Search results for 'kentucky'

Time, 3338 miles, 7 states, 2 provinces, and hundreds of dog treats fly by quickly when you’re having fun! But every great journey has a beginning and begins with the first steps. Susie was born ready, and turned out to be a great traveler. She and her pal, Lambchop, were packed and ready to roll.

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. 

Ever wonder where the locals go? Try this little gem in central Kentucky!

Dog Creek Campground is located on the east end of a sprawling valley flooded to create Nolin Lake. There are many campgrounds on Nolin Lake, but lovely little Dog Creek is just the right size to suit us. There are only about 50 electric campsites, each generous in size, with plenty of green space between and thoughtfully angled so you're not wedged against the neighbor’s clothesline of wet bathing suits

A visit to the Falls of the Ohio River evokes feelings of an ancient time. Three hundred and seventy-five million years ago it was a tropical sea! These falls are the only natural obstruction on the river between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s one of those places that make you think in terms of geologic time. You realize how short our time on Earth really is and yet how we all are connected to a past long ago. For Louisvillians, it is the reason we are here. People had to stop and portage around the falls. Many stayed to start businesses and families. 

A great crowd gathered for the anticipated ride to Elk Creek Winery.  Rod, Kathy, Chuck, Chris, Kyle, and Jeff all met at Thornton’s on a beautiful day with expectations of a nice ride.  It had been a while since so many had gathered and while everyone was anxious to get rolling it was hard to limit the catch-up conversations.  After more than a few minutes of chatting the group headed out on what turned out to be a spectacular day.

There are certainly not many times in life, if ever, that you are looking forward to taking yourself to jail.  But in this case, that is exactly what a happy group of 5 did on a beautiful Sunday in August.  After many, many, many, weekends of rain, Rod, Kathy, Chuck, Chris, and Jeff gathered for a long and beautiful motorcycle ride to a small Brandenburg, KY, jailhouse.

Imagine you are the star of your own “American Pickers” or finding treasures for “Antiques Roadshow” or selling a Flea Market find to the guys on “Pawn Stars”? All of these shows are helped by Baby Boomers buying and selling the artifacts of our childhood. We love going on Patrol for rare and valuable items. We love to find a treasure a new home. Our road trips have shifted to slowing down and getting out of the car every hour or two. This change has gotten us off the interstates and into Antique Malls, Flea Markets, Antique Stores, Goodwill’s, and yard sales. Heading South on I-65 through Kentucky, here are five of our favorite spots. 

Louisville, Kentucky has repurposed a 118-year-old railroad bridge over the Ohio River into the longest pedestrian bridge in the United States. It connects Louisville with Jeffersonville, Indiana by foot, bicycle, and mindset. Spectacular sunrises and sunsets can be viewed on a regular basis. You can marvel at the power of the river as it rolls beneath you toward New Orleans. You can see how the river widens at The Falls of the Ohio to almost a mile.

As always one thing leads to another, and in this case watching a barbeque cooking show, the BBQ Crawl, on the Cooking Channel during the summer led us to a day trip to Whitesville, KY on September 22, 2013.  In the show Danielle Dimovski, aka Diva Q, travels around the country to showcase BBQ restaurants and competitions by the best BBQ cooks in the United States. In this instance one of the places she visited was the BBQ at the annual church picnic at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church in Whitesville, KY.

Of course I am slightly prejudiced, but I have never had a sweeter canine or feline companion as Susie Sweet Dog.  The moment we first met on a large horse farm in northern Georgia she came out to meet me and put her head in my lap and looked at me with those big brown eyes. It was over – she had finally found her permanent home at the age of 4 ½. 

The only words to describe Beau are “too cute!” Of course Susie calls him the “little dickens.” This may turn into a Lucy/Linus relationship because Susie says that she is the boss, but only time will tell. Needless to say we are all excited at the Boomer Travel Patrol to have a new member of the team, especially one so cute and full of mischief.

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. 

This is a special year for anything Beatle. Hundreds of events all over the world are heralding the 50^th Anniversary of their arrival in the U.S. and their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. If you need to celebrate your inner Beatle, Abbey Road on the River in Louisville, Kentucky is a must do for any fan. The 250 concerts from over 50 bands on 7 stages over 5 days will remind you and inspire you to remember all you need is love. 

Did you ever get your kicks on Route 66? If you’re a Baby Boomer, you are bound to have traveled this iconic road at some point in your life. Taking summer vacations with your family in the car somewhere between Chicago and Los Angeles – this road, which first opened in 1926, started what we soon began to know as the summer road trip. Route 66 was one of the original highways in our U.S. system.

Susie couldn’t go for long without shouting out about a great pet-friendly restaurant in our home town of Louisville, Kentucky. Recently the whole family, Susie, Beau, Mama and Daddy all went for lunch to Selena’s on a beautiful sunny and cool late spring day. 

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. 

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”. 

This is a top tapas restaurant and a must visit whenever I hit the beautiful state of Kentucky in Louisville.

We can't cover everything, but with your help we can certainly try. Our latest guest patrol contributors are Jeff Unger who will be covering motorcycle travel and Sandy Gladfelter, a widely published author.

Susie and her daddy are preparing for their first big trip together, and would like to share some of the forethought gone into the preparations for the journey. When the dynamic duo returns, they will also share not only tales(or “ tails”) of their experiences, but also any travel tips that they picked up on the road – or as Susie prefers to call it “the Pawed Pathway.” Susie’s daddy remembers traveling with his brother, parents and pet Beagle, Peggy, with great fondness and looks forward to sharing the same experience with Susie.

We are always “On Patrol” looking for a place to take our kids and grand kids. It must be family friendly, which for us means there is something of interest for all ages. The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, Kentucky fits the bill. The permanent exhibit titled “A Kentucky Journey” is a great walk through our early history up until the present day. The exhibits are interactive and at eye level for children seven or eight years and older. It is filled with rare and authentic artifacts that reflect the strengths and talents of our ancestors. Many of the objects are in drawers so you have easy access for viewing.

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.

In August of 1950, two curious teenagers were hunting for Native American artifacts after they had finished their chores and noticed cold air rushing out of a tiny opening, which was causing leaves to rustle on a tree 15 feet away.  They dug their way in and discovered a magical world within, what is now Cub Run Cave.

Nestled in the woods of southern Indiana, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Lincoln State Park are a surprising combination of great camping with a fascinating history lesson. These parks commemorate the area where Abraham Lincoln grew from boy to manhood, and where he earned his moniker as a Frontier Statesman.