Search results for 'asheville north carolina'

On the historical marker by the replica of his cabin, it says that George Rogers Clark (1753-1818) was “A pioneer, soldier, patriot, conqueror of the Northeast territory…” His brilliant Revolutionary War campaign captured Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes and brought the states northwest of the Ohio River into the Union.  He brought 150 men and 15 families down the Ohio River in 1778 and built a fort on Corn Island to plan and implement this conquest. This fort was the beginning of Louisville, Kentucky. 

Our first trip to Italy was transformational. Art, history, adventure, and trauma (lost luggage) combined to leave a lasting impression and a strong desire to return.

While in Florence, we stayed at the Hotel De Lansi. It provided a comfortable home base with easy walking to many of the pictures we had seen in our art history books while in college. Carolynn was a walking encyclopedia of insight and information about the Renaissance and it's cast of characters. One of our favorite walks was looking for the weird and unusual doors of Florence. 

One of the most remarkable places we have been from a photographer’s point of view is Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. If you can go in July when the water lilies are in bloom, you will be transported and dazzled by their beauty. Looking into a rare water lily blooming is by my estimates what the Hubble telescope sees when it looks into deep space. Strange universes stare back  leaving you with a sense of mystery and awe. 

San Antonio, Texas is the happiest large urban city we have ever visited. People looked you in the eye, said hello, and helped you out. The unemployment rate is virtually zero. Everyone has a job. It is booming. It is a great place to go downtown, find a place to park, and just head out for a walk. 

The American Numismatic Association sponsors the largest and most important coin show each year called the World’s Fair of Money. It is held in August and rotates between the largest cities on the East Coast and Chicago. 

Our trip to Mount Ida, The Quartz Crystal Capital of the World, left us dazzled, amazed, and in awe of what beauty Mother Nature can create. We saw quartz crystals with points, clarity and clusters of every shape, size, and color imaginable. 

Let’s get off the interstate and “Go on Patrol!!” Today we are traveling on 31W, one of the original north south routes that run parallel to I-65 from Michigan to Alabama. On a car lot in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, we found Swope’s Cars of Yesteryear Museum. It is without a doubt the best free Car Museum in the U.S. Owner, Bill Swope, has collected and put on display 60 cars built between 1900 and 1970. They have been lovingly restored in every detail. I am a collector (not of cars) so I’m in total awe at what Mr. Swope has accomplished. He has found many totally original cars that are in “like new” condition. 

Shippingport, Kentucky is a long lost river city that was located between Louisville and Portland in the early 1800’s. When you go there today, you discover how the Ohio River has influenced everyone in the region since Lewis and Clark’s started their journey west at the Falls of the Ohio in 1804. You will find the McAlpine Locks and Dam and a Louisville Gas and Electric Hydroelectric plant, great fishing and one of the best river views of Louisville. 

When I’m looking for a summer retreat for rest and relaxation, I head for the Wax Marina in Wax, Kentucky on Nolin Lake. The Wax Marina provides a beautiful view of a 100-foot limestone cliff and safe haven for boaters and fishermen. It is home sweet home for our pontoon boat “Buttercup”. 

Anthony Woodson’s fields and woods were the scene of a pivotal battle that played a role in who controlled Kentucky during the Civil War. His Kentucky farmstead overlooked the 1862 Battle of Munfordville. From the front porch of  his house you could see the railroad bridge crossing the Green River. There was also a L. & N. Railroad station in the town. It is a historic site that provides a scenic place to have a meal and reflect on how we have healed from a conflict that killed so many. 

Last year was the 150th Anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. If you want your understanding broadened, your senses dazzled, and your collector gene completely awed, The Civil War Museum in Bardstown, Kentucky is a must see. It has one of the largest collections of rare and authentic artifacts of any Civil War Museum in the country. Prominent Civil War magazine, The North and South, named it the 4th best in the U.S. out of 500. This is quite a surprise for this great small Central Kentucky town.

Hot Springs, Arkansas is one of North America’s first resort cities. It is a mix of vintage hotels, Hot Springs National Park, Art Galleries, and historic Bathhouse Row. Nature’s geo-thermal healing powers have attracted people to the hot springs for centuries.