Tyranasaurus Rex

Cave City, KY (May 27, 2009) ..

We found this fellow lurking in the trees high above exit 53 of I-65 in Kentucky. This version of T-Rex was't there to terrorize but to entertain and serve as a guide to the Dinosuar World exhibit just off the highway. The picture was snapped on our journey to Dale Hollow Lake to see our friends Greg and Janice. We passed on the chance to go back to the prehistoric times and continued on to the lake. For more information see ... http://www.dinoworld.net/dino-start003text.php?page=2

Mammouth Cave, KY (May 26, 2009) ..

Today we visited Mammouth Cave which is part of the National Park Service in Kentucky. We spent 3 hours underground hiking the caves via a lantern tour. At one point the lanterns were removed and we got the chance to experience total darkness. You couldn't even see your hands or feet !!! Ellen and Ed were joined by Art and Bay, Laurie and Brice, Jackson, Hillary, Athena and Nick all family members from Louisville. It was a great tour. There is even an old TB hospital down there in one of the caverns. Nick was one of the lantern bearers .. his lantern and feet are in the above photo. For more info about the cave go to ... http://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Memorial Day Weekend

Clarksville, IN (May 23, 2009) ..

This Saturday the home on wheels had several guests. Jeff and Katie brought their two daughters, Megan and Tyler. Tom and Noel brought their daughters Brook and Sophie and they in turn brought their grandma Kate. A good time was had by all and we had an opportunity to spend time with Ellen's family before the big adventure out west. Brook is eating a cookie in the picture.

The Bats

Louisville, KY (May 22, 2009) ..

Today Ellen, Ed and Kate (Ellen's sister) spent the evening at Louisville Slugger Field watching the Louisville Bats defeat the Syracuse Chiefs 2 - 1. Louisville slugger bats are manufactured right here in town and are used everywhere in the major leagues. The team is a AAA minor league club affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. For more info about the Bats go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville_Bats

For more information about the Louisville Slugger bat go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillerich_%26_Bradsby

Dirty Side Up

Hamburg, IN (May 22, 2009) ..

Dirty side up = Bad news. Click on the photo to see the original size version. On the left you can see a truck flipped over on its' side. Ed snapped this photo from the driver's seat of the house on wheels as he drove through Hamburg on the way to the next campsite in Clarksville, IN. The main rule of the road when driving such a big vehicle is keep the dirty side down. Unfortunately this guy lost control and flipped the vehicle. Yes, I'll be more careful driving the big diesel down the road.

Graduation

Bedford, IN (May 22, 2009) ..

Congratulations !!! Olivia graduated from the kindergarden class of 2009 at St. Vincent's School in Bedford. In the picture above she is receiving her certificate from Father Rick. She was one of 22 students honored that day. Click on the picture to enlarge it ... one of the students is wearing a tuxedo !!!! We both hope to see her graduate from Indiana University 16 years from now maybe with a degree is astro-physics.

Pictured below are the proud parents, Kathleen and Kevin with Olivia and her sister, Sarah on graduation day.

Olivia's Fish

Lake Monroe, IN (May 20, 2009) ..

Today we rented a pontoon boat and spent a few hours on Lake Monroe just outside Bloomington, IN. Pictured above is Olivia, Ellen and Ed's granddaughter with her catch of the day. She threw the fish back so someday someone will catch a larger version for their frypan. Ellen, Ed, Kevin, Kathleen, Olivia and Sarah had fun on the lake. Both girls took turns steering the boat and did an outstanding job !!!

Twins

Dayton, OH (May 17, 2009) ..

On Sunday before we left Dayton, Ellen had the good fortune of meeting up with her old pal from Huron Gastro. It was great to see Kelli Hartman and husband, Jason and twin girls. Of course Ed (a twin himself) loved to see the twins and they loved hearing "Donald Duck". Thanks Kelli and Jason for stopping by. The camara had a little malfunction with Ellen's glasses.

Elizabeth Riber's Wedding

Dayton, OH (May 16, 2009) ..

On Saturday 5-16-09, we had the honor of attending Elizabeth Riber's wedding; she is the daughter of our longtime friends Janice and Greg Riber. Above is a wedding picture of the bride and groom and their extended family. We also got to visit with our good friends Herb and Pat from Michigan and Ed's cousin Linda and husband Renny. A great time was had by all.

Bedford, Indiana

Bloomington, IN (May 18, 2009) ..

Pictured above is our campsite located near Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana. We arrived on the 12th and will leave on the 22nd. The primary purpose of this leg of the journey is to visit friends and family. We were able to link up with Andrew Lally before he headed home for Arizona. We've visited with Erin several times and have spent a lot of time with Ed's mother in Bedford. Kathleen and Kevin and the children (Olivia and Sarah) have been having fun with Grandpa Eddie and Grandma Ellie. They seem to be fascinated by the motorhome and the playground a few hundred feet away. We attended Elizabeth Riber's wedding on the 16th and plan on navigating the waters of Lake Monroe on the 20th.

A Few Notes

Some answers to questions from various readers over the past few months:

* All photos are made by either Ellen or Ed mostly with their Canon Powershot S3. Sometimes we use our HD camcorder for stills. On occasion photos have been copied from the web; credit is always given to the source.
* Each photo represents a place that we have visited.
* Weblinks are added to allow the reader to learn more about the place we visited.
* All photos can be seen in their original size and form by clicking on the picture. Generally it will open up in another instance of your web browser.
* We have not published photos or blog entries of all places visited.

Hope you enjoy the blog !!!

All the Best,

Ed and Ellen

Diesel

Indianapolis, Indiana (May 12, 2009) ..

Hard to believe but here's the proof. Diesel fuel is now cheaper than low octane unleaded gasoline for the first time in years. Diesel has been about one dollar more in cost than it's gasoline competitor for the past 12 years. A sharp eyed observer will notice that 2.09 is the cash price; credit card price is 2.17 still a bit lower than regular. Our home on wheels burns diesel at a rate of one gallon per 8.3 miles; not bad considering the vehicle weighs 14.5 tons. The Cummins engine on board weighs 2,000 pounds more than our Chevy Impala and is capable of developing 370 horsepower and 1200 foot pounds of torque. Yes, the motorhome will accelerate even on a 7% grade !! A real dish rattler.

So far our journey through the southeast has traversed 4,500 miles. We plan on starting the western portion of the adventure in early June by travelling to South Dakota, then Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon and California.

Infinity

Washington, DC (May 7, 2009) ..

Pictured outside the National Museum of American History is a fine example of modern sculpture by Jose De Rivera juxtaposed by the Washington Monument. The work of art is "Infinity" and it was introduced to the museum, the public and the national mall in 1967. It was the first of many works of modern art added to the mall to give a new look to an environment dominated by the architecture and symbology of ancient Rome. The work itself suggests an interpretation of space and time based on 20th century physics. Instead of rotating planets we have an endless loop of stainless steel rotating about a granite base.

Abe Lincoln

Washington, DC (May 5, 2009)..

While attending a play at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth moved in behind Abraham Lincoln and shot him in the head at point blank range. The Civil War had ended just days before and the president early in his second term was looking forward to the reconstruction of the United States. Pictured above is the presidential box where Lincoln met his end. Currently the theatre is a designated landmark and is operated by the National Park Service. Lincoln was carried across the street to a private residence where he died the next day. That house is also preserved by the NPS; tourists can walk through the house and see the room where Abe breathed his last. 2009 is the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. For more information go to ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln

Lincoln had an eerie preminition of his demise in a dream about two weeks before his death. For the details go to ... http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln46.html

Washington Monument

Washington, DC (May 5, 2009) ..

Refurbished in 1999 and visited by over 800,000 people per year and rising 555' this obelisk is the highest free standing stone structure in the world. When first built it was the tallest man-made object but a few years later was eclipsed by the Eiffel Tower. The very tip is made of cast porosity free aluminum about 9 inches high and the east face is inscribed with the Latin phrase "Laus Deo" which means "praise be to God". This monument to Washington took 36 years to build and was completed in 1884.

For more info go to ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Monument
http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/9511/Binczewski-9511.html

Ellen and I plan to revisit the monument during a night tour of Washington. They say it is spectacular when illuminated after sunset.

Photo was taken at f/4 1/1000 second.

Click to enlarge image ...

White House Ninja

Washington, DC (May 5, 2009) ..

We visited the White House and were surprised to see a Ninja on the roof at mid afternoon. We have no idea what he was doing there. The President was at the Willard meeting with a delegation from AIPAC discussing the Israeli - Palestinian peace process. I guess the Ninja got tired of waiting because a few minutes later he was gone.

For more information about the White House visit ... www.whitehouse.gov

Whalehead Club

Corolla, NC (May 1, 2009) ..

This 21,000 square foot "cottage" facing Currituck Sound was the winter home of Edward Knight and his wife, Mary. Built in 1922 this house served as a refuge from cold northern weather and as a hunting lodge for many friends and relatives who visited thoughout their 16 winters of residency. Waterfowl hunting was Edward's passion; the house is located on the Atlantic Flyway and therefore perfectly positioned for the pursuit of these feathered creatures. Several of his shotguns are on display inside. The Currituck Lighthouse can be seen in the background.

Garden of Eden

Manteo, NC (April 30, 2009) ..

Ellen and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Elizabethan Gardens. This verdant venue consists of acre upon acre of lush greenery which could easily rival the biblical Garden of Eden. Although there were no snakes offering apples from the tree of knowledge it did make us think that maybe we'd run into visitors removing their loincloths to cavort around the garden like Adam and Eve. Do you see anyone hiding behind those azaleas ??