tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10434854038810997772024-03-19T05:32:06.296-07:00My Next 30 YearsJo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-43783365895173441192023-05-09T12:55:00.018-07:002023-10-20T09:15:07.304-07:00A Roadtrip to Kerrville to scout for Totality<p>In case you don't know there is going to be a Total Solar Eclipse that will travel across part of Mexico, the USA, and Canada.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CKWyRj2wJmZDvTQcS77Zm_pOjqWszQLz77GNPiTrfIZB1THIIcF9BcsSh8VgHzz1uo1LSif3RHhX08fGXlh43Xq84kHvzoNsKZqXPtqN7e6jyv_Z3X6pMcsltKMohDMDdonUl1IfVJZMqSyLW8QjPySbAO4HhF721BgB8nPx-BAuAS5HtJx-GNdQ/s1780/the%202024%20path.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1780" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CKWyRj2wJmZDvTQcS77Zm_pOjqWszQLz77GNPiTrfIZB1THIIcF9BcsSh8VgHzz1uo1LSif3RHhX08fGXlh43Xq84kHvzoNsKZqXPtqN7e6jyv_Z3X6pMcsltKMohDMDdonUl1IfVJZMqSyLW8QjPySbAO4HhF721BgB8nPx-BAuAS5HtJx-GNdQ/w653-h367/the%202024%20path.png" width="653" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I am making weekly videos on TIKTOK about the eclipse and why people need to make the trip to see Totality (99.9 is not good enough). So for fun I will update this blog post on the bottom with those. I may also go to different areas in the path and if I do I will link future trips posts at the bottom similar to what I did when we drove the 48.<div><br /></div><div>Also at the bottom is some real good links to follow for eclipse info so if that is what you are looking for scroll down.<br /><p>If you came here looking for info about our paranormal investigations please follow this link: <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2021/10/travelers.html">Travelers Paranormal</a> that will get you to all social media.</p><p>But now on to Kerrville!</p><p>So after working overnight Tuesday-Wednesday on 4/26 we got a cup of coffee from Street Coffee in Pleasant View TN, packed, and headed west to Texas to check out where we wanted to watch the eclipse. Now as you can see from this map there are locations far closer to our home in TN than Kerrville so first let me explain why I chose that spot.</p><p>When the 2017 eclipse passed over my house that day was literally burned into my mind as an amazing experience. And I knew I wanted to experience it again. In that eclipse our time of Totality was a little over 2 minutes and to me it felt like so much longer. I had a party at my house that day and I remember at one point during Totality getting concerned that I had lost track of time and needed to start warning people about using their solar glasses again. I looked at my timer and realized there was still a full minute left. In Kerrville Totality will be 4 minutes and 25 seconds! Double the 2017 time... Also there was one phenomenon that we couldn't experience from our location and that was seeing the shadow of the moon approaching. I don't know if the Texas Hill Country will be high enough but I thought it would give me a good chance. I also selected this location because the 2023 Annular Eclipse will pass that same area and I can pick a spot for the Annular and judge whether that seems a good place to return for the Total.<br /><br />For basic info about eclipses this is a blog I wrote in 2017 with some info I used to present at a library, charter school, and community center leading up to the eclipse.<br /><br /><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2017/08/here-comes-moon-total-eclipse-eclipse.html">Eclipse Info</a><br /></p><p>This is a blog about the day of the 2017 eclipse</p><p><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2017/08/it-came-i-saw-when-is-next-one.html">The Day!</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Now for the trip. As I said we had worked overnight so I wasn't sure how far we would drive Wednesday before stopping but I knew it was going to be a leisurely drive. Our first stop will become a road trip tradition....we stopped at the Memphis Ikea for lunch, you got to eat somewhere so why not have some Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam. The trick is to find all the short cuts to get to the restaurant without looking around and trying to buy something.</p><p>I didn't realize how much of our drive was actually in the Path of Totality but basically from the time we passed Little Rock Arkansas and on to highway 30 we were in the Path. Obviously there are varying degrees of time and cloud cover probability but that is a lot of area for people to come visit. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJP1ok-btioN07Ag2eev6k7xoGKg_4H2oa9DJUXw7eqUlX3NcSF185z0feD-U62dIbzMIunWjHbkpst_huVB30x3LfsUsAFR74XV85f_UMAbW3QuUkQ3XeK_ziL15BFnFok8QfqJs4n3aWTZZVUTB8LI17aGzEbEAveKaXfEBZmF8fmMzuSE1rOmlT/s1266/road%20trip%20path.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1266" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJP1ok-btioN07Ag2eev6k7xoGKg_4H2oa9DJUXw7eqUlX3NcSF185z0feD-U62dIbzMIunWjHbkpst_huVB30x3LfsUsAFR74XV85f_UMAbW3QuUkQ3XeK_ziL15BFnFok8QfqJs4n3aWTZZVUTB8LI17aGzEbEAveKaXfEBZmF8fmMzuSE1rOmlT/w575-h415/road%20trip%20path.png" width="575" /></a></div><br /><p>We stopped for the night in Sulphur Springs, Texas. There was bad weather coming in and I didn't want to be driving in rain at night. We went to <a href="https://untappd.com/v/backstory-brewery/7983743">Backstory Brewing</a> because the name was great and reviews showed food however they did not have food at that time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjip4Yp1A8w42rgDns0iFixb9lvoalvsGNMfxN-FNVWx6-alkKaLbq802arCQMMcQdYzYyGHPyXwka_b_XFP368p1aLvcTqSjExdM3bmR6nMK04QHYt_40uEP0pqxB08MpAnCfDLsQBjpujc0fVNlw_JFAdsd6bA17DgDru9XywIfVsH_ED_NkUnER2/s1280/342375482_3258930907739142_1437638843711789176_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjip4Yp1A8w42rgDns0iFixb9lvoalvsGNMfxN-FNVWx6-alkKaLbq802arCQMMcQdYzYyGHPyXwka_b_XFP368p1aLvcTqSjExdM3bmR6nMK04QHYt_40uEP0pqxB08MpAnCfDLsQBjpujc0fVNlw_JFAdsd6bA17DgDru9XywIfVsH_ED_NkUnER2/s320/342375482_3258930907739142_1437638843711789176_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We ordered a flight to try several beers and pick one to potentially bring back to the hotel with us. While we were there we began talking with a couple of guys at the bar. They told us that Superior Bathhouse Brewery in Hot Springs Arkansas was the best brewery in America. Which I have to say seemed like a big claim but these guys were certain it would stand against any brewery. </p><p>The next morning we were off on our way after a quick breakfast at the hotel. We only had 6 hours left to drive and were hoping to get to Kerrville around 1-2pm. Well you know what they say about the best laid plans...</p><p>We had stopped at a gas station in Waxahachie Texas and while trying to fill my car the gas kept stopping. I thought that it was an issue with the pump and so only put in five gallons before leaving. Awhile later I stopped at a Buc-ees and I had a similar experience. Then when I turned on the car the "check engine light" came on. Which is never something you want on a road trip. I went to a couple of auto shops to see if they could read the error code but our hybrid was not connecting to their portable machine so we made our way to Johnson Brothers Ford in Temple, Texas. The staff there was great! We told them we were on a road trip- the TN plates were a give away as well. They worked us in to the schedule and were able to diagnosis the issue. Unfortunately the part for repair would need to be ordered which didn't make sense for just passing through. We were able to drive and they gave us the info to bring to our repair shop when we got home. We were delayed from our original time table but it wasn't horrible so we set back out towards Kerrville. </p><p>When we reached Kerrville we had a list of things to do.</p><p>1st stop and get the official eclipse shirts and glasses on sale at the local park.</p><p>2nd visit the tourism office to find out about upcoming plans.</p><p>3rd check in with the hotel where I have rooms reserved for the Annular Eclipse. I know this is a smaller event but I made the reservation a year in advance and wanted to be sure the reservation still looked good. In 2017 I saw several people refer to hotels canceling on them and changing rates. Which sounds terrible but I also know that not only is there high demand from people looking to travel but it doesn't help that people will make reservations in three or four cities planning on canceling last minute depending on the weather. So I wanted to reiterate that this was my only hotel I was not canceling this was it for me.</p><p>4th was a stop at the <a href="https://kerrvillehillswinery.com/">Kerrville Hills Winery</a> where we stopped in and had a tasting and relaxed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqQrbLXnpgt5GX0GokNPfUn9GkjfrxtA8r1Y0_keHMfN7YeXB-dh6FLC6tcLo4Qv0LrIKrV9BYc2cMxZqe-hxPECaLbNNN1h3t-pnp38lbq2gbaBD-1Bd_fPvMmt9toSThMTtXRa-lH56SBZLLJlpDlP1UVUQ9k3LVYs_LlrPh6PT63hB1SOaz1me/s2048/342582530_752190203225872_649342493789677589_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqQrbLXnpgt5GX0GokNPfUn9GkjfrxtA8r1Y0_keHMfN7YeXB-dh6FLC6tcLo4Qv0LrIKrV9BYc2cMxZqe-hxPECaLbNNN1h3t-pnp38lbq2gbaBD-1Bd_fPvMmt9toSThMTtXRa-lH56SBZLLJlpDlP1UVUQ9k3LVYs_LlrPh6PT63hB1SOaz1me/s320/342582530_752190203225872_649342493789677589_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>This was one location I wanted to look at for potential viewing however the Total Eclipse is a Monday and they are closed on Mondays. Whether the owner does decide to open or not will be up to them. However the location is beautiful. And for eclipse viewing it is perfect since you drive up a hill to the winery. There is a very large open viewing area around it. The parking lot is small but if they were open I would consider this a great spot. Also the owner sounds like a fantastic human being who not only loves producing wine but also facilitates others to create their own by allowing them use of his incubator. He has helped with the production of over 30 wine brands.</p><p>5th was a stop at <a href="https://www.shopsattheridge.com/cafe-at-the-ridge">Cafe at the Ridge</a>. I have been following them on facebook for awhile and the food looks amazing! And it tastes as good as it looks!.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxEDuVTE-71CJCXsY5ggFFBmfgJD7m8y0GZ3RxBzZ6AB3Wb0bYKpP_Cqhmvry3unH4sAP13igtDGYgs95nKWI2WhMvfZFKxfH06oPbDDeYUYbbdokG2aOZGBBSkSeXQGYxUztUgEqBxwuJgXqU6xcSrv4brTOgDX7PfBMS4tYogYtD1Fl633x7YTd/s2048/342760351_976913490342210_262913158156452123_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxEDuVTE-71CJCXsY5ggFFBmfgJD7m8y0GZ3RxBzZ6AB3Wb0bYKpP_Cqhmvry3unH4sAP13igtDGYgs95nKWI2WhMvfZFKxfH06oPbDDeYUYbbdokG2aOZGBBSkSeXQGYxUztUgEqBxwuJgXqU6xcSrv4brTOgDX7PfBMS4tYogYtD1Fl633x7YTd/w300-h400/342760351_976913490342210_262913158156452123_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The Cafe has a back seating area and an open parking lot in front. This definitely looks like a good location to comfortably watch the eclipse and I know they are planning some kind of event I just don't know details. </div><div><br /></div><div>6th and final stop for the day was at the <a href="https://pintandplow.com/">Pint and Plow Brewing Company</a> in Kerrville. This was another potential viewing location. Beer was good and they had a very comfortable seating area also something about the hobo writing adorning the building facade felt very welcoming. There were some trees and other buildings around but the eclipse will be high in the sky and should be visible. Having just eaten at the Cafe we weren't looking at food but they do have a food menu and they have a coffee menu! One thing I have learned from travel to all <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/05/drive-48.html">48 contiguous states</a> and just an in general love of craft beer is that brewers pay close attention to ingredients. </div><br /><p>Finally (with a growler from Pint and Plow in hand) we went back to the hotel where we will stay for the annular eclipse and made our way to our room for the night. We watched some youtube videos and finished the growler before heading to sleep. Tomorrow we were going to go to San Antonio to see the Alamo, check on my hotel there for the total eclipse, and then start the long drive home.</p><p>The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then before taking the road to San Antonio, we stopped at our last planned Kerrville stop. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paxcoffeeandgoods/">PAX Coffee</a>. PAX is located in the heart of Kerrville just steps away from the Guadeloupe River. I know the town is planning events and I assume aside from their large beautiful park the river front will be another gathering place for visitors. </p><p><br /></p><p>Whether I will view the eclipse from any of the businesses I visited in Kerrville or not I'm not sure but I know I will be back to all of them. Each one was unique and speaking to the staff they were inviting and welcoming. It will be interesting to feel the change in town between a regular Thursday to the day of the Annular Eclipse and finally the Total Eclipse.</p><p>The drive to San Antonio from Kerrville was a very important step in the trip because on the day of the eclipse we will need to take highway 10 from San Antonio north about 60 minutes to get to Kerrville. Now this has been much debated in my mind. Because I know I want to leave extra time to get there. The drive should be an hour but with a crunch of people heading to the hill country what will it look like on the actual day? Highway 10 is in good shape. For the most part it is two lanes in either direction. There is a service road on the side for a bit and a few times where it opens to three lanes for a short time. So I am feeling confident that with car loaded already the day of the eclipse we should be able to eat breakfast the hotel and then be on the road by 6:30am. We will see the eclipse. Our hotel is in the path (but only 40seconds of totality). Within a 20 minute drive we will be over 2 minutes of Totality. It will just be more comfortable at an actual place rather than on the highway.</p><p>When we reached San Antonio we went to try and see the Alamo... note try.. if you clicked on the link above that says 48 contiguous states you saw the first road trip was called "My Luck right" and earlier in this one we had to stop at a Ford Dealer for repairs. Well luck and I have always had an on again off again partnership. Its ok it builds character and a helpful appreciation for disappointment. Though this was also on me a bit. I did not know that there is a month long festival in San Antonio that culminates in the last week of April where basically the whole city is shut down, parking is way to expensive, and lots of people are everywhere. One kind Texas Ranger offered for us to leave our car, if we were going to be 20 minutes, with the vendors who were unloading but seeing the Alamo takes longer and since we know we will be returning to San Antonio we decided to skip it.<br /><br />Next I went over to my hotel which is surrounded by all the shopping you could ever imagine or want! In fact a lot of what we saw of San Antonio was all the shopping you could ever want. I spoke to the clerk there to look at my reservation, confirm I did need it, that we would be traveling with a dog, and a pet fee was no issue. She said it all looks good but did advise me to call maybe three months out. I am probably going to continue calling each month and check in again in person when I go for the annular eclipse. Anything I can do to confirm yes I need and want that booking!</p><p>From there it was time to head home. It was almost noon so the drive home was going to be split in two days just like the drive there. And since it was going to take two days....... we stopped at Hot Springs Arkansas to try <a href="https://www.superiorbathhouse.com/">Superior Bathhouse Brewing</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcDzIn9tZIFaJ_jGCZ9twVZLS2IHtlDv0-2p_2z8piyWIp4XMN3Xg8D0ndJeWp5ehR6KUGwyW38swRcPC0pm66WSQIdLqgKNtjbz6SIpO3lTgrRoHAnyI_5ruHbeeo40yB0pfOmWyf_W_qwe7x1RurKZb4FGJWW1Ah5ZQqpKJenlWF5EElc9hVbCW/s2048/342610290_947005983394700_3389888922671236753_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcDzIn9tZIFaJ_jGCZ9twVZLS2IHtlDv0-2p_2z8piyWIp4XMN3Xg8D0ndJeWp5ehR6KUGwyW38swRcPC0pm66WSQIdLqgKNtjbz6SIpO3lTgrRoHAnyI_5ruHbeeo40yB0pfOmWyf_W_qwe7x1RurKZb4FGJWW1Ah5ZQqpKJenlWF5EElc9hVbCW/w593-h445/342610290_947005983394700_3389888922671236753_n.jpg" width="593" /></a></div><br /><p>It is a really good brewery and while I don't know if it is the best in America it is easily in my top five of breweries which is a list that spans across America. From the monster Bath flight board to the food to the interior decor to everything this brewery was the full package. Also for those keeping track of the fact that I said most of our drive was in the path of Totality.... this brewery and hot Springs will be a destination location for the big event! The large National Park will most certainly be an attractive location for anyone who wants an experience alone in nature for the eclipse. The town is a vacation town so those looking to party also seem like they will find many options on the main road. Now the only down side is like I said before the sun is in the sky and the eclipse is close to midday so it will be high. Hot Springs is very closed in (at least the main tourist road is as is the tree covered national park). Make sure you know what direction is what when looking to the sky.</p><p>From there the drive home was easy and we were home by midday Saturday.</p><p><br /></p><p>TIKTOK videos</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7224235530542763306?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">There will be an eclipse!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7227129435881852203?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Road trip to Kerrville</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7229027710528523562?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Humans Interested</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7231990777260313898?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Celestron Eclipsmart</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7235059848361037098?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Don't be afraid to ask!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7238068103861538090?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Be safe Be Mindful</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7239925677380750634?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Jackpot!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7243086552929275179?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Bon Jour Ste. Geneveive, MO</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7244266383486307627?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">The ingredients are ready for awesome!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7245264205408963883?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Find your spot in Totality!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7247512119929752874?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis and the Sun and Moon Cafe</a></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7249865056177949995?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Eclipse humor</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7253516132097871146?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Paducah, KY</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7256489929893711150?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Cape Girardeau</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7258365885348564270?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Explore More and make a trip out of it!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7262873961367899438?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Bailey's Beads</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7266440022419885358?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">99.9% is not enough!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7268363744948817195?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">Kokomo thinks you should see the eclipse</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7270146547038309674?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">Make it a trip!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7273254623232773418?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">Size and distance makes the eclipse</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7276960412359265579?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">The Sun Spotter!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7279593687556869419?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">Visiting the Sun King</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7282129713772924202?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">Make it a trip!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7285480660620381486?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">Special guest coming up!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7287285976676830506?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">Annular eclipse this week!</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7289866088483933483?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265757161148696106">The Ring of Fire</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Great Resources!</p><p><a href="http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2024_GoogleMapFull.html">Interactive map by Xavier M. Jubier</a></p><p><a href="https://www.mreclipse.com/">Mr. Eclipse</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/">Time and Date</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://beingintheshadow.com/">Dr. Kate Russo</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://goseetheeclipse.net/">Go See The Eclipse</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhnmKIz7A69vEYlF-vhEhZRr_a-_a1jqlf33FtZl1ppE4kL_yLmj2WMDc6-K4dAFjMRb8ECWciCFyjUyn4-XBLVxxNcg2lUNLzenENbnu_loALHVZ1HdTy39bYPTyA77E2_wz1g9jjvDSX-s526LsVWOAXavjS-_PbRnNU1Qt0zmKbUAJzMVwySGb/s960/343944010_898638321441341_7028523835760446238_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhnmKIz7A69vEYlF-vhEhZRr_a-_a1jqlf33FtZl1ppE4kL_yLmj2WMDc6-K4dAFjMRb8ECWciCFyjUyn4-XBLVxxNcg2lUNLzenENbnu_loALHVZ1HdTy39bYPTyA77E2_wz1g9jjvDSX-s526LsVWOAXavjS-_PbRnNU1Qt0zmKbUAJzMVwySGb/s320/343944010_898638321441341_7028523835760446238_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-87998048291301672702023-03-02T12:15:00.001-08:002023-03-02T12:15:54.861-08:00Exploring the Abandoned Indiana State Sanatorium<p>For Historical Information about the beautiful Indiana State Sanatorium please check out our previous blog post: <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2022/05/part-1-indiana-state-sanatarium.html">Haunting Beauty</a></p><p>When Indiana State Sanatorium opened up for paranormal investigations I booked as soon as I could whether we found anything or not in the way of evidence I wanted to be one of the first to try. We were a little nervous going in but the buildings and property did not disappoint. The night was filled with slamming doors, sounds of foot steps, and disembodied voices. We had the property for 19 hours and wanted to make sure we made every minute count. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cvo5w3u6Fj0" width="320" youtube-src-id="Cvo5w3u6Fj0"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We decided to leave audio recorders in several buildings so that even while we weren't there we could collect evidence. First we left one in the Superintendent's House because we thought since that building was separate from the others that was the one we were most likely to miss or spend the least time. We also left an audio recorder in room 509 of the five story building. There are rumors about a potential patient suicide in that room though I did not find a death record to confirm it. At the nurses station in the center of the nursing home we left an audio recorder and motion activated trap camera. One of the audio cameras did pick up some strange noises and I wish I had enough video cameras to leave with each audio recorder. </p><p>We then began systematically exploring the buildings starting with the admin building. This building would have contained dr. offices, x-ray, and the morgue during the tuberculosis days and I assume into the nursing home time. In the five story structure we started by marching up to the fifth floor and then walked each hall. We stopped and tried several Estes Method SBOX sessions but every time we did there would be noises from the hall that would distract me away from the session. We both came to the conclusion that the reason we were hearing disembodied voices and doors slamming may actually be because the location is so new. When we go to places like Waverly Hills Sanatorium the spirits are used to investigators and the equipment that we carry. But at Rockville I was turning on the SBOX and asking them to communicate and I have no way of telling them how to use it. So we weren't getting responses on the SBOX but we were getting slamming doors in the hall. We also got some of the clearest disembodied voices we have ever heard. To the point where there were several times when we stopped and basically called out "you won't be in trouble just let us know you are here." No live person ever showed up and it was 30 degrees out so I don't think anyone was roaming the halls and woods of the sanatorium. It was overall a very cool experience. </p><p>I really can't get over how cool it was to walk around the buildings seeing the remnants of lives that just moved on without notice and leaving so much behind. But also considering it has been just over 10 years since the building was abandoned the amount of places where nature had found its way in to the building. There were several points where vines were growing through the window frames. </p><p>Speaking of windows when reviewing video we did have one strange moment where we noticed the words "Never Alone" written in the condensation of a window. Then there is the sound of a door slamming and as we turn a figure moves across the window. I slowed the video down here I don't believe it is reflecting from us.</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7155287963927203114?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">figure in the window</a><br /></p><p>After exploring the five story we then walked through the nursing home walking to the center nurse station and from there going left and right down the arms before finishing back through to the admin building. We did stop at the nurse station again for an Estes method SBOX session. At this point we went out front of the admin building and looked up at the beautiful night sky. Meg set up her camera to take some long exposure night sky pictures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20SWCdYDMn-ie-A_DxYyJNNkLeePs08_wtblLMgchKV0FWSykatsfnelsuG8QhogHbXqaxOU27pBANiPHJi2u64dpKtKhkpCpO5Uzp_xkuBY853oGx5GgbrNgimZZB7F8d3oMbEXuAgLik1UNgfgGV95t5kHW2CrytEoYhu-KT-XFDTEtwGImTK1r/s3456/IMG_0521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3456" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20SWCdYDMn-ie-A_DxYyJNNkLeePs08_wtblLMgchKV0FWSykatsfnelsuG8QhogHbXqaxOU27pBANiPHJi2u64dpKtKhkpCpO5Uzp_xkuBY853oGx5GgbrNgimZZB7F8d3oMbEXuAgLik1UNgfgGV95t5kHW2CrytEoYhu-KT-XFDTEtwGImTK1r/s320/IMG_0521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>We then systematically walked through the Superintendent House, checking on our recorder when we approached it again. We stopped for an SBox session Estes Method in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Let me take a moment to talk about what we mean by Estes Method. This Method is called Estes because it was first used at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado by Karl Pfeiffer, Connor Randall, and Michelle Tate. One person wears noise canceling headphones and listens to an SBOX or Spirit Box. A second person asks questions with the hope that spirits will be able to manipulate the radio waves to give an answer. The advantage to wearing the noise canceling head phones is that the person listening to the SBox does not know what question was asked and so their brain can't try and make sense of the noises to get an answer. Sometimes the person listening to the SBox is also blindfolded which helps focus on attention on what is being heard through the headphones. I think a good session is somewhere between 20-25 minutes. </p><p>Once we finished the loop of all the properties we stopped in the commercial building to warm up before again repeating that pattern. It meant we were moving a lot only stopping at a few spots for an extended time but the goal of this visit was to explore the property and then on a future visit we would be able to focus on specific areas. We again stopped for an SBox session in the five story and at the nurses station. This is the video from our SBox at the nurse station.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KBqgqJ_kmSw" width="320" youtube-src-id="KBqgqJ_kmSw"></iframe></div><br /><p>After completing this loop we returned to the commercial building to take a nap before going out and investigating again. But first Meg sat down and read a children's story. The commercial building is a newer building but it stands where the children's ward would have been during the tuberculosis days. Reading a children's story is something we like to do in places said to be haunted by children because the hope is we give some entertainment or comfort to the spirits and maybe something that would seem familiar. </p><p>After sleeping we got up again to explore and now in the light of day you can really see how cool the buildings look. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/32Md-_rrms4" width="320" youtube-src-id="32Md-_rrms4"></iframe></div><br /><p>This next video is a compilation of a lot of the evps, disembodied voices, and strange noises that we recorded through out the night. I used our photos of the property to show off the beauty of the property. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jdswaBn0TNE" width="320" youtube-src-id="jdswaBn0TNE"></iframe></div><br /><p>Finally here is the full video of all evidence collected. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bi23JwbehdA" width="320" youtube-src-id="bi23JwbehdA"></iframe></div><br /><p>Also in a growing series of what I call "what paranormal investigations really look like" here is some of our shorts showing funny moments or sarcasm from the night because, to be honest, when you are walking around a property at 2am it is much less screaming at hearing a demon and way more enjoying the quiet and the company and being sarcastic.... at least for us.</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7160468105125449006">"choose your own adventure"</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7191120980197035310?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Sarcasm!</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Thank you for reading and watching. We do plan on going back and this time I think we will spend more time in the Superintendent's House. Being separate from the other buildings we spent the least amount of time there but we had a lot of activity on the recorder that we left there. </p><p>If you have enjoyed this please consider subscribing on the following platforms. We do put up evidence as we find it on tiktok and we have been using youtube shorts as well .The full videos will always be put on youtube but that is one of the last things we will do when finishing evidence review. Follow on facebook or twitter to see what investigations we have coming up. Currently we are working on evidence review from our stay at the Thomas House in Red Boiling Springs, TN and that will be followed by evidence review from The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This was a return investigation and our first multi night investigation. We spent two nights at the hotel in the most haunted rooms. Here is our original blog post from our first stay: <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/03/road-trip-to-arkansas-tesla-coil.html">Visiting the Crescent for the first time</a></p><p><br /></p><p>For all social media links please see this post: <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2021/10/travelers.html">Socials</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-42631216632108563842022-07-20T19:06:00.002-07:002022-07-20T19:06:53.422-07:00Part 2 Harriman TN: The Investigation<p>This is Part 2 of our blog about Harriman Hospital in Harriman TN. For the history of the hospital/town please look back at <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2022/06/harriman-tn-washed-in-water-and-forged.html">Part 1</a>.</p><p>We arrived in Harriman a few hours before the investigation in order to walk around the building and take some photos outside. While there had already been several investigations at Harriman Hospital this day was the official Grand Opening. We knew being a public investigation we would have little control over when and where we investigated so we did not go into the investigation with plans, rather we saw it as an exciting opportunity to get in to a new location, to scout for when we do eventually return for a private investigation, and also meet the special guests Richard Estep and J. B. Coates. </p><p>The event was well organized starting with an introduction and history of the building, moving on to the always appreciated pizza, and finally the investigation. Meg and I were in the red group (there were four groups which would rotate through the four different designated locations). Volunteers brought each group to their location while other volunteers were specifically assigned to the location to help facilitate investigating. I will say that part of what I like most about public investigations is having people of all different skill/knowledge levels. Some people had their own equipment and others were along for the ride looking to learn about investigating.</p><p>As stated above since this was public Meg and I didn't have any specific plans. For the rest of the post I will share some links to short videos I uploaded on TikTok of Evps and notable interactions. At the end will be several Youtube videos with video from the night including an angry spirit turning off Meg's camera, me being pushed, and a fantastic Estes Method Communication with a child spirit named April.</p><p>Our first stop was in the A3 Hall:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjesz0gmUJ2Dbklb4nIEZMgqg-L4rufzOYKXbLbrDYqboMv0S8koejvz97r3MOfiLLt0XujdisoiARLOcTxbOUFHVd6FUC-x-o-p3dyvLpnOxqDuFdEna2erZmU-8I29gUJYYaVz3UmOS9-6AZXlhn7HyZn8ntD1rLWO-YsRp_m1-WWnagDB5oJa-/s3456/IMG_1306.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="2304" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjesz0gmUJ2Dbklb4nIEZMgqg-L4rufzOYKXbLbrDYqboMv0S8koejvz97r3MOfiLLt0XujdisoiARLOcTxbOUFHVd6FUC-x-o-p3dyvLpnOxqDuFdEna2erZmU-8I29gUJYYaVz3UmOS9-6AZXlhn7HyZn8ntD1rLWO-YsRp_m1-WWnagDB5oJa-/w291-h437/IMG_1306.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCHI33wWA33oj8BdQy7Ji9kCVMu9GcdzGdXVsunUO17uDAupDczzH5emDlnPr3lXW0mZPF65ZattN0qwb2Rm8wQDwNlbEn4GkNGVSmgPOW-nBLN3OSqP925JSuTWGTDi9pmIwYIUsB5nqjrD467Vifr_kLs5q8c_Z1HEAlVSRLwIkJK9SF9wBZxAb/s5152/DSCI0033.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCHI33wWA33oj8BdQy7Ji9kCVMu9GcdzGdXVsunUO17uDAupDczzH5emDlnPr3lXW0mZPF65ZattN0qwb2Rm8wQDwNlbEn4GkNGVSmgPOW-nBLN3OSqP925JSuTWGTDi9pmIwYIUsB5nqjrD467Vifr_kLs5q8c_Z1HEAlVSRLwIkJK9SF9wBZxAb/w360-h270/DSCI0033.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As we were walking in the hall we recorded an evp that sounds like a child's voice saying "Hear Me."</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7110744597013253418?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">"Hear Me" EVP</a><br /></p><p>Once we reached the hall our group broke off exploring down the main hall and nurse station as well as a second hall. Most of our investigating was at the nurse station because it is believed a nurse named Joanna haunts that location. Joanna worked for years at the hospital and sadly passed away of a heart related ailment at the hospital. After her passing her fellow coworkers would remark that they felt her presence still. Furthermore just days earlier a video was shared from that nurse station of a dark shadow figure moving in and out of the camera's view. </p><p>Several in the group thought they saw shadows moving but we did not record any shadow figures however when teasing that someone was sitting in Joanna's chair we recorded an EVP.</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7110763748851289390?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">"Get Out" EVP </a><br /></p><p>Meg also at one point used her experience of being in the hospital to take a moment to thank Joanna, and any other staff who still remain. </p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7110978831988854062?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">"Me too" EVP</a><br /></p><p>The second location we went to we also got to investigate with special guest J. B. Coates. While sitting outside the morgue of the hospital we conducted an Estes Method session using the Spiritus App. While one member of the group sat in the morgue isolated the rest of us were in the hall outside of radiology. Earlier in the session a spirit had said to stop filming. At the time I turned off one video camera but Meg still had her body camera and I eventually turned my video camera back on.... then this happened.</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7118891343459503402?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">"Beep" Spiritus Estes Method</a><br /></p><p>Our third location was outside the recovery room where Billy and Tonya from the <a href="http://www.nightstalkersparanormal.org/?fbclid=IwAR19j6c51z5oqSAoe_Iq63DjpoQPdk6qP2xj10O5rrjZGZwpXp16a7X6Msw">Nightstalkers</a> were waiting to help guide the interactions. </p><p>At first we sat in the hall listening to the building before breaking off in to the recovery room to use our SBox. Meg put on her headphones and closed her eyes as she listened to the box and I stood by the desk. As I was standing against the desk I felt a push on my right shoulder and moved forward a little. I asked if someone was with us and Meg responded "hopefully" and then "I can see you." Here is a short clip and the full exchange will be below in the youtube video.</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7119788036837100842?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Pushed from behind</a><br /></p><p>The fourth location was split between the operating rooms and a hall said to be haunted by a child spirit named April. There Terry, Chris, and Steven from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/3391133260990476">Mid-Tenn Paranormal</a> were waiting. We began in April's hall with an S-Box session where Meg took the headphones and blindfolded herself as well. This is just a moment of the exchange the whole session will be in the youtube videos and is definitely worth the watch!</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7121335688255278382?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Accurate answer from April</a><br /></p><p>I tried to upload one video to youtube but my computer is not cooperating so it will be four separate videos.</p><p><br /></p><p>Video 1: This is part one of our Estes Method communication with April.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kAKLZrJVNTI" width="320" youtube-src-id="kAKLZrJVNTI"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Video 2: You guessed it- part two with April.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uK4Kik5Xaz0" width="320" youtube-src-id="uK4Kik5Xaz0"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Video 3: Part three with April and some really fantastic interactions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JMDkLRlIBDA" width="320" youtube-src-id="JMDkLRlIBDA"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Video 4: This video is a compilation of our different experiences in Harriman Hospital and includes some evps, Meg's camera being shut off, and me being pushed in the recovery room.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLDfqv079Js" width="320" youtube-src-id="lLDfqv079Js"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Thank you for watching please like and subscribe we are on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TravelersParanormal/">facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TravelersParan1">twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal">tiktok</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/travelersparanormal/">instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbxQohu8OlBDMJKXS7tlNQ">youtube</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-68573144972023738222022-06-12T18:26:00.004-07:002022-06-12T18:26:39.884-07:00Harriman TN: Washed in Water and Forged by Fire<p>With each paranormal investigation we try and do at least some historical research to understand the location and area. So once I bought two tickets to a public investigation at Harriman Hospital in Harriman, TN we began researching not just the building but the whole area.</p><p>Harriman is located in Roane County in East Tennessee. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp767O3vDBgBIdVGK7AkKeptPpEDvhuWxUvU-c5fAiS__rnST1t9mQUtpZi9UjsMV_EwfToPF74HuG8M7lhVQoJyWRs_XP8I2pzopgm_7P-FYi8L38ies6wbxsWBkyPmD--nuhLTLyLz_RIGOxncI7MnlhD0Kp2EjG4R9rQdSKrdaj1ps5-Vy4FmUg/s1200/Roane%20County%20map%20of%20TN.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="1200" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp767O3vDBgBIdVGK7AkKeptPpEDvhuWxUvU-c5fAiS__rnST1t9mQUtpZi9UjsMV_EwfToPF74HuG8M7lhVQoJyWRs_XP8I2pzopgm_7P-FYi8L38ies6wbxsWBkyPmD--nuhLTLyLz_RIGOxncI7MnlhD0Kp2EjG4R9rQdSKrdaj1ps5-Vy4FmUg/w502-h122/Roane%20County%20map%20of%20TN.png" width="502" /></a></div><br /><p>TN became a state on June 1st, 1796 and five years later in 1801 Roane County was formed. The area's main geographical features are the meeting of the Tennessee, Clinch, and Emory Rivers into Watts Bar Lake and it sits on the boundary between the Tennessee Valley and the Cumberland Plateau.</p><p>The American Civil War has been characterized as neighbor versus neighbor and that was keenly felt in East Tennessee. On June 7th, 1861 future President Andrew Johnson spoke against secession on the steps of the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston, TN. The next day the county voted on the manner and voted 1,568 to 454 in favor of remaining in the Union. Unfortunately the statewide vote finished at 102,172 - 47,328 in favor of secession. East Tennessee was out-voted and the state joined the Confederacy. On a side note if you ever get the chance to visit the Civil War Battlefield in Vicksburg there is a fantastic statue representing Kentucky <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/01/from-shiloh-to-vicksburg-and-few-stops.html">click here</a> for my blog from that trip. </p><p>Robert King Byrd was a local farmer, experienced military man, pioneer, trader, and political figure. He was the son of Joseph Byrd who had served as Roane County Sheriff and had assisted in the 1836 forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from the area. Robert was against secession because he believed the Union should stand. However he also owned slaves but when faced with a choice between the two he would rather preserve the Union. Of his eight brothers four would serve in the Union army while two joined the Confederacy. Byrd had made a name for himself during the Mexican War and faced with a threat to the Union he founded the 1st Tennessee Infantry and lead almost 2,000 men for the Union from 1861-1864, which included the majority of the adult male population of Roane County. His troops and leadership played major roles in several battles including Mills Springs, Cumberland Gap, Sander's Raid on Knoxville, Stone River, and the Battle of Atlanta. Under Sherman in Atlanta his troops were the first to cross the Chattahoochee six miles upstream of Pace's Ferry. At Cumberland Gap he was shot in the left side below his heart but returned to his command four weeks later. At Stone River his horse was shot from under him and his clothes had bullet holes but he was unharmed and commended on his bravery by two generals. </p><p>In 1864 he returned home to Roane County and his wife Mary. During the war she had also left home after a warrant for her arrest was issued by the Confederates as a "dangerous enemy of the South." Oliver Perry Temple, an attorney and organizer of East Tennessee Unionist as well as co-founder of Rugby TN, described Mary by saying "[n]o one could look into her piercing eyes without recognizing that there was within her frail form an unconquerable will and a dauntless spirit." Robert would live in the area and spend his days trying to preserve and repair the damage done to the Union until his death in 1885. Due, in part, to his work Tennessee was the first Confederate State to rejoin the Union on July 24th, 1866. In his own words "I went into war to save my country from the foolishness of my friends... We saved the country. Now, in the name of God, let us preserve our liberty." </p><p>The Byrd property was split by the Emory River. On one side was Robert and Mary's home. On the south side was their coal mine which was said to be the best coal in the Cumberland Plateau. Not only was the land rich with coal but it also was full of limestone. In 1889, four years after Robert passed away, Captain J.W. Ayers representing the East Tennessee Land Company purchased the property from Mary. She would stay in the area and passed away in 1902. Mary is buried in Bethel Cemetery in Kingston, Tennessee and was mentioned in the "Statement of Significance" section on the cemetery's application to be listed on the National Register Of Historical Places.</p><p>The goal of the East Tennessee Land Company, directed by Walter Harriman, was to build a planned city grounded in the Temperance Movement, a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The other primary founders of the town were Minister Frederick Gates, Isaac Funk, AW Wagnalls, Clinton Fisk, and Ferdinand Schumacker. Gates thought the ideals of Temperance would guide the residents and businesses into prosperity. They planned the layout of the town putting the industrial area along the river for easy transport and continuing out with residential, business, and downtown areas. Walter Harriman was from the North East as were most of the founders but the location was selected due to Harriman's father. He had marched through East Tennessee during the Civil War and returned to tell his son about a spot along the Emory River that seemed perfect for a settlement. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9QepfsQuBMRm3bVFvTX75L8yVpXKVFUMBXqNz1Rb1IdYpxjUBVV6mzXbnwYWuDyKvucV0G61JXC6kAPWCAxM2P9_2kRKh0qk1hpeEXHCwEXhEUbEXkQIFOCJ-oomZJ2tj-5K_cG_lp3lwTMKC819GALyBgRDBleAHlk3wcDMh_RW0hV8VQyfW73b/s1226/Harriman%20drawing.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1226" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9QepfsQuBMRm3bVFvTX75L8yVpXKVFUMBXqNz1Rb1IdYpxjUBVV6mzXbnwYWuDyKvucV0G61JXC6kAPWCAxM2P9_2kRKh0qk1hpeEXHCwEXhEUbEXkQIFOCJ-oomZJ2tj-5K_cG_lp3lwTMKC819GALyBgRDBleAHlk3wcDMh_RW0hV8VQyfW73b/w494-h310/Harriman%20drawing.png" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p>In February of 1890 from the porch of the Byrd home a land sale was held for the 10,000 acres that would become Harriman. Over 3,000 men from 18 states came to the auction J. C Woodward of Lexington, Kentucky, was the first purchaser securing his plat at $70 a front foot. On the third day of the sale John C. Snow of Brockton, Massachusetts, purchased land for $275 a front foot and within thirty minutes was offered $300 a foot but declined. By the end of the land sale 573 lots had been purchased for $604,705. Every resident and business that purchased land or operated a business signed an agreement that they would not partake, serve, or sell alcohol. Harriman would be called "The Town That Temperance Built."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQfnOtCpZb_BPdhAa-cIacDUWT33U1ulkLBkj-h1luuZIZ3mkhbx59QivlxzetGw4oA9LYCxwZGczE1X9Aw0Vjj6JCt2NNHd03OUZMzshOpw_NboqM2uICHVV3PJzrvJ6RaGC9ysUUv6B0GKNljR6N-cjGjqpL_Fvb12-1At2urdOsgdJiP56xGOj/s1120/founding%20memebers.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1120" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQfnOtCpZb_BPdhAa-cIacDUWT33U1ulkLBkj-h1luuZIZ3mkhbx59QivlxzetGw4oA9LYCxwZGczE1X9Aw0Vjj6JCt2NNHd03OUZMzshOpw_NboqM2uICHVV3PJzrvJ6RaGC9ysUUv6B0GKNljR6N-cjGjqpL_Fvb12-1At2urdOsgdJiP56xGOj/s320/founding%20memebers.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The downtown area was planned as the heart of the city. At the corner of Cumberland and Devonia street a private company planned to build a state of the art hotel. Architect Rudolph Gill was commissioned to design the property. When the private company fell into bankruptcy the East Tennessee Land Company took over the property and building of the hotel. The hotel could accommodate up to 150 people and featured steam heat and "the best table in the entire region."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-Hr4zlDWcB0B08-wG7ggG9U_tY18_U8PMPe69Y25Q9Y3vrmlJicLuPZ0vlmBlwYP69AX28hsHvSlYZHIjBjQjOhlwyRI_Y5Q3jzJlrDuT1UP20xlHd1Kar5eCmunqYs_U1lC15bPNaYYFKTjy7_o8vbCnPt3r1pGDIrinV5CuRSnv0bEg1p9GMK4/s1214/A%20game%20at%20the%20cumberland.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1214" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-Hr4zlDWcB0B08-wG7ggG9U_tY18_U8PMPe69Y25Q9Y3vrmlJicLuPZ0vlmBlwYP69AX28hsHvSlYZHIjBjQjOhlwyRI_Y5Q3jzJlrDuT1UP20xlHd1Kar5eCmunqYs_U1lC15bPNaYYFKTjy7_o8vbCnPt3r1pGDIrinV5CuRSnv0bEg1p9GMK4/w491-h348/A%20game%20at%20the%20cumberland.png" width="491" /></a></div><br /><p>The first two years of Harriman saw a growing thriving city with 4,000 residents and numerous industries. In a booklet published to commemorate the town's two year anniversary a poem entitled "Our Harriman" showed off the town's pride:</p><p style="text-align: center;">Our Harriman</p><div style="text-align: center;">Lift up your voice in glad acclaim,<br />O ye who gather here to-day.<br />And echo every heart the name<br />To which we loving tribute pay.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />O Harriman, dear Harriman!<br />May peace be thine, forever thine!<br />Brave hearts, and true, in love thy ways defend,<br />While heaven's blessings on thy homes descend.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here field and forest waited long</div><div style="text-align: center;">The music of the hammer's ring,</div><div style="text-align: center;">The thrill of Labor's cheerful song.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And bounty that the years might bring.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">O Harriman, dear Harriman!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thy mountain look with pride on thee;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope, faith and courage here have builded well, </div><div style="text-align: center;">Long may their faith and works thy people tell!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here loyal hearts and willing hands</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have lifted high their banners brave, </div><div style="text-align: center;">And heeding Love's divine commands</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have sought the tempted soul to save.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">O Harriman, young Harriman,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Grow strong and bold through all the years,</div><div style="text-align: center;">As if within thy pulses run</div><div style="text-align: center;">The blood of thine own pioneers.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">O Harriman, our Harriman!</div><div style="text-align: center;">The skies above in blessings bend;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Heav'n hear thy prayer for thee that each heart lifts,</div><div style="text-align: center;">And fill thy future with its choicest gifts.</div><p>However in November of 1893 the East Tennessee Land Company declared bankruptcy. Many returned to their home states but others choose to stay and make Harriman their home. In 1918 Harriman faced one of many challenges that would visit the town over the next century. The Influenza Outbreak of 1918 effected Tennessee very severely. One town in neighboring Morgan County, Coalfield, saw 98% of residents infected with the disease. In Harriman the city's two funeral homes did not have the ability to keep up with calls and issued a printed apology to the residents. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LhklZBJNyal0JcgVQS6uomVygxOPHK_DbzxnKctA8EOracUukS9UDuy0FlJrhe1f13ZupCbdkYUrMbB8k8wWMnd1fMO_Zn7ZjzJzQ7YieEsP98uXGjMUAFqJNSe7jFw5rqmDNF-iHbayxC6YESHkGYQfCIZbDIHFhBDhit-IrQIpvuglzjXZ3XSc/s4032/IMG_7764.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LhklZBJNyal0JcgVQS6uomVygxOPHK_DbzxnKctA8EOracUukS9UDuy0FlJrhe1f13ZupCbdkYUrMbB8k8wWMnd1fMO_Zn7ZjzJzQ7YieEsP98uXGjMUAFqJNSe7jFw5rqmDNF-iHbayxC6YESHkGYQfCIZbDIHFhBDhit-IrQIpvuglzjXZ3XSc/s320/IMG_7764.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p> I do not know the local numbers but in total in Tennessee alone 7,721 lost their lives due to the fast spreading illness. </p><p>In 1921 the Cumberland Hotel was destroyed by fire, the first of several fires that would plague the town.</p><p>Then on March 23, 1929, Harriman faced its greatest natural disaster. After a particularly rainy February a strong storm traveling from the Gulf northeast dropped nine inches of rain in the span of 24 hours. At noon on 3/22 the Emory river was 35 feet below its top bank. As the rain fell it began to rise reaching a rate of nine feet per hour. Harriman's idyllic spot in the bend of the Emory helped with transportation for industry. It also set it up for disaster when the water ran over its banks. As quickly as the flood waters came they then receded and by 10:30 pm on the 23 the Emory was within its bank. The rushing waters made recovery difficult and of the 20 lives lost only 10 bodies were found. In total fifty homes were washed away and over 3.5 million dollars of damage was left behind. However beyond the physical damage of the flood waters was the emotional damage and toll it took on the residents. Every resident of Harriman. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Y3RPlFpsP2FPXkarKkcgE21wPE23x1_dyVpb1Pf1_OA6uipCCy-tGo1KBM1orgGWVv9Qg2WMGDO8MSvChdhSpYi1Nbi_QyntqPgEVMOKpBm9WPdm6491wLGd500-Zb9gR0-lzPlwhpZuPEav6DO-wxmwmV0eAqXIl8hVpZCFQQISt1K3c0_Vh71/s700/flood%20damaged%20harriman%20milling%20co.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="700" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Y3RPlFpsP2FPXkarKkcgE21wPE23x1_dyVpb1Pf1_OA6uipCCy-tGo1KBM1orgGWVv9Qg2WMGDO8MSvChdhSpYi1Nbi_QyntqPgEVMOKpBm9WPdm6491wLGd500-Zb9gR0-lzPlwhpZuPEav6DO-wxmwmV0eAqXIl8hVpZCFQQISt1K3c0_Vh71/w344-h220/flood%20damaged%20harriman%20milling%20co.png" width="344" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic5FdZYeHbMP5wpq8GJEV9-cdEydinmuTDMyWzx-Ghv2e8kZJbo5JaZVWRcGaUEr9ZqHVK8EOS30xobyZQxImoyDw1Np_iqQaxQoZKoQm0P_ikk1lnzEPbFEtSTRJfdb41W8c1f9q6IDE4QTcgsi4UrPl47qEsh4F0VvCxY0u3BCRKHMwgJ4ztCGY/s654/flooded%20papermill.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="654" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic5FdZYeHbMP5wpq8GJEV9-cdEydinmuTDMyWzx-Ghv2e8kZJbo5JaZVWRcGaUEr9ZqHVK8EOS30xobyZQxImoyDw1Np_iqQaxQoZKoQm0P_ikk1lnzEPbFEtSTRJfdb41W8c1f9q6IDE4QTcgsi4UrPl47qEsh4F0VvCxY0u3BCRKHMwgJ4ztCGY/w324-h194/flooded%20papermill.png" width="324" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZECg_FA1sWkLmjT8iT59YWurhTmjZNt3uCDYAj9D6UekW5OCr-xVeH6pWnqp4cWufblc_1JWyTX0A1XxF12zNhbgJrU-vWkm9RT3eZwWZ5mc7uP-IcrcsrkQDKwvQhRb0HXpB4FnC5Jkb7rNeL8rgr6rhwEXqkvGQTa2FHIrPpHb3Pa_mcgxMf1TB/s742/destruction%20of%20the%20railroad%201929%20flood.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="742" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZECg_FA1sWkLmjT8iT59YWurhTmjZNt3uCDYAj9D6UekW5OCr-xVeH6pWnqp4cWufblc_1JWyTX0A1XxF12zNhbgJrU-vWkm9RT3eZwWZ5mc7uP-IcrcsrkQDKwvQhRb0HXpB4FnC5Jkb7rNeL8rgr6rhwEXqkvGQTa2FHIrPpHb3Pa_mcgxMf1TB/w206-h102/destruction%20of%20the%20railroad%201929%20flood.png" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqO4SmleoufqjtmMavO7av-wg8Si4mP6n8FpbNYmM7B9ge-nGIr5fB9X0BeN7uTZxmZ4aTzydhFLTXqD6Sd8LAaGNxMGigYFeBkSSHQXsh5PAPMIy3-TmdVD5VDZA1Bybh5pVHrRTHsu37gu8jPvgf-GZRVBL07R770vaRETFAp3rdsm-f-9dWsHS/s556/flooded%20fork%20and%20hoe.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="556" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqO4SmleoufqjtmMavO7av-wg8Si4mP6n8FpbNYmM7B9ge-nGIr5fB9X0BeN7uTZxmZ4aTzydhFLTXqD6Sd8LAaGNxMGigYFeBkSSHQXsh5PAPMIy3-TmdVD5VDZA1Bybh5pVHrRTHsu37gu8jPvgf-GZRVBL07R770vaRETFAp3rdsm-f-9dWsHS/w413-h346/flooded%20fork%20and%20hoe.png" width="413" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>One of the worst stories of the flood was the story of Boy Scout Troop 45 that lost seven members and their Scout leader during the flood. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaswN2rl9BLYvjTknI3rwl0aKaoaEOXLQVXsl8zSTE43ieb7HiTB5AGAENVINOqrO9zYQgCii70CARLNd7esiPMg9yLEUApL5si6JqxPp4cdxUrgCBcAV3TIpfxKhU3glYSM18BikZgevxiV_1B7-SrgqRY137bLha0mAyrvcn1Q4LINruqGJiKkL/s896/Boy%20Scout%20Tropp%2045.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="896" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaswN2rl9BLYvjTknI3rwl0aKaoaEOXLQVXsl8zSTE43ieb7HiTB5AGAENVINOqrO9zYQgCii70CARLNd7esiPMg9yLEUApL5si6JqxPp4cdxUrgCBcAV3TIpfxKhU3glYSM18BikZgevxiV_1B7-SrgqRY137bLha0mAyrvcn1Q4LINruqGJiKkL/w584-h308/Boy%20Scout%20Tropp%2045.png" width="584" /></a></div><br /><p>James Tarwater Wright had been trying to bring the troop out for a camping trip but the rainy month had postponed most his plans. When the day came for the planned camping trip to a cabin near Whites Creek he did not want to cancel. After a day of activities Dick Gilbreath brought two of the boys home. The rest and their troop leader set up for the night. Whites Creek is normally 70 feet wide. As the water rose it spread to 600 feet and the cabin was surrounded. James had the boys climb to the roof for safety. The boys who survived noted how their Scoutmaster joked and kept them calm. At first it seemed they would be able to wait out the storm on the roof. However a railroad bridge among several others upstream had been knocked loose and along with other debris began being carried by the current. The cabin was hit and broke into pieces. Some of the boys were able to grab branches and climb into trees for safety but others were thrown from the roof. James Tarwater Wright dove in after his boys and despite being a strong swimmer he was killed by the flood waters. There are some accounts of people being pulled to safety by him however he was not able to find any of the boys who had been thrown off the cabin. In total seven of the boys were killed that night.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkO1Zss4UI_9HFRCcfed4twNn120QJXCNE7V118EEuUVbHJf2HdzhimlL71VX2SMPt0UeQJbqM8oN9pV_gtPyuY8Bs-jeSULEhxKKHWTgh8FPDKDt6IQE96xKd0k9-M88WCuFAGLR0yZvrjZ7eg15lJEhT9-uHHcMAVNYgZfSkM9CpLVnXkprP1LG/s958/the%207%20scouts%20who%20drowned.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="958" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkO1Zss4UI_9HFRCcfed4twNn120QJXCNE7V118EEuUVbHJf2HdzhimlL71VX2SMPt0UeQJbqM8oN9pV_gtPyuY8Bs-jeSULEhxKKHWTgh8FPDKDt6IQE96xKd0k9-M88WCuFAGLR0yZvrjZ7eg15lJEhT9-uHHcMAVNYgZfSkM9CpLVnXkprP1LG/w469-h264/the%207%20scouts%20who%20drowned.png" width="469" /></a></div><br /><p>Tom Douglas was the youngest member of the Troop and in 1978 gave an account of the night and following day. He described James keeping the boys calm and then diving in after the cabin had been broken. He also told how his brother, Willie, and another boy pulled him from the water and his brother moved him from tree to tree to keep him safe. Willie pulled others from the water and would eventually be awarded a gold medal form the Boy Scouts of America for his actions during the flood. The story of the Scouts made newspapers across the State and when visiting Harriman at any mention of the flood of 1929 it will not take long for someone to add "that is the flood with the Boy Scout Troop."</p><p>A monument was erected by local Boy Scout Troops from Harriman and Rockwood in honor of the lost boys and James Wright.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLlgvmBMe3azoBOilJqg3OZcshI1oRFnlEmSFS65SVvU7U1TapiEsBwar71jl0qnbm7hiUr_OkG5Zl4AO4mA2NKSmC0kJBiEIol_ucCw9gZ1zf38lsAdU0hQIlUWVpyOXNzx1ZQPFgjqfECRLXmCjWSM6e0jVGeDdSx7xSdrYHYqSU1ulHagEX6nR/s4032/IMG_7297.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLlgvmBMe3azoBOilJqg3OZcshI1oRFnlEmSFS65SVvU7U1TapiEsBwar71jl0qnbm7hiUr_OkG5Zl4AO4mA2NKSmC0kJBiEIol_ucCw9gZ1zf38lsAdU0hQIlUWVpyOXNzx1ZQPFgjqfECRLXmCjWSM6e0jVGeDdSx7xSdrYHYqSU1ulHagEX6nR/w302-h403/IMG_7297.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><br /><p>Today along the Emory River is a small water front park called David Webb River Front Park. In the park there is a bench in honor of another hero from the flood. Robert Underwood woke up to flooding near and around his home. He quickly loaded his family into a coal cart and moved them to safety. No one would have given it a second thought if he had remained with his family during that day. But he did not. Instead he returned to the rising waters with his cart and began helping others to safety. Eventually he was in the process of rescuing the Jenkins family when his cart overturned. One child, Felix Jenkins, would survive the accident however Robert and the rest of the family were killed. According to the information on the bench he is credited with saving the lives of 75 families.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uCQLQLXTEmmMPTmvH7h_KieQgF5z7YCj_3Ra-1ipi0-86PFSDZltyB-GU71yPgVhnYWZpSnwvp39Cv06N06lKal-N7Yq2cJkDBLZfNgx2zhKMXf_QsWg4V9d7pRi-BvMLZ0ZEx31FqMyTQA2yFiS9ExQdpztaj2Z1Qhv9WkHAxNGLbywOs2cju-z/s4032/IMG_7335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uCQLQLXTEmmMPTmvH7h_KieQgF5z7YCj_3Ra-1ipi0-86PFSDZltyB-GU71yPgVhnYWZpSnwvp39Cv06N06lKal-N7Yq2cJkDBLZfNgx2zhKMXf_QsWg4V9d7pRi-BvMLZ0ZEx31FqMyTQA2yFiS9ExQdpztaj2Z1Qhv9WkHAxNGLbywOs2cju-z/s320/IMG_7335.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Since its founding it is not just flooding which the people of Harriman have had to contend with. Fire has also struck several times. Not only was the Cumberland destroyed by fire in 1921 but the business district has been damaged multiple times. The art deco Princess Theater opened in 1926 and in 1932 it was damaged by fire from a faulty projector and then on January 25, 1939, the theater was destroyed by a fire that started in an adjacent building. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTBzRwnz74BygDs2fm4qM2DUjlk6UjDWbEannwv8bN61PBK79a5bfAPqov10Ze1s55yGCJShrUBivID4ALJMLJo2pdqQ9fhjlSazVOxReGQQNgNa30s2j_xrnSIgqmS7k8b-DnyM3S8CI1MHRxey1NBPGkEZUoYEzjyhFxgf6QAuuKJw4oKrp_neF/s4032/IMG_7985.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTBzRwnz74BygDs2fm4qM2DUjlk6UjDWbEannwv8bN61PBK79a5bfAPqov10Ze1s55yGCJShrUBivID4ALJMLJo2pdqQ9fhjlSazVOxReGQQNgNa30s2j_xrnSIgqmS7k8b-DnyM3S8CI1MHRxey1NBPGkEZUoYEzjyhFxgf6QAuuKJw4oKrp_neF/s320/IMG_7985.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The theater was rebuilt and still stands today showing films as well as hosting live productions. <div><br /></div><div>In 1938 one of the local schools was damaged by fire and had to be rebuilt. Then on January 31st, 1945, during a band recital the elementary school caught fire. The band played as long as they could before evacuating with the crowd. Besides that fire there were two other fires in town that day. A year later a temporary school was struck by fire, in 1969 another fire claimed a school in Harriman, and in March of 1969 the Baptist St. Andrews Church was damaged and had to be razed when a fire started during the service. </div><div><br /></div><div>Destruction by fire and flood was so frequent then that during a review of the year in the Harriman Record the columnist wrote an article remarking how there had been no disaster during the previous year.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgHDFpIBdHnvby3Ino1Rpz7fnNi7ehWStK0LGW-z9wlxrK1gZyWVERBWVHIkrizkJsHPMNziIuPAfwcAFsnQcNSJtdE-3Fv2fmXo0TYURvceSXm-SykvX_Lb2hd7Gu_FtLtRlqggGT7ghHOFFIOLnB0kX7BSMlE-XbkS0tou9SUYAiXDKTPP_66S9/s4032/IMG_7982.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgHDFpIBdHnvby3Ino1Rpz7fnNi7ehWStK0LGW-z9wlxrK1gZyWVERBWVHIkrizkJsHPMNziIuPAfwcAFsnQcNSJtdE-3Fv2fmXo0TYURvceSXm-SykvX_Lb2hd7Gu_FtLtRlqggGT7ghHOFFIOLnB0kX7BSMlE-XbkS0tou9SUYAiXDKTPP_66S9/w410-h547/IMG_7982.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div>However it should be noted that was January of 1939 looking back at 1938. So as mentioned above on January 25th, 1939, there would be a fire causing over $125,000 worth of damage to the business district followed on February 3, 1939, by a flood. </div><div><br /></div><div>On December 22, 2008, a containment pond at the nearby TVA Fossil Fuel Plant failed and 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash was released into the Swan Pond Embayment, a recreational area used by many Harriman residents. While dredging the coal ash workers discovered barrels that had been dumped in the preceding decades from the nearby Oakridge nuclear facility. Many of the clean up workers were not aware of the full extent of hazardous chemicals in the coal ash and would eventually become ill and be forced to file a lawsuit against Jacobs Engineering. In 2018 the company was found guilty of endangering the health of the workers and their families and began paying for medical expenses. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the Cumberland Hotel burnt down in 1921 it was replaced by a roller rink before finally being replaced by The Old Harriman Hospital (Roane County Medical Center). Throughout its time it was added on to multiple times including the addition of more surgical rooms, extended ICU, geriatric wing, psych ward, and a state of the art surgical ward. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTT6FicTsDNTkzpN-yxe-imJ4RtnsfVXOCi9sgbdrnwlhgZ2RWmAp9A9DJtBQRZAXYyDJI1MGn7XknFZe_P-FIQQAVe4M4cEN4sxESnc4XwcugA120a_BJW9GnGO3MrTtyeiVq1yCCuahvZMgS15eDO9Zg6IJogZmv6ThzL9XnniypFXuS5L5PTda/s4032/IMG_7353.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTT6FicTsDNTkzpN-yxe-imJ4RtnsfVXOCi9sgbdrnwlhgZ2RWmAp9A9DJtBQRZAXYyDJI1MGn7XknFZe_P-FIQQAVe4M4cEN4sxESnc4XwcugA120a_BJW9GnGO3MrTtyeiVq1yCCuahvZMgS15eDO9Zg6IJogZmv6ThzL9XnniypFXuS5L5PTda/w516-h387/IMG_7353.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Around 2013 the hospital was closed when a new facility opened nearby. The Harriman Industrial Board took possession of the building and thought about bulldozing it to increase downtown parking. Thankfully they did not when they discovered it would cost almost 1 million to take it down. Instead Ronnie Dee, owner of Old South Pittsburg Hospital saw the potential in the building and the rich history. <div><br /></div><div>June 11th, 2022, was the Old Historic Harriman Hospital Opening night as it was opened up to Paranormal Investigators to discover the stories of the spirits who lived, died, or worked there throughout its many years.<div><p><br /></p><p>Part 2: The Investigation</p></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-23605218053897697992022-05-08T16:35:00.003-07:002022-05-08T16:36:32.779-07:00Part 1: Indiana State Sanatarium Haunting Beauty<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal/video/7077271876552379694?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7032860526028293637">Haunting Beauty</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispM4PcOvJEyqihBqxCmkstNlCPV7Y3akPGt6EKtGkZwBXl9-0KPW9A_Id5U2LQZv5Uld5XBrlPsMh7dRVgcYWIgNb4QToUrW6k7HXyLZcuuJssK-1zUVW8CQIdttMzyecDUktOtnF24yfzB7pfjd-GJ6qOsxbfoDp8-oKdanLeIUXJtMSilf3x0AP/s1280/275239293_10158608327938030_3768709351812849115_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispM4PcOvJEyqihBqxCmkstNlCPV7Y3akPGt6EKtGkZwBXl9-0KPW9A_Id5U2LQZv5Uld5XBrlPsMh7dRVgcYWIgNb4QToUrW6k7HXyLZcuuJssK-1zUVW8CQIdttMzyecDUktOtnF24yfzB7pfjd-GJ6qOsxbfoDp8-oKdanLeIUXJtMSilf3x0AP/w580-h435/275239293_10158608327938030_3768709351812849115_n.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">In 2021 we began seeing reports that the Indiana State Sanatarium which had been closed in 2011 was opening to the public for paranormal investigations. Meg and I were excited at the opportunity to investigate a location which had only just recently been opened and so reached out to book a date in early 2022. </span></div><p><b>The History of the Indiana State Sanatarium in Rockville Indiana.</b></p><p>Long before European settlers came to America the area now known as Rockville, Indiana was inhabited by the Piankeshaw Indian tribe a subgroup of the Miami Tribe. Once a thriving community by the 1800s their numbers were falling as hostilities between the Tribe and the new settlers as well as harsh winter followed by draught took its toll. In 1805 the Piankeshaw were forced to cede their properties in Indiana and move West to Missouri joining with other Native Tribes. </p><p>In 1821 Parke County was formed with the Wabash River serving as its western boundary. Three years later Rockville was laid out and the following year it became the county seat. In July of 1854 the citizens voted to incorporate the town. </p><p>Property records show that the land where the Indiana State Sanatarium would eventually be built was registered to Jonathan Garrison on March 12, 1831. It would then change hands multiple times. At some point there was a distillery on the property, the furnaces were found while building the administration building, however the name and owner of the distillery is unknown though it is believed to date to the 1830s. </p><p>What is known is that in 1907 Parke County began looking for a property to build a sanatarium due to the rising number of tuberculosis cases. They had a list of demands for the property ranging from access to railroads, height above sea level, and landscaping. This helped narrow the choices down to a few properties. On October 9th, 1907 the committee tasked with finding a suitable property came to visit Rockville. For its part the town and residents of Rockville did everything they could to show why they should be selected. They saw the addition of the Sanatarium to their community as a great opportunity to sell their farm fresh goods like eggs, milk, and meat. The building of such a large building would also provide a boost to the economy as jobs both in construction and eventually healthcare would become available. Their efforts paid off and the local paper on May 6, 1908 declared that the Little Raccoon site, named for the river that ran through it, was selected by the Hospital Commission and Governor. </p><p>Before construction could begin the property had to be purchased. The entire tract was divided between seven different land owners: Edgar Adams owned 130 acres, Gary Connelly owned 126 acres, John Adams owned 80 acres, Theodore Jessup owned 49 acres, William and Charles Bullion owned 44 acres, Claude Kent owned 41 acres, and James Myers owned 39 acres. Either the Bullions never wanted the Sanatarium or they soured on it after the fact but their property was eventually marked condemned as they would not agree to the proposed sale price. Finally in 1909 the first cornerstone of the multi-building facility was set and construction continued over the next two years. </p><p>On April 1st 1911 the Sanatarium opened as The Indiana State Tuberculosis Hospital and began receiving patients. At first the mortality rate was very high but within just a few years it lowered. For example in 1914 the annual report showed 53 deaths, in 1915 there were 24 deaths, in 1916 there were 30 deaths, and in 1917 there were 31 deaths. The staff worked to keep patients highly educated and involved about the disease and their treatment offering lectures 3 to 4 times a year about the disease, phases, symptoms, and treatments to help people understand and prepare for the duration of their stay. Some who recovered would help care for others. In fact the Sanatarium itself was self-sustaining with farmland, orchards, a hen house, and dairy to also help provide food for the residents.</p><p>In 1919 the name was changed to the Indiana State Sanatarium which would remain its name until 1968. </p><p>The property consisted of the Administration Building which had doctor's offices, exam rooms, the surgery, and all records. On either side of the Administration Building connected by an enclosed passageway was a tuberculosis ward, one for men and one for women. The wards consisted of long open hallways to allow fresh air and sunlight, two of the main treatments for tuberculosis at the time, to fill the patients' rooms. Originally each ward was built to house 140 each however that number increased and eventually they also had a waiting list of over 400. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjtSuX7MoEO3mO7PMeptmwWF5W9CNcAb09c032r3npuYMmY1kTgAyelW2NPE4VyNV2bbOAXMsGNY9t_eC0qnJewk5VFd-ZSOzgxOOatNVbA7ON07JdQssrNVzN0mnulrbKWIwLgYD5QvihPUiR5hg-8xV2hfk5ZpXYSLvpIpgnKmMy1PStfhmsre2/s1052/admin%20building%201922.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1052" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjtSuX7MoEO3mO7PMeptmwWF5W9CNcAb09c032r3npuYMmY1kTgAyelW2NPE4VyNV2bbOAXMsGNY9t_eC0qnJewk5VFd-ZSOzgxOOatNVbA7ON07JdQssrNVzN0mnulrbKWIwLgYD5QvihPUiR5hg-8xV2hfk5ZpXYSLvpIpgnKmMy1PStfhmsre2/w369-h189/admin%20building%201922.png" width="369" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3kx5gAGGsmJLqClxH0P-R6f3j3Vm6kZiVTwAo2Q2cEAjywFBIAzWSJB_tV60d-f4J30gy0dqTr08t29R6YiQGYRDeRM1MCBGtY1l4x4Z0IRievMFB_sDUZHjIlks70vPzvMZWxnR4jLhK-pMfdH0nL2Q5RyCMlx_c2NvGJ2IPJLYTe8hXi08FXuf/s1068/west%20ward%20women.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="1068" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3kx5gAGGsmJLqClxH0P-R6f3j3Vm6kZiVTwAo2Q2cEAjywFBIAzWSJB_tV60d-f4J30gy0dqTr08t29R6YiQGYRDeRM1MCBGtY1l4x4Z0IRievMFB_sDUZHjIlks70vPzvMZWxnR4jLhK-pMfdH0nL2Q5RyCMlx_c2NvGJ2IPJLYTe8hXi08FXuf/w454-h207/west%20ward%20women.png" width="454" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWn1S2c31_uXiXrf25xw7gmgLKOQyC1o8_YOBQEZU9cucFwJNqDoHQAYmXO88PmHjyK6C9LJsY6OWegPfbKFzHjN6TYb3q_ETfG75HG0JGK_eIDjcSnEOUPKNUPmmQtkfu7-hsppC4g7RGbhT3TiPTV46Nke3xY2fNSsWg4-3Kz6HaMtKS8VNHE6O/s1432/Indiana%20historical%20society%20full%20pic.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="1432" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWn1S2c31_uXiXrf25xw7gmgLKOQyC1o8_YOBQEZU9cucFwJNqDoHQAYmXO88PmHjyK6C9LJsY6OWegPfbKFzHjN6TYb3q_ETfG75HG0JGK_eIDjcSnEOUPKNUPmmQtkfu7-hsppC4g7RGbhT3TiPTV46Nke3xY2fNSsWg4-3Kz6HaMtKS8VNHE6O/w581-h236/Indiana%20historical%20society%20full%20pic.png" title="Credit: Indiana State Historical Society" width="581" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: Indiana State Historical Society<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In 1913 the State Sanatarium Bridge was added over the Little Raccoon creek to help aid in travel to the hospital. The bridge is a Kingpost Truss Burr Arch structure spanning 154 feet designed by Joseph A. Britton. </p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ_-Lrmf6SHR1FbqzgOS3O3-p_vZSaRFfMTvhqT8l1W8BJtqKVCHRkv_AfanGZ6hTimYraRCD8sXN7N37LmDBATSCUjnTvylV6paDVDhbn2BnK3CDTeAG4Mt82MGD-5qf-3GRs6hVJyOgX2T-GY8H5_Uegi6RbeVu_9VXjZlniNKdWGdeRFF5Nw5O/s4032/IMG_6376.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ_-Lrmf6SHR1FbqzgOS3O3-p_vZSaRFfMTvhqT8l1W8BJtqKVCHRkv_AfanGZ6hTimYraRCD8sXN7N37LmDBATSCUjnTvylV6paDVDhbn2BnK3CDTeAG4Mt82MGD-5qf-3GRs6hVJyOgX2T-GY8H5_Uegi6RbeVu_9VXjZlniNKdWGdeRFF5Nw5O/w285-h213/IMG_6376.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyL_EUZsX70DSmzNyao_UGYDsVTq_z3toAgQOyIs7OLu9CWabI49bFxmkN8ewieesdEFI4jlgV341ObGSHQL2A3MLcGIqiExwSAp-KHadEA5xy-tx0oF9qcV0NBsu5XjTfeZPAbmu1vZlnMFpoFYDFdhpMmkdzyo-w4ikdndNujEqwQ25h1EPq-Ih/s4032/IMG_6375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyL_EUZsX70DSmzNyao_UGYDsVTq_z3toAgQOyIs7OLu9CWabI49bFxmkN8ewieesdEFI4jlgV341ObGSHQL2A3MLcGIqiExwSAp-KHadEA5xy-tx0oF9qcV0NBsu5XjTfeZPAbmu1vZlnMFpoFYDFdhpMmkdzyo-w4ikdndNujEqwQ25h1EPq-Ih/w235-h313/IMG_6375.jpg" width="235" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjym9_uSXCd7sOnLw2DHvR-LbkeoxOd-uxBMoV9NId8dHByL2bcY0ym9sugQz3J34aBUSVWnzdONBXMtYIwMRCwPKKp1zvJRwYN6foUday5uVKWKpyP0MuCC0d9PyvV9FEoWVFWEAxDl5cdmn9Lt8vUgJQRdD26k2ZHIBN5eACFwsyS4MHbLtCcrs66/s4032/IMG_6380.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjym9_uSXCd7sOnLw2DHvR-LbkeoxOd-uxBMoV9NId8dHByL2bcY0ym9sugQz3J34aBUSVWnzdONBXMtYIwMRCwPKKp1zvJRwYN6foUday5uVKWKpyP0MuCC0d9PyvV9FEoWVFWEAxDl5cdmn9Lt8vUgJQRdD26k2ZHIBN5eACFwsyS4MHbLtCcrs66/w330-h247/IMG_6380.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Unfortunately the tuberculosis wards no longer remain because they were removed and repurposed to build the nursing home. Only the tunnels below them used to access the steam pipes remain. Those steam pipes were heated by the coal burning power plant built on site to power the Sanatarium. As we drove around the area it was the smoke stack of the power plant that told us we were getting close, which makes me sad to know the stack is being removed due to structural issues.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWb-S1eTI3GOmbGhL_ykmSKKsSpIHePnpqGiIWkElpHngNsuBMp1q4i-T4xGLTVUIhVJ4lkKLV7Y6LQzuc-dTkUB61DzitlCRClc09kvPC6MVkRpW7Mfv73SO4sxObom-onqSZ8T5c4Fjl-nFeeAtVLLBl8mT9-nxQhH1Ht4qrqrGNSkEAkVCzPaW/s4032/IMG_6398.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWb-S1eTI3GOmbGhL_ykmSKKsSpIHePnpqGiIWkElpHngNsuBMp1q4i-T4xGLTVUIhVJ4lkKLV7Y6LQzuc-dTkUB61DzitlCRClc09kvPC6MVkRpW7Mfv73SO4sxObom-onqSZ8T5c4Fjl-nFeeAtVLLBl8mT9-nxQhH1Ht4qrqrGNSkEAkVCzPaW/w366-h275/IMG_6398.jpg" width="366" /></a> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo5cHcPAzwLlq9w-zVGoQuod04oooGS1Rfif_U9Orc8S1Tu0mndgx6oCfszpgn70J_4HvwadDT3hRO-9IsXBo7xS4wAeELZ_eVm0F-pyewuprfKhm7H9l9vVeQYGF9vgsUM1PSXl8qINu6WZnOT-1y49OSG5zuNUCjJBjXINGMRQbVP5NzhcKel-t/s4032/IMG_6404%202.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="529" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo5cHcPAzwLlq9w-zVGoQuod04oooGS1Rfif_U9Orc8S1Tu0mndgx6oCfszpgn70J_4HvwadDT3hRO-9IsXBo7xS4wAeELZ_eVm0F-pyewuprfKhm7H9l9vVeQYGF9vgsUM1PSXl8qINu6WZnOT-1y49OSG5zuNUCjJBjXINGMRQbVP5NzhcKel-t/w397-h529/IMG_6404%202.jpg" width="397" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As time passed more buildings were added including a children's ward and schoolhouse that at its height served 100 children. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2Ulb7NB5fRZnxECRkjqKfW8buDeoKcwF_JMnqW6Fzr2xK5xmBgi7da8QAaZrPE0xr3s9-exr3d71yB24r2QwDenMMvNq3daWdFHNxOt04YkN_chRPEYN-MJzNdRBnQmQPPXKsIA_zyW_7GMBeuFFlGsu0jBd45jpF9BX5lYUHL3qWyC8tTyBf4Gz/s1438/children's%20ward%20and%20school.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="1438" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2Ulb7NB5fRZnxECRkjqKfW8buDeoKcwF_JMnqW6Fzr2xK5xmBgi7da8QAaZrPE0xr3s9-exr3d71yB24r2QwDenMMvNq3daWdFHNxOt04YkN_chRPEYN-MJzNdRBnQmQPPXKsIA_zyW_7GMBeuFFlGsu0jBd45jpF9BX5lYUHL3qWyC8tTyBf4Gz/w654-h198/children's%20ward%20and%20school.png" width="654" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indiana Historical Society</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A five story building, Adams Hall, was also added in the 50s as staff housing and that building still remains having been repurposed over the years.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKb7se5t6dVKQm6copnXDDTWHFuaaogT8uEH3gNhwlVpL6VrZ-IxJcfd2sohciE7o6jFnm-5gBEF7SlIhVrReeewDjmFhKK5gTRtjXw3LBZ0x18ulXZuHE37LMDob1lpHSNRlD8ohB5GfsN83vVihkVXOvv_bfSO5QZvPOGyhxhhOnc9cyM8ZA7XF/s3288/IMG_0526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2192" data-original-width="3288" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKb7se5t6dVKQm6copnXDDTWHFuaaogT8uEH3gNhwlVpL6VrZ-IxJcfd2sohciE7o6jFnm-5gBEF7SlIhVrReeewDjmFhKK5gTRtjXw3LBZ0x18ulXZuHE37LMDob1lpHSNRlD8ohB5GfsN83vVihkVXOvv_bfSO5QZvPOGyhxhhOnc9cyM8ZA7XF/s320/IMG_0526.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Around 1922 the Superintendent's Residence was added to the property. This two story structure had multiple entrances indicating that it may have been split between multiple families/staff. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdRILIOR2QQgDVuegCM3Agafqrq_LarTlYDPaC8ZlZ7IWhgL7WSzYE1zDS6LWfW_K4AeRNpVvSWN6f37vvNVRy3-NMz0WM6O7fBh-PBn_u9ktplnyfMQkIdMC1gUygjdl1IDTAyQfaskoKxJjgYudjonKmPq99Lpt5kA8HevBcO3YFic3L2TUxnzK/s4032/IMG_6389.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdRILIOR2QQgDVuegCM3Agafqrq_LarTlYDPaC8ZlZ7IWhgL7WSzYE1zDS6LWfW_K4AeRNpVvSWN6f37vvNVRy3-NMz0WM6O7fBh-PBn_u9ktplnyfMQkIdMC1gUygjdl1IDTAyQfaskoKxJjgYudjonKmPq99Lpt5kA8HevBcO3YFic3L2TUxnzK/s320/IMG_6389.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>In the late 1800s and early 1900s many large facilities like the Indiana State Sanatarium opened throughout the country. Tuberculosis was a rising disease that had a lot of fear surrounding it because little was understood about it and treatment was very limited. For the majority of patients that came to Rockville the main prescription was clean air, sanitary conditions, and good food. However there were other treatments that today seem cruel. For example in 1914 they injected nitrogen between the chest wall and lungs in order to collapse the lung and allow it to "rest" and slow the spread of tuberculosis. In five of those they also removed the ribs to help collapse the lung. According to the Superintendent W.A. Geckler "[n]o patients are subject to [surgery] who have any possible chance of recovery without it. Surgery in diseases of the lung is and must remain a last resort." For the doctors and staff at the time I imagine the balance between "do no harm" and also trying to save and preserve life weighed heavy on their minds. </p><p>With the development of streptomycin to treat tuberculosis in 1943 by Selman Waksman, Elizabeth Bugie, and Albert Schatz large Sanatariums like the one at Rockville began to empty. The property was taken over by a conglomerate and renamed Lee Alan Bryant Healthcare Center. The five story building originally used to house staff became Adams Hall, a mental institution. On the first and second floor coed patients were housed, the third floor was reserved for woman, the fourth floor for men, and the fifth floor supposedly housed more dangerous patients. Between Adams Hall and the original Administration building a single story cross shaped 120 bed nursing home was added. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybHPXwEx8eBD4-UMmXymbbNk_lpxuZLCpvrTXX7mpbFxbt7jy0dg2_HzsiUb5SByAFgjRx4IioQIRD34eNrwZ08y1axQYrG-WwYqdq5WDqvlHDe65gCTEbWxR8NYh3LskXu88NbA7VB4V1vrzK1fX6AWBTZoamL-41vl_r-Yl_SbkNqdg7Z6Hv7rZ/s4032/IMG_6443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybHPXwEx8eBD4-UMmXymbbNk_lpxuZLCpvrTXX7mpbFxbt7jy0dg2_HzsiUb5SByAFgjRx4IioQIRD34eNrwZ08y1axQYrG-WwYqdq5WDqvlHDe65gCTEbWxR8NYh3LskXu88NbA7VB4V1vrzK1fX6AWBTZoamL-41vl_r-Yl_SbkNqdg7Z6Hv7rZ/s320/IMG_6443.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Unfortunately as good as the Indiana State Sanatarium was at treating its patients Lee Alan Bryant was bad. There are allegations of abuse, suicides, escapes, and a murder suicide. There are reports of patients running away in the middle of the night and dying from exposure in the surrounding woods. There are stories of a woman who ran away and climbed to the top of the water tower. She was found frozen the next day. Some patients would be lost in the woods their remains found days or more later. Looking back now it looks like the whole situation was out of control for patients and staff. There are reports of attacks between patients and patients and staff. There was a murder suicide between two employees near the power plant with multiple stories about the dispute whether it was over a promotion, raise, drugs, or something else we are not sure. Throughout the building there are passive aggressive notes hanging on the walls warning staff and patients about acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. In 2012 after multiple complaints the state came to Lee Alan Bryant and shut it down. Patients were released or moved to other facilities. Staff were sent away. </p><p>Today nature has worked hard at reclaiming the buildings. Vines grow through the windows and birds nest in the vents. Suitcases, personal belongings, pay slips, and hospital equipment remain. Drywall has fallen down and paint peels from the walls. </p><p><b>Part 2 Coming Soon.</b></p>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-72139564412895490302022-03-15T19:10:00.002-07:002022-03-15T19:10:22.664-07:00An Overdue Roadtrip<p> It had been awhile since we hit the road and took a drive so it felt nice this weekend to get up at 4am and put the finishing touches on house chores and loading the car. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBW7BVg6_j3b7sTXH_wcnptVnXFKZE7gBHWiqBinRDDF8IjUUdZq2mmy3JUseOpRRLjf1IirD0F6vbNCJbN9p4PP_-gFn-IXJOIqX63GypbKj9V6UAmtdrbhDTPrFWIWIRG3aPdCvXFgkOrjNOp6s6Byynha-7qqodqL7ondDGeg8Y3EdLpyCfNq6z=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBW7BVg6_j3b7sTXH_wcnptVnXFKZE7gBHWiqBinRDDF8IjUUdZq2mmy3JUseOpRRLjf1IirD0F6vbNCJbN9p4PP_-gFn-IXJOIqX63GypbKj9V6UAmtdrbhDTPrFWIWIRG3aPdCvXFgkOrjNOp6s6Byynha-7qqodqL7ondDGeg8Y3EdLpyCfNq6z=w296-h395" width="296" /></a></div><br /><p>The real reason for the trip was an overnight investigation at the Haunted Indiana State Sanatorium in Rockville, Indiana. I will have a blog about that later once we go through the 90 plus hours of audio recording, 40 plus hours of video recording, and over 900 photos. </p><p>We left from Nashville on I-65 heading towards Louisville and made good time as traffic moved well through Tennessee and Kentucky. In Louisville we jumped off I-65 quick to drive through downtown and avoid the toll bridge because tolls are silly.</p><p>A few hours later of smooth sailing with the exception of Indianapolis and the highway being closed due to construction we made it to our first stop in Crawfordsville, Indiana. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBl1MveAiKNzgs60RTX8J0rjHCFnhv4AtBCH3GQBZMYeheFtMAV63IioQmmA6a_YXAoiICNJqw2dd-21w8s1TWCGq53is9yHQZHKLVi1JcTlraGs5bCLCMBReJvGHTN7MVDCUcOMrweAxhAcXKyXLYuYw9bI3E_OyTqDW3M24G30lR-liDnbHthlFG=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBl1MveAiKNzgs60RTX8J0rjHCFnhv4AtBCH3GQBZMYeheFtMAV63IioQmmA6a_YXAoiICNJqw2dd-21w8s1TWCGq53is9yHQZHKLVi1JcTlraGs5bCLCMBReJvGHTN7MVDCUcOMrweAxhAcXKyXLYuYw9bI3E_OyTqDW3M24G30lR-liDnbHthlFG=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The rotary jail was a strange phase in jail building in the midwest where the cells actually rotate to the opening rather than having individual doors that open. The design came from architect William Brown and was built by an iron foundry company in Indianapolis, Indiana. Brown explained in the patent:</p><p style="text-align: center;">"The object of our inventions is to produce a jail in which prisoners can be controlled without the necessity of personal contact between them and the jailer or guard... it consists, first, of a circular cell structure of considerable size divided into several cells capable of being rotated, surrounded by a grating in close proximity thereto, which has only such number opening as is necessary for the convenient handling of prisoners."</p><p>The design was not a success and many of the jails were very quickly retrofitted with doors and the rotating mechanism was disabled. The exception to this was the rotating jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa which we stumbled across during a previous road trip. This rotating jail was the last to close in the 1960s. As of now only four are still standing though none are jails. Most have been turned into museums like this one in Indiana. In fact this is the only one where the rotary mechanism still functions. </p><p>Our next location was a spot I had saved ever since our massive amount of road trips in 2020 (<a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/05/drive-48.html">Drive the 48</a>) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-fGsRSDXE3Q6pHrDjQ0VxNfxUIx6EJbk7Vg60_WG0WyhU5csh8sPv1EOw3k95D1dNnsWyRcFO3GjKOUeUXmfnJO__hk-LPAyAh2PZ_Nic0GFh1iqh6QoAfc4vWi3OSuKAxOk-3CHIvbtlFzUfSlv8BT-I_kMwA_nsHLWMwhKqyJ-AKsRXnit0TYCd=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-fGsRSDXE3Q6pHrDjQ0VxNfxUIx6EJbk7Vg60_WG0WyhU5csh8sPv1EOw3k95D1dNnsWyRcFO3GjKOUeUXmfnJO__hk-LPAyAh2PZ_Nic0GFh1iqh6QoAfc4vWi3OSuKAxOk-3CHIvbtlFzUfSlv8BT-I_kMwA_nsHLWMwhKqyJ-AKsRXnit0TYCd=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>The ball is the work of Mike Carmichael and his family. On January 1, 1977 Mike and his son put the first layer of paint on a baseball. His wife would also join in putting coats of paint on the baseball. They would paint it multiple times when it was small. Today it hangs from a suspension system in a specially built barn beside their house. Meg and I got to add layer 27,765. Mike had it primed and when we pulled up. We chose a nice light blue color and for a period of time we were World Record holders. As we painted the ball he told us about the history of the ball, the fact that this wasn't his first ball of paint, and how the barn was built for the over 8,000 pound ball.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQDd8JbVKfiSTmXG111ZgkQ5yezNfGQB1R3vw0gNg4laOoGF9wWuYk-B2Becm-JYbCPg9_HJX938hMejEXQyD6eqJoGCybx9CGxNTrT9-iryBbIfLzEck_WmI-N-uK3YxtlP2Nuq8d74x6iZta8HoT5N4tNd0YezdrtZMW-IhuhvgerXMo44Qb71H2=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQDd8JbVKfiSTmXG111ZgkQ5yezNfGQB1R3vw0gNg4laOoGF9wWuYk-B2Becm-JYbCPg9_HJX938hMejEXQyD6eqJoGCybx9CGxNTrT9-iryBbIfLzEck_WmI-N-uK3YxtlP2Nuq8d74x6iZta8HoT5N4tNd0YezdrtZMW-IhuhvgerXMo44Qb71H2=w354-h266" width="354" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW4nH5AIni0bbPW54lxTwqmjJu6uxj23I2LrUe6OVA3z5h1M7BafWLw0uguOfgYZ6qcLolsudLbc45ZRudf9CrgBbe_PBcIA4VrXxnLTgIj0mLTQpfZw-Ad49Xk_UJQtQYDxlw9oelTwjLmGAMiyGK-WrKb4tPrMY0LbV5LHhlqAC1pxNFQOnmqIsR=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW4nH5AIni0bbPW54lxTwqmjJu6uxj23I2LrUe6OVA3z5h1M7BafWLw0uguOfgYZ6qcLolsudLbc45ZRudf9CrgBbe_PBcIA4VrXxnLTgIj0mLTQpfZw-Ad49Xk_UJQtQYDxlw9oelTwjLmGAMiyGK-WrKb4tPrMY0LbV5LHhlqAC1pxNFQOnmqIsR=w290-h387" width="290" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>If you would like to visit the Largest Ball of Paint check out Mike's website <a href="http://ballofpaint.freehosting.net/index.html">Largest Ball of Paint</a></p><p>Next was a mad dash down several dirt roads as we made our way to to Terre Haute, Indiana. That was where we were spending the night but also it was Ash Wednesday and I had found a Catholic Church there and the goal was to arrive in time for 6pm mass. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyIonpwHYel--QcGpbWuxrcLbtX0gE8bCd7yfQ6pFP6DsV6JY3fEKyDtL-PE0fW67dX0yauKGXkf3tNhYiMJulWlwg2I91mlc4N2ifJRUxv1-ZV7zvEGYWYviFmNKosTX6kD8Bpvp1OEux9et4KtWZTtAKBke1PBTbxikXcGfd708vGf4qTefy-m2i=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyIonpwHYel--QcGpbWuxrcLbtX0gE8bCd7yfQ6pFP6DsV6JY3fEKyDtL-PE0fW67dX0yauKGXkf3tNhYiMJulWlwg2I91mlc4N2ifJRUxv1-ZV7zvEGYWYviFmNKosTX6kD8Bpvp1OEux9et4KtWZTtAKBke1PBTbxikXcGfd708vGf4qTefy-m2i=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After mass we checked into our Laquinta and then went looking for dinner. First we stopped at Terre Haute Brewing but they did not have food. So we purchased a flight to try several beers and pick a growler before going down the road to M Mogger's Restaurant. Both buildings are on the property of the original Terra Haute Brewing Company which opened in 1837 and around the turn of the century it became the seventh largest brewery in the USA and its flagship beer Champagne Velvet spread in popularity. The brewery compound covered several blocks and had multiple buildings including a wood shop where they would custom make bars for locations selling their Champagne Velvet. Despite Prohibition and a series of ownership changes the brewery has persevered. They no longer make Champagne Velvet and the current brewery is housed in just one of the original buildings. The taproom is welcoming and when we entered there was live music just finishing up their last set. The growler we chose was their Crossroads beer, a nod to Indiana calling itself the "Crossroad of America".<div><br /></div><div>The next day we left the hotel a little earlier than originally intended and went to Highland Lawn Cemetery. We had used the website <a href="http://Findagrave.com">Find a Grave</a> to look up notable people buried there and planned to spend some time exploring the cemetery that was opened in 1884 and placed on the National Registry in 1991.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiai9xvYeAMcFR6y_Pu_WbRqxTCib1sH0LdBoUrJ8KNOHPh18Cr1aB3RiS79j0dYR1fdeX0Ian0XvzfsvIGdebSH_c22atCePyUk1PJlclXhZXKMjT-S-7L93MYWllASiIccxhK4CF0A1nkEr2i8GOydgH2pT6DM2i-HoQ6hddNAdgo2ga-2toRgUof=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiai9xvYeAMcFR6y_Pu_WbRqxTCib1sH0LdBoUrJ8KNOHPh18Cr1aB3RiS79j0dYR1fdeX0Ian0XvzfsvIGdebSH_c22atCePyUk1PJlclXhZXKMjT-S-7L93MYWllASiIccxhK4CF0A1nkEr2i8GOydgH2pT6DM2i-HoQ6hddNAdgo2ga-2toRgUof=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><p>The first stop we made in the cemetery was the mausoleum of M.A. and S.C Sheets. As the urban legend goes Martin Alonzo Sheets had a fear of being buried alive and so had a telephone installed in his mausoleum. He also was buried with a bottle of whiskey so that if he woke up he could call a taxi and have a drink while he waited. Of course there are stories of phantom phone rings and when Susan passed away in 1929 it is said that she was found at home clutching her telephone. </p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0-q23LDww63JJq2nvPB1MEaspd5bNNOXLNALt6NbIJoGwz46oHYNNHsx25sH_MFq1I1ZF4mg1Oka0iqSJNbdfp-3cRPsGxFK_Xom0GMhNg5efS7GMmRktMNDHBA-sUS0L6MFREtL_GJpvmAWBpfBCTKlkKlVU9gjmhuMcc2Vc02gpzsy2WgtcDZHh=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0-q23LDww63JJq2nvPB1MEaspd5bNNOXLNALt6NbIJoGwz46oHYNNHsx25sH_MFq1I1ZF4mg1Oka0iqSJNbdfp-3cRPsGxFK_Xom0GMhNg5efS7GMmRktMNDHBA-sUS0L6MFREtL_GJpvmAWBpfBCTKlkKlVU9gjmhuMcc2Vc02gpzsy2WgtcDZHh=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next we stopped at the tomb of Chauncy Rose. He was a businessman and philanthropist in Terre Haute. Through his success in business and especially in the railroad industry he was able to fund several projects like the Providence Hospital, the Rose Orphan Asylum, and the Rose Polytechnic Institute (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfk0ICGLnhuAaVzWzhED6nKA43j9KXLvmEKA0zWLeIZnh32gbJBDSMF4WpKrbv56zdI39-5uYf6ZM1JT_alnOM7ALncrsFkuYmnuGLAHgnp0hVbjXULp1JLeMfcpnID1iQrNz-MaolxzYGGuWVmo9WEGZ1fEAVyQJCSGC_lCTEZNFRCmcVBTSm6jTi=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfk0ICGLnhuAaVzWzhED6nKA43j9KXLvmEKA0zWLeIZnh32gbJBDSMF4WpKrbv56zdI39-5uYf6ZM1JT_alnOM7ALncrsFkuYmnuGLAHgnp0hVbjXULp1JLeMfcpnID1iQrNz-MaolxzYGGuWVmo9WEGZ1fEAVyQJCSGC_lCTEZNFRCmcVBTSm6jTi=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next grave we stopped at is the grave of Eva Mozes Kor, a Holocaust survivor and truly inspiring woman. Born in 1934 in Romania her and her twin sister Miriam were held at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp and subject to cruel torture and experimentation by Josef Mengele. In 1984 she founded CANDLES (Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors). The goal of the organization is to educate others about the Holocaust and the power of forgiveness. A 2006 documentary "Forgiving Dr. Mengele" was made about her and her story focusing on her use of forgiveness as a path to self healing. In 2015 she traveled to Germany to testify at the trial of Oskar Groning where she thanked him for testifying to the events. Her story has been told through several documentaries like "Voices of Auschwitz" and "Incredible Survivors" and recorded for the University of Southern California's new "Dimensions in Testimony Project." Just the fact that she survived these experiences is inspiring but her ability to survive and share that experience with others to help educate them is amazing and her ability to forgive those who tortured her is truly amazing. Despite her early life to me she has a connection to humanity that goes beyond most. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir4phO-tw5J0n0jw2eyxmMrASM00j-_fzRKmCxOQwNar9MJ9yytuHhdpeQl1sqBdnZa6gj-f8NW7zj-W2MYPLsJ2kiiHYK1y7gqYL9WfJFGbL8JFg-PwaY_E_O3KgjUo9pGUDHe6jc03xUmVWEeJ_DlkQRfNtcynbN1-Dw9E43njuwJWGf20VTMGFP=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir4phO-tw5J0n0jw2eyxmMrASM00j-_fzRKmCxOQwNar9MJ9yytuHhdpeQl1sqBdnZa6gj-f8NW7zj-W2MYPLsJ2kiiHYK1y7gqYL9WfJFGbL8JFg-PwaY_E_O3KgjUo9pGUDHe6jc03xUmVWEeJ_DlkQRfNtcynbN1-Dw9E43njuwJWGf20VTMGFP=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The cemetery was well cared for which is why as we were driving when Meg saw several graves covered in moss it stood out. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin7ud4vm1FYRCx8rHGyMqpcJf6OpcIt2cbjo-X3tdjOdHCCbGd345mWrqlYYSl21WhjHjmbYd2U01KHSo5ejFoMC0j9by24toizf-keN9N-Sbfx-eVWHAYV1gmrhPrlonfpYIRKwGq0SokRBqlMgGcnj_TW56xIvagwiFe441qXJxL7pxTlBZr9Pu0=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin7ud4vm1FYRCx8rHGyMqpcJf6OpcIt2cbjo-X3tdjOdHCCbGd345mWrqlYYSl21WhjHjmbYd2U01KHSo5ejFoMC0j9by24toizf-keN9N-Sbfx-eVWHAYV1gmrhPrlonfpYIRKwGq0SokRBqlMgGcnj_TW56xIvagwiFe441qXJxL7pxTlBZr9Pu0=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the way out we noticed a pyramid and stopped to see whose tomb that was. It belongs to Anna White who is a musician, pilot, and archeologist and also very much still alive. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTToF7OJ4BazdmuJI8QsSyy_RrMfB05GOvfyvWZWWFO2DIufR4eipjBEuAvxJHhvmAogL_PWu5Pmtz_sdWazGw9A3XCkYPOa1qI0P0dvEkV13pcLZwDK0WpIHHAsjDrVyRpVFr_mwZKMoTa8cP6ecZ_ECVYDOL2KU5WWPLqut1QZLOHjsSaTU0lmmc=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTToF7OJ4BazdmuJI8QsSyy_RrMfB05GOvfyvWZWWFO2DIufR4eipjBEuAvxJHhvmAogL_PWu5Pmtz_sdWazGw9A3XCkYPOa1qI0P0dvEkV13pcLZwDK0WpIHHAsjDrVyRpVFr_mwZKMoTa8cP6ecZ_ECVYDOL2KU5WWPLqut1QZLOHjsSaTU0lmmc=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>After leaving the cemetery we stopped at the Vigo County Museum. The side wall was painted with a large mural showcasing the connection Terre Haute has to Coca Cola. Apparently the glass bottle made famous by Coca Cola was made in Terre Haute by the Root Glass Company.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMvi-yIrQt2Y4vW-T3q4f8etLsdXNaIEb6S9JbFd7Tnoc03lA60Nn68aXOk0Pu2jmEKSvkzkgdDpqPVBh8HDg6aQpwNO_OG5BF5vm8aA-C0GjIg9Qf6yj54r6u17ALC5koeev9423aQTY8bEB5jaDwao-WhCwKMTQ9xXQjHubJkVZJrrOxE-UW92VW=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMvi-yIrQt2Y4vW-T3q4f8etLsdXNaIEb6S9JbFd7Tnoc03lA60Nn68aXOk0Pu2jmEKSvkzkgdDpqPVBh8HDg6aQpwNO_OG5BF5vm8aA-C0GjIg9Qf6yj54r6u17ALC5koeev9423aQTY8bEB5jaDwao-WhCwKMTQ9xXQjHubJkVZJrrOxE-UW92VW=w471-h353" width="471" /></a></div><br /><div>From there it was time to prepare for an overnight Paranormal Investigation at the Indiana State Sanatorium in Rockville Indiana. I'll say here it was an amazing investigation with slamming doors and disembodied voices throughout the night. As we finish our review of over 90 hours of audio recording, 40 hours of video recording, and over 900 photos I will make another blog post with more about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the way home we had two more stops. The first was Upland Brewing because they now own the rights to Terre Haute Brewing's Champagne Velvet beer. We stopped in at their brewery for a delicious lunch and two flights of beer to taste 8 different beers. <br /><br />Then we stopped in Mitchell, Indiana the birthplace of Astronaut Gus Grissom. Grissom took part in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. In 1961 he became the second American to fly into space twice. I read that Gus Grissom was nearly disqualified from the exclusive NASA program due to Hay Fever however after arguing that it would not be an issue due to the lack of ragweed pollen in space he was allowed to continue. He passed away January 27, 1967 during a pre-launch for Apollo One along with Ed White and Roger Chaffey due to a fire started by faulty wiring. There are several memorials to Grissom and we stopped at one that was a recreation of a rocket. Around the base was a description of Grissom's life and accomplishments including his early life in Indiana, military service, and participation in the early space programs. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxRPreIAkcRWeuFSN05r2sde6cJEIOdXPVAxMvHvTVGtO4AkPGoPkzVtbH-OPgqOk5V8qsPKsvClmBRK6Jpz_ZwfjZiC4nDrAzvww8bHz1ZXY00cNBmNkC3K9yLO-yYBq5myN5cDEFKQyZD2oMcC3HZvQZ18ot7KKN3LexdLAF8Kbg5-D_QzOyOfU2=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxRPreIAkcRWeuFSN05r2sde6cJEIOdXPVAxMvHvTVGtO4AkPGoPkzVtbH-OPgqOk5V8qsPKsvClmBRK6Jpz_ZwfjZiC4nDrAzvww8bHz1ZXY00cNBmNkC3K9yLO-yYBq5myN5cDEFKQyZD2oMcC3HZvQZ18ot7KKN3LexdLAF8Kbg5-D_QzOyOfU2=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>There is also a museum but with several hours left to drive and after being up most the night investigating we had to keep moving. </div><div><br /></div><div>We got home around 8pm and went straight to sleep because the next morning we had to get up early to help with a town clean up project. </div><div><br /></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-62284049855250477412022-02-19T06:24:00.000-08:002022-02-19T06:24:58.063-08:00A visit to the Ancient City<p>Ever since watching Ghost Hunters "Haunted Lighthouse" episode in 2006 we knew we wanted to visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse. Jay Hawes and Grant Wilson pioneered paranormal investigations on TV and brought it to the attention of a much broader audience. Many today would not be where they are if not for this show. </p><p>In January we got to visit the St. Augustine and the Lighthouse for a quick trip. We knew we could not stay long and we wanted to use this chance to explore the eventful history of the city and Lighthouse that inspired many to join the paranormal field. </p><p><b>The History of the Town:</b></p><p>In 1565 the Spanish crown sent Pedro Menendez de Aviles to destroy the French held Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River in what is now Jacksonville, Florida. On the feast day of St. Augustine of Hippo (August 28th) his crew spotted land and on September 8th he claimed the land in the name of Philip II and named the city St. Augustine in honor of the Saint. </p><p>In 1586 Sir Francis Drake, an English privateer and explorer, brought the Anglo-Saxon War to St. Augustine. At the sight of his fleet approaching Governor Pedro Menendez Marquez ordered the residents to evacuate. Drake's forces seized some artillery, robbed the garrison, and razed the town to the ground. </p><p>In 1686 pirate Robert Searle sailed his ship, the Cagway, to St. Augustine. In the fight 60 citizens were killed and Searle and his men raided storehouses, churches, and the homes of the residents. After this and looking at the history of attacks on the small settlement Spain began building the Castillo de San Marcos on the western shore of Mantanzas Bay to defend the city.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_PSt7SETJcOAPvOvPY02FiledM6W4XYi_mE6BORv_IHYxT4ub1eWC-ZzcFtu9o8D7H19cGMdkK9pxv0--mjFMH3qw-iqvVfsq2_mUEMsSyiVdBTKI9mITrcEv9Wk3IoMgDdbHSQ1gxCbSxO1lTanIDm4xhTlMyibqqZBIIsZSZQg41xN6gmUGe6nh=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_PSt7SETJcOAPvOvPY02FiledM6W4XYi_mE6BORv_IHYxT4ub1eWC-ZzcFtu9o8D7H19cGMdkK9pxv0--mjFMH3qw-iqvVfsq2_mUEMsSyiVdBTKI9mITrcEv9Wk3IoMgDdbHSQ1gxCbSxO1lTanIDm4xhTlMyibqqZBIIsZSZQg41xN6gmUGe6nh=w314-h236" width="314" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>It was completed in 1695 and is the oldest masonry fort in the continental US. In 1702 James Moore, Governor of the Carolina Colony, moved to attack St. Augustine. After a 58 day siege and still no progress taking the fort Moore's forces set the city on fire and retreated.</p><p>In 1740 James Oglethorpe governor of Georgia again tried to take the city and fort but again they held on and the fort did not change hands.</p><p>At the end of the Seven Years' War Great Britain, France, and Spain signed the 1763 Treaty of Paris and in that Treaty Britain finally took control of Florida including St. Augustine. Control was short lived though and through the 1783 Treaty of Paris Spain regained control of Florida. Spain maintained control for 40 years before signing it over to the United States. </p><p>As more settlers came to the area skirmishes increased between them and the Native Seminole, Creek, and Miccosukee people. There were three Seminole Wars with the longest being the Second War between 1835 to 1842 during that time American settlers forced the Natives first to a four million acre reservation in Florida and then to Oklahoma. During the wars Seminole prisoners were held in the Castillo de San Marcos.</p><p>In 1861 the American Civil War began and Florida ceded to the Confederacy. In 1862 Union troops took control of the city and held it for the duration of the war. </p><p>Today it is also known as the Ancient City....</p><p>It has been raised, sacked, sieged, burned, and fought over by the Spanish, French, English, Pirates, and both the Confederate and Union armies. Its place as the oldest European city in the United States is evident in the architecture of its oldest buildings.</p><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmYFc_tDG78Dpvz0v6Nw56DZwYsNTaMt3ku3JEdrc8zIIE8MW6pGR-_7FtPdb3qWBF9T8pp_4fK0yohSx4I7x5TP2gMiLyU-sqMXSCF29fu9nCK4e9bqAq35srPGGxNDMypQXB7CHdMT1TCpDhugwcKDTZlQMDForPMdGP4me1K5aqsgPMmBIpbrOO=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmYFc_tDG78Dpvz0v6Nw56DZwYsNTaMt3ku3JEdrc8zIIE8MW6pGR-_7FtPdb3qWBF9T8pp_4fK0yohSx4I7x5TP2gMiLyU-sqMXSCF29fu9nCK4e9bqAq35srPGGxNDMypQXB7CHdMT1TCpDhugwcKDTZlQMDForPMdGP4me1K5aqsgPMmBIpbrOO=w274-h365" width="274" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCkCDk-hrW8VgEQgSbUa3Mg9lQzY8ZWL_P3y0D66Gbl9_TaWO6NxiD_g13h3zD6szBS1klqtpxiwMLhwRW722ZKqbTTpzUB2Rr3S7JOgw31x_wFM3JYRtUDR0ZPvJunRc3A7_CtCtlPeA1ODqWMZaMpxcHFrKh6ny-pUtu76IGnQbPrC25CaaF33lY=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCkCDk-hrW8VgEQgSbUa3Mg9lQzY8ZWL_P3y0D66Gbl9_TaWO6NxiD_g13h3zD6szBS1klqtpxiwMLhwRW722ZKqbTTpzUB2Rr3S7JOgw31x_wFM3JYRtUDR0ZPvJunRc3A7_CtCtlPeA1ODqWMZaMpxcHFrKh6ny-pUtu76IGnQbPrC25CaaF33lY=w288-h216" width="288" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlCSMVRKsrfvlXN59biq7z5bFWEkBCI8EElm0yMNRr6z99Mb-Os1-_iZ642c4xatmkeaDWEQSAZSkA6lp7S7ZGquBkkHSnbCv3qQ49xI0Z3M6H8jxQ8Cdr1_S6v95uASuSYQ_TcEas-RMUTgYYW-68119V2M0Vj-rG7steVnb7O72kwGMlJ0ddPSza=s5152" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlCSMVRKsrfvlXN59biq7z5bFWEkBCI8EElm0yMNRr6z99Mb-Os1-_iZ642c4xatmkeaDWEQSAZSkA6lp7S7ZGquBkkHSnbCv3qQ49xI0Z3M6H8jxQ8Cdr1_S6v95uASuSYQ_TcEas-RMUTgYYW-68119V2M0Vj-rG7steVnb7O72kwGMlJ0ddPSza=w465-h349" width="465" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Pictured above is the original gate of the city built in 1739. Those gates withstood 150 years of raids, regime changes, siege, and a Civil War. <div><br /></div><div>In 1883 St. Augustine would be changed forever when Henry Flagler came to visit the Ancient City. Henry Flagler, co-founder of the Standard Oil Company, came to the city in 1883 and spent the winter in the more temperate Florida sun. He liked the town and saw room for growth. In 1885 he formed the Florida East Coast Railway which he would continue to build upon for years: at first buying existing railroads and then beginning to lay his own track. He saw the east coast of Florida as an area ready for growth and a great escape for wealthy northerners looking for some place to visit and relax. </div><div><br /></div><div>By 1887 he also completed work on two large luxury hotels the Hotel Ponce de Leon and the Hotel Alcazar. He used Spanish Renaissance Revival and Moorish revival architecture to keep the old world feel of the city. Soon tourism would become the primary industry of St. Augustine. Wealthy northerners would come for the winter and many others would stop in St. Augustine before continuing to other luxury resorts further south. The invention of the car and increased popularity of family road trips and brought families to St. Augustine for fun vacations. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today St. Augustine is still a popular tourist destination. Walking through the original gate you enter into a series of buildings that have been reconstructed to their original look. They are filled with small boutique stores, restaurants, and a lot of ice cream shops! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The History of the Lighthouse:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>When the Spanish had first settled at St. Augustine they built a watch tower or beacon at the end of Anastasia island that was documented by Baptista Boazio in 1589 when he drew a map of the area showing the raid of Sir Francis Drake. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGEbluZGAf3K_DrjeqfZjuxVi_I53fUl7UwYSSYJdC98xicY6oCGAyDqgtWv8BmAczHbSG26cdtueyxo1PaScVhoF-558ylLqSChVEwVDunKka485l8uE20lZJkgEcoXjYLLLBWWZQsZW8hWgHE0GFYkPfvzGK-Nxmy6SFD1CmzNLc5A0_ec20MykS=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="405" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGEbluZGAf3K_DrjeqfZjuxVi_I53fUl7UwYSSYJdC98xicY6oCGAyDqgtWv8BmAczHbSG26cdtueyxo1PaScVhoF-558ylLqSChVEwVDunKka485l8uE20lZJkgEcoXjYLLLBWWZQsZW8hWgHE0GFYkPfvzGK-Nxmy6SFD1CmzNLc5A0_ec20MykS=w540-h405" width="540" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwXjHwjMt1OD7qLY1caUs9UBLrypgHaRN7ZL_-rkXoWPSjydHFV9BVREdHDeri81cI2in-YllLkGTiT-LbpNqspa3xcV971P2_grEvm7AeqRreqQqkImT9wE_IEcx03MVWJ67QoidOG00LDOTqhNcKP5TPrxUMTbGFZvALRMTDqLfnNRnZVygRXejG=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwXjHwjMt1OD7qLY1caUs9UBLrypgHaRN7ZL_-rkXoWPSjydHFV9BVREdHDeri81cI2in-YllLkGTiT-LbpNqspa3xcV971P2_grEvm7AeqRreqQqkImT9wE_IEcx03MVWJ67QoidOG00LDOTqhNcKP5TPrxUMTbGFZvALRMTDqLfnNRnZVygRXejG=w373-h498" width="373" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>In 1737 they upgraded the wooden structure to one made of coquina, a rock composed of fragments of shells from various shellfish. In 1780 the tower was noted in a Jacques-Nicolas Bellin engraving "A Plan of the harbour of St. Augustin." </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1824 a new tower was built on Anastasia Island and in the early 1850s it was upgraded to a Fresnel Lens which improved the range of the light. However tragedy struck in 1858 when the Lighthouse keeper Joseph Andreu was on scaffolding to white wash the Lighthouse. The scaffolding gave way and the keeper fell to his death. He was buried in the Tolomato Cemtery, Catholic Cemetery, in St. Augustine.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh3uXWCcU0gOLbCTiVQJGIMs3nbyplKxyfoJa2bGlJI0qWuUkIgj6UVdhRisihCYB0mZ0GddTOUPkaOcfp8NTFSaZndRR_XjfnqPUZqExgyR_G3t0UuUshHieYXD5XvOgmiC39geXyrX_RrghzoOQ10N4X14RlYNclAhIp42rF-0TjGfKZYskXUgTT=s532" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh3uXWCcU0gOLbCTiVQJGIMs3nbyplKxyfoJa2bGlJI0qWuUkIgj6UVdhRisihCYB0mZ0GddTOUPkaOcfp8NTFSaZndRR_XjfnqPUZqExgyR_G3t0UuUshHieYXD5XvOgmiC39geXyrX_RrghzoOQ10N4X14RlYNclAhIp42rF-0TjGfKZYskXUgTT=s320" width="196" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>His distraught wife, Maria Mestre de los Dolores Andreu took up the role of lighthouse keeper and became the first Hispanic-American woman to serve in the Coast Guard. In 1861 at the start of the American Civil War the prized lens was removed by Confederate sympathizers and hidden to avoid Union forces from taking control of it. The lens was not restored until 1867. Around this time Dr. Allan Ballard, who owned the property and the Lighthouse sold the property to the government partly out of fear that it was going to fall into the ocean and because the state told him if he did not agree to the price they would take the property.</div><div><br /></div><div>As erosion continued to threaten the Lighthouse a new structure was started in 1871 and completed in 1874. During the building of the Lighthouse tragedy struck. Hezekiah H. Pittee was the superintendent of Lighthouse Construction and moved with his family to St. Augustine. In 1873 three of his children and a local friend were playing in a rail car that was used to bring supplies to the worksite. As the rail car approached the end of the track the brakes failed and the children were thrown in to the sea and pinned under the cart. Mary age 15 and Eliza age 13 as well as their friend were drowned before they could be rescued. Only four year old Carrie was rescued from the accident. </div><div><br /></div><div>On October 5th 1874 William Russel, who served as light keeper at the old and new Lighthouse lit the new first order Fresnel lens. It could be seen between 19 and 24 nautical miles depending on the weather. The new tower was well timed as the old one fell in to the ocean in 1880. The ruins still exist underwater and is currently an archeological site. </div><div><br /></div><div>In October 1875 William Harn after a career in the military where he lead troops in several major battles including Gettysburg became the light keeper until his death from tuberculosis in 1889. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1901 Peter Rasmusson took over as light house keeper and has the longest tenure of any keeper at 23 years. He and his wife Mary frequently had visitors to the Lighthouse from Flagler's hotels who would stop by to see the 165 foot structure. In a memo sent to the Light-house inspector in Charleston SC Rasmussen listed the increase in visitors over several years.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3oI44M27UALSMCV93P33ctF2qx5v4NCqkCt5oOO_xSFe7Ox9tsIBWLVoZTakuje8w2BjrDHATTlSrNbofr5KvZv6xxK3clE55nII_RBk9gKepaQkCxaBDdDR7xhP8LCdHkETsIoIo8_vbyBwTvv0fDdrP2BdxcNokwHeKRQ00DBWUGHY50g8dbbfD=s922" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="922" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3oI44M27UALSMCV93P33ctF2qx5v4NCqkCt5oOO_xSFe7Ox9tsIBWLVoZTakuje8w2BjrDHATTlSrNbofr5KvZv6xxK3clE55nII_RBk9gKepaQkCxaBDdDR7xhP8LCdHkETsIoIo8_vbyBwTvv0fDdrP2BdxcNokwHeKRQ00DBWUGHY50g8dbbfD=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The tourists came from Flagler's hotels using the wooden bridge that was built across Matanzas Bay connecting St. Augustine to Anastasia Island and the Lighthouse. In 1904 it was renovated to allow for a trolley to run over the bridge further facilitating tourism. The Lighthouse did close to visitors from February 6, 1917 till after the end of WWI when Peter received orders in the name of national security. A few years later in 1924 Peter Rasmussen retired from his role of keeper and John Lundquist, who had served as an assistant keeper previously in 1893-1901, became the head keeper. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1936 Cardell D. Daniels was the keeper at the Lighthouse when on March 1st it was electrified. The Lighthouse keeper would no longer have to make the long trip up 219 steps to the top carrying buckets of oil or kerosene. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1981 the Lighthouse and Keepers' House were included on the National Historic Register and became protected buildings. In 1994 thanks to the hard work of the Junior Service League of St. Augustine, the Keepers' House and Lighthouse were opened to the public as a museum and for the first time ever visitors could climb to the top of the Lighthouse. </div><div><br /></div><div>And finally as mentioned above, and what started this journey for us, in 2006 the tv show Ghost Hunters, about a team of paranormal investigators, filmed their highest rated episode at the Lighthouse. During the episode they captured on camera a shadowed figure peering over the rail in the Lighthouse.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Paranormal History:</b><br /><br />The whole area of St. Augustine has a deep history filled with turmoil and strife. Th'e historic city gate, Castillo de San Marcos, old Huguenot Cemetery, and the old Catholic Cemetery stand today as reminders of that past. Specifically there are several stories on the Lighthouse property. The first is the possible ghosts of Maria and Joseph Andreu. When Maria heard about her husbands death she ran to the top of the Lighthouse and cried. Then as the story goes she heard a voice tell her to 'take up the light' and she recognized that voice as her husband. Maria is rumored to have been seen on the grounds by visitors to the Lighthouse and numerous pictures have been taken of a woman in white with long dark hair at the top of the Lighthouse. Joseph is often thought to be one of the possible inhabitants seen as a shadow figure in the Lighthouse. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another possible spirit is Dr. Allan Ballard, the previous owner before the state took control. It is said upon hearing the low price offered he replied: "I will never leave this property." </div><div><br /></div><div>There are numerous stories of playful spirits and children's voices as well as wet footprints in the Keepers' House. These could be the spirits of the two young girls who drowned in the accident.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAFElbFnxERNrOAy12UjdM8GPpQb6iXMFPWc_h7FXfsFxOG1jDE5uAE0BnGe64ipczn-DjOeWQE5uLw5Lw87VGBkCyAIjjdmz6U6XSIAaC3Wn-8aMY0ujU5l0d6GSPhLl8iDqmlekMVvuUykXXQ06F_wD_TsqP-fEipH8evVmGMpKmNELtBLZmpTQ_=s832" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="832" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAFElbFnxERNrOAy12UjdM8GPpQb6iXMFPWc_h7FXfsFxOG1jDE5uAE0BnGe64ipczn-DjOeWQE5uLw5Lw87VGBkCyAIjjdmz6U6XSIAaC3Wn-8aMY0ujU5l0d6GSPhLl8iDqmlekMVvuUykXXQ06F_wD_TsqP-fEipH8evVmGMpKmNELtBLZmpTQ_=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The smell of cigar smoke in the Keepers House is sometimes attributed to William Harn and other times Peter Rasmussen. Both men could also be the figure captured on film by the Ghost Hunters or it could be William Russel, the first keeper who is seen standing to the right in this photo.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaj957G8vjTz6aItxhkS7rB2UwF2ykwmMV5-60IYJ8jXX8okzpljOaygJpDrXL7HRqEG0Yhf6aZBRfHrjLoOo621ZL7H2HV6bR2axwuXiAI2vyyXZDW0BzIAr5DytvfPe448M9torLKPWj_-PBjnEMOvG0rLGfXjVl4Qh-CBgCqIk-mX4zwTW3sskC=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1823" data-original-width="4032" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaj957G8vjTz6aItxhkS7rB2UwF2ykwmMV5-60IYJ8jXX8okzpljOaygJpDrXL7HRqEG0Yhf6aZBRfHrjLoOo621ZL7H2HV6bR2axwuXiAI2vyyXZDW0BzIAr5DytvfPe448M9torLKPWj_-PBjnEMOvG0rLGfXjVl4Qh-CBgCqIk-mX4zwTW3sskC=w414-h188" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><b>Our Findings:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>While we did not do a full investigation we did take lots of photos and I looked around with my Seek Thermal but did not see anything strange. We did take this awesome photo which shows the shadow of the Lighthouse cast on the overcast night sky, not paranormal but very cool looking.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvS4d-VLTJzwjsz1PcQRgAh7PethexqX5HqIQlmg0IfeNbozvBk-TDr_ydm4bQOU148ggo4A-uUfeyKIPTT2GsKKQeuOo-cWRynQEf9BBDOlwWrxlUR2uPiJtk4eeVnvYo-0oFvrEHypImGnTVkaRQ37siEz6JHnmSjtesOcWK5ZLGAEHTWgViTyMS=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvS4d-VLTJzwjsz1PcQRgAh7PethexqX5HqIQlmg0IfeNbozvBk-TDr_ydm4bQOU148ggo4A-uUfeyKIPTT2GsKKQeuOo-cWRynQEf9BBDOlwWrxlUR2uPiJtk4eeVnvYo-0oFvrEHypImGnTVkaRQ37siEz6JHnmSjtesOcWK5ZLGAEHTWgViTyMS=w396-h528" width="396" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And while we were at the top about to come down we both heard a male voice despite the fact that at the time there was only us and one employee who was female in the Lighthouse.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5hQOiTpThbs" width="320" youtube-src-id="5hQOiTpThbs"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Huguenot, Protestant Cemetery, and Tolomato, Catholic Cemetery contain graves of some of the earliest residents of St. Augustine including several of the Lighthouse Keepers. Both are only open one Saturday a month so we know we will be making at least two more trips to St. Augustine to see those locations. Each time we plan to explore the Lighthouse and the city more.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxAkAJATuqR3L4L9LijLqUw5WRbeQhaIQWQXO8kgBpisOHQ3wUkrp_mzsazxaCdLjsY4p9gnIf_nva7Y2OPi66wewjzqa2TeBNPloiZpCSzxurVDyHFS7IKVmB5W1quUApSbPzskUFnpq7BMbOQUmBf0PHlfSJVCchxDlrx7dh6e0l0Ct_UDmyVsn5=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxAkAJATuqR3L4L9LijLqUw5WRbeQhaIQWQXO8kgBpisOHQ3wUkrp_mzsazxaCdLjsY4p9gnIf_nva7Y2OPi66wewjzqa2TeBNPloiZpCSzxurVDyHFS7IKVmB5W1quUApSbPzskUFnpq7BMbOQUmBf0PHlfSJVCchxDlrx7dh6e0l0Ct_UDmyVsn5=w582-h436" width="582" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-52061515889401939062022-01-30T17:41:00.002-08:002022-01-30T17:41:22.244-08:00Travelers: Lotz House Overnight Investigation<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmFrtW_87VRYX9LSjezpjdv3UPsovV1g5008oNbA-jS6AIKkkA4nveTGetulIq5rjS98G2qevsBcn7s3OqwLEsmCkI_bXGq_iYWZnELujWQRIeQdXN8uQ67VFNY3UJok7kkOby4rIUS0/s5152/exterior+shot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmFrtW_87VRYX9LSjezpjdv3UPsovV1g5008oNbA-jS6AIKkkA4nveTGetulIq5rjS98G2qevsBcn7s3OqwLEsmCkI_bXGq_iYWZnELujWQRIeQdXN8uQ67VFNY3UJok7kkOby4rIUS0/w341-h256/exterior+shot.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><p>Johann Albert Lotz was born in 1820 in Germany where he worked as a master craftsman woodworker. In 1848 Johann moved to the United States, first stopping in New Orleans where he met his wife Margaretha. Shortly after that they moved to Franklin TN and bought a small plat of land from Fountain Branch Carter. There Johann built his showcase home. The house is two stories and features four large columns in the front reflecting the Greek revival style. Inside he built three fireplaces of varying degrees of woodworking to show his skill. He also built a magnificent walnut railing on the staircase with the first post being a piano leg. On the top he carved his name and the year. Everything from the cabinetry and furniture in the home could be used to show potential clients his range of skill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SPNMvgUnbxcCmf7BtpCOYsksOKtqCFFSZFM9CUx4agrVq67RyIn6n542jeO-lqqKdm8neC6fugi2vOHPWwybgwAy4bYBDfV_I9IidkvSAOk8p-t5rDJ0NhCEHTcokvx6q-OD6xgftAo/s2048/Johann+Lotz+1858.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SPNMvgUnbxcCmf7BtpCOYsksOKtqCFFSZFM9CUx4agrVq67RyIn6n542jeO-lqqKdm8neC6fugi2vOHPWwybgwAy4bYBDfV_I9IidkvSAOk8p-t5rDJ0NhCEHTcokvx6q-OD6xgftAo/w227-h302/Johann+Lotz+1858.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkMsvUFrbHvI7ve2s4bI0-Zw7IgDMisRc8k9ZNAAG5gxbCB_GhUkmQZjrXCba18lc9K0h1u5qUt5IsSLR_CbmOiFG7sU1t0tvx1io6H-2OadAWagm0ZXK-ErF_c3fVepvDgbEdMLsqmI/s2048/stair+case+post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkMsvUFrbHvI7ve2s4bI0-Zw7IgDMisRc8k9ZNAAG5gxbCB_GhUkmQZjrXCba18lc9K0h1u5qUt5IsSLR_CbmOiFG7sU1t0tvx1io6H-2OadAWagm0ZXK-ErF_c3fVepvDgbEdMLsqmI/w218-h290/stair+case+post.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><p> Johann and Margaretha had five children of their own Paul, Augustus, Matilda, Julius, and Julian. Also living in the home were Margaretha's two children from a previous marriage, Joseph and Amelia. It's a beautiful home and location sadly the family would not be able to enjoy it properly. Years later on April 12th, 1861 the American Civil War began and the Lotz house would be at the center of one of the bloodiest battles.</p><p>Before the battle Julius and Julian passed away from either sickness, drowning, or possibly poison by playing in a creek that had been contaminated. Sources are unsure but I believe they were 3 or 4 years old.</p><p>The Union army under the command of Major General John Schofield arrived in Franklin around 4:30am on November 30th. They began setting up their position with their backs to the Harpeth River while repairs were done to the bridges that would allow them to cross and continue north to Nashville. They had been moving all night as they tried to reach Nashville before Confederate General John Bell Hood could cut them off from the 30,000 reinforcements that Major General George Thomas had waiting in Nashville. Due to over confidence and a failure of command or orders being followed (it is unclear) the Union army was able to pass by Confederate troops at Columbia and Spring Hill. This set up the two sides for a meeting 12 miles further at Franklin.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C7fzXKbui0j2WtZ3kZUe9fnmJMkjAtFpAdQOgq6K1PWDt3U8TQ4_374qFCES9xoJWc9cFI95xZMBRDhVtbsh1kGDXcQj1n3ozTsvF_9GFpK34-Gj6iRzTARz6iwTiaidCOIs39iavCM/s1434/map+of+troop+movement.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1434" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C7fzXKbui0j2WtZ3kZUe9fnmJMkjAtFpAdQOgq6K1PWDt3U8TQ4_374qFCES9xoJWc9cFI95xZMBRDhVtbsh1kGDXcQj1n3ozTsvF_9GFpK34-Gj6iRzTARz6iwTiaidCOIs39iavCM/w433-h317/map+of+troop+movement.png" width="433" /></a></div><br /><p></p>On the morning of the battle the family woke to discover thousands of Union troops. The river however was impassible at the time because of recent rain fall and they could not cross until repairs were done to bridges. With no choice the soldiers began fortifying their position and preparing for battle with over 20,000 Confederate troops. The Carter family, hurriedly sent a message for the Lotz family to come to their home and shelter in the cellar.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Xd11Nq04BEgpo52ifSraFd0t5_0Yj0Btuc9tLBhB8UNDnSX961LBt5pD9Sidwf5o-XJ5a-QXLmFdArpows6YFp_wO-dAJCK1yhjEwgS3moAvSviU-_9AIvjS-sMjOVObZ5ghaaacBqo/s1344/map+2+of+franklin+battle.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1344" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Xd11Nq04BEgpo52ifSraFd0t5_0Yj0Btuc9tLBhB8UNDnSX961LBt5pD9Sidwf5o-XJ5a-QXLmFdArpows6YFp_wO-dAJCK1yhjEwgS3moAvSviU-_9AIvjS-sMjOVObZ5ghaaacBqo/w357-h274/map+2+of+franklin+battle.png" width="357" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrvp9Uc3_v4Wb8oewg5s70yveBYQxR2XXexbQ5t0kPXMe43B-mobObaG2UpjnUSHX6u_m7QtA4keYKQw94FtvbFpWJqBqpGYJPhDm2pHAmcnlBFBfijrpiY7j1mtqtzLUVUOeDRA5rAA/s1196/map+3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="990" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrvp9Uc3_v4Wb8oewg5s70yveBYQxR2XXexbQ5t0kPXMe43B-mobObaG2UpjnUSHX6u_m7QtA4keYKQw94FtvbFpWJqBqpGYJPhDm2pHAmcnlBFBfijrpiY7j1mtqtzLUVUOeDRA5rAA/w324-h391/map+3.png" width="324" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Almost 12 hours after the Union troops had arrived in Franklin Hood and his army also arrived in Franklin. Some say Hood was angry at his commanders and troops for allowing the Union to pass in the night and so ordered his men to battle immediately. Others say it was not anger but determination to prevent the joining of two large union forces from meeting in Nashville. Either way this would start one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War sometimes referred to as the Gettysburg of the West.<br /><p>At some point the Confederates broke through the Union line and brutal hand to hand combat began around the Lotz and Carter Houses and gardens. The Union troops were able to hold their defenses and by 11pm both sides were exhausted. Hood and his men pulled back to regroup and rest. Schofield and the Union took this chance to continue their march to Nashville. Technically that left Franklin in Confederate control but it was not a victory. The Confederate side had 6,252 casualties with 1,750 killed. Among them were six of Hood's Generals one of which was Patrick Cleburne who was arguably one of the best division commander's on either side and today has a small park just a block from the Lotz House named for him.</p><p>This was the most exciting investigation we have had so far. We left knowing we had good communication and probably one of the best S-Box interactions we will ever have. But beyond the evidence we collected one thing that stands out in our mind is how much the staff and especially Thomas Cartwright love and care for the spirits. It was evident in every interaction Thomas had whether it was the others using dowsing rods trying to communicate with Eula Lee Carothers or with Mark using his GeoPort.</p><p>While we waited for the whole group to arrive Meg and I split up and began taking photos inside the home. Meg went upstairs and was taking a series of photos in the "red room". In her fourth photo a figure can be seen in the back of the mirror. In the following video I go through the photos and then attach the real time audio recording. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZf0FY0oe3A" width="320" youtube-src-id="oZf0FY0oe3A"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Later in the night one of the Lotz House employees told us that there are numerous reports of seeing soldiers in that mirror.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sTUhRlZ8spo" width="320" youtube-src-id="sTUhRlZ8spo"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /><p>After Thomas gave a history and tour of the home we began investigating. I left stationary cameras in the downstairs gift shop, the stairwell, and the upstairs "red room." With those areas covered we went upstairs to the "children's bedroom." There we used our EMF detector to try and communicate with any spirits present.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ywQN1xYLX_g" width="320" youtube-src-id="ywQN1xYLX_g"></iframe></div><br /><p>Every investigation before this we would leave and be like "nothing much happened but we will listen to the recorders and see what we got." Not this one! We had three of the best S-Box interactions we have ever seen! Really I can't see how they can get much better. To explain what we were doing our S-Box or Spirit Box sweeps very quickly through radio stations so that words of sentences heard are across multiple stations. Meg was listening to the S-Box with noise cancelling headphones so that she could not hear my questions. At one point in this first session I thought we were communicating with several Civil War soldiers. I asked what other battles they had been in and after a few moments Meg listed three cities that also had battles. I asked what state they were from and a few moments later she said a state. She couldn't hear me and I was floored by how accurate the responses were. It took every bit of constraint to not stop and tell her how awesome this was going. I uploaded the whole S-Box session on youtube as well as a short version where I took out the long pauses between questions because I realize some people don't have 20+ minutes.</p><p>Full version:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/voEW8kUvEKU" width="320" youtube-src-id="voEW8kUvEKU"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Short version:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bk_ZVMAooIU" width="320" youtube-src-id="Bk_ZVMAooIU"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>After investigating in a few other rooms we returned to the bedroom where we had such a great S-Box session and tried again. This also did not disappoint. This session was again quite long so I have condensed it in this video. One of the high points of this one was when I asked the soldier if they were here as a hospital. They responded with the word "ether" and then when I asked about their injury they answered "foot" and "they took it". Meg also had the word "sick." Also she heard the phrase "General Hood Killed us." Now before the battle the Union troops moved through the night past where the Confederate army was and were spotted by scouts. According to some accounts Hood says he gave a command to attack but others said no command was given. As I said above overall the battle was a loss and the army of the TN never fully recovered. We also got responses asking for a priest which may have been from a soldier named Willard Tolliver who the staff has identified even researching to find what unit he may have served in.</div><div><br /></div><div>S-Box Session 2: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XajU2zJ_Uu8" width="320" youtube-src-id="XajU2zJ_Uu8"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of Hood we also heard a response on the GeoPort that a different group had brought that was possibly about General Hood:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bNeaLIq__gA" width="320" youtube-src-id="bNeaLIq__gA"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We had a third S-Box session but this time it was at the end of the night and most everyone else had stopped investigating so we played the S-Box out loud since it would not interfere with other investigations and we had several other people in the room with us investigating. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HxPkRLwyJaU" width="320" youtube-src-id="HxPkRLwyJaU"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We also made contact with past residents of the house. We were upstairs trying to reach out to Johann Lotz and we received an answer from the Geoport:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C94tXD0fAvM" width="320" youtube-src-id="C94tXD0fAvM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And finally in this compilation we possibly made contact with Thomas Carothers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WrHe-yUiMEY" width="320" youtube-src-id="WrHe-yUiMEY"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since we were making contact with soldiers Meghan decided to read an A.E. Housman poem about soldiers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UxvlF596Quo" width="320" youtube-src-id="UxvlF596Quo"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall this was an amazing experience that has us excited to return. When talking about the paranormal I often say I know I will never have any evidence that will convince a skeptic but this maybe the closest I can possibly come with the photo and S-Box sessions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another reason we love the home though was, again, the staff. Everyone we met not only loved the location but they respect and care so much for the spirits that still reside there. I think that helps foster communication. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-82619509351995387512022-01-11T16:23:00.003-08:002022-01-11T16:26:14.382-08:00Be Kind... Just be kind<p> Meet George!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisAIMg-NlLGXOXfJivonUf0tXFBJCneZuuZTu5WlDP2LTK7mB6uF-Mc7dgBDHNAj6JToAzZGxzHTou_ogxvdyNDzlnCDoFRGiCY7Vt-UIkTI8QW_eTS5SwQIhh_5yT4dsPkVHxciqjZMp-MXS1ZMRrlAHy92wWNUkpKXXB0F7ZtDrlZ0xZWWGAcdfE=s808" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="632" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisAIMg-NlLGXOXfJivonUf0tXFBJCneZuuZTu5WlDP2LTK7mB6uF-Mc7dgBDHNAj6JToAzZGxzHTou_ogxvdyNDzlnCDoFRGiCY7Vt-UIkTI8QW_eTS5SwQIhh_5yT4dsPkVHxciqjZMp-MXS1ZMRrlAHy92wWNUkpKXXB0F7ZtDrlZ0xZWWGAcdfE=s320" width="250" /></a></div><br /><p>After Thanksgiving passed I started putting up decorations for Christmas including our 6 foot tall snowman that Meg had named George last year when we bought him. It was a Friday and by the time it got dark I had a few decorations up but I had started late so wasn't finished. Nevertheless I plugged them in and let them light up the night. This picture is from last year but it is pretty true to where George was located again. He was at the end of the rocks just 10 feet or so from my front porch. The plan was to collect snowmen slowly and put them on the right side of the house.</p><p>It was a warm night so I had the door that leads to the second floor porch open because Tennessee weather is ever changing and I wanted to enjoy the unseasonable temperature as much as possible. At around 2am I woke to a loud banging noise like something being thrown into the bed of a truck. I jumped up and looked out the door before putting on my glasses. Parked in front of my neighbor's house was a pickup truck and I couldn't see what was in it but the bed looked very full. I moved away from the door and grabbed my phone to call the police as I went downstairs to my garage door. While on the phone with the dispatcher I gave my info and what I could about the truck including that the bed looked full and I heard banging like things being thrown in it. I also said I would be home and willing to speak with an officer. Looking out my garage door I could see the truck was gone so I went outside. I walked toward the street in front of my house and then turned back to look at my house and that was when I realized that George was gone. What I had seen in the back of the truck was most likely our tinseled snowman. I immediately posted on the neighborhood Facebook page and NextDoor.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/acC30s8zVQ4" width="320" youtube-src-id="acC30s8zVQ4"></iframe></div><br /><p>Then I sat on my front steps waiting for an officer to come. I would learn the next day that at least two other neighbors had decorations stolen. I waited for almost an hour before finally going back to bed. A little while later a sheriff drove around the neighborhood but did not call me or stop by the house. Saturday morning I called our non-emergency number and reported the actual theft of the snowman. Sadly he was never found. </p><p>But for about a week (well and even now but in a different way) the theft of George became a focus. At the time I drove up and down highway 24 after people said they saw the snowman on the side of the highway. I was hoping he had blown out of the truck and maybe I would find him tucked into the tree line or something. I posted on a few neighborhood Facebook pages and responded to people on NextDoor. I was very much obsessed and for good reason. First George was expensive. He was a solid 8 hours of work to earn the money to buy a 6 foot tall tinsel snowman. I had to work an entire day to buy what someone stole in under five minutes. Second whoever stole him came right up to my house to grab him. They were within 10 feet of my house and 20 feet of my door. And three Meg, who was still upstairs overheard them yell/laughing "they are going to have a Merry Christmas" so they were callous. I talked to anybody who would listen about this theft. I was upset.</p><p>Was it worth getting so upset over... maybe not. It was, after all, just a decoration and neither I nor Meg were hurt. I started thinking myself down questioning why I was so upset. I imagined that people reading the posts and responses would think it is silly (#firstworldproblems). It was just a decoration. And that some reading it, maybe some reading this would think "I wish my biggest problem was a stolen Christmas decoration." But here is the thing I realized. It wasn't. But that didn't make it not important. And it wasn't my biggest problem, not even close, but it felt like the most unnecessary and it also felt like one I could solve. Because I couldn't solve my biggest problems. There was nothing I could do for those. I can do my best to mitigate my biggest problems and not let them control my life but I can't solve them. But this one I felt like I could and I should be able to solve it. I felt like I could do something about it. Like drive up and down the highway looking for George. </p><p>And then I thought of this meme which has become one of my favorite and a go to for understanding different mindsets and events. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnXAph0uQEtN58zOdP_UX_kYqAWbM4kaJJllt9gDmrJGUJEiurmuLAl7smq11KeM-wLK7lHu3uYVbae-hjLQufCAiVp71imSsdqaN0NaVhfDoQrO9XRmeP8kiaE06hUJK62xwiPWmE-9H8q5oFd3YRbo2Ot_J14HMs-8sThk4Xfm0158KFTDfyjwsv=s996" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="996" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnXAph0uQEtN58zOdP_UX_kYqAWbM4kaJJllt9gDmrJGUJEiurmuLAl7smq11KeM-wLK7lHu3uYVbae-hjLQufCAiVp71imSsdqaN0NaVhfDoQrO9XRmeP8kiaE06hUJK62xwiPWmE-9H8q5oFd3YRbo2Ot_J14HMs-8sThk4Xfm0158KFTDfyjwsv=w358-h331" width="358" /></a></div><br /><p>I saw this on Facebook and unfortunately I don't remember where to properly credit it. </p><p>I think my reason for posting this and writing this is just to say "be kind" you don't know what someone else is going through. What may seem insignificant could mean the world to a different person. </p>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-49730505064492403442022-01-08T12:37:00.003-08:002022-01-08T13:57:50.302-08:00A walk through Waverly Hills Sanatorium <p><br /></p><p>When we first decided to give paranormal investigations a try one of the first locations we went to was Waverly Hills Sanatorium. We hoped our second visit would be a private investigation that would allow us to investigate the building alone. However we decided to return for another public investigation to become more familiar with the layout and make a plan for our future private investigation. The first two hours of the night was a detailed tour. The whole group was split in half and we were in the group that started at the morgue. Our tour was given by Jason and Josh. As we walked around the building they shared stories of paranormal accounts, history, and their own experiments and experiences. It was a great tour that gave us a lot of information about the building and those who still reside there. Jason seemed to care deeply for the residents which showed through the stories he told. Josh offered his help to the group and shared his current experiments and different plans that he had to investigate the building. He invited anyone to take part in his experiments.</p><p>We had some specific plans and as soon as the tour ended we got to work. We walked along the first floor to the morgue where Meg slid on to one of the storage tables. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLZyOvp5GbxMYCcPsbAYyNR-QKlIHuGOeYEJP8sS2trDMejg29dZgepOQ-7DuxE8hO6HbRtKGPVQP5RWGM5j_7ECDFX4GSjhn6gCmdzfq6kh3tROPtGk1HsmPcf0ARyOR47xnXWit_PU/s756/meg+in+morgue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="756" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLZyOvp5GbxMYCcPsbAYyNR-QKlIHuGOeYEJP8sS2trDMejg29dZgepOQ-7DuxE8hO6HbRtKGPVQP5RWGM5j_7ECDFX4GSjhn6gCmdzfq6kh3tROPtGk1HsmPcf0ARyOR47xnXWit_PU/s320/meg+in+morgue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I was setting up the stationary camera another group had wandered to the morgue. One jokingly said "Are you going to lock us in" to the tour guide and while he answered we hear another voice say "Yes"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hO1bIH1vNag" width="320" youtube-src-id="hO1bIH1vNag"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p>Once Meg was settled I left to walk down the entire length of the body chute. Let me tell you that is a walk I think I only need to make once. The passage way has steps on one side and a ramp on the other. Staff could walk back and forth on the steps and use the ramp to move a cart back and forth with supplies or deceased patients. Walking down the chute was fine except for one moment when I stepped into a giant spider web. Coming back up the chute is no joke. I tried to walk on the ramp for a bit because I thought it would be better then tackling the steps again in total darkness. The ramp was slippery and as I walked it felt like I was being pushed backwards and towards the wall. And that wasn't anything paranormal it was just the slant and grade of the ramp. Overall the walk was uneventful except for when I walked right in to the before mentioned giant spider web.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gTrJmHL0SWU" width="320" youtube-src-id="gTrJmHL0SWU"></iframe></div><br /><p>Another area we planned to visit was the fifth floor. Half that floor served as the children's ward with a playground on the roof. The first time we visited Meghan had read a children's story and we planned on reading another story by the same author. Meg settled down with our light up catballs that we first used at the Lotz house in front of her.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbkrD9cyBsSYkTv8zxFE1_Uupo5xSYwk8Sg-pRXHMF01WdqHFdoYJyx5vv5CtDfUL2_XQNJp9Gsoh2gPWwl2MiUNI9kATmcBzdH1-0y84rjH2HvF5xE81auzS9k5TJ5PwNQ3EgVzK_08/s808/Meg+reading.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="808" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbkrD9cyBsSYkTv8zxFE1_Uupo5xSYwk8Sg-pRXHMF01WdqHFdoYJyx5vv5CtDfUL2_XQNJp9Gsoh2gPWwl2MiUNI9kATmcBzdH1-0y84rjH2HvF5xE81auzS9k5TJ5PwNQ3EgVzK_08/s320/Meg+reading.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At one point while Meg was reading a small light appeared next to her knee and then faded away which I will have at the end of the blog in a compilation video. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started taking a video of her reading but then moved on to explore the rest of the floor. The fifth floor is one of the most visited floors because of room 502. There are many different theories about what happened outside that room and on that floor. In 1933 a nurse was found hanging from a light fixture and many questions still continue today. When we were first here we had an EVP, Electronic Voice Phenomena, that said "hanged". This time looking back at my photos taken with my IR camera I believe I have a figure looking back through the window into the area. I had taken two photos in a row.</div><p>Photo 1:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lm86NqN_FjJT5HSE5vCv9akruqcHLS_dCQpeqs7K5JmxQiNl1_3nAy1dXr9YeQIuVpEKGtI6Cb0fyIZKbrYvEGkcXxTT3lyeLQ__6xlEeBBxmPmyqKYPXgeBCvkI8Q12GzW_xiu0cjE/s5152/5th+floor+photo+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lm86NqN_FjJT5HSE5vCv9akruqcHLS_dCQpeqs7K5JmxQiNl1_3nAy1dXr9YeQIuVpEKGtI6Cb0fyIZKbrYvEGkcXxTT3lyeLQ__6xlEeBBxmPmyqKYPXgeBCvkI8Q12GzW_xiu0cjE/s320/5th+floor+photo+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Photo 2:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdPlh3pKoaqDHnzaN_Dsxk-RVb9BrgdVgAFT2kklkWaHwGy8-SJcI8xmCd3WkjRS4R4VAwaWDs-iWeolmYJSssQ9tQvlrMA6U98KaLKyFWDXsgOzsnA8mtZAJ1Hhb5l8GR9z9MO4UDKA/s5152/fifth+floor+photo+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdPlh3pKoaqDHnzaN_Dsxk-RVb9BrgdVgAFT2kklkWaHwGy8-SJcI8xmCd3WkjRS4R4VAwaWDs-iWeolmYJSssQ9tQvlrMA6U98KaLKyFWDXsgOzsnA8mtZAJ1Hhb5l8GR9z9MO4UDKA/s320/fifth+floor+photo+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Close up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8V-v7RUAFoBELWn_2WZyWiy3tosG6vdWwoqQWNyuwvSenz0eMfiSfy1U18xXOBmIKROGwpr4aNgog6sQwLw701bNn7KMdkRYLWeVTmYRQPCxYsG1iJQU0rt8ias0KlHRFWxKC3hZjoE/s1382/figure+in+window%253F.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1382" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8V-v7RUAFoBELWn_2WZyWiy3tosG6vdWwoqQWNyuwvSenz0eMfiSfy1U18xXOBmIKROGwpr4aNgog6sQwLw701bNn7KMdkRYLWeVTmYRQPCxYsG1iJQU0rt8ias0KlHRFWxKC3hZjoE/w440-h315/figure+in+window%253F.png" width="440" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The night was a clear night so Meg left her camera taking a picture of the stars while she read the story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6eSxLWpxOpi7xS9Ez7brckoDjc3fw_XLxwtrZvQbEIVPmY4Mg2CyHzrMHWfpEbG6jMCUIPMLxx1hA1Ihh-IWDbwsMQwrtIerjWDSlNe7t2Kkq8L9J_KCeRU6pzbSMzrJJYYzhh0B5EE/s2048/IMG_0009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6eSxLWpxOpi7xS9Ez7brckoDjc3fw_XLxwtrZvQbEIVPmY4Mg2CyHzrMHWfpEbG6jMCUIPMLxx1hA1Ihh-IWDbwsMQwrtIerjWDSlNe7t2Kkq8L9J_KCeRU6pzbSMzrJJYYzhh0B5EE/w436-h290/IMG_0009.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rest of the night was going to be simple. We would walk each floor twice first by walking up the solarium and then back through the dark center hall. It was on the fourth floor that Jason's tour really had its biggest impact on me. We were all stopped at the stairwell looking down the hall and you could see the shadows moving back and forth across the hall. Now the shadows in Waverly are very active and there are good reasons why people so often report seeing shadow figures... they do interact with you. Jason told a story about how after Waverly had closed a geriatric hospital had been opened up and there was terrible abuse and neglect. During a visit in 1981 a fire marshal mistakenly exited the elevator on the fourth floor, the building was only cleared for occupancy up to the third floor. There the marshal found "the forgotten ones" as Jason called them. As we watched their shadows move back and forth Jason told us he promised to tell that story to every tour and that they would not be forgotten again. As we listened back to our recorders we think we have an EVP from that hall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lDpnVLqUNgs" width="320" youtube-src-id="lDpnVLqUNgs"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A few minutes later we had another EVP that sounded different on both recorders. In this video I play one recorder, then the other, and finally both at the same time with the audio over each other.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yjqvK9FfAyw" width="320" youtube-src-id="yjqvK9FfAyw"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With each investigation I feel like we really get to delve in to different theories about hauntings and the history of locations. With this investigation the idea of Egregores kept coming to mind. It was fresh on our mind because shortly before we went Meg had been reading a magazine article with Adam Berry and Amy Bruni commenting on the subject. The theory of the Egreore is that by continually telling the same story it can actually be brought into existence. For example one of the most popular "ghosts" of Waverly is a young boy named Timmy who is said to play with the many balls that can be found throughout the building. While there may very well have been a boy named Timmy at some point there were hundreds of children that lived at Waverly at one point or another. Is the ghost child really named Timmy, maybe? Or is Timmy a creation of the story telling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were several moments were we tried to empathize with the patients and medical professionals who lived and worked at Waverly. One way was acknowledging that we have names like Timmy or Lois Higgs who people will go and ask for them but that there are many others who we don't know the names of that lived and died at Waverly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-mLiW7ufnxA" width="320" youtube-src-id="-mLiW7ufnxA"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the end of the night we stopped across from where the old cafeteria was and I read a poem by Robert Frost called Desert Places. There we think we have another EVP.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EHMCzNBU09A" width="320" youtube-src-id="EHMCzNBU09A"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For more clips (including the light while Meg was reading) watch this compilation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iKd1HU4gFeM" width="320" youtube-src-id="iKd1HU4gFeM"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Going through evidence review is long and boring at times. It involves listening back to hours of recordings or just watching videos of nothing happening. But finding an EVP or something strange in a video is worth it. Also it is worth it to know that we are being as thorough as possible. We both carry recorders so that we can verify what we hear on one with the other. In one instance it really paid out. While listening to Meg's recorder we thought we had an intelligent answer; however listening to mine we heard the same sound and it was me going through my bag.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_VFzqmXhFDk" width="320" youtube-src-id="_VFzqmXhFDk"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For future videos please consider liking and following us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TravelersParanormal">facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TravelersParan1">twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/travelersparanormal/">instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal">tiktok</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbxQohu8OlBDMJKXS7tlNQ">youtube</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-83305996247439262552021-10-23T16:56:00.001-07:002021-10-24T13:13:02.507-07:00Travelers<p><br /></p><p>Growing up Meg and I had a lot of strange unexplained experiences and stories. As a result when we moved to TN we decided to try our hand at Paranormal Investigations. So first we went to the <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/03/road-trip-to-arkansas-tesla-coil.html">Crescent Hotel in Arkansas</a> and <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/10/waverly-hills-ghost-hunt.html">Waverly Hills in Louisville</a>.</p><p>Both were fantastic experiences so we added some equipment and went out to <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/01/from-shiloh-to-vicksburg-and-few-stops.html">Shiloh and Vicksburg</a>. </p><p>Having had success and really enjoying the investigations we decided that we were going to continue and take a step up by going to a location that we could really deep dive in. So we booked a night at a <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-mysterious-house-of-hartford-city.html">house in Hartford City</a>, Indiana which had been featured in the tv show Paranormal Lockdown. The episode had really stuck in our minds and the location was very intriguing. So we began researching the home and taking the stories we had heard and evidence we had seen from other investigators and matching them with newspapers and public/historic records. </p><p>Afterwards we looked for local groups that might be willing to take new members but didn't have much luck.</p><p>Then we booked two tickets to a public investigation at Historic and Haunted <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/04/exploring-historic-octagon-hall.html">Octagon Hall</a> in Franklin Kentucky. There we were talking with a couple who had shirts for Paducah Paranormal. We asked about how they found and joined a group and they said they didn't they just made their own. So we took their advice and decided to make our own group. </p><p>The name Travelers made perfect sense. We love road trips and exploring different locations. Not only that but with a Paranormal Investigation we are talking about interacting with the spirits who lived in the past. Travelers are looking for connections and experiences with the world around them with an openness and curiosity for the world. And that is what we hope to do as we figuratively travel through place and time.</p><p>We know that we will never have a video, picture, or recording that will convince a skeptic but that isn't our goal. Our goal is to learn about the people who lived before us and the locations they visited. I want to understand how or why we are able to communicate with them and what was life like for them. </p><p>Now that we had a name and a goal next we needed a symbol. Meg took care of that combining our Irish and Italian heritage and her love of folklore. She started with the Ash Tree, the tree of Life in Norse Mythology. Under the Ash Tree is Pulcinella a figure of duality in Italian folklore. He is holding a red pepper to ward off the evil eye in one hand and a lucky four leaf clover in the other. At his feet is a hedgehog which symbolizes good luck and a guide. Finally in the bark of the tree are a series of numbers. The numbers are from smorfia the use of number analysis in dreams to tell the future and, very commonly in Naples, play the lotto. The first number is 85 which stands for the souls in purgatory, next 48 is the dead man who speaks, and finally we wanted to put 42 as a nod to Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy but it also means coffee which really is perfect because after an all night investigation coffee is the first thing I want. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu1G5sEdI5j9RMNhO9OQeLxbhNAir-4sVVGdtsPlbNHdfHmx_f1hETL52GGUXk7f3yjAenRXBaP1X-TrOXwRKIJ-HIsnkAgtwE2AziLU26Ygqwuii72iHvgubLoOWq7Q0hti9dD6O1k4/s1914/travelers+symbol+final.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1914" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmu1G5sEdI5j9RMNhO9OQeLxbhNAir-4sVVGdtsPlbNHdfHmx_f1hETL52GGUXk7f3yjAenRXBaP1X-TrOXwRKIJ-HIsnkAgtwE2AziLU26Ygqwuii72iHvgubLoOWq7Q0hti9dD6O1k4/w663-h427/travelers+symbol+final.png" width="663" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>With our name and symbol ready we started the year off by going to a <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-childrens-playground-in-huntsville.html">Haunted Playground and Cemetery</a> in Huntsville, Alabama. </p><p>One day we didn't have plans so we went to <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2021/02/travelers-mt-olivet-cemetery.html">Historic Mt. Olivet Cemetery</a> in Nashville to walk around and carry recorders and take some photos of the old cemetery. </p><p>Our first big investigation this year was in Independence, Missouri when we traveled to the <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2021/06/travelers-shadow-of-vaile.html">Vaile Mansion</a>. Which was the first time I filled out paperwork under the group name Travelers. </p><p>We also stopped at a small cemetery in Hopkinsville to visit the grave of <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2021/10/travelers-visiting-sleeping-prophet.html">Edgar Cayce</a>.</p><p>While talking to a friend who has a podcast called <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ed-die-horror-paranormal-podcast/id1023598338">Ed DIE Horror and Paranormal Podcast</a> he pointed out that starting up social media would be easier now rather than later. So that felt like the next logical step and we did just that.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJsOHL8WGRpI5W0eMJJQ4td7kE-tJM3Fgqv72aHa2LwVGxrwgtFnuhhKsm0ar4ZPdu59Jh1HpO5v2ZImaVOQurRdIyuOVtLhwvdF_O1AnQJ9Fcx_eBBJwLzu6HPbNmTgjDLSpEcgMJaY/s566/facebook+f.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="426" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJsOHL8WGRpI5W0eMJJQ4td7kE-tJM3Fgqv72aHa2LwVGxrwgtFnuhhKsm0ar4ZPdu59Jh1HpO5v2ZImaVOQurRdIyuOVtLhwvdF_O1AnQJ9Fcx_eBBJwLzu6HPbNmTgjDLSpEcgMJaY/w43-h57/facebook+f.png" width="43" /></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TravelersParanormal/">https://www.facebook.com/TravelersParanormal/</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rXBfgP9h37Z1pVk5WzzAMUZh_D4Z_877U1F_RhihoHzPeonZMj4q1kuwmIfgbF-_CB6VVG9bGxZPy7RZMOGEBhS2E_DD0RPjzSjOze86dMZEtrFiDXthpnB7K9jbSpfbsgsSUXSkDc0/s444/instagram+symbol.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="444" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rXBfgP9h37Z1pVk5WzzAMUZh_D4Z_877U1F_RhihoHzPeonZMj4q1kuwmIfgbF-_CB6VVG9bGxZPy7RZMOGEBhS2E_DD0RPjzSjOze86dMZEtrFiDXthpnB7K9jbSpfbsgsSUXSkDc0/w54-h54/instagram+symbol.png" width="54" /></a> <span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/travelersparanormal/">https://www.instagram.com/travelersparanormal/</a></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoeSXw3F8w4lThccTYKh64_W19doWuG3EgaUdVVX66staxvw5FiFcV52aZh6kxbNeVc8GRzeNpqhblJ1awxiXzOmTc5oCwYrmHyOdIgKV_3KCwC7P7jDvTfhRs4e8UaxCvSr_hV-vw7A/s288/twitter+symbol.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="282" height="51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoeSXw3F8w4lThccTYKh64_W19doWuG3EgaUdVVX66staxvw5FiFcV52aZh6kxbNeVc8GRzeNpqhblJ1awxiXzOmTc5oCwYrmHyOdIgKV_3KCwC7P7jDvTfhRs4e8UaxCvSr_hV-vw7A/w50-h51/twitter+symbol.png" width="50" /></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TravelersParan1">https://twitter.com/TravelersParan1</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhWqJUu-I403bBjVfLS9pKzbbbkttlYJtLWa2QIEwFydYP9mm3ed5X-0dgo6AAHM9m7UJw8mrdjvYwJ1fA3zO-BjDv01nNo3DZiATJ4BNejlwtzH-1VbApvRzGsK_qCGbxf2tYcnACnk/s208/tik+tok.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="198" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhWqJUu-I403bBjVfLS9pKzbbbkttlYJtLWa2QIEwFydYP9mm3ed5X-0dgo6AAHM9m7UJw8mrdjvYwJ1fA3zO-BjDv01nNo3DZiATJ4BNejlwtzH-1VbApvRzGsK_qCGbxf2tYcnACnk/w54-h57/tik+tok.png" width="54" /></a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal">https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvEtRAUGMLk4b-XzwWKo4CrxZ2d2cJNsiPJ4NIrjmXkVYmanbYVeyTEvRVzIF3OnTxxuslW2hkDpXIXRxHT1tMeL-iHmh1F-6C-8jN9hFD2kUgVGIbshVLVZ8oV0a9k9VwRVTkuNwe8/s264/youtube.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="264" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvEtRAUGMLk4b-XzwWKo4CrxZ2d2cJNsiPJ4NIrjmXkVYmanbYVeyTEvRVzIF3OnTxxuslW2hkDpXIXRxHT1tMeL-iHmh1F-6C-8jN9hFD2kUgVGIbshVLVZ8oV0a9k9VwRVTkuNwe8/w55-h40/youtube.png" width="55" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbxQohu8OlBDMJKXS7tlNQ"> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbxQohu8OlBDMJKXS7tlNQ</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And of course this blog! <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/">https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So if you are interested in the paranormal and the links to my past blog posts provided you some entertainment please like, follow, and subscribe. My goal right now is to get 100 youtube subscribers so that I will be able to change the URL to something easier to remember and closer to our group name.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Currently we are doing evidence review for our return visit to Wavery Hills. We also have recordings and video from the Historic Lotz House in Franklin, TN, a return to the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and the Thomas House in Red Boiling Springs, TN. So stay tuned for more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-8348116961355861322021-10-04T11:00:00.000-07:002021-10-04T11:00:56.483-07:00Travelers: Visiting the Sleeping Prophet<p>While looking up things to do in Hopkinsville, Kentucky I saw the number three listed spot was the gravesite of Edgar Cayce. That lead me to reading about the "sleeping prophet" and taking a quick trip to Riverside Cemetery. The cemetery is a beautiful cemetery with naturally flowing paths and various beautiful large trees. We saw graves dating back to the early 1800s. While some graves were broken or fallen over the cemetery is clearly well cared for unfortunately stones get broken due to age, storms, or other reasons.</p><p>Edgar Cayce was born in Hopkinsville on March 18, 1877 to farmers Elizabeth and Leslie Cayce. His abilities first manifested when he was a child. Reportedly he saw his deceased Grandfather as a translucent figure. He also saw the winged image of an angel. He also had an ability to recall to memory entire pages from books after sleeping with his head on them. He is considered by many to be one of the founders of New Age thought. The majority of his fame and success came when he would have visions while sleeping. With little information about a person he would fall asleep and wake with answers to medical concerns or other questions. </p><p>We left a recorder at Edgar's grave while we explored the cemetery.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z7ZF_CEdMgo" width="320" youtube-src-id="z7ZF_CEdMgo"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><p>For more please like, follow, and subscribe on social media.</p><p><br /></p><p>TikTok <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal">https://www.tiktok.com/@travelersparanormal</a></p><p>Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TravelersParanormal/">https://www.facebook.com/TravelersParanormal/</a></p><p>Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/TravelersParan1">https://twitter.com/TravelersParan1</a></p><p>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/travelersparanormal/">https://www.instagram.com/travelersparanormal/</a></p><p>Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbxQohu8OlBDMJKXS7tlNQ">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbxQohu8OlBDMJKXS7tlNQ</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbCaevGoqsv6XBZJxSW-XSanYbtb5Op1SSBcCRlJ_Lux5tCTNPtri9G4fxZElSzbLC2H9jf30bNlorLQvAuqzmLrVyMCGj3T-EJJ8I_4KQCDcosPrsR9YX0IZVZsvhReRHO8_oiLcVeg/s847/travelers+symobol.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="847" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbCaevGoqsv6XBZJxSW-XSanYbtb5Op1SSBcCRlJ_Lux5tCTNPtri9G4fxZElSzbLC2H9jf30bNlorLQvAuqzmLrVyMCGj3T-EJJ8I_4KQCDcosPrsR9YX0IZVZsvhReRHO8_oiLcVeg/w371-h366/travelers+symobol.png" width="371" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-82816936199190560312021-07-13T17:35:00.000-07:002021-07-13T17:35:50.191-07:00Made To Wander<p>Rules of the Road trip - 3 highways/directions for 2 hours each and then stop and see where we are and what is there to see/do there.</p><p>In February of 2020 we had played this road trip game before: <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/02/where-were-they-going-without-even.html">where were they going</a>.</p><p>We were dog sitting our Uncle's dog so we loaded her and Gypsy Rover into the car.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMQUJZ06n11xACLKQXTMOQVxxRQ71vlYOwfx2EoUL-x5GJWqvmHhBtGE2JDegN0XLKw7fInpXGueE_M5GmHtDYjy9gnH2zFYdDQnjgn0tMrSlx1J4kRVy3IrhfNJEDXo0wWQ2lef1WE4/s2048/IMG_2006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMQUJZ06n11xACLKQXTMOQVxxRQ71vlYOwfx2EoUL-x5GJWqvmHhBtGE2JDegN0XLKw7fInpXGueE_M5GmHtDYjy9gnH2zFYdDQnjgn0tMrSlx1J4kRVy3IrhfNJEDXo0wWQ2lef1WE4/s320/IMG_2006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We left late at a little after 11am. First we drove to Nashville to pick our first highway. Being near Nashville is a major benefit because we have three major highways that circle the city: I-24, I-40, and I-65. A quick look at a weather map told us that we wanted to aim south and west, we would drive through rain perhaps but it didn't look consistent. So we started on I-40 west towards Memphis. We turned onto I-40 at 11:07am near mile marker 207. Now I have driven this route before so I had an idea that we would end up somewhere near the exits for Jackson because we may not do research before hand but at this point we have been on a lot of road trips and especially in our local area we know pretty well the highways and directions to where we are going. I knew two things for sure on this trip: I didn't want to end up somewhere we had already been and I didn't want to need to go near the Arkansas and Tennessee State line because the Hernando de Soto Bridge which crosses the Mississippi River was closed in May due to cracking in the main support and has caused all traffic to be switched to I-55 to cross the river. </p><p>At 1:04 we got off I-40 at exit 87 and jumped on 70 west. The highway was heading south when we first got on it and so we figured it would continue south west however it quickly took a u-turn and began heading north back to I-40. Because of the weather around the area south was better so at 1:17 we yielded 70s remaining time to US45S which branched off of 70 just before it's hook back north. </p><p>As we were driving in Jackson we passed a historical marker for "Big Maybelle," Mabel Louise Smith. She was born in Jackson on May 1st, 1924 and began singing Rhythm and Blues professionally at 14. She recorded "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in 1955 two years before the Jerry Lee Lewis version would become the definitive version. But Lewis credited Maybelle's version as an influence for his. Here is one of her early songs released in 1953.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RM5YaUejtIM" width="320" youtube-src-id="RM5YaUejtIM"></iframe></div><br /><p>We also passed through "Historic Bemis." At one point it was a company town in Madison County centered around cotton mill owned by Judson Moss Bemis. Under the direction of his son Albert Farwell Bemis several residential neighborhoods were planned out as well as services for the residents. The process started around 1900 and by 1926 there were Bemis schools, post office, The Bemis United Methodist Church, a YMCA, and an 850 seat auditorium. Around 1965 the company began selling off bits of the town including the homes with the owners being offered financing from the company and within a decade most of the town was sold. In 1977 the town was annexed by Jackson and while there is a Bemis Historic District listed on the National Historic Register the mill and many other buildings have been taken down. </p><p>As we continued south we switched stations on the radio to try and avoid commercials and eventually had settled on a local station WFHU 91.5 The Lion. The car display gave a request phone number but when Meg tried to call to request "Greyhound" by Harry Chapin, a superb road trip song, the phone just rang. We tried to text the number but I got a reject response because it was a land line. At one point the DJ began talking about a local shop called Sweetly Ever After that was closing later this month as the owner was retiring to spend more time with her Grandchildren. He urged listeners to check out the shop while they still had a chance. Well, we felt like since we were in the area we should check it out and entered the address. Incredibly it was on our way just about seven minutes ahead on our left. Unfortunately when we arrived the shop was closed. The owner is counting down her days to a happy retirement and the shop is currently open on Thursdays and Fridays. To bad for us because every review I have looked up says the cupcakes are the best. Looking at the company Facebook page it appears that someone is purchasing the business so hopefully the same great desserts will be served going forward under new owners. Maybe some day we will be in the Henderson TN area again and get to try it for ourselves. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hBGOL5gVono" width="320" youtube-src-id="hBGOL5gVono"></iframe></div><br /><p>For more road tripping and Harry Chapin here is a blog post from last year. <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/08/story-of-life.html">Story of a life</a></p><p>We passed a sign for <a href="https://tnstateparks.com/parks/pinson-mounds">Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park</a>. Now to stop there would have been way too long of a stop but it is one of those locations we can note to return to at a later date. The site is 400 acres and features at least 30 mounds built between 100-300AD.</p><p>As we crossed into Chester county the highway became the "Rockabilly Highway" named for the Rockabilly music. The musical style became popular in the 50s and was a combination of country and western with rhythm and blues and is considered the start of rock music. The whole area is rich in that musical history.</p><p>Eventually we were reaching Tupelo and we had a decision to make because we were almost at the end of two hours we could take 22 however one direction would bring us to Memphis and the other direction would bring us to Birmingham, both places we had been already. However just three minutes later was 278 west. We opted for the latter highway and turned west towards a town we had never heard of before.... Clarksdale.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBg5l6ZwLJIH7cX3OAJ9yW_4Q0gUkn_gAs2jjSxAkXEi42xxIdILKSh8Rgg3HT9UabqC-MxpShgb4qKIsJbwQQ-Cg1GkbziJWI5hBMkV4aMeABGDk4RwfU_nqk9xC13qx3m1mhc_uoyw/s1670/map+of+trip.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1670" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBg5l6ZwLJIH7cX3OAJ9yW_4Q0gUkn_gAs2jjSxAkXEi42xxIdILKSh8Rgg3HT9UabqC-MxpShgb4qKIsJbwQQ-Cg1GkbziJWI5hBMkV4aMeABGDk4RwfU_nqk9xC13qx3m1mhc_uoyw/w493-h287/map+of+trip.png" width="493" /></a></div><br /><p>As we drove down 278 we crossed over the Tallahatchie River. Immediately the song "Ode to Billie Joe," though it took me a few minutes to think of the title, came to mind. The song is a haunting tune with a few unanswered questions in it. Bobbie Gentry described the song as an example of "unconscious cruelty" and it definitely shows a disconnect of insight into emotions of others.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rNB8AKMdqiQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="rNB8AKMdqiQ"></iframe></div><p>As we approached our destination we (well Meg) passed time by looking at the clouds and she saw Scooby Doo!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlVpmMx0fDoNYA9UN7wZNtFscYqU10ag9KlynHq76MgKmp6mx_iyoSvjRCD3smZnUpc1K_-xfWS13QwJFxre_5ypas1Y6ebLalEGoBBrHd5DKJna50XtlflkSL5pbReDVBY9K6CMMCSQ/s2048/IMG_2013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlVpmMx0fDoNYA9UN7wZNtFscYqU10ag9KlynHq76MgKmp6mx_iyoSvjRCD3smZnUpc1K_-xfWS13QwJFxre_5ypas1Y6ebLalEGoBBrHd5DKJna50XtlflkSL5pbReDVBY9K6CMMCSQ/w367-h275/IMG_2013.jpg" width="367" /></a></div><br /><p>You see it right?</p><p>Clarksdale is the county seat of Coahoma County. For thousands of years the Choctaw and Chickasaw people lived in the area until the 1830 Indian Removal Act when they were forced away from their ancestral home to Oklahoma. In 1848 John Clark started a timber business and a trading post. In 1879 the Louisville, New Orleans, and Texas Railway was built through the town and in 1882 the town was incorporated. By 1920 The Illinois Central Railroad also passed through Clarksdale. Many African Americans would use that line to move north to Chicago and other areas looking for better economic opportunities and looking to escape violence and racism like Jim Crowe laws. This movement would become known as the Great Northward Migration which saw six million African Americans move from the south to northern and western cities like Chicago, New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.</p><p>Martin Luther King Jr would visit Clarksdale twice first on May 29, 1958 for a meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1962 he returned and Clarksdale was the first stop on a tour of many towns in the region. </p><p>The town has also played a large role in the history of blues. Ike Turner was born in Clarksdale and began his musical career there. Duke Ellington, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Nighthawk, and Ike Turner all stayed at the Riverside Hotel. Ike reportedly wrote Rocket 88 in room 7. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy7-jrxbP-LMC4kmDcxg6aLFAtCPhOcZCuweS_Iix1GYL9cN_SuDAKAucROjhpxlcgbVhkpDSkrJ8V4CZ7AJ3gfw4dzFBWF4Floyr66K9OS5Ko8c1angtcgDkmneFhSTUnDVFOmn8fT4/s2048/IMG_2051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy7-jrxbP-LMC4kmDcxg6aLFAtCPhOcZCuweS_Iix1GYL9cN_SuDAKAucROjhpxlcgbVhkpDSkrJ8V4CZ7AJ3gfw4dzFBWF4Floyr66K9OS5Ko8c1angtcgDkmneFhSTUnDVFOmn8fT4/s320/IMG_2051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It is also said that at the Crossroads in Clarksdale Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to become the greatest guitarist and blues musician to ever live. </p><p>For some modern day music Morgan Freeman owns a nightclub in town called Ground Zero, recognizing Clarksdale as ground zero of blues.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNbUbxfodG-t1mQrbJnnAzJLZllo6fyOOGBJ2eM9uUvJBPtAKt8XdRMoEsfita9HVIrQN9N_2b2JCb0VQy1nqfkzUmWMwzopBB5glNrpWIfaSkhLnScZti4gj50AIS2FoZuU4mOvRV9A/s2048/IMG_2039+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1782" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNbUbxfodG-t1mQrbJnnAzJLZllo6fyOOGBJ2eM9uUvJBPtAKt8XdRMoEsfita9HVIrQN9N_2b2JCb0VQy1nqfkzUmWMwzopBB5glNrpWIfaSkhLnScZti4gj50AIS2FoZuU4mOvRV9A/s320/IMG_2039+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Also of interest to us was the Carnegie Library in Clarksdale. Between 1883 and 1929 over 2,500 libraries were built with donations from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxYm09sTkWjDtq3ajvB04pcTO1SzWtacXG4jxuV31vsyXfXM9W_zWMCFkWGYzu67MvPp0LdnxL0Z_guuOLp2bUA49QwOITo68qz4778nUSFLcZ4qnqYf16e3VyTfjYfPY-yFXvJAe07I/s2048/IMG_2033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxYm09sTkWjDtq3ajvB04pcTO1SzWtacXG4jxuV31vsyXfXM9W_zWMCFkWGYzu67MvPp0LdnxL0Z_guuOLp2bUA49QwOITo68qz4778nUSFLcZ4qnqYf16e3VyTfjYfPY-yFXvJAe07I/s320/IMG_2033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> After driving around Clarksdale we began heading home. We hadn't eaten since breakfast which was awesome because it was zucchini and eggs with the zucchini from our garden and potatoes also from my garden but it was now almost six and we were hungry. The best route home took us up towards Memphis so we looked up breweries there and settled on Ghost River Brewing because they had an awesome symbol and were dog friendly. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNU0cZJ3ZpNyOj687GXlOZKGqcKcoBXVh1Aj8DaYClpzwRQisNJ3kZKicaXlEVf1VNn6un8qiTC1iIplqzpayLlM9BP7My0pgi00Cvf6z5Khqf9O9s5K9x_onA6_bxT-IJNpY_NVmloQ/s2048/IMG_2084.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNU0cZJ3ZpNyOj687GXlOZKGqcKcoBXVh1Aj8DaYClpzwRQisNJ3kZKicaXlEVf1VNn6un8qiTC1iIplqzpayLlM9BP7My0pgi00Cvf6z5Khqf9O9s5K9x_onA6_bxT-IJNpY_NVmloQ/s320/IMG_2084.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>They didn't serve food but they did have a food truck: Gandy's Grub Hub we split a quesadilla and ordered our own burgers before splitting an order of fried twinkies.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j8YVizo3jy44DTRzrOy7P6u94w68Z6rz1S9ULMtEq0xqVuI0qHzub6leGeTOGAU_qAmL0VfA0sfhdurtj_gTZB0G1qmW-b2j1UO1C3SkGVtEloXgsevHTgyDjf2jgULpWzZlnLxR5_o/s2048/IMG_2061.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j8YVizo3jy44DTRzrOy7P6u94w68Z6rz1S9ULMtEq0xqVuI0qHzub6leGeTOGAU_qAmL0VfA0sfhdurtj_gTZB0G1qmW-b2j1UO1C3SkGVtEloXgsevHTgyDjf2jgULpWzZlnLxR5_o/w199-h265/IMG_2061.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTugCM32nVnjLd1bHgYmaqb8OJIfUCtKjAMsx1ZPELki6QEFvY1scC25nBciZDhFdewju1972OYhtGb9DBDiMtbZDLmcuPecL-aXmJJmQofFNX2IKKaDB9PpTknRsmZQKcggzgrbC0j-k/s2048/IMG_2060.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTugCM32nVnjLd1bHgYmaqb8OJIfUCtKjAMsx1ZPELki6QEFvY1scC25nBciZDhFdewju1972OYhtGb9DBDiMtbZDLmcuPecL-aXmJJmQofFNX2IKKaDB9PpTknRsmZQKcggzgrbC0j-k/w198-h264/IMG_2060.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez6IuilAcsLDegUNxAG3GJ5IOoG3fM-9sd8bXSSffGeaBDrSkqUl5GdCjyZZjd0ab54O8XKkzh9a-mx8IXp6yuAw9hl_NFHnz_kEfKGtaQZYFrJXkxijqwW5-bOwMxBnLn2hDspsLieQ/s2048/IMG_2074.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez6IuilAcsLDegUNxAG3GJ5IOoG3fM-9sd8bXSSffGeaBDrSkqUl5GdCjyZZjd0ab54O8XKkzh9a-mx8IXp6yuAw9hl_NFHnz_kEfKGtaQZYFrJXkxijqwW5-bOwMxBnLn2hDspsLieQ/s320/IMG_2074.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The brewery was a nice spot with a large outdoor area, private room, yard games, and live music. They did not have flights so we read the descriptions and each ordered a couple of beers. Our favorite was the Grind-N-Shine cream ale which we brought home a crowler of for later. What really sold us on the brewery though was when Meg noticed a shirt behind the bar that said "Made to Wander." What a great slogan to describe the road trip and the whole day.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_iuGe1xymVolk-r0Ua0J1MEzKIdN5SsMw1xJdE_5CIDJK6N7YX_KBhyphenhyphenYFp-4QLNazUBSXt6qEcx03rk0DJ4No7eCooMT2dm_WP9bDWX4gOQ93HVN_XAtJOntZB9dy6nHoYK47ijukpU/s2048/IMG_2070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_iuGe1xymVolk-r0Ua0J1MEzKIdN5SsMw1xJdE_5CIDJK6N7YX_KBhyphenhyphenYFp-4QLNazUBSXt6qEcx03rk0DJ4No7eCooMT2dm_WP9bDWX4gOQ93HVN_XAtJOntZB9dy6nHoYK47ijukpU/w361-h481/IMG_2070.jpg" width="361" /></a></div><br /><div><div><br /></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-11620724706565318562021-06-22T18:39:00.000-07:002021-06-22T18:39:34.357-07:00Travelers: Shadow of the VaileThe midwest and plains areas of the United States are filled with stories of haunted locations that would be top on any paranormal investigator's list. And in fact there are many on Meg and my list. This year we got to explore one of those haunted homes: The Vaile Mansion in Independence Missouri. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRhPzUqhHiztM3AD8t7-3synLXkmOGFLuRPkmdqesvHKuDcsjbMgcw-rPcRVvjNLcFOsYPMs0-JNsiKBaQW_1RyHf-JQr-2_7nLDk3ASXZj5VZXdUjfCpBApKWXM6X931PLLs5gm9F0I/s2048/IMG_0089.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1900" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRhPzUqhHiztM3AD8t7-3synLXkmOGFLuRPkmdqesvHKuDcsjbMgcw-rPcRVvjNLcFOsYPMs0-JNsiKBaQW_1RyHf-JQr-2_7nLDk3ASXZj5VZXdUjfCpBApKWXM6X931PLLs5gm9F0I/s320/IMG_0089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>History of the Land:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The Vaile Mansion is located in Independence Missouri in Jackson county along the bank of the Missouri River. The area was once the northern boundary of the Osage Nation which included parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. They have traits in common with both Woodland Tribes as well as Great Plains tribes. They were noted for their use of horses and and their buffalo hunts on the Great Plains. </div><div><br /></div><div>On November 10, 1808 the US Government and Osage Nation signed the Osage Treaty at Fort Osage (then Fort Clark). In the treaty over 52,000,000 acres, mostly in Missouri, were ceded to the government. Immediately the Osage people protested the treaty questioning whether all necessary representatives were there. They were forced to Kansas where smallpox, other diseases, and war would devastate the tribes. </div><div><br /></div><div>The earliest European settlers were French. The land was fought over during the French and Indian War and came under British rule and then was promptly ceded to Spain in 1763. In 1800 Spain was forced to return the land to France in the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso and then in 1803 the area was sold to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1804 Lewis and Clark reached the area and picked plums, raspberries, and apples on their journey west writing in their travel log that it was a "high commanding position." That spot would become Fort Clark and later renamed to Fort Osage.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zXPrVtphcJ6BERS5Jqvt5L9Y0ZwpVMyQsLsFZwpAKlv6I_7xKP_i7zFdID0URr8keZl-qXii_EvqHdVTXWQuCw6bIlcQaYQ4e5sxbJ_3YQ-Qts4aURW2QABZSWkRqCCj2kWf9Kx7YNo/s2048/IMG_0301.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zXPrVtphcJ6BERS5Jqvt5L9Y0ZwpVMyQsLsFZwpAKlv6I_7xKP_i7zFdID0URr8keZl-qXii_EvqHdVTXWQuCw6bIlcQaYQ4e5sxbJ_3YQ-Qts4aURW2QABZSWkRqCCj2kWf9Kx7YNo/s320/IMG_0301.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In 1821 Missouri was formally admitted into the Union of the United States. And in 1826 Jackson county was organized and named for Andrew Jackson. Independence was selected as the county seat and the town quickly began to expand as it became a central location for westward travel. Independence was called "The Queen City of the Trails" as it was the starting point for the three western trails: Oregon, Santa Fe, and California trails. The infamous Donner Party left from Independence in 1846 on the Oregon Trail. Independence also served as an important trade route since it was the furthest west that steamboats could travel on the Missouri river due to the confluence with the Kansas River just six miles away.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz66xrP8NR509mRcOeyD7xbdpT6oIFKEuaplxKw1XB-bqdWv05Gv1aezLptj6lHDPxMV_x1YGEbsVgfQIncj8De-QPsACOBXGc6EurzRzt7MzCqjtdb-8bQEBcnl9ChM6W__JDlZd2gkY/s2048/IMG_0328.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz66xrP8NR509mRcOeyD7xbdpT6oIFKEuaplxKw1XB-bqdWv05Gv1aezLptj6lHDPxMV_x1YGEbsVgfQIncj8De-QPsACOBXGc6EurzRzt7MzCqjtdb-8bQEBcnl9ChM6W__JDlZd2gkY/s320/IMG_0328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In 1831 Jospeh Smith, founder of The Latter Day Saint movement, stated that a New Jerusalem would be founded in Independence. Followers were encouraged to travel to the area and begin purchasing land. The new comers clashed with existing settlers and in 1833 a decree ordered all members of the Latter Day Saints to leave Missouri. In 1838 removal came to a head between August to November in the Missouri Mormon War. One of the worst clashes was on October 30, 1838 at Haun's Mill. Mormon families had gathered there and were surrounded by over 200 militia members. The battle resulted in 17 deaths.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Xi4584V0fb4d5MfXT8xZoX8WzCITfPdiESEW6dKg2KmVgXoCLVU5Smpq8vCoBtFhyRW3c3Wb7ZT6YXNNfgZ-KO50ISJItmQPws8OouXnhFNG_rL6cSeXCK4C5f3kEz-79Dj0Sv9NuBw/s1198/haun%2527s+mill+cca+christensen+panit.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Xi4584V0fb4d5MfXT8xZoX8WzCITfPdiESEW6dKg2KmVgXoCLVU5Smpq8vCoBtFhyRW3c3Wb7ZT6YXNNfgZ-KO50ISJItmQPws8OouXnhFNG_rL6cSeXCK4C5f3kEz-79Dj0Sv9NuBw/s320/haun%2527s+mill+cca+christensen+panit.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>During the American Civil War Independence saw two battles within the city limits in 1862 and 1864. Also in Jackson County was the 1864 battle of Westport, called the Gettysburg of the West. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the Civil War train travel began to increase and moved the center of travel to Kansas City. </div><div><br /></div><div>My sister and I believe in the idea of places holding trauma and memory. Even in this limited history above the amount of upheaval and change and the number of people who traveled through this area surely has had an impact. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>History of the Vaile Mansion:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Colonel Harvey Merrick Vaile was born in Bennington, Vermont in 1831. In the 1840s he moved to upstate NY where he would meet Cecilia Sophia Graham and they would eventually marry. Harvey held a variety of jobs including teacher, lawyer, lobbyist, and reporter. However the majority of his fortune came from land investments and partnership in the Star Route along the Santa Fe Trail. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKE-pR5rMLGH-neJFGVFbEa4rNW6z5SBSjbwjJUP0AJH4RlZsWqlUg2hmCiqJ0rR9NDf0zmpu0A1oq1RCl5PozHQmhynMVgKBdw7znmDJ6XZ2Ota9_bV5h0Kd2YwvDrQA_w7O2FtK9W8/s620/Old+Star+route.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="620" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKE-pR5rMLGH-neJFGVFbEa4rNW6z5SBSjbwjJUP0AJH4RlZsWqlUg2hmCiqJ0rR9NDf0zmpu0A1oq1RCl5PozHQmhynMVgKBdw7znmDJ6XZ2Ota9_bV5h0Kd2YwvDrQA_w7O2FtK9W8/w439-h225/Old+Star+route.png" width="439" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>As Harvey's wealth increased he and Sophia wanted to build a home that matched. They wanted to have a home that people could use as a gathering place and took inspiration from some of the finest homes in Europe. The Vaile Mansion was completed on October 12,1881, at a cost of $150,000. It was a modern marvel for several reasons but the most impressive reason was the fact that it had heating and hot water. Especially impressive since no other home in Jackson County had indoor plumbing. The home had 31 rooms, 14 foot ceilings, a mansard roof, long gothic windows, speaking tubes, and two chandeliers originally meant for the White House but purchased by Harvey when a defect was discovered in them. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w9URYT12k1WBXhyphenhyphenQEF32rIAnWe5HM8ca71nKh1UDAzOq2elnMDopZ5D3NdGID89DlHHl2MetbGZMk0znMXsVb5fWGqLE94C4P_NHlM-1tO9s1gDhLvRHq3U7U8_ELMAmIOVNrCn3xAc/s1632/cross+section.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="1632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w9URYT12k1WBXhyphenhyphenQEF32rIAnWe5HM8ca71nKh1UDAzOq2elnMDopZ5D3NdGID89DlHHl2MetbGZMk0znMXsVb5fWGqLE94C4P_NHlM-1tO9s1gDhLvRHq3U7U8_ELMAmIOVNrCn3xAc/s320/cross+section.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDtz4lgBJKHnS7EvJp1bzK7YusJ7RVR3CK5HR_cT9PTkP5OgKd4bkemprakFUwee0_dAo_ZOsURVHaKBQ7MomftzAMbknlgaFU4ki3YzU7fxWN5wRMqH1WUFQ8ZWzfoGbqV2qP5jI6Ss/s1620/front+view.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDtz4lgBJKHnS7EvJp1bzK7YusJ7RVR3CK5HR_cT9PTkP5OgKd4bkemprakFUwee0_dAo_ZOsURVHaKBQ7MomftzAMbknlgaFU4ki3YzU7fxWN5wRMqH1WUFQ8ZWzfoGbqV2qP5jI6Ss/s1620/front+view.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1620" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDtz4lgBJKHnS7EvJp1bzK7YusJ7RVR3CK5HR_cT9PTkP5OgKd4bkemprakFUwee0_dAo_ZOsURVHaKBQ7MomftzAMbknlgaFU4ki3YzU7fxWN5wRMqH1WUFQ8ZWzfoGbqV2qP5jI6Ss/w320-h204/front+view.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The home was designed by architect Asa Beebe Cross. Cross designed over 1000 structures in Kansas City though today only a handful remain one of which is the Vaile Mansion, another is St. Patrick's at 8th and Cherry in Kansas City, and a third is Sauer Castle at 935 Shawnee Rd in Kansas City.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGwLlQloEi9Q_rfd4OAS5IRvw5BdtODhxjUyqBbhrWnIIkPSxWVRqaFZ0R9e4lVDj9nivvrxqpfhoX-api-__3O5p87oyUVz76tQDShj7oc_2vPeVT0-fkaI_1-j27eye4KDux2TlBh8/s2048/IMG_0366.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGwLlQloEi9Q_rfd4OAS5IRvw5BdtODhxjUyqBbhrWnIIkPSxWVRqaFZ0R9e4lVDj9nivvrxqpfhoX-api-__3O5p87oyUVz76tQDShj7oc_2vPeVT0-fkaI_1-j27eye4KDux2TlBh8/w186-h248/IMG_0366.jpg" width="186" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjiipsBen2vkNa6CqI3-ldBkaXl0TpRS47ZNUi0bnMXqEH7sfNAjxgCXyyWs90O9pU_RvzW4Ntk-3BsMDWsd_p0XAIvRWpVkgtz18wdZQ9EIn9ARh8ZmT-BSVmYBzwgWG28-BXz8t5Aw/s2048/IMG_0371.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjiipsBen2vkNa6CqI3-ldBkaXl0TpRS47ZNUi0bnMXqEH7sfNAjxgCXyyWs90O9pU_RvzW4Ntk-3BsMDWsd_p0XAIvRWpVkgtz18wdZQ9EIn9ARh8ZmT-BSVmYBzwgWG28-BXz8t5Aw/w189-h251/IMG_0371.jpg" width="189" /></a></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately Sophia and Harvey did not get to live the life the imagined when they began construction on the home. Harvey was charged with fraud and theft of funds with his Star Route. He spent over $100,000 on legal fees and countless hours traveling from Independence to Washington DC to defend himself. He would eventually be acquitted but during the time when he was away Sophia became ill with stomach cancer. On February 14th, 1883 while Harvey was in Washington Sophia passed away from an overdose of laudanum which she had been prescribed for pain. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Harvey would never get to use the house as a grand and happy gathering space, in fact the planned ballroom on the third floor was never finished. The couple did not have children and Harvey Vaile never remarried. In the Kansas City Times Mary Paxton Keeley remembered a chance encounter meeting Harvey Vaile when she was a young child with her father and brothers visiting the grounds and the lake which on some days was opened to the public.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yUcAvI4baTumfqNjy2XCrrzG8jwnbibR8HvTamiHhaYMlvk0m9lvQ4i1ryPn_DW26trM7SWEUCpTY-ylc_EPZjNqxMvki1lNWEj7WzHex1P3pCHjNu_id12oT7OqgG1c4AhFA743WWw/s1308/article.1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1308" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yUcAvI4baTumfqNjy2XCrrzG8jwnbibR8HvTamiHhaYMlvk0m9lvQ4i1ryPn_DW26trM7SWEUCpTY-ylc_EPZjNqxMvki1lNWEj7WzHex1P3pCHjNu_id12oT7OqgG1c4AhFA743WWw/w351-h241/article.1.png" width="351" /></a></div><br /> Upon seeing her father and his children an aged Vaile asked if they were all his and then commented that the father was indeed a rich man.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Harvey passed away due to complications of a stroke on June 4th, 1894. His Last Will and Testament surprised some. His cousin Olivia Sprague, who had moved in and run the home after Sophia's death was left a yearly allowance, the home was left to become a women's school called called The Independence Ladies College, and to his nieces and nephews he left five dollars each. Not surprisingly the nieces and nephews fought the Will.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfDuQfrg6HIZ-_QxKaQ1ilWuOFsoFgJhN-QJu6nglO4eKLM3kfXalK3fol0rt1-zyYXP49uG3neJHDs_01YH8nu_cHfcpBa96SQNKIPHPoOczgHP45Eu4x9AtsWO5SrPuWFLOkymvxx4/s1312/will+vaile.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfDuQfrg6HIZ-_QxKaQ1ilWuOFsoFgJhN-QJu6nglO4eKLM3kfXalK3fol0rt1-zyYXP49uG3neJHDs_01YH8nu_cHfcpBa96SQNKIPHPoOczgHP45Eu4x9AtsWO5SrPuWFLOkymvxx4/s320/will+vaile.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The legal battle over the property cost so much that both parties could not maintain the property afterwards and as a result his nieces and nephews never took control of the home and it never became a school as he had planned. The furniture was sold to raise founds, with one exceptions being a clock now on one of the mantles which was original to the home and is verified by a painting of Harvey with the clock in the background. Afterwards the home served as an Inn for a short time, headquarters for the Vaile Pure Spring Water Company, a mental asylum, and a senior living home.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Trip:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We planned to leave enough time to visit some historic sites and places connected to the Vaile Mansion. For example the pictures above of the confluence of the rivers, Fort Osage, St. Patrick's, and the Sauer Mansion. On our first night in the area we stopped at Lutfi's which not only had delicious catfish but amazing carrot cake dessert. The guys behind the counter were amazingly welcoming and after a short conversation they offered us some of their chicken wings to try with a sauce they were very proud of on it. It was Friday in Lent and we could not eat meat so we tried to decline the wings but they insisted we take them and have them Saturday for breakfast. The wings were a perfect breakfast especially since our hotel did not have much breakfast due to Covid restrictions. If you are ever in the area near Independence/Blue Springs do yourself a favor and stop at Lutfi's! I know I will be back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLEmiQVq8bOH54FYpUruoMLXllLx9dhwM_W2LblVYYHlD5QxClajqfiypZLZZv7lAt_jA0QXfKUQk2J7oEmOhgVYApGza-39S99vsK58Y-P5n_0J_JYaq0mJ1Uy5tMG8orxB9pkxEok8/s2048/IMG_0305.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLEmiQVq8bOH54FYpUruoMLXllLx9dhwM_W2LblVYYHlD5QxClajqfiypZLZZv7lAt_jA0QXfKUQk2J7oEmOhgVYApGza-39S99vsK58Y-P5n_0J_JYaq0mJ1Uy5tMG8orxB9pkxEok8/s320/IMG_0305.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Equipment:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we booked the investigation we knew it was a public investigation meaning there would be many people in the home that night, but we hoped it would be a manageable amount of people and we began making plans about setting cameras in different hotspots as well as Meghan memorizing some Shakespeare and various poems to recite for Harvey and Sophia's entertainment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUSqL1MXBGleFEQyY2ZiVPTQZrWXnssh8ctw3q-DpAsExXT9IvJbbGsjDc94Lx5ctzoFGzw765-TLIr8qG6QF5C5d9IA3laDN2AptBPQsJAE7GX1sds7rBDHEmi8nRs_VQjGfbe2B83g/s2048/IMG_0313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUSqL1MXBGleFEQyY2ZiVPTQZrWXnssh8ctw3q-DpAsExXT9IvJbbGsjDc94Lx5ctzoFGzw765-TLIr8qG6QF5C5d9IA3laDN2AptBPQsJAE7GX1sds7rBDHEmi8nRs_VQjGfbe2B83g/s320/IMG_0313.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We wanted to place a trap camera looking at the stairs going to the third floor due to reports of a shadow figure that had been seen in the stairwell, we also planned on putting a recorder on the third floor so that we could cover the area without having to be up there, similarly we planned on putting a trap camera in the basement to look at the door that is said to close itself, and finally another camera in the nature's bower a strange small sitting area overlooking the front lawn and street. However when we arrived we realized it was more people then we felt comfortable with to leave our equipment around. We did end up leaving one camera watching the stair case to the third floor but that was it. As a result we had the one trap camera, my video camera, the two recorders we were carrying, and a body camera that we were still testing out to see how it would perform.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Investigation/Evidence:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before going to the mansion we stopped at the Vaile family mausoleum for an S-Box session.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/26tC9RlL6PQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="26tC9RlL6PQ"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We arrived a little early which was fine because it allowed us a quick nap before beginning. There was a sign in sheet that asked for team name so this will forever be the first official investigation under our team name: Travelers. Now the house is large with over 30 rooms however the amount of people made investigating a little difficult because we didn't want to interfere with anyone else's recordings and by the same token we had to listen very carefully to ours. I think we started out with a good plan. We went straight to the Nature's Bower to set up our camera and look at the faces in the wood grain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JP-F3o2Hp9vP4RGVwRr0BGk4vdnubvh8V44Tz66FjeHl-NH-Ld7yMJbMkrTuv33GhSl24JoOsi5MokBeH9hhRKhLSCBH2N9q9rurejmblk2WbyqVKLzjfdMmfiAz-okle7ENOMnn0b8/s2048/IMG_0509.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JP-F3o2Hp9vP4RGVwRr0BGk4vdnubvh8V44Tz66FjeHl-NH-Ld7yMJbMkrTuv33GhSl24JoOsi5MokBeH9hhRKhLSCBH2N9q9rurejmblk2WbyqVKLzjfdMmfiAz-okle7ENOMnn0b8/s320/IMG_0509.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While there we had an Estes Method S-Box session. This is our newest experiment in investigating and helpful in a situation like this where the sound of the S-Box would negatively effect other investigations. For the experiment Meg was wearing earbuds connected to the S-Box and then noice reducing head phones so that she could not hear my questions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MiaVBOSJbSg" width="320" youtube-src-id="MiaVBOSJbSg"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We left the Bower to go to Sophia's bed room and sitting room. There were so many questions that we had for Sophia and she is said to be one of the most active spirits in the home. We wanted to be sure that we got to spend some time in this side of the house where Sophia spent most of her time when she was ill. As Meg walked past one room she heard a woman's voice. Unfortunately we did not have that voice on a recorder but it sounded like a cry/moan. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We left the second floor and went down to the first floor. While down there we had some plans for Meg to recite an AE Houseman poem as well as some Shakespeare. Listening back to the recordings though we were struck by how much we heard voices in the recordings. The best way to describe it was as "swirling voices." At the end of this blog post I will link a compilation video of all the EVPs but first I will post some that I have separated out like this one from the first floor women's parlor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mb2P3hvhJOI" width="320" youtube-src-id="mb2P3hvhJOI"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After leaving the first floor we spent time in the basement. As I was walking I saw a very unique orb fly past the video camera. Normally I won't include orbs as evidence because they are usually just bugs reflecting light but this one not only had a strange shape but a strange pattern of movement. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vyea9sSL5Hw" width="320" youtube-src-id="vyea9sSL5Hw"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We left the basement and went straight up to the third floor to try and spend at least a little time on that floor. The floor is famous for evps, disembodied voices, and shadow figures. We set up a laser grid which despite having new batteries began fading in and out as we sat upstairs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GiQ-YLaYxzI" width="320" youtube-src-id="GiQ-YLaYxzI"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After exploring the third floor before heading back downstairs I commented about how there wasn't much to explore and we recorded this evp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MA3bVnwGf7Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="MA3bVnwGf7Y"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now there was a door that we could have pushed up to look into the attic but having been told there are bats I wasn't going to look. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We came back down from the third floor to check on my trail camera and stopped to talk with two other investigators who were using their SLS.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/18iCKaBLmfQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="18iCKaBLmfQ"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that we had been to every floor for at least a little bit we turned our attention to the other side of the house and Harvey Vaile's office. There we recorded this residual EVP that I found very moving when I listened to it later. Also I used one of my favorite pictures: a portrait that shows Harvey Vaile standing in front of one of the fine marble fireplaces with a clock behind him. I think the fact that you see Harvey reflected in the mirror is what draws me in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dn6aPfUoTKM" width="320" youtube-src-id="dn6aPfUoTKM"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>As I said above Harvey and Sophia Vaile never got to live the life they dreamed of in their beautiful mansion in Independence, Missouri. While Harvey traveled back and forth from his home to Washington DC because of the investigations into potential fraud Sophia was home alone and suffering from what is believed to have been stomach cancer. When Harvey returned from a break in the investigation to bury Sophia imagine his pain and grief at missing her last days and suffering she had endured alone. Sitting in his study imagine his attorney or business associates trying to ask about the investigation. What would his mind frame be? That is what I was thinking when we heard this residual EVP.<div><br /></div><div>Finally here is a compilation of all our other EVPs/evidence from the investigation.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z99IbLuuRK8" width="320" youtube-src-id="Z99IbLuuRK8"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We hope to return to the Vaile Mansion someday for a private investigation so that we can fully set up our equipment. Meg did so much more research into the history of the home, people, and land then I included here. This investigation will forever be a special one since it was the first time we actually publicly investigated as Travelers!</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you. Please consider following my youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC00-yoXm-ODIK0Ty7Y4UuHQ">jorekkeroj</a> and this blog for our future investigations. We will beginning the evidence review from our investigation at the Lotz House.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-8892343882546700522021-02-06T19:28:00.000-08:002021-02-06T19:28:21.994-08:00Travelers: Mt. Olivet Cemetery<p><br /></p><p> Last Friday we stopped for a couple of hours at Mt. Olivet one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in Nashville, TN for a brief paranormal investigation. We had planned to be there longer but because of different events during the day we arrived very late. We thought about skipping it and just going back another day but then decided we could use this time to get some basic photos and familiarize ourselves a little and then plan a return. </p><p>The cemetery was founded by two Tennessee businessmen, Adrian Van Sinderen Lindsley and John Buddeke, in 1856. A little less than thirty years later Lindsley passed away and was buried at Mt. Olivet. The architecture of the cemetery is Gothic Revival and at one point there was a chapel in that style built by Hugh Cathcart Thompson, the architect of the famous Rhyman Auditorium. </p><p>For this investigation we each carried a recorder, Meghan had her Canon rebel DSL camera, I had an infrared camera, the S-Box, and a body camera. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwU9mb0IMFDdZOiiWCbFZ0DbUQQvX7tz4iUAw7qQRuIi_DIpjDKf1nOWyzTq-ATJ4Kfb96L9xEufU4UDTn0xG-udp41e6mshDzEjuHVbobSzkmIU_3xuDfznRc174USoymHwcpx6NooU/s2048/IMG_0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwU9mb0IMFDdZOiiWCbFZ0DbUQQvX7tz4iUAw7qQRuIi_DIpjDKf1nOWyzTq-ATJ4Kfb96L9xEufU4UDTn0xG-udp41e6mshDzEjuHVbobSzkmIU_3xuDfznRc174USoymHwcpx6NooU/s320/IMG_0189.jpg" /></a></div><p>We started the investigation by just pulling over and then splitting up and walking around looking at the different graves. Because it was late I did not try and find some of the more notable burials in the cemetery like Thomas Rhyman, Edward Barnard, and Anne Dallas Dudley. While reading the names on the graves we recognized many of the family names from counties and streets of Tennessee. As we got out of the car we split up with Meghan going to graves to the right of the car and me walking forward further into the cemetery. As I have done in past investigations I pulled out a few of the best captures and also uploaded to youtube a full video of all the EVPs and the S-Box session. </p><p>The first EVP that I separated out in to its own clip was what we believe to be a residual haunting of someone saying a prayer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/koJ4jTDKG0Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="koJ4jTDKG0Y"></iframe></div><br /><p>I also pulled out a clip to compare an EVP that was recorded on both Meg and my recorder. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_dx7L3XpM_s" width="320" youtube-src-id="_dx7L3XpM_s"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>And the final clip I separated was our favorite and one that made us certain we needed to return. I had parked across from a tall monument for the Weaver- Cole- Cheatham family. Meg had gone there to investigate while I wandered away to some of the larger tombs. <div><br /></div><div>Meg began reading the writing on the graves out load one by one beginning with Dempsey Weaver, 1815-1880. Dempsey was one of the founders of Third National Bank in Nashville and at one time was Treasurer of Vanderbilt University. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC_qiOgIzPeXjVZGtAsuekYHuBjgkRrRvozjRulXON0Zmnia3cGlbFA0jqyuGSDy7mOOxV3OC3b5_TrTDaLLAtdx9r654Q1wTrWywxdrvTlnBzSQLo_xio0dzxzDWL0aLB0_tN3blXxE/s656/Dempsey+Weaver.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="406" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC_qiOgIzPeXjVZGtAsuekYHuBjgkRrRvozjRulXON0Zmnia3cGlbFA0jqyuGSDy7mOOxV3OC3b5_TrTDaLLAtdx9r654Q1wTrWywxdrvTlnBzSQLo_xio0dzxzDWL0aLB0_tN3blXxE/s320/Dempsey+Weaver.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>After Dempsey Meg moved on to his son, Thomas Weaver's family. Thomas was born in 1850 and passed away suddenly in 1911 in Florida. He had followed his father's footsteps working in banking and serving as trustee for Vanderbilt University. He married Mattie Cheatham in 1872. Her maiden name was one of the names we recognized as the county next to us is Cheatham county. From there Meg moved on to the grave of their son Richard Cheatham Weaver, 1895-1913. He was only 18 when he died of an accidental gun shot wound to the abdomen. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTMq7IODmjyxqWkUSwjOkNhz1TtB_GWbMKi-4bCnSzKmwDGbiQwWNMNXSmGOx4BQkGQVuVjBULHPrV3vULQDKnA9TNQH3mOsJAPqiGF5Rt1GamZk6TNofSVfGWvH-I6dLNDjqbzCXzvw/s1174/richard+chatem+obit.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTMq7IODmjyxqWkUSwjOkNhz1TtB_GWbMKi-4bCnSzKmwDGbiQwWNMNXSmGOx4BQkGQVuVjBULHPrV3vULQDKnA9TNQH3mOsJAPqiGF5Rt1GamZk6TNofSVfGWvH-I6dLNDjqbzCXzvw/s320/richard+chatem+obit.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKnN2FGGNDbKm2gFg9aqGc1YFZFKTg99FrgrxBAoZ6FPqOw3e6rqhVvDKcoQqyzNTGh_CGCqXhrlKrt3AyYsWWyLwqK3MziNJnOjqrGVIKCWiEf4yrrcpiZLCJAtP5d3cx1rWhFs7nZM/s536/richard+cheatham+weaver.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKnN2FGGNDbKm2gFg9aqGc1YFZFKTg99FrgrxBAoZ6FPqOw3e6rqhVvDKcoQqyzNTGh_CGCqXhrlKrt3AyYsWWyLwqK3MziNJnOjqrGVIKCWiEf4yrrcpiZLCJAtP5d3cx1rWhFs7nZM/s536/richard+cheatham+weaver.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="396" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKnN2FGGNDbKm2gFg9aqGc1YFZFKTg99FrgrxBAoZ6FPqOw3e6rqhVvDKcoQqyzNTGh_CGCqXhrlKrt3AyYsWWyLwqK3MziNJnOjqrGVIKCWiEf4yrrcpiZLCJAtP5d3cx1rWhFs7nZM/w316-h428/richard+cheatham+weaver.png" width="316" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Next she moved to the grave of his oldest brother Thomas Shadrack Weaver Jr, 1873-1918. Thomas </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxY9E9KnlbRoobZdmuf3vPCpoJWhVqppuL7KG7dVxkc0GU64A_1D1dXG8triaQ4bPZvFUvWvY-J0BqWZgggcK7fb3ZFJCtmcF50XcqD_UdGoCBYEq4D1L4TH8npKVjRm1tgPAc4KG2bY/s686/Thomas+Weaver.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="304" height="511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxY9E9KnlbRoobZdmuf3vPCpoJWhVqppuL7KG7dVxkc0GU64A_1D1dXG8triaQ4bPZvFUvWvY-J0BqWZgggcK7fb3ZFJCtmcF50XcqD_UdGoCBYEq4D1L4TH8npKVjRm1tgPAc4KG2bY/w227-h511/Thomas+Weaver.png" width="227" /></a></div><br /><div>It was at these last two graves where Meg recorded an EVP that convinced us we have to go back. As Meg moved to Richard's grave a voice says "Hey read me". When we first listened we questioned whether in 1913 "Hey" would have been used in that way because we think of it as a more modern usage. Meg check out the etymological use of the word and indeed it dates back to the 15th century. And to further confirm the voice was Richard when she moved on to Thomas Jr we hear the same voice say "now come back." </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BpYhRFtwHWI" width="320" youtube-src-id="BpYhRFtwHWI"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>As we were listening to the recordings we read about the family history. The Weaver family owned a home called Seven Oaks which burned down but would have been near the Nashville Airport, and there are Seven Oaks apartments and Seven Oaks Park still in the area. Not only was Weaver a well known name but they had connections to the Cheatham family as mentioned above and also the Cole family who owned Colemere which is now a restaurant and event space called Monelle's at the Manor. We definitely had fun learning about some of the history of these families in Nashville and look forward to returning not just to revisit Richard but to see what else we can learn about Nashville and the people who once lived here.<div><br /></div><div>Here is the full video including several other EVPs and our S-Box session.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nE_TS49TX-M" width="320" youtube-src-id="nE_TS49TX-M"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for watching we have some big plans ahead in the next few months and look forward to sharing the results.</div><div><br /></div><div>Past Investigations:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-childrens-playground-in-huntsville.html">Children's Playground Huntsville, Alabama</a><br /></div><div><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/04/exploring-historic-octagon-hall.html">Octagon Hall</a><br /></div><div><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-mysterious-house-of-hartford-city.html">Mysterious House of Hartford City</a><br /></div><div><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/01/from-shiloh-to-vicksburg-and-few-stops.html">Shilo, Vicksburg, and Cedar Grove</a><br /></div><div><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/10/waverly-hills-ghost-hunt.html">Waverly Hills</a><br /></div><div><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/03/road-trip-to-arkansas-tesla-coil.html">The Crescent Hotel</a><br /></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-86662517211915390322021-01-23T08:02:00.000-08:002021-01-23T08:02:27.839-08:00The Children's Playground in Huntsville Alabama<p>Our goal this year for paranormal investigations is to stay local, with a few exceptions, and focus on getting to know our area. By local I mean a 2-3 hour window; some place that we can drive to, spend a few hours, and return in around 10-12 hours. We started with Maple Hill Cemetery and the Haunted Children's Playground in Huntsville, Alabama. </p><p>Maple Hill started as a two acre cemetery in 1822 when LeRoy Pope sold the property to the city on September 14. Over the next 100 years as Huntsville grew so did the cemetery. Today it is over 100 acres and the burial site of many notable Alabama politicians. </p><p>Adjacent to it is a small playground surrounded by limestone cliffs. The playground has been called one of the most haunted places in Alabama. The ghosts of children have been seen and heard here, swings are said to move by themselves, and glowing lights have also been seen. Some theories say the children are the young victims from the 1918 Spanish Flu, which hit Huntsville particularly hard. I have also seen references to kidnapped children in the 60s or 70s but have been unable to verify that. </p><p>We wanted to visit the cemetery during the day so we knew that our night investigation would not go very late but at only a two hour drive we will easily return for more night investigating later, probably during warmer months. Even in Alabama January is cold.</p><p>We arrived in Huntsville around 3pm and drove to the cemetery. I had a list of notable graves which included a baseball player and several rocket scientists. However when we arrived there were two funerals taking place so we didn't look too hard for the graves and we decided to just drive around and see what we found. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiuG3q_sG-AAN2UifW_XHJVgP_0EQvPBcf1MED1xjgzVFbDYhWtsekMlvn5q1-hoktmV2QkISegIdyETWuyb9_ElEtkH2k_G6ToVYGxSR_erjFDFX1p5fjlc3kdqyF37DMKNV7vLIrMA/s2048/cem.+pan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="2048" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiuG3q_sG-AAN2UifW_XHJVgP_0EQvPBcf1MED1xjgzVFbDYhWtsekMlvn5q1-hoktmV2QkISegIdyETWuyb9_ElEtkH2k_G6ToVYGxSR_erjFDFX1p5fjlc3kdqyF37DMKNV7vLIrMA/w540-h285/cem.+pan.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Our main investigative tools were one voice recorder (normally we would each have one but the battery didn't hold its charge on one), one night vision trap camera, and our S-Box. During daylight hours we drove around the large cemetery with the S-Box and also at times getting out and walking around with just the recorder. </p><p>We then went to our true destination, the adjoining playground, to look around, read a story, and get some photos.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ARx3YUYUPk" width="320" youtube-src-id="8ARx3YUYUPk"></iframe></div><br /><p>We left to warm up and grab dinner at Below the Radar Brewpub, before returning a bit after sunset which is a time known as "the gloaming" which is an awesome word and I have asked Meg if we can write a horror script titled The Gloaming.</p><p>This video starts with a very clear EVP, I think one of our best. I actually pulled it out to make it its own video. I'm trying to figure out how to drive more people to my youtube videos and while I like keeping the compilation videos I feel a series of short videos will help get more views as people will see it as less of a commitment. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tZ8MM6AK_hM" width="320" youtube-src-id="tZ8MM6AK_hM"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p>I also have some of our best interactions with the S-Box as we used the Estes Method. The Method gets its name from Estes Colorado, specifically the Stanley Hotel when Karl Pfeiffer, Michelle Tate, and Connor Randall performed the experiment in several sessions in 2016 and since then it has been used by many groups including some on tv. The idea of using the blind experiment was made popular by them but they were not the first. In 2013 Daniel Morgan and Shawn Taylor published The Double-Blind Ghost Box: Scientific Methods, Examples and Transcripts. The way it works is one person listens to the Spirit Box on head phones so that they are unaware of what questions are being asked. They then say what words they hear. Since they can't hear the questions they won't be biased to trying to make sense of the words in a way that will give answers to the questions. Basically it removes any bias, towards making sense of the sounds, that the investigator may have. </p><p>The following video will repeat the EVP and then continue into the SBox session. At the end is video from our trap camera that for some reason continued to upload with no sound. I finally got it to work and will post that in a separate video.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kC4I25QBvbU" width="320" youtube-src-id="kC4I25QBvbU"></iframe></div><br /><p>Now our video from the Trap Camera with sound. I set it up looking at the swings because it is reported that they move on their own. While I did not record the swings moving we did get a strange moment where after recording for over 5 minutes my camera moves. Then we had a strange sound that we heard but could not identify. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U4mF5yM6h9g" width="320" youtube-src-id="U4mF5yM6h9g"></iframe></div><br /><p>My final video is just a little fun. We had left the car during the day and I forgot my recorder in the car. At some point we hear the door open like some one is getting in but then silence. A few moments later you hear the two of us return and both car doors open and close.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IMYmzaZKOsw" width="320" youtube-src-id="IMYmzaZKOsw"></iframe></div><br /><p>If you enjoy this and want to see more I will post our past investigations down below. Please consider following my youtube and this blog page. It won't always be paranormal stuff but I promise I try and keep it interesting :-)</p><p><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/04/exploring-historic-octagon-hall.html">Octagon Hall Investigation</a></p><p><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-mysterious-house-of-hartford-city.html">Mysterious House of Hartford City</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/01/from-shiloh-to-vicksburg-and-few-stops.html">Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Cedar Grove</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/10/waverly-hills-ghost-hunt.html">Waverly Hills</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/03/road-trip-to-arkansas-tesla-coil.html">The Crescent Hotel</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-23969267908688259872021-01-16T10:37:00.000-08:002021-01-16T10:37:31.796-08:00Exploring Historic Octagon Hall<div><br /></div>While on a road trip through parts of Kentucky we had detoured because of a sign about a 'Devious Well.' Then that detour led us to see signs for 'Historic and Haunted Octagon Hall.' We tried to stop by the hall but it was closed and so we decided to try again another time. Then the Tennessee Wraith Chasers did a live special from Octagon Hall and we knew we had to get out there. We signed up for a novice paranormal investigation and began researching the home to give ourselves a game plan for the night. We also saw on their website that a reputable paranormal investigation group can rent the Hall with a minimum of six people. So hopefully with a few investigations under our belt as a resume we can do that in the near future.<br />
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<br /><span id="goog_97255934"></span><span id="goog_97255935"></span>The hall is located in Simpson county Kentucky along 31W which, back in stage coach days, was the Nashville Road. The home was built by Andrew Jackson Caldwell in a style that was rising in popularity. A book published in 1848 by Orson Squire Fowler "The Octagon House" explaining the benefits in terms of space, lighting, and air flow may have been inspiration for Caldwell and others. All the bricks used in the home were made on the property. Caldwell finished his home shortly before the start of the Civil War and it played a large part in Kentucky's history. After a defeat at Bowling Green the Confederate army retreated back down the Nashville road toward TN. They found a friend in Caldwell and a resting place on his property during the retreat. The Orphan Brigade, as they were called, retreated and rested at his home in February. Shortly after they left the Union Army came and occupied the area and, knowing Caldwell was loyal to the Confederacy, would regularly search his home for soldiers who may have been hiding. The family did hide soldiers in the home sometimes in a hidden crawlspace under the front stairs and other times in the cupola/attic.<br />
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The Caldwell family also suffered personal loss in the home. Mary Elizabeth Caldwell, Andrew's young daughter, was killed in 1854 in the downstairs winter kitchen when her dress caught fire. And Andrew Jackson passed away in 1866. His wife Harriet continued in the home until 1918 when she sold it to a Doctor from Nashville, Miles Williams, who passed away there and left it to heirs who used it as a rental property until Billy Byrd and the Octagon Hall Foundation purchased it in 2001 in order to preserve it and its place in Kentucky's history.<br />
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We arrived early and each gave a $5 donation to walk around the museum. This way we could build up some pictures of the place and get a feel for the location and layout. It worked out well because the hall is truly a museum filled with information and artifacts from the Civil War. The paranormal and haunted aspect is cool but there is a lot to see for history buffs as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>During our visit before the investigation we spokewith some of the caretakers and members of the paranormal investigation group called the Nightstalkers. They warned us that the spirits of Octagon Hall are very used to being investigated and will play with you. We experienced that by having cameras and batteries malfunction and one funny interaction where Meghan denied knowing what a piece of equipment did and we got a response of " I doubt that." By the way, Meghan truly did not know what that piece of equipment was.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since we plan on returning I will focus on the history at that time. Today's post will be just a short one about the results from our evidence review.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our main tools for investigating were the voice recorders that we carried on our arms and our S-Box. I had set up trap cameras in several rooms but did not capture much with them. I created three videos that will have all the interactions we had but I pulled out several clips specifically to show the two types of hauntings we believe we encountered. </div><div><br /></div><div>Intelligent Haunting: An intelligent haunting is going to mean that the spirits in the location can and will respond and interact with you. This is really the type of haunting we are looking for when asking questions such as "how many are in the room," as can be seen in this clip:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6-hg1tsXclU" width="320" youtube-src-id="6-hg1tsXclU"></iframe></div><br /><div>The next clip is also another example of an intelligent haunting. Since our aim is to learn about who is there and why we often ask questions looking for information about whom we may be contacting:<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HV_EVaxyk4Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="HV_EVaxyk4Q"></iframe></div><br />
<div>Residual Haunting: A residual haunting is the repetition of sounds and actions that happened in the past. I think of it a lot as 'place memories.' In this video we are about to head outside during our visit before the investigation:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bt4UhZdDcrc" width="320" youtube-src-id="Bt4UhZdDcrc"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now the next clip is from the upstairs bedroom of Mary Elizabeth. Meg sat down and began reading stories out of a children's book. We had first done this in Waverly on the fourth floor where the children's play area was located. Our hope is to provide spirits with some entertainment instead of just asking them questions. We had success in Waverly and we had success here. It is certainly something we will continue in future investigations. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VGv22E2M0Hc" width="320" youtube-src-id="VGv22E2M0Hc"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next is a video I have from down in the winter kitchen. My video camera battery kept draining despite being fully charged so I used a portable backup to keep it charged. There are a few reasons why I decided to upload this clip. First at 1:04 and again at 3:47 I think I see an orb/light anomaly which could be a bug or dust but because I had been filming and not seen a lot of dust or bugs and the way it moved slowly made me think it was not dust. Also I like some things that we did as a good example of what a paranormal investigation is like. At one point I introduce myself and the others in the room do the same. This helps me have examples of everyone's voices on the recorder so that if I did have an EVP I could compare it and make sure it wasn't someone whispering. Also it gives me a good count as to how many people are there. Finally it is a solid example that this requires patience because so much of what we are doing is hoping for something in evidence review. I ask at one point if Mary Elizabeth, if she is there, could move the pot. There are stories of it moving on its own. However actually getting that on film would be mind blowing and very rare:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WFFGkfVm-Nk" width="320" youtube-src-id="WFFGkfVm-Nk"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next three videos are compilations of all the recordings whether EVP or S-Box that we had through out the night. Because it was a public investigation and there were so many people many of our recordings were unusable however what we did get makes me certain we want to return on a night when there are less people to set us up for clearer results.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part 1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is all from our visit before the investigation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O4x3xmAM0Cc" width="320" youtube-src-id="O4x3xmAM0Cc"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part 2:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In this clip we have several examples of what I believe are residual EVPs. Also at the 4 minute mark I start a clip from the barn when we were using one of the other investigator's spirit box. Instead of searching radio stations it can be manipulated by spirits to speak words. In this clip the investigator asks if the spirits want someone to leave. While I want to be respectful of spirits I must admit this is a question I try very hard not to ask for this very amusing reason.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3GV2NZmKKI4" width="320" youtube-src-id="3GV2NZmKKI4"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part 3: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My final video is mostly from the upstairs of the Caldwell home in Mary Elizabeth's room and a room that was used as a hospital. We have several S-Box interactions including one clip at 6:30 when Meg is saying she doesn't know what the device in front of us does (again she didn't lie it wasn't ours) and a spirit answers, "I don't believe that." Remember we had already been told that they are very aware of being investigated and questioned. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JYXv0s43-WM" width="320" youtube-src-id="JYXv0s43-WM"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another good thing to come from this investigation was that it was after this that Meg and I really decided we like this and want to continue. We had been speaking to a couple there who formed their own group and they inspired us to do the same. So we are making our own group which is really just us but will have a name and a symbol. I am going to continue using this blog and my youtube account to upload and share evidence. I don't know if we will get to the point where it is worth creating social media for just paranormal investigations. But we can cross that bridge if we come to it. The group name is Travelers and we are working on getting an official design though we do have a drawing Meg created as a start.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNrXeIzWIuYBcXDPV0br3hQ88Tw4DG_IfAGFg6HzjSQidkEUWw_6sKPer17_eRhMh5Or33IEbrLNtuMKdsZujzJthiIIpFD3mOswexPnK6S1IbdT_oGVS_iBxclObh2zLwZ9HSAQ58xk/s1203/Travelers+copy+circle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1197" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNrXeIzWIuYBcXDPV0br3hQ88Tw4DG_IfAGFg6HzjSQidkEUWw_6sKPer17_eRhMh5Or33IEbrLNtuMKdsZujzJthiIIpFD3mOswexPnK6S1IbdT_oGVS_iBxclObh2zLwZ9HSAQ58xk/s320/Travelers+copy+circle.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We used symbolism and signs of luck from both our Italian and Irish sides. The round drawing features an Ash tree at the center, Yggdrasil the tree of life, with Pulcinella, an Italian trickster figure. He carries a red pepper in one hand, to ward off the evil eye, and a four leaf clover, faith, hope, love, and luck, in his other. At his feet is a hedgehog, Irish symbol of good luck. In the bark of the tree are three numbers 42, 48, and 85. In La Smorfia Napoletena 48 stands for the dead who speak, 85 stands for the souls of purgatory, and 42 means coffee... ok we chose 42 because of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy but coffee works well too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So far this year we have visited a cemetery/haunted playground in Alabama. We also have booked an investigation at the Vaile Mansion in February and will be returning to the Crescent Hotel in March. Other than those two we are hoping to keep things local this year with a return to Waverly and new locations like the Thomas House and South Pittsburg Hospital. I also want to go to local cemeteries and learn about the areas local legend: the Bell Witch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are links to my other blogs about paranormal investigations:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/03/road-trip-to-arkansas-tesla-coil.html">The Crescent Hotel</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/10/waverly-hills-ghost-hunt.html">Waverly Hills</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/01/from-shiloh-to-vicksburg-and-few-stops.html">Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Cedar Grove</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-mysterious-house-of-hartford-city.html">The Mysterious House of Hartford City</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-78330952512019082362021-01-13T16:45:00.000-08:002021-01-13T16:45:07.356-08:00Standing on a Corner in Winslow Arizona<p> Oh my God this was our last trip! Sweet sixteen and just four states left. This trip had the fewest stops of all the trips and consequently the most driving between stops. </p><p>State 45: Oklahoma.</p><p>My stop in Oklahoma was in Edmund where there is a statue called "Leaping into History". The statue was sculpted by Mary Lou Gresham and it honors Nannita R.H. "Kentucky" Daisey. She was born in PA in 1855 and moved around from Missouri to Kentucky. As the story goes Nannita like many others headed west during the land rush in 1889 to try and make a claim. She convinced the train operator to let her ride on the cowcatcher, I never knew that is what it was called. Nannita jumped off the train and staked her land in what is today Edmund. She wasn't the only woman to claim land in the land rush but she has become one of the most famous especially with the story of riding the train. The statue was unveiled on July 4th, 2007.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmvBTD3urGqcxXu4Bo_3vCrOC35SIh9V-a9y785aiA2auEbeLuJilKlb-2GWPoMntKGFWVFGew_A_r74xzDLEpdwrHUtzFtbVU0ihxGgfa8IcLGjnNtg5WFRSgbZwSd0Tguv3sdzDV8s/s2048/IMG_9258.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmvBTD3urGqcxXu4Bo_3vCrOC35SIh9V-a9y785aiA2auEbeLuJilKlb-2GWPoMntKGFWVFGew_A_r74xzDLEpdwrHUtzFtbVU0ihxGgfa8IcLGjnNtg5WFRSgbZwSd0Tguv3sdzDV8s/s320/IMG_9258.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The area with the statue was really nice and seemed like a great hang out area with restaurants and bars. Unfortunately it was also super crowded and there were lots of other dogs so we didn't stay there. Instead we decided to try Whataburger for the first time and then go to a different brewery to have dinner before checking into a hotel. Whataburger ended up being a terrible choice. A lot of people rave over it which is why we went there. We pulled up to the drive through and sat and sat and sat. Maybe they were short staffed maybe there was something else going on. We sat in the drive through line for over an hour. Now the other big maybe is that I should have just pulled away and gone somewhere else- I'll give you that one. Sometimes I am stubborn in all the wrong ways. So we sat and sat and sat until finally it was our turn. We ordered and then got our food and left for our brewery Broke Brewing Co. The brewery had a nice setup with a small patio and a couple of tables. It was a little chilly but comfortable enough. I went inside to get a flight, which came with a bag of pretzels, and on a whim order their dreamsicle orange seltzer. Now I'm usually not a big fan of seltzers but this was so good we bought a six pack to bring home. While I was cashing out the bartender asked what brought me to Oklahoma and I explained about the road trip and told him about the statue of Nanitta. Him and another fellow inside knew of the location but had never noticed the statue before. Hopefully they took a moment to check it out by now.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a lot of this trip we followed Route 66 and in El Reno, OK we stopped at one of the many Route 66 signs that are set up for Travelers to take selfies/ photos with. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUUFvlzPHIX1b7uwvOz8Zs0Fs4EH8wWE6m0a3XU16L2gbmgWloKM1Q2GXN8eT4lRt-cN47aFkVYPMHk_-ieb_YLyOSMoBko27aXSPw9Wd1LdRJc2yDLYhcPPn31fDZmi2NuIeZNaDWDk/s2048/IMG_9273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUUFvlzPHIX1b7uwvOz8Zs0Fs4EH8wWE6m0a3XU16L2gbmgWloKM1Q2GXN8eT4lRt-cN47aFkVYPMHk_-ieb_YLyOSMoBko27aXSPw9Wd1LdRJc2yDLYhcPPn31fDZmi2NuIeZNaDWDk/s320/IMG_9273.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>State 46: Texas</div><div><br /></div><div>This stop was a lunch stop that had been recommended to my Mom. Now it was a little before noon and Sunday so we were unable to order a beer from the brewery. I figured that would be ok because we may have been there long enough to get a beer at the end of the meal or we could always just pick one and get a growler for the hotel that night. The restaurant is The Big Texan and it is home to the 72 ounce steak. The story goes that Bob Lee was the original owner of The Big Texan, known for its Texas sized steaks. Anyway lots of cowboys were coming in and eating the large steaks and other customers were watching as they did that. Bob got an idea and one day in 1962 he pulled a bunch of tables together to have an eating contest. For $5.00 anyone could enter and the winner, who ever ate the most, would keep all the entry money. </div><div><br /></div><div>The eventual winner ate 72 ounces of steak, a salad, a shrimp cocktail, a baked potato, and bread roll. And the 72 ounce dinner was born. As we were driving Meg was trying to figure out if she thought she could do the challenge. Her dislike of shrimp and the required shrimp cocktail was an obvious problem. By the time we got there Meg decided she would pass on the 72 ounce challenge, a decision that seemed like the right one. There was no outdoor seating but it was early and the large restaurant was empty. I requested a seat at a window because we were going to have to leave Gypsy and Domino in the car while we ate and I wanted to be able to see them. Now the Big Texan is way more than a restaurant. It is connected to a hotel, a gift shop, a brewery, a small arcade/Wild West shooting gallery and so much more. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we pulled up we walked around outside for a little bit looking around so the pups got to stretch their legs before we went inside. Then we ordered normal sized steak meals.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7dkYTmeUvY_QFs76m1P8TPJ7kKxeorDhyDERxeUdeekk5LNLa3r2DZRMN2wtbKJYonZ_ocBSWexiRTCoKxmjYrGlT-zOyGj_e93BJT2Q2FBDrrbLS7_OijMqBzbPKdemmUszDpDxxPM/s2048/IMG_9299.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7dkYTmeUvY_QFs76m1P8TPJ7kKxeorDhyDERxeUdeekk5LNLa3r2DZRMN2wtbKJYonZ_ocBSWexiRTCoKxmjYrGlT-zOyGj_e93BJT2Q2FBDrrbLS7_OijMqBzbPKdemmUszDpDxxPM/w533-h400/IMG_9299.jpg" width="533" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknXqaso4c84Q71Fn4eo_cYIefRqRlikKG8SMYDFDWQ2WkLhsVDtRG4nT06dcJy9kYePGuYlD6Rf8zNwbdRjO-BeN0yX0Y4yoZUIUV9enEWAllDNHlVatfmcRLZvBQ3QfMGNAvf1VW0K8/s2048/IMG_9293.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknXqaso4c84Q71Fn4eo_cYIefRqRlikKG8SMYDFDWQ2WkLhsVDtRG4nT06dcJy9kYePGuYlD6Rf8zNwbdRjO-BeN0yX0Y4yoZUIUV9enEWAllDNHlVatfmcRLZvBQ3QfMGNAvf1VW0K8/w347-h463/IMG_9293.jpg" width="347" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>After eating I went back outside to walk Gypsy Rover again before exploring the gift shop. We took a moment to take the wonderful picture of her imaging what a 72 ounce steak would taste like.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV0SflETB9YRisgxAT4RepwMaxd7sefm9JizCChYX3pirLni7j_7M1egmU_lfgk20U7qJeuOyxQZhnaH_Nl7MKHnebTYQAVYR2amlpnpRdD8eRXeKBkyEb1VrfI4rVjvYuFPAF5ICksQ/s2048/IMG_9302.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="579" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV0SflETB9YRisgxAT4RepwMaxd7sefm9JizCChYX3pirLni7j_7M1egmU_lfgk20U7qJeuOyxQZhnaH_Nl7MKHnebTYQAVYR2amlpnpRdD8eRXeKBkyEb1VrfI4rVjvYuFPAF5ICksQ/w434-h579/IMG_9302.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br /><div>I also left behind a painted rock of an armadillo by a giant crocodile advertising for the Big Texan. And then not thinking anything of it I went back in to the gift shop. I was checking out some Route 66 "The Mother Road" long sleeve shirts when I overheard a conversation between two women. One of them had found my rock, it had only been about 15 minutes since I put it down. She was very excited about it and said she was going to look up what was written on the back (#drivethe48 and this blog url). It made me super happy to hear her excitement at finding the rock. I hope she did look it up and enjoyed some of the photos!</div><div><br /></div><div>State 47: New Mexico</div><div><br /></div><div>I love New Mexico! From the moment we entered it I thought the state was beautiful. I never fully appreciated the adobe/pueblo architectural style until I saw it in New Mexico. The buildings, landscape, and sky just worked perfectly together. The state slogan is "Land of Enchantment" and I felt that. We started our visit in Santa Fe at The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis Assisi. Unfortunately the doors were locked because the Bishop had closed all churches to visitors/parishioners due to Covid 19. That was definitely frustrating. It is times like these when people are struggling and the world is crazy that I would think we need Churches more. I would think just asking people to be mindful of social distancing and even putting a limit like stores have. I would certainly be ok with looking in and counting how many people to see if I could enter and then waiting my turn if it meant keeping the doors open. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first church in that location was built in 1610. The current Basilica was built in 1886. It was elevated to a Basilica in 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI. Inside is the La Conquistadora statue a wooden statue of Mary holding baby Jesus. The statue is dated between the 15-17 century and was brought by the Spanish to America. Unfortunately since the Church was closed we could not see it. The Cathedral stands out because of its Romanesque Architecture style featuring round arches and Corinthian columns. It also has a large rose window featuring the 12 Apostles.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndPNXkAMB-yRkFexpGBdA-iE5V7a6K7fec-wY6mwOi6l93D2CWaIEbA4FAOhtoXDAjhSOhiVHPlF7BRwbEWdnPBWTHOL6kVd8GbwoUMfY2XWiTQzO0whIKIcJw4H9dksVj32gvfwxfgM/s2048/IMG_9330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndPNXkAMB-yRkFexpGBdA-iE5V7a6K7fec-wY6mwOi6l93D2CWaIEbA4FAOhtoXDAjhSOhiVHPlF7BRwbEWdnPBWTHOL6kVd8GbwoUMfY2XWiTQzO0whIKIcJw4H9dksVj32gvfwxfgM/w490-h367/IMG_9330.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><br /><div>After walking around the outside of the Cathedral we checked in to our hotel and then went to pick up dinner. For dinner we stopped at Tomasita's. I ordered and then waited outside for them to bring the food to the car. The food was fantastic especially the Tortilla Soup.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning we got breakfast from Craft Donuts and Coffee, a food truck with fresh made donuts as you order them. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR09V5L9TUwr2At7UhfFX_e7GZCutgClFvBfvLCSBxUEe8GstKH6725LmhYyrAOPIUn_8cocSLyATgR79s1W3BcOgkH13ICUxMUlvm7KaHOVpnX7BPZUO5OJvEaiAi7oYqMuvJVmdnyCg/s2048/IMG_9365.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR09V5L9TUwr2At7UhfFX_e7GZCutgClFvBfvLCSBxUEe8GstKH6725LmhYyrAOPIUn_8cocSLyATgR79s1W3BcOgkH13ICUxMUlvm7KaHOVpnX7BPZUO5OJvEaiAi7oYqMuvJVmdnyCg/w323-h242/IMG_9365.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zzj8fq4AG1pr7nppVxiU7qyHg5Orkn0vxeOeVE9ckSfGaSoZUf2iZKOwdKB7Sah0DuPCEVozv881RXxKuk82YLoscYYteQpVzupf-4aYMMmjTMl_rthGo6n5dooJR8yHUo1_U_yCbWI/s2048/IMG_9366.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zzj8fq4AG1pr7nppVxiU7qyHg5Orkn0vxeOeVE9ckSfGaSoZUf2iZKOwdKB7Sah0DuPCEVozv881RXxKuk82YLoscYYteQpVzupf-4aYMMmjTMl_rthGo6n5dooJR8yHUo1_U_yCbWI/w337-h253/IMG_9366.jpg" width="337" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Next we took a little detour out of Santa Fe because it was too early for our planned locations, they didn't open until 10 and instead of sleeping late and relaxing we hopped in the car and drove to El Santuario de Chimayo. The building is adobe with bell towers on either side. Inside were pews on either side and an altar. Just before the altar on the left wall is a doorway that leads back to a hole with dirt in it. The site draws over 300,000 pilgrims a year because of the legend of healing dirt. One long room had crutches and testimonials of people who were healed after visiting the shrine. Through a small doorway there was another room with the well. The gift shop sold religious items, books, and small plastic containers to hold dirt.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9vAZbtOfBYLPijfwxrMdmz13avzMgFJjRk5PcmApr4gQEq-VxmyvqMDaJ6DRgzaepAJCPTEbmHqq496nU0gMOWbsIY03VreYAsFQ3muDNUONxc7ZJ4WFP4qssCmKxabBCDlmEZVNMh0/s2048/IMG_9374.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9vAZbtOfBYLPijfwxrMdmz13avzMgFJjRk5PcmApr4gQEq-VxmyvqMDaJ6DRgzaepAJCPTEbmHqq496nU0gMOWbsIY03VreYAsFQ3muDNUONxc7ZJ4WFP4qssCmKxabBCDlmEZVNMh0/s320/IMG_9374.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We turned back to Santa Fe but first we had to stop at a fun roadside attraction: camel rock. It's always neat when nature makes its own silly roadside attractions. This one is a good one. As we were driving down the highway we saw signs saying "Camel Rock" next exit. We all looked around and then we saw it right off the highway and yeah... it looks like a camel. I left a painted rock of the New Mexico state flag at the picnic area near the rock.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpKY1I2hyphenhyphen04oPLuiokS1IvrMwFg609-mdGcNE8DN9svj1SG5u-xnu4kAUa4biNoDfaNEq3sIVNfsmL9iNNU6Xu9GwBxpyi11KeGICMFVGaLz3frFRjDdZEHA5ZvpMIYo1dGWMbwEPEUM/s2048/IMG_9383.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpKY1I2hyphenhyphen04oPLuiokS1IvrMwFg609-mdGcNE8DN9svj1SG5u-xnu4kAUa4biNoDfaNEq3sIVNfsmL9iNNU6Xu9GwBxpyi11KeGICMFVGaLz3frFRjDdZEHA5ZvpMIYo1dGWMbwEPEUM/s320/IMG_9383.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcI-zra0l5630JgPxTH7XlQRcX3UN-7Duxz0oap19aula_Ht6moaiWTbqXaMLfvtqVLANAafJsjc-461vF3iztleYTr_zGeR_TPO-fVy1pPWF9rHVZtohaznfFruCPMvQsi0c0fYx6ec/s2048/IMG_9379.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcI-zra0l5630JgPxTH7XlQRcX3UN-7Duxz0oap19aula_Ht6moaiWTbqXaMLfvtqVLANAafJsjc-461vF3iztleYTr_zGeR_TPO-fVy1pPWF9rHVZtohaznfFruCPMvQsi0c0fYx6ec/s320/IMG_9379.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Once back in Santa Fe we went to San Miguel, the oldest church in the 48 contiguous states. The mission was originally built in 1610 but it has seen a lot of change. In 1640 the Governor and the Franciscan friars at the Church had a falling out. The Friars were forced out of the city and part of the church was dismantled. In 1641 however the Governor was arrested and the Franciscans returned and rebuilt. In 1680 during the Pueblo Revolt when indigenous people rose up against the ruling Spanish, the mission was damaged. It was repaired but only temporarily. In 1710 a larger refurbishing was completed using the original foundation but changing the shape of the apse. In the1830s the bell tower was added but then the church fell into disrepair. In 1881 the church was sold to the Christian Brothers of De La Salle who ran a nearby school. In 1887 the bell tower was repaired, a new metal roof completed, and buttresses were added and support the walls were finished. The last remodeling was completed in 1955. The apse maintained the trapezoidal shape and the church is small at 24 feet wide and 70 feet long. Unfortunately it was also closed like the Cathedral so we could not see the original bell or the reredos, large decorated pieces behind the altar, dating back to the 1700s.<div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzostQqp_O7GsXTbt96asWxhw7U0Xn3lMjCiqYDGwJlqi4ORwGdscOYYFarjSLRDeyhZ-GLOnMXt3Er4d9qaLnP0fwedkCALQF9ijavz5O5upolA5D5PcKvcqcl6j2zTX08KP3sRE20/s2048/IMG_9391.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzostQqp_O7GsXTbt96asWxhw7U0Xn3lMjCiqYDGwJlqi4ORwGdscOYYFarjSLRDeyhZ-GLOnMXt3Er4d9qaLnP0fwedkCALQF9ijavz5O5upolA5D5PcKvcqcl6j2zTX08KP3sRE20/s320/IMG_9391.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Next we travelled a few minutes away to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Stair. The chapel was commissioned in 1873 as an addition to the school owned by the Sisters of Loretto. Connecting the chapel to the choir loft is a spiral staircase that has become the chapel's most striking feature. Apparently as construction was on going there was a lot of questions about how one would reach the choir loft. The small size of the chapel meant that a traditional staircase would take up a large portion of the chapel. Legend tells that the Sisters began praying a Novena, nine days of prayer, to St. Joseph for help with the question of reaching the choir loft. At the end of their prayer a mysterious stranger appeared with simple wood working tools and he set to work at building the staircase. There are several mysteries surrounding the staircase:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Who was the mysterious stranger?</div><div>2. How is it supported with no center pole like many spiral stairs?</div><div>3. What kind of wood was used and how was it held together?</div><div><br /><div>Now the most miraculous version of the story of the stairs says that St. Joseph, the patron Saint of carpenters on the ninth day of the novena came and in one night he built the staircase and then disappeared before his identity could be revealed and without requesting any payment. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because the archdiocese had sold the chapel to a private company which now holds events in the space it was open for viewing despite the Bishops call to close due to Covid 19. Standing inside and looking at the staircase is truly a splendid sight. The stairs are 20 feet and completely twist around twice. An iron rail and a support to a column were added after the stair case was built. The wood used is some kind of spruce but is not native to New Mexico. One thing that stands out when you closely examine the stairs is that there are no signs of nails. The stairs are held together by glue and wooden pegs rather than nails it creates a beautiful solid finish. Most spiral staircases also have a pole at the center to support the weight of the staircase. Instead on this staircase the weight is supported by the seven interior stringers that are interlocked and glued together. The spiral is so tight it gives similar support to a straight stringer. That leaves the question of who was the carpenter? Who ever he was his work is masterful. Carpenters with todays modern tools at their hands have looked at the staircase and shook their heads at the work. In her 2002 work historian Mary Jean Cook may have found the identity of the carpenter. Francois-Jean Rochas had travelled to New Mexico to work as a rancher in the 1870s. The Sisters had an entry in their 1881 ledger paying him $150 for wood and in an article about his death in 1895 it is mentioned that he was considered an expert carpenter and had built a staircase in Santa Fe. </div><div><br /></div><div>So was Rochas the mysterious stranger who built the stairs? Maybe does that make it no longer a miraculous staircase, I don't think so. The craftsmanship and design leaves todays modern carpenters with more precise tools in awe. Francois was the answer to the Sister' s prayers and his work still stands today giving visitors a beautiful work of art to admire.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWURpXe_Bhm21rMQBGDvRubIIqCfP-TzCTapEyA5e_Lu_J7HzuXwmYE7V1mXESL007nkrhTXzY41vIWFBpTCUQm7OUixpbjMXGTZ12goG9N7mkTzz9osOsBfONNfRuCTGHyVp-a8A0LM/s2048/IMG_9405.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWURpXe_Bhm21rMQBGDvRubIIqCfP-TzCTapEyA5e_Lu_J7HzuXwmYE7V1mXESL007nkrhTXzY41vIWFBpTCUQm7OUixpbjMXGTZ12goG9N7mkTzz9osOsBfONNfRuCTGHyVp-a8A0LM/w396-h528/IMG_9405.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><br /><div>Before leaving Santa Fe my Mom wanted to stop at a store she had seen the day before. She had seen the sign advertising "<a href="https://russianart.us.com/">Russian Art Gallery</a>" and noticed a beautiful Matryoshka doll in the window as we had driven by. I parked nearby and left Meg with the dogs and the car as my Mom and I walked a few blocks to the store. As we went in the store was filled a variety of different types of styles of art. There were oil paintings, matryoshka dolls, painted eggs, and lacquer boxes. When we entered Jiri, one of the owners, quickly greeted us. The store had originated in north Carolina but him and Olga, co-owner, had decided to change locations and moved to Santa Fe several years ago. Sadly Covid and raising rent was hurting his business and like many other small businesses he was faced with changing his way of doing business. My Mom and I were looking at an impressive set of nesting dolls and I was counting the dolls up. I said "oh wow nineteen pieces." "How many did you say?" Questioned Jiri. "Nineteen" I repeated a little unsure. "Count again." He said with a smile. I turned and this time I saw it almost right away. The tiniest Matryoshka doll I had ever seen. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTVGKJouX6I206iV85apJdBiaxAzUWKR11d-3lRyPM5CT5hLjTk0TWkzmt6lcw9EWcltffQMYwGAWssrWjcaZoHGydsvMjhs_QpesQI_r3AwhuRq1g2mFXD8CRy0FMsVgElHuZWm1lEo/s2048/IMG_9706.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTVGKJouX6I206iV85apJdBiaxAzUWKR11d-3lRyPM5CT5hLjTk0TWkzmt6lcw9EWcltffQMYwGAWssrWjcaZoHGydsvMjhs_QpesQI_r3AwhuRq1g2mFXD8CRy0FMsVgElHuZWm1lEo/s320/IMG_9706.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoHiFTkzSYrHI6Z7YQwrFWQRa2oJTN6ldEE2KqwfbF2KvDMj22RCGNBIO5KqWZhwPrpfBkmQ_fg_gFrDvwVSUqX-ApA0a4dAulqwjG7qi82gR4EW3wHaxo28ODv6NYedjZMZ7F8Xoko0/s2048/IMG_9705.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoHiFTkzSYrHI6Z7YQwrFWQRa2oJTN6ldEE2KqwfbF2KvDMj22RCGNBIO5KqWZhwPrpfBkmQ_fg_gFrDvwVSUqX-ApA0a4dAulqwjG7qi82gR4EW3wHaxo28ODv6NYedjZMZ7F8Xoko0/w346-h260/IMG_9705.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Up above I have the link to their website. They are also on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theRussianArtGallery/">Facebook</a>. The hardest part for a store like this about switching online is that no two items are the same so each item would need individual listings. If you are a collector or enjoy Russian/Eastern European art check out one of those links for beautiful authentic pieces of art.</p><p>Next up was a long drive to stand on a corner..... in Winslow, Arizona! When I had been looking up information to plan a drive down Rte 66 I had found that there was a photo up street sign, traveling guitar player statue, and a flat bed Ford. </p><p>Winslow had been a thriving town until around the 1970s when a bypass for I-40 was built. The traffic no longer had to pass through Winslow and a lot of jobs, tourism, and businesses were lost. In 1997 La Posada, an original Harvey House- string of hotels opened along the rail road lines, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This proved the first step Winslow needed. The Standin' on the Corner Foundation was formed and in 1999 Standin' On the Corner Park was opened to the public. The goal was to use the popular song to help revitalize Winslow. </p><p>Jackson Brown had begun work on Take it Easy planning to use it on his own album but he found himself stuck. He had the line "Well I'm standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona" but had nothing to finish it with. He reached out to Glenn Frey who added "Such a fine sight to see. It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me." Just like the verse is a joint project between the two singers the story behind it is a joint story between two towns. Jackson Browne had been on his way to Sedona when his car broke down resulting in him spending the entire day in Winslow. At another time Browne had told a story to Glenn Frey about a time when he was in Flagstaff and a young blond woman in a Toyota had slowed down to check him out. A few minor changes and it was that story that inspired the end of the verse. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN5MK3ZLhbt7cDV9E6RR_6XX_-0mCIssh5i1z2FcDDItyOcLutP1N8dmLx2xdRndPRxWWqLYMni2gdjikRYls9M2f_2_R1AWBBjCmfubNnEB1Ujh3aOL25MQwmkKGEKqFOHm8JyMPofE/s2048/IMG_9427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN5MK3ZLhbt7cDV9E6RR_6XX_-0mCIssh5i1z2FcDDItyOcLutP1N8dmLx2xdRndPRxWWqLYMni2gdjikRYls9M2f_2_R1AWBBjCmfubNnEB1Ujh3aOL25MQwmkKGEKqFOHm8JyMPofE/s320/IMG_9427.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Originally I had looked at staying at La Posada but the timing didn't work out and we continued to Flagstaff where we planned to spend the night. And it was a good thing that we wanted to stop there because with a light snow falling and temperatures dropping the roads were becoming pretty slick. We dropped my Mom and the pups at the hotel and then went to Flagstaff Brewing Company to order to go and bring back dinner to the hotel. Flagstaff Brewing was located in a brick building with a welcoming decor. The bar had a beer and wine tap as well as a large variety of liquors. The decor around the brewery very much had an outdoor/active feel to it. We enjoyed a flight while we waited and then picked a beer to bring back with us. Right before we went to bed I took Gypsy out for a walk and she got to play in the snow!</p><p>The next morning we began our drive to another bucket list location, we reached so many throughout these trips. About three hours after leaving Flagstaff we reached the Grand Canyon!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyVGsc4VmyVSytd6v3D8Qlq2VNcsASfGY7706poIphS3YOx21UTDfo_td1EpBcJPYGZ-NDt5YEfBr3pSQqCLj3GqV_5NBfnnn-LctTLb7hONGWLjHQp6FFXelplWDN8eubbEJg3SNSSw/s2711/IMG_9462.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="2711" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyVGsc4VmyVSytd6v3D8Qlq2VNcsASfGY7706poIphS3YOx21UTDfo_td1EpBcJPYGZ-NDt5YEfBr3pSQqCLj3GqV_5NBfnnn-LctTLb7hONGWLjHQp6FFXelplWDN8eubbEJg3SNSSw/w592-h253/IMG_9462.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Everything about it was breath taking the light covering of snow juxtaposed against the red and orange colors of the canyon rock, the bright blue of the sky with periodic clouds casting shadows on the canyon below, and the sheer enormity of it. The canyon is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and its depth is 6,093 feet. </p><p>The first inhabitants of the Grand Canyon where the Ancestral Puebloans around 1200 BC. The grand Canyon was also home to members of the Cohonina, Yuman, Havasupai, Hualapai, and Hopi cultures with the latter few still calling the surrounding area home. The area is considered sacred by many and looking out at the deep Canyon formed by the Colorado River it is easy to see why.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDwgitX9XK_5DQCAZCd0bmPuowWBC0RxmpOMTtKrzTt5PhWPvSOD9AmuWmIiIukWqvowmc78xlYnpdxNbYZBAh8YU-mljDkwZ3ueKFtV36cGSr0BzDYON8vKUGNCTQuyqaAaDWPooNik/s2048/IMG_9471.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDwgitX9XK_5DQCAZCd0bmPuowWBC0RxmpOMTtKrzTt5PhWPvSOD9AmuWmIiIukWqvowmc78xlYnpdxNbYZBAh8YU-mljDkwZ3ueKFtV36cGSr0BzDYON8vKUGNCTQuyqaAaDWPooNik/w332-h442/IMG_9471.jpg" width="332" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N7xQijlEU0vKts8tYmPR8hO4cKTIMeAwT0zdmMraFuSLni4pb0gGes4YmbiPFjhUhqBw1OarLUDRaenjPMmPIFmwJTBDJRWY1BRO_K6sjB6SnWPQoaNqi6sPWPTNG74OAWloBgUyfkQ/s2048/IMG_9485.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1N7xQijlEU0vKts8tYmPR8hO4cKTIMeAwT0zdmMraFuSLni4pb0gGes4YmbiPFjhUhqBw1OarLUDRaenjPMmPIFmwJTBDJRWY1BRO_K6sjB6SnWPQoaNqi6sPWPTNG74OAWloBgUyfkQ/w323-h243/IMG_9485.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtH48bCWZXF3QeWa6d43s8aIVS5MgtAPCWAvmOwCiXl9BfdMy00hJxcmtkhjbn_Oe7CYY9Yqnvlayu2-YcVPxEx2lXTlsr9VOHYRGHyHDj1aHED10GbzDNXYO3nCgTvboH1YNWtVN9dQ/s2048/IMG_9479.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtH48bCWZXF3QeWa6d43s8aIVS5MgtAPCWAvmOwCiXl9BfdMy00hJxcmtkhjbn_Oe7CYY9Yqnvlayu2-YcVPxEx2lXTlsr9VOHYRGHyHDj1aHED10GbzDNXYO3nCgTvboH1YNWtVN9dQ/w338-h451/IMG_9479.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>We also got to see several of the different wildlife species in the park including apparently the reclusive javelina described by American author and environmentalist Edward Abbey as:</p><p style="text-align: center;">"My favorite desert animal, I think, after such obvious choices as coyote, vulture, cougar, ring-tailed cat, gila monster and gopher snake, is the whimsical, cockeyed, half-mad, always eccentric, more or less loveable Pecari angulatus sonoriensis, otherwise known as the javelina or peccary."</p><p>Sadly I have no picture of them but as we drove the rim we saw two of these cute fellows walking along in the woods. Speaking of animals we also saw a man walking his cat on a leash in the snow at the Grand Canyon. This made Meghan's day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZD-KSW12JwzVw320y3VaZcIQhyphenhyphenNNkiRbI5eazjLX5suIcSPP5dDTHrSoEH7bih7cXcdvs0kO4i7QQDrPZotFQu5iFBo8zoMZ1ICnM7vj9jiRsne9gh06CZ0sOvHyKvj2QBy0xdwUKOY/s2048/IMG_9518.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="517" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZD-KSW12JwzVw320y3VaZcIQhyphenhyphenNNkiRbI5eazjLX5suIcSPP5dDTHrSoEH7bih7cXcdvs0kO4i7QQDrPZotFQu5iFBo8zoMZ1ICnM7vj9jiRsne9gh06CZ0sOvHyKvj2QBy0xdwUKOY/w388-h517/IMG_9518.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><p>We spent the night near the Grand Canyon and then left early the next morning for our next destination. It was November 11th, Veterans Day, and our next stop was the entire reason why we had to take this trip at this particular time. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 World War One officially ended. The day was originally celebrated as Armistice Day to celebrate the Veterans of World War One. In 1954 the name was changed to Veterans Day to celebrate all who had served in the military and had been discharged honorably. The spelling of the name sometimes has an apostrophe making it possessive however that is incorrect. The day does not belong to Veterans instead Veterans is attributive- describing the person who is honored. </p><p>So we drove south from the Grand Canyon to Anthem, AZ to see the Veterans Memorial. The Memorial was designed by Renee Palmer Jones and was dedicated in 2011. It features five white pillars with a circular opening in them representing each of the branches of the military. The red of the bricks, white pillars, and blue sky combine to represent the United States Flag. The names of servicemen and woman are written on the bricks. At 11:11 the circular openings line up with the sun and illuminate the great seal of the United States. Normally there is a large celebration that attracts thousands of people. I knew that the celebration was cancelled because they did not want to attract the crowd but the sun would still be shining. We arrived there early and the first entrance we came to was blocked off. My heart dropped a little bit. I became concerned that they may have closed the park off to really keep away a crowd. That was not the case though and we were able to turn into the next entrance. We parked and walked past a playground and miniature train tracks complete with train that kids could ride. There were several members of law enforcement including a canine unit. We walked around the memorial it was a little before nine and there were already a few people gathered around. The memorial was roped off to keep people back. I settled by the barricade a little bit to the left of the seal. Gypsy Rover had made it past the officers canine and three other dogs really successfully but then she saw a medium sized dog a little shorter than her and she started getting super excited. With the amount of dogs that were there and the amount of time we had to wait Meg decided to hang out at the car with the dogs. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTXn0lMnbwW4Dn3djtWC5gLdPnCNayFo_hpuBBGdIvLWJ5d7f_ljWhqc2srxXOchVz4dJ7fUyxe5mfyx5WFg-kPQ6d5GTBXcLeKPLg-i3Grd6o_T3saDPhWU076LPmuXeVrnTMpzJsjs/s2048/IMG_9544.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTXn0lMnbwW4Dn3djtWC5gLdPnCNayFo_hpuBBGdIvLWJ5d7f_ljWhqc2srxXOchVz4dJ7fUyxe5mfyx5WFg-kPQ6d5GTBXcLeKPLg-i3Grd6o_T3saDPhWU076LPmuXeVrnTMpzJsjs/s320/IMG_9544.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzNWYvRv8kdgI4-DmBk-dAxF67C4kadTw-Cqc8q6ntOKPhyphenhyphenyEPNj4XU822fbWkWP7mnsx41_zp5GEAxFc8HHmyyWhumR58L6z26v41aFQpedyGMbizs_8msbM2f2v8rHNOR5DFqHAm7Q/s2048/IMG_9553.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzNWYvRv8kdgI4-DmBk-dAxF67C4kadTw-Cqc8q6ntOKPhyphenhyphenyEPNj4XU822fbWkWP7mnsx41_zp5GEAxFc8HHmyyWhumR58L6z26v41aFQpedyGMbizs_8msbM2f2v8rHNOR5DFqHAm7Q/s320/IMG_9553.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>My Mom had started a conversation with one of the sheriffs about several things including what brought him to Anthem. My Mom also told him about our hope to see a roadrunner in person. As time went on the crowd began to grow. We met a group of three woman. One was a local and the other two were friends of hers who had come to town to see the Memorial. One of them was traveling to every state capitol. We discussed Nashville for a bit before settling back to waiting. My Mom at one point had wandered off and I was holding our spot when the sheriff came over to me through the crowd and asked me to come with him. At first I was worried about losing my spot that I had been guarding now for awhile but the people around me promised they would hold my spot. I went with him and there by a little pond he pointed at a bird.... a roadrunner! I thanked the Sheriff and then I snapped a few pictures right before the little fellow ran a bit to the side. He didn't go far and I went back to my spot where most of the people who had been around me kept their word and did not take my spot. One set of people had moved forward but not to the barrier so I went back to where I had been and just had less room than before. My Mom had also returned while I was gone and the others had told her the Sheriff had come to get me. I told her about the roadrunner and pointed her in the direction. She was able to see it just before it ran off. She returned and we settled back to waiting. </p><p>The sun was already beginning to move across the Seal and as 11:11 approached it became more and more illuminated. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSQccGTpsFeDvmwTiSIYwndOBZz0t3KCGh6QMzeDonmP3pLCnhfoZEWPo09aD5oXn02Bq7XljNsW8mPnuB1B16m6x6fkIuGWl0zl5yCWm06YU_Vpb6UjoPMWzsFx6xjQXGjXP6iprfwk/s2048/IMG_9582.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSQccGTpsFeDvmwTiSIYwndOBZz0t3KCGh6QMzeDonmP3pLCnhfoZEWPo09aD5oXn02Bq7XljNsW8mPnuB1B16m6x6fkIuGWl0zl5yCWm06YU_Vpb6UjoPMWzsFx6xjQXGjXP6iprfwk/w292-h389/IMG_9582.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMB_yi1U3BoUc7j8JERUjdv2k9yQtS2vyRkG0u5ECQKnzTcXIOXuxveq9KhuIuIC0qtNwkiUZRGnquI2BKPjvHQ_LVHz3mBSLY-zOYvDT946MlsZhVFSoYhP_y5BUzMszWDwsLSCS3cc/s2048/IMG_9583.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMB_yi1U3BoUc7j8JERUjdv2k9yQtS2vyRkG0u5ECQKnzTcXIOXuxveq9KhuIuIC0qtNwkiUZRGnquI2BKPjvHQ_LVHz3mBSLY-zOYvDT946MlsZhVFSoYhP_y5BUzMszWDwsLSCS3cc/w319-h426/IMG_9583.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>With the moment finally here the crowd cheered and then slowly began to disperse. I looked around the park and left a painted rock by a tree on it I had painted a poppy, a symbol of remembrance for Veterans. I know that shortly after I left the rock it was found by a child because the parent reached out to me. They moved it elsewhere in the park. So far several people have reached out to me about finding the rocks. I think one or two of them kept them. Others re-hid them. One person who found a rock completely moved it from Ohio all the way to PA which is awesome, who knows how far it could have travelled by now!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82OrEu8LSgJzTAojGDEpSb68EekUIN0UwCvHb3NETAGMbT529V71vuysisFKNLr0XBY6Ea2n6JrzQE_4G-G61p3QHiYGJp3qncAhZSYehNUd-qfxWEezaLFaenN_ZVCCxz_5t_HTELRw/s2048/IMG_9586.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82OrEu8LSgJzTAojGDEpSb68EekUIN0UwCvHb3NETAGMbT529V71vuysisFKNLr0XBY6Ea2n6JrzQE_4G-G61p3QHiYGJp3qncAhZSYehNUd-qfxWEezaLFaenN_ZVCCxz_5t_HTELRw/s320/IMG_9586.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As we were leaving I also snapped a picture of a saguaro cactus, apparently what I think of as the stereotypical cactus is only found in a small area in the south west. It made me laugh to think that just the day before I was stunned into silence by the splendor of the Grand Canyon. One day later I was overjoyed to see roadrunners and cacti. One could say I am easily amused however, as I see it, there will be a lot more roadrunners and cacti in my life and way less Grand Canyons. I have to find a way to recognize the joy in small moments. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggllAoCV_GfFonNeSBacnRxqBRUPBArO1MC8nK9d4ftFhEddib5OFW35ZVun5hMkcON87ij_tlCvXGfz97JF3uogRqdpu9CN8_EtgMMv1wRndyXzfKVAhRH4R6u1bb-aKIIA2xkGvR8Jc/s2048/IMG_9558.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggllAoCV_GfFonNeSBacnRxqBRUPBArO1MC8nK9d4ftFhEddib5OFW35ZVun5hMkcON87ij_tlCvXGfz97JF3uogRqdpu9CN8_EtgMMv1wRndyXzfKVAhRH4R6u1bb-aKIIA2xkGvR8Jc/w298-h397/IMG_9558.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1OZ_pB_-yDMYzTD0Ed-ke01SXXK7IPfjPInbq7lncFwrdd9u9eH_SDLkI4DiznWw2o-AR2h204hWGksvKUUivM_ZxGPja7JRY3WRdn-ZS6yzcpscr7-xdruCiIfJ61CRUk2RhdvYl1s/s2048/IMG_9573.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1OZ_pB_-yDMYzTD0Ed-ke01SXXK7IPfjPInbq7lncFwrdd9u9eH_SDLkI4DiznWw2o-AR2h204hWGksvKUUivM_ZxGPja7JRY3WRdn-ZS6yzcpscr7-xdruCiIfJ61CRUk2RhdvYl1s/s320/IMG_9573.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>After leaving Anthem we drove to Tucson. I had originally wanted to go to Arizona in 2019 and planned on visiting with family but I was unable to take the time off. For most these trips we didn't tell people where we would be and didn't try and meet up in fact there wre a couple of times where after making an instagram or facebook post I would get a message from a friend or family member that we had just passed them. Now as the trip was approaching and Covid numbers were rising I did reach out to them a few times just to be sure they would be comfortable meeting up. I didn't want them to feel pressure to meet up, there would be other road trips and other chances. We did end up meeting up at Barrio Brewing for a delicious meal and just some catching up that is always fun when you have family members who you don't see often spread out around the country. </div><div><br /></div><div>We also had a neat road side attraction to visit in Tucson. It is a statue of an invisible horse. In a median of a four lane road there is a statue of a horse and baby. From a distance the statue is nearly invisible then as you approach it to view from the side it becomes visible. The best way to view it is to get into what looks like a bus lane but after driving by a few times I realized it was there to see the statue.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RduNM1ti_eU" width="320" youtube-src-id="RduNM1ti_eU"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcVaXh1FGQxPp0PIT7fMIrQ-BZAbcRNtNqEnZE3zUH6REAV99OTZQHDFPdoyHnZJ7qyYIHOLzhbZ3WHVen2N61FjV0e0LvR5nRmdRmg3bpmOWjjrCvrvjFMJtOZ08yc9AnMbQ5dSS0Sc/s2048/IMG_9598.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcVaXh1FGQxPp0PIT7fMIrQ-BZAbcRNtNqEnZE3zUH6REAV99OTZQHDFPdoyHnZJ7qyYIHOLzhbZ3WHVen2N61FjV0e0LvR5nRmdRmg3bpmOWjjrCvrvjFMJtOZ08yc9AnMbQ5dSS0Sc/w439-h329/IMG_9598.jpg" width="439" /></a></div><br /><div>After leaving Tucson we began heading east towards our final state, Louisiana. Our route took us east and back in to New Mexico. It was late at night when I stopped at a rest stop off highway 10 in New Mexico. I got out of the car and began closing the door when I looked up and froze. Above me was the most beautiful clear and star filled sky I have ever seen. If I had time to just stand there for hours I think I would have. It just further convinced me that New Mexico really is a magical place of enchantment. Next time I drive through I will be leaving plenty of time for night sky watching. </div><div><br /></div><div>We continued driving east to Las Cruces. A gentleman at the Veterans Memorial had told us about the farmers market in Las Cruces, New Mexico but we weren't there at the right time. We did get to see a giant chile pepper.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-cmZg0yDFa382XFfk258lY6K-h8DkFxAytEYxLRs5aG43v2_6sqnBwv-kJx-a1UwTmQIWESC-6-oHaPKhZmlLXRTG7EIqa8JBZ1QC2pB8xHL_xhjFkC5OHTQvbzsHgXzdQntHSmqfUw/s2048/IMG_9615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-cmZg0yDFa382XFfk258lY6K-h8DkFxAytEYxLRs5aG43v2_6sqnBwv-kJx-a1UwTmQIWESC-6-oHaPKhZmlLXRTG7EIqa8JBZ1QC2pB8xHL_xhjFkC5OHTQvbzsHgXzdQntHSmqfUw/w568-h426/IMG_9615.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br /><div>Our route took us all the way to the American/Mexican border so not only did we drive in all 48 contiguous states but we also managed to drive close enough to our neighbors to wave hi!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><p>We stopped for lunch in Odessa, Texas at Frisky Brewing Co. The food was good but the best part was sharing our trip with the waiter who brought us out a special dessert and asked if he could take our picture.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG555Keu5jj1ID1MwTpDZgdIbNkMZYIyOKRsA0vMGrOsZOSLwt3JtGQ4cXad9M6tKHVPAwQvsCCDr-cMZNL5UnlAGeA8OYc2a2R44pbydQDX7Y35XzIux5hJyh69FqMDwHMMT46xaL6Go/s2048/IMG_9632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG555Keu5jj1ID1MwTpDZgdIbNkMZYIyOKRsA0vMGrOsZOSLwt3JtGQ4cXad9M6tKHVPAwQvsCCDr-cMZNL5UnlAGeA8OYc2a2R44pbydQDX7Y35XzIux5hJyh69FqMDwHMMT46xaL6Go/w228-h303/IMG_9632.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>And then we were there.....</p><p>State 48: Louisiana! </p><p>Steel Magnolias is a movie that I watch whenever it is on. As a family we have watched it many times and we saw it performed on Broadway. So this movie about women supporting each other and the relationship between a mother and daughter made perfect sense as our last stop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpdkzLMxJe8-eaMb9NYZ35cdX14yrMUw2lHl7V_v054heuDQKhm1oMi_o3X44duUcEXH4BXaQu8R1jR6jE4IYOvJDH6bK1CAc8ogy0ouzvdRwaMwalJ5P0kI5I0yuVzyM6YWaWmoNk_g/s2048/IMG_9664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpdkzLMxJe8-eaMb9NYZ35cdX14yrMUw2lHl7V_v054heuDQKhm1oMi_o3X44duUcEXH4BXaQu8R1jR6jE4IYOvJDH6bK1CAc8ogy0ouzvdRwaMwalJ5P0kI5I0yuVzyM6YWaWmoNk_g/w498-h374/IMG_9664.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br /><p>At the street was a sign that marked the house as the "Steel Magnolias House." The house is in a neighborhood of similar beautiful homes most of which seemed to be Bed and Breakfasts. We parked on a side street and walked in front of the house. I had hoped to get a picture of us on the porch but a woman who was working on the yard of the house next door yelled at anyone who went near the house telling them the owners didn't want anyone near the house. So I settled for this picture from the sidewalk. </p><p>Now Louisiana is famous for its food and I have a whole road trip planned to New Orleans that is basically all eating. So we wanted to get something that would be unique to the area we were in and decided on ice cream at Yum Yum Dessert Bar. We watched as they made to order our rolled ice cream. The owner, Shika Stewart, was behind the counter with a young man who was still learning the technique. She patiently showed him and re-rolled some of the ones he had done. This one he did perfectly well on his way to being a master with an excellent teacher!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdrpgyQiMQpy8KJeN6IlhQSQUWUgHvl9VQqRAw-DM-ZlyPKgVo3SXLI1yiiOPHw64V6Zp16a3AM03P02a7zhbQUyty-xmnXAolEO49hw14btqai84mWoT6s442aQ7H-EIBVRKkX9zCMs/s2048/IMG_9683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdrpgyQiMQpy8KJeN6IlhQSQUWUgHvl9VQqRAw-DM-ZlyPKgVo3SXLI1yiiOPHw64V6Zp16a3AM03P02a7zhbQUyty-xmnXAolEO49hw14btqai84mWoT6s442aQ7H-EIBVRKkX9zCMs/w346-h461/IMG_9683.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><br /><p>The process takes a bit of time since they pour a house made ice cream mix on to a frozen slab and then using spatulas/tools they flatten it into a smooth layer that can be rolled as you see above. It is definitely a skill and amazing to watch as they work the mix into a delicious dessert.</p><p>And then we drove home. We accomplished something amazing we saw so many different places of historical or geological value. We saw locations famous because of movies and songs. We visited must see tourist destinations and holes in the wall/ rare gems that no one had ever heard of, even locals. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img alt="No description available." class="nskh8ow2 idiwt2bm d2edcug0 dbpd2lw6" height="834" src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/137261434_230486401870179_5753473482375689743_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=2&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=6lpVyweUSWMAX-JHLCR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=bb5dbe1112cc27f5caae6d3c9b433f43&oe=6023E886" width="667" /><br /><p><br /></p><p>Thank you to anyone who has shared this adventures with us!</p><p><br /></p></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-72505320342917921382021-01-03T10:26:00.000-08:002021-01-03T10:26:36.446-08:00Great Lakes!<p><br /></p><p>Now it was time for our fifteenth road trip of this series. Most had been quick weekend trips but we ended with a series of long trips. The map of states we had visited looked like this:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITJCF9TpQUQW0pnd0bqY9YY9z01fosxTu90bwSEDTanY3PpCG6nTsNn9PDyGq3LpeKGqWwAbeOSBcImg6blkcDEi2TKIaCjCOrbNhSxBBBElOexGfEQ76xXNGUrRj0Fd6lfrB6FahReE/s1494/montana.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITJCF9TpQUQW0pnd0bqY9YY9z01fosxTu90bwSEDTanY3PpCG6nTsNn9PDyGq3LpeKGqWwAbeOSBcImg6blkcDEi2TKIaCjCOrbNhSxBBBElOexGfEQ76xXNGUrRj0Fd6lfrB6FahReE/s320/montana.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Clearly with two trips left the directions we needed to go were obvious. </p><p>This trip was back in the first week of October so it nicely coincided with Meg and my birthday and the beautiful sight of leaves changing color in the North East. I was excited for all the trips but this one was a bit of a home coming because so many of these locations were places we had been before and hadn't seen in awhile. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx-j127gV9CHqg5Ymjgpi8y5S8jBLxtN1_vdY8y-tnVwl0lWP5VN7WnZI7h16Y-QC_w-A0IM8flvY7DnqLKAAl52Ez0tSMf711YKzeP753B43nPPD5299FsDzdzynSRYKVlGalCtAonY/s2048/IMG_8685.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx-j127gV9CHqg5Ymjgpi8y5S8jBLxtN1_vdY8y-tnVwl0lWP5VN7WnZI7h16Y-QC_w-A0IM8flvY7DnqLKAAl52Ez0tSMf711YKzeP753B43nPPD5299FsDzdzynSRYKVlGalCtAonY/w141-h188/IMG_8685.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>Before we left we grabbed lunch at Cori's Dog House Nashville location, the original is in Mt. Juliet. It seemed fitting to eat at a restaurant with a hot dog for every state when we were about to embark on a road trip to 13 different states. I had the New York #1 (fitting) with sauerkraut and deli mustard. Yummmm.......<p></p><p>And I want to say Cori's set the mood for food on the trip. We had some of the best meals on this trip. Not that we didn't find stand out restaurants and breweries on most of these trips but given the season and locations on this trip we paired it very nicely with food and drink.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciTDvvPX8Z0L_Sj12NJz-lo0-TW0z7pwgMOUFXteEwTQtxWFsOVtuQirAeL7pML_PIntHCuZ9n-h_cc6WaI43WH5PJRNEx-VLBF8iDwsjRIM7kUiPLtES3if09IH_JuQjnA2uKZ5bFRw/s2048/IMG_8701.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciTDvvPX8Z0L_Sj12NJz-lo0-TW0z7pwgMOUFXteEwTQtxWFsOVtuQirAeL7pML_PIntHCuZ9n-h_cc6WaI43WH5PJRNEx-VLBF8iDwsjRIM7kUiPLtES3if09IH_JuQjnA2uKZ5bFRw/w163-h217/IMG_8701.jpg" width="163" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Our first day of travel didn't have any planned stops. We were on our way to PA but it was too much to drive in one day especially because we didn't leave in the morning. So we stopped in Moorehead, KY for drinks at Sawstone Brewing Co. and dinner at Rise and Roll food truck. The side street was closed off and tables were set up but we sat up on the patio with the dogs. We were right next door to the county courthouse which had a statue out front in honor of the Quilting tradition of Kentucky. </p><br /><p><br /></p><p>We continued on until we reached Morgantown, West Virginia where we stopped at a really nice LaQuinta right off the highway. We liked the hotel which was good because on the way home from the trip we stopped here again. It was a bit of a stretch drive and we didn't end up settling to sleep until midnight and with a lot of ground to cover before our next stop we had to get up early and hit the road before 7am. It took a little under 2 hours and we reached our first location in Shanksville, PA and the Memorial to Flight 93. September 11th, 2001 is a day that none of us will ever forget. I have written about it before: <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2013/09/i-remember.html">I Remember</a>. The pictures in the post are broken links I think because I copied them from facebook but I don't think I have them anymore: one was the tower of light, one was a typewriter, and the last was the picture which is now hanging in my Mom's condo. The first time we had been to The Flight 93 Memorial it was very early on and there was just a small storage building or maybe a trailer at the empty field. Now the Memorial was finished. We walked the Observation deck that followed the path of the plane and ended pointing directly to where Flight 93 crashed. On the ground were markers giving the times of when the other planes and Flight 93 crashed. From there we drove around the field to walk the wall of names. There was one area where people had left metals and trinkets of memorial. I left behind a painted rock with a quote from Sandy Dahl, wife of pilot Jason Dahl, that I found particularly beautiful:</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">"If we learn anything else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate."</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcZJa4wIeg1WNFAzBtHvh1OtJjdWAVGN2JmhQJsg2AtY8dTcCQ4Nc5oYnYXrNM2FfvtP5dxeAcn22Rg4kOMtEd-bf2LHxgdi15F6UcxTpxn6xpk_4wrTzfx_BaaK6JW7wGL2JE-5-M3s/s2048/IMG_8727.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="862" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcZJa4wIeg1WNFAzBtHvh1OtJjdWAVGN2JmhQJsg2AtY8dTcCQ4Nc5oYnYXrNM2FfvtP5dxeAcn22Rg4kOMtEd-bf2LHxgdi15F6UcxTpxn6xpk_4wrTzfx_BaaK6JW7wGL2JE-5-M3s/w647-h862/IMG_8727.jpg" width="647" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTry9v6zzPF-kZdNNjxmq3psToVBMvfwbGBTKLPX1OXWR-l-G61CJAGj7QzMnNEX4di3rvKIXggY8yOlNj1tt_qW5m4iUujtqBKhmV_bOygl765ZJWURUluvUJ_XtJgMsnUppYZbkY-E/s2048/IMG_8735.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTry9v6zzPF-kZdNNjxmq3psToVBMvfwbGBTKLPX1OXWR-l-G61CJAGj7QzMnNEX4di3rvKIXggY8yOlNj1tt_qW5m4iUujtqBKhmV_bOygl765ZJWURUluvUJ_XtJgMsnUppYZbkY-E/s320/IMG_8735.jpg" /></a></div>In the background you can see the boulder that marks where the crash site and debris had been found. Someone had left a pamphlet about the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraculous_Medal">Miraculous Medal of Mary</a> but there was no medal. Oddly enough I had one in the change pocket of my wallet so I placed it down with the pamphlet. I still feel like the Memorial has a more peaceful feeling then Ground Zero. I wonder if the difference, for me, is the choice the passengers made. They were in a terrible situation but they chose to act they chose to give their lives to protect others and there is peace in them taking back what control they could. We left the crash site and went to the Tower of Voices, a 93 foot tall tower with 40 wind chimes one for each of the passengers and crew members. In this picture you can see the beautiful blue sky. That is what the sky was like on 9/11/2001. We all commented on it to each other. Every time I see a sky like this it makes me think of that day. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>From PA we traveled north into western NY. The leaves along the highway were all sorts of beautiful reds and oranges as they changed colors. When we were kids every fall we would drive north into upstate NY or CT to see the leaves. That was part of the reason I wanted to make this trip in the fall. Our next stop was the Anchor Bar where my Mom and I had stopped years earlier but Meg had already moved to TN. We couldn't remember if they had outdoor seating and it turned out they did not so my Mom waited with the dogs and Meg and I went in to make a to-go order. For those who don't know the Anchor Bar is the original home of the Buffalo Chicken Wing. The story of the Buffalo wing started in 1964 when Teressa Bellissimo's son Dominic and his friends came to the Bar looking for something to eat. It was late so Teressa had to improvise. She deep fried some chicken wings and covered them in a sauce. The wings were a hit and word spread about them. They were added to the menu and since then have been served all around the world. But none can match the wings at the Anchor Bar!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43OfLTzBHixzm0iunFA9slXc2DSCBsXGSOigCsdcoYIjkFwqpWC7_7_ljdPO3cJrbC4EUxLVXLSBGpKwiisOmJ_ATSUPzpVath1m152iafpbsVk841lgxpRQd3TGbmYL-jzzuptFVsVI/s2048/IMG_8769.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43OfLTzBHixzm0iunFA9slXc2DSCBsXGSOigCsdcoYIjkFwqpWC7_7_ljdPO3cJrbC4EUxLVXLSBGpKwiisOmJ_ATSUPzpVath1m152iafpbsVk841lgxpRQd3TGbmYL-jzzuptFVsVI/w488-h366/IMG_8769.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><p>We drove over to a park along Lake Erie to eat our wings along our second to last Great Lake but the park was closed due to recent storm damage so we used the car as a table and dug in to the delicious wings.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdRBFkNGItW3Hvo1E_dXnocvtDC5uInEsa2_0ARuRsbAvxgPE68ZHaqsjBaSV4RefoA3vW48yTkamGHT7BF2isMXZX6Anw-tJM1KgKOS8f3xy7sgDoK4gdcXgPVX87-dUKFE8Irg-jbo/s2048/IMG_8777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdRBFkNGItW3Hvo1E_dXnocvtDC5uInEsa2_0ARuRsbAvxgPE68ZHaqsjBaSV4RefoA3vW48yTkamGHT7BF2isMXZX6Anw-tJM1KgKOS8f3xy7sgDoK4gdcXgPVX87-dUKFE8Irg-jbo/s320/IMG_8777.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>From there it was a short drive to our next stop: Niagara Falls. Unfortunately the observation platform was closed due to Covid-19 so people just standing along the walk way to view the falls. It was still a good view but lost some of the full force of the Falls. Last time my Mom and I had been there the falls were frozen, a neat view, but it was nice to see and hear the rushing water. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Gz1YBC7uwWOKFb9isefHEsznmgyJaWXOr0qr3I0iUY4DVxVwGdTvlZWgaatOZaJekDsbPT9NkjfuB8UUSVXxxXg2O6nrb1Vk-AW3_jPkKzaO7CJvVyqn0Q35CFIE_1NKM37n6gL-Bs0/s2048/IMG_8796.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Gz1YBC7uwWOKFb9isefHEsznmgyJaWXOr0qr3I0iUY4DVxVwGdTvlZWgaatOZaJekDsbPT9NkjfuB8UUSVXxxXg2O6nrb1Vk-AW3_jPkKzaO7CJvVyqn0Q35CFIE_1NKM37n6gL-Bs0/s320/IMG_8796.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Next we began driving to Wilson, NY for a view of Lake Ontario, our final Great Lake. Again this was a spot my Mom and I had been to before. Years ago there was a very slight chance that we would see the Northern Lights from upstate NY so my Mom and I took a road trip (this was when we had first visited the Anchor Bar and Niagara Falls). I had found a spot right on Lake Ontario looking north to try and get as dark a sky as possible. This time I returned to the same boat ramp at the very end of Lake Street.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nJl41vbXF5vkD575tEa9bBBz_z4bUr-xJud7D0bMs1BI5ngs2BxCG_L1HtWC37dloPEJzHn5Vpfokl6FyBApXMIuiOnhTsldB-YXciiQ_oyMI1jTaqx1-QFHTjK_a5h-kmkO1WUxbBs/s2048/IMG_8800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nJl41vbXF5vkD575tEa9bBBz_z4bUr-xJud7D0bMs1BI5ngs2BxCG_L1HtWC37dloPEJzHn5Vpfokl6FyBApXMIuiOnhTsldB-YXciiQ_oyMI1jTaqx1-QFHTjK_a5h-kmkO1WUxbBs/s320/IMG_8800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>From there we continued on Lake Street to Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company. Now I credit this brewery with kickstart my love of craft breweries especially ones that have food and also the start of our growler collection. It was the spent grain pretzel appetizer that we ordered all those years ago that had me ordering spent grain pretzels whenever I saw them. I've said before that craft brewer's overall have such a care for ingredients that I think comes out with every bit and sip at their locations. So we immediately sat down and ordered the pretzels. Now unfortunately these pretzels were up against the memory of what we had had before that was totally built up in our minds. So while they were good the were also disappointing. I don't think that is a fair reflection on their quality but speaks to the many many many spent grain pretzels we have ordered at breweries across America. Also as Meg pointed out the beers being brewed would impact the taste and type of spent grains. </div><div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HIYkMhREESZhuAALMHxwhTK4tE-qXwerNhUYxKQtDtwlhBjHLgwFbZ5G_peKgcVA7FCohJQpWiACEY47nCLpH_Tkz2Z8KwXW-gPVlh1Eid62Z0oU7ywsgaTFx5GLPuhfLISDwcaJuXg/s2048/IMG_8830.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HIYkMhREESZhuAALMHxwhTK4tE-qXwerNhUYxKQtDtwlhBjHLgwFbZ5G_peKgcVA7FCohJQpWiACEY47nCLpH_Tkz2Z8KwXW-gPVlh1Eid62Z0oU7ywsgaTFx5GLPuhfLISDwcaJuXg/w137-h182/IMG_8830.jpg" width="137" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The next day we continued our tour of upstate NY but driving to Lake Placid. On the way though we stopped at a gas station to fill up and saw a sign claiming to have the best milk in New York. Now as children our parents insisted we drink milk with most everything except fast food and tomato sauce and to this day every once in awhile I like to have a cold drink of milk. In TN we have Purity brand milk and it is really good. So I bought a small chocolate milk to try and see. While it may be the best milk in NY I think Purity is better but definitely good on taste and texture. <p></p><br /><p>Lake Placid is another spot upstate that my Mom and I had visited without Meg. We had been at home watching Miracle about the 1980 USA Men's Hockey Team and after the movie had decided to drive up and see the Lake. Unfortunately by the time we got there it was dark and while we could see the stillness of the lake by watching the reflecting lights in the water I think we lost a little bit by it being dark. Also it was snowing and cold and a very tense drive home on icy streets. This time the trip was obviously better planned out and when we got there it was day light. We stopped at Mirror Lake and put our name down to eat at Lake Placid Pub and Brewery and then we walked around the Lake as we waited for about a hour for a table. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwif0q3-ncMjgEMjBGwffzQr7kL-4mp8qCF3_X1VMp-rvWwNZ-CMqP-Jo5t8y6tryDG5z97Sf4CGX83WBS09WDOjr78A3_KRdFpS7pFahyv4SDZ58h_0t77YBk9cf9CfgiXpxuXJw6kF8/s2048/IMG_8847.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwif0q3-ncMjgEMjBGwffzQr7kL-4mp8qCF3_X1VMp-rvWwNZ-CMqP-Jo5t8y6tryDG5z97Sf4CGX83WBS09WDOjr78A3_KRdFpS7pFahyv4SDZ58h_0t77YBk9cf9CfgiXpxuXJw6kF8/w278-h209/IMG_8847.jpg" width="278" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxH3SEuBNhxUboZDSstAgY_rPpHwWc_6OBTDZ1ATyAxUMSVF44fV3buGoByRmZEoXLiiSWSiJhNo5_hjWfQCmG_ySDkSWMschM9GEvx5Mo_m6iZfROA3EnABRfBO5k1x0totyJOh3lxs/s2048/IMG_8852.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxH3SEuBNhxUboZDSstAgY_rPpHwWc_6OBTDZ1ATyAxUMSVF44fV3buGoByRmZEoXLiiSWSiJhNo5_hjWfQCmG_ySDkSWMschM9GEvx5Mo_m6iZfROA3EnABRfBO5k1x0totyJOh3lxs/w220-h292/IMG_8852.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The food was good but I felt bad because our dogs were not behaving very well. They had ben so good on so many trips and just like anybody they can have a bad day or moment where they just aren't in the mood. I think they had enjoyed the walk around the lake and wanted to continue. After our delicious meal we drove over to Lake Placid, a lake so still it was incredible. And the water was clear such that you could see the large rocks below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBu0avB9SxuwMtI5aJ6QoAi0KLe3Z4J2hg0yy_eNJIemSc2iDB6l33ZxLgR_BTt_Tl1aiW2T86vh6Sg-3LgEKLnuHn7AzDFxBYmDBO65-DZ8vbl6RvzK79ej8Ak46vpxGfddwCd977I8/s2048/IMG_8868.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBu0avB9SxuwMtI5aJ6QoAi0KLe3Z4J2hg0yy_eNJIemSc2iDB6l33ZxLgR_BTt_Tl1aiW2T86vh6Sg-3LgEKLnuHn7AzDFxBYmDBO65-DZ8vbl6RvzK79ej8Ak46vpxGfddwCd977I8/w626-h469/IMG_8868.jpg" width="626" /></a></div><br /><p>Next we packed back into the car to head to our next state: Vermont. We arrived in Burlington late and after checking into our hotel we stopped at Zero Gravity Brewing. Oktoberfest marzen beers is the closest I have to a favorite style and while checking in their Oktoberfests on the Untapped app I received a badge for "Brew Traveler" I had checked in a beer in 35 states/countries. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHlK1OOv9mDsT0FDDmFhnmqSWo7RDEsgnMoLXO-lkbsdEuiuvEU4_fQ-By_qorIoSTr4dfnlVZmTKNDB9R-CvCqcoKj1Mm8npKXOGvXO2r0UR0I_oECHH0WJ1WdENzHKabj5rNxgo11I/s2048/IMG_8890.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHlK1OOv9mDsT0FDDmFhnmqSWo7RDEsgnMoLXO-lkbsdEuiuvEU4_fQ-By_qorIoSTr4dfnlVZmTKNDB9R-CvCqcoKj1Mm8npKXOGvXO2r0UR0I_oECHH0WJ1WdENzHKabj5rNxgo11I/w200-h150/IMG_8890.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The next morning we drove to Lake Champlain at the ECHO (Ecology Culture History Opportunities for stewardship) Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. It is a science museum and outside they had a few science based displays about transfer of energy. It also has a USGS weather station that was monitoring the lake. <p></p><br /><p><br /></p><p>Next we went to Warren, New Hampshire to see a Redstone missile. The missile came to Warren thanks to the work of Ted Asselin who was stationed in Huntsville in 1970. He saw some Redstone missiles in a field and asked if he could get one donated to Warren, NH. After all while there are differences between Redstone rockets and missiles it as still a Redstone which brought Derry native Alan Shephard to outer-space. The army told Ted they would release one to Warren but the town was responsible for transport. Ted took the cost of transporting the missile himself. After a "Yes" vote by the town Ted and Irving MacDonald headed south with a 60 foot trailer loaned to them by Lew Brown of Wentworth and Holderness. I'm sure the drive back north was quite a trip with the 73 foot missile. Apparently the townspeople of Warren were so excited that a septic tanker caused the entire Welcome committee to rush into position thinking it was the missile arriving. </p><p>I looked up Ted Asselin on the website <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113574493/henry-theodore-asselin">Find A Grave</a> to learn a little more about the man who saw a missile in a field and actually had the gumption to ask if he could take it home with him. Henry Theodore Asselin was born September 20, 1931 in Woodsville, NH. He served in the military for 22 years including two tours in Vietnam, Berlin, Panama, and Redstone Arsenal. Over his career he earned several decorations including a Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. In his obituary it said:</p><p style="text-align: center;">"He will be most remembered for the love he had for his family and friends and his ability to tell funny stories for hours. Most of them were actually true."</p><p>I'm sure a bunch of them had to be from the drive from Huntsville to Warren with the rocket. Ted passed away at 81 on June 19th 2013. His son Michael passed away at the young age of 38 in 1994 and on the bottom of Ted's grave it says "Me and you kid" which I assume is for reuniting with his son. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIAWp1yGOqCghZ65jZOl6bQaTKfvSUl3VzkjN4JFyZAQkhn6X5AsuFgACXmlcn3gEPYcAG4sfpo6VVkBIaW2SxaC-EjXl4OVHxNqw3iL-n1I1gsnA7cnjHkccFIuqBvlwEdI8r1_8uqE/s2048/IMG_8906.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIAWp1yGOqCghZ65jZOl6bQaTKfvSUl3VzkjN4JFyZAQkhn6X5AsuFgACXmlcn3gEPYcAG4sfpo6VVkBIaW2SxaC-EjXl4OVHxNqw3iL-n1I1gsnA7cnjHkccFIuqBvlwEdI8r1_8uqE/s320/IMG_8906.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>State number 3 of the day was Maine when at around 1pm we arrived at the Nubble Light House. All three of us share a love of light houses so this was an obvious spot to pick to represent Maine. It was a nice return to the Atlantic Ocean as well. The light house was built in 1879 to help guide ships around the dangerous rocks near York beach. </div><br /><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PSEKFX2r4RCkKVvVwgigSMCxbG2Qc7y-P_Ujv__Z2g00U29pHGPUizEnykIYfw1s42E8FUJV6nMZnOw4va9dWnunMvIJy2RzoEL3Cd_Ip-FjSJuERvROf0TQ-H2wNXhy0oPzZwWuzjw/s2048/IMG_8915.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PSEKFX2r4RCkKVvVwgigSMCxbG2Qc7y-P_Ujv__Z2g00U29pHGPUizEnykIYfw1s42E8FUJV6nMZnOw4va9dWnunMvIJy2RzoEL3Cd_Ip-FjSJuERvROf0TQ-H2wNXhy0oPzZwWuzjw/w319-h426/IMG_8915.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D_5mqZvQQRvo48i9wM0J0hhvRiABLFKTw9STvpvrVIFpLPHG7BGrR0DUC9y2OAbTLdF7R2sO3tXdPzHNg3mJZ4ZpDf8Kz0krqFZd5UI1_-ggiW18fRhIJc9V_GbnmaL76Q-nSrU7R3s/s2048/IMG_8919.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D_5mqZvQQRvo48i9wM0J0hhvRiABLFKTw9STvpvrVIFpLPHG7BGrR0DUC9y2OAbTLdF7R2sO3tXdPzHNg3mJZ4ZpDf8Kz0krqFZd5UI1_-ggiW18fRhIJc9V_GbnmaL76Q-nSrU7R3s/w315-h422/IMG_8919.jpg" width="315" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We dipped back in to New Hampshire for a birthday lunch at Smuttynose Brewing Co. Meg covered a lot of the meals on the trip but my Mom insisted she was going to pay for lunch on our birthday. The brewery has been trademarking beers since 1994 and have two locations. We were at the restaurant in Hampton which featured a beautiful patio. We settled in with the dogs and looked at the menu. I said earlier that this trip had the best meals of all and Smuttynose plays a large roll in that. You really can't get much better than fresh lobster in the north east.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFzl5bl0W4L0dzE0lN2L8_VopTW01tsNfAbS7OlxEh6cT1s2zkoWL0fuG72vNSL3gOktXQZtTbQlA2mryaAJO9e39xy95QjljMQ6vXx8E12syC0qEtSMTz7I5TzZNt_zLvMsTzFPLxuE/s2048/IMG_8938.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFzl5bl0W4L0dzE0lN2L8_VopTW01tsNfAbS7OlxEh6cT1s2zkoWL0fuG72vNSL3gOktXQZtTbQlA2mryaAJO9e39xy95QjljMQ6vXx8E12syC0qEtSMTz7I5TzZNt_zLvMsTzFPLxuE/w232-h310/IMG_8938.jpg" width="232" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIbPcDsnSzGULxBMHAK-zMvJ3cdrzpgviGx5pqY_OKuBYvKTLrwoFelOX1UEVI3gecI2q62GeXhgWP7B2PyXmxFc-J5CWCvcHdHrLWWIRYR-U59GwHAbPIUwxuPrXc5qlm_cJfeumh0U/s2048/IMG_8932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIbPcDsnSzGULxBMHAK-zMvJ3cdrzpgviGx5pqY_OKuBYvKTLrwoFelOX1UEVI3gecI2q62GeXhgWP7B2PyXmxFc-J5CWCvcHdHrLWWIRYR-U59GwHAbPIUwxuPrXc5qlm_cJfeumh0U/w306-h229/IMG_8932.jpg" width="306" /></a></div></div><br />The lobster roll was overflowing with lobster and it was absolutely delicious and refreshing. The house chips were good but I was so full on lobster I couldn't finish them. Our waiter was excellent about coming over and checking on us just everything from the atmosphere, beer, food, and service was perfect. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next we drove to Auburn, MA and the Pakachoag Golf Course where a little bit away from the road is a monument marking the site where Robert Goddard "The Man Who Ushered in the Space Age" first launched a liquid propellant rocket on March 16, 1926. </div><div><br /></div><div>Milton Lehman in his book "Robert H. Goddard: Pioneer of Space Research" tells the story of when Goddard was first inspired to dream of man traveling to space on October 19, 1899.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"On this day I climbed a tall cherry tree ... I imagined how wonderful it would be to make some device which had even the possibility of ascending to Mars, and how it would look on a small scale, if I sent up from the meadow at my feet... I was a different boy when I descended the tree from when I ascended."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While I was researching Goddard, who not only is credited with inventing the liquid propellant rocket but also multi-stage rockets, I came across a quote from a speech he gave:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Just as in the sciences we have learned that we are too ignorant to safely pronounce anything impossible, so for the individual, since we cannot know just what are his limitations, we can hardly say with certainty that anything is necessarily within or beyond his grasp. Each must remember that no one can predict to what heights of wealth, fame, or usefulness he may rise until he has honestly endeavored, and he should derive courage from the fact that all sciences have been, at some time, in the same condition as he, and that it has often proved true that the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. "</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that is a beautiful thought. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WoTK3O0nV0VaF_P724piK5YRV44gbThOTrz5Uui1enFwZ8ONQJlzl6_CiaVvAUg-GTt9kL2NAzzlBP79-hFYKNIue40s79Vg33-y4Ipwm6DVUjUDAdaMP8NqcI5UNhh-wSLLsarxa1c/s2048/IMG_8941.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WoTK3O0nV0VaF_P724piK5YRV44gbThOTrz5Uui1enFwZ8ONQJlzl6_CiaVvAUg-GTt9kL2NAzzlBP79-hFYKNIue40s79Vg33-y4Ipwm6DVUjUDAdaMP8NqcI5UNhh-wSLLsarxa1c/s320/IMG_8941.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>We spent the night in Massachusetts ending the night at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center where we stopped at Bay State Brewing (a brewery in an ice rink) and we started the next day with a coffee and donut from Dunkin Donuts which is pretty much as MA as you get. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2A7EdQasPw-fmM6WhpIUa-vw3JgmzLU_r5L3iJqE5VZZsyO7KE71GUUGtAOvIgR1TcObOZ4h0oTNPz2YS53LfAt0DPH7mVISUFm0Ng1y5i5Kov4Rahcv0MKcucq0bAzs1AXyNGQB1Q28/s2048/IMG_8962.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2A7EdQasPw-fmM6WhpIUa-vw3JgmzLU_r5L3iJqE5VZZsyO7KE71GUUGtAOvIgR1TcObOZ4h0oTNPz2YS53LfAt0DPH7mVISUFm0Ng1y5i5Kov4Rahcv0MKcucq0bAzs1AXyNGQB1Q28/w130-h173/IMG_8962.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>Our stop for Rhode Island was to visit Narraganset Brewing, which I didn't realize was really just the brewing facility and not an actual brewery. There was another brewery there and seating area out back but I think it was for the other brewery. Either way we were there too early for it to be open. Now in case you don't know Narraganset is the brand of beer that Captain Quint is drinking in Jaws. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /> </div><div><br /></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yCk8Kw5BiThyeAUdin8W0vOWMQ39PbndlOsx_bueEFc51On6WYwp_IHGPCFAi-6ha0JG79kLloEMm8YkjPVh_kKOIzg_J_xFC6Uvt_3u7bI71rvozB7IoNGuSych_jOHnkxJZc35SEA/s2048/IMG_8976.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yCk8Kw5BiThyeAUdin8W0vOWMQ39PbndlOsx_bueEFc51On6WYwp_IHGPCFAi-6ha0JG79kLloEMm8YkjPVh_kKOIzg_J_xFC6Uvt_3u7bI71rvozB7IoNGuSych_jOHnkxJZc35SEA/w173-h230/IMG_8976.jpg" width="173" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Our next stop was in Danbury Connecticut a location famous for hats and being made fun of by John Oliver. Outside of the public library is a statue of Sybil Ludington, who at 16 rode 40 miles horseback to warn American militia of the approaching British army approaching Danbury on April 26, 1777. She was the daughter of a New York militia leader and while her father prepared a plan she rode off to rally the troops. There are questions about the veracity of her ride but in 1975 the US postal service honored her with a stamp and the City of Danbury has a statue of the young heroine.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Up next was New Jersey where we had two stops planned. The first was the Armstrong Tower in Alpine, NJ. The tower is named for Edwin Armstrong who registered over 40 patents including one for superheterodyne circuit and while trying to improve on AM radio he became the first to use frequency modulation transmission or as we know it FM. After RCA had Armstrong's antenna removed from the Empire State Building in 1938 he built this tower in order to continue work on FM broadcasting. In an effort to get a picture of the tower we drove through one of the fanciest areas I have ever been in, in fact I am really surprised it didn't have a gate and security. The houses were incredible mansions.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUw19VVkkkU7RY7xjBkDhW2bUae8Mx8dfRriMq0i_vB8Gf37TM0m2A7YN36I0YQMXGbtHBIh5VRKJByJRyhZArG9v2lw7791E48WXjfmPXULXyNu3Fs4nm3Qs5ajiwV0J4-ba8EM8vSM/s2048/IMG_8997.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUw19VVkkkU7RY7xjBkDhW2bUae8Mx8dfRriMq0i_vB8Gf37TM0m2A7YN36I0YQMXGbtHBIh5VRKJByJRyhZArG9v2lw7791E48WXjfmPXULXyNu3Fs4nm3Qs5ajiwV0J4-ba8EM8vSM/s320/IMG_8997.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>On 9/11/01 when the Towers fell a lot of broadcasters actually switched to the Armstrong Tower in order to continue providing info and news to the country.</div><div><br /></div>Speaking of Broadcast our next stop was Princeton Junction, NJ a town that was at the epicenter of Orson Welles radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds. He mixed in music with news flashes and witness statements and sent people into a panic. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfbAVvZz7gvXhCTvO02N-SuJlgnUHXyvGgsHJ_cYOfNZJTRFR3T-rQwnPnZtSimSYIwv9Z69iDa4lFJwFqc-GpECCk6EmrT0rtF0QfKV6Kwg-pelN-TMh4fNd4QUG_vlhWZbmv-zJPlg/s2048/IMG_9003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfbAVvZz7gvXhCTvO02N-SuJlgnUHXyvGgsHJ_cYOfNZJTRFR3T-rQwnPnZtSimSYIwv9Z69iDa4lFJwFqc-GpECCk6EmrT0rtF0QfKV6Kwg-pelN-TMh4fNd4QUG_vlhWZbmv-zJPlg/s320/IMG_9003.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Next we drove to Delaware- Rehoboth Beach to be exact where we ate at Dogfish Head Brewery another fantastic meal that made this trip one of the best. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9rYM2rDrAVeJ2BsyiHaqjC-80v-BT4ZMEC-7TDwsfhJGNIqs70G_CJBIRsduqTgW8xHhi_A9BUp_XM_OHTxYwwDvdqUP3vJsQy0bz38VEEMBx00bEodb5Lf8turbSJYQLQcwpebvfzg/s2048/IMG_9016.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9rYM2rDrAVeJ2BsyiHaqjC-80v-BT4ZMEC-7TDwsfhJGNIqs70G_CJBIRsduqTgW8xHhi_A9BUp_XM_OHTxYwwDvdqUP3vJsQy0bz38VEEMBx00bEodb5Lf8turbSJYQLQcwpebvfzg/s320/IMG_9016.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylNU-BcwAHsIlwfeflVia6HhCADgw0fJ4Qxwdf7OmGHpmVDIzIFp0LCUH5aH3OcZ_vQOHGxRRnbhPwvDe5EuAvTOsyinsWR_GditR0VIqAdJNBdsFvsb6aBzBppVU6_-3AkOJTFficdg/s2048/IMG_9011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylNU-BcwAHsIlwfeflVia6HhCADgw0fJ4Qxwdf7OmGHpmVDIzIFp0LCUH5aH3OcZ_vQOHGxRRnbhPwvDe5EuAvTOsyinsWR_GditR0VIqAdJNBdsFvsb6aBzBppVU6_-3AkOJTFficdg/s320/IMG_9011.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>I had the crab cakes and we tried Bending Time Dogfish Head whole leaf gin, chamomile, honey, and lemon. I also left behind my all time favorite rock that I had painted.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVQ6yueVW4j4pJeXINwr3CR6Eqv_Mu6jFphZ0NxFCuDoB3s5lQit-otzv6Yjq1DaJUixlr1q40hkwRznJHvcAFzBv_za3OQCKvkUWHGd__danoN-bN8pgIrjXgC2p41QXYb_URZ4Eh5k/s2048/IMG_9017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVQ6yueVW4j4pJeXINwr3CR6Eqv_Mu6jFphZ0NxFCuDoB3s5lQit-otzv6Yjq1DaJUixlr1q40hkwRznJHvcAFzBv_za3OQCKvkUWHGd__danoN-bN8pgIrjXgC2p41QXYb_URZ4Eh5k/w392-h523/IMG_9017.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><br /><div>We spent the night at a Laquinta just a stones throw from the beach. If the door to the balcony had had a screen we would have slept with it open to listen to the sound of the waves. In the morning we woke up before sunrise and took a walk on to the beach. Gypsy Rover could not contain her excitement at feeling the sand and seeing the ocean. She jumped around and darted from side to side with her ears flapping in every direction.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rcyQ0d-9sSE" width="320" youtube-src-id="rcyQ0d-9sSE"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>And then we hung back and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic. We checked out and began driving away from Rehoboth. We wanted to find some place to get bagels for breakfast but everything was still closed early in the morning. It was about an hour later in Selbyville when we found the Synergy Cafe. Even though I was originally looking for a bagel I could not resist the strawberry Nutella flatbread. The walls had small trinkets like a Bob Ross bobble head. And there were photos as you entered from a local retired woman who moved to the area in 2019: <a href="http://maryfrancesbergerphotography.com/">Maryfrances Berger.</a><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvp8ULqRjgXKrl78kKxB4i1Wk82RiHWUf7zUslZ5h-v_lAMmNFdgHddvTxkwWP8j7MNOKgses8e8zxBGD3e0WSk_h6x2B10asiuMxJD7EdKGOv5D8lIcb0Jj53zkFR8HhzZaAmT4lCPw/s2048/IMG_9049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvp8ULqRjgXKrl78kKxB4i1Wk82RiHWUf7zUslZ5h-v_lAMmNFdgHddvTxkwWP8j7MNOKgses8e8zxBGD3e0WSk_h6x2B10asiuMxJD7EdKGOv5D8lIcb0Jj53zkFR8HhzZaAmT4lCPw/s320/IMG_9049.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Next was a bonus stop: Washington DC. If traveling to the 48 contiguous states was a video game then we had several side missions. So for example seeing all the Great Lakes was a side mission- we could have seen all 48 without seeing the Great Lakes but it was an extra challenge, also sun set on the Pacific and sun rise over the Atlantic, and now visiting our Nation's Capital. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUgL-Uhtm9XSEuh85gHxOgAXqBYUqbrxXOl7sEnrF8drY6-Zt6Q-fAHSb5oLhbwzjb-_mFMKOobhM4Q0-cPSoSmml4mNhxp-PdbZ5L_bf2xNTz9I_wyG2Wej_XTe9aPbOmmo-rZNMJ-Y/s2048/IMG_9073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUgL-Uhtm9XSEuh85gHxOgAXqBYUqbrxXOl7sEnrF8drY6-Zt6Q-fAHSb5oLhbwzjb-_mFMKOobhM4Q0-cPSoSmml4mNhxp-PdbZ5L_bf2xNTz9I_wyG2Wej_XTe9aPbOmmo-rZNMJ-Y/w350-h467/IMG_9073.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOs5Lc8Kzk2R7EvJC4v5-9B4SqwDjKXXEp_ok4ylcZUfJVf3W1bMJygFRj9MasbSP9rpz1pS1c-8oo1eBirgI-q3mxTYQtxqRwUgNsAZryFxvyQIIqHag-sEt7iqLcgmthIWaiJyrhRE/s2048/IMG_9074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOs5Lc8Kzk2R7EvJC4v5-9B4SqwDjKXXEp_ok4ylcZUfJVf3W1bMJygFRj9MasbSP9rpz1pS1c-8oo1eBirgI-q3mxTYQtxqRwUgNsAZryFxvyQIIqHag-sEt7iqLcgmthIWaiJyrhRE/w318-h424/IMG_9074.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaHgq-HWVvYYVF1tDS_7x2ZhrmY8gTqIMOvHid0Rs4hvqHN0QkC7R9P4rCv7QfRaXEcv9T6ikxNT1072rr2QNrDZgzoXF1l1u1j0FLrvo1S5cG4RIrcHKgx6N9IIcMfsJipas1V1a3y8/s2048/IMG_9077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaHgq-HWVvYYVF1tDS_7x2ZhrmY8gTqIMOvHid0Rs4hvqHN0QkC7R9P4rCv7QfRaXEcv9T6ikxNT1072rr2QNrDZgzoXF1l1u1j0FLrvo1S5cG4RIrcHKgx6N9IIcMfsJipas1V1a3y8/w348-h464/IMG_9077.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4zt0qtHX4Tt7kXDPKC6RphwH0VbH8b4OTGtnJzE5S4Eak9zfqm16nm4hN1vFFWnm2xNrS9RH4yLwYO7beOV9t3V0XTPfFS8J7rGzZI-7iNGFowYA0ZDeKu1cT8mre51scaZtDXiNrmY/s2048/IMG_9081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4zt0qtHX4Tt7kXDPKC6RphwH0VbH8b4OTGtnJzE5S4Eak9zfqm16nm4hN1vFFWnm2xNrS9RH4yLwYO7beOV9t3V0XTPfFS8J7rGzZI-7iNGFowYA0ZDeKu1cT8mre51scaZtDXiNrmY/w317-h423/IMG_9081.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our stop in Maryland was in Fostburg and was listed on <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/">Roadside America</a> as the oldest street sign in America. The Braddock stone was named for British General Edward Braddock and at one time sat on the Braddock road. It marked the distance to popular locations like Ft Cumberland, Captain Smyth's Inn and Bridge Crossing, and Redstone Old Fort. On the black it says "Our Country's right we will defend." The stone was broken in half by a local man who took it and tried to build stairs with it before it was recovered by police and returned to its location. Now it is protected in a glass case in front of a school. I left a rock there inspired by the monopoly B&O railroad spot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXulRuEj9sLezWbJmA8qVkmRo8kW9PL-EPbgoLy9QOrEMyRDLFPEKh64oSZ99ldcs4KpcSjhViDLu2AGhPTw4iAwFleVoIVM2V3lw0GcjMeL2Hd1gdpfwHmP7adH2Su30tCEuHHoIS1B4/s2048/IMG_9100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXulRuEj9sLezWbJmA8qVkmRo8kW9PL-EPbgoLy9QOrEMyRDLFPEKh64oSZ99ldcs4KpcSjhViDLu2AGhPTw4iAwFleVoIVM2V3lw0GcjMeL2Hd1gdpfwHmP7adH2Su30tCEuHHoIS1B4/s320/IMG_9100.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>And then we returned to Morgantown and this time we got to look around a little bit. After checking in to our favorite Laquinta in West Virginia (seriously I liked the hotel.. to the point where when I started looking up other places in West Virginia I wanted to visit I checked to see if we could stay at this hotel then too). We went to the Wharf and Warehouse District to eat at Mountain State Brewing Co. When we arrived at our table the waiter promptly told us that due to Covid 19 restrictions there was a time limit on how long we could be at the table. At first that was a little off putting and I understand that with limited seating it helped to keep tables turning so more patrons could be sat. And as someone who on a couple of earlier occasions had waited well over an hour while people sat at tables ordering nothing and just nursing drinks I understood why it might be necessary. However I wish they just let it happen naturally and just managed the time and if a table did seem to just be sitting around that would be time for a manager to intervene. We had a good meal and ended it with the delicious Stout Float. It was made with their Miner's Daughter Oatmeal stout, vanilla ice cream, and a blackberry brandy. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUpy4lZVP2xk76hnelRdb_YEW-IqkVBVsiGIbI8AyjARH8CEEs3kTrbNg9k1iNls6ZAjGwmewV37indBgV1FP6l49BJycaebFsDwXkLTBvLRNtG6Va-yav8SqkCqwx1W6eJeqtYBPYjY/s2048/IMG_9114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUpy4lZVP2xk76hnelRdb_YEW-IqkVBVsiGIbI8AyjARH8CEEs3kTrbNg9k1iNls6ZAjGwmewV37indBgV1FP6l49BJycaebFsDwXkLTBvLRNtG6Va-yav8SqkCqwx1W6eJeqtYBPYjY/w210-h280/IMG_9114.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The next morning we left for our final stop on the road trip: The New River Gorge Bridge. The bridge is the longest single span bridge in the western hemisphere and the third highest bridge in the United States.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAGHLr0N_zHUUiMsKxmzGjwjpcbcdCqT9bAe5xbTjO3iqgnU00WmOrqiTj16k-ExxlDWhWECTJUOZh9Swrd6LFHYKSnt37e2vZZg3arLrqgI8LHkdXVlCPHfXgf_TpQtR_8VyRyni08Q/s2048/IMG_9125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAGHLr0N_zHUUiMsKxmzGjwjpcbcdCqT9bAe5xbTjO3iqgnU00WmOrqiTj16k-ExxlDWhWECTJUOZh9Swrd6LFHYKSnt37e2vZZg3arLrqgI8LHkdXVlCPHfXgf_TpQtR_8VyRyni08Q/w605-h454/IMG_9125.jpg" width="605" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had one more trip to go and our map of travelled states now looked like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmnE_S4WRdHorss1sxB4892w_cBuaCUgfny39ay6BkPXB2lXknPwkxTZH62TVoWTMfuCUbGLEHN2CDnud6iaV-3ZKp4QwA0pERYZY-thWfZrzgjpBF5fHqeGeo_joSnkS1nKAdQYYXIU/s1322/after+ne.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmnE_S4WRdHorss1sxB4892w_cBuaCUgfny39ay6BkPXB2lXknPwkxTZH62TVoWTMfuCUbGLEHN2CDnud6iaV-3ZKp4QwA0pERYZY-thWfZrzgjpBF5fHqeGeo_joSnkS1nKAdQYYXIU/s320/after+ne.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-51391496907314395922020-12-27T13:37:00.000-08:002020-12-27T13:37:41.913-08:00The Big Skies of Montana!<p>Looking at the map of the 30 states we had already visited one might ask why we didn't just dip north into Montana and North Dakota while we were so close and saved ourselves the return trip. A fair question. The reason is because the week long drive to Montana had been one of my original road trips planned long before Covid 19 and quarantines. My Uncle Michael served in the military when he was young and at one point was in Berlin. Every two years the Berlin Brigade hold reunions around the US and in Berlin. In 2018 the reunion had been in Berlin. In 2020 it was supposed to be in Billings, MT. After a trip to NY my Uncle said he wasn't going to fly anymore so I began working on a driving route to MT with regularly planned stops at roadside attractions and points of interest I thought he would like. This way he could go to the reunion. Now because of Covid 19 the reunion was cancelled. However I still had the vacation request in at work and decided to keep the trip as it was.</p><p>So about two weeks after returning home from the Great West Trip we were back in the car again. This time heading north to Alton Illinois the location of the seventh Lincoln Douglas Debate. I knew that we were going to be spending the night in the car because we had left Nashville close to 7pm and the drive to Alton was a little over 5 hours. So as we were driving we were googling info about Alton and crime rates etc. One website described Alton as if it was a dangerous crime ridden area and the other website said it was one of the best places to live in Illinois so we gave up on googling and found a Walmart and we parked at the back where the truckers parked. We woke up to bright lights coming through the back window. I guess the driver of the truck we were next to must park his truck there and then take his pick up truck home for the night. He had returned planning to park next to the big truck and found us there. He started his truck and then moved his pick up away. We thought about trying to go back to sleep but no one was really that comfortable anyway and we were all wide awake so we went to a gas station and got some coffee and pastries for breakfast before finishing the drive to the statues of Lincoln and Douglas. </p><p>There was a series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858 as they ran against each other for the Senate seat. The last took place in Alton on October 15th and attracted 6,000 people from several states to hear the two speak primarily about slavery. The debate was three hours long with the Stephen Douglas opening for 60 minutes, Abraham Lincoln speaking second for 90 minutes, and then the Douglas with a 30 minute rebuttal. Lincoln would end up losing the Senate seat to Douglas but the Debates helped bring him to National attention and helped with Lincoln's Presidential bid. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXfotVV4CI_PWd7OrC6zjDh5KMqplGdF73e88t4SzANpa8JVsquA_EID5kYr2F51tDwn243cDjJn8eZH3gYOBNtG0p6pG9IwgijDjvyR1-j-W_BHjaGFMbvo3xzYADYRN_aW6KyAjrns/s2048/IMG_7925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXfotVV4CI_PWd7OrC6zjDh5KMqplGdF73e88t4SzANpa8JVsquA_EID5kYr2F51tDwn243cDjJn8eZH3gYOBNtG0p6pG9IwgijDjvyR1-j-W_BHjaGFMbvo3xzYADYRN_aW6KyAjrns/w229-h305/IMG_7925.jpg" width="229" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZaLgcvOdTdwX-YgGJAaexblWizZvKwoh2rdUIl8Nv7PwDyLgtrIL7jAhm7yEOFPQsjJy3_ZASPNlX9DdOzydFHJ7rC7CJJr5UqjX78yN7CZoVCR9mPtFNRqwGEBCgrDrcQ4QFBGrciw/s2048/IMG_7927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZaLgcvOdTdwX-YgGJAaexblWizZvKwoh2rdUIl8Nv7PwDyLgtrIL7jAhm7yEOFPQsjJy3_ZASPNlX9DdOzydFHJ7rC7CJJr5UqjX78yN7CZoVCR9mPtFNRqwGEBCgrDrcQ4QFBGrciw/w228-h304/IMG_7927.jpg" width="228" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEwJcFqtm38ycq2GDeNECQuz_YXUPIAdRzmTdg1EKxdOujW4IJruefVTWPF7Oxr2bhMmhsT4XYk-3osd0kP_SDQY1BB0fRPJ9WD30NWaWK9v_bZNB2fm2c3dgvXDy408VfD20_ZNbv_M/s2048/IMG_7950.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEwJcFqtm38ycq2GDeNECQuz_YXUPIAdRzmTdg1EKxdOujW4IJruefVTWPF7Oxr2bhMmhsT4XYk-3osd0kP_SDQY1BB0fRPJ9WD30NWaWK9v_bZNB2fm2c3dgvXDy408VfD20_ZNbv_M/s320/IMG_7950.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I liked Alton I mean we didn't get to see much of it but it had a beautiful steam boat mural which made sense given its position along the Mississippi river. And we followed that river to our next stop in Portages de Sioux. Alton and Portage des Sioux like many towns along the river were sometimes under threat of flooding. In 1951 the Mississippi river was rising and citizens of the town prayed to Mary "Our Lady of the Rivers" to save their homes. The flood waters receded and in 1957 the townspeople erected the statue and placed it on a base overlooking the water. <div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p>Our next stop was at Westminster College in Fulton, MO where on March 5th 1946 Winston Churchill gave his famous speech about the "Iron Curtain" falling across the continent. At the college is the Churchill Museum however due to Covid 19 restrictions the museum was closed. We were still able to go to Latshaw Plaza and see "Breakthrough" by Edwina Sandys, Winston Churchill's grand daughter. The sculpture which was dedicated by November 9th, 1990 by Ronald Reagan is 11 feet tall and 32 feet wide made up of a series of 8 slabs of the Berlin Wall.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9AlxH2ugKqU4VZYXHG7D5KSLqfSx3DeRrsV0G8AFp_BbXypy2kG8OwZJ_N0L_nHwKwJafAVFX_NJnWuET53NGT3AQu93sMvNp1mh8hMIJKGxx6cCwnSjeD80FpKPm36QIK6pH6D9upU/s2048/IMG_7965.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9AlxH2ugKqU4VZYXHG7D5KSLqfSx3DeRrsV0G8AFp_BbXypy2kG8OwZJ_N0L_nHwKwJafAVFX_NJnWuET53NGT3AQu93sMvNp1mh8hMIJKGxx6cCwnSjeD80FpKPm36QIK6pH6D9upU/w593-h445/IMG_7965.jpg" width="593" /></a></div><br /><p>The Berlin Wall separated East and West Germany for 28 years serving as a physical and Ideological barrier during the Cold War. On August 13, 1961 a fence of barbed wire was erected over night for 28 miles. After that the concrete panels were added to further secure the divide. After the reunification of Germany the wall was removed and pieces of it can be found around the world. </p><p>Our next stop was a much lighter stop and Roadside attraction gold..... a giant ball of string. It is unclear if this is the largest and some dispute whether a ball of string or a ball of twine are the same thing. However this 3,000 lbs ball of string with a 19 foot diameter was featured in the 1974 Guinness Book of World Records and is the work of one man, Finley Stephens. Today it sits on the back patio of O'Malley's Irish Pub which was perfect for us because the restaurant is also the site of Weston Brewing Company, a wonderful combination of two of my favorite things- craft beer and roadside attractions. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYetRWJL5gPT5hIctvVPY7PrmCGDUSu3M4dMWSd-UWs4Nb0DqrWSE-igL0LPAj00C_E5_BA78Kw4NdGGwGPZ_yshwc3QwC03grmmk5rQTVNyrg0P1feHFzHApc1EIRVl5W3zomqH8euzw/s2048/IMG_7981.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYetRWJL5gPT5hIctvVPY7PrmCGDUSu3M4dMWSd-UWs4Nb0DqrWSE-igL0LPAj00C_E5_BA78Kw4NdGGwGPZ_yshwc3QwC03grmmk5rQTVNyrg0P1feHFzHApc1EIRVl5W3zomqH8euzw/s320/IMG_7981.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvrdlPZP8VQ-iyXYXn59vgDFtZWcOJfrW64vsLhlpduvJQKJyMGRnxAfgfMhBuJhXLaFIvfSnpGLps0g9Bfv9fA0KyJX5SfRWdlkUOVQ2qCW7k1My_VjdM2MXmF2r00ufWpBLHn4QddE/s2048/IMG_7974.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvrdlPZP8VQ-iyXYXn59vgDFtZWcOJfrW64vsLhlpduvJQKJyMGRnxAfgfMhBuJhXLaFIvfSnpGLps0g9Bfv9fA0KyJX5SfRWdlkUOVQ2qCW7k1My_VjdM2MXmF2r00ufWpBLHn4QddE/s320/IMG_7974.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div>We continued on to Omaha Nebraska where technically I had a stop planned to see Union Pacific's largest Steam Engine "Big Boy" and Centennial #6900 the largest Diesel Engine however they are only accessible by theBotanical Gardens which were closed. They were visible from the highway so technically we saw them... just didn't get a good look because obviously eyes on the road was the primary focus. After securing a hotel room Meg and I went to Thunderhead Brewing Company to get a growler and then we stopped to get some food to bring back to the hotel room while my Mom stayed with the dogs. This was actually the start of a good tradition where instead of getting empty growlers we would get one filled every so often to drink in the hotel. We also had to get some cans of their Thunder Punch because while we were drinking a flight to pick our growler multiple people came in asking about it and ordering it. It was very grape which could be a bad thing but not this. This was awesome!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIdIPtjrnr54YiRNzSHuwrne52lNzmfNBUNYZDaC0IGV-CEC-ieXZBV5P_tXbRvgelYwHiigY5MQ0I-QfmNIzCcQDa2lGovDMQXnVS73Jo0oayGDDNiprZHCMG4Wp7veO6sfg6pSBH2s/s2048/IMG_8008.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIdIPtjrnr54YiRNzSHuwrne52lNzmfNBUNYZDaC0IGV-CEC-ieXZBV5P_tXbRvgelYwHiigY5MQ0I-QfmNIzCcQDa2lGovDMQXnVS73Jo0oayGDDNiprZHCMG4Wp7veO6sfg6pSBH2s/s320/IMG_8008.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The next morning we turned north towards Sioux Falls, South Dakota to visit the Security National Bank which on March 6, 1934 was robbed by the notorious Dillinger Gang. The plaque at the door describes a wild scene with Dillinger and five others entering wearing hats and long coats to hide their faces and submachine guns. They ordered bank employees and customers to stand against the wall and fired their weapons to keep law enforcement away. After using five employees as shields the gang escaped with over $49,000.</div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p>On our way to our next stop, also in Sioux Falls, we stopped at a gas station for gas and sodas and my Mom saw a display of Busch beer with cans labelled Busch Latte. She came out and told us about the cans and Meg looked it up. At first we thought it was a coffee flavored beer like Pabst Blue Ribbon has... then we learned it was way better. Apparently in the Dakotas and Montana the morning drink of choice for hunters is Busch Lite. The company heard that it was jokingly called Busch Latte and made a <a href="https://twitter.com/buschbeer/status/1159105137518030849?lang=en">Folger style commercial</a> and labelled the beers to match for a good laugh check out the commercial. Also we picked up some of the Busch Latte cans to add to our growler/crowler collection. </p><p>Our next stop was the USS South Dakota... well the outline of the USS South Dakota BB-57. Serving in WWII the battleship was in many major battles, including the Battle of Guadalcanal, and was well decorated. Since moving the entire ship was not feasible there is a concrete outline of it with the original ship, bell, anchor, and propeller and some other pieces to provide a stunning memorial and museum. We walked around the 680 foot outline reading informational markers near the different features of the battleship. As we walked around we saw a line of wood boards surrounded by brick. A sign above explained that they were some of the original boards from the battleship salvaged and sunk in to the ground at the memorial the sign encouraged visitors to imagine the courage and sorrow of the men who had once walked these boards. A door sits mounted in a concrete block salvaged from the ship it was a part of the conning tower and would have been 35 feet above the deck. It also included the story of how some of the pieces were transported to South Dakota, like the story of a collection taken at a Veteran's reunion that allowed for the installation of the 16 foot guns. It was definitely well worth the stop and walk around. There is a small museum which was closed I assume due to Covid restrictions but again with the dogs we weren't really looking to go inside anyway. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIK0ufxefwVd4J6SdvG7VDHUX4296A6IfESo6Oy_YimW4AlW4sbxtV6JUT9rqJjsQH_BdtxtaRoHZKCHDga4_F-MAAF9v1fFA3osz-0MuwYx_vTpu81nUxWBTgN1wACS8CoVN1qQkG1A/s2048/IMG_8031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIK0ufxefwVd4J6SdvG7VDHUX4296A6IfESo6Oy_YimW4AlW4sbxtV6JUT9rqJjsQH_BdtxtaRoHZKCHDga4_F-MAAF9v1fFA3osz-0MuwYx_vTpu81nUxWBTgN1wACS8CoVN1qQkG1A/s320/IMG_8031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We hopped on to I-90 and began driving west across South Dakota to our next stop. It was several years ago on CBS Sunday Morning when I learned of the Dignity Statue in South Dakota. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3df6fvPbaVdNcSlMqjwXDUkm9l4PAzU2d9iofYn78ei83d0RBWZefDfothQykjpKEEG49NwTGnZ3hY8tIHAYrfSmVAPXwLVU5qA-xvPiAQzIqHRWOV_WfHRZUPxViOMUAqWT1qgy31V4/s2048/IMG_8042.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="728" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3df6fvPbaVdNcSlMqjwXDUkm9l4PAzU2d9iofYn78ei83d0RBWZefDfothQykjpKEEG49NwTGnZ3hY8tIHAYrfSmVAPXwLVU5qA-xvPiAQzIqHRWOV_WfHRZUPxViOMUAqWT1qgy31V4/w546-h728/IMG_8042.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><br /><p>Dignity of Earth and Sky was a gift from Norm and Eunabel McKie to the state of South Dakota in honor of the 125th anniversary of statehood. The McKie family has a deep connection to the state. In an interview Norm told how his Grandfather had come to South Dakota in a covered wagon in 1891, two years after it had become a state, and his family had been there since then. Sculptor Dale C Lamphere, South Dakota's Artist Laurette, was an obvious choice to bring the project in to existence. Also involved in the creation of the statue was Albertson Engineering who designed the tripod base that would support the stainless steel statue weight and keep it secure in its place when winds pulled and pushed at the quilt atop a bluff looking at the Missouri River. Work began in 2015 and on September 17, 2016 the statue was dedicated. The plaque on the bottom has a quote from Dale Lamphere:</p><p style="text-align: center;">"Standing at a crossroads, Dignity echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people. She brings to light the beauty and promise of the indigenous peoples and cultures that still thrive on this land. My intent is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place."</p><p>Having a connection to the Native populations was very important to Lamphere. He wanted to use the star quilt on the statue since it is an honored symbol in the Lakota tradition and he wanted to show that "that sense of honoring the native culture here in South Dakota is on the rise." There are over 128 blue and sapphire diamonds in the quilt to that interact with the sun and wind. </p><p>The face of Dignity is made up of more than 100 pieces of stainless steel. Dale started with a composite sketch of three native women and then created a clay mold. From there he began working on the size and shape of the steel pieces that would be fashioned together to show her courage and determination. Lamphere explained the expression would come from the eyes and mouth and he worked to create "a real life and presence in this figure." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRdgcOg-ReCXvYEBeUv2yivtHOOKiQDAQ7xH05jvCWlUofYyzbCqoGZY4yRJhcLKU2T7bsfSX6L0bNnPOXt0v5jTrFuDXeOlMGCEYRgfnebSn6_3zTCitf0ksGUsZKv1Bm8FSHc2XaK8/s2048/IMG_8049.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRdgcOg-ReCXvYEBeUv2yivtHOOKiQDAQ7xH05jvCWlUofYyzbCqoGZY4yRJhcLKU2T7bsfSX6L0bNnPOXt0v5jTrFuDXeOlMGCEYRgfnebSn6_3zTCitf0ksGUsZKv1Bm8FSHc2XaK8/w453-h604/IMG_8049.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><br /><p>Seeing this statue was a long time coming. There had been other times where I had looked up the distance and time needed to travel to Chamberlain, SD but it was never the right time. So when I decided on traveling to all 48 contiguous states this year this was a must have stop. We saw her from the highway. I parked and began walking around the statue. She has an amazing gaze of pride and strength that never falters. Every angle of this sculpture is filled with the silent strength her name implies. I think the attention to detail in her face, hands, and quilt shows the dedication the artists and all involved had not only for the project but what they hoped to convey through it. She stands looking out toward eastern sky to me she is welcoming the day and what it may bring. Her quilt is her culture and tradition protecting and strengthening her. She is truly beautiful and her face expresses so much to the viewer. I stopped and just stood and looked at her for a long time enjoying the detail in her and her quilt. </p><p>The rest area also has a display about Lewis and Clark and their journey of exploration. Some day when I have time to do it right I want to trace the Lewis and Clark trail as it is we kept crossing paths with it and finding different places they had explored but I think actually following the path would be well worth it. </p><p>Our next stop on the trip down I-90 was the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. The Minuteman Missile development began in the 1950s when research showed that a solid fueled rocket could be fueled and left for long periods of time unlike liquid fueled rockets which needed to be immediately fueled before launch. The name Minuteman was given as a reference to the colonial militia members who fought for independence in the early years of the United States, the Minuteman. The Missiles were seen as a way to assure the country was ready if there were any attack on American soil during the Cold War. Missiles could be loaded with fuel and left ready at various locations and military bases in the midwest. The museum, once a launch control facility contained info and lots of memorabilia about the national defense program. </p><p>From there we took an unplanned detour to Badlands National Park a 242,656 acre park with some of the most amazing terrain I have ever seen. The name Badlands can be traced back to the Lakota people for any number of reasons like the rugged terrain, low water, and varied temperatures. While it may not be the ideal place to set up a home it is definitely an amazing place to visit and today is one of the best locations for archeology and recovering fossils. The Lakota found fossilized turtles and seashells which lead them to conclude the area was at some point under water. Currently the White River runs through the park. On March 4th 1929 President Calvin Coolidge authorized the creation of the Badlands National Monument and the completion of a 30 mile highway through the park, which is probably the same or an early version of the route we drove. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_S6_K2bGll9LwAWCMEmEvVw3aGnT-FUafhXpoc5Krxy7eBBG2di379ovfyMqjiRB5vujp3bPdbnYLiZdcwzUpIBhX4V8nLzIBbV3HwvJdXnwfvIxPPG5ws6IsSdB1GLJCKlxz8Z6xj0/s2550/IMG_8068.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="2550" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_S6_K2bGll9LwAWCMEmEvVw3aGnT-FUafhXpoc5Krxy7eBBG2di379ovfyMqjiRB5vujp3bPdbnYLiZdcwzUpIBhX4V8nLzIBbV3HwvJdXnwfvIxPPG5ws6IsSdB1GLJCKlxz8Z6xj0/w576-h279/IMG_8068.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAV-oozXmmb4h0kFC1zG4I7vhSBmrvb0yqN5AvGT0nDUFLAtumpQ1jbZ77oF_uuGdliN2AZUMvSNHrHvz8Ee7bRQV65qU4wkXU8EmAWusD4y12luMh8xrBTZVpSrmLU2OqxW5hv6TV3B0/s2048/IMG_8134.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAV-oozXmmb4h0kFC1zG4I7vhSBmrvb0yqN5AvGT0nDUFLAtumpQ1jbZ77oF_uuGdliN2AZUMvSNHrHvz8Ee7bRQV65qU4wkXU8EmAWusD4y12luMh8xrBTZVpSrmLU2OqxW5hv6TV3B0/w317-h237/IMG_8134.jpg" width="317" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rPBJTmELxcbmij5F9CWygVfuoy5PeFWQAfROEWkn1GlQJg2mOI7TBSklekwgfAo8UxnMQ1_lZ0ugh9qE6KWrwU5pJicu_XraLDTY3jQjStR-IUFGGM8lcHJgzkp7oM42eD8nJSIaasc/s2048/IMG_8077.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rPBJTmELxcbmij5F9CWygVfuoy5PeFWQAfROEWkn1GlQJg2mOI7TBSklekwgfAo8UxnMQ1_lZ0ugh9qE6KWrwU5pJicu_XraLDTY3jQjStR-IUFGGM8lcHJgzkp7oM42eD8nJSIaasc/w283-h212/IMG_8077.jpg" width="283" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the way if you think my Mom has a slight look of concern on her face it is because there is nothing behind us, we were totally safe but I am surprised she came that close to the edge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We took the drive through the park where we saw some amazing color variation in the rock caused by the different minerals and conditions the rocks were comprised of and exposed to. Also there is a large herd of Buffalo that graze throughout the park and absolutely adorable little prairie dogs all over the place. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once we left the Badlands we continued to Wall Drugs which when I asked people where should I stop in South Dakota Wall Drug was always on the list. In truth even if it hadn't originally been on the list it would have been added because we had been seeing signs along the highway for over a day counting down the miles to Wall Drug. Wall Drug Store is series of gift shops, hotel, a wild west style building, 5 cent coffee, fresh made donuts, craft and novelty stores, a chapel, one of the largest collections of Western oil paintings, a T-rex, a giant Jackalope, and free water. The story of this roadside attraction that welcomes people from all over the world starts in 1931 when Ted and Dorothy Hustead opened up their drug store in the tiny town of Wall, SD population 231. Business started slow and seemed to be in trouble and then Dorothy had an idea... free water. Not only that but she had written a little jingle that they could place on highway signs to help advertise </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Get a soda ... Get a root beer... Turn next corner.... just as near...To Highway 16 and 14.... Free ice water... Wall Drug."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XBtH-CZ1mEM_1tBn5u44jKX0MY6sDG0oWFRBcMAPjlWNkLsKIjx_CZiobYUUhQxDXCMZ6BnCiv179hoBwqTlqM7aOGkM4Zk-VwE0dmX1DAkOKOirdHO_Ed-IzIuMbTCeU-k0qRyi4xw/s2048/IMG_8185.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XBtH-CZ1mEM_1tBn5u44jKX0MY6sDG0oWFRBcMAPjlWNkLsKIjx_CZiobYUUhQxDXCMZ6BnCiv179hoBwqTlqM7aOGkM4Zk-VwE0dmX1DAkOKOirdHO_Ed-IzIuMbTCeU-k0qRyi4xw/w366-h488/IMG_8185.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made a jackalope painted rock and left it near the big jackalope. This was one of my favorites and I was sad to leave it but hopefully it has a new home by now.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEAA6cBTdHbajGKcS8RONYXk6PYlYQtgiP9FKpLV5W6ygP2jyLAIbsjpkJLb2xbxCGs8TBH7ASu7YGSj7bMRuEO44wK5jT2WLoqu_hGV0rA9kig-kcUVIyRf4VwL1jEirzrYFp4Q2FBw/s2048/IMG_8190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEAA6cBTdHbajGKcS8RONYXk6PYlYQtgiP9FKpLV5W6ygP2jyLAIbsjpkJLb2xbxCGs8TBH7ASu7YGSj7bMRuEO44wK5jT2WLoqu_hGV0rA9kig-kcUVIyRf4VwL1jEirzrYFp4Q2FBw/s320/IMG_8190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We left Wall and drove to Rapid City, SD to continue our tour through South Dakota so that we could walk around the town and see their "Presidential Walk." My Mom's neighbor had told her about the series of statues that are spread out around the downtown area. We parked in front of a small bookstore and began walking around trying to find the Presidents. We did not find all 43 statues but did find most.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNukIHWMGrsC62UIy2roFd_otJeSperBwn2_nvEtOIun9aMnhkMQeh7nqDO4ztIa9zPucrV1erf97Gx3oMFY8t69kPErEhLk7pHiYqaTG_qtVxxdJMNZxTNNL93_0aOiTdbw-qKPUFWU/s2048/IMG_8236.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNukIHWMGrsC62UIy2roFd_otJeSperBwn2_nvEtOIun9aMnhkMQeh7nqDO4ztIa9zPucrV1erf97Gx3oMFY8t69kPErEhLk7pHiYqaTG_qtVxxdJMNZxTNNL93_0aOiTdbw-qKPUFWU/s320/IMG_8236.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW7rlRuIcuuB7dzS88659_woqJuRsbA16PpfT_KoobD40-_wW3J1p1YGY0InfCrB4DM9CZ-wU5p0rULwEfIyzvlMi3s4lJNelCefBt4N3lxio9UEIOw78ErjM5nSxsQe6Yzc99Sy2jMY/s2048/IMG_8243.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW7rlRuIcuuB7dzS88659_woqJuRsbA16PpfT_KoobD40-_wW3J1p1YGY0InfCrB4DM9CZ-wU5p0rULwEfIyzvlMi3s4lJNelCefBt4N3lxio9UEIOw78ErjM5nSxsQe6Yzc99Sy2jMY/s320/IMG_8243.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>As we walked along we also found this beautiful sculpture of an Lakota Indian that I later learned was also the work of Dale Lamphere, for more of his work and info <a href="https://www.lampherestudio.com/">click here</a>. The sculptures name is Mitakuye Oyasin, a phrase that encompasses the interrelatedness of all life.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeFe-IQN661L5-RP_76uaMVJh8Ez4VDmBc73qRqYGr0bPt7WmYHzM9gKoXt20HYsAdAES5G12VFHZ5fWNxUYVgZfIno6QR1AM6yoyWErZkdfwk38KFlRFvdqxE9H007VQTASzrs5dHiY/s2048/IMG_8258.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeFe-IQN661L5-RP_76uaMVJh8Ez4VDmBc73qRqYGr0bPt7WmYHzM9gKoXt20HYsAdAES5G12VFHZ5fWNxUYVgZfIno6QR1AM6yoyWErZkdfwk38KFlRFvdqxE9H007VQTASzrs5dHiY/w375-h500/IMG_8258.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was probably one of our longest days on any of the road trips. We pulled up to our final stop of the day the Alpine Inn in Hill City, SD at about 9pm. This restaurant was another recommendation that my Mom had gotten from a neighbor because of the delicious desserts. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The building was originally known as the Harney Peak Hotel and was purchased by a German immigrant named Waldraut Matush in 1974. Over the next ten years several businesses operated there until in 1984 Wally opened the Alpine Inn. The website talks about a welcoming spirit that Wally envisioned for the Inn and she certainly did it. From the moment we walked up to the steps we felt welcomed. I was a little concerned because we were arriving so close to closing time I thought this would be rushed dinner. It wasn't. We ordered the bacon wrapped filet minion with a baked potato, wedge salad and homemade ranch dressing, and Texas toast. Our waitress was great, I am sad I can't remember her name. She told us about her kids and hunting and all the meats she was in the process of preserving. Then came time for the desserts I ordered the Tiramisu, Meg ordered the Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie, and my Mom ordered the Berry Tart. First every single one was amazing and the reason we ordered three desserts was because from the descriptions we couldn't decide on one. Second they were huge servings and we really should have ordered one to split. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC8xgEO9PYWj4IcfHpgEri5ezjniY8jUvJlxE1EUDa4_FmrtNIYBLYnTXvzu1GxaDuq5iLvNCxVi4n-u4F1yrBJghOHBTVygLbJ2lR6gexSAyFRWWJeuhK8DxC5BIxWovO9N63xSCoM4/s2048/IMG_8263.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC8xgEO9PYWj4IcfHpgEri5ezjniY8jUvJlxE1EUDa4_FmrtNIYBLYnTXvzu1GxaDuq5iLvNCxVi4n-u4F1yrBJghOHBTVygLbJ2lR6gexSAyFRWWJeuhK8DxC5BIxWovO9N63xSCoM4/s320/IMG_8263.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQa5z1UkkrkrrH3ittoIvev8tN6tsJCm8dDq0uI4GyJsmf1H5OF0v_e8PdMd4px5gtaIR5Cqo4cNhmOkS1nB2uHxHMXIveyaxaRIKgVw-NFKFjxIqQjXTqLJOOyTuevYueE1d62LPyqw/s2048/IMG_8268.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQa5z1UkkrkrrH3ittoIvev8tN6tsJCm8dDq0uI4GyJsmf1H5OF0v_e8PdMd4px5gtaIR5Cqo4cNhmOkS1nB2uHxHMXIveyaxaRIKgVw-NFKFjxIqQjXTqLJOOyTuevYueE1d62LPyqw/s320/IMG_8268.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So not thinking anything of it we asked for boxes to bring the dessert back to the hotel thinking that after the drive back to the hotel we might finish the desserts or they could become breakfast- don't judge its a road trip and there are no rules during road trips. Which leads us to one of those rare road trip moments you will only have if you can laugh at getting irrationally angry and spend a lot of hours in the car. This may not be as funny to those reading this who weren't there but trust me it was funny. Anyway I was driving and my Mom was in the front passenger seat holding the packed desserts. So we were on the road and it was dark so as I was driving I was watching for wildlife on the side of the road. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere what I could only describe as a tribble from Star Trek...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivNGuHhG6cdNk_t7srGIrKswrkIS93xT5NOrEw87ujbfMXYdUmpsr1WCEOkqJC6CtXnCJ4WweWPYPIwInMikWb1RVMBUunMpBLZDzrhRw2eDbny1Zv5SAwiDJeehXPcyZ1_e1YeMbXBE/s262/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivNGuHhG6cdNk_t7srGIrKswrkIS93xT5NOrEw87ujbfMXYdUmpsr1WCEOkqJC6CtXnCJ4WweWPYPIwInMikWb1RVMBUunMpBLZDzrhRw2eDbny1Zv5SAwiDJeehXPcyZ1_e1YeMbXBE/s0/download.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So naturally not wanting to run over the Tribble I swerved. Wellllllll...... when I swerved everything swerved including the desserts which had ice cream with them.... and the ice cream was melting. So we went from laughing and being confused as to what exactly the Tribble was (note I did not hit it the swerve was successful) to my Mom all of a sudden yelling to pull over and find napkins because the ice cream was now melting and spilling all over her. I started trying to find someplace to pull over with a trash can so we could throw out the ice cream and it took a bit but we found a building with a dumpster next to it. So my Mom gets out to throw out the bag and then we saw a large dog or wolf... it really looked like a wolf circling around the building. So while Meg tried to keep the dogs from barking I kept watching the wolf dog until my Mom got back in the car. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then we drove in silence for awhile.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then we started laughing about the Tribble again, decided ice cream should never be brought home again, and began exaggerating the story and size of the wolf dog. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also in case you are wondering the Tribble was most likely a porcupine. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we got up early even though we hadn't gotten to the hotel until midnight but we were excited to see one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu7Xf6GPfb-lzvMs_i14Z1hSEwyti7vov9M8PMFyopSRmCS6BTjlKjYG6prMnyS0frWGIykVHulF990Y0LzupK-k1Fq8nkf92_p2udl7itI7AJcXMbmKpYIKfI_xpJ__IpMJuEv4wP2k/s2048/IMG_8286.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="605" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu7Xf6GPfb-lzvMs_i14Z1hSEwyti7vov9M8PMFyopSRmCS6BTjlKjYG6prMnyS0frWGIykVHulF990Y0LzupK-k1Fq8nkf92_p2udl7itI7AJcXMbmKpYIKfI_xpJ__IpMJuEv4wP2k/w454-h605/IMG_8286.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mount Rushmore located in the Black Hills of South Dakota features the faces of four American Presidents chosen to represent the birth, growth, development, and preservation of the United States. Doane Robinson, a South Dakota historian came up with the idea of carving the faces of historic figures into the Black Hills to increase tourism. At first it wasn't Presidents that he was going to put but rather historical figures like Lewis and Clark. Gutzon Borglum thought the monument should have wider appeal. My Mom will tell you in true Italian American fashion that an Italian made Mount Rushmore and she is correct Luigi Del Bianco was the chief sculptor/carver of the monument which began in 1927 and ended in 1941. In total over 400 sculptors worked on the project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpO5Vm6DgaubG9Hw_f0yhkCjqwpAvGHSxw7mcJ0ZfPrTUSvr1cnMKF77YvhJ-IkafUUfUZWOxY5_F14HcO2X0atbC-_nMgBBGI7a3-LYimQRzVxEnRdP3FcBVWhHgG6fpVCTEml0sEZo/s2048/IMG_8288.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpO5Vm6DgaubG9Hw_f0yhkCjqwpAvGHSxw7mcJ0ZfPrTUSvr1cnMKF77YvhJ-IkafUUfUZWOxY5_F14HcO2X0atbC-_nMgBBGI7a3-LYimQRzVxEnRdP3FcBVWhHgG6fpVCTEml0sEZo/w430-h573/IMG_8288.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before it was Mount Rushmore it was called the Six Grandfathers by the Lakota people and was a sacred place. In the Treaty of 1868 or Fort Laramie Treaty established an area for the Sioux that included the Black Hills. However the Treaty is short lived and when gold was discovered in the Black Hills the government forced the Sioux off the land and claimed ownership. As much as I loved seeing Mount Rushmore and the faces of four of our Presidents representing the best of America I don't want to ignore the history of the monument. The fact is that land was promised to the Lakota because it was thought to be of no value by the government but then when they decided it was valuable they took it back. A short distance away in the Black Hills is another sculpture being built in honor of Lakota Leader Crazy Horse. The sculpture will have Crazy Horse on horseback charging out the side of the mountain. For more info about the Memorial including information about upcoming events, future plans, role in education, and how to donate <a href="https://crazyhorsememorial.org/">click here</a>. The Foundation is completely funded by visitors and donors and has taken no federal or state funding. The memorial is the largest mountain carving of its kind and has over one million visitors every year. The goal is to "protect and preserve the cultural, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cRlz9WfeQxkK3MATesYRhcBKcohaBE5EG837yYhhYTr-yC9F3vPkO3gl9WYRE2TTXY8ryvZNyDZgtv-YUR4HfnIEc65WxJ0BjSgzCF1ZoZdaT28Lv5RUu54vofd-UFzaHJZO5H4lSLY/s2048/IMG_8309.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cRlz9WfeQxkK3MATesYRhcBKcohaBE5EG837yYhhYTr-yC9F3vPkO3gl9WYRE2TTXY8ryvZNyDZgtv-YUR4HfnIEc65WxJ0BjSgzCF1ZoZdaT28Lv5RUu54vofd-UFzaHJZO5H4lSLY/w487-h365/IMG_8309.jpg" width="487" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After leaving Crazy Horse we began driving north to North Dakota. Now this is one pattern that we discovered throughout the west and mid-west there are a lot of really great highways going across the country from east to west but there was a serious lack of dedication to north and south. Most of our drive north was on small roads and at one point dirt road. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It took a bit but eventually we reached the Enchanted Highway: a series of large scrap metal sculptures created by a single man Gary Greff who we also got to meet when we stopped in his store. Technically we drove the highway backwards which was a little sad because when he asked which was our favorite we couldn't answer yet. At that point the only one I knew of was the Geese in Flight which is the current World Record Holder for largest scrap metal sculpture. Mr. Greff first began work on the project in 1989 to help revive Regent and bring in tourism traffic. At each of the sculptures there is a parking lot, picnic area, and sign listing the names of donors and information about the sculpture. Meg donated to his next work of art so when it is finished we will definitely return.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiousxgmZxa3VjFyvSYGNRFLbRjY6Cn1nqnbouBq-NVBMLGWlgo8GXkYzaCIsnM6XWRSqtiMNt7ixI1fw4W0fh836JlEoObfE3eCWZnEtzyHHvSmY6ywK7qzodhXeI77YnbIerUNgEriNk/s2048/IMG_8345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiousxgmZxa3VjFyvSYGNRFLbRjY6Cn1nqnbouBq-NVBMLGWlgo8GXkYzaCIsnM6XWRSqtiMNt7ixI1fw4W0fh836JlEoObfE3eCWZnEtzyHHvSmY6ywK7qzodhXeI77YnbIerUNgEriNk/w441-h331/IMG_8345.jpg" width="441" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We very much enjoyed the 30 mile drive up the Enchanted Highway. It was filled with beautiful sculptures taken from the prairie life and definitely worth the drive.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From North Dakota we traveled west to Montana and our first stop was the Battle of Little Bighorn which would have been one of the planned outings if my Uncle's Berlin Brigade reunion had not been cancelled. Back in our senior year of high school we had an amazing American History teacher who gave out awesome projects. One project was to write a fictional story. Meg and I wrote it together. I believe we called it Till The Day I Die..... And After. Anyway the main characters name might have been Zeke. he was a young man who had been in Custer's Army but had been sent away to try and get help from one of the other Generals. And so was not present at the battle... looking back right now we really skipped on the American History part. Zeke was traveling to see the wife and children of a man maybe Gavin (it has been a long time) he had been friends with to notify the family that he was dead and to tell them how much he meant to him having become a father figure to Zeke who had no family. Anyway the whole way there Zeke is just remembering stories Gavin had told him about basically being a better human being and being kind to others even those who are different from yourself. And the story continues from there... I know we have it printed out somewhere I saw it recently....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>We also visited Pompey's Pillar where General William Clark carved his name and the date July 25th, 1806 on the 150 foot tall sandstone butte he named for Sacagawea's son. Clark's signature is the only physical evidence that remains from the famous expedition. Also inscribed on the rock are Native American Petroglyphs and the initials of other early travelers on their way west. The visitor center was closed due to Covid 19 but the staff was available for questions and they had moved some displays outside. Unfortunately the pillar was also closed due to structural repairs being made, so we could not walk up to see the actual signature. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUboTTYIwwfn2Ps1GyvCuKUEKS-Q9R4K_ivHPVfbGRza39ZGiBywwnumB-24IR05sLTvtfiWJjwq68rPYCrfJa3ZKLn8am-rArrPtEQeWrkPmBew46LYsBb8muv8iqXhn5AUg6UKdchWI/s2048/IMG_8429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUboTTYIwwfn2Ps1GyvCuKUEKS-Q9R4K_ivHPVfbGRza39ZGiBywwnumB-24IR05sLTvtfiWJjwq68rPYCrfJa3ZKLn8am-rArrPtEQeWrkPmBew46LYsBb8muv8iqXhn5AUg6UKdchWI/w376-h501/IMG_8429.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is evidence of over 11,000 years of human life around the pillar probably due to its position along the Yellowstone River and the fact that at 150 feet tall the butte was visible and easy to be used as a way finding point. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From there it was only 25 miles to Billings MT where our first stop was a shoe store, Al's Bootery. Yup it may seem like a long way to go to visit a shoe store but this one housed the show of the World's Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow. Robert was born in Alton, Illinois to Harold and Addie May Wadlow on Feb 22, 1918. At birth he was 20 inches long and weight 8.5 lbs. Due to an issue with his pituitary gland his body produced large amounts of human growth hormone which caused him to grow at an accelerated rate. At five when he started school he was already over five feet tall. By nine he was over six feet tall and 180 lbs. Robert graduated from high school at 8 foot 3 inches and 380 lbs in 1935. In 1936 he went on tour with Ringling Brothers Circus and in 1938 he also went on a promotional tour for the International Shoe Company, who provided him with shoes. Robert's long term goal was to go to college and study law. Unfortunately he developed an infection in his leg from one of his leg braces. He passed away on July 15th 1940 at only 22 years of age. Robert was 8 foot 11 inches and is officially listed as The World's Tallest Man in the Guinness Book of World Records. There is a statue of him at the Alton Museum of History and Art. This shoe is a size 32. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH6-Y0ehyphenhyphen-3war5yIB78R8zkCdmsICKiNN3WcSMUxTSrDkmYJO5UVrvDeLCSpoVeyj5rpecLhCr8K4tgv26aksxLr-TXeXHESR6EOuQcQmlSr_Z_0MkVg5ee0FzWTM-MCLJyH5jprxME/s2048/IMG_8445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH6-Y0ehyphenhyphen-3war5yIB78R8zkCdmsICKiNN3WcSMUxTSrDkmYJO5UVrvDeLCSpoVeyj5rpecLhCr8K4tgv26aksxLr-TXeXHESR6EOuQcQmlSr_Z_0MkVg5ee0FzWTM-MCLJyH5jprxME/w494-h371/IMG_8445.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We left the Bootery and booked ourselves a hotel room in Billings then we returned down town to get something to eat and drink and look around. We stopped at Thirsty Street Brewing which did have an outdoor patio but dogs were also allowed inside so we sat inside. The brewery has two locations. We were at the Garage which is their main brewing location and also a music/comedy venue. We really liked the interior especially the light fixtures which were repurposed kegs. I want to say our bartender names was Matt- he was awesome. Great personality and knowledgeable about the place and Montana in general- he was super patient with our random questions about things we had seen from the highway. He also introduced us to the Montana Brewery Passport which had we known about that this trip could have been very different. Meg immediately wanted to get to as many breweries as possible and although we did reach a few we did not make a dent. So I guess we will have to come back some time :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I enjoy listening to a weekly Podcast called <a href="https://dawfpodcast.podbean.com/">Drinking alone, with Friends!</a> The podcast features three friends who grew up together in CT but have now spread out around the country. As a way to celebrate their friendship and love of beer/spirits they put together the podcast where from their homes they all get together discuss what they are drinking and whatever else may come up. If you are interested in craft beer, travel, alcohol, podcasts, friendship or almost anything.... I recommend their podcast. One of them moved out to Montana so I asked for a recommendation while we were in Billings. He gave a few suggestions and the one that fit best with our schedule was Uberbrew. Unfortunately they are not dog friendly so we knew we couldn't sit and hang out but I wanted to try their beer so I popped in real quick and explained I was on a series of road trips driving around to all 48 contiguous states and asked if I could only try one beer that they made which would they recommend. My plan was to get a growler and bring it back to the hotel. I like to start out with as little detail about my beer preference as possible so I can allow the bartender to make his/her own suggestion because there are different paths they can take. One way of answering that question is to offer their personal favorite beer which makes perfect sense they are suggesting a beer that the brand backs and supports or else it wouldn't be brewing it and they are giving me an insight into what they like, sharing a bit of themselves. A second route could be to offer me the most popular beer they have "Top Seller." Also a good path because it is obviously a tested favorite. Close to this but slightly different would be giving me the beer that they have entered into competitions and won the most awards with. I like these paths. The risk here being it could be a style I don't like. However I am open to tasting many different styles of beer and while I realize there are styles that are not my favorites I can also recognize a good beer in those style. That's just me on the beer app Untapped my ratings are pretty high because even when I have beers I don't like if I don't like it because it isn't my style I won't grade it down I try and judge it as that style. The last option is for the bartender to ask me some questions and aim a specific beer at my taste. Now I am not generally that helpful because I explain that I like most styles and enjoy trying different beers. The only hint I give is that while I am not a huge fan of IPAs I really like Double IPAs- something about the one two punch with the different bitters. Anyway they recommended a wheat beer called White Noise which they describe as </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Steadfast among radical trends of craft brewing, White Noise is our staple wheat beer. A timeless classic, it's been around the block and back- and even won a few awards along the way."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So Uberbrew slogan is "superlative beer" and while I was only able to try one the slogan is true! All three of us enjoyed the beer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we started out early and we were basically driving in a circle around Billings because the things I had looked up in Montana circled around Billings since I thought we would be there for a few days while my Uncle was at the reunion. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our first stop was in Lewiston, MT and it was a Veterans Memorial Park. Inside the Park was a Howitzer and Statue of Liberty replica. What I had come to the park to see was a LGM-30A Minuteman I.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhriQCEVc2wToEaI-DWi_Dzc2Tti83z51Znj5sa0qar6iyk8hdZz6PBOfNyt_7xcHuMgehNDoVj6mxG7RvNjvBeEAia0UDQdGT6jv56OVrMqYc_PlRhpsyHwg7AtvtVbtg_tSO0Gi4cM/s2048/IMG_8481.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhriQCEVc2wToEaI-DWi_Dzc2Tti83z51Znj5sa0qar6iyk8hdZz6PBOfNyt_7xcHuMgehNDoVj6mxG7RvNjvBeEAia0UDQdGT6jv56OVrMqYc_PlRhpsyHwg7AtvtVbtg_tSO0Gi4cM/w330-h440/IMG_8481.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We left Lewiston and drove to Great Springs State Park to see one of the shortest rivers in the world flow into one of the longest rivers. There the Roe river runs 201 feet at it's longest and has been named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the shortest river in the world. It runs into the Missouri River which is 2,540 miles long. The river is part of a small park that includes a fish hatchery and was a real nice spot to hang out and relax for awhile. The water was beautiful and so clear, really very peaceful to sit and watch. I left a painted rock there of a silhouette of a fly fisherman standing in a river.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxqwS8mBDCW2MyGwTS_4YbUutGqf4BGCA0wF83OJehxhP3XhUs3Dp3mQBRH434zZdvPFjZKXKweOHt0txs59QIsOvsuBhMKIgV85nQMwYZw9kBnPjoLP72TfhclaREoIkR8QlEirMptk/s2048/IMG_8508.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxqwS8mBDCW2MyGwTS_4YbUutGqf4BGCA0wF83OJehxhP3XhUs3Dp3mQBRH434zZdvPFjZKXKweOHt0txs59QIsOvsuBhMKIgV85nQMwYZw9kBnPjoLP72TfhclaREoIkR8QlEirMptk/s320/IMG_8508.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilw-QPtF6FVkXvbqb7rIxOZjjAIhrpRmffrWAozkzZshZP0zlP94aY1V6LRxMpoxDywpglfImre6Jbl1W6tlpwbXhucaRljqUT0FVK16qur9V1JwCYazcac8H55wlv4As_iKEu8_-WiaQ/s2048/IMG_8499.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilw-QPtF6FVkXvbqb7rIxOZjjAIhrpRmffrWAozkzZshZP0zlP94aY1V6LRxMpoxDywpglfImre6Jbl1W6tlpwbXhucaRljqUT0FVK16qur9V1JwCYazcac8H55wlv4As_iKEu8_-WiaQ/s320/IMG_8499.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stopped for lunch and while we were stopped we talked about the rest of the day. See I had some other planned stops like a giant boombox on the side of the highway but to reach each of the stops would make it a very long day. I proposed we return to Billings for the night and make it a regular day. We all liked Montana and agreed we would come back to visit, my Mom even wants to buy a summer home there- she wants no part in the winters that is for sure. I proposed we leave the stops for another time. So we got back in the car and began driving back to Billings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately as we were on the road going back a deer ran out of some brush onto the small two lane road and right in to the front driver side of the car. Once the car was safely on the side of the road I walked back to get the pieces of the bumper that were in the road, I don't know where the deer went. A truck that had been behind us and saw the accident pulled over and asked my Mom and Meg if everyone was ok. We were and he continued on his way. As I got back to the car with the bumper in hand we were trying to call the non emergency police number because we weren't sure what we needed to do but we were also experiencing bad cell coverage when a sheriff pulled up behind us. Now if it weren't so serious I would have laughed because when he pulled up my Mom looked up at the sky raised her hands up then brought them back together locking her fingers together as if in prayer as if she were thanking God for the sheriffs existence. He also asked if we were all ok, which again thankfully we were. We told him what happened and got our ids, insurance, and registration and all that good stuff while he began filling out the report and taking pictures of the damage. Then he leaned over the car to take a better look. Being a hybrid there were all these wires and electrical components and a hub that looked very important but was loose. I got a bungee cord and strapped it in place so that it wouldn't move. He had me try and turn on the car and luckily it started. I put the pieces I had taken from the road on to the cargo carrier we had attached to the back of the car. He followed up for a little bit as we drove down the road before he turned around, I assume to look for the deer who had to have been badly injured or possibly already deceased. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At a gas station I stopped just to check on the hub that I had bungeed and make sure it was ok. Things looked ok and we again started back to Billings. We were feeling a little better about things since the car was driving well. My Mom commented that we were lucky the sherif pulled up and Meg and I agreed. She said he was very nice, we agreed. And I said well he couldn't be mean after you thanked God for his existence. My Mom said what do you mean And I said aloud her reaction that I typed up above. I am almost positive he went home and told his wife about the woman "who literally turned her eyes to God and thanked Him" when he pulled up. And then we were all laughing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Luckily at this point in the trip we were going to be heading home anyway. But we were 1,900 miles away from home with a vehicle that could only be driven during the day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaS0m5xYZyTBjizO9yHlfUyw3wRaLRnEKgzluwjEoncbL6qmtezIb6Y6dxfoTlNr3Finemr3nup95QFs7ruFrLudnJH79evs9SoMx46jKsPfvpeRPch3lVcHE8XFZLF2mRq06Q_GDaIw/s2048/IMG_8522.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaS0m5xYZyTBjizO9yHlfUyw3wRaLRnEKgzluwjEoncbL6qmtezIb6Y6dxfoTlNr3Finemr3nup95QFs7ruFrLudnJH79evs9SoMx46jKsPfvpeRPch3lVcHE8XFZLF2mRq06Q_GDaIw/s320/IMG_8522.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We thought about going straight home and cutting out any other stops. But they did not add more than 2 hours time total and were spaced out pretty well to where we would have needed to stop anyway. Still we left it a game time decision to see how the car was doing and honestly how we were feeling because as time went on we did start to feel some aches and pains from the collision. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The next morning we came out to the car to discover that overnight a crack had started in the windshield. I don't remember seeing a crack after hitting the deer but it must have started and then just grown with the temperature cooling off. We began driving home with our first stop in Kaycee, Wyoming. There we stopped to see "Good Ride Cowboy" a statue in honor of Chris LeDoux. It shows him riding Stormy Weather in the 1976 World Bareback Championship in Oklahoma City where he won the gold buckle in the final round. Chris LeDoux was born October 2, 1948. His father was in the airforce and they moved a lot when Chris was young. In his teenage years he began bareback riding and competing in rodeos. He won the Wyoming State Bareback Championship twice while still in high school. In 1970 he became a professional rodeo rider and began composing and recording songs to help make extra money and cover rodeo expenses. His songs were about his life and he recorded over 20 albums under his own record label, American Cowboy Songs and would sell them at rodeo events. In January of 1972 he married Peggy Rhodes and they raised five children together. In 1976 he won the bareback championship and in 1980 he retired from the rodeo. Chris and his family moved to Kaycee and he continued self recording albums and playing to audiences. Then in 1989 Garth Brooks released a song called "Much to young (to feel this damn old)." In the song he references a "worn out tape of Chris Ledoux". Well the song was a top ten hit for Garth Brooks and the first of many singles. I remember hearing Garth Brooks talk about seeing Chris LeDoux in concert and Garth was blown away by the style and energy of the show. Garth Brooks wanted to take that same style and energy into his career and he did. In an interview Garth Brooks said of Chris LeDoux "Chris was exactly what our heroes are supposed to be." Well from the first time she heard that song Meghan became a Chris LeDoux fan and she wasn't alone. She knew about his rodeo career and his music career. When we bought our first car, a 99 Ford Taurus with a cassette player in it, we went to a music store and found a Chris LeDoux tape. On March 9th, 2005 Chris LeDoux passed away from cancer. He was a championship rider, sculptor, and award winning musician. On top of all that and most important to Chris LeDoux he was a good man, husband, and father. I have seen him quoted in several places, including the plaque at the statue saying </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"What I want to be known for, on top of everything else, is that I was a good husband and family man." </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWnYci0eql_cTKgEshGmnNQjsxg15VDP_o7nT4BLGbHfAnNiAQ4haKUXkRggkj19WNkx58MCyq1rdesY3Q-k1R6JX8u7bxslRRwl0Ln_nmR0magXm-_l1r5xcQSb9iFOOUZkthU1O0MM/s2048/IMG_8533.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWnYci0eql_cTKgEshGmnNQjsxg15VDP_o7nT4BLGbHfAnNiAQ4haKUXkRggkj19WNkx58MCyq1rdesY3Q-k1R6JX8u7bxslRRwl0Ln_nmR0magXm-_l1r5xcQSb9iFOOUZkthU1O0MM/w446-h335/IMG_8533.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHl9X2FWQaEpDlnx5yzGyWn9PAXV16PM4RprHumYWBpYKGOt9FraR7QusQIp98-9FbJ4d1J_DxgGoQJEegfCFxwlXeQrho4M3iHzlJL-a2pnqMwrc3CWR2zyk8FiYApG1LEf-odn48EM/s2048/IMG_8536.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHl9X2FWQaEpDlnx5yzGyWn9PAXV16PM4RprHumYWBpYKGOt9FraR7QusQIp98-9FbJ4d1J_DxgGoQJEegfCFxwlXeQrho4M3iHzlJL-a2pnqMwrc3CWR2zyk8FiYApG1LEf-odn48EM/w446-h335/IMG_8536.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><br /><div>Everything I have ever seen from people who knew Chris LeDoux from personal friends, articles, business acquaintances, Garth Brooks, and his family that sums him up perfectly. People talk about his energy and positivity as well as hard work and dedication. There has been several times when we were down town at the Honky Tonks on Broadway and Meg will request her favorite Chris LeDoux song "This Cowboys Hat." but there is nothing better than hearing the song sung by Chris LeDoux and the passion in his voice.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAnKZ1LZ8fw" width="320" youtube-src-id="XAnKZ1LZ8fw"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdA_O6O7vZ4D7g4NsT0B9Tc1fT9wbW0kLY8xEOPJe82_TPo_sj7s5r3Gri0uX5k3PiM01nzIPsx90NQzsN-MGMSq3cpC2nz8VwEnqR9OpyurRIt-X-sb0qC35121qN2Zb8JFuXAkfXWao/s2048/IMG_8540.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdA_O6O7vZ4D7g4NsT0B9Tc1fT9wbW0kLY8xEOPJe82_TPo_sj7s5r3Gri0uX5k3PiM01nzIPsx90NQzsN-MGMSq3cpC2nz8VwEnqR9OpyurRIt-X-sb0qC35121qN2Zb8JFuXAkfXWao/w173-h231/IMG_8540.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>I didn't stop anywhere to see actual dinosaur fossils, maybe another time when we don't have dogs with us we will get to see some of the many fossils discovered throughout the west and mid west. We did stop at Casper College to see the "Essence of Rex" statue. Half of the statue is the skeletal frame of a T-Rex and the other half is fleshed out. At night the statue is lit up from the inside to make the skeleton pop. We were there during the day and because of our travel restrictions we did not stay to see it at dark.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNG7j9-slfTentjahKyNP4LQR8DnJ2L_Xc4L3cwySENLx6CODgyemtmGWPyZR3KWdO0ndTYfU6DmosrxO1knEsaA3d9mQTYLsTAEg1jDQr1QNkKdUEo-eM4cLnuZXWXef5q5BRzdnbyR0/s2048/IMG_8559.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNG7j9-slfTentjahKyNP4LQR8DnJ2L_Xc4L3cwySENLx6CODgyemtmGWPyZR3KWdO0ndTYfU6DmosrxO1knEsaA3d9mQTYLsTAEg1jDQr1QNkKdUEo-eM4cLnuZXWXef5q5BRzdnbyR0/s320/IMG_8559.jpg" /></a></div>Our next stop was Douglas, Wyoming- the home of the Jackalope. There have been three attempts to name the Jackalope the state's "Official Mythical Creature" but they have not made it past the state senate. The Jackalope, or a rabbit with horns has been a mythical creature dating back to the 13th century. But the American variety is the creation of Douglas Herrick and his brother. They had been teaching themselves taxidermy and as a teen after a hunting trip for jackrabbits the brothers got an idea. They took a jackrabbit and added antelope horns and mounted it. Jackalopes and stories of the creatures have spread throughout the west some of the stories say that the Jackalope favorite drink is whiskey and other stories talk about cowboys sitting at a campfire and hearing Jackalopes mimicking human voices. Before we left town we stopped at the Depot restaurant for lunch in the historic Burlington RR Passenger Depot built in 1916. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stopped for the night in Cheyenne, Wyoming where we saw two statues saying hi to each other from across the highway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1MUuz2eyF3vqQLE6vCD-M6pykLL858E5CLCVA4kuYCtB7jaZXLesyYE8R116xuvkN4HJARurtruPfgLG479pYQAdr03MSMLAise-8rM64RjzTfBKWDNaNX2qYxL89fY_RGwXbmb20l4/s2048/IMG_8574.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1MUuz2eyF3vqQLE6vCD-M6pykLL858E5CLCVA4kuYCtB7jaZXLesyYE8R116xuvkN4HJARurtruPfgLG479pYQAdr03MSMLAise-8rM64RjzTfBKWDNaNX2qYxL89fY_RGwXbmb20l4/w291-h388/IMG_8574.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnW6RioJ878qJrCyc5VIga88sptZUmWKKaxWicoswOjcfwPmV-Kv-RoZxplVYzk8v3-9o_DSCmQKVfJIl_kZwdollqlvT28k8Rmzj3xx3lo23qrO1OvjmA3-r1Yne5o71pBCPrnqlKNko/s2048/IMG_8577.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnW6RioJ878qJrCyc5VIga88sptZUmWKKaxWicoswOjcfwPmV-Kv-RoZxplVYzk8v3-9o_DSCmQKVfJIl_kZwdollqlvT28k8Rmzj3xx3lo23qrO1OvjmA3-r1Yne5o71pBCPrnqlKNko/w324-h431/IMG_8577.jpg" width="324" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtZG6VTmk_cEVIfNiJwlLSsgC_FEVsz2zsh4-YkEkPIF4Vpl_Hv591ku-RA3GhW5QlEdMZMDhLkcx74UVkWS2ho2Pq4RRuzktrkK07EfoQF47rH5ujMz2DM18nf2jfKnfUOy3uLczAkg/s2048/IMG_8576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtZG6VTmk_cEVIfNiJwlLSsgC_FEVsz2zsh4-YkEkPIF4Vpl_Hv591ku-RA3GhW5QlEdMZMDhLkcx74UVkWS2ho2Pq4RRuzktrkK07EfoQF47rH5ujMz2DM18nf2jfKnfUOy3uLczAkg/w423-h563/IMG_8576.jpg" width="423" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we started out once the sun was up. The crack in the windshield was growing and our hood seemed secure, the clasp did not seem damaged but when trucks or large vehicles would drive past us it as definitely bouncing more than it used to. We tried to look up what we could do to stop the crack growing, one site suggested nail polish and another said super glue would help. We bought ratchet straps at a Walmart and strapped the hood down so that it was extra secure. I tried some clear nail polish on the crack and let it dry- it didn't work I was driving and saw the crack just shoot out another three or four inches into the windshield. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>By then we were in Nebraska we saw a couple of neat spots. At a pullover in Sidney Nebraska I saw a plaque that just ahead in I-80 there was a golden link embedded in the road signifying the completion of the highway linking east and west Nebraska. And Ehmen Park in Gothenburg, Nebraska where they had a monument and informational building for the Pony Express.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we were driving the check tire pressure light came on. We stopped and the front tire had lost a lot of air. I couldn't see where air was leaking from but I assume the seal had somehow been broken. From then on at every stop we checked the air pressure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent the night in Kansas City. We had driven through Kansas City on our way West and it took a bit but my Mom was trying to remember what song it was that was about Kansas City. Fittingly it was Kansas City by Wilbert Harrison which mentioned Standing "on the corner of 12th and Vine". I looked it up and there was a park at 12th and Vine so we started our morning by visiting the park. When the Harrison sang the song in 1959 12th street was at the center of a thriving community. Residents could find everything they needed there from grocery stores and convenience stores to theaters for music and movies. At some point a park was put in and some streets were reconfigured which changed the layout and took away the corner of 12th and Vine. Luckily for us the corner was restored in 2005 with "Goin' to Kansas City" Park. At the center of the park is the Grand Piano shaped Plaza. There was also a series of information plaques above piano keys and of course a sign marking the spot where 12th and Vine meet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSKA7ZVsOuLJDN2aiFVSAyGDWEmxj8WTYbFaTTeDQlZ2xmwCIeqG0malAO2uSmc7MQgOjlcsFTIe5X9uOQy2PaDpBWH3-IaUVTM9C7wvxzWm2eVzR81NOpSNtjahOQt6tjay0GvRH944/s2048/IMG_8624.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSKA7ZVsOuLJDN2aiFVSAyGDWEmxj8WTYbFaTTeDQlZ2xmwCIeqG0malAO2uSmc7MQgOjlcsFTIe5X9uOQy2PaDpBWH3-IaUVTM9C7wvxzWm2eVzR81NOpSNtjahOQt6tjay0GvRH944/s320/IMG_8624.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8G04FJOVQ9RBgMa3ArZK9DvW2HPng8PrxZGgrJOd102qvYF7QS2z2VlbI9U1nNxLQpsr4JNOwEfqhbTc9plmKczVVjoW0UXefG38E2ElVWSC2oxm9pe5ujicc-VRtRrHTNXj7JOSJsbE/s2048/IMG_8623.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8G04FJOVQ9RBgMa3ArZK9DvW2HPng8PrxZGgrJOd102qvYF7QS2z2VlbI9U1nNxLQpsr4JNOwEfqhbTc9plmKczVVjoW0UXefG38E2ElVWSC2oxm9pe5ujicc-VRtRrHTNXj7JOSJsbE/w287-h216/IMG_8623.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Then it was time to gas up and head out. At a gas station right before we jumped on the highway I had possibly my favorite interaction with anyone on these road trips. I was filling up and a young man, probably early 20s was walking back to his car at a pump near mine. He saw the magnet and asked "what is drivethe48?" I explained and then added 'I realize this wasn't the best time for it." Honestly I was feeling a bit down with the damage to the car and the stress of driving it home hoping nothing else went wrong. "Carpe Diem" he said. I didn't fully catch what he said so I said something like "what" or "huh". And he repeated "Carpe Diem- seize the day sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do." He was just what I needed at that moment. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We only had two more stops and then we would be home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In Chesterfield Missouri we stopped at Faust Park to see the Butterfly statue and Carrousel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47EV0kwTMq-v6QXrP0N8GV0RMUcJTCQ7bf3brBtU3TCUS66uq-flkzW1AcZ3ms-3yDHyHeJkMBzbv5VFMwAWzEUXG6rECKkFICvdoM1ruuw45ReqKgmXExLrhHCx8ExIdCQUWWLao-L4/s2048/IMG_8634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47EV0kwTMq-v6QXrP0N8GV0RMUcJTCQ7bf3brBtU3TCUS66uq-flkzW1AcZ3ms-3yDHyHeJkMBzbv5VFMwAWzEUXG6rECKkFICvdoM1ruuw45ReqKgmXExLrhHCx8ExIdCQUWWLao-L4/s320/IMG_8634.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And our final stop was one I had been looking forward to for a long time. "Awakening" a giant seemingly coming out of the ground.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3NmyVhbKPKbRrEBfJVl0lAjnCa7ZXZYdbYCuGNrxRC3kfPyNdzFFAKiu6hoY5w4jRkf2PvcRW2MR5oDCdXHbFvDawMCF6w64-O8CXNUuTTwxwqfhHKTZrbM2Po7oDMyaMnjOnSbbbBw/s2048/IMG_8669.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3NmyVhbKPKbRrEBfJVl0lAjnCa7ZXZYdbYCuGNrxRC3kfPyNdzFFAKiu6hoY5w4jRkf2PvcRW2MR5oDCdXHbFvDawMCF6w64-O8CXNUuTTwxwqfhHKTZrbM2Po7oDMyaMnjOnSbbbBw/w444-h592/IMG_8669.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>From there we finished the drive to my house outside nashville and spent the night. The next weekend we took Ice to a repair shop the insurance company recommended. The answer was what we expected. The car was considered a total loss. It was a great car with lots of adventures, beyond just these trips, and it will be missed.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TL51r9AbFsYvKdRWZNJ3ILq0XEh6Rd4-yJPMvpVH3snSXpoGOBGHzcLI4prT__4lAeLMmHYBABPaGMCnxeA2qSyiCwUmOK57Mk9zMGVTrm8YYL8caH5yQ-F7Kl_LdxQKG8-s1BDU-HU/s2048/IMG_8680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="579" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TL51r9AbFsYvKdRWZNJ3ILq0XEh6Rd4-yJPMvpVH3snSXpoGOBGHzcLI4prT__4lAeLMmHYBABPaGMCnxeA2qSyiCwUmOK57Mk9zMGVTrm8YYL8caH5yQ-F7Kl_LdxQKG8-s1BDU-HU/w434-h579/IMG_8680.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>You were a good car Ice.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Writing this post has taken me for a long time and part of it was because while I was researching the history of the areas that we were in and the events that had happened I realized that I was very uncomfortable or hesitant about writing about Native American history. I didn't trust the sources to not just gloss over or exaggerate various details. So I am checking out some different sources so I can better understand history: too late for this post but not for me.</div><div></div><div><p></p></div></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-34668472968722051982020-12-16T16:39:00.000-08:002020-12-16T16:39:03.097-08:00The Great West Trip Part 3<p> And here is where the Great West became a trip to the North! See the goal was to get to all 48 contiguous states and as you might be able to tell from the rambling route while we obviously had time constraints from vacation time from work we weren't looking to do it as quickly as possible (as far as I can tell the record is 96 hours and hats off to those guys) or in as few miles. No we were looking to see, experience, and taste as much as we could in each state. We also had other side goals like see both coasts and a sunset on the pacific and sunrise on the Atlantic and seeing all the Great Lakes. So instead of cramming Duluth and Lake Superior into a weekend trip I tagged them on to this trip. </p><p><br /></p><p>So we left Salt Lake City, Utah and began driving North-East to Wyoming. I had a later road trip planned to go to Montana so I snagged a few things from that road trip and moved them up as a way to break up the long drive. On our way to our first planned stop we came across the nine foot cowboy in Point of Rocks, Wyoming. The area was once a home to a Stage Coach Line that saw passengers come through on their journey west and others heading to the gold rush. Today it is home to the nine foot cowboy. I don't know who built him or when but he gave us a laugh and we definitely snagged a picture.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTFXrQ-n_TBH8-op6R5ioN_OfUMkfZp7QJLtbVX6v485sx-ejwmRlAbzyVruPYNlSjCKnvT4KGQE0XughwEzqdVRngDCIZp8YPOBp38SKFDyK4N-F5NJlMI4_NPDCF-eGyRWBjLdICf0/s2048/IMG_7527.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTFXrQ-n_TBH8-op6R5ioN_OfUMkfZp7QJLtbVX6v485sx-ejwmRlAbzyVruPYNlSjCKnvT4KGQE0XughwEzqdVRngDCIZp8YPOBp38SKFDyK4N-F5NJlMI4_NPDCF-eGyRWBjLdICf0/s320/IMG_7527.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>A few hours later we were at our first stop: Rawlins, Wyoming to see a mural honoring the town's role in helping Edison invent the lightbulb. See on July 29, 1878 there was a total solar eclipse visible across a track of the US from Montana, through the Rockies, and to Texas. Newspapers report that a large migration of people traveled to see the spectacle that occurred at sunrise. In case you don't know a total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth at the right positioning for the moon's apparent diameter to block the sun entirely. If you would be interested in some more info about a Total Solar Eclipse <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2017/08/here-comes-moon-total-eclipse-eclipse.html"> click here</a> for a blog post I wrote about the August 21, 2017 TSE. And <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2017/08/it-came-i-saw-when-is-next-one.html">click here</a> for the post about the actual day. If you missed that Solar Eclipse there will be another Total Solar Eclipse that will cross America in 2024. If you are outside the USA ( I assume most people seeing this blog are in the USA) or a more adventurous traveler here is a list of upcoming Total and Annular eclipse from the wonderful website timeanddate.com Also I can not stress this enough but if you can get yourself into the 'Path of Totality' for a Total Solar Eclipse do it. Trust me you will remember it for the rest of your life. Seriously if you are at all interested take a moment and check out those other two blog posts. I've already started planning for the 2023 Annular and 2024 Total Eclipse it is worth the travel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48o8N9dq3qX3eWlhg47C4pG5nlxzP7JlLlNMQyxY5prC_86-N-Y2bjZA8y0AUKVdfG2I9LuF08GYe7toxYaW8Jv9P5B8Bn_qHhSO6jnhhrVqSVRaK50ihp5WK3VeeDOO_hnzCc2Bo9Os/s2080/upcoming+eclipses.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="2080" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48o8N9dq3qX3eWlhg47C4pG5nlxzP7JlLlNMQyxY5prC_86-N-Y2bjZA8y0AUKVdfG2I9LuF08GYe7toxYaW8Jv9P5B8Bn_qHhSO6jnhhrVqSVRaK50ihp5WK3VeeDOO_hnzCc2Bo9Os/w640-h204/upcoming+eclipses.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Now where was I.. oh yes Edison. Thomas Edison like many others travelled into the Path of Totality and settled on Rawlins, Wyoming to try and measure the sun's corona with his microtasimeter, he was able to measure temperature change in the corona with it. And then he went fishing. At the time Edison was looking for something to use as a filament in his lightbulb. His bamboo fishing pole in Rawlins is credited with giving him the inspiration he needed to use bamboo as the filament.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBLQUvXdi88LyVH4gLEz-PdHfbxiIwpzXTNnOxLd4Mcig3JmPn5w43_hQkd4h9Zg9d46Kl1cvDuYlnl_JPqibi8syMaI2fjxZGrYMEidRTfqZSY3HJN-TMVkxyo_96aAb33wJuyQJxgs/s2048/IMG_7528.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBLQUvXdi88LyVH4gLEz-PdHfbxiIwpzXTNnOxLd4Mcig3JmPn5w43_hQkd4h9Zg9d46Kl1cvDuYlnl_JPqibi8syMaI2fjxZGrYMEidRTfqZSY3HJN-TMVkxyo_96aAb33wJuyQJxgs/w472-h354/IMG_7528.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><p>As we were driving to the mural we passed St. Joseph's Catholic Church so we decided to stop there, look around, and say a prayer. I also left a painted rock at the side of the Church. It was one of my favorites with a brightly colored sun set scene reflecting in water.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_puzf4AM2C3JvjqO9CTbrdniLSmQwNXgreCU0tbUA4JjODoSiQqTG6naQdKneXs8hmWxjLPAtJaqkbfHi4pqkUM-SL3l-NZSkEKGBY_cR88nI4eZGeN5vxSGmawvMlPbRlNLDXgTEd3g/s2048/IMG_7536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_puzf4AM2C3JvjqO9CTbrdniLSmQwNXgreCU0tbUA4JjODoSiQqTG6naQdKneXs8hmWxjLPAtJaqkbfHi4pqkUM-SL3l-NZSkEKGBY_cR88nI4eZGeN5vxSGmawvMlPbRlNLDXgTEd3g/s320/IMG_7536.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDathCry-N42Xgh_yMnLN0rBvnZPxiHTTbz40_A3MrZcaI0n6DG1YWyksAivupVdrxfJmy2a_sT-l2Jfd-y3qWNvggbAwNY-a5AgStEOfzDkGTYEUeuPnCS-cEKdatgYtu1ajJB1bD18/s2048/IMG_7534.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDathCry-N42Xgh_yMnLN0rBvnZPxiHTTbz40_A3MrZcaI0n6DG1YWyksAivupVdrxfJmy2a_sT-l2Jfd-y3qWNvggbAwNY-a5AgStEOfzDkGTYEUeuPnCS-cEKdatgYtu1ajJB1bD18/s320/IMG_7534.jpg" /></a></div></div><br />We had lunch and walked around Rawlins a little bit just to stretch and have some time outside of the car. There are actually a bunch of other murals in town though some have fallen into disrepair. They highlight the history and nature of Wyoming. We didn't find all of them as we had to get back on the road. <div><br /></div><div>A couple hours later we stopped at a rest stop to view Independence Rock another part of history and the Oregon Trail. The granite rock is 10 feet high and 1,900 feet long. It served as a natural landmark for pioneers traveling west from the Missouri River to Oregon and California on the Emigrant Trails. Travelers would carve their names on Independence Rock, named that because travelers wanted to reach it by Independence Day in order to avoid the first frost in the mountains.</div><div><br /></div><div>By 7:30 pm we had reached our final stop in Wyoming: Devils Tower famous for its appearance in Close Encounters. The butte is part of the Black Hills. Interestingly enough it was the first United States National Monument designated as such by Theodore Roosevelt September 24th, 1906. The name Devils Tower is actually a mistaken translation. The name and myth behind the Tower in Native cultures involves a bear and many different names translate to 'Bears Home' or something closer to that and there have been several attempts to rename the Park Bear Lodge National Historic Park. While the last attempt was made in 2015 I hope that future attempts to rename it are met with better success. Arguments against the renaming include hurting the tourist trade which is a terrible reason. The current name has nothing to do with the myth of the location and is offensive to Native Tribes. I think people will find it just as easily under the name Bear Lodge as they do Devils Tower. </div><div><br /></div><div>The location is sacred to several Native Tribes including the Lakota, part of the Sioux. There are several different versions in myth as to how the Tower formed but my two favorite tellings are first that a group of girls were playing when several giant bears heard them and began chasing them. The girls climbed on to a rock and began praying to the Great Spirit to save them. Hearing their prayers the Great Spirit raised the rock to he heavens and the girls became the star cluster: The Pleiades. The bears tried to climb the rock and left the deep up and down lines seen in the Tower to this day. The second telling is very similar with two boys wandering away from home and being chased by the giant bear Mato. The boys also pray to the Great Spirit and the rock is lifted up. Mato continued to try and climb it thereby explaining the deep lines in the tower. He became tired and went to rest nearby and that spot is now called Bear Butte. The boys were then helped off the rock by Wanblee, an eagle. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hizKuTxZEbaj3VYb7OSC6bERepy3R057_Idqz9cfrelpRFOrfqcTtl0f8KCsGWzWwU9fTGKgT23IGMGisqBxYCs7jBsPk4OFl-gBeUtx0tInnWG9OdE1MXiDPzOzTGt8fd9E0vIrk_0/s2048/IMG_7562.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hizKuTxZEbaj3VYb7OSC6bERepy3R057_Idqz9cfrelpRFOrfqcTtl0f8KCsGWzWwU9fTGKgT23IGMGisqBxYCs7jBsPk4OFl-gBeUtx0tInnWG9OdE1MXiDPzOzTGt8fd9E0vIrk_0/s320/IMG_7562.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>It was late but we kept driving until about 10pm when we reached Spearfish, South Dakota. This trip was definitely an endurance trip with a lot of late nights and early mornings. Meg and I left my Mom and the dogs in the hotel while we went to get dinner. We ordered food online from an Applebees near the hotel and then drove in to Spearfish to get something local for us to try at Spearfish Brewing Company. We got a growler of their Adventurepants double IPA because it had a brontosaurus on it. If it hadn't been so late I would have loved to have hung out there for a bit. The location was really neat inside and the staff was friendly and ready to talk about good beer. I left a painted rock near the brewery with a buffalo on it. Again one of my favorites- my rock painting was definitely improving.</div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCxUB-78t-GL8sOfxkGl8BXvqe22FZ6bzt_S9dtnK7zqgLyoxuHaIt5KU-o0U6fjpb3wND-8pEf9ls3wC0pQVwpvOr38uf67M-QK2s-e8D7ZXbYn2_ceyAxgghCJjDug0cAhuyAoD430/s2048/IMG_7566.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCxUB-78t-GL8sOfxkGl8BXvqe22FZ6bzt_S9dtnK7zqgLyoxuHaIt5KU-o0U6fjpb3wND-8pEf9ls3wC0pQVwpvOr38uf67M-QK2s-e8D7ZXbYn2_ceyAxgghCJjDug0cAhuyAoD430/w427-h320/IMG_7566.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><br /><p>The next day we drove to South Dakota's Capital city, Pierre. Where we saw a quartz column that is a remnant of the original boundary set between North and South Dakota. It was known as the Quartzite Border because of the columns that land surveyor Charles H Bates used from 1891-1892 as he set markers every half mile (720 pillars) between the states. Also at the cultural center was a statue called the Citadel honoring the the pioneer women of South Dakota.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBnqzaYPzzX2kMJTeSCfdaiQGIvHHuz9ZmawcVmmmXypBs_3Cz1i91psAVsQRETe1ewo5fwMnGmOv6tDfHuERtZ2GG3aP1Yr20TNUrAWxIhQUFcbqS0j7659Byoas5i7a9q03OGbvNDI/s2048/IMG_7587.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBnqzaYPzzX2kMJTeSCfdaiQGIvHHuz9ZmawcVmmmXypBs_3Cz1i91psAVsQRETe1ewo5fwMnGmOv6tDfHuERtZ2GG3aP1Yr20TNUrAWxIhQUFcbqS0j7659Byoas5i7a9q03OGbvNDI/s320/IMG_7587.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8VS5bJXA_ClVXcix9yhwWKWutyKr05vB6mcJ6186dbCH8LsYnVb1memit204v58zgPSUREwAfaIAjQQMCbvAqNq9pOOZ1p0P_IgsytwgsGZ4bm2DiKRa1-2poq8sz0V0SDXFNX0bvR8/s2048/IMG_7589.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8VS5bJXA_ClVXcix9yhwWKWutyKr05vB6mcJ6186dbCH8LsYnVb1memit204v58zgPSUREwAfaIAjQQMCbvAqNq9pOOZ1p0P_IgsytwgsGZ4bm2DiKRa1-2poq8sz0V0SDXFNX0bvR8/s320/IMG_7589.jpg" /></a></div></div><br />It didn't come out very well in video but the place was crawling or hopping with grasshoppers and Gypsy Rover and Domino didn't know what to do with them. As we walked the dogs the grass would come alive with the little insects. Domino wanted to catch and eat them and Gypsy was just trying to sniff at them and follow them around. </div><div><br /></div><div>Driving back to the highway we stopped when we saw a monument near a walking trail in a park. I got out to see what it was and found it was a 9/11 Memorial. The memorial has a piece of steel from one of the support beams in the towers. It is part of a project by students across the country to build memorials to those lost that day and the bravery shown by others. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYWDcaVFaYewajTdBdmJPIekVeznvxuoGBh0KTLmqf1c-AdeuWy3JVIx4I99iKPDQGH0nQjpUAkckOWoTwa2MCoey7ziBj-Z2bE9ZMFRwWdC7-Q8S40PGtBwWhn4tuKsPNAXhXdasj7o/s2048/IMG_7600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYWDcaVFaYewajTdBdmJPIekVeznvxuoGBh0KTLmqf1c-AdeuWy3JVIx4I99iKPDQGH0nQjpUAkckOWoTwa2MCoey7ziBj-Z2bE9ZMFRwWdC7-Q8S40PGtBwWhn4tuKsPNAXhXdasj7o/w448-h336/IMG_7600.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVJvtz5tzLKmHPMgLC3S917H_750naRx-p3h4kZPQnvw1z60dxFBAAQPjGqFT_vIuvl-d8o4N__2gvDybXiJSrbi_IzQAlxm_FnlvhbN2-2mfOevtGSTeDEBF7elRa65-2hRx3wxsExk/s2048/IMG_7609.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVJvtz5tzLKmHPMgLC3S917H_750naRx-p3h4kZPQnvw1z60dxFBAAQPjGqFT_vIuvl-d8o4N__2gvDybXiJSrbi_IzQAlxm_FnlvhbN2-2mfOevtGSTeDEBF7elRa65-2hRx3wxsExk/s320/IMG_7609.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Our last stop in South Dakota was a tiny roadside chapel in Henry, SD. There are a lot of these I think I have been to at least five now. As far as I know most are non denominational just some place to stop and rest on your travels and say a prayer. Inside were some pews and a pulpit, pretty simple. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>While we didn't make very many stops this time in South Dakota I have to say the drive was spectacular. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue and most of our drive was on a small two lane road lined with wild sunflowers.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMKquw1B_1het8VGZwBxUCBbdFmhHN5LQEJfTq6zQUGTTEdP4mTaQ2StkJSmR1ljuP-O4_39dCXeFmhQmy8AnX30hIt_dSGPm4IW2fof1eZW0cXzuS7iCU9u6BV5AIhT_JVbTRZWM5UQ/s2048/IMG_7606.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMKquw1B_1het8VGZwBxUCBbdFmhHN5LQEJfTq6zQUGTTEdP4mTaQ2StkJSmR1ljuP-O4_39dCXeFmhQmy8AnX30hIt_dSGPm4IW2fof1eZW0cXzuS7iCU9u6BV5AIhT_JVbTRZWM5UQ/w460-h345/IMG_7606.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><div>Once in Minnesota we entered the town of Dawson or as they like to be known Gnometown. I don't know how the name began though I saw reference to it going back to 1988. It seems every year the town has a festival and honors residents who have shown a positive influence to the community with a Gnome that will come to be placed by the town sign. Had I know about this at the time I probably would have tried to find the town center to see some of the Gnomes. I am glad we saw the street signs though and I have been down the rabbit hole of reading about some of the citizens who have been honored as "Gnomes." I will have to revisit Gnometown, USA some time.<br /><p>A few hours later we reached our first stop in Little Falls, MN the "Traveler." It is a rock statue on the property of Little Falls Granite Works. They create monuments and markers and have been in business since 1898. On the granite pedestal where Traveler stands it says:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"Life is a journey: stories shared about people, places and events that have shaped our lives. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The story of Traveler is a lesson about the human spirit and how we all need others to improve our lives. Traveler is derived from the Nomadic people- the Inuit- who built signposts out of stone in the shape of a human to help people find their way in the harsh and desolate Arctic. Each stone represented an individual who then became interconnected, each independently significant, together and stronger as a whole. The origin for the Traveler was called Inuksuk, pronounced in-ook-shook.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Traveler experiences life uniquely through the individual journey and is influenced by significant people, events and places along the way. Traveler is meant to represent you and your story."</i></p><p>The pedestal continues with the story of Charles Lindberg who was born in Little Falls and encourages others to take a photo with the statue and share their own stories of inspiration on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/travelerlittlefallsmn">Facebook page</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5raE_rZ1c1aBdXlT0WREJ1bppYkXu2t9uSKJqY1QZXM6GvG5szEUKtwVS-oW7MCYcId2g6Z6O82-HFdSmmBv9x9oyoxujVZaue1IiJYAW7e5pBZlueOXfDJ3Ed8olxz_Whg_OdgOb6mE/s2048/IMG_7615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5raE_rZ1c1aBdXlT0WREJ1bppYkXu2t9uSKJqY1QZXM6GvG5szEUKtwVS-oW7MCYcId2g6Z6O82-HFdSmmBv9x9oyoxujVZaue1IiJYAW7e5pBZlueOXfDJ3Ed8olxz_Whg_OdgOb6mE/w361-h481/IMG_7615.jpg" width="361" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The words of the pedestal really spoke to me. Especially because this year has been such a crazy one. To read such a beautiful story about finding ways to connect and inspiring others in this crazy world was something I needed. I know the isolation and loneliness of the spring, canceling plans and missing out on visits with friends and family is what made me want to make these trips. And it is also what made me want to do it this year because I needed that sense of connection. I know some will look at these road trips as irresponsible- they aren't. I think this has been a year of very hard choices for a lot of people. A year where a lot of lives have been lost and families are left grieving. Should I have postponed and not done this? Did I put myself, family, and coworkers in danger by going on these trips? These are questions I asked myself almost daily. It was a real concern and worry. But this was something I felt I needed to do. It was time with my Mom and Meghan. It was some of the most beautiful places of natural splendor I have ever seen. It was interactions with other people no matter how brief. And it made me feel connected again. It made me focus on the positive beauty around me. Honestly it got me out of my head. It made me focus on things beyond myself and my own concerns and fears. And I hope that anyone reading these blogs feels encouraged to get out, travel, explore. But do it safely and in your own time when you are ready. And if you can not travel safely I hope that reading this and seeing the pictures gives some joy. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbIEXuKmvNsapvjg3GzPNkLSbYYYbYWMMwOaCdBIJPozFqsOG16sCrS7g2CmseHyteDN9is4IhAWBtoEuFtkl_OKtIRXFgPejpRCxSRRq0QC45hY8vK5k_z1kWfVgKREc0JxEtxMw3Xo/s2048/IMG_7622.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbIEXuKmvNsapvjg3GzPNkLSbYYYbYWMMwOaCdBIJPozFqsOG16sCrS7g2CmseHyteDN9is4IhAWBtoEuFtkl_OKtIRXFgPejpRCxSRRq0QC45hY8vK5k_z1kWfVgKREc0JxEtxMw3Xo/s320/IMG_7622.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We left the Traveler and stopped in at Starry Eyed Brewing a short distance away, still in Little Falls. Because it was late and we were tired we did not stop in for a Flight but their flight boards were really unique looking five point stars. I left a rock there that was a background of a cliff and ocean and on it said "Wanderlust- a desire or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world." We picked up a growler and then went to Taco John's (a chain we had never heard of before) because it was Tuesday and we wanted Taco Tuesday :-)</div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And then on Wednesday we reached Duluth MN where I planned to spend the entire day because I left plenty of time to see the engineering wonder of the aerial lift bridge. There are these gigantic sky scraper sized boats that sail on Lake Superior... I'm talking boats that are well over 500 feet long and 40 feet high. However our stop in Duluth did not start out as planned because shortly before reaching the harbor the tire pressure light came on in the car. Now because we know our luck well we had both fix-a-flat and a plug in inflator with us. So we parked at the harbor and I checked the tires. All four needed a little air which was a good sign that nothing was really wrong. Had one tire been a lot lower than the others I would have been concerned. As I was filling up the front driver side a gentleman and his family stopped. He asked if we were ok and I told him yes and I appreciated him checking. The bridge's history begins in 1892 when John Low Wadell won a contest by designing a vertical lift bridge to span the canal between Minnesota and Wisconsin. His design was not built here but was later used in Chicago. In its place a transporter bridge was built with a gondola to ferry people across and still allow the barges to travel through the canal. However as demand for cars and traffic began to build up the gondola could not keep up. So in 1929 the bridge was remodelled and followed closely to the original design by Wadell. On March 29, 1930 the bridge as we know it today lifted to allow its first boat. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qiTi6g0BPWYcfb3oM1nV9yhbyB0kEhXdSa57FYCIqJIHFothvG6HLBiFttwcKAtSTD64mtVYf1ePg1WzTfSYTm7C41cTiZlyQa3V4HoO7WmJWBbHl7QzXDC9F_j6qbJPTbOSDzXhzt0/s2048/IMG_7631.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qiTi6g0BPWYcfb3oM1nV9yhbyB0kEhXdSa57FYCIqJIHFothvG6HLBiFttwcKAtSTD64mtVYf1ePg1WzTfSYTm7C41cTiZlyQa3V4HoO7WmJWBbHl7QzXDC9F_j6qbJPTbOSDzXhzt0/w282-h211/IMG_7631.jpg" width="282" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNEbuJJGVamI2qhXRYgF-CJ5h21iiTiPObm6kN1yM_ECXKPSkEAfbmomfleUmM2yxTRZYU8EGdowlRYoSSbl2RqObtG1KVEL0bk9lHlRwqdgQZt-0I7Jmxx3XmyNEG_agJ7U64jx2514/s2048/IMG_7639.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNEbuJJGVamI2qhXRYgF-CJ5h21iiTiPObm6kN1yM_ECXKPSkEAfbmomfleUmM2yxTRZYU8EGdowlRYoSSbl2RqObtG1KVEL0bk9lHlRwqdgQZt-0I7Jmxx3XmyNEG_agJ7U64jx2514/w282-h211/IMG_7639.jpg" width="282" /></a></div></div><p><br /></p><p>We arrived just in time to see the bridge raised for the BBC Thames, which was carrying wind turbine blades. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cluBC5kYxIA" width="320" youtube-src-id="cluBC5kYxIA"></iframe></div><br /><p>Now that we had seen the bridge we began exploring the park we knew we were spending the day because Meg also wanted to try and get some night photos. We planned to stay in the park long enough to see the next barge and then we would go find some lunch, find my other two stops in Duluth, and then return for the night photography. The next boat coming through was the Arthur M Anderson a ship made famous for its role in one of the worst maritime disasters in US history. I know the story because of Gordon Lightfoot's song: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. My Dad didn't really listen to music but this was probably one of his favorite songs. The Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the largest ships to sail the Great Lakes and is the largest to sink in Lake Superior when it went down during a storm on November 10th, 1975. The Arthur M. Anderson was caught in the same storm and received their final transmission at 7:10pm when the Captain, Ernest McSorley, said "We are holding our own." Ten minutes later the Edmond Fitzgerald disappeared from the Arthur Anderson's Radar and could no longer be reached by radio. Despite fighting their way through the storm and reaching safe harbor the Arthur M. Anderson's Captain Jesse Cooper and his crew returned to the last recorded location and searched for the Edmund Fitzgerald. Sadly none of the 29 crew members who ranged in age from 20-63 survived. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8jgqFnIGYjLR_iO0OWy6Vr2xnA4DPGJz-u8kfr9a78jvImyOwWyhBUwXEbyKAsmW064Ix71fPYwjxftqg5BlMpTXNIpOmYFJwP5aEKJuod00rh3AablfEHnE8eTDaWFMwuC9oss-IiI/s2048/IMG_7707.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8jgqFnIGYjLR_iO0OWy6Vr2xnA4DPGJz-u8kfr9a78jvImyOwWyhBUwXEbyKAsmW064Ix71fPYwjxftqg5BlMpTXNIpOmYFJwP5aEKJuod00rh3AablfEHnE8eTDaWFMwuC9oss-IiI/s320/IMG_7707.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_qYA77WR-IVwQkj_9acFFEsS2e-GNpN6gmJN9ViOAxcEUyn4qzQLpk57lzcPJ3y2Vw3OaOARdqHSkktKN3EkR056M3sfuL48-oyRoSD8nU84JUAUBhwPAqSaYP2JYURf1dbqQ459Vmc/s2048/IMG_7729.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_qYA77WR-IVwQkj_9acFFEsS2e-GNpN6gmJN9ViOAxcEUyn4qzQLpk57lzcPJ3y2Vw3OaOARdqHSkktKN3EkR056M3sfuL48-oyRoSD8nU84JUAUBhwPAqSaYP2JYURf1dbqQ459Vmc/s320/IMG_7729.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>We walked over to Canal Park brewing for lunch on their outside patio and further explored down town Duluth which featured several Maritime themed statues and nice stores including a blown glass store which had really beautiful art work inside. Then we went back to the car to drive around a bit and see some other stops in Duluth. For example there is a statue of Leif Erickson built by the Norwegian American League of Duluth, the first home of Bob Dylan from 1941-1947, and the Great Catsby honoring a neighborhood cat who was loved by many but passed away in 2016.<p></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p><p>And now we had one last state to visit on this road trip: Wisconsin. Fun fact Wisconsin was the 30th state to join the USA... and it was also the 30th state we visited this year! Pretty neat when things work out like that.</p><p>Our first stop was in Manitowoc where pieces of Sputnik IV fell out of the sky and were recovered on Sept 6, 1962. There is a marker on the sidewalk and then in the street it a small metal ring marking the exact spot. </p><p>And then we visited Greendale, a town that Norman Rockwell never painted but he could have! And in honor of that fact there is a statue of Norman Rockwell that looks really life like. I don't know how often residents update the painting but I know they turn him and change the print so that he is painting what ever building in the circle he is looking at. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8YyV2jtfccYoW6hHPlmYYYbnJD3kpMrp_BTx7JZtAuR1T0PocDkpR8iDnLXrY_deyL8KQRxXnkY-OM3wSdirOLkILpj_v6xz2-Vk0mfz6A9GSrkfkBB72wCucJAI0ymxFk7wihdmaMs/s2048/IMG_7770.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8YyV2jtfccYoW6hHPlmYYYbnJD3kpMrp_BTx7JZtAuR1T0PocDkpR8iDnLXrY_deyL8KQRxXnkY-OM3wSdirOLkILpj_v6xz2-Vk0mfz6A9GSrkfkBB72wCucJAI0ymxFk7wihdmaMs/s320/IMG_7770.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y5pJ2JpmwRBpM8Cgn1DCAgGZ6CX4ARGazIZ3wV8MDpQYSkynLBvBx9WSQ2bpkHd_LoX2Dl6EKYibjlPs0QFMCQpij-xXjcMefvWg099xT3DDz98n4qUq8RK9hdo9NvCA6q5SqUpi5_I/s2048/IMG_7785.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y5pJ2JpmwRBpM8Cgn1DCAgGZ6CX4ARGazIZ3wV8MDpQYSkynLBvBx9WSQ2bpkHd_LoX2Dl6EKYibjlPs0QFMCQpij-xXjcMefvWg099xT3DDz98n4qUq8RK9hdo9NvCA6q5SqUpi5_I/s320/IMG_7785.jpg" /></a></div></div><br />We then began the drive home with one last stop in Whitestown Indiana to one of the coolest breweries on these trips: Moontown Brewing Company. The place had it all a great logo, great beer, great food, a cool repurposed building, lots of community history, a very enjoyable patio, and a great story. On the menu they trace the history of the building, originally a school, a tree, and their family farm and home brew history. All these come together in 2018 when Moontown brewing opens in the refurbished school with a bar, stools, and taps all made from the tree that grew on their farm. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq4JExALlPYCCjZsu7Q9sIJPUGbvqwE4BjtyeQdfzcKzVPgZHmOyYX11py5UzXrrxRA7WNnOUW3p9eHNNPw-fXSt60FADCmYdhPmjck_VVxi-hvakWxPFasxFTdKkq_-cQVYB2ak_FDY/s2048/IMG_7804.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq4JExALlPYCCjZsu7Q9sIJPUGbvqwE4BjtyeQdfzcKzVPgZHmOyYX11py5UzXrrxRA7WNnOUW3p9eHNNPw-fXSt60FADCmYdhPmjck_VVxi-hvakWxPFasxFTdKkq_-cQVYB2ak_FDY/w526-h395/IMG_7804.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><br /><p>And after 16 days on the road we arrived back in TN and our map of states visited now looked like this:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQK8zHwtWgedkhEQKfokWQCg8s_Awhm8RuMfe370Qwy01CjmQByLUkHuQKQ3cjTzPMmYDfMo5xQ6PJkqAXuAq6P5h6U8UWeQbhWSwJiUNIvqBZ-hHQcf38eTBHaI26m5Wcd67bRWk4q4/s1342/30+states.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1342" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQK8zHwtWgedkhEQKfokWQCg8s_Awhm8RuMfe370Qwy01CjmQByLUkHuQKQ3cjTzPMmYDfMo5xQ6PJkqAXuAq6P5h6U8UWeQbhWSwJiUNIvqBZ-hHQcf38eTBHaI26m5Wcd67bRWk4q4/w520-h322/30+states.png" width="520" /></a></div><br /><p>We kept a count of miles and it was a little over 8,633 miles on this trip alone. And I have no idea how many hours of driving.. lets go with a lot.</p></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-92000845938506889082020-12-15T17:56:00.000-08:002020-12-15T17:56:04.886-08:00The Great West Trip Part 2<p> Picking up where I left off we left the hotel Monday morning there was no breakfast because of Covid 19 but there was a coffee shop just down the block. Magnum coffee and roastery was brightly decorated with a giant Toucan on the outside of the building. Their coffee cups were beautiful works of art as well. I ordered the java potion which was a delicious mix of mocha, vanilla, and cinnamon sugar. The barista was very friendly and as we chatted she mentioned that she was going to be married in the next few months. We congratulated her and my Mom gave her some advice </p><p style="text-align: center;">"It won't always be easy, just remember that."</p><p style="text-align: left;">As we approached California from Nevada we saw a bright light to our right, getting closer we saw it was part of a solar facility, the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. It is a concentrated solar thermal plant and I had never seen anything like it with the mirrors reflecting the light to the towers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PtjZkVi1frTU0XQbruuklXkV36Wlhgca9OE_Uwan8Us0RTjFP8IdRoBN1-3e1ZZ27JjIJ9CqgEjdeC99LSVJnzx7XmetFauNGgzAOjz1L3h78oFBfF9IcLBcicxdAOvJVe8cdZNwxrY/w271-h204/IMG_6991.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="271" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-3j77n4OCzNbp7xqdlWVnLkKCTJHPZpA4duBqJJiy5xafs_l4nEhgOAHKgvPaoTKUV4XIRELh4l90PgM7NzgYI5t0860Lt2J_iOVCfEdo8kuVl81jxQVsIx5PXuRnbHSlkYNJDHN6bI/s2048/IMG_6988.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-3j77n4OCzNbp7xqdlWVnLkKCTJHPZpA4duBqJJiy5xafs_l4nEhgOAHKgvPaoTKUV4XIRELh4l90PgM7NzgYI5t0860Lt2J_iOVCfEdo8kuVl81jxQVsIx5PXuRnbHSlkYNJDHN6bI/w268-h201/IMG_6988.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br />Next we took a detour to Bakersfield, CA because our check engine light had come on as we were driving through Nevada. We had gone far but not far enough that we should need an oil change and we were taking it to the closest Ford repair shop on our route, Jim Burke Ford to be exact. I drove to the back where the repair area was and Matthew came out to the car and checked our oil. It was fine, we suspected it was possible that since we had the last oil change done so early the internal counter hadn't reset. He showed me how to reset the system so that it would read that the oil was changed. While we were in town we decided to find the famous Bakersfield Arch and get lunch. The Arch was easy to find as we drove down Buck Owens Boulevard. We didn't actually walk the streets of Bakersfield but we walked from the car to Temblor Brewing and decided that was close enough to get the idea. The brewery was probably our favorite seating area of all the breweries we went to. It was hot and the long benches were enclosed in a covered patio and along the ceiling were misting hoses. At first I was a little skeptical but the mist was very refreshing and the dogs loved it. We had cooling vests for them that my Mom had purchased on chewy.com and those also seemed to help with the heat. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFncAET9HgjTmBQQJstTWxRva2tm0JzOKtasBxaTpOqXhvb2GPJifFTYqk22vMp4dydJZMf4jvXJyA-Z9yGwr7eWWJRVN3mLZzC-b9fXK63pbshFli5YeiX3M4BxpdDKyxseoWq7LT7C8/s2048/IMG_7011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFncAET9HgjTmBQQJstTWxRva2tm0JzOKtasBxaTpOqXhvb2GPJifFTYqk22vMp4dydJZMf4jvXJyA-Z9yGwr7eWWJRVN3mLZzC-b9fXK63pbshFli5YeiX3M4BxpdDKyxseoWq7LT7C8/w269-h202/IMG_7011.jpg" width="269" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8388L5YxNK4S_sk0-xdiFWldJr5bs9LYkEhaCMoC18Ai_TxAyc6Ha-nBoHbEQW6qISeYZ1st_9Wd9cnj4RKTqo5uxPrWhdWpko4IuN6o4XUK4Pyt_zZlDuQD2QBM8EkEgZnRpv5P_Nw/s320/IMG_7016.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The brewery is the work of three Bakersfield natives and their award winning head brewer. A relatively new brewery the idea began in 2015 and by September of 2016 they were open and serving customers. There are six mainstays and then a series of seasonal and rotating beers. The flights did a good job of showing the variety of their beers from the dark stouts to the varied colors of their fruit beers. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwtkgFDUdHcO_O4cgYQge6zbWCDFb4hNfS1zf12auKg0rNnYnmb5LbqweXes9Bz-uxZxUtBlnrMmHpCAqTDj8huQJ4OYJRK4spRPng5cZ0NJurrmIQQ8aFcuwOKlpCnRUJmcPKvQEKNk/s2048/IMG_7015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwtkgFDUdHcO_O4cgYQge6zbWCDFb4hNfS1zf12auKg0rNnYnmb5LbqweXes9Bz-uxZxUtBlnrMmHpCAqTDj8huQJ4OYJRK4spRPng5cZ0NJurrmIQQ8aFcuwOKlpCnRUJmcPKvQEKNk/w465-h349/IMG_7015.jpg" width="465" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next destination was Sequoia National Park and along the way we drove past a surprise roadside attraction in Delano, CA. The Halo company turned their packaging plant into a giant box of Halos, a happy accidental find.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-pGpONNgJUdHNDwyL75n5apVkr_K5vPxELTdI-7Tkvr9eXIpcVMztev-NKWniai2V1FkhpEA5TqcXQwuD_UFjI2s0L1NxGNIryz_-tKL0_N0hLVjzB-qAvVVfXPGG0AbYO86P7ka4lw/s2048/IMG_7024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-pGpONNgJUdHNDwyL75n5apVkr_K5vPxELTdI-7Tkvr9eXIpcVMztev-NKWniai2V1FkhpEA5TqcXQwuD_UFjI2s0L1NxGNIryz_-tKL0_N0hLVjzB-qAvVVfXPGG0AbYO86P7ka4lw/s320/IMG_7024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was already late afternoon when we reached the Sequoia National Forest and we started up (and down) the winding roads. We climbed up to the pull off to view Moro Rock and stopped to admire the view. We continued up the road toward the Generals (Grant and Sherman) and soon found the largest trees I had ever seen. The Sequoias are completely awe inspiring towering above the road with trunks so wide you could lie in front of them and not cover the base. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdrj5IT8rwtNqmTlHH_FaKl6fJmpJoIzMOIMTDjXJS7oRV0d-SQFHhdBjq26NdiOzPERVeHAlUPQaMQq0XuIIdV0WM0hTFV2JRkXdtHZxGA9MYY6fxtyTkRw1ueaqIqZxkKz466ivGsU/s2048/IMG_7031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdrj5IT8rwtNqmTlHH_FaKl6fJmpJoIzMOIMTDjXJS7oRV0d-SQFHhdBjq26NdiOzPERVeHAlUPQaMQq0XuIIdV0WM0hTFV2JRkXdtHZxGA9MYY6fxtyTkRw1ueaqIqZxkKz466ivGsU/s320/IMG_7031.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5C5mNdkxFvOSA55L6VmVaw1_ZHOc6ubZHgwfol7t1nA8UFnk1GV57IFe5M7_cLY8gaWdTtWnjdgs7hIr0bdMEkAYtvJEKa7eG50UJVpzSeoDn9_xFKqut0YpzJcO2VVpi2wg0bGE_To4/s320/IMG_7039.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><br />I took the photo of Meg taking photos and I think that is one of my favorite photos from the trip. <div><br /></div><div>Shortly before we reached the Generals we pulled over for a beautiful panoramic photo of the different peaks and valleys surrounding us. My Mom noticed a car with two couples who had been there before we pulled up and were still there when Meg finished taking photos. She said she thought they seemed stressed. We asked if they were ok and learned that their brakes had stopped working on the winding road through the mountains they had managed to use a lower gear to get to the pull off but were unsure if they could go any further. A tow truck was coming but it had been awhile. Add to that being up on mountains no one had very good cell coverage. We gave them my number and told them we were continuing to the Generals but would come back and if the tow truck hadn't come we could at least get them down to the main ranger station where phone service would be better. After seeing the General Sherman, the largest by volume known single stem tree, we turned back. When we reached the viewing area they were no longer there. We hoped that meant that the tow truck had come for them and we had that confirmed when we reached the forrest entrance. The driver was putting their car down and we pulled over to check on them. Apparently the brakes had over heated and with a little bit of time they would be safe to drive, perhaps at that point they already were. Though they would want to get their brakes checked and change the fluid. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because we had started into the park so late it was already dark by the time we came back down. We stopped in at Three Rivers Brewing for a rest. The beer was good with the Oliver, actually made with olives, was interesting and the Honey wheat was my favorite. As we were sitting in the back yard one of the employees came out and we started talking. We told her we were just passing through and she told us about a few spots in the park that she considers the best for swimming and relaxing. While we weren't going to have time to explore the park I appreciate her telling us about the spots because they really weren't the regular tourist areas and it could be she tells everyone about them but it felt nice and personal that she was offering us her advice.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we turned north toward Lake Tahoe and some more beautiful scenery and a very unique statue- a bear and cubs made completely of pennies. My goal was to mix nature and roadside attractions and this was a perfect mix. The beautiful pines on the Sierra Nevada mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe framed the blue waters of the lake. The bear family made of pennies gave it depth and the pennies standing up looked almost like fur. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCaF-s7X-di73OvrUyeJP-viSDINH7LFjm-lTDmRf3K2a0OqhVKYdShKrIlRhQhp3WpeXQ17ufqAQWS4bKL5IAE7PvmbSM3TVMvQr6j5Vn8hIUdWShPrh-os22hin-GUvxiqnYG9Ecgk/s2048/IMG_7082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCaF-s7X-di73OvrUyeJP-viSDINH7LFjm-lTDmRf3K2a0OqhVKYdShKrIlRhQhp3WpeXQ17ufqAQWS4bKL5IAE7PvmbSM3TVMvQr6j5Vn8hIUdWShPrh-os22hin-GUvxiqnYG9Ecgk/s320/IMG_7082.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhiatBi8ct2FTs1u6aRu_Z4IwzWGhWvoudBS30TnOpcUm-jhiG1PbJ5V9bJHQaiPDWP81rxNgsJS-bxuiu8NYaZ-ngEKuepkzZQ8DsCoD9LZxY3aL9HdcnAw3BE77fddfOw3s92RWNB8/s320/IMG_7096.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was the part of the trip where everything was a day away from the previous thing. So we did a lot of driving, saw a lot of beautiful scenery, reached our destination, and then went for dinner and looked for a hotel. In Lake Tahoe we stopped at 50/50 Brewing which Meg selected because they had a beer in honor of the Solar Eclipse- which was an amazing life changing event that if you missed it in 2017 you should really look up the path of the 2024 eclipse and make plans now to travel for it!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we had been driving to Lake Tahoe we saw some signs of past fire damage on the pines but I don't think it was from current fires. However we did see a lot of haze and smoke in the sky. As we were starting to head further north back into Nevada the smoke grew thicker. We were trying to reach the Fly Geyser which I had first seen on the cover of a Time Magazine and was shocked to learn the fantastic image was some place in America. My understanding was that it could be seen from the road, we couldn't get up close because it is on private property, however the smoke was so thick that we are pretty sure we saw something in its shape but could not see the vibrant colors that had grabbed my attention on the magazine cover. Then we began a bit of an adventure. We started driving north west to the California border. The smoke was getting thicker and as we drove animals would occasionally dart from the left of the road (west) to the right side (east) it was reminiscent of something from a movie when animals are trying to escape coming danger. And as we drove we soon saw the danger they were running from. In the distance there were two large red glowing spots and a few small spots. As we continued down the road more small glowing spots came in to view. Several times we thought we should turn and head back but our cell phones and GPS were having trouble getting signal and may not have been able to recalculate and also there was traffic coming from the other direction. However we eventually came to a road closed sign. We were looking at a long drive back the way we had come and while not low on gas we knew we had over 80 miles with no gas stations. It was almost 11pm when we returned to Gerlach, NV. Luckily the station pumps were still on and I was able to fill up. I then drove over to the local bar to ask if anyone had alternate directions for us to continue on our way. There were a few people there and the bartender had the news playing behind him. One of the customers mentioned that a train had been stopped blocking one of the roads in to town but had since moved since the tracks were cleared of fire. That would allow us to return back towards Reno and from there we would be able to take a more western route to CA. I bought a few bottles of water for us and the dogs and we began driving for what would be a very long night. We ended up sleeping in the car that night and then driving and checking posters and asking other travelers at the rest stops to see what area was closed because the GPS was not adjusting for roads closed due to fire. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ended up getting back on track and stopping for breakfast in the small town of Alturas, CA. The city has been the seat of Modoc county California since 1874. Originally the town was called Dorrisville in honor of the bridge that Pressley and James Dorris built over the Pit River. The post office opened in 1871 and the name officially became Alturas in 1876. On its website the town declares itself "where the west still lives." And looking around that seemed like a good description. After sitting with our donuts and coffee from Wild Mustard we walked a few blocks to look at the murals, including a cowboy riding a bull and antelope grazing, around town and turned down one small street to see a pair of deer just walking down the street.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From there we continued on to our next location with giant trees: The Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUEVl82zJACizyJfHxr8By56OVA3LdQHFvX6jdWD_34p6NQI4dPeOgezboAP_Xz78agjmP_i5j1o5s7dm7GLHBfPkYU66ClVLjZ8QsJyX2IFn1gnjpazpI5IyStJ4r2E1cWrw2zjpkk4/s2048/IMG_7135.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUEVl82zJACizyJfHxr8By56OVA3LdQHFvX6jdWD_34p6NQI4dPeOgezboAP_Xz78agjmP_i5j1o5s7dm7GLHBfPkYU66ClVLjZ8QsJyX2IFn1gnjpazpI5IyStJ4r2E1cWrw2zjpkk4/s320/IMG_7135.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIG2ADeti5m9FRqH5n1Jp69h9bPYiid5U5hyphenhyphenT14qiOoYYifysbzj8kZW_Il3Bd7qajYpRN2XzW7dSpCE5TBik8UQTVEeGVud_FN7XTwQRzoLcqWKn2YudtkInGQ71rdYxPCZJugUMUato/s320/IMG_7139.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><div><br /></div>The phrase "Go Big or Go Home" certainly applied on this trip. The picture on the left is a view inside a red wood which obviously gives the best idea of diameter. My Mom stopped at the base of one of the trees and I got down on the ground to get this angled shot up the trunk of the tree. Pictures don't do justice to give an idea as to how massive and impressive these trees are. Near the tree that Gypsy is sitting in was another tree dubbed "The Immortal Tree" this tree was somewhere around 1000 years old and had survived a lighting strike which had removed several of the upper limbs lowering its height from 298 feet to a mere 248, loggers, a forest fire in 1908, and a flood in 1964. This wasn't the first time we had seen reference to the flood of 1964, or the Christmas Flood as we also saw it called. Earlier as we drove among the redwoods we saw a sign naming the highway the "Sam Helwer Memorial Highway." It listed the many accomplishments of Sam Helwer who was the son of German-Russian Immigrants and was originally from Kansas. He began as an engineer for the California Highway Division when he was a little over 20 years old. Eventually he would become the Deputy State Highway Engineer and helped design the world's first four level highway interchange outside Los Angeles. Certainly his accomplishments had a great effect on the development of California but in Humboldt County he is remembered for his leadership as District engineer during Christmas week of 1964 where his action and compassion is credited with saving lives. </div><div><br /></div><div>After seeing the trees our attention turned to getting dinner and some place to sleep. We were all feeling a but tired after the adventure and not very restful sleep of the night before. We stopped at Eel River Brewing for some take out to bring back to our hotel, a Best Western right next door. I think this may have been the first time I stayed in a Best Western. The room was a suite which was great because it had two bedrooms which meant the dogs could get a nice break from each other... or really that Domino could get a break from Gypsy Rover. Gypsy never wants a break from anyone :-)</div><div><br /></div><div>Eel River brewing is the first certified Organic brewery in the United States and is located in Fortuna, CA. As I have said before the craft beer industry is one of my favorites because so many owner/brewers are in it for the love of the product whether that be food or drink. They care about every aspect- taste and aesthetic. Eel River also has a history of sustainability. They use their spent grain to feed area cattle and have their own treatment system to lessen the burden on the environment. On their webpage they say they wanted to make a beer as hardworking and innovative as the locals of Humboldt County. The breweries motto is "Never straight. Always forward." which certainly has a good sound to it and I think says a lot. Obviously located along the Eel River, a major water shed in CA that phrase accurately describes the motion of the water. It also very well describes life and it definitely described our day of driving which had taken us in all directions as we navigated around northern CA. Good motto, good food, and great beer!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorlByVAYZ681F13bQvYuQWl5LQNri1YFIEOjHmNwQSS7tm5fCOBbGfmQRWKJrqGR2T3GmM8xGv0zPKrkwmQ9s-KNOIi-mtUa5xs23egInlH0rfSmkea5kSYra1i_H4L319tDN_jX5QSo/s2048/IMG_7161.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorlByVAYZ681F13bQvYuQWl5LQNri1YFIEOjHmNwQSS7tm5fCOBbGfmQRWKJrqGR2T3GmM8xGv0zPKrkwmQ9s-KNOIi-mtUa5xs23egInlH0rfSmkea5kSYra1i_H4L319tDN_jX5QSo/w400-h300/IMG_7161.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Our next stop was in Oregon but we still had a little more driving to do which was lengthened by construction- which we managed to hit in every state take my word for it infrastructure work is going strong! This time we had a long delay as we drove up a two lane highway that was closed at one point for about an hour as work trucks were hauling dirt from their location to a dump area. I knew going into these trips with the miles and distances we were going to be covering there would be random unavoidable delays so the best thing to do is make the best of it. Its not that different from sitting in rush hour traffic on the LIE or I-24: its there you are there and that is it. So we walked the dogs a little and cleaned the windows really well while we were pulled over. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I had been looking up roadside attractions along our path I saw a lot of "Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox" statues but had not actually worked one into my trip plans. But some times roadside attractions just happen and as we were driving Paul and Babe appeared on the side of the highway like the oversized figures they are said to be. So we stopped. Now normally with this kind of a statue we try and get Gypsy to do a sit stay and take her picture. But she was afraid of them so we didn't bring her very close. To give you some idea of size Paul is 49 feet tall and Babe is 35 feet tall. Honestly I knew of the stories of Paul Bunyan but always associated him with the middle of the country and Minnesota/Wisconsin and Canada. But given the existence of giant trees in CA it is no real surprise that the figure of American Folklore also found his way there. Although apparently there is some dispute whether Paul actually is a true figure of Folklore or if he was a creation to promote tourism. There are early accounts by loggers in the mid1800s about a Paul Bunyan who was a large man of 7 or 8 feet tall and 300 lbs. These stories give credence to him being a figure of Folklore as they all share similar details despite being told by loggers from Maine to Canada. But the stories of Paul Bunyan first reached wider audiences in the early 1900s when William Laughead published a pamphlet about Paul and advertising the Red River Lumber Company. In the pamphlet Paul grew to impossible heights as did his exploits including creating the Grand Canyon by dragging his axe behind him. In my opinion Paul and Babe certainly belongs to American Folklore. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8hnp0gITN3WKZR-r8x0LV31Xap0JYxIC2t_FZJBJPzye5dlcKK3FzvQU6X3JotMPqeJwjoQdAB1rjaSVzo_aOchWIP4OxYR4DnsZ7otu-bxLTSgnlG7SMB8ErE8TGm1OdDfjieT35Lg/s2048/IMG_7170.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8hnp0gITN3WKZR-r8x0LV31Xap0JYxIC2t_FZJBJPzye5dlcKK3FzvQU6X3JotMPqeJwjoQdAB1rjaSVzo_aOchWIP4OxYR4DnsZ7otu-bxLTSgnlG7SMB8ErE8TGm1OdDfjieT35Lg/s320/IMG_7170.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We then continued the trip up the coast. We stopped at one beach in CA right off the highway but a large sign said no dogs allowed so we didn't all get out. I did and I took some of the dark grey sand and sea shells and put them in a bag. I haven't it done it yet but my plan is to make a little display in a glass bowl. I had never seen the Pacific Ocean or coast before and this was one of the moments I was most excited for on this trip. From the sandy beach of CA we continued north to Brookings, Oregon and this time we did all get out at the pull off. Below us was a beautiful majestic rocky coast and the most beautiful shade of blue water. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdIBpKXu_-Da84TQ7twUKP3aalZA-1ZsUjvMDxB40AWFsEyopeR_gM1vlejvYtsd8VAX7WbTRVcfAbiSUFKyXsQ1qIIc2NdSokrk9XPAn2Dp3FeRJe5fPSu5PFn1CFGDFkRetjGJHfnY/s2048/IMG_7198.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdIBpKXu_-Da84TQ7twUKP3aalZA-1ZsUjvMDxB40AWFsEyopeR_gM1vlejvYtsd8VAX7WbTRVcfAbiSUFKyXsQ1qIIc2NdSokrk9XPAn2Dp3FeRJe5fPSu5PFn1CFGDFkRetjGJHfnY/s320/IMG_7198.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwEfuveSQDLXenuHbmY3Pi9lf5cChY8EP4LVSBC-qcHKWQbn5XELmBo9q5NjDa9bgR_r04dldAZHe5upH-4y5DKJz0oTX_KAXU8mRW36vT_FOW_9sBNp6SXfNBN3L8kT3N3RuYlDk-_k/s2048/IMG_7201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwEfuveSQDLXenuHbmY3Pi9lf5cChY8EP4LVSBC-qcHKWQbn5XELmBo9q5NjDa9bgR_r04dldAZHe5upH-4y5DKJz0oTX_KAXU8mRW36vT_FOW_9sBNp6SXfNBN3L8kT3N3RuYlDk-_k/s320/IMG_7201.jpg" /></a></div></div><br />This is one of my all time favorite photos of Gypsy Rover! And the close up shot shows how beautiful and clear the water is. <div><br /></div><div>We continued from there to Yachats, Oregon and Thor's Well in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. Thor's Well is a rock formation that during high tide loos like a bottomless pit that the ocean flows in to. To get the full effect you need a high enough tide. While the tide wasn't as high as I hoped the Well was neat to watch as with each wave the water rose and fell inside it. We also got to sit relax and watch the sun set off the Oregon Coast. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yachats and Newport Oregon were beautiful small towns. The whole coast area was amazingly beautiful and that night was one of the many times when we decided we were getting a good taste of the area but needed to come back. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning we stopped for coffee at a Dutch Bros Coffee. On the lid of the cup it said "Make today an adventure" with all these trips I think we definitely fulfilled that statement. </div><div><br /></div><div>As we were driving we saw a sign for the "Enchanted Forest" which seemed familiar and it took a moment for us to realize that it was familiar because we had seen it on an episode of Ghost Adventures. The crew had done an investigation there because Aaron Goodwin grew up near the park and remembered going there as a child and hearing stories about it. Sitting in my dining room writing this blog post months after the original road trip it is a little bittersweet. Because I know that a lot of the area that we drove through, miles and miles of beautiful pines have been devastated by wild fires. I have heard stories on the news from locals about the loss of life and property that the people in that area have suffered. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our next state on the list was Washington and our destination was Mount St. Helens one of the volcanos in the Cascade Range. For the best view of the volcano we drove to the Johnston Ridge Observatory just four miles away from the volcano and with a stunning view at the crater caused by the May 18th 1980 eruption. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqoUp9m8QUFL9-PfPfuJpPW4jCrbyBAoV6qCIFbBR_h3Ck8gmxZNRG9lmASrbPYmKCvKvja7Lew-LYfVwkXxYFVaXpjRi2HZnk9Uon1Cp9BtlsZJXBpARONS0JBe-eopOZrRb8RzVecM/s2048/IMG_7310.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqoUp9m8QUFL9-PfPfuJpPW4jCrbyBAoV6qCIFbBR_h3Ck8gmxZNRG9lmASrbPYmKCvKvja7Lew-LYfVwkXxYFVaXpjRi2HZnk9Uon1Cp9BtlsZJXBpARONS0JBe-eopOZrRb8RzVecM/s320/IMG_7310.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>From the Observatory we could see the damage done to the dome. We could also see lava trails flowing away from the volcano, a reminder of past eruptions. When we had been at an earlier pull off we had seen deer walking around at the base of the volcano. At the Observatory I left behind a painted rock with a dragonfly on it since that is the official Washington state insect. </div><div><br /></div><div>Washington was the 25th state we had visited this year officially we were more than half way done with reaching our goal of all 48 contiguous states in one year. This trip was the big one. Not only was it a 2 week road trip but it brought us to states I had never even thought about visiting before. But here we were and there were still miles to go.<br /><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">The next stop on the list was in Idaho and it is a bed and breakfast but sadly we were not going to be there at a time that would allow us to spend the night. Still though we went to see it because I couldn't pass up visiting a bed and breakfast in the shape of a dog! Not only that but they had a bed and breakfast in the shape of a tea kettle as well and several other fun designs. So if you are ever driving in Idaho near Cottonwood and you are looking for a place to rest. You could stay in possibly one of the most unique Bed and Breakfasts in the world.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93SdaJIPUC8x5ZWX5XiGT52bZLAyD9oGpITsKISJXVPrNFqRfagMVXqZ7jPHKSSgOLhlpLhd4tdDZXYiF0GfSYvsxiJ83vOYAxjBejdSHhdyHhC6hiAFYadrpdLyNo_1cD_T5Grud0E8/s2048/IMG_7340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93SdaJIPUC8x5ZWX5XiGT52bZLAyD9oGpITsKISJXVPrNFqRfagMVXqZ7jPHKSSgOLhlpLhd4tdDZXYiF0GfSYvsxiJ83vOYAxjBejdSHhdyHhC6hiAFYadrpdLyNo_1cD_T5Grud0E8/s320/IMG_7340.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We also got to drive along parts of the original Oregon Trail, a part of our history I love because of the computer game. We saw several historical markers noting the different routes like in Kuna Idaho and Bonneville Point. I think making this trip made me appreciate even more the pioneering spirit and bravery that early explorers had. We had GPS, cell service, regularly spaced out hotels, breweries, and restaurants. And I was still nervous about the trip. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the reasons we went on the Great west Trip when we did was the long days. We needed long hours of sunlight to cram in as much sightseeing as possible. Right now I leave work at 5:30 or 6pm and it is dark out. Then I look back at this picture of a balancing rock in Buhl, Idaho that I took at 7:26pm! PM!! I repeat. And it was awesome out!</div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHAxZfoFoLGbt8N9zR1ouku2Zmz_MMOa7hQx41Hknh59zLzaYX0z89tD4w1ajo0-W7OGfack25etcNJjN4KEw_tXPgvpSvMY9hVxUy1uK2Mo12Wni3DIg2kugKoDWOlFdIIyopLG03LE/s2048/IMG_7371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHAxZfoFoLGbt8N9zR1ouku2Zmz_MMOa7hQx41Hknh59zLzaYX0z89tD4w1ajo0-W7OGfack25etcNJjN4KEw_tXPgvpSvMY9hVxUy1uK2Mo12Wni3DIg2kugKoDWOlFdIIyopLG03LE/s320/IMG_7371.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRu7MlmFRCLDpgozenuIU8aB3d4ddwg-dE18JsFaPTHlThiPrLZ8gzc2w_TmjpNk4YWguIS7D6rhSRX1zgTYlFsXENH1z0qGx2dLA0y3_BcCM6_Z9IoOouKX8cnKTKgh_zTJTHbUdrBo/s2048/IMG_7369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRu7MlmFRCLDpgozenuIU8aB3d4ddwg-dE18JsFaPTHlThiPrLZ8gzc2w_TmjpNk4YWguIS7D6rhSRX1zgTYlFsXENH1z0qGx2dLA0y3_BcCM6_Z9IoOouKX8cnKTKgh_zTJTHbUdrBo/s320/IMG_7369.jpg" /></a></div></div><br />Also I love that tee shirt! In college when I spent three months in Rome we needed to keep a journal for one of our classes. I brought my polaroid camera and lots of film so that I could take pictures on our different adventures and add them to my journal. It was a neat experience, much like I am doing now Meg and I had a map of Rome and every Tuesday and Thursday we had an art and architecture class that would bring us to a different area of the city. We would draw out the different paths we took on the map in an effort to see as much of the city as possible.<br /><p style="text-align: left;">We stopped for the night in Buhl and had a fantastic meal and beers from Magic Valley Brewing. Decor was neat inside with a good rustic feel. We sat out back on the patio with the dogs. Despite my love for burgers, and the fact that we could smell burgers since they are grilled deliciously on the patio, I ordered a MVBLT and for the side I had to get their potato salad... actually I got potatoes every chance I had in Idaho almost like they are known for them or something :-)</p><p style="text-align: left;">The next morning we got up early to see Shoshone Falls. Referred to as the Niagara Falls of the west it is 212 feet high and 925 feet wide. It was caused by flooding from Lake Bonneville and lies along the Snake river, which we spent a good deal of time driving along. We were there in August which is when the Falls are historically at their lowest flow amount partially because snow and ice melt from Colorado and Wyoming would have already finished and because the nearby power plant has a required amount to draw. Interestingly though it also has a required minimum amount that needs to flow on the Falls during tourist season of 300 cubic feet per second from April through Labor Day. Shoshone is the name of a Native American Indian tribe, also called Agaidika which translates to salmon eaters. The height of the falls made it impossible for fish to continue further inland and so the area surrounding the Falls was known to be filled with salmon and other fish. Apparently some reports said the river was so filled with fish that fisherman could through a spear into any area and catch a fish. I didn't know this but Sacagawea was a member of the Shoshone tribe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JlRB3N2CcHmfN8VzYUP8GjCzDZnHxveGrhHTDAryiaK7UbNI-ZMkPWf0r7X6nXhgPetkr6_aJfQCeJtqpxIDZazMXp-Xt_1QCGtm3b7HGOW14eihLgtI7wEkSydfToMTkk9jAFI-bng/s2048/IMG_7383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="2048" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JlRB3N2CcHmfN8VzYUP8GjCzDZnHxveGrhHTDAryiaK7UbNI-ZMkPWf0r7X6nXhgPetkr6_aJfQCeJtqpxIDZazMXp-Xt_1QCGtm3b7HGOW14eihLgtI7wEkSydfToMTkk9jAFI-bng/w644-h333/IMG_7383.jpg" width="644" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleyXbfOP8OjyTz5KWvVC52b2H-gZsOvLz-4A751fnBmsLy7mW3SAJYs4AsiQVWnrDhdkWKKnZ1nlk-CzXnRCOhWAcja38nFLzpTnldKqliL-S_zE2rvQZCA59e6cG1BSvyezyaoDLkWg/s2048/IMG_7399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleyXbfOP8OjyTz5KWvVC52b2H-gZsOvLz-4A751fnBmsLy7mW3SAJYs4AsiQVWnrDhdkWKKnZ1nlk-CzXnRCOhWAcja38nFLzpTnldKqliL-S_zE2rvQZCA59e6cG1BSvyezyaoDLkWg/s320/IMG_7399.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Now it was Sunday August 30th and we had been on the move for over a week and my Mom had a request: she wanted a breakfast platter and she wanted to sit in a restaurant and eat it. And that is how we came to find the Buffalo Cafe in Twin Falls, Idaho. It was everything we wanted. The food was delicious with oversized proportions. I had an omelette and potatoes (because Idaho). The place was busy, for good reason, and the waitresses were on top of everything. Our food came out quickly and our coffee cups were always full. It was a spur of the moment stop but one of the best on the trip. I really liked Idaho the drive was beautiful and the people were awesome. I remember a few times when people saw the magnets on the car and asked us about what we were doing and really seemed interested in the trip. It was fun to get to share the drive with them while we were on it. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Now next we were supposed to drive to our final stop of part two of the Great West Trip: Great Salt Lake. It was three hour drive from where we were and then Meghan asked "are we going to see the Salt Flats?" A coworker had mentioned it to us and of course Meg knew it from Independence Day, perhaps her favorite movie. I explained that it was an added 2.5 hours detour and that I was planning on skipping it. After all we knew we couldn't see everything in one trip there were lots of really cool things we were missing due to time and distance. As we were getting gas at a Sinclair Gas Station my Mom came over to me. She could tell Meg really wanted to go to the Salt Flats. I agreed and we changed the GPS to take us to the Salt Flats.</div><div><br /></div><div>A little later on my Mom and I switched drivers so that I could grab a nap in the back. I woke up to my Mom commenting on how bright it was up ahead and Meg knew instantly: it was the Salt Flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the remnant of Lake Bonneville whose flooding 15,000 years ago resulted in the formation of Shoshone Falls. The brightness is from the sun reflecting off the salt flats which sometimes will have a layer of water on them that will give a mirror effect. We were there when it was dry and too late for any morning dew to have an effect but still it was incredibly bright. </div><div><br /></div><div>We then continued the drive to see Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island where we got to see Antelope and Buffalo! We also got one of our favorite moments and a joke that is never going to get old. As we pulled up to the toll booth to enter Antelope Island we asked if the National Parks Pass my Mom had purchased was applicable to Antelope Island. The fellow said no but since we were in Utah today he would let us across anyway. Super awesome of him and his phrasing of "since we were in Utah today" gave us a laugh and became a bit of an inside joke for almost anything. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NZK4q1eX6YCVFeXIv87abVfMUgi1NjuYzK_7_u-oCm1Vx8-5XLpPW9s_tLxNLfuZtZMJTTgkJdtXdc9RnSjNKoTIxPC0sVoQpOyAeSGLUWjBAp88MvzKi3-5Q5vje2nXyE_2WWwVZLc/s2048/IMG_7474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NZK4q1eX6YCVFeXIv87abVfMUgi1NjuYzK_7_u-oCm1Vx8-5XLpPW9s_tLxNLfuZtZMJTTgkJdtXdc9RnSjNKoTIxPC0sVoQpOyAeSGLUWjBAp88MvzKi3-5Q5vje2nXyE_2WWwVZLc/w320-h240/IMG_7474.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We had reached the conclusion of part 2 of this trip and in my original plans this is where the trip would have ended. We would have gone home from Great Salt Lake having made a full circle on the Western part of the US. However when we had added the extra week and I expanded the trip to two weeks I decided to make a northward turn here that would bring us to Duluth and Lake Superior instead of making that a separate weekend trip.</div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-32227871953001871742020-11-01T15:14:00.003-08:002020-11-01T15:14:38.618-08:00Drive the 48 Update!<p> So I am very behind in blog posts but there is a lot that goes in to writing the blog and with work, planning trips and going on trips I haven't been able to complete the Great West Part 2 blog. However here is a quick update. This map shows every road trip we have been on this year highlighted in orange!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YVik9vx_7i4ij6_4o9RengMPPZSu2m6KIdgm4IWbM2cm8gOFiOlzqbXm24c4x_ynDkeTkxPoqr6kPaitAr8H4k__dwVGTNwB9XxYMO5cjl0yHPlJH8-W3SJQ_svwn0YC8dRssAqOa0Q/s1800/121108635_10157631612023030_3199067159919563239_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1800" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YVik9vx_7i4ij6_4o9RengMPPZSu2m6KIdgm4IWbM2cm8gOFiOlzqbXm24c4x_ynDkeTkxPoqr6kPaitAr8H4k__dwVGTNwB9XxYMO5cjl0yHPlJH8-W3SJQ_svwn0YC8dRssAqOa0Q/w567-h453/121108635_10157631612023030_3199067159919563239_o.jpg" width="567" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have seen all the Great Lakes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have seen sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean and sunset over the Pacific Ocean!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have travelled over 15 thousand miles and there are more to go!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lifetime we have been to 47 out of all 50 states.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year we have been to 44 of the contiguous 48.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is one road trip left.... almost there.</div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-6882455049725759792020-09-07T13:41:00.001-07:002020-09-07T13:42:40.044-07:00The Great West Trip Part 1When I started planning the Great West trip I broke it into three sections to make the planning more manageable. The first part would be our northern route to Utah so that we could approach the Hoover Dam from 70 and 15 which I was told by numerous people was an amazingly beautiful drive. And then of course arriving at the Hoover Dam. Part 2 of the trip would have us drive through CA and to the coast before turning south and east through Idaho to return to Utah and Great Salt Lake. Part three was a crazy turn north to Minnesota and Wisconsin before turning south to return home. <div><br /></div><div>First the prep: this took a long time. I looked at each state that we were visiting and began researching to find out what we should see. Every state has so many different sites whether they be historic locations, beautiful scenes of nature, fun roadside attractions, or marvels of human ingenuity. The task was to keep us on an efficient route and see as much as possible. It was a lot of looking at state's webpages, roadsideamerica.com, and Atlas Obscura to name a few. It also involved being open to talking to others and getting suggestions from them on where to visit or what route to take. For example my original plan had us taking the first leg on I-40 and traveling straight west to the Hoover Dam. But when three separate people told me about the 70-15 route I decided the added hours and miles were worth the view. Then looking at the map I tried to figure out what could we reasonably travel in a day while accounting for stopping for gas, walking the dogs, and stopping to eat. I also looked up some hotels just to have an idea of where we could stop but I didn't make any reservations so that we weren't forced to get to certain points. This way if we did fall behind missing a hotel check in wouldn't be an added stress. I also picked some of the cities we would be traveling to in order to monitor weather. Not that it mattered much. If the weather was bad we were still going but at least I would know what to expect... and what we expected was a very dry drive and a huge swing in temperature with a high of over 100 and a low in the 50s.</div><div><br /></div><div>For some fun prep I also painted rocks to leave at various stops some were for specific states and stops and others were just generic rocks. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinVzAkZ8xJJrGzj31ZeSNJ5LCwxrEnJWTKD6HPQRa-rb8arDUtBDf6rzEENCJwI7ey1aleRgaDXP0q5XcFr_32gyEJ-bZ83os6F8c9AzKJfvfgs7TvIfow8s6SXl07Uu2phHlwkq9_YI/s2048/IMG_6451.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinVzAkZ8xJJrGzj31ZeSNJ5LCwxrEnJWTKD6HPQRa-rb8arDUtBDf6rzEENCJwI7ey1aleRgaDXP0q5XcFr_32gyEJ-bZ83os6F8c9AzKJfvfgs7TvIfow8s6SXl07Uu2phHlwkq9_YI/w375-h500/IMG_6451.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div>We left Thursday right after work to get a head start for the trip and took a ride through some repeat states: Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. As we drove through Illinois the roadways were lined with beautiful flowers and we took note. At a rest area I noticed a sign explaining about the "Corridors for Tomorrow" project. In an effort to replace some of the lost prairie and wildflower lands the Department of Transportation is planting the highway right of ways with natural prairie grasses and wildflowers. We drove till roughly 1 in the morning and then stopped at a rest area for the night. </div><div><br /></div><div>On Friday morning we started off early and drove for a couple of hours before stopping in Odessa, Missouri which was platted in the late 1870s and named after Odessa Ukraine. There we stopped at Black Box Coffee for breakfast. I had to place the order online for pickup since they were closed inside due to Covid 19 restrictions. That was a shame because inside looked very welcoming with a high coffered ceiling and large arm chair with a bookcase in the very far corner. As I waited outside for the coffee a speaker played music from the light post and a sign out font of a different business read "Thankful Friday Thank you Odessa." I ordered the Lavender white chocolate which was very tasty. I really could taste the lavender and the white chocolate complemented it without making the drink too sweet. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once we got back on the road it wasn't long before we crossed in to our first new state of the trip: state #18 on the year Kansas. We also made our first unplanned stop in Topeka when we passed the Monroe School which was involved in the court case Brown Versus The Board of Education: the case that would eventually result in a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court in 1954 that school segregation was unconstitutional and break from the precedent of Plessy Versus Ferguson that resulted in a "separate but equal" theory. Oliver Brown was the main plaintiff but in reality the case involved 13 parents and 20 children. The case was first heard in the Topeka court system in 1951 when the Brown's daughter, Linda, was denied enrollment in the closer white school and instead was sent by bus to the Monroe school. While the case was denied in the regular courts the Supreme Court opted to hear the appeal (along with four other similar cases) and on May 17, 1954 ruled that: </div><div style="text-align: center;">"We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEDuaz4xuZqyYaLyGiLR8Hn_uB05WIAPI8QqWeibMpRg_hDaTWQ6ACfcrQKFVj39Q9Bvj2Zklhed6VWx4UwYkodhJIDtmlu39rN2DywQowjzoYn98OC1siyByryirHjyv8etApeZy1gM/s2048/IMG_6481.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEDuaz4xuZqyYaLyGiLR8Hn_uB05WIAPI8QqWeibMpRg_hDaTWQ6ACfcrQKFVj39Q9Bvj2Zklhed6VWx4UwYkodhJIDtmlu39rN2DywQowjzoYn98OC1siyByryirHjyv8etApeZy1gM/s320/IMG_6481.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0ZTvx6OJdsAXzy88MnWTiRGczZrFfTqyizY4sPwsOGbria6dWh4RmxvuoGGF4h-cVjkSQqKO_l0Hb_yQV_OfAaYKdk9-BwF8K_JFx0vw5SPeGjdaA1dS3kY_KXiKiybnCu4FoEMOoHc/s320/IMG_6486.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><br />The Monroe school now serves as a community center and in 1991 was added to the National Historic Landmark Registry as a site of national significance.<div><br /></div><div>Next we detoured to Junction City, Kansas named so because of its location at the confluence of two rivers, the Smokey Hill and Republican Rivers, which join to form the Kansas River. There we found a memorial to the 9th and 10th calvary units stationed at Fort Riley, The Buffalo Soldiers. These soldiers served in multiple wars, protected and escorted wagon trains, safeguarded railroad crews, as peace keepers, and as park rangers from the end of the Civil War until the integration of the military in the 1950s. During that time over 20 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their service to the nation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next we reached our first planned destination of Abilene, Kansas. Abilene began like many western towns as a stage coach stop. In 1867 the Kansas Pacific Railway came through Abilene. That same year a large hotel and stock yard was built in the area which made Abilene a center of the cattle trade. <br /><div>On September 5, 1867 the first stock cars filled with cows left for market in Chicago. It is estimated that between 1867 and 1871 almost a half million cows were herded to Abilene by cowboys and shipped off. The history of this town made perfect sense for why we would find the world's largest spur there.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN2x_GdkKtVXr6X4bN_-dQIbuZk06Wb5WDNYzNmElL5aIIEE6Aql4M9jjagv5YkD76Pshkur8ZM0C_i1lnDqfGVUj31Nz2qydwk8l4NQg4hV3VMrdiokIllAVdYj_nu_Ndfh5So3bPjA/s2048/IMG_6521.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN2x_GdkKtVXr6X4bN_-dQIbuZk06Wb5WDNYzNmElL5aIIEE6Aql4M9jjagv5YkD76Pshkur8ZM0C_i1lnDqfGVUj31Nz2qydwk8l4NQg4hV3VMrdiokIllAVdYj_nu_Ndfh5So3bPjA/s320/IMG_6521.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>With two dogs most of our activities and planned stops were things I could count on being dog friendly, so outside. I didn't look at any museums as a result while the Eisenhower Presidential library is located in Abilene we didn't detour to see it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Less than an hour later we found ourselves in Salina, Kansas. The town got its start in 1858 and served as a stopping point for prospectors heading west to Pike's Peak and emigrants on their journey west. In 1867 the town changed when the Kansas Pacific also added a stop there turning Salina into a cattle town which lasted for two years. The next major industry was wheat and flour. In 1889 Lee Denim Company opened up its original factory there. </div><div><br /></div><div>We were there to see a memorial in honor of Steve Fossett's non stop flight covering 22,936 miles in 67 hours. The flight began February 28, 2005 and ended on March 3, 2005 beginning and ending at Salina Regional Airport. Steve Fossett was a businessman and adventurer who set numerous travel and speed records in balloon, ship, and aircraft. Growing up he was a Boy Scout and his time as a scout set the tone for his life not only of adventure and leadership but as a focus on inspiring others. With the flight from Kansas he insisted on having local students aid his flight team. His numerous records and dedication to fostering an interest in flight is what earned him multiple awards including: Induction into the Aviation Hall of Fame, a Gold Medal from the FAI, Induction into the Balloon and Airship Hall of Fame, and in 2002 was named Yachtsman of the Year by the American Sailing Association. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sadly Steve Fossett was killed in September of 2007 when the plane he was piloting crashed after being effected by strong downdrafts. I left a painted rock at the base of the monument, it was a helicopter in honor of the work of Rex Maneval who built an early helicopter in 1939.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN3g5j-O0zlSI3y1ApNUVlYdtuRgxAAyMNnR8XHM6l-AnO9Yoabe7NQmcdKKpsbbWHSUUGZLRMTuFmv77DvfvvtAHzV9u4FW3m4YtVmaFRhDMG37gnJiDefbsiQc8F5ikfdvPcZ8KYaQ/s2048/IMG_6522.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN3g5j-O0zlSI3y1ApNUVlYdtuRgxAAyMNnR8XHM6l-AnO9Yoabe7NQmcdKKpsbbWHSUUGZLRMTuFmv77DvfvvtAHzV9u4FW3m4YtVmaFRhDMG37gnJiDefbsiQc8F5ikfdvPcZ8KYaQ/s320/IMG_6522.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnoW7VdDKFoIR7MciU5QYKFqZmL7Qte1lsAZgV9AgwcqlHHotWTdvQA7-efUL0tAnWWBCbSW4QG36UL7l8m0KAjJ48mV1n2LtmI3jB5zPhkqmIQKbfcu3Kn1XHHm_khNcDmXOJbZyfXU/s320/IMG_6529.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="320" /></div><br />We stayed in Salina to get lunch at the Blue Skye Brewery and Eats. The brewery had a nice but small outdoor patio area. It worked for us as the dogs got a break out of the car with enough shade to keep cool. The inside of the restaurant/brewery was nice with the wood burning stove serving as an attention grabbing center piece. We built a flight of most of their beers and ordered their signature pizza: cream cheese, house made pork chili verde, tomatoes, black bean and corn mix, house blend cheese, and red pepper flakes. The crust was made out of spent grains and they gave us honey to sip the crust in which was unique. I will admit I was skeptical at first but gave it a try and it was delicious. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uAs1n4o7zE4HurU3s9xAmzelDvtogI61LK-_PlJI3eD6ABf41OgwYlW1K9uhdhekd9Y6WAyGfMxXGad1407Zgvm7GFJPsCfoiS6n1Ask4HaWAEUA1qOe69mkh-k46NVZMY2lCOJcKBc/s2048/IMG_6542.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uAs1n4o7zE4HurU3s9xAmzelDvtogI61LK-_PlJI3eD6ABf41OgwYlW1K9uhdhekd9Y6WAyGfMxXGad1407Zgvm7GFJPsCfoiS6n1Ask4HaWAEUA1qOe69mkh-k46NVZMY2lCOJcKBc/s320/IMG_6542.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>An hour drive later and we were in Wilson, Kansas the Czech capital of Kansas. The town was established in 1871 along the Kansas Pacific Railway Line which we were following as we drove across Kansas. In 1874 Francis Swehla became the area's first Czech settler and he worked to attract other Czechs to follow his lead. They did. In 2003 local artists with funding from the Czech Embassy built and decorated a giant Czech Egg or kraslice. In July the town of 800 hosts an after harvest party celebrating their Czech culture that attracts over 1000 visitors. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFBWsiy94Lmu7-jb8Abnt3w_3lWbYSc13qe8PCZU5ShnwgP9nTp9kxmh4H1_5yEqcg9Gm8lsTv99H9Ul2UeXEZuedUp5LgFoRUgxDT-W6OBal4t8WtaqVRtD1wM-1CPR5w6TY-RH6QcY/s2048/IMG_6549.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFBWsiy94Lmu7-jb8Abnt3w_3lWbYSc13qe8PCZU5ShnwgP9nTp9kxmh4H1_5yEqcg9Gm8lsTv99H9Ul2UeXEZuedUp5LgFoRUgxDT-W6OBal4t8WtaqVRtD1wM-1CPR5w6TY-RH6QcY/s320/IMG_6549.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Next was another unplanned stop in Victoria, Kansas when we passed a sign for the Cathedral of the Plains: The Basilica of St. Fidelis. The Church was first called Cathedral of the Pines by William Jennings Bryan, although it is not a Cathedral. It is however the fourth Catholic Church in Victoria, Kansas. The first church was built in 1876 connected to a house of one of the parishioners, the second Church built in 1877 was the Mother of Sorrows, in 1884 it was replaced by St. Fidelis Church which could sit 600, and in 1912 that was replaced by the Basilica which could seat over 1000 parishioners. In 1971 the Church was added to the National Historic Registry for its architecture. In 2008 the Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius declared the building one of the 8 wonders of Kansas, a list I didn't know existed but will now have to visit the other seven. And in 2014 the church became the 78th American Basilica and first in Kansas. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsyOzSL_s_EKAMwXJYzOev6xmUagqDjvA79QrdbDL3iUZbTVMtJi-Pr5-3FuVbGJPP_3NHJiI1NaD_ox7kLi5XAvkQG7f-eXAa22A9qV5bvQNzkoe3VZ-4MsdZ1DEThYx8XavG_6EDTs/s320/IMG_6576.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfMPb3WzQPXISOZIubZTE3cpvLlVetaCmEKQiNIuFJPqoQhO5R5iAEPsOpQzaHmdcKPcOl5m4Iot0GtlJ-VzBBTmBK1boUzu78EocDt7p7jA2hrxL-SIUH1eb8DDRcAbpG-_NV-Zz4MA/s2048/IMG_6560.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfMPb3WzQPXISOZIubZTE3cpvLlVetaCmEKQiNIuFJPqoQhO5R5iAEPsOpQzaHmdcKPcOl5m4Iot0GtlJ-VzBBTmBK1boUzu78EocDt7p7jA2hrxL-SIUH1eb8DDRcAbpG-_NV-Zz4MA/s320/IMG_6560.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We continued crossing the Central Plains on I-70 which earlier this year celebrated its 50th anniversary of completion in Kansas until we reached Colorado.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDaSImiWbacCMFsEHzLq7JmUXimcOxzndr0nhZN9XDVG_FIAf9gjyZZaLINGDuqLtQyclKltCbALgmCOK49ThTjq_AahFGOgqtCINiqjewbjUuoRcwXgMybXFc8hZKccalvu4_ttqy4Q/s2048/IMG_6583.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDaSImiWbacCMFsEHzLq7JmUXimcOxzndr0nhZN9XDVG_FIAf9gjyZZaLINGDuqLtQyclKltCbALgmCOK49ThTjq_AahFGOgqtCINiqjewbjUuoRcwXgMybXFc8hZKccalvu4_ttqy4Q/s320/IMG_6583.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was almost 10 pm when we reached the Laquinta in Limon, CO where we planned to spend the night. Despite our extra stops we were on track. I left Meg and my Mom with the dogs at the hotel and drove a block away to Oscar's Bar and Grill to get us something to eat. It had been a really long day and we were all feeling pretty spent.<br /><div><br /><div>Day 2 started with us finishing the drive to Longmount, CO. While campaigning Theodore Roosevelt took to the rails on what was called the "Whistle Stop Tour." On September 25, 1900 Roosevelt stopped at the rail yards in Longmount. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoXQXkTXum13jWGhMJvgHJREyfdOp2o5lVewjmAsTtLc30cFmb0SDyLhj75LOR2CvLwmbM_b11T-E-aW2sisq_hyphenhyphenNW9hal6EWZlb2hlYdCYdg4-Lft47cfYFASsEY6grmm3GwjPq1USU/s2048/IMG_6599.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoXQXkTXum13jWGhMJvgHJREyfdOp2o5lVewjmAsTtLc30cFmb0SDyLhj75LOR2CvLwmbM_b11T-E-aW2sisq_hyphenhyphenNW9hal6EWZlb2hlYdCYdg4-Lft47cfYFASsEY6grmm3GwjPq1USU/s320/IMG_6599.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x3iImU9JnB3vTXCCbjkR1vs6PgHcynyzv9Sy34DvZB30uE9FSx7-z450ociF9WlCUXbaFhMPyRwvi6p6P-ClBsmO0D2RMxbz5N7lSnUguYWQhGLm0C3eAMvxDSkkHMYLnGAmxF3ve18/s320/IMG_6603.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><br />This was the first sculpture in a series that we found that someone had placed a mask on to cover the mouth and noise. A bit of an amusing joke the first time but it started getting old. I slipped the mask off to get a picture of the art work before returning it for a fun picture with Gypsy Rover. I also left behind a painted rock with a train on it in honor of Teddy's love for trains and their early role in shaping the country.</div><div><br /></div><div>We walked around the downtown area filled with shops and restaurants to La Vita Bella for some coffee and breakfast. There I had a bagel with their very own home made vegetable cream cheese. We also stopped to check out another shop Winchell's Donuts. Inside Winchell's they had a number of signs showcasing their love of donuts and a history of the company which started in 1948 in California as a walk up donut shop. The company expanded in California and then in 1961 ventured out to Colorado and Arizona. In 1964 the geniuses created the first apple fritter in donut history (so the sign says) and I thank them for it!</div><div> </div><div>Next stop was a strange one to find in the middle of the Rockies because it was a building built to resemble a Coney Island Hot dog which as soon as I read about it I knew my Brooklyn born Mom needed to go there. Next door to it was a gift shop that had several different local artists products and the artist took turns manning the shop. We have a similar store like that in the Opryland Mall. It helps to get artists a shared store front and exposure to lots of travelers. </div><div><br /><div>We were on a small highway driving up and down the Rockies. They were stunningly beautiful. At one point in Lake George we pulled over at an overlook. There was a historical marker that I went to look at. It named the road as the Ralph Carr Memorial Highway. Carr was governor of Colorado from 1939-1943. After the attack on Pearl Harbor when Japanese Americans were being held in internment camps Governor Carr apparently was outspoken against the camps. The monument quoted him as saying:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"When it is suggested that American citizens be thrown into concentration camps, where they lose all their privileges of citizenship under the Constitution, then the principles of that great document are violated and lost."</div><div><br /></div><div>The monument was dedicated in 2010 through donations from the Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar Foundation. It also quoted a Japanese American Lawyer who had fought for his Civil Liberties and the rights of others about Carr saying </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"one voice, a small voice but a strong voice, like the voice of a sandpiper over the roar of the surf."</div><div><br /></div><div>We then drove through the small town of Fairplay Colorado where their old courthouse and jail still stand along the main street where they have story boards telling the history of the town. The town was founded in 1859 during the rush to Pike's Peak. The town's name was in reaction to the large amount of land given to early prospectors and a promise that it would be split up more fairly to newcomers. We also passed through Alma, CO the highest incorporated town sitting at 10,578 it owns the record of highest post office in any country. </div><div><br /></div><div>We continued into Breckenridge, Colorado where we saw some beautiful scenery and stopped at the Broken Compass Brewery. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzdi8c7QubjNal6Lkw34L6GowkS-Pyj_YFhzPW1sCesYF9VIFfrTT1Vm8MPwV4L8STOrB7MyeB4QEPn3eELD7V-0QUnmh4y2pT23lE_SImX08mfT2vqtBswD8xtlbLAofSURE0lHIYK4/w256-h192/IMG_6713.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="256" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21IO4OktMek0Wv8gV64zShjutLUKO0-CCLi7kaERLza0LwrlmYYlbm-Qo3Hhjs2RqLDVrCd-9D3DGKGxAFYqlvj77EpGNu0GsUQ9k4WEbp9exmKg53t1pAivijLL0Ttm2gj4GJ4a8xdM/s2048/IMG_6675.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21IO4OktMek0Wv8gV64zShjutLUKO0-CCLi7kaERLza0LwrlmYYlbm-Qo3Hhjs2RqLDVrCd-9D3DGKGxAFYqlvj77EpGNu0GsUQ9k4WEbp9exmKg53t1pAivijLL0Ttm2gj4GJ4a8xdM/s320/IMG_6675.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Broken Compass is a small brewery that doesn't mass produce which means if you don't get it locally you aren't trying it at all. Which is one of the coolest things about the way we travelled ate and drank our way across the country. We definitely got to experience as much as possible. This was also one of the locations where we got to interact with people. A couple, visiting from Iowa, sitting at a table near us started up a conversation about our puppy, Gypsy Rover, from there the conversation morphed and changed into a conversation about craft beer and road tripping. In a cool brewery exchange they told me about one of their favorite breweries in California so I told them about one of my favorite breweries in North Carolina and with any luck we will all be able to eventually visit those breweries!</div><div><br /></div><div>Next we were on our way to Glenwood Springs however part of I-70 was closed due to the Grizzly Creek Fire that was burning near the highway. As a result we had a long detour onto highway 9 and 131. While it added almost three hours to the drive time it took us through some beautiful landscapes.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0MauOhVs8i5dDG49THaOpXtMetQZEmr85B51qMfxdkURD2R0lfHHrqJ87ddewZSdYsMhPpfoYmeampdj4xLuW5zQM_UPEUhXUCaMocMCehettRTNXYQmWZIRMam1K_6lBIScud6OwFM/s2048/IMG_6749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0MauOhVs8i5dDG49THaOpXtMetQZEmr85B51qMfxdkURD2R0lfHHrqJ87ddewZSdYsMhPpfoYmeampdj4xLuW5zQM_UPEUhXUCaMocMCehettRTNXYQmWZIRMam1K_6lBIScud6OwFM/w625-h469/IMG_6749.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><div>The pictures don't do justice to the differences in color of the rock and stone and the lines caused by weather and time on the mountains. As we drove the canyon was filled with a cloud of smoke from the fire. Meg had brought her camera to try and take some star trail photos but it didn't look likely with the haze caused by the fire. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was almost 10 pm when we rolled in to Glenwood Springs having been able to rejoin highway 70 a little further west and taken the road east to get back to Glenwood Springs. There we stopped by what was once the Glenwood Hotel where famed Gunslinger Doc Holliday died on November 8, 1887. I had a painted rock with a spade on it and the words "I'm your Huckleberry". I left it on the window sill of a Doc Holliday themed store. It was Val Kilmer's amazing performance in Tombstone that made me want to stop here. In my opinion that is one of the best movies ever made and Val Kilmer's performance steals every scene he is in.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning as we drove further west on I-70 we reached the peach capital of Colorado, Palisade and some more breathtaking views. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sjjotg18eMSfoV-t3Uo3sLg-u9CO9tzSHok7Lshl6b4g-_beiptSg2Fl3DLVn5qpvv8XIbrxFqd0FTkgtAALJkvbRIeJZf9DSTqdGduYx3bG024qdjBpbL3g5Bnvk1R58PlUgQH5nGU/s2048/IMG_6758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sjjotg18eMSfoV-t3Uo3sLg-u9CO9tzSHok7Lshl6b4g-_beiptSg2Fl3DLVn5qpvv8XIbrxFqd0FTkgtAALJkvbRIeJZf9DSTqdGduYx3bG024qdjBpbL3g5Bnvk1R58PlUgQH5nGU/s320/IMG_6758.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeAOAkbviBYUYU8kYjw4CQoxcu6OwzTHSIC4FIi9IY12-O8Zm4soRnaefkotXeU1_kI3xQFDHlmn-BNhS2vqf9c63gVklE1dTZxCfmsYpspw5ythab4oss-ZQSpta2HtdDNS9HXDEPnI/s320/IMG_6762.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><br />And then Colorado became Utah as we drove along the Colorado Plateau. We stopped at a welcome center in Moab, Utah to take in the view. There a man was cleaning and picking up trash. He told us about a hawk that he had seen and some tricks to spotting the antelope that roam the area. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Arches National Park was too much of a detour from our path so we know we will have to return some day. We just had to settle for the rock formations that we passed. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUOFzj_xuXn2vfk14NK36s-JE3HpL5NamRD3qCHIGaaGzLO4TFraosk9M71PfJg-38AtUeoEpfh0vX8HIBIiNmpVU98Tcg5tYoSVl17AZSgtUojfZcirepo0F0mPkyi_ue5T8ezuWh8o/s2048/IMG_6777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUOFzj_xuXn2vfk14NK36s-JE3HpL5NamRD3qCHIGaaGzLO4TFraosk9M71PfJg-38AtUeoEpfh0vX8HIBIiNmpVU98Tcg5tYoSVl17AZSgtUojfZcirepo0F0mPkyi_ue5T8ezuWh8o/s320/IMG_6777.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Throughout the trip we relied on my Mom's freshman year Earth Science course for basically all of our geography questions. And I have to say her knowledge held up very well. </div><div><br /></div><div>As we drove we scanned the radio for country music stations to listen to the Top 40 countdown and we found The Eagle 101.5 and Fitz. During the countdown he told the story of Jack and Sheila who met on their way to college with some other friends. Before heading out towards the west coast one of them referenced the Jo Dee Messina song "Heads Carolina, Tails California." Years later at a party Sheila saw Jack at a party and referenced the song again. And they have been together ever since. It was a good story and because we were driving we got to hear it twice since miles later when we lost the first station we picked the count down up again just before that story. <br /><div><br /><div>Now I had been told this was a beautiful drive and it was true. We approached the San Rafael Reef from the east and as we approached it was amazingly striking. It is 75 miles wide made of Navajo and Wingate sandstone featuring fins, canyons, and domes. It was in 1957 when the decision was made to extend I-70 through the reef. The canyon we drove through was originally so narrow that early workers could stand and touch both sides. Workers removed 3.5 million cubic yards of rock to create the 8 mile stretch we were about to drive through the reef. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7520-FufkLPEcIIBx6iVdtjIwDwyeU6zoW7A92u2w3cmhMWw3L8nngUvQD3i3xF90Ux-vIPhAdhRfIUDRI8_PQ6rnaZ66YE2FoVjLrIAeKqqTaGR61zaxGg1FhBF2atjPBw_F-GwDFw/s3252/IMG_6797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="3252" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7520-FufkLPEcIIBx6iVdtjIwDwyeU6zoW7A92u2w3cmhMWw3L8nngUvQD3i3xF90Ux-vIPhAdhRfIUDRI8_PQ6rnaZ66YE2FoVjLrIAeKqqTaGR61zaxGg1FhBF2atjPBw_F-GwDFw/w625-h186/IMG_6797.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpiKu98EGQj8pDAmBhBBriDyq0ti44eM1gxLcdk78WkrsXeMxo1JmhWCdYEelOb5s8DoGDvGFlfVqOButIVW2MGT0My6_u3tAiqQ5FgfXdJBkPobEomAPGd_MfhTP1c8mMko0elavV_U/s2048/IMG_6798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpiKu98EGQj8pDAmBhBBriDyq0ti44eM1gxLcdk78WkrsXeMxo1JmhWCdYEelOb5s8DoGDvGFlfVqOButIVW2MGT0My6_u3tAiqQ5FgfXdJBkPobEomAPGd_MfhTP1c8mMko0elavV_U/s320/IMG_6798.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Once on the other side of the reef we stopped again to look back at the western side and Devil's Canyon where we got Domino, my Mom's dog to pose for a great photo. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn7mAb0jIXT5LWrF82SGM6lPIL4jX4ZpHwqttWJi3p3QQQNXOX4l7BJ2cmIomEDOZMcz7dY4QCFrlMqREJfuyclIXQGALdaTjzzjcqcvHSCinPpn78ireVbhQwEcfp94dbuwsMu-FK0c/s2048/IMG_6839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn7mAb0jIXT5LWrF82SGM6lPIL4jX4ZpHwqttWJi3p3QQQNXOX4l7BJ2cmIomEDOZMcz7dY4QCFrlMqREJfuyclIXQGALdaTjzzjcqcvHSCinPpn78ireVbhQwEcfp94dbuwsMu-FK0c/s320/IMG_6839.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>As we continued along I-70 we saw more and more rock formations and the fantastic site of the painted rocks in multiple shades of red, orange, gray, and some that were even taking on a green hue. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPy78ApwTjfU3BJf4AN3wz2TdZk9AquSEvGdn67SPDQzvOQF05XF7PkLTEmkIuH5pI4mclV_Udebmu5mIH-N0X0I8dzSO2Jkkd-OXf94Ll5hyYJmwBQQEXR8A5XYWV4BCY2ZCfkIbkzc/s320/IMG_6871.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="320" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDuHr5JaBX5zT4Fk81wFgC74kuTHGjhY3CE0tqUExOfen3kUjU2PINE3f_IkDAyH0EbhmodCqKPqdabBedD5VRLckRcZpdFkqMvW_bjOzvcjJdexG_FI48edzi943ULDf7d6LlN9LqcQ/s2048/IMG_6855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDuHr5JaBX5zT4Fk81wFgC74kuTHGjhY3CE0tqUExOfen3kUjU2PINE3f_IkDAyH0EbhmodCqKPqdabBedD5VRLckRcZpdFkqMvW_bjOzvcjJdexG_FI48edzi943ULDf7d6LlN9LqcQ/s320/IMG_6855.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RdjtyeSzjUOq0SBZlySUQWQn-cCWgdzZy_5dRwty2yiPOGW1rLSBIurzwkXFvfgRvyhSnrFmcb_4LBLQ9PsUmHMuvok1HDe4UhTYFK-tsRYDWU8SyoUOvqu2WoKrPH2rUrGR9nRpkYM/s2048/IMG_6856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RdjtyeSzjUOq0SBZlySUQWQn-cCWgdzZy_5dRwty2yiPOGW1rLSBIurzwkXFvfgRvyhSnrFmcb_4LBLQ9PsUmHMuvok1HDe4UhTYFK-tsRYDWU8SyoUOvqu2WoKrPH2rUrGR9nRpkYM/s320/IMG_6856.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD95R9AfP8a5RdHf-9P2YhAyoj5uQudjd-fQeryU5PS3Y8o0lKXElUdyT7T77M-P__arYQHWRxUevha65-kNuEG0DzuRBhhADgr7pPsWpMbr0tlKWr_dPXOgDQcKHlCAoOC5t2q7vWFgo/s320/IMG_6880.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="320" /></div><br />The different colors are created by oxygen levels and mineral make up of the sandstone as the area changed and developed throughout time. At one of the pull offs I left behind a rock I had painted to look like a post card on it was a quote from the American poet Wallace Stevens:</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">"The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself." -Wallace Stevens</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It seemed a fitting spot. Also at the area was a memorial to Linda Louise Terry Barnes who had served as a custodian to the I-70 rest areas for over 25 years and had sadly passed away in 2010 from cancer. The plaque honoring her was a nice tribute to her with a picture and a brief description of her personality and dedication:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Her work was more than just a job. The area, the constant change of scenery, and meeting many travelers along the way were part of her... Linda was a beautiful woman who had many hobbies, including rock hunting and fishing. She was dedicated to her family and always wore a smile."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The words on the memorial made me think back to the gentleman we had meet at the welcome center in Moab who was also quick to pick up a conversation and welcome us to the area while he worked to prepare it for the day's visitors. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A bit down the road we stopped for gas and discovered some tanks painted to look like giant soda cans. Looking back at this picture it is kind of ironic because my Mom spent the better part of this entire two week trip asking for Coke only to have wait staff respond "Will Pepsi be ok?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGEdadhmSvVWhY7VOZOZU_aJpyVxGUzU8gtxA3YP-2l0Xi1ggfKDPR0yD2oepVkeeWYeAp4vFvYrj1uo_gAeXM4Bx7EkMSP8FVpETd5Sn5wQttQ4_PIjkTmdm4dLt0hs6tdGinLxMm_U/s2048/IMG_6893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGEdadhmSvVWhY7VOZOZU_aJpyVxGUzU8gtxA3YP-2l0Xi1ggfKDPR0yD2oepVkeeWYeAp4vFvYrj1uo_gAeXM4Bx7EkMSP8FVpETd5Sn5wQttQ4_PIjkTmdm4dLt0hs6tdGinLxMm_U/w500-h375/IMG_6893.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We also stopped for lunch at Mom's Cafe in Salina, Utah where we ordered salads and burgers to go and ate them at a road side table. Two hours later and finally heading south on I-15 we saw a sign for the Parowan Cafe which claimed to have the best cinnamon rolls in the west. The billboard did its job and we pulled over for dessert. I bought one cinnamon roll and we split it. It was very good with a thick cream cheese frosting and raisins. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We were approaching the end of our time in Utah, though we would be returning later in the trip to see Great Salt Lake. As we were driving we had noticed that it looked like there were bee hives on the highway signs. Apparently the beehive is a state symbol connected to to the hard working reputation of bees. Some how I missed that on my early research or I probably would have attempted to draw a beehive on one of my rocks. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our next stop was a statue of wild horses in a traffic circle. I had seen a picture of part of the sculpture and was very much looking forward to seeing the full sculpture. This was one of those stops that I hadn't mentioned much about because I wanted my Mom to be surprised when she saw it, I knew she was going to love it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5aqtgmqis1C6jOd_TcVGwR2PQGzs64IBPlPaphoF8zTP0fdXjb0a2Nlrnvjt7oYbebrgwPy2hgVRrDHjcCC8xtKye6kLrWDJPvIGI7PWMSJS2tsA1LeWjyLTh0AS_p7FivVdEVkESkc/s2048/IMG_6902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5aqtgmqis1C6jOd_TcVGwR2PQGzs64IBPlPaphoF8zTP0fdXjb0a2Nlrnvjt7oYbebrgwPy2hgVRrDHjcCC8xtKye6kLrWDJPvIGI7PWMSJS2tsA1LeWjyLTh0AS_p7FivVdEVkESkc/w256-h192/IMG_6902.jpg" width="256" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNTE2lh7BBVdtvOovgExDvTEidwSaQdoM24zUyA9DrZiO6Z2KcCUwzaM-tCJ9Yg4D6BwtrOUHkV9I9Ny3-tW1Te6ZTmas-2mLc9iW1zFrPe94jldpJ94Rgq8a-IM-fvVPERGCN7oz7eY/s320/IMG_6904.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="320" /></div><div><br /></div>A short drive later took us to another spot I had been anxious to see: Ancestral Puebloan or Navejo petroglyphs, rock carvings with tribal and cultural significance to the ancient culture who made them. They could be markings of religious or cultural importance or they could be indicating important events and travels. Unfortunately there was no informative plaque at the park which is really an open area in a subdivision to explain what tribe made the markings or the history of the rocks which I assume were moved here. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9cdyZjIIb4dTxwSQLyV2yIfmeKQ0KmChWaHpjfLYKIJ1ZSUrTrbUqU3PLBKTbVd_MiB3ONOkfCykxijDteMZOAwF4xP0yGYiFWNimHY0hLHDrKBKEOMGLWE-ELNjJGnDDNohyphenhyphenwB1dzw/s320/IMG_6910.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="320" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOyF96V06A-vs-pMKaroegZw_Xeea9O9fNtV02AEi9xZ02eMfJxs6sFtQHvvO5PO30CCpUxfuOTCWY2LWXoIYnuNise3LN2kBdTOt91uA5YFCiLXfKYT6S09YAPQOqho2ttMXu1NR0kc/s2048/IMG_6909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOyF96V06A-vs-pMKaroegZw_Xeea9O9fNtV02AEi9xZ02eMfJxs6sFtQHvvO5PO30CCpUxfuOTCWY2LWXoIYnuNise3LN2kBdTOt91uA5YFCiLXfKYT6S09YAPQOqho2ttMXu1NR0kc/w256-h192/IMG_6909.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />Next we entered Nevada and Arizona to see the Hoover Dam. It was built between 1931 and 1936. Before being renamed for Herbert Hoover it was named the Boulder Dam. The Dam would help to control the Colorado River, prevent flooding, provide irrigation, and provide hydroelectric power. Unfortunately the dam was closed for visitors due to Covid 19 restrictions- I understand they want to prevent large crowds and gatherings but there is definitely a way that the dam could be safely viewed. We tried to drive the highway to view it from there but a large concrete barrier made the dam impossible to see. While I knew the visitor area would be closed I thought there must be a way to view it. I stopped the car in the shoulder and walked along to try and see over the barrier and kind of got an ok look at the marvel of engineering that is the Hoover Dam.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE_ReqYQ85zKlAtGr1qN3w56px-CR7rWFNRtn8BNZtVY6HgTpmYr5UUr3TSFoU3g00K8MbKbQu5hOvYK6wYQ29mw0No5FMvGUtNNMuJvIJZSiaau7c_P5Ujng08BJ7ak8eLqjdStvhMg/s2048/IMG_6941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE_ReqYQ85zKlAtGr1qN3w56px-CR7rWFNRtn8BNZtVY6HgTpmYr5UUr3TSFoU3g00K8MbKbQu5hOvYK6wYQ29mw0No5FMvGUtNNMuJvIJZSiaau7c_P5Ujng08BJ7ak8eLqjdStvhMg/w375-h500/IMG_6941.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div>The reservoir of Lake Mead sits high above the dam and a beautiful sunset was well on its way above me. We left the dam to get dinner at Boulder Dam Brewing. I had looked the location up before leaving and already knew that it was dog friendly and the food looked really good. As we ate we listened to the Vegas Knights playing the Canucks. The Knights won that game 5-0 and went on to advance to the next round where they are facing the Dallas Stars.</div><div><br /></div><div>We went to our hotel for the night and ended part one of the trip. We were a little behind because of the added stops and the fire detour. But there was extra time built in to the trip and we were definitely still on pace. It was Sunday night. We were further west then we had ever been before and had travelled through nine states in less than 80 hours. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2vx-lzuBSpU2LroGB3k8NRDTxRKrvsyQNhNgMjUygr8-WZfsTNERYRib6LRdGHL1eoDEMjnCs_WWcm1fdlTC_Ju-yKh6OKCowHcme0_gutLtPqa3rXPFfVEbELbYdKIgc2NOuoM0v_Q/s1354/part+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1354" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2vx-lzuBSpU2LroGB3k8NRDTxRKrvsyQNhNgMjUygr8-WZfsTNERYRib6LRdGHL1eoDEMjnCs_WWcm1fdlTC_Ju-yKh6OKCowHcme0_gutLtPqa3rXPFfVEbELbYdKIgc2NOuoM0v_Q/w500-h300/part+1.png" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhARcgczSrykU5F2I1tzAyJH3wZaomPXzvADdun8zQ2X77AguFCXUr_VP4qCTkUKUJiJcpxV51MRWlHKj7ybPlEAkEvRtuIoXAGYpeP1yW5UqHJT_JfPwygpm0LUmlFxH00NzyLLkDtoE/s1546/part+1+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="1546" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhARcgczSrykU5F2I1tzAyJH3wZaomPXzvADdun8zQ2X77AguFCXUr_VP4qCTkUKUJiJcpxV51MRWlHKj7ybPlEAkEvRtuIoXAGYpeP1yW5UqHJT_JfPwygpm0LUmlFxH00NzyLLkDtoE/w500-h135/part+1+map.png" width="500" /></a></div><br />Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1043485403881099777.post-2628982175695778002020-08-11T16:17:00.001-07:002020-08-12T16:25:24.539-07:00You just gotta have a little drive<p style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-size: 31px; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles."- Tim Cahill</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>This may have been a short trip for us but it is definitely, as Tim Cahill says, more than the miles that matter.</p><p><br /></p><p>As our next trip was approaching I kept checking the weather and it was looking bad with storm possibilities basically blanketing the entire route. I thought about postponing or cancelling it since it was to NC and technically Meg and I were already there in our <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-luck-right-i-know-youre-jealous.html">first road trip</a> of the year... but our Mom wasn't with us on that one and still needed the state to complete her own 48.</p><p>Now this one wasn't that far but because of the timing of when I wanted to get to one of the stops it required us either leaving on Thursday for part of the drive or leaving at like 2am on Friday morning. Since we know sleeping in the car is going to be part of the future for our long two week trip out west I opted for the sleeping in the car option so we can get used to it a little. So we picked up our Mom in Nashville and began making our way East on I-40 toward North Carolina. We stopped a little bit outside Bristol and slept at a rest area. I've been using a bandana as a mask and this weekend the bandana really showed off its versatility. I used it overnight as a blindfold to help block out light from the rest area security lights. I used it as a hair tie at various points. And, obviously, I used it as a mask. </p><p>The next morning the first order of business was coffee; and for that we crossed state lines to Bristol, VA, and the Blackbird Bakery. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpjhGm0YiB7NvBsMSAttPCjJiQ9NAPJTI3n9hZBPRLEiH3DZy0gL4zrXgvnT3mdYqUYw3O1W28Mr9wiiaqSh6HpYIchJaY3qSt6W3xL_atQvaitbTaKuU5RJNF03uSGv-4vQPxi36on8/s2048/IMG_6241.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpjhGm0YiB7NvBsMSAttPCjJiQ9NAPJTI3n9hZBPRLEiH3DZy0gL4zrXgvnT3mdYqUYw3O1W28Mr9wiiaqSh6HpYIchJaY3qSt6W3xL_atQvaitbTaKuU5RJNF03uSGv-4vQPxi36on8/s640/IMG_6241.jpg" /></a></div><p>We were refreshed and energized and ready to explore a few spots in Bristol so we drove all the way ;-) back to Bristol, TN. Otherwise known as driving around the block. State street was split with TN on one side and VA on the other side. The street lights even had the corresponding state flags hanging from them. </p><p>We drove to the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford. Ernest Jennings Ford was born in 1919 and he began his career in music in 1937 at WOPI Radio. In 1946, after returning from service during WWII, he continued his career in radio traveling to CA and hosting his own morning show. He enjoyed success in radio, tv, and his own recording career. So much so that he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame 1991, given three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1984. He had one of the first and big country-pop crossovers with his working man's anthem of "Sixteen Tons" which spent multiple weeks at the top of country and pop charts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pLVtJkpl_ug" width="320" youtube-src-id="pLVtJkpl_ug"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p>Our next stop in Bristol has been labeled the birthplace of country music as the site where Ralph Peer first recorded "hillybilly" artists like the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers in the Bristol Sessions for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Here is a recording from the second session of Jimmie's "Blue Yodel."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy0dXUEnpJU0zmqRGmvxXvT5lc5Ma54G10jKr7U4Lu-kE26rN5Lu6Gdbe_Vd4659KZKE9PdxWK5dKjmXma-7ZQ2RmhU60LNjFL9VuVsWDyGL3K_PfG7DHaWi2U2wK_q7OsdKIzQslqfI/s320/IMG_6253.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lW-M3Pip5NE" width="320" youtube-src-id="lW-M3Pip5NE"></iframe> <img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy0dXUEnpJU0zmqRGmvxXvT5lc5Ma54G10jKr7U4Lu-kE26rN5Lu6Gdbe_Vd4659KZKE9PdxWK5dKjmXma-7ZQ2RmhU60LNjFL9VuVsWDyGL3K_PfG7DHaWi2U2wK_q7OsdKIzQslqfI/w192-h256/IMG_6253.JPG" width="192" /></a></div><p>Across the street was a strange metal man holding a guitar. I walked over to get a better look at it and passed by one of the city of Bristol water works sewer caps. On it was a fiddle so I decided to leave my fiddle rock there with the Music Man.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSNLFzS9Fr6Ijx2XYyCAeuyymqnhVYJc8_ABIk6RhVn94VYFkbGl6m6DPODKnNT7HTSZ63C0L2Sir-1wDvKXSCtKdQHyWYINkdfIsmkuKsfj-0-nfYT46wFgkkwkfp8xlweG6NhO3rus/s2048/IMG_6256.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSNLFzS9Fr6Ijx2XYyCAeuyymqnhVYJc8_ABIk6RhVn94VYFkbGl6m6DPODKnNT7HTSZ63C0L2Sir-1wDvKXSCtKdQHyWYINkdfIsmkuKsfj-0-nfYT46wFgkkwkfp8xlweG6NhO3rus/w246-h328/IMG_6256.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGr3p43KQ-zg0FozuBkH2AAXq0CLsjyPkn1o5tEbP1qcAsNuvrJ8SYdVbRuGjPhjyc3ILTPKcRW_7FkxcIIeCxWAf9KrZSeUfzdMZSHC9oWsU7CoZkCg-UjvDjnIPoWouRjnBTqx0qCvc/s2048/IMG_6257.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGr3p43KQ-zg0FozuBkH2AAXq0CLsjyPkn1o5tEbP1qcAsNuvrJ8SYdVbRuGjPhjyc3ILTPKcRW_7FkxcIIeCxWAf9KrZSeUfzdMZSHC9oWsU7CoZkCg-UjvDjnIPoWouRjnBTqx0qCvc/w246-h328/IMG_6257.jpg" width="246" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP0GOopLOCXYoSYanuEmWamFxjMmRjUTkjsuieVvpoVcnE75kQQg36skMP7Bo1maug-znFqy21mYdxjw_8es_2w0pNajKdgyEKIr_tD17kWVWYNwnCRJRblEIkQMWVzLKnLsJlifeFXg/w246-h328/IMG_6258.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>And then we were on our way to Jefferson, NC. We took a northern route through VA for a bit before cutting back south to NC through the mountains.. and by through the mountains I mean our GPS decided to take us on a crazy one lane dirt path up the winding cliffside of a small mountain. Thank God no one came from the other direction because I would not have been able to get out of the way. It was so beyond being a road that grass was growing in between the worn tire tread marks. I forget what the name of the 'road' was but it was definitely one of the most tense drives I have ever had. But despite the strange route we ended up at our next destination: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. And pretty much on schedule. This was Church six out of seven from back during Lent when I was trying to visit seven Churches in seven States. I picked the Church because St. Francis is one of my favorite Saints, the patron Saint of animals. And I pray to him often. We prayed to him when Roma got out of the house and was missing for over 72 hours, when our German Shepherd<a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-best-bad-dog-ever.html"> Schultzy</a> passed away, and again when <a href="https://jorkeohane.blogspot.com/2018/12/roma-aka-romabear-aka-romeo-our-pur.html">Roma became mysteriously ill</a>. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EaOcDnG9KmeIMdSGtWXnxZCUDX30g7m_778Ce6cyO1fgcymlC86bDqZC8NfmSOirD-RGzV-GlB0WlPzWXcycF5O55ckK3hSrNRAUMG9Cb2Ln1thvMTCflu8E_7d4JwwILR9t9ee9hMk/s2048/IMG_6271.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EaOcDnG9KmeIMdSGtWXnxZCUDX30g7m_778Ce6cyO1fgcymlC86bDqZC8NfmSOirD-RGzV-GlB0WlPzWXcycF5O55ckK3hSrNRAUMG9Cb2Ln1thvMTCflu8E_7d4JwwILR9t9ee9hMk/s640/IMG_6271.jpg" /></a></div><div>Since we had Gypsy Rover and Domino with us we asked the priest if he could bless them and he did. Then I brought Gypsy around to a statue of St. Francis at the front corner of the property. I will write more about the visit to the Church when I write the blog post for the last four churches in my Lenten resolution. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uqfs1Cdulxk" width="320" youtube-src-id="Uqfs1Cdulxk"></iframe></div><div><br /><p>We were right on schedule and it was time for lunch so we went over to the cute downtown area of West Jefferson where it looked like there are actually several small breweries. We settled on New River Brewing which had outdoor seating. Unfortunately the clouds were getting threatening but we thought we had enough time to eat... at one point there was a little sun shower but I think the dogs appreciated the rain as a break form the sun and heat. The wings with their signature sauce were delicious and I liked that the food was served in baskets with a fake newspaper liner. The article was marking the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice when the USA men's hockey team went on to win the Gold Medal in the 1980 Olympic Games.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGH5K87O5Ev-mZ4djJKlL2dUoQjh13oJXuT9IJlklUvbUlksrmfXNAfKMJ5iA10x-AZ_KQ2R5-qk8lXK0nK3nKzN9nt8EBqB78So7UPc-eda7V5Er0jb2r25X7xsKQi7zeyc1ogvYAT0/s2048/IMG_6283.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGH5K87O5Ev-mZ4djJKlL2dUoQjh13oJXuT9IJlklUvbUlksrmfXNAfKMJ5iA10x-AZ_KQ2R5-qk8lXK0nK3nKzN9nt8EBqB78So7UPc-eda7V5Er0jb2r25X7xsKQi7zeyc1ogvYAT0/s640/IMG_6283.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Next was a bonus stop because Meg spotted a sign with an arrow pointing down a side street that said "Church of the Frescos." St. Mary's in Ashe County is one of two rural churches that house fresco paintings by Benjamin Long. Ben was born in Texas but grew up in Statesville, NC. He went to Chapel Hill to pursue an education in art. When other young men were being drafted he enlisted into the Marine Corp with hope of using his education to serve the military and becoming a combat artist. On his second tour in Vietnam he served as Commander of the Combat Art Team and some of his work from that time is on display in the Smithsonian Museum and can be found at his <a href="http://www.benlongfineart.com/vietnam-combat-art">website</a>.</p><p>In 1976-1977 Ben worked on the three frescos in St. Mary's: The Mystery of Faith, Mary, and John The Baptist. I sat in the church admiring the frescos and the detail in them. I loved the imagery of an eclipsed sun above Mary.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRMbYLOSEe8qwbecxaSu9m8ecrVzKHTbNPjPOOyurHw4wiNyTG-Xs3sfB3ERkLhVOOcTaI6EqnizVzrNlHVkfmxnrsn6bk4FiqLcAqV-sEzlK1FzP6U0AIughloOLDePULz9IVkAO11M/s2048/IMG_6293.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRMbYLOSEe8qwbecxaSu9m8ecrVzKHTbNPjPOOyurHw4wiNyTG-Xs3sfB3ERkLhVOOcTaI6EqnizVzrNlHVkfmxnrsn6bk4FiqLcAqV-sEzlK1FzP6U0AIughloOLDePULz9IVkAO11M/s640/IMG_6293.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Next we drove east to High Point, NC. Our first stop was a statue of Atlas holding up the earth however it was behind a gate on the campus of High Point University. We could see it from the road but could not get close. Our next stop was the American headquarters for Italian Furniture company, Natuzzi. Their office building is in the shape of a ship, well half a ship, complete with a porthole. The effect is best seen from the front. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ7Jgyc4YIeRjSJXHSHvNXs2EMohBgj7HZqBc-4qga3m-EWf-v6i__oF-SsZVeZ48QQOWV-fcZqIDrbGWbwUr4kNtzAUGWjrmzHY0HyI3H2Y_IJ4pCimxfrggI05GXI8AonxZD8x7BXA/s2048/IMG_6302.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ7Jgyc4YIeRjSJXHSHvNXs2EMohBgj7HZqBc-4qga3m-EWf-v6i__oF-SsZVeZ48QQOWV-fcZqIDrbGWbwUr4kNtzAUGWjrmzHY0HyI3H2Y_IJ4pCimxfrggI05GXI8AonxZD8x7BXA/s640/IMG_6302.jpg" /></a></div><p>It had been a long day and we were ready for dinner so we searched for a hotel along the way to our next stop and ended up in Hickory, NC. For dinner we went to the Blowing Rock Brewery. They had a great outdoor atrium with live music and tables and then to the right was the closed in bar. As we were waiting for our table I ordered a beer, kolsch. A fellow from the local paper, Hickory Daily Record, asked if he could take our picture for Hoppin' around Hickory. Meg didn't want to be in the picture so she held my beer while my Mom and I posed with our respective pups. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeeXIrEa_ia-AJ4u4Y1oR4B5VBo78eUelg2bziq0ikAa8FHG6_oqlKnKfMUrDCXngBauMmTJ5ixMY-FLU4doAHaYnT-DTXWuJa-ylekAmGAcDdfNcHZ7pVp6FDpsda2kS63P5WHsY4Ew/s1592/hop+around+hickory.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeeXIrEa_ia-AJ4u4Y1oR4B5VBo78eUelg2bziq0ikAa8FHG6_oqlKnKfMUrDCXngBauMmTJ5ixMY-FLU4doAHaYnT-DTXWuJa-ylekAmGAcDdfNcHZ7pVp6FDpsda2kS63P5WHsY4Ew/s640/hop+around+hickory.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>As we sat outside in the atrium enjoying our meal and beer we got to listen to the awesome acoustic performance from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Kevin-Smith-Acoustic-Vocal-Musician-116514355064742/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAaBzBHRvgunNNf1wxrcZjBg-Gsx7HMjw2o6Q4IV8Ms5Tyh48iKqMLl8RQJnuyHwTIcOZGgfD_7NIVq">Kevin Smith</a>. By the way they had the most delicious home made chips. If you are in the Hickory area go there and order the chips you won't be sorry.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaJj0Gp2W9cal7j8IdNg4wYjE0fpLXu3szYMdOIIRMCJXUHEqeSvgw_AxdSY_AcT52ZsID_X7cw_H-PR_J13JmhLgw_I_crivVaDNHWou1fIEPRgkGsD73efiRqJhSBBKn0zARBWxtKE/s3026/IMG_6306.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="3026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaJj0Gp2W9cal7j8IdNg4wYjE0fpLXu3szYMdOIIRMCJXUHEqeSvgw_AxdSY_AcT52ZsID_X7cw_H-PR_J13JmhLgw_I_crivVaDNHWou1fIEPRgkGsD73efiRqJhSBBKn0zARBWxtKE/s640/IMG_6306.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The next morning our hotel actually had breakfast! For the first time since we re-started going on trips again. It was plated instead of buffet style I had scrambled eggs, sausage patty, and home fries. It surprised me because I know NC is one of the more lock-downed states but it was a nice bit of normal to start our day. That being said I still wanted more coffee and googling coffee and Hickory, NC, one thing was clear... we had to go to the 'Coffee Bus.' The company is <a href="https://taproot.coffee/">Taproot Coffee</a>. And the owner is Malachi Morris. He was 19 when he decided coffee was his future and has been bringing people together ever since. As we pulled into the back of the parking lot where his coffee bus was parked it was quite clear that even Covid-19 couldn't keep people away form the coffee and the experience. There were several different pods of parked cars with lawn chairs in the parking lot as people gathered to sit and enjoy their relaxing Saturday morning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuELGszfNlMYVMYdZRDbNd1DMTIQPJNpONMGSpUm8isw_rtYCpTRIKTWgSJQOaDWKNGPP5m6pVPcodCVJsNyZuL3I8-a7I6L7Yxe5g8vSaLMzF-oCUu8dD0F3EESSYRf5X7kd4RC2eV0/s2048/IMG_6320.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuELGszfNlMYVMYdZRDbNd1DMTIQPJNpONMGSpUm8isw_rtYCpTRIKTWgSJQOaDWKNGPP5m6pVPcodCVJsNyZuL3I8-a7I6L7Yxe5g8vSaLMzF-oCUu8dD0F3EESSYRf5X7kd4RC2eV0/s640/IMG_6320.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Our next stop was a quick one in Old Fort, NC, where they have a 30 foot arrowhead monument beside the town train station. They had a cute park and a gazebo so we sat and took a photo with our non-stop on the go puppy.... you can see how well that turned out.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTufnNUKfX_z0hrbqlY0KG8OELvbzpdpwQKunNHaEV_fQtbMa853k7ZtbmOnu9UD3FCYhGixo_S339bzAUuegmL7BxKf5atkPXXEUe0pglxy7WtWqYGcDRbJPqQGd8RORdz9cbQnanvA/s2048/IMG_6323.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTufnNUKfX_z0hrbqlY0KG8OELvbzpdpwQKunNHaEV_fQtbMa853k7ZtbmOnu9UD3FCYhGixo_S339bzAUuegmL7BxKf5atkPXXEUe0pglxy7WtWqYGcDRbJPqQGd8RORdz9cbQnanvA/w307-h410/IMG_6323.jpg" width="307" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDt3CZzI5-Laz5s8vshMK-Q5P9m_aF9fVezqOoOj-Y9AxP2GwlcTvMngQxe3EY2Vb3tR9WtIAfx53fsmS4-i3XYm0quodfRcp7YocZdPWWmLwcsq_eLvqjZGJjVYclsS64feO4T1Ez8Ug/w328-h246/IMG_6331.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>Afterwards we drove to our last stop in NC: Lake Junaluska. The town is named for one of the leaders of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian Tribe. He fought alongside Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend and was credited with saving Jackson's life. A moment he would come to regret as he and his fellow Cherokee were mistreated and forced out of their home to the "Indian Territory" in Oklahoma. Junaluska would return years later and again make his home in NC. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50_2hbnuA1w45qBwHpe3Aauku6soUO0sjEuFBHVKD3MZWwts9bZ3gUFOQcPgfHpjKRbj7kkcfSKiplulTNip7DHXq5hdOwFht1BMXxSbTHI3jVIhCYiu26Xz2qFj0bJ2Nxl6m2WW1Fls/s2048/IMG_6334.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50_2hbnuA1w45qBwHpe3Aauku6soUO0sjEuFBHVKD3MZWwts9bZ3gUFOQcPgfHpjKRbj7kkcfSKiplulTNip7DHXq5hdOwFht1BMXxSbTHI3jVIhCYiu26Xz2qFj0bJ2Nxl6m2WW1Fls/s640/IMG_6334.jpg" /></a></div><div>With our trip through North Carolina finished we began driving home to TN. Looking at the time it worked out perfectly that we would be arriving in Knoxville right in time for some dinner with a little sightseeing before that. But we had a little bad luck. Our first stop was to see a giant Rubiks Cube located in the lobby of a hotel, a gift from Hungary to the city. Unfortunately the hotel was under construction and closed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next we went to World's Fair Park to find a statue honoring the late Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff who played his last concert on February 17, 1943, in Knoxville.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_8BKCJlktE1IQwQevVBDT409KoJ_wHiLmsfywxkwNjsHLYYlQvlS1SBj54ytHdcl4FbFUZ9XUutOJ581rj7zmb2AeKskwzXiTGuiLndc8n6EenEiB7tPzsygonc-nijGXuWUHGgWYlY/s2048/IMG_6355.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_8BKCJlktE1IQwQevVBDT409KoJ_wHiLmsfywxkwNjsHLYYlQvlS1SBj54ytHdcl4FbFUZ9XUutOJ581rj7zmb2AeKskwzXiTGuiLndc8n6EenEiB7tPzsygonc-nijGXuWUHGgWYlY/w308-h410/IMG_6355.jpg" width="308" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjwyHDu8JmsbP8ORgZrvXLpVNeKkH0Ffv_TKZsQuffIOct_petfqwBrSR9tYwMtQYHVocYRv_LWT1bqe5w5JOQ9hHwJjF2ngngWuFZrdeBC6KGGCt2jRuM85LNmivTJW655JGf0UFGyw/s2048/IMG_6361.jpg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjwyHDu8JmsbP8ORgZrvXLpVNeKkH0Ffv_TKZsQuffIOct_petfqwBrSR9tYwMtQYHVocYRv_LWT1bqe5w5JOQ9hHwJjF2ngngWuFZrdeBC6KGGCt2jRuM85LNmivTJW655JGf0UFGyw/w246-h328/IMG_6361.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>And here is the master at work:<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pBx-tr1FDvY" width="320" youtube-src-id="pBx-tr1FDvY"></iframe></div><div><br /><div>I almost didn't find the statue. It was nestled in a very peaceful circle of trees. Meg was able to use Google Earth satellite images to guide me to his location.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our next stop was a fun and random statue of a man rowing a boat in the middle of the sidewalk. I don't know why the statue is there in front of a bank. I left my last rock with him though for safe keeping.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM82n9BdfFVNl3XIj4J8ft5yhB9HReBwTD_lUj-nyWImR_63eD_uCkAwPgFrt4PMb1Ch19KVLFticLqvWlPtgEgk6N-hgZEBKPKx777pRHI-8CvSul676oIeOwHtPNcu0_pB-FUNSXgM/s2048/IMG_6364.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM82n9BdfFVNl3XIj4J8ft5yhB9HReBwTD_lUj-nyWImR_63eD_uCkAwPgFrt4PMb1Ch19KVLFticLqvWlPtgEgk6N-hgZEBKPKx777pRHI-8CvSul676oIeOwHtPNcu0_pB-FUNSXgM/w246-h328/IMG_6364.jpg" width="246" /><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5lp-OdrTg_0uKZC3fOzAnuoyGDm81S9EpaQjarU6gA8rpBenmEVxOwiESMRaWl9Me09z25SbnooTq67UcGMmzkzTKQ2_q3sArGx8J2Ny3EMMUWWRbV7mRNQr1K476mzZmru7_wO3Ca8/w246-h328/IMG_6366.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>Our last stop was a nice stop and a bit of TN history. On August 18, 1920 Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the Constitutional Amendment that gave women the right to vote. The final vote according to legend was cast by 24 year old Harry T. Burn. It was a letter from his spirited mother Febb Burn where she wrote:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Hurrah, and vote for suffrage, and don't keep them in doubt... I hope you see enough of politicians to know it is not one of the greatest things to be one... Don't forget to be a good boy."</div><div><br /></div><div>Burn himself would eventually give his mother her due credit explaining:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"I knew that a mother's advice is always safest for a boy to follow and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dakLLKvin-TqfYvEqzclm8QB-MdV59cuZ5gFSIv6oaMnlfHjPvSmBfuFTP2yOTrRV9s3iRQHP2BA3UUjHdXPjKh7nR7MPSqzGB8ApHo6HCjIEmgszxhZHogYL_KmP9tIjrjRCOGU1tE/s2048/IMG_6367.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dakLLKvin-TqfYvEqzclm8QB-MdV59cuZ5gFSIv6oaMnlfHjPvSmBfuFTP2yOTrRV9s3iRQHP2BA3UUjHdXPjKh7nR7MPSqzGB8ApHo6HCjIEmgszxhZHogYL_KmP9tIjrjRCOGU1tE/s640/IMG_6367.jpg" /></a></div><div>Certainly a very fitting statue to visit as we approach the Centennial Anniversary of that historic vote.<br /><p>Now we had just one more stop to make at yet another brewery (our shortest trip has the most breweries). I'm pretty sure if I lived in Knoxville I would be there every weekend. It was the Schulz Brau Brewing Company. We entered a stone portico with benches and tables. To our left was a row of benches with coverings on them so we set ourselves up there since it gave the pups a booth and some privacy to rest. We went inside and built some flights and then came out to decide on our food. The food served is traditional German faire... and I had the Fleischkase Burger and potato salad- I was certain they would have delicious potato salad and I was not wrong. Fleischkase is a bologna sausage and the burger had a fried egg and sauerkraut, mustard, and green peppers on it. I'm going to be honest on this Meg picked the place because she read a ridiculous sounding review that gave the place a one star. Not believing the rating was warranted she wanted to see for herself. I haven't gone on yet to give it a review but I promise you it will be a lot higher than one star!</p><p>And then we finished the last two hours home and we were actually home on a Saturday! Which meant we had Sunday to rest and prepare for the next road trip. It's a big one. Here is an updated map on all the states we have visited using weekend trips from TN.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKmCA4WSA1Jitu0QDQWf1fvhhDegiAsdRxs5fHhu9EZA2goyCBzTbSDOZb4xO3ou_eVQVnzYfVfBlh1AJurPvB6oQj8MKivcvxVZ1ZS3dAkV7VlMxEKrMwXG1egqiEpkiU8jR-l7o4KQ/s1330/17+states.png" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKmCA4WSA1Jitu0QDQWf1fvhhDegiAsdRxs5fHhu9EZA2goyCBzTbSDOZb4xO3ou_eVQVnzYfVfBlh1AJurPvB6oQj8MKivcvxVZ1ZS3dAkV7VlMxEKrMwXG1egqiEpkiU8jR-l7o4KQ/s640/17+states.png" width="640" /></a></p><p>As you can see it's time to head west...</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Jo Keohanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05321516733424955655noreply@blogger.com0