Our
last weekend in July with Glen and Kim, we had dinner with Bill and Amy on
Friday, visited the Jackson County Fair on Saturday and Joe Huber’s Farm on
Sunday.
Friday
evening, we met Bill and Amy for dinner in Scottsburg and enjoyed the evening
together.
On
Saturday, we drove to Brownstown and the Jackson County Fair. The Jackson
County Fair truly has something for everyone! Located at the Fairgrounds in
scenic Brownstown, Indiana, the Jackson County fair is one of the best county
fairs we have ever experienced. It is an outstanding County Fair with
exceptional participation from the schools, churches, businesses, and communities.
My favorites were the “largest pig”, garden exhibition, old farm tractors, and
the IDNR exhibit.
On
Sunday, we had lunch at Joe Huber’s Farm, in Starlight, a homey, scrumptious,
comfort-food restaurant on a farmstead, with pick-your-own produce, farm market
& gift shop. We had fun exploring the farm and winery.
We
crossed the East Fork of the Muscatatuck River near its confluence with the
East fork of White River. The Muscatatuck is "bifurcate" (divided
into two main segments) with both forks flowing roughly parallel toward the
southwest. The Vernon Fork is the more westerly of the two while the other
branch is known as the East Fork of the Muscatatuck.
New
Pekin claims the distinction of the oldest consecutive Independence Day
celebration in the US. On the Blue River, it was an early stage stop between
New Albany and Salem. At New Pekin, the 73rd Indiana Volunteers captured some
of "Morgan's Raid" Confederate soldiers but did not inhibit the raid.
It also suffered an EF4 tornado in 2012, with the effects still clearly visible.
In
the Borden Valley, Borden was founded in 1816 by Rhode Islander John Borden,
who made his fortune in the Leadville, Colorado silver mines. His mansion
overlooks the valley, town and the Borden Institute, which he also founded. An
all-around distinguished citizen and philanthropist.
We
also enjoyed seeing Salem and Floyds Knobs, Indiana.
We
also visited the 1812 Pigeon Roost Massacre SHS, near Henryville. After having
read so much Indiana pioneer history, I was really glad we got to see it. Thanks
Glen and Kim!
Henryville
(1850) was named in honor of Colonel Henry Ferguson, who was once a colonel in
the Pennsylvania militia. He purchased the land on which Henryville was
established, and helped persuade Pennsylvania Railroad officials to run the
line through his land in Clark County, Indiana.
Henryville
is the birthplace of "Colonel" Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky
Fried Chicken, and home to Indiana's oldest state forest, Clark State Forest.
It's all finger-lickin’ good!
8-1-16
Returning
to Bloomington and Monroe Lake, we recommence work with the Indiana Department
of Natural Resources, for the month of August. The Bloomington population has
recently, noticeably increased, due to the return of Indiana University
students. Paynetown SRA is also experiencing more patronage from the returning
students, grabbing some concluding lake-time before the culmination of summer.
Recently
a camper asked, “at Paynetown SRA, where is Paynetown” ? Well, Paynetown was
covered by the waters of Monroe Lake, Indiana’s largest lake, in 1965,
following the completion of Paynetown State Recreation Area and Monroe Lake.
Located
on the south shore is the 13-thousand-acre Charles C. Deem Wilderness Area, an
outstanding hardwood forest of remoteness. My favorite hardwood is the Shagbark
Hickory, remaining an essential tree, owing to its versatility.
8-31
Today
ends our summer at Monroe Lake. The IDNR folks were terrific and we had a
blast. Now, we’re looking forward to a few days in Cincinnati with Glen and
Kim.
My list
of suggestions for visiting Cincinnati:
William
Howard Taft National Historic Dist.
2038
Auburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Roebling
Suspension Bridge Walk to KY
Ault
Park trails
3600
Observatory Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45208
Mount
Airy Forest
5083
Colerain Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45223
Spring
Grove Cemetery
4521
Spring Grove Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45232
Carew
Tower Observation Deck
441
Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Krohn
Conservatory
1501
Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Cincinnati
Zoo and Botanical Garden
3400
Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45220
Jack
Cincinnati Casino
1000
Broadway St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Age
of Steamboat River Trade
Library
800
Vine St.
Great Views of Cincinnati
Devou
Park
1344
Audubon Road
Covington,
KY 41011
Eden
Park
Eden
Park Dr.
Cincinnati,
OH
Free
Stuff in Cincinnati
Roebling
Floodwall Mural Panels on E. Riverside Drive Covington KY
Main
Strasse Village
George
Rogers Clark Park
Sept.
9
We
made a farewel visit to Bill and Amy in Madison and then drove up the Ohio
River to Vevay. Glen had recommended crossing to the Kentucky side to see the Ark
in Williamstown. It's the full-meal deal of a Noah’s Ark reproduction, but when
I found out that they don’t have two of everything but do have a Zipline, plus
a $40 ticket, we opted for exploring the old river towns. Sorry Noah!
At
Rising Sun, it was like going back in time but they do have a Casino to bring
you back into the present. In the 1830s, Rising Sun was a seasonal stop for
hundreds of flatboats daily heading down the Ohio River. A relay cool visit!
Friday
Sept 9
We
drove on over to Cincinnati and met Glen and Kim at the Hamilton County Park.
We
set us our campers and got ready to have some vacation fun!
Sat.
We
stopped by Skyline Chili for a picture.
When
I worked in Cincinnati, many years ago, I ate lots of 5-way chili. Today, I
just reminisced about the good old days and took a picture. I did Operating
System work for NCR computers and we ate many a late night meal at Skyline.
We
spent most of the day around the riverfront. At Cincinnati's Eden Park,
overlooking the Ohio River and Kentucky, we strolled the park and made some
pictures. The Cincinnati Belle came steaming by as we sat on the stone wall,
high above the river.
At
Covington, Kentucky, opposite Cincinnati. These beautiful murals on the
Covington river wall, depict the history of the area. Beautiful art work, each
mural created by a different artist.
Cincinnati
is loads of fun and we love sharing it with Glen and Kim. My favorites are:
Roebling Suspension Bridge, Great American Ball Park, Paul Brown Stadium,
terrific Cincinnati city and river views, Krohn Observatory, Covington
Floodwall murals and George Rogers Clark Park.
Sun.
We
enjoyed this visit today. We toured the Greek Revival home of former President
William Howard Taft, on Cincinnati's Mount Auburn and found it most
entertaining and educational. This Taft quote is so appropriate for today:
"Individual Liberty cannot exist unless modified by respect for the rights
of others and all obey the law."
What
do you think about this?
It
has been a terrific weekend in Cincy, enjoying the food, attractions,
architecture, history, and beautiful parks.
Monday
Heading
back to Seymour, we picnicked at the William Henry Harrison Tomb State
Memorial, the final resting place of William Henry Harrison, ninth President of
the United States; his wife Anna Harrison; and his son John Scott Harrison,
Congressman and father of the twenty-third President, Benjamin Harrison. It is
located on Brower Road approximately one-half mile west of U.S. Route 50 in
North Bend, Ohio.
Close
by is Shawnee Lookout, just west of the William Henry Harrison home and
Memorial. The archaeologists believe that this prehistoric aboriginal
settlement, along the Ohio River, dates back ten-thousand years. We could just
feel the history of the area! There is a Hamilton County park encompassing the
settlement where the archaeology work continues today. That's now on our
visit-list!
We’re
spending the remainder of our Indiana summer at Glen and Kim’s house, making
dinners, helping around the house, shopping, and visiting.
Thursday,
September 15, 2016
It
was both sad and exciting to leave Indiana and head to Colorado, after such a
fine summer in Indiana.
Traveling
from Seymour, Indiana to Colorado, our first day was moderate and brought us to
St. Louis. Along the way, we reencountered the historic Wabash River, Erie
Canal, and Lincoln’s old circuit riding haunts. We saw the old half-way tavern
between Vincennes on the Wabash and St. Louis on the Mississippi. The stories
those old places could tell!
We
took a site near Kaskaskia, in a campground that we have used several times
before. We experienced some heavy rain through the night and come morning we
decided to continue west on I-70.
Friday,
9-16
Today,
we encountered a rainstorm system that stretched from Kansas City back to St.
Louis. We decided to take an RV site at Boonville, Missouri. Small towns never
fail to surprise me; on the Missouri River, Boonville has a rich history. Its
namesake is the Boone family but somehow the "e" got dropped. The
community derives its name from Nathan and Daniel Morgan Boone, who were the
sons of Daniel Boone and established their salt business near the community in
the early 1800's by delivering the salt from salt licks to St. Louis.
It's
also situated on the scenic Katy Trail, the longest rail-to-trails (240 Miles)
in the country, following the Missouri River.
Saturday/Sunday
9-17/9-18
Continuing
west on I-70 we experienced a beautiful sunny day, resting with a picnic lunch
at Topeka, on the State Capital grounds. The Capital Building and grounds are
beautifully landscaped and decorated. The highlights were the Capital Dome and
a very large Burr Oak, covered with huge acorns.
At
Fort Riley, the site was the first Capital of the Kansas Territory. 1853, Fort
Riley was the home of the first US Army Calvary School and home of the “Buffalo
Soldiers.
The
afternoon was very warm, so we took a site at Milford Lake, USACE Curtis Park, just
west of Junction City, opting for a two-day rest and relaxation.
Monday,
September 19, 2016
Cruising
west on I-70, we stopped off at Abilene, Kansas, to visit the Eisenhower
Presidential Library, Home, and Mausoleum. We walked around the beautifully
landscaped and ornamented grounds and enjoyed the shady, quiet experience of
the place.
The
next point of interest was the “Cathedral of the Plains” a Romanesque-style
Roman Catholic parish church in Victoria, Kansas. It stands on high-ground,
visible from miles around.
The
afternoon drive became warm, se we took a campsite at the RV Park in Colby,
Kansas, a nice, quiet retreat just of I-70.
Tuesday
9-20
"Six
days on the road and we're making Golden home tonight"! We love it!
Jefferson County Fairground, in Golden has a splendid campground at just under
6,000 feet elevation. We arrived in the very busy traffic of Denver and headed
straight over to Jefferson County Fairground, on the west side. We're right on
the new Denver light-rail, therefore, we can go anywhere in the region
comfortably by rail, so we've decided to stay a week. NOW WE'RE READY TO PLAY
TOURIST in the Mile High City!
We
took a very nice camp site with a splendid view of the foothills, Front Range
mountains, and Denver. Jefferson County Fairgrounds is very well maintained and
managed, plus it’s situated very close to the RTD light rail station.
OK,
here's the skinny! That Colorado State gold-domed Capital is covered with gold
leaf, inside are Allen True's beautiful murals, and the 13th step is exactly
one-mile high.
Terry
and I enjoyed a morning latte at the Denver Union Station. The barista creates
artistic masterpieces with every cup. Union Station is still the transportation
hub of Denver but it’s history with an incredible makeover. Check out the Main
Hall. Very nice! All light rail lines go to Union Station, meaning quick connections
to anywhere in the Denver Metro area, including DIA.
Thur.
What
a terrific first-day of Fall! Had to wear a jacket this morning, had a very
enjoyable, reunion-lunch with Ted, and made some great plans for rambling the
Colorado Mountains!
Denver
has changed and grown so much since we lived here. We really like the
light-rail transportation system and it's really being used very effectively by
the people. Traffic and parking are so hectic, the rail is a terrific
alternative to driving. Seniors can ride any RTD, on an all-day pass for $2.60.
Forget driving and parking!
Fri.
Golden remains an old-west town
and we enjoyed a relaxing morning visit.
Golden
was the first Capital of the Colorado Territory and it still has that old-west
look and feel. The big "M" on the mountain denotes the Colorado
School of Mines. Just down the creek is Coors Brewing Company and the Jolly
Rancher Candy Company.
Sat.
With
a last minute check on my brakes, I noticed we needed pads, so I just replaced
the calipers, pads, and rotors. Notice the chunk of firewood that was required
to remove the left-rear rotor, the right-rear required a lawn timber that I
drug out of a scrap pile. All the work was done behind a shopping center,
adjacent to O'Riley's Auto Parts. Yep, I had to go over there twice for
additional parts/material stuff. This meant two work days in Golden but now we now
have brand new brakes. Now, we're ready for the high country and some early-season
snow ball fights. Due to an early snow, some of the high mountain passes were
under chain law, including Loveland Pass. It didn’t last long on the roadways.
Tuesday
27 September 2016
Today
we departed Golden and headed to South Park. We were both exhilarated and
disappointed along the route. Exhilarated by the breathtaking, golden Aspen
groves and disappointed at not being able to find a campsite where we could
hear the Elk bugle all night. From Conifer to Kenosha Pass we saw the most
beautiful fall displays of Aspen that we have ever seen. We had intended to
camp at 10,000-ft Kenosha Pass, but around noon, the place was literally jammed
with leaf-peepers and campers like us. I knew the Elk were there and had we
waited to 5/6pm, after the day-crowd departed, we would likely have found a
campsite. With promising prospects, we cruised on down into South Park and
enjoyed lunch at Fairplay City. Next we checked the Middle Fork of the South
Platte River, and Fourmile Creek on the Weston Pass Road, along the S. Fork of
the South Platte River. I talked to some people who had heard Elk early this
morning and they also saw a Moose. They also informed me that the Tarryall
Reservoir Road was very rough and Antero Reservoir was closed to camping. We
did see some Pronghorn, but found no public-land campsite to accommodate our
rig.
Continuing
our search, we headed on down the Middle Fork of the South Platte River to
Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir. Here, we took a very accommodating site at the
Eleven Mile State Park. Tonight, at 9,000-feet, we’re anxiously listening for
the Elk.
Some
FYI notes to friends:
Just
south of Bailey, we passed the east portal of Roberts Tunnel. The early Romans
built water transport tunnels but this one would have baffled Roman engineers.
It’s almost as long as England’s Chunnel, transporting water from Lake Dillon,
under the Continental Divide, into the North Fork of the South Platte River,
which flows by Denver’s water intake. The two-unit project started at the west
and east portal sites and met in the middle. Amazing stuff you see around our
awesome country!
Aspen
groves are clonal colonies of Aspen trees which begin from a single seedling
and spread by root suckers, so consequently, each grove is unique with
identical genetics. Wonder what would happen if a Kansas Aspen was integrated
into a Colorado Aspen grove. Jayhawker goes Centennial!
Early
hunters and trappers called Colorado’s high valleys or basins “parks”.
South
Park is a high, flat, grassland valley or basin (1,000 square miles) at about
10,000 feet elevation, nestled between the Mosquito and Park Mountain Ranges. It
is the largest and southernmost of three similarly named high altitude basins
in the Front Range of Colorado, the others being North Park and Middle Park.
The
Parks are unique, magical places with pure Colorado beauty. No wonder so many
people are moving to Colorado! Note: If you decide to move to Colorado, they
tax your retirement and the cost of living is high, so bring a bankroll!
