I decided to quit my job and embark on a cross-country journey. After I'm done with the US, I may even venture out internationally. Check here for signs that I'm still alive...
7/28/15
Took an underground ziplining tour at Louisville Mega Cavern. It's an old limestone mine that has been converted in to various uses including a zipline area and a bike park. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s, the government had plans to use it as a shelter in the event of a nuclear attack. After that, I drove to Clermont for a tour and tasting at the Jim Beam distillery. Due to the summer shutdown, I didn't get the full tour I was supposed to, but still toured the warehouse and saw some of the bottling process. From there it was on to some KY wineries - Forest Edge and Wight-Meyer. Before driving to Cincinnati for the night, I met up with an old friend for dinner that I hadn't seen in ~15 years!
During the underground zipline
Bourbon barrels stacked 3-high and 3-deep to a rack. This warehouse had ~20,000 barrels in it. Beam has 72 warehouses total and some of the larger warehouses have ~50,000+ barrels in them.
The difference in bottles per barrel during the aging process due to evaporation (the Angels' Cut)
They say there are more bourbon barrels currently aging in KY (over 5 million) than people in KY (4.3 million). 95% of the world's bourbon is crafted in KY.
Their 13 millionth barrel
Each barrel weighs ~500 lbs when full
Filling the bottles - this was Knob Creek Single Barrel
Full bottles that had been corked but not yet labeled or waxed shut
Old school distilling process
Some of the brands/selections made by the Jim Beam Company
American Stillhouse (their visitors center) and a statue of Col James Beam
The friend I met for dinner (John)
Starting Point: Louisville, KY --> Clermont, KY
Ending Point: Cincinnati, OH
Miles Traveled: 181.4
Total Miles Traveled Thus Far: 3092 via car, ~133 via boat, 0.62 via aerial tram
~Elizabeth/Lizzi/ET/Country
**I've been using Airbnb some during this trip to find places to stay along the way. If you haven't tried it, check it out for your next trip (even internationally). Usually cheaper than a hotel...(https://www.airbnb.com/)**
7/15/15
Traveled to Cape May. The weather was a kind of all over the place with some rain, some cloudy skies, and some sun. I didn't realize it was Family Day at the Lighthouse...Walked along the nature trails and beach before driving to Manassas for a trip hiatus (all this driving is wearing me out!). Decided I wanted to take the ferry (because who doesn't love a ferry), so that's the way I went.
Swamp Rose Mallow
Red-Winged Blackbird
Black Skimmer
Cape May Lighthouse across the marsh
Cape May Lighthouse
Piping Plovers
Beach was mostly empty except for the birds...there were some people, too
WWII Bunker
Starting Point: Wildwood, NJ
Ending Point: Manassas Park, VA
Miles Traveled: 179.5 via car, 17 via ferry
7/16-26/15
Took a little hiatus from traveling to take care of some things I was unable to due to some unexpected rushing to move out of my place and get my things in to storage. I also wanted to stay in one place for longer than a night...
Starting Point: Manassas Park, VA
Ending Point: Wirtz, VA
Miles Traveled: 202.6
7/27/15
Headed out on the road again to Louisville, KY to start the trek west. Planning to visit the northern states while going west, so it'll be some zig-zagging to hit each one.
Starting Point: Wirtz, VA
Ending Point: Louisville, KY
Miles Traveled: 454.8
Miles Traveled Thus Far: 2910.6 via car, 133 via boat, 0.62 via aerial tram
"On the road again, going places that I've never been, seeing things that I may never see again, and I can't wait to get on the road again."
Statue of Roger Conant - the first settler of Salem
Starting Point: Salem, MA
Ending Point: Hartford, CT
Miles Traveled: 125.2
7/14/15
Went to lunch at Tisane before heading to Mark Twain's house and Harriet Beecher Stowe's house. Turns out they were neighbors, but when Twain built his house near Stowe's, she was the celebrity at the time. Twain and his wife (Olivia) built the house and it was pretty big and extravagant. Both families had unfortunate tragedy with the authors outliving some of their children. We weren't really allowed to take photos, so not much to show for today. There was a chance for rain, so I stuck with inside activities today before heading to Wildwood, NJ.
Lego Mark Twain
Sketch Model for Mark Twain Memorial
Mark Twain's House
Mark Twain's House
Harriet Beecher Stowe's "down-sized" retirement house
Harriet Beecher Stowe's "down-sized" retirement house
Various versions of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" that HBS collected from around the world
Total Miles Traveled Thus Far: 2073.7 via car, ~116 via boat, 0.62 via aerial tram
~Elizabeth/Lizzi/ET/Country
**I've been using Airbnb some during this trip to find places to stay along the way. If you haven't tried it, check it out for your next trip (even internationally). Usually cheaper than a hotel...(https://www.airbnb.com/)**
Visited the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland. Got to hang out with Bigfoot, a jackalope, and the FeeJee Mermaid among other things. From there I went to Portland Head Lighthouse to check it out before heading to Salem, NH for the night.
Bigfoot
Jackalope
FeeJee Mermaid
Portland Head Lighthouse (front, left) & Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse (distance, center)
Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse
Portland Head Lighthouse
Starting Point: South Portland, ME
Ending Point: Salem, NH
Miles Traveled: 115.1
7/11/15
Visited Boston starting with a trip to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. Quirky/cheesy place that has actors playing roles of persons involved in the Boston Tea Party. They also give you a card with a new persona to play. You can throw tea in to the harbor. It's actually kinda' funny/cute. There was a replica of L'Hermione visiting Boston Harbor for 2 days. I went to check it out, but had just missed the last chance of the day to go aboard. It's the boat that brought Lafayette back to America from France during the Revolutionary War (among other things during the war). Headed to Boston Common for a walking tour along The Freedom Trail before heading to Providence for the night.
My alternate persona
Boxes o' tea to be thrown in the sea...Logo of the East India Comany
Founding Father Bobble Heads...yeah...
L'Hermione
Granary Burying Ground
John Hancock's gravesite & our tour guide - Mehitable Dawes (wife of William Dawes - also a Midnight Rider)
Paul Revere's gravesite - right one was the real headstone, left one was one put in many years later
Samuel Adams gravesite
Gravestone for victims of the Boston "Massacre"
King's Chapel
Old South Meeting House
Old State House
Faneuil Hall
Starting Point: Salem, NH --> Boston, MA
Ending Point: Providence, RI
Miles Traveled: 89.6
7/12/15
Took it a little easy around Providence today. Had brunch with my cousin, Catherine. We then headed off to play some old school bowling (duck pin) at Breaktime Bowl & Bar; she won both games. After that, we took a walk by the canal before I headed off to drive to Salem, MA. Had a great dinner at Bella Verona before taking it easy for the night to bring you this lovely updated blog...
Breaktime Bowl & Bar
Starting Point: Providence, RI
Ending Point: Salem, MA
Miles Traveled: 71.1
Total Miles Traveled Thus Far: 1672.4 via car, ~116 via boat, 0.62 via aerial tram
~Elizabeth/Lizzi/ET/Country
**I've been using Airbnb some during this trip to find places to stay along the way. If you haven't tried it, check it out for your next trip (even internationally). Usually cheaper than a hotel...(https://www.airbnb.com/)**
