Search results for 'louisville'

The Pet Patrol rolled into Erie around 6:00 pm on Friday, May 31 after the long drive from Louisville ready for a good night’s rest before proceeding on their journey to Camp Gone to the Dogs.  For those travelling to this hotel, be aware that the street address is misleading, so a typical GPS will not know that the actual hotels in this area are behind the shopping center on the main road which has the address. The TownePlace Suites is located behind the other hotels in the corner of the property.

Sunday evening of June 9, 2023 we rolled into Niagara Falls, Ontario and made our way to our base station for the next two nights, the Niagara Falls Fallsview Best Western. The hotel had been recommended to us by a friend at the dog park in Louisville, who told us how dog friendly the hotel was. They didn’t overstate it. While writing this article, I saw a site that lists the top 12 pet friendly hotels in the world and the Fallsview Best Western was on the list.

In 2005 I had the unique opportunity to travel to the nation of Ghana in West Africa. I had been invited by my good friend and colleague, Dr. Godfried Williams, to be the keynote speaker at an information technology conference in the capital city of Accra. The conference was the 1^st International Conference on Advances in Information and Communication Engineering held in August 2005 at the behest of the Ghanaian government. My topic was “Bridging the Digital Divide:  Linking and Closing the Gap between Advanced and Developing Economies.”

After our two night stay in Niagara Falls, Canada, it was finally time to head home.  The other adventures in the Niagara Falls area will appear later in the Guest Patrol, since they are not primarily related to pet travel. These will include the fireworks show on Sunday night, a visit to a large Buddhist temple and exploring the river down from the Falls, and the ride up to the Falls on the Maid of the Mist. Obviously Susie would not have enjoyed the fireworks display, nor would she appreciate the soaking we received near the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.  The pet friendliness of the Fallsview Hotel made it possible to make these short local side trips knowing that Susie was well cared for when I was gone whether for a meal or to see a site unsuited for pets. 

As boomers we have seen the unfortunate disappearance of many of the smaller local drive-ins, diners, restaurants, and quaint local motels that we grew to love as children. Also many of the small shops and stores have also bitten the dust.  I remember the joy of going up to the neighborhood Rexall soda fountain for a chocolate or cherry coke, looking at the latest comic books and then walking down to the Woolworth’s five and dime where I could buy some new toy figures and soldiers that we used in our creation of new worlds in the family den during bad weather.

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.

Right at the top of the list of things that Susie enjoys doing is making a trip to the dog park. It is amazing to see how she knows when we are getting close and as soon as she sees the fence with her friends – both canine and human – on the other side, she begins to vocalize and get excited. 

Recently we had the unfortunate need to travel to Beaumont, Texas for a family funeral.  Since this amounted to a journey of 950 miles each way, it was imperative for us to stop for the night along our route.  We were looking for somewhere to divide up the trip into a two day drive, and Grenada, Mississippi was a little more than half-way.

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. 

While on a family emergency trip to Beaumont, Texas, we had the fortune of finding the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen which was at the same exit as our hotel.  Pappadeaux’s is a small chain based out of Houston, Texas.  The restaurant concept was founded by the Pappas brothers who have created a group of different small restaurant chains that serve seafood, Italian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, steaks, BBQ and burgers. They had their start in Houston in 1967 with the opening of The Brisket House in Houston.

I love to find unusual places to dine, that are complete fun and also very affordable. When I think about Tom+Chee, I think goody goody, skippy do da! Trew and Corey, two very humble guys, had so many great experiences leading them up to this dream becoming true. They started serving good ole grilled cheese from a tent in Cincinnati and then were able to open their first shop. These two guys are making a huge splash in the food industry and it sounds like they are becoming a grilled cheese empire! They blew out into a lot of national press and had success on the show I adore, Shark Tank!

Temperatures are below freezing, which means it’s the perfect time to visit the Progressive RV & Boat Show and dream of summer.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Susie is pleased to learn that her home town of Louisville, KY is listed as 9th in the top-ten pet friendly cities in the United States. Louisville was named as one of the friendliest cities for pets by priceline.com.

Rod, Kathy, Charlie, Patsy, Chuck, and Jeff enjoyed a perfect (beyond perfect actually) October day driving through the southern Indiana countryside to the past hangouts of the Chicago Mobs, Presidents, Actors, Actresses, and the wealthy.  The weather was unseasonably warm, starting in the upper 60’s and ending, believe it or not, over 90 degrees.  There wasn’t a cloud in sight. 

In the heart of Old Louisville overlooking Central Park is the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, known as Louisville’s Castle. In the 1890’s, Theophile Conrad commissioned local architect Arthur Loomis of Clarke & Loomis to design this stone masterpiece. It is one of the finest examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in the world.