming the opposite way.
Oh well we were out there fun and accomplished just that. The best part of the trail was that it was all pretty much downhill so we didn't have to kill ourselves
up any huge hills as we did the other day. The worst part of the trail? The fact that it was downhill pretty much the entire way and the speed you got going
down some of the hills made your heart rate go up even more than the exercise did, while you prayed "Please God keep me from doing a header into the
woods." The last 3 miles of the trail was nice and flat, and by the end of it we were both ready to go again, but figured we would probably change our minds
about halfway through. We also realized that the reason the other mountain bikers were going the opposite way was for the challenge of the hills. No thanks!
I'm all for a good workout, but I would rather not kill myself in the process. Oh by the way, the mini baseball bats went over like a charm. In fact it took Cody
about an hour to demolish his. As soon as his was torn up he stole his sisters and is making quick work of that as well. Maybe we should order a few more!
Another arm of the Ohio River
The cliff Suzy nearly flew over
The wooded trail we rode for over 8 miles
A fallen tree makes a perfect bridge
June 3rd - Topeka Kansas -
Duty calls, and so we are back to work. We have had a nice long break and seen many things, but it's nice to get back in the swing of things. We missed our
friends at work and the teams as well. This weekend was full of parties! Sweet Bradley, aka Poof, turned 11 years old and to celebrate he got a new Noah's
Ark complete with two of each animal and of course Mr. and Mrs. Noah. Bradley's favorite thing to do with the people and animals is to chew their faces off.
They are made of a very soft plastic that he loves to tear apart. If you look closely at the third picture above you can see that the giraffe has no legs, no ears,
no nose and no little horns. The little blue birds also are without eyes and wings. Poor Noah who once was whole now has no fanny and no staff that once held
the kind dove that held the ever present olive branch letting them know it was safe to head to shore. Good thing Bradley wasn't on the real Ark, they would
never have known when to get off the boat. There was also a birthday for one of the team members. The wind was so strong on Saturday evening that as
soon as we would light the candles on Chris' cake the wind would blow them out. Brandon, the driver of the Budweiser car, stood by with a lighter almost
continually until Chris was ready to make a wish and blow them out for real.
We again have had an emotional weekend full of highs and lows. The Monster team did qualify for the race, had very consistent qualifying rounds, but only
made it to the first round on race day since almost 1/3 of the way down the track something on the car broke and the Monster mobile dropped a cylinder. The
Budweiser team however had a fabulous race day that ended with another trip to the Winner's Circle. Frank and I again went down to the starting line of the
final race between the Budweiser car and the Torco racing car. Next time I will have to bring my video camera so you can see just how much power comes out
of these cars. They literally go from a dead stop to 325 mph in 1/4 of a mile as 6 foot flames shoot out of both sides. Standing behind these cars when they
propel themselves down the track leaves you in awe, and your face and body covered in rubber that is flying off of the track and the tires. It doesn't hurt, in
fact you don't even notice it until you look in the mirror at yourself when you get back to the pits! Today was a beautiful day here in Topeka which was
wonderful. We had almost no delays and all the races went without much of a hitch. There was one explosion during the Funny Car races, but it didn't harm
the track so today was surprisingly on schedule. We had torrential downpours on Friday which ended with only one qualifying round which was okay for us
since both teams were in. It seems that everywhere we go the big black rain clouds follow. We have had rain at every single race so far this year. Some not as
bad as others and some only in the evenings after the races were ended, but enough to have to dry the track before the races began the following day.
Luckily drying the track is not in our job description. Thank God for the Safety Safari. They are the guys and gals that keep the track in good shape, clean it
up after an explosion and keep it safe and dry for all the drivers in each class. We are now off to beautiful Chicago. Let's hope the rain doesn't follow us there!
Duty calls, and so we are back to work. We have had a nice long break and seen many things, but it's nice to get back in the swing of things. We missed our
friends at work and the teams as well. This weekend was full of parties! Sweet Bradley, aka Poof, turned 11 years old and to celebrate he got a new Noah's
Ark complete with two of each animal and of course Mr. and Mrs. Noah. Bradley's favorite thing to do with the people and animals is to chew their faces off.
They are made of a very soft plastic that he loves to tear apart. If you look closely at the third picture above you can see that the giraffe has no legs, no ears,
no nose and no little horns. The little blue birds also are without eyes and wings. Poor Noah who once was whole now has no fanny and no staff that once held
the kind dove that held the ever present olive branch letting them know it was safe to head to shore. Good thing Bradley wasn't on the real Ark, they would
never have known when to get off the boat. There was also a birthday for one of the team members. The wind was so strong on Saturday evening that as
soon as we would light the candles on Chris' cake the wind would blow them out. Brandon, the driver of the Budweiser car, stood by with a lighter almost
continually until Chris was ready to make a wish and blow them out for real.
We again have had an emotional weekend full of highs and lows. The Monster team did qualify for the race, had very consistent qualifying rounds, but only
made it to the first round on race day since almost 1/3 of the way down the track something on the car broke and the Monster mobile dropped a cylinder. The
Budweiser team however had a fabulous race day that ended with another trip to the Winner's Circle. Frank and I again went down to the starting line of the
final race between the Budweiser car and the Torco racing car. Next time I will have to bring my video camera so you can see just how much power comes out
of these cars. They literally go from a dead stop to 325 mph in 1/4 of a mile as 6 foot flames shoot out of both sides. Standing behind these cars when they
propel themselves down the track leaves you in awe, and your face and body covered in rubber that is flying off of the track and the tires. It doesn't hurt, in
fact you don't even notice it until you look in the mirror at yourself when you get back to the pits! Today was a beautiful day here in Topeka which was
wonderful. We had almost no delays and all the races went without much of a hitch. There was one explosion during the Funny Car races, but it didn't harm
the track so today was surprisingly on schedule. We had torrential downpours on Friday which ended with only one qualifying round which was okay for us
since both teams were in. It seems that everywhere we go the big black rain clouds follow. We have had rain at every single race so far this year. Some not as
bad as others and some only in the evenings after the races were ended, but enough to have to dry the track before the races began the following day.
Luckily drying the track is not in our job description. Thank God for the Safety Safari. They are the guys and gals that keep the track in good shape, clean it
up after an explosion and keep it safe and dry for all the drivers in each class. We are now off to beautiful Chicago. Let's hope the rain doesn't follow us there!
Bradley's faceless victims
Brandon lights candles as Chris makes a wish
Poor Noah is no longer with us!
| Frank chats with the guys between rounds |
| Frank and Suzy's Monster party tent |
A view of round one from the starting line
| It takes all 7 guys to hold the car down while Kenny seats the clutch |
June 11th - Defiance, Ohio - Sitting On the Dock of the Lake -
Home of Martin Diesel Generators was our stop for the night. It's the tiniest little shop in the tiniest little town, however 80% of Prevost generators come out of
this tiny yet incredibly busy shop. We stop here once a year to get our trusty generator checked out and fixed up if need be. It would not be a fun time to have
the generator stop working at any point on our journey. The guys who work here are wonderful, and we have gotten to know them quite well. They come out to
a couple races a year so we stay in touch. Our entertainment of the evening was a nice long walk to the nearby lake with Frank's guitar and some chocolate
brownie ice cream to nibble on while we watched the sunset over the lake through the trees and listened to Frank's ever growing library of songs. It was a very
nice evening and the weather outside was even nicer, a sure sign that Summer is coming. It's nice to have warm nights instead of cold ones.
Home of Martin Diesel Generators was our stop for the night. It's the tiniest little shop in the tiniest little town, however 80% of Prevost generators come out of
this tiny yet incredibly busy shop. We stop here once a year to get our trusty generator checked out and fixed up if need be. It would not be a fun time to have
the generator stop working at any point on our journey. The guys who work here are wonderful, and we have gotten to know them quite well. They come out to
a couple races a year so we stay in touch. Our entertainment of the evening was a nice long walk to the nearby lake with Frank's guitar and some chocolate
brownie ice cream to nibble on while we watched the sunset over the lake through the trees and listened to Frank's ever growing library of songs. It was a very
nice evening and the weather outside was even nicer, a sure sign that Summer is coming. It's nice to have warm nights instead of cold ones.
Yummy!!!!!
May 23rd - Harley-Davidson's Assembly Plant - Platte City, Missouri -
The main reason we chose to come here and camp in Platte City was to tour the infamous Harley-Davidson factory and assembly plant. It was well worth it,
especially since it was free! The tour took you through every step there is the build a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. They had huge robots that cut the steel for
the fuel tanks and even welded the fuel tanks together. They look almost real the way the robots move and rotated and welded. They have robots that bend the
frames of the bikes and weld parts of those together. Then the real people do the finishing touches on the steel and send them to the assembly line to be put
together. The assembly line where almost all of the bikes are made are just that, they are lines that move the bikes along and one person does one thing on
each bike that passes them. There is an off-shoot assembly line that does the specialty bikes, the name has slipped my mind at the moment so I do apologize
for not being historically accurate on this, let's just say they are the Screamin' Eagle V-Rods. This off-shoot assembly line holds one bike with all the parts and
one person to assemble the entire thing. This line of bikes has more chrome on it and is specially ordered a certain way so no other bike out there is like it. It
was very impressive to see that from a pile of straight metal sheets and a few chrome plated items emerges a beautiful motorcycle. Even the paint room is so
carefully monitored that if you work in it you cannot wear any type of lotion or hair gels or makeup. You can only use baby shampoo and no conditioner. Nothing
that will get into the air or be on your skin other than just your skin. This way they can almost guarantee that the paint will be perfect and there won't be any
defects in it. Apparently other items like cars and motorhomes have tiny particles of make up and hairspray in them and if you look really really close you can
see tiny tiny microscopic things in the paint. My thought on this is, once you take this thing out on the road at 100 mile an hour and hit a few bugs there goes
your perfect paint job anyways, but I guess if one is going to spend over $20,000 on a motorcycle they expect it to be free from makeup spots in the paint. At
the very end of the tour, no they don't give you a free mini bike like the bat place gave us a mini bat, but they do let you sit and pose on a new motorcycle. It
was very educational to see how much goes into a Harley-Davidson, and one of the last vehicles that are built in their entirety in America.
The main reason we chose to come here and camp in Platte City was to tour the infamous Harley-Davidson factory and assembly plant. It was well worth it,
especially since it was free! The tour took you through every step there is the build a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. They had huge robots that cut the steel for
the fuel tanks and even welded the fuel tanks together. They look almost real the way the robots move and rotated and welded. They have robots that bend the
frames of the bikes and weld parts of those together. Then the real people do the finishing touches on the steel and send them to the assembly line to be put
together. The assembly line where almost all of the bikes are made are just that, they are lines that move the bikes along and one person does one thing on
each bike that passes them. There is an off-shoot assembly line that does the specialty bikes, the name has slipped my mind at the moment so I do apologize
for not being historically accurate on this, let's just say they are the Screamin' Eagle V-Rods. This off-shoot assembly line holds one bike with all the parts and
one person to assemble the entire thing. This line of bikes has more chrome on it and is specially ordered a certain way so no other bike out there is like it. It
was very impressive to see that from a pile of straight metal sheets and a few chrome plated items emerges a beautiful motorcycle. Even the paint room is so
carefully monitored that if you work in it you cannot wear any type of lotion or hair gels or makeup. You can only use baby shampoo and no conditioner. Nothing
that will get into the air or be on your skin other than just your skin. This way they can almost guarantee that the paint will be perfect and there won't be any
defects in it. Apparently other items like cars and motorhomes have tiny particles of make up and hairspray in them and if you look really really close you can
see tiny tiny microscopic things in the paint. My thought on this is, once you take this thing out on the road at 100 mile an hour and hit a few bugs there goes
your perfect paint job anyways, but I guess if one is going to spend over $20,000 on a motorcycle they expect it to be free from makeup spots in the paint. At
the very end of the tour, no they don't give you a free mini bike like the bat place gave us a mini bat, but they do let you sit and pose on a new motorcycle. It
was very educational to see how much goes into a Harley-Davidson, and one of the last vehicles that are built in their entirety in America.
May 27th - Excelsior Springs, Missouri -
Not that we aren't completely enjoying our almost month long vacation, but we were getting a little homesick for our 'road family'. So one day I was looking at
the map to see just how close a few of them were to us, and we found out that Rick and Candie's home town was only about 25 miles away from Platte City.
What luck! We called them up to see what they were doing, and as it turns out most of the rest of our traveling friends were having the same lonely feelings
and four of the other couples were already camped out in Excelsior Springs with them, even better luck. After getting quick directions we headed out here on
Friday to join up with the gang. We have had a wonderful weekend. Good friends of Rick and Candie own an auto shop that just happens to have an
enormous parking area that he doesn't use. This nice big parking area was just perfect to hold six motorhomes, all the cars and all the souvenir trailers for the
weekend, and was conveniently located in the middle of the town. It's a small town, but big enough to keep the 12 of us entertained for a few days. We went to
a great rib and bar-b-que restaurant called Wabash where they have live bands on the weekends and yummy ribs. The ladies took a drive out to the river and
hit the casino for a day. None of us hit the big jackpot, but we had a lot of fun and came home with almost as much money as we left with. Sunday we went to
some other friend's house where we had a huge bar-b-que and watched the Indy 500, as much as we could thanks to the rain delays, intermingled with the
NASCAR race. I will say I'm not a huge NASCAR fan but it was fun to pick someone to win and at least cheer them on. I've always heard that people watch
NASCAR for the crashes, but I always though how many times do cars actually crash? Oh my gosh! These cars were crashing all over the place. Luckily no
one was hurt, but boy was it crazy. I picked the Budweiser driver to win since we ourselves work with Budweiser racing I thought it only proper. Frank picked
the Home Depot car because the track that the race was at was hosted by Lowe's. He thought it would be entertaining to see Lowe's competitors win the race,
such a funny guy. Unfortunately both of our chosen teams lost, but at least they didn't crash early on like most of the other famous picks did. There are two
new puppies in our traveling circus now, no not in our immediate family, the birds would never put up with that. Doug, who lost his sweet Boston Terrier about a
year and a half ago has been looking for a new one for quite some time. He finally found a new Baby. Baby also had a brother that the sellers were trying to
get rid of so Helen and Richard, not wanting the sweet puppies to be separated after living together for over 5 months, adopted the little boy and have named
him Buddy. As you can see above they both love Frank and they are quite vicious little things as well. Everyone loves a sweet little puppy.
Not that we aren't completely enjoying our almost month long vacation, but we were getting a little homesick for our 'road family'. So one day I was looking at
the map to see just how close a few of them were to us, and we found out that Rick and Candie's home town was only about 25 miles away from Platte City.
What luck! We called them up to see what they were doing, and as it turns out most of the rest of our traveling friends were having the same lonely feelings
and four of the other couples were already camped out in Excelsior Springs with them, even better luck. After getting quick directions we headed out here on
Friday to join up with the gang. We have had a wonderful weekend. Good friends of Rick and Candie own an auto shop that just happens to have an
enormous parking area that he doesn't use. This nice big parking area was just perfect to hold six motorhomes, all the cars and all the souvenir trailers for the
weekend, and was conveniently located in the middle of the town. It's a small town, but big enough to keep the 12 of us entertained for a few days. We went to
a great rib and bar-b-que restaurant called Wabash where they have live bands on the weekends and yummy ribs. The ladies took a drive out to the river and
hit the casino for a day. None of us hit the big jackpot, but we had a lot of fun and came home with almost as much money as we left with. Sunday we went to
some other friend's house where we had a huge bar-b-que and watched the Indy 500, as much as we could thanks to the rain delays, intermingled with the
NASCAR race. I will say I'm not a huge NASCAR fan but it was fun to pick someone to win and at least cheer them on. I've always heard that people watch
NASCAR for the crashes, but I always though how many times do cars actually crash? Oh my gosh! These cars were crashing all over the place. Luckily no
one was hurt, but boy was it crazy. I picked the Budweiser driver to win since we ourselves work with Budweiser racing I thought it only proper. Frank picked
the Home Depot car because the track that the race was at was hosted by Lowe's. He thought it would be entertaining to see Lowe's competitors win the race,
such a funny guy. Unfortunately both of our chosen teams lost, but at least they didn't crash early on like most of the other famous picks did. There are two
new puppies in our traveling circus now, no not in our immediate family, the birds would never put up with that. Doug, who lost his sweet Boston Terrier about a
year and a half ago has been looking for a new one for quite some time. He finally found a new Baby. Baby also had a brother that the sellers were trying to
get rid of so Helen and Richard, not wanting the sweet puppies to be separated after living together for over 5 months, adopted the little boy and have named
him Buddy. As you can see above they both love Frank and they are quite vicious little things as well. Everyone loves a sweet little puppy.
The Harley-Davidson employee parking
One of the many motors assembled by hand
Frank is mauled to death with puppy kisses
A cookout at Chris and Mike's
Dinner out with friends at Wabash
June 12th - New York State -
As we make our way to New Hampshire to visit some very good friends there we have seen a new side of New York. Literally and figuratively. Literally in the
fact that we are now on the West side of the state and figuratively because as of yet the only part of New York we have seen is the Big Apple and the city side
of New York. Over here in what the call 'Upstate New York' it is gorgeous. The hills and trees are green and there are no skyscrapers to be seen anywhere.
The rest stop we stayed at tonight was amazing. We not only had it to ourselves, aside from a poor truck driver getting an inspection by a police officer, but
the sun was still up and the birds were outside. At least 2 dozen truckers did drive in to the rest stop to see if there was room for the night, but they all kept
right on driving once they saw the policeman performing the inspection. We figure they were all up for driving a little longer for the night instead of risking
being the next inspection victim. This was one of those nights that Frank was very glad not to have the enormous red Budweiser trailer behind the motorhome
since we may have sent up a flag of our own screaming "Yes we too are a commercial vehicle, so please come over and look at us" to attract the cop. We are
happy to report he went on his merry way after he was done with the trucker. We did however have one guest for the evening. He tried to play the guitar, but
since he was all feet and no hands not to mention a little short to reach the strings and fret board he moved on. Cody wasn't quite sure what to make of our
little furry caterpillar friend but he did watch him crawl around the guitar and box with a bit of interest.
As we make our way to New Hampshire to visit some very good friends there we have seen a new side of New York. Literally and figuratively. Literally in the
fact that we are now on the West side of the state and figuratively because as of yet the only part of New York we have seen is the Big Apple and the city side
of New York. Over here in what the call 'Upstate New York' it is gorgeous. The hills and trees are green and there are no skyscrapers to be seen anywhere.
The rest stop we stayed at tonight was amazing. We not only had it to ourselves, aside from a poor truck driver getting an inspection by a police officer, but
the sun was still up and the birds were outside. At least 2 dozen truckers did drive in to the rest stop to see if there was room for the night, but they all kept
right on driving once they saw the policeman performing the inspection. We figure they were all up for driving a little longer for the night instead of risking
being the next inspection victim. This was one of those nights that Frank was very glad not to have the enormous red Budweiser trailer behind the motorhome
since we may have sent up a flag of our own screaming "Yes we too are a commercial vehicle, so please come over and look at us" to attract the cop. We are
happy to report he went on his merry way after he was done with the trucker. We did however have one guest for the evening. He tried to play the guitar, but
since he was all feet and no hands not to mention a little short to reach the strings and fret board he moved on. Cody wasn't quite sure what to make of our
little furry caterpillar friend but he did watch him crawl around the guitar and box with a bit of interest.
June 13th - Gilmanton, New Hampshire - Camp Brooks - The Best RV Spot in all of New England -
Hooray! We made it up here to the northern region of the grand old U.S. We only have 7 states left in our countdown of seeing the entire country. Well,
actually only 6, since Alaska isn't contiguous and those darn Canadians won't our babies in their country in order to see the rest of our country, life is so
unfair! Tomorrow we are planning on visiting Maine and seeing the sites here in New Hampshire, so that will mark off yet another state. When we leave here
we will drive through Massachusetts, hopefully touching Rhode Island and Connecticut so all we will have left are Delaware, which we can probably swing
through once we are back on this coast for the Reading race and Nebraska which is pretty much in the middle of the country, but alas we have somehow
missed it. We are staying here with Kathy and Gary at their home which sits on a very pretty piece of land with some very pretty views. The second picture
shows the view they see each morning from their kitchen window and den.
Hooray! We made it up here to the northern region of the grand old U.S. We only have 7 states left in our countdown of seeing the entire country. Well,
actually only 6, since Alaska isn't contiguous and those darn Canadians won't our babies in their country in order to see the rest of our country, life is so
unfair! Tomorrow we are planning on visiting Maine and seeing the sites here in New Hampshire, so that will mark off yet another state. When we leave here
we will drive through Massachusetts, hopefully touching Rhode Island and Connecticut so all we will have left are Delaware, which we can probably swing
through once we are back on this coast for the Reading race and Nebraska which is pretty much in the middle of the country, but alas we have somehow
missed it. We are staying here with Kathy and Gary at their home which sits on a very pretty piece of land with some very pretty views. The second picture
shows the view they see each morning from their kitchen window and den.
June 14th - A drive to Hampton Beach via Maine -
It might have been a little out of the way, but yes we headed to the beaches of New Hampshire today through the state of Maine to take our countdown to only 5.
We drove past some beautiful lakes, and docks on the ocean. We had lunch at Hampton Beach that included some excellent New England clam chowder. After
lunch we walked through the cute touristy town. It was a bit cold today, the warmest it ever got on the seafront was about 60 degrees so we opted not to go
bogey boarding today. Even if it were a sunny day the water being a bit nippy might have stopped us swimming to much as well. I will say, I never thought there
was a colder ocean than the California Pacific, but today I was proven wrong. The North Atlantic can definitely give the Pacific a run for it's money when it comes
to competing for the chilliest ocean. Since Summer vacation doesn't start here for the kiddos for another week we had the town almost to ourselves which was
fun. Laconia Bike Week is here and just up the road from Gary and Kathy's this weekend so there are tons of bikes driving by us everywhere we go. I personally
love to look at the different motorcycles that go by, as does Frank so it's fun to be here this time of year. They have a humongous Navy shipyard here as well. It
would have been very impressive to see. Unfortunately it is not open to the public, no matter how much you try and bribe the guard at the gate. Darn! Maybe we
can sneak in from the ocean side. This evening Gary and Kathy took us to Sawyer's, home of the best Maine lobster around. It was delish! After dinner they
took us for a tour around town in their fun T top. Frank and I always have a fun time exploring new cities, but nothing beats a vacation when there are locals
involved to show you things we would never think to see on our own. Thanks guys, for being such awesome hosts!
It might have been a little out of the way, but yes we headed to the beaches of New Hampshire today through the state of Maine to take our countdown to only 5.
We drove past some beautiful lakes, and docks on the ocean. We had lunch at Hampton Beach that included some excellent New England clam chowder. After
lunch we walked through the cute touristy town. It was a bit cold today, the warmest it ever got on the seafront was about 60 degrees so we opted not to go
bogey boarding today. Even if it were a sunny day the water being a bit nippy might have stopped us swimming to much as well. I will say, I never thought there
was a colder ocean than the California Pacific, but today I was proven wrong. The North Atlantic can definitely give the Pacific a run for it's money when it comes
to competing for the chilliest ocean. Since Summer vacation doesn't start here for the kiddos for another week we had the town almost to ourselves which was
fun. Laconia Bike Week is here and just up the road from Gary and Kathy's this weekend so there are tons of bikes driving by us everywhere we go. I personally
love to look at the different motorcycles that go by, as does Frank so it's fun to be here this time of year. They have a humongous Navy shipyard here as well. It
would have been very impressive to see. Unfortunately it is not open to the public, no matter how much you try and bribe the guard at the gate. Darn! Maybe we
can sneak in from the ocean side. This evening Gary and Kathy took us to Sawyer's, home of the best Maine lobster around. It was delish! After dinner they
took us for a tour around town in their fun T top. Frank and I always have a fun time exploring new cities, but nothing beats a vacation when there are locals
involved to show you things we would never think to see on our own. Thanks guys, for being such awesome hosts!
| Beautiful, yet chilly, Hampton Beach |
| The lake shores of Maine |
The town of Hampton as bikers pass by
Lake Winnipesaukee
June 16th - Later this same day ... ...
After Gary, Kathy and the troops all got off of work, Gary brought them all home for a relaxing bar-b-que and much needed down time after a long day of work.
Gary, the master bar-b-quer cooked up the burgers while we ladies made a few salads and the boys mixed the drinks. Cody kept everyone quite entertained
with his ability to open their soda or beer cans. His reward for his hard work was being able to remove the tab and play with them until they turned to metal
flakes. Don't worry he doesn't swallow even a bit of the tab. He tears it into little pieces that he slowly drops into Frank's hand. From the back deck of the
Brooks' home we were able to watch a beautiful sunset and spend some very nice relaxing time in the jacuzzi once the temperature got a bit cool.
After Gary, Kathy and the troops all got off of work, Gary brought them all home for a relaxing bar-b-que and much needed down time after a long day of work.
Gary, the master bar-b-quer cooked up the burgers while we ladies made a few salads and the boys mixed the drinks. Cody kept everyone quite entertained
with his ability to open their soda or beer cans. His reward for his hard work was being able to remove the tab and play with them until they turned to metal
flakes. Don't worry he doesn't swallow even a bit of the tab. He tears it into little pieces that he slowly drops into Frank's hand. From the back deck of the
Brooks' home we were able to watch a beautiful sunset and spend some very nice relaxing time in the jacuzzi once the temperature got a bit cool.
June 17th - Happy Father's Day -
Today we laid low and enjoyed the amenities here at Camp Brooks. Frank, Bradley and Cody spent a few hours playing the guitar as Abbey and I took a nice
long walk around the property. She usually doesn't like to walk around in the grass, but for some reason as we passed the area of the lawn that Kathy has her
gnome family, Abbey was antsy to get off my shoulder and go to the ground. Once on the ground she walked up to a little bridge that held a little gnome just
about her size. I of course had to take a picture since everything else that is bigger than a fly scares her and she is usually running in the opposite direction
for her little life. She sat there for about 5 minutes, walked up to him and nibbled at him. She briefly tried to pick a fight with him, but since all he did was smile
back at her she apparently gave up, figuring that he was a lover and not a fighter. New Hampshire is infamous for it's 'Old Man of the Mountain' rock formation.
Unfortunately in 2003 there was a large rock slide that removed the Old Man from the Mountain, so sadly it is now just a mountain :-(. However have no fear,
there is still a Man in the Mountain to be seen here in New Hampshire and lucky for us it just happens to be in Kathy's front yard. At first glance it looks a bit
different to everyone. My first thought was a lion, while Frank's first thought was an Indian. Abbey's first thought was that it was going to eat her and she
wanted nothing to do with him. Up the road from the 'Man in the Mountain' Kathy has created the 'Man in the Well'. His legs are no longer kicking,so we think,
along with 'The Old Man of the Mountain', he may no longer be with us. After our tour of the grounds, and discovering last night at dinner that none of Kathy's
friends and family had ever had chicken enchiladas I knew I had to change that. Since they all had to work again today at the track, and they have been such
great hosts, it was only fitting that I introduce them to homemade chicken enchiladas which are pretty darn good if I do say so myself. . After dinner Frank and I
played their classic organ for awhile, boy has been a long time since I sat at a piano. I was amazed at how many songs came back, nothing too tricky mind you,
but it was fun to play a bit again. We finished the evening off, and our visit of New Hampshire, with a nice chat on the porch and watched the sunset yet again.
Today we laid low and enjoyed the amenities here at Camp Brooks. Frank, Bradley and Cody spent a few hours playing the guitar as Abbey and I took a nice
long walk around the property. She usually doesn't like to walk around in the grass, but for some reason as we passed the area of the lawn that Kathy has her
gnome family, Abbey was antsy to get off my shoulder and go to the ground. Once on the ground she walked up to a little bridge that held a little gnome just
about her size. I of course had to take a picture since everything else that is bigger than a fly scares her and she is usually running in the opposite direction
for her little life. She sat there for about 5 minutes, walked up to him and nibbled at him. She briefly tried to pick a fight with him, but since all he did was smile
back at her she apparently gave up, figuring that he was a lover and not a fighter. New Hampshire is infamous for it's 'Old Man of the Mountain' rock formation.
Unfortunately in 2003 there was a large rock slide that removed the Old Man from the Mountain, so sadly it is now just a mountain :-(. However have no fear,
there is still a Man in the Mountain to be seen here in New Hampshire and lucky for us it just happens to be in Kathy's front yard. At first glance it looks a bit
different to everyone. My first thought was a lion, while Frank's first thought was an Indian. Abbey's first thought was that it was going to eat her and she
wanted nothing to do with him. Up the road from the 'Man in the Mountain' Kathy has created the 'Man in the Well'. His legs are no longer kicking,so we think,
along with 'The Old Man of the Mountain', he may no longer be with us. After our tour of the grounds, and discovering last night at dinner that none of Kathy's
friends and family had ever had chicken enchiladas I knew I had to change that. Since they all had to work again today at the track, and they have been such
great hosts, it was only fitting that I introduce them to homemade chicken enchiladas which are pretty darn good if I do say so myself. . After dinner Frank and I
played their classic organ for awhile, boy has been a long time since I sat at a piano. I was amazed at how many songs came back, nothing too tricky mind you,
but it was fun to play a bit again. We finished the evening off, and our visit of New Hampshire, with a nice chat on the porch and watched the sunset yet again.
June 16th - New Hampshire International Speedway - Loudin, New Hampshire -
Bike, bikes everywhere. Along with Laconia Bike Week here in New Hampshire the speedway, where Gary manages concessions, is having their annual road
course motorcycle races. When we lived in California one of our most favorite things of summer was to head up to Laguna Seca and watch the motorcycle
races there. Since we haven't been there in a while, we were thrilled to find out that we were able to see them here. Gary gave us the V.I.P tour of the facilities
here where they hold two NASCAR Nextel Cup races a year. The stands weren't of course as full this weekend as they will be in two weeks when they hold the
Lenox 300 but being spectators we were happy not to fight the crowds. The stands here hold about 90,000 people. Yikes, and we thought the Drag Races
were busy. That's a lot of darn people to feed for a weekend so Gary and staff are beyond busy this time of year setting up and preparing for the race. On
one of the tours of the suites here we were able to watch the race restart from right above the start/finish line. After our tour we were treated to lunch with
Gary, Kathy and their fellow workers.
Bike, bikes everywhere. Along with Laconia Bike Week here in New Hampshire the speedway, where Gary manages concessions, is having their annual road
course motorcycle races. When we lived in California one of our most favorite things of summer was to head up to Laguna Seca and watch the motorcycle
races there. Since we haven't been there in a while, we were thrilled to find out that we were able to see them here. Gary gave us the V.I.P tour of the facilities
here where they hold two NASCAR Nextel Cup races a year. The stands weren't of course as full this weekend as they will be in two weeks when they hold the
Lenox 300 but being spectators we were happy not to fight the crowds. The stands here hold about 90,000 people. Yikes, and we thought the Drag Races
were busy. That's a lot of darn people to feed for a weekend so Gary and staff are beyond busy this time of year setting up and preparing for the race. On
one of the tours of the suites here we were able to watch the race restart from right above the start/finish line. After our tour we were treated to lunch with
Gary, Kathy and their fellow workers.
A bird's eye view of the track from the suites
Ready... Set... Go!!!
A somewhat aerial shot of NHIS
Kathy's version of the Old Man
After the land slide that removed him
I would advise not to drink out of this well
The birds were in heaven being outside everyday
June 18th - And the Countdown Hits 2! -
Yes, that's right two states to go and we will have been through the entire contiguous United States! Very exciting if you ask us. We drove for about 7 hours
today and drove through 6 states. Hmmm! Please keep in mind the reason I say this with shock is that there are some days that we drive for 10 hours and
are still in the same state that we started out in, so it makes us feel like we are bookin' when we pass through this many states in such a short time. Yes we
realize that these states are much shorter and far more narrow than Texas, but for some reason it feels very rewarding to pass through a bunch of states in
one day. Both Rhode Island and Connecticut are very scenic to drive through. Especially all of the enormous bridges that take you over the huge lakes
leading out to the Atlantic. We thought of pulling off in Connecticut and hitting the beach, but the map shows the towns as being a bit small and the last thing
you want to do is pull of the highway with our setup unless you are fairly sure you a) know where you are going, and b) know that there will be parking for the
house once you get there. Not wanting to take a potential wrong turn we opted to stay on the highway and perhaps hit a couple views of the ocean once we
get to New Jersey and can take the Jeep out for a day trip up to the coast.
Yes, that's right two states to go and we will have been through the entire contiguous United States! Very exciting if you ask us. We drove for about 7 hours
today and drove through 6 states. Hmmm! Please keep in mind the reason I say this with shock is that there are some days that we drive for 10 hours and
are still in the same state that we started out in, so it makes us feel like we are bookin' when we pass through this many states in such a short time. Yes we
realize that these states are much shorter and far more narrow than Texas, but for some reason it feels very rewarding to pass through a bunch of states in
one day. Both Rhode Island and Connecticut are very scenic to drive through. Especially all of the enormous bridges that take you over the huge lakes
leading out to the Atlantic. We thought of pulling off in Connecticut and hitting the beach, but the map shows the towns as being a bit small and the last thing
you want to do is pull of the highway with our setup unless you are fairly sure you a) know where you are going, and b) know that there will be parking for the
house once you get there. Not wanting to take a potential wrong turn we opted to stay on the highway and perhaps hit a couple views of the ocean once we
get to New Jersey and can take the Jeep out for a day trip up to the coast.
The bus on the road again
| Hmmm! Are those condos, or silos? You always see the most interesting things out here on the road |
| A great view of Lake Erie from the sky lift |
| Tuna and Bob, a bit excited to be at the park |
| Tuna gives a thumbs up, the rest of us scream |
June 28th - Sandusky Ohio, Cedar Point Amusement Park -
All work and no play makes very worn out teammates. The Monster Men have been working pretty much non stop for many many months now. Unlike Frank
and I they actually have to work in between races and most of the time they drive back to the shop in Indianapolis after each race to fine tune the car, or
reload parts for the next race. Since they all got to Ohio a day early they decided to hit the amusement park for a fun day off. To makes things even better
they decided to take Frank and I along. We had a blast! It was a lot of fun spending time with the guys outside of work and away from the racetrack. When we
picked them up at their hotel, we hardly recognized them in their 'civilian clothes' since all we have ever seen them in before is their Monster attire. Cedar Point
is the biggest theme park in the country and has the most roller coasters as well so we were in heaven. It is located on the shores of Lake Erie so the view
from the top of the coasters hills was very pretty, very brief due to the rapid speeds, but very pretty. The park was not crowded at all so the lines were nice
and short and we were able to hit all the roller coasters, and even a few of the smaller rides. They have these amazing swing rides here where these
enormous arms swing you back and forth and end of going pretty much parallel with the ground so you feel like you might actually flip over the top. The third
picture above is a close up of 5 of us on the ride. A couple of the guys sat this one out so they were able to snap a few shots. Tuna looks quite relaxed and
happy giving Brad, the cameraman, the thumbs up. Frank, as usually just has an enormous grin on his face, Bob and I are both screaming, however Bob also
has his eyes closed and is praying that we aren't all killed. Chris pretty much has the same grinning expression as Frank. Where else can you scream bloody
murder without alarming those around you. The other swing ride we hit also swung back and forth but added a little twist, no pun intended. As it swung it also
slowly spun in circles. Again I screamed the whole time and hung on to Bob's arm for dear life since somehow Frank was seated away from us. My only fear on
a roller coaster is falling out, but if I have someone's hand or arm to hold on to I feel quite secure. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. It's just one of my many
quirks. Frank is quite used to this and usually takes my hand before the ride begins, however since he was on the other side of the swing, Bob's arm had to
do. I tried my very hardest not to grab on, I even tried to talk myself out of it, but alas my arm overpowered my mind and Bob was the closest. The poor guy will
probably never sit next to me on a ride again. We stayed at the park until it closed at 10pm, and then hit Outback for dinner.
All work and no play makes very worn out teammates. The Monster Men have been working pretty much non stop for many many months now. Unlike Frank
and I they actually have to work in between races and most of the time they drive back to the shop in Indianapolis after each race to fine tune the car, or
reload parts for the next race. Since they all got to Ohio a day early they decided to hit the amusement park for a fun day off. To makes things even better
they decided to take Frank and I along. We had a blast! It was a lot of fun spending time with the guys outside of work and away from the racetrack. When we
picked them up at their hotel, we hardly recognized them in their 'civilian clothes' since all we have ever seen them in before is their Monster attire. Cedar Point
is the biggest theme park in the country and has the most roller coasters as well so we were in heaven. It is located on the shores of Lake Erie so the view
from the top of the coasters hills was very pretty, very brief due to the rapid speeds, but very pretty. The park was not crowded at all so the lines were nice
and short and we were able to hit all the roller coasters, and even a few of the smaller rides. They have these amazing swing rides here where these
enormous arms swing you back and forth and end of going pretty much parallel with the ground so you feel like you might actually flip over the top. The third
picture above is a close up of 5 of us on the ride. A couple of the guys sat this one out so they were able to snap a few shots. Tuna looks quite relaxed and
happy giving Brad, the cameraman, the thumbs up. Frank, as usually just has an enormous grin on his face, Bob and I are both screaming, however Bob also
has his eyes closed and is praying that we aren't all killed. Chris pretty much has the same grinning expression as Frank. Where else can you scream bloody
murder without alarming those around you. The other swing ride we hit also swung back and forth but added a little twist, no pun intended. As it swung it also
slowly spun in circles. Again I screamed the whole time and hung on to Bob's arm for dear life since somehow Frank was seated away from us. My only fear on
a roller coaster is falling out, but if I have someone's hand or arm to hold on to I feel quite secure. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. It's just one of my many
quirks. Frank is quite used to this and usually takes my hand before the ride begins, however since he was on the other side of the swing, Bob's arm had to
do. I tried my very hardest not to grab on, I even tried to talk myself out of it, but alas my arm overpowered my mind and Bob was the closest. The poor guy will
probably never sit next to me on a ride again. We stayed at the park until it closed at 10pm, and then hit Outback for dinner.
| Hmmm! Men looking at a map?? Wow! |
| What goes up must come down. Eeeccckkk |
| Bob and Brad on Mantis |
| Chris, Frank, Bob and Tuna in line for a ride |
July 18th - Lake Moses, Washington -
Since Frank has been waking up before the sun each morning, due to the days getting earlier and earlier as we head West, we found ourselves almost a day
ahead of schedule. After consulting both the map and the atlas of RV Parks around the country, we found a very nice place in Lake Moses, Washington to
stay for the night and burn a few hours. The lake itself is fairly average in regards to lakes, but one thing that they have here that we haven't found elsewhere,
aside from the Santa Ynez Valley and that's only because they don't get enough rain most of the year to have their waterfalls actually have water in it, is what
is called a dry fall. They are very pretty grassy rock formations at the tops of mountains. We arrived this morning about 11:30 and immediately hit the pool. I
stayed there most of the day with book in hand and a large supply of spf 30 while Frank and Cody headed back to the campsite to play a little guitar and meet
the neighbors. After the pool we took a nice bike ride around to check out the scenery. Cody, as usual, brought out many fellow campers to meet. One of the
couples we met remembered us from the Oasis where we love to stay in Las Vegas. It really makes the country feel small when you run into the same people
from state to state. That's the best part of full time RVing. You never know when you will run into an old friend or acquaintance. After our trek around the area
we headed to the 60 person jacuzzi. Yes, it was enormous. It looked like a gigantic daisy, and we had it all to ourselves. You could take laps in the thing. It was
heavenly and just the perfect temperature. We slept so very well tonight after our soak. It's amazing just how sore one can get from driving over 1000 miles in
two days, not to mention working the last 4 races. Too bad we can't bring the 60 person jacuzzi with us on the road out here, everyone would love us if we did. .
Since Frank has been waking up before the sun each morning, due to the days getting earlier and earlier as we head West, we found ourselves almost a day
ahead of schedule. After consulting both the map and the atlas of RV Parks around the country, we found a very nice place in Lake Moses, Washington to
stay for the night and burn a few hours. The lake itself is fairly average in regards to lakes, but one thing that they have here that we haven't found elsewhere,
aside from the Santa Ynez Valley and that's only because they don't get enough rain most of the year to have their waterfalls actually have water in it, is what
is called a dry fall. They are very pretty grassy rock formations at the tops of mountains. We arrived this morning about 11:30 and immediately hit the pool. I
stayed there most of the day with book in hand and a large supply of spf 30 while Frank and Cody headed back to the campsite to play a little guitar and meet
the neighbors. After the pool we took a nice bike ride around to check out the scenery. Cody, as usual, brought out many fellow campers to meet. One of the
couples we met remembered us from the Oasis where we love to stay in Las Vegas. It really makes the country feel small when you run into the same people
from state to state. That's the best part of full time RVing. You never know when you will run into an old friend or acquaintance. After our trek around the area
we headed to the 60 person jacuzzi. Yes, it was enormous. It looked like a gigantic daisy, and we had it all to ourselves. You could take laps in the thing. It was
heavenly and just the perfect temperature. We slept so very well tonight after our soak. It's amazing just how sore one can get from driving over 1000 miles in
two days, not to mention working the last 4 races. Too bad we can't bring the 60 person jacuzzi with us on the road out here, everyone would love us if we did. .
| Eddie, the clutch man for the day |
| Kenny and Mike Ashley in the final round |
| The starting line before final round |
July 1st - Norwalk Ohio - The Finals -
Yes, that's right the Monster men took us to the final round! It was one of the most exciting race days yet. The car ran very well, and Kenny's times off the line
were excellent. We watched a couple of the rounds from the starting line again, and we got our 3 1/2 seconds of fame last night on ESPN. A couple friends
called to let us know "We saw you on TV!" Even tough they didn't finish with a Wally it was still an incredible weekend. We are making our way back up into the
points race and if the next few races go as well as today then we have a chance of making it into the Countdown to the Championship. For those of you who
don't follow the sport, each team in each category has until the U.S. Nationals which takes place in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend, to get into the top 8
spots in points. After that race only those cars are in the chase to the championship since the points are re-evaluated. We are currently about 65 points out of
8th place and each round a team wins gets you an additional 20 points so 8th place is definitely achievable for the Monster. This weekend quite a few of the
teams that are currently in the top 8 didn't win many rounds, so that helps us as well since those teams didn't increase their points lead but we closed the gap
a bit. Frank was able to help the team out a bit this weekend with tires and changing the Funny Car body out for a new one between rounds since the guys
were so busy and not used to going so many rounds.
On the Budweiser side Kim, the assistant crew chief, had a little fire accident while cleaning out part of the clutch. She's okay, but did end up with some bad
burns on her forearms. Having to keep those burns clean, which is next to impossible working on a Dragster's clutch, Eddie stepped out of the kitchen and into
the role of the assistant crew chief's assistant. Heck there can't be too much difference between kitchen grease and car grease right? Eddie did a great job on
Saturday night because the Budweiser car ran great. It seems that all the hospitality guys changed roles for the weekend, such teamwork!
Yes, that's right the Monster men took us to the final round! It was one of the most exciting race days yet. The car ran very well, and Kenny's times off the line
were excellent. We watched a couple of the rounds from the starting line again, and we got our 3 1/2 seconds of fame last night on ESPN. A couple friends
called to let us know "We saw you on TV!" Even tough they didn't finish with a Wally it was still an incredible weekend. We are making our way back up into the
points race and if the next few races go as well as today then we have a chance of making it into the Countdown to the Championship. For those of you who
don't follow the sport, each team in each category has until the U.S. Nationals which takes place in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend, to get into the top 8
spots in points. After that race only those cars are in the chase to the championship since the points are re-evaluated. We are currently about 65 points out of
8th place and each round a team wins gets you an additional 20 points so 8th place is definitely achievable for the Monster. This weekend quite a few of the
teams that are currently in the top 8 didn't win many rounds, so that helps us as well since those teams didn't increase their points lead but we closed the gap
a bit. Frank was able to help the team out a bit this weekend with tires and changing the Funny Car body out for a new one between rounds since the guys
were so busy and not used to going so many rounds.
On the Budweiser side Kim, the assistant crew chief, had a little fire accident while cleaning out part of the clutch. She's okay, but did end up with some bad
burns on her forearms. Having to keep those burns clean, which is next to impossible working on a Dragster's clutch, Eddie stepped out of the kitchen and into
the role of the assistant crew chief's assistant. Heck there can't be too much difference between kitchen grease and car grease right? Eddie did a great job on
Saturday night because the Budweiser car ran great. It seems that all the hospitality guys changed roles for the weekend, such teamwork!
| Frank unloads a new Funny Car body |
July 4th weekend - Bristol, Tennessee - Thunder Valley Racetrack -
Happy fourth of July!!!!! We had a very fun weekend. This was the race that had to be rescheduled due to some concrete work that went bad. Considering that
just a few weeks ago it looked like the first picture above and this weekend we had a great weekend full of lots of good racing, is amazing. To make it up to
everyone that had to rearrange their schedules in order to make it out here to Bristol, the track treated us all to a bar-b-que on Wednesday night with hot dogs,
hamburgers, watermelon, drinks and desert. A couple hours after the bar-b-que, up at our campground, Frank and I had a little party along with friends of ours
Julie and Todd, who is one of the tuners for Larry Dixon and the SkyTell team. Bob, Brad and Tom from the Monster team came, and almost the whole Dixon
team came so we had a good time. The boys of course ate again, we played horseshoes and flew a few kites that Julie had brought along. Our pastor from
RFC, Racers for Christ, came over and recharged our dash A/C since it hasn't been blowing very cold air out over the last couple weeks, and we are about to
take some very long trips across some very hot states. It's so nice having so many helpful people around. Whenever someone has a problem it always seems
that another person out here knows just what to do. Larry and Linda Smiley, yes their last name is very appropriate for being the pastor family, are wonderful
people and are always around to help out with a word of encouragement, or a can of coolant. Steve, Kurt and Frank watched Larry in hopes that perhaps next
time they can do it to their own coaches in case Larry and his handy pressure gauges aren't around. Friday night the track had an enormous fireworks show as
soon as the races ended to extend the celebrations another day, and then on Saturday night they had another big bar-b-que along with a local country band.
Sunday our Budweiser team won another Wally which brings the count to 4, so we had a Winner's Circle party to top of the festive holiday weekend.
Happy fourth of July!!!!! We had a very fun weekend. This was the race that had to be rescheduled due to some concrete work that went bad. Considering that
just a few weeks ago it looked like the first picture above and this weekend we had a great weekend full of lots of good racing, is amazing. To make it up to
everyone that had to rearrange their schedules in order to make it out here to Bristol, the track treated us all to a bar-b-que on Wednesday night with hot dogs,
hamburgers, watermelon, drinks and desert. A couple hours after the bar-b-que, up at our campground, Frank and I had a little party along with friends of ours
Julie and Todd, who is one of the tuners for Larry Dixon and the SkyTell team. Bob, Brad and Tom from the Monster team came, and almost the whole Dixon
team came so we had a good time. The boys of course ate again, we played horseshoes and flew a few kites that Julie had brought along. Our pastor from
RFC, Racers for Christ, came over and recharged our dash A/C since it hasn't been blowing very cold air out over the last couple weeks, and we are about to
take some very long trips across some very hot states. It's so nice having so many helpful people around. Whenever someone has a problem it always seems
that another person out here knows just what to do. Larry and Linda Smiley, yes their last name is very appropriate for being the pastor family, are wonderful
people and are always around to help out with a word of encouragement, or a can of coolant. Steve, Kurt and Frank watched Larry in hopes that perhaps next
time they can do it to their own coaches in case Larry and his handy pressure gauges aren't around. Friday night the track had an enormous fireworks show as
soon as the races ended to extend the celebrations another day, and then on Saturday night they had another big bar-b-que along with a local country band.
Sunday our Budweiser team won another Wally which brings the count to 4, so we had a Winner's Circle party to top of the festive holiday weekend.
| It's a Cody kite |
| Pastor Larry works as the boys look on |
| Rebar would make for some rough racing |
| Happy Fourth!!!! We love fireworks!! |
July 10th - Interesting things we have learned on the road -
Okay, so for those of you who live in states where they have cool things like Lightening Bugs, or Fireflies, or Glowy Bugs, as Frank calls them, may not realize
just how cool they are. For people like us who were pretty much born and raised on the West Coast and had never seen them before we began our journeys
out here on the road, they are quite intriguing. The coolest thing about them, and please don't think that we are too twisted for saying this, is that when they hit
your windshield they still glow!!! It is the craziest thing! So let me ask you - why do some stay lit for only a few seconds where others stay lit for about 3-5
minutes? I know they are bugs so they don't really recharge, or do they? Will someone with more knowledge on these crazy things please explain this to us. We
were so delirious from driving late one night that we actually sat there and timed how long each bug stayed lit after they hit the windshield of the motorhome.
Again please realize that we would not harm the darling bugs on purpose, it was they themselves throwing their little bodies at our bus' windshield. Another
question I have is why would a bug that is lit come towards our motorhome. Yes I did see the movie 'A Bug's Life' and I realize that they are attracted to the light
of other objects, but when your own fanny lights up, why the heck would you be attracted to any other light but the light of your fellow bugs with cute little lit
fannies? Apparently I am still way too tired from the late drive :-) Anyways... .... Another thing we learned on the road this last week, or should I say appreciate,
is that driving East to West is far more wonderful then driving the opposite way. Gaining two hours in one day makes waking up for the following days drive a lot
easier, especially when one is driving from Tennessee to Denver in two and a half days while his non helpful passenger wife/navigator dozes on and off. It's a
good thing we have an unlimited supply of Monster on board, however I did drink one last night (which is the first time I have ever drank a whole one) as we
drove and apparently I am impervious to them when I want them to work because I still fell asleep while we drove. However when I sip on one of Frank's during a
non driving day I am wide awake for many many hours that evening but when I drink a whole one and want it to work, it doesn't. It makes no sense. After Denver
we will drive to Seattle, Washington where we will gain yet another hour. Life is good when one doesn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn. Another thing we
have learned to appreciate in our semi-retired lifestyle is the joys of sleeping in. This 6 weeks of races in a row is almost beginning to feel like a bit of work, but
no fear we will have 10 days off in a little less than two weeks and will never have 6 races in a row again! Hooray!!
Okay, so for those of you who live in states where they have cool things like Lightening Bugs, or Fireflies, or Glowy Bugs, as Frank calls them, may not realize
just how cool they are. For people like us who were pretty much born and raised on the West Coast and had never seen them before we began our journeys
out here on the road, they are quite intriguing. The coolest thing about them, and please don't think that we are too twisted for saying this, is that when they hit
your windshield they still glow!!! It is the craziest thing! So let me ask you - why do some stay lit for only a few seconds where others stay lit for about 3-5
minutes? I know they are bugs so they don't really recharge, or do they? Will someone with more knowledge on these crazy things please explain this to us. We
were so delirious from driving late one night that we actually sat there and timed how long each bug stayed lit after they hit the windshield of the motorhome.
Again please realize that we would not harm the darling bugs on purpose, it was they themselves throwing their little bodies at our bus' windshield. Another
question I have is why would a bug that is lit come towards our motorhome. Yes I did see the movie 'A Bug's Life' and I realize that they are attracted to the light
of other objects, but when your own fanny lights up, why the heck would you be attracted to any other light but the light of your fellow bugs with cute little lit
fannies? Apparently I am still way too tired from the late drive :-) Anyways... .... Another thing we learned on the road this last week, or should I say appreciate,
is that driving East to West is far more wonderful then driving the opposite way. Gaining two hours in one day makes waking up for the following days drive a lot
easier, especially when one is driving from Tennessee to Denver in two and a half days while his non helpful passenger wife/navigator dozes on and off. It's a
good thing we have an unlimited supply of Monster on board, however I did drink one last night (which is the first time I have ever drank a whole one) as we
drove and apparently I am impervious to them when I want them to work because I still fell asleep while we drove. However when I sip on one of Frank's during a
non driving day I am wide awake for many many hours that evening but when I drink a whole one and want it to work, it doesn't. It makes no sense. After Denver
we will drive to Seattle, Washington where we will gain yet another hour. Life is good when one doesn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn. Another thing we
have learned to appreciate in our semi-retired lifestyle is the joys of sleeping in. This 6 weeks of races in a row is almost beginning to feel like a bit of work, but
no fear we will have 10 days off in a little less than two weeks and will never have 6 races in a row again! Hooray!!
July 15th - Mile High Nationals, Denver, Colorado -
To enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains here in Colorado we decided to forgo the free camping at the racetrack and splurge on an RV Park here by Bear
Creek Lake. It is supposed to be a warm weekend, so this way the birds will be able to have their room air-conditioned all day and we won't have to worry
about them one bit, the spoiled rotten little things. Also since it is at Bear Creek Lake we can go swimming in the evenings to cool down and relax a bit by the
water. It feels like a little vacation even though a race is going on. Both of the teams made it in to the race, which was wonderful, however neither went too far
on Sunday, but with the heat and elevation it makes for some tricky racing. The Budweiser team is well into the top 8 for the championship and we still have
four races for the little Monster to work their way up. There are lots and lots of hills here at Mile High Nationals so we had a great view of the staging lanes
below our hospitality set up, and a great view of the lake where we are camped. We had a bit of rain on Saturday night just before the final qualifying round so
it made for some very fast racing where that the Monster men took full advantage of the cooler track. Hey, sometimes rain is a good thing out here at the races.
To enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains here in Colorado we decided to forgo the free camping at the racetrack and splurge on an RV Park here by Bear
Creek Lake. It is supposed to be a warm weekend, so this way the birds will be able to have their room air-conditioned all day and we won't have to worry
about them one bit, the spoiled rotten little things. Also since it is at Bear Creek Lake we can go swimming in the evenings to cool down and relax a bit by the
water. It feels like a little vacation even though a race is going on. Both of the teams made it in to the race, which was wonderful, however neither went too far
on Sunday, but with the heat and elevation it makes for some tricky racing. The Budweiser team is well into the top 8 for the championship and we still have
four races for the little Monster to work their way up. There are lots and lots of hills here at Mile High Nationals so we had a great view of the staging lanes
below our hospitality set up, and a great view of the lake where we are camped. We had a bit of rain on Saturday night just before the final qualifying round so
it made for some very fast racing where that the Monster men took full advantage of the cooler track. Hey, sometimes rain is a good thing out here at the races.
| Budweiser is ready to race |
| How do get the car to the lanes without starting it? You roll it down the hill and ride along |
| The Monster Men in the staging lanes |
| A view of the lake behind the racetrack |
| The mountains of Colorado. Not as green as Kentucky, but still pretty |
Cody learns his ABC's
Another tranquil night in the mountains
July 16th - Scenic drive through Montana and Northern Idaho -
We woke up bright and early this morning in order to get as close to Washington as possible. As we drove we watched the sunrise. At one point on the
highway we saw a family of deer. They were literally on the highway! We slowed down to about 30mph as we approached them and they slowly walked back
into the woods. This is beautiful country up here and we have found about 10 different little lakes and streams that we would love to put a little log cabin on
and enjoy the views all winter and spring. The trees here are about 6 different colors and the rock formations that are in the mountains are breathtaking. We
were originally planning to stop for half a day tomorrow at Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, meet up with the Monster team and rent a boat for a few hours but
unfortunately the guys ended up having to work today at the Denver track and won't leave Colorado until early tomorrow morning. Considering we would have
to drive a few hours after our day at the lake in order to hit the racetrack on time we decided to skip Coeur d'Alene and stop somewhere in Washington closer
to the track. As it turns out we had a bit of a generator issue, our breaker was a bit loose and our transfer switch, the switch that turns the generator power
into motorhome power to run the air conditioner and other necessary items such as the refrigerator, is a little fried. We found a Grainger Industrial Supply
located in Spokane. We will hit them in the morning, get the parts we need. Frank can install them and get back to driving without loosing much time.
We woke up bright and early this morning in order to get as close to Washington as possible. As we drove we watched the sunrise. At one point on the
highway we saw a family of deer. They were literally on the highway! We slowed down to about 30mph as we approached them and they slowly walked back
into the woods. This is beautiful country up here and we have found about 10 different little lakes and streams that we would love to put a little log cabin on
and enjoy the views all winter and spring. The trees here are about 6 different colors and the rock formations that are in the mountains are breathtaking. We
were originally planning to stop for half a day tomorrow at Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, meet up with the Monster team and rent a boat for a few hours but
unfortunately the guys ended up having to work today at the Denver track and won't leave Colorado until early tomorrow morning. Considering we would have
to drive a few hours after our day at the lake in order to hit the racetrack on time we decided to skip Coeur d'Alene and stop somewhere in Washington closer
to the track. As it turns out we had a bit of a generator issue, our breaker was a bit loose and our transfer switch, the switch that turns the generator power
into motorhome power to run the air conditioner and other necessary items such as the refrigerator, is a little fried. We found a Grainger Industrial Supply
located in Spokane. We will hit them in the morning, get the parts we need. Frank can install them and get back to driving without loosing much time.
The colorful trees of Montana
Rock formations everywhere
Lake Coeur d'Alene in beautiful Idaho
An early morning drive through the mountains
July 17th - Spokane, Washington -
Well, we were able to buy most of the parts we need for the generator fix. One of the items, the transfer switch, is a bit more of a project then Frank is willing to
take on so after the Seattle race we will stop off at Marathon and let them do that part. We called them today and they already have the part we need in stock
and replace them all the time so we will be in good hands. We have been so fortunate to always have someone who knows how to fix things just around the
corner, or a state away which in our lifestyle is just around the corner. The mechanics from Marathon gave Frank a couple ways to Mickey Mouse the
generator in order to have it work for us this weekend at the track until they can look at it and repair it. Luckily it will be nice and cool in Seattle so we won't
have to run the generator much. Pray a heat wave doesn't hit us, but please pray as well that we don't get rained out. God forbid the birds have to be in
weather, or their bedroom, that's warmer than 74 degrees without the generator. They might go into shock without the A/C. Have we mentioned just how
spoiled they are? :-)
Well, we were able to buy most of the parts we need for the generator fix. One of the items, the transfer switch, is a bit more of a project then Frank is willing to
take on so after the Seattle race we will stop off at Marathon and let them do that part. We called them today and they already have the part we need in stock
and replace them all the time so we will be in good hands. We have been so fortunate to always have someone who knows how to fix things just around the
corner, or a state away which in our lifestyle is just around the corner. The mechanics from Marathon gave Frank a couple ways to Mickey Mouse the
generator in order to have it work for us this weekend at the track until they can look at it and repair it. Luckily it will be nice and cool in Seattle so we won't
have to run the generator much. Pray a heat wave doesn't hit us, but please pray as well that we don't get rained out. God forbid the birds have to be in
weather, or their bedroom, that's warmer than 74 degrees without the generator. They might go into shock without the A/C. Have we mentioned just how
spoiled they are? :-)
The dry falls of Lake Moses
Can you read what Abbey wrote?
A 60 person jacuzzi made for two!
July 20th - Seattle Washington - Rain Rain Go Away!!!
According to weather.com it is supposed to rain all day every day until Monday morning! So far we have had rain everyday, and we are ready to see it end.
Yuck! NHRA right now is more than willing to wait it out until Monday if need be in order not to have to come back, which we fully agree with. Seattle is a bit
out of the way to have to come back to, aside from the week after Sonoma which would then put the schedule at 9 races in a row, and interfere a bit with our
visiting Boise Idaho plans. After we leave Sonoma we are headed back to the East Coast, so running up to the Northern Pacific would add a few miles to our
trek out here. It is currently 7:36 on Saturday morning and the rain has stopped for a bit. The jet dryer is out on the track doing it's job, so lets hope today
the weather boys might be wrong and we get a bit of racing in. I personally think that in this sort of rain delay, since the cars can't race, they should just have
a foot race between the drivers. The quickest 16 get to run in the race on Sunday, and they can get down the track anyway their team sees fit as long as it is
under human foot power. It would sure be exciting. I'm positive the fans would rather see that than walk around in the rain waiting for the off chance that the
clouds clear up but the NHRA powers that be haven't asked for my input so I guess we will just have to watch the rain if it comes back.
According to weather.com it is supposed to rain all day every day until Monday morning! So far we have had rain everyday, and we are ready to see it end.
Yuck! NHRA right now is more than willing to wait it out until Monday if need be in order not to have to come back, which we fully agree with. Seattle is a bit
out of the way to have to come back to, aside from the week after Sonoma which would then put the schedule at 9 races in a row, and interfere a bit with our
visiting Boise Idaho plans. After we leave Sonoma we are headed back to the East Coast, so running up to the Northern Pacific would add a few miles to our
trek out here. It is currently 7:36 on Saturday morning and the rain has stopped for a bit. The jet dryer is out on the track doing it's job, so lets hope today
the weather boys might be wrong and we get a bit of racing in. I personally think that in this sort of rain delay, since the cars can't race, they should just have
a foot race between the drivers. The quickest 16 get to run in the race on Sunday, and they can get down the track anyway their team sees fit as long as it is
under human foot power. It would sure be exciting. I'm positive the fans would rather see that than walk around in the rain waiting for the off chance that the
clouds clear up but the NHRA powers that be haven't asked for my input so I guess we will just have to watch the rain if it comes back.
| The rain does bring out beautiful rainbows |
| Thank God the team has an awning |
July 22nd - Leaving Seattle Washington -
Yes that's right, we are leaving rainy Seattle. Somehow, even through the rain, we miraculously were able to finish the entire race, and before midnight I might
add unlike the predictions they were forecasting. Both teams did really well. Monster headed to the semi-finals where they lost by only 2/100ths of a second,
and the Budweiser team again went to the finals, loosing by 5/10ths of a second. All in all, a good day. The rain was bizarre. It sprinkled almost the whole time
during semis and finals but the rain would evaporate before it hit the ground so the track stayed dry. It had rained most of the morning, so they did spend
awhile drying it, but after 11:45 the consistent rain stopped. We had a couple moments of downpour, but it dried fairly quickly, with the help of the jet-dryer. We
also had one fairly lengthy delay due to a Funny Car crash, which happened to be Kenny's opponent in the second round. Ashely Force got a little squirrelly
after trying to recover from a tire smoke. She ended up hitting the wall which in turn caused the fuel from her car to pour out. Once the fuel spilled it quickly
burst into flames causing the top of her car to fly off of the body. Apparently her throttle was stuck down so she had very little control of the car which turned
around and hit the wall from the side. Luckily when the body landed it was still attached to the car which lifted her back wheels off of the ground preventing her
stuck throttle from moving the car any further. She was okay, and exited the car quite quickly. A bit shaken up, but physically not hurt. It never ceases to
amaze us how safe these cars actually are considering a driver can walk away from a crash this bad. Due to this delay, and the fact that everyone wanted to
finish this race as soon as possible and get the heck out of dodge, it turned out that Top-Fuel finals were lined up right behind the Funny Car semis and then
Funny Car finals were about an hour later since it takes about that long to rebuild the Funny Cars and get them back to the starting line. On a regular race
day they have the Top-Fuel finals as the last pair of cars to race which is more or less our grand finale, but then again there was nothing regular about todays
schedule.
Yes that's right, we are leaving rainy Seattle. Somehow, even through the rain, we miraculously were able to finish the entire race, and before midnight I might
add unlike the predictions they were forecasting. Both teams did really well. Monster headed to the semi-finals where they lost by only 2/100ths of a second,
and the Budweiser team again went to the finals, loosing by 5/10ths of a second. All in all, a good day. The rain was bizarre. It sprinkled almost the whole time
during semis and finals but the rain would evaporate before it hit the ground so the track stayed dry. It had rained most of the morning, so they did spend
awhile drying it, but after 11:45 the consistent rain stopped. We had a couple moments of downpour, but it dried fairly quickly, with the help of the jet-dryer. We
also had one fairly lengthy delay due to a Funny Car crash, which happened to be Kenny's opponent in the second round. Ashely Force got a little squirrelly
after trying to recover from a tire smoke. She ended up hitting the wall which in turn caused the fuel from her car to pour out. Once the fuel spilled it quickly
burst into flames causing the top of her car to fly off of the body. Apparently her throttle was stuck down so she had very little control of the car which turned
around and hit the wall from the side. Luckily when the body landed it was still attached to the car which lifted her back wheels off of the ground preventing her
stuck throttle from moving the car any further. She was okay, and exited the car quite quickly. A bit shaken up, but physically not hurt. It never ceases to
amaze us how safe these cars actually are considering a driver can walk away from a crash this bad. Due to this delay, and the fact that everyone wanted to
finish this race as soon as possible and get the heck out of dodge, it turned out that Top-Fuel finals were lined up right behind the Funny Car semis and then
Funny Car finals were about an hour later since it takes about that long to rebuild the Funny Cars and get them back to the starting line. On a regular race
day they have the Top-Fuel finals as the last pair of cars to race which is more or less our grand finale, but then again there was nothing regular about todays
schedule.
| How second round began |
| Adding an extra layer of VHT which holds the cars on the track |
| How the rainy track looked this morning |
| How second round ended |
| Before the conversion process |
| Marc drove down from Salem for dinner |
| Our bus gets a bath |
July 30th - Santa Rosa County Fair - A day with family -
To celebrate our finale of 6 races back to back we slept in this morning. Frank's Uncle Steve and Aunt Linda live about 30 minutes from the track here in
sunny California so we took a nice leisurely drive through beautiful wine country to spend the day with them. It feels odd not to have to wake up early and drive
across three states. The 12 of us spent the day at the Sonoma County Fair. They had all sorts of carnival rides, including a hang glider, along with horse
racing. Steve bought us all box seats so the view of the track was great. In the middle of the horse racing track, along with the turf track, was a golf course.
Obviously the golf course isn't active while the horses are running since a golf ball in the head would not do the horse or jockey any good. The most
interesting race of the day was the mule race. We have never been to a track that had mule races, so it was quite entertaining. In honor of our visit to Idaho in
a couple days we bet on #5 Idaho Gem who ended up placing, so Frank and I won a few bucks on her. We have mastered how to bet in order to keep our
gambling winnings a bit more consistent. One of the mules that was in the race was 15 years old, and he came in third! On a later race, Grandpa bet 2 bucks
on each horse to win. Needless to say we all had a good laugh and figured he wouldn't win much if anything at all. Surprisingly he more than doubled what he
bet. There were only 6 horses in the race, so that helped a bit and a long shot won. The weather was beautiful all day, the pizza was great and the ice cream,
to top off the day, was free.
To celebrate our finale of 6 races back to back we slept in this morning. Frank's Uncle Steve and Aunt Linda live about 30 minutes from the track here in
sunny California so we took a nice leisurely drive through beautiful wine country to spend the day with them. It feels odd not to have to wake up early and drive
across three states. The 12 of us spent the day at the Sonoma County Fair. They had all sorts of carnival rides, including a hang glider, along with horse
racing. Steve bought us all box seats so the view of the track was great. In the middle of the horse racing track, along with the turf track, was a golf course.
Obviously the golf course isn't active while the horses are running since a golf ball in the head would not do the horse or jockey any good. The most
interesting race of the day was the mule race. We have never been to a track that had mule races, so it was quite entertaining. In honor of our visit to Idaho in
a couple days we bet on #5 Idaho Gem who ended up placing, so Frank and I won a few bucks on her. We have mastered how to bet in order to keep our
gambling winnings a bit more consistent. One of the mules that was in the race was 15 years old, and he came in third! On a later race, Grandpa bet 2 bucks
on each horse to win. Needless to say we all had a good laugh and figured he wouldn't win much if anything at all. Surprisingly he more than doubled what he
bet. There were only 6 horses in the race, so that helped a bit and a long shot won. The weather was beautiful all day, the pizza was great and the ice cream,
to top off the day, was free.
Later this evening -
We all headed back to Steve and Linda's for a family bar-b-que and birthday celebration for Grandpa Saulsbury and Sean. All the cousins came by and their
little ones to join in on the fun. Frank played a few songs on the guitar, and Sean kept us entertained with his wonderful piano playing skills. He plays ragtime
music beautifully. Too bad he and Frank don't know any of the same songs, maybe they can work on it for next year. The evening weather was just as nice as
today. We sat out back and enjoyed the night air and caught up with everyones adventures of the last year. One of the great things about California is that
there are no bugs to bite you while you sit out in the evenings. There were a few moths flying towards the patio nights, but they rarely attack people.
We all headed back to Steve and Linda's for a family bar-b-que and birthday celebration for Grandpa Saulsbury and Sean. All the cousins came by and their
little ones to join in on the fun. Frank played a few songs on the guitar, and Sean kept us entertained with his wonderful piano playing skills. He plays ragtime
music beautifully. Too bad he and Frank don't know any of the same songs, maybe they can work on it for next year. The evening weather was just as nice as
today. We sat out back and enjoyed the night air and caught up with everyones adventures of the last year. One of the great things about California is that
there are no bugs to bite you while you sit out in the evenings. There were a few moths flying towards the patio nights, but they rarely attack people.
July 24th - One the road - Oregon to California -
The drive down from Oregon to California has been very scenic, and quite quick. Northern California and Southern Oregon are full of redwoods and fir trees.
There are even trees growing parallel to the ground out of the sides of the mountains and hills that were removed in order to build the highways. The clouds
here take on some of the most beautiful pinks and purples as the sun goes down and the moon rises. As we passes Mount Shasta there was one low floating
white fluffy cloud that made it look as though it were a volcano erupting from a distance. We stopped at a rest/truck stop to refill the water and diesel tanks and
there was the prettiest little yellow bird sitting on the rocks next to us just singing up a storm. Abbey ran over to the window to check him out and mumbled her
bird talk at him. He didn't seem to mind her a bit because he never dropped a note. After getting zero reaction from him she went back to her box and
continued to preen herself. It's crazy to think that it just 7 short weeks we have literally crossed the country. In early June we were in Maine and New Hampshire
and now we are back in California. These past weeks have been a whirlwind. Very busy and very fun. After the Sonoma race we only have 8 races left and
then we will be back here in California. I can't believe the season is more than half over.
The drive down from Oregon to California has been very scenic, and quite quick. Northern California and Southern Oregon are full of redwoods and fir trees.
There are even trees growing parallel to the ground out of the sides of the mountains and hills that were removed in order to build the highways. The clouds
here take on some of the most beautiful pinks and purples as the sun goes down and the moon rises. As we passes Mount Shasta there was one low floating
white fluffy cloud that made it look as though it were a volcano erupting from a distance. We stopped at a rest/truck stop to refill the water and diesel tanks and
there was the prettiest little yellow bird sitting on the rocks next to us just singing up a storm. Abbey ran over to the window to check him out and mumbled her
bird talk at him. He didn't seem to mind her a bit because he never dropped a note. After getting zero reaction from him she went back to her box and
continued to preen herself. It's crazy to think that it just 7 short weeks we have literally crossed the country. In early June we were in Maine and New Hampshire
and now we are back in California. These past weeks have been a whirlwind. Very busy and very fun. After the Sonoma race we only have 8 races left and
then we will be back here in California. I can't believe the season is more than half over.
| Happy birthday to Grandpa and Sean |
| A very yummy ice cream cake |
| Frank, Brian, Sean, Grandpa, Steve & Grandma |
| Sean and his magic fingers |
A very creative fan made a Monster plane
| Dinner and coloring at the Pizza Kitchen |
| Another beautiful evening in California |
| A view of the track, vineyards, mountains and a bit of the bay from our campsite |
| A beautiful California sunset |
| Mount Shasta - A volcano??!!?? |
| A very friendly bird at a rest stop serenaded us |
July 28th - Sonoma, California -
This has been a wonderful weekend. Our very dear friends Sharon, Tim and Madison came to visit us this
weekend and enjoy the races. Due to a very early curfew here in Sonoma we have had a lot of time off of work
and a lot of time to spend outside of the track. Thursday evening we walked through a nearby mall and Madison
got a very fun backpack to sit in and ride around on her daddy's shoulders. It came with a sunshade as well, so it
will be well used this weekend. After we worked up an appetite walking all around we hit one of our most favorite
places for dinner, California Pizza Kitchen, where the three of us colored and had some very yummy pizza.
Saturday evening we were off by 4pm, which is unheard of. The five of us sat around the campsite for awhile
enjoying the beautiful scenery around us. Madison was very entertained by the birds, almost mesmerized. We
spent the evening in the town of Glen Ellen and walked through the downtown area. We had dinner at a great
Italian restaurant and stayed talking until Madison fell asleep. Tomorrow will be a great day. It will be the last day
of work for almost two weeks and the weather will be sunny all day without a rain cloud in sight. This will be only
the third race this entire year without rain. Gotta love California for the beautiful sunshine!
This has been a wonderful weekend. Our very dear friends Sharon, Tim and Madison came to visit us this
weekend and enjoy the races. Due to a very early curfew here in Sonoma we have had a lot of time off of work
and a lot of time to spend outside of the track. Thursday evening we walked through a nearby mall and Madison
got a very fun backpack to sit in and ride around on her daddy's shoulders. It came with a sunshade as well, so it
will be well used this weekend. After we worked up an appetite walking all around we hit one of our most favorite
places for dinner, California Pizza Kitchen, where the three of us colored and had some very yummy pizza.
Saturday evening we were off by 4pm, which is unheard of. The five of us sat around the campsite for awhile
enjoying the beautiful scenery around us. Madison was very entertained by the birds, almost mesmerized. We
spent the evening in the town of Glen Ellen and walked through the downtown area. We had dinner at a great
Italian restaurant and stayed talking until Madison fell asleep. Tomorrow will be a great day. It will be the last day
of work for almost two weeks and the weather will be sunny all day without a rain cloud in sight. This will be only
the third race this entire year without rain. Gotta love California for the beautiful sunshine!
The Mule race... .... Run Idaho Gem, Run!!!!!
Hang gliding the safe way
Grandpa and his winning ticket
Our boxed seats in the shade
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Cheer! The villain is being chased away!
| After the conversion is finished |
July 23rd - Coburg, Oregon - Marathon Coach Company -
Home of our home! This is where our fabulous home on wheels us born and raised. Well, actually the shell was born in Canada, and then sent here to become
what it is today, but Marathon gave it all of it's insides, most of it's outsides and all of it's character. This is a regular stop for us each year before Sonoma.
One reason being that we usually need a check up or a couple things replaced, and another is because they let us camp here with full hooks up and laundry
for the grand price of... ... nothing! Since our type of transfer switch is no longer made due to the age of our generator they had to replace the entire transfer
case and install a new and updated switch. Of course replacing the case entailed a bit of electric work , so we had to stay the night. It worked our perfect being
here for the evening since Marc, a good friend of ours and groomsmen in our wedding, now lives here in Oregon with his wife. He drove down from Salem
about an hour away and we all went to dinner at the yummiest pizza place that we found a couple years back when we originally bought the bus. It was nice
catching up since we haven't seen him in quite a few years. It's great when you can pick right up where you left off with old friends. To burn a little time while
they worked on the bus we toured a few of the new buses that they have here. WOW! They are gorgeous. I wouldn't even know how to work half of them. They
all have electronic everything inside. A button to turn on the different lights instead of a switch. Automatic doors that slide open and closed with the press of a
button, and a video screen remote control with a touch screen that operates everything in the house and even the lights on the outside. To me it just screams
'operator error' but perhaps after a few months I could learn how to operate the computer house. For now, I will stick with my old home where you have to turn
the lights on the old fashioned way, and actually touch a door to open/close or lock it. We have seen a few of the empty shells arrive while we have been here,
as well as a few finished projects. With all of the labor that goes into these mansions on wheels it's no wonder that they cost one million to a million and a half
dollars. They have over 3 miles of electric wiring in them alone, and about a mile of decorative rope lighting. Yikes!
Home of our home! This is where our fabulous home on wheels us born and raised. Well, actually the shell was born in Canada, and then sent here to become
what it is today, but Marathon gave it all of it's insides, most of it's outsides and all of it's character. This is a regular stop for us each year before Sonoma.
One reason being that we usually need a check up or a couple things replaced, and another is because they let us camp here with full hooks up and laundry
for the grand price of... ... nothing! Since our type of transfer switch is no longer made due to the age of our generator they had to replace the entire transfer
case and install a new and updated switch. Of course replacing the case entailed a bit of electric work , so we had to stay the night. It worked our perfect being
here for the evening since Marc, a good friend of ours and groomsmen in our wedding, now lives here in Oregon with his wife. He drove down from Salem
about an hour away and we all went to dinner at the yummiest pizza place that we found a couple years back when we originally bought the bus. It was nice
catching up since we haven't seen him in quite a few years. It's great when you can pick right up where you left off with old friends. To burn a little time while
they worked on the bus we toured a few of the new buses that they have here. WOW! They are gorgeous. I wouldn't even know how to work half of them. They
all have electronic everything inside. A button to turn on the different lights instead of a switch. Automatic doors that slide open and closed with the press of a
button, and a video screen remote control with a touch screen that operates everything in the house and even the lights on the outside. To me it just screams
'operator error' but perhaps after a few months I could learn how to operate the computer house. For now, I will stick with my old home where you have to turn
the lights on the old fashioned way, and actually touch a door to open/close or lock it. We have seen a few of the empty shells arrive while we have been here,
as well as a few finished projects. With all of the labor that goes into these mansions on wheels it's no wonder that they cost one million to a million and a half
dollars. They have over 3 miles of electric wiring in them alone, and about a mile of decorative rope lighting. Yikes!
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