Louisville Mega Cavern

roadsideamerica.com (one of my favorite web sites) recently linked to an article about the Louisville Mega Cavern.

Wow! I had the opportunity to check this place out this weekend. I am a little speechless.

Frankly, while on my tour, I did try to listen to the stats, numbers, and figures, but I was so amazed looking around that I missed out on a lot. I am going to have to take this tour again VERY soon.

In a nut shell, the Louisville Mega Cavern is a bit of a work in progress. It has been around for about 50 years if I remember correctly. It is 17 miles long. It is very secure, and the temperature, like in a cave, stays a constant 58 degrees. It is now being used as a very secure place for companies to store candy, wine, vehicles, etc. According to our guide, MGM stores some of their original films there, including the Wizard of Oz. Tell me that isn't cool!

Also, there is a large scale life size diorama showing what life might be like if the Cavern took on residents during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The diorama is very big, and very strange. On the tour, they note that 50,000 people had been invited to come in and live there, if needed. It was a very secret situation. They actually show a short film, in the Cavern during the tour on this.

The tour seemed to last nearly an hour and a half, and it was all on a train car. There is no walking involved at all, which is good and bad. I do like walking on a tour, but the riding has a lot of benefits too. I know of some relatives that have trouble walking even short distances. I think this would be a great adventure for them. It was actually relaxing and fascinating.

There are signs as you ride around noting that you are exactly under K-Mart, Wendy's and the Zoo. We had lunch at the Wendy's after our tour, thinking about the tours going on underneath us.

Maybe I should warn you, the end of the tour is a bit creepy. Our tour guide, Woody, ate a worm from the worm farm in the Cavern. Seriously. I am not kidding. Let me say it again. He ate a worm. I asked him if it is OK to assure others who come to the Mega Cavern that they will also get to see this. He told me that it is part of EVERY tour. That alone is worth the price of admission.

So, the Louisville Mega Cavern is just cool. I could see taking any school group there. Also, it has the very creepy life size diorama displays (the way they are posed, and the way the light moves around them as you ride around them, they reminded me of slow moving zombies from old 70's horror films). I could also see taking any fan of caves or of history there.

The only disappointment about Mega Cavern is the gift shop. They have lots of rocks, and pretty generic "cavern" stuff. They need to get to work on their exclusive items. I always pick up patches and postcards when we travel somewhere unique. The gift shop had neither. Also, after the tour, I was craving MORE info on this place. The generic "factoids" posted on the walls, and the bits of information in the pamphlets weren't enough for me. This place is begging for a 300 page book to be written about it. The gift shop is in need of such a book too.

Also, as far as a tourist stop goes, Louisville Mega Cavern is VERY young. They do have some things to iron out. The tour is still a bit raw. Get down to Mega Cavern and enjoy that rawness while you can. Over the next few years they will without a doubt shape the tour up, and give it a glossy coat. There has to be a legal issue with making your tour guides eat worms. I can see myself bragging to my friends in 20 years, "I took the Mega Cavern tour back when they made the tour guides eat worms!" Surely that can't continue!

I hope they exploit the Caverns to their fullest potential. It would be a great place to have a Halloween party or haunted house. Camp outs would be cool. 17 mile multi day hikes would be something to brag about too. Check out their web site.

http://www.louisvillemegacavern.com/

Hocking Hills in Ohio

I have been out and about lately. I have had a bit more time at home though, and I have stayed local, which has been nice, but I don't want to write about something I have written about before.

I did spend some time at Hocking Hills in Ohio. We met some friends from up north and got together at a cabin in this area. Frankly, we mostly just hung out at our cabin and enjoyed being way out in the middle of the woods.

I guess I don't have a ton to say about this place, but it is a very relaxing area with the remoteness that is hard to find these days. This is the perfect area for getting away from everything.

Check out their web site
http://www.hockinghills.com/

Rain

I have had most of my recent travel and game plans cancelled because of the weather. I just haven't done a lot lately. I am making plans though! I did hit a rain delayed Lexington Legends game Friday, and the next night I went to a Florence Freedom game, also rain delayed.

Florence is such an underrated area. There is a lot going on right there that I have talked about before. Their walking tacos and sliders for $1 are about the best ballpark deal around.I've noticed at the last few Freedom games they ask all former and active military guys to stand for a moment of recognition. Pure class. Every team around should be doing that.

The Horsemen did well too. I love this Arena football team. It does seem like they are getting more support. Their on field host Steve is funny as heck.

Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville, WV.

I recently had the chance to go somewhere I have wanted to go for several months now... That's right, Barboursville, WV. My main goal was to catch a performance by the once common, now very rare Rock afire Explosion.

When I was a very young kid, we would go to Evansville, and they had a Showbiz Pizza Place. The place was amazing! It was so unreal and so modern. Now it seems so 80 and early 90s.

Owensboro got one too, and we loved it. My family went there all the time. I have a ton of good memories of that place.

Showbiz had all of the old arcade games, air hockey, ski ball, and the Rock afire Explosion band.

I am not totally sure I have this straight but, if I recall, Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese were very similar and competed. They both had the arcade games, the animatronic band, and pizza. Both were fun.

Eventually they merged, one took over the other and then Chuck E. Cheese was everywhere. All of the Showbiz restaurants were converted. The Rock afire Explosion band faded away.

I had heard rumors and read on the internet that a few were still around. The most mentioned one at Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville.

I was there recently. The rumors are true.

I read several reviews on the internet about this place. Many people felt disappointed by the band and the facility. Frankly, I went there expecting to be a little let down. Well, that was not the case.

Billy Bob's was very similar to the way I remember Showbiz, but the lay out was different from the one's in my memory. A lot of the old arcade games, and some of the other more interactive games were there. They had ski ball, tokens, and a ticket redemption area.

The dining area was very similar. Several long rows of tables near the stage. We had a great pizza. Frankly, I can't really remember Showbiz pizza, so this was actually probably better than I remember.

I had heard some pretty critical reviews of the Rock afire Explosion here. They looked and sounded great to me. ANY functioning Rock afire band is a total treat to see, in any condition. It must take a ton of work to maintain one. Sure, there was some lag. Some of the movements, if you look close, are off. These guys are nearing antique status.

I guess, if someone bragged about having an old Model T, I would not expect it to go as fast or smoothly as a modern sports car. I would not look for a CD player or Ipod jack on the inside. If it had been lovingly restored and functioning in a similar way to the way it would have functioned in 1910s and 1920s, I would be very impressed. That's how I feel about this Rock afire Explosion.

Billy Bob's is the kind of place that is just so retro. I LOVE any restaurant where, if you leave your cell phone in the car and if no one is carrying a lop top, you can trick yourself in to thinking you are in a different time. With all of the great arcade sounds and lights, and with the Rock afire band, you could get that late 80s feeling going with no problem! I hope Billy Bob's sticks around for many decades to come.

Ipods

I love record shops, and looking for obscure tunes. I remember back in college, it was a real treat scavenging the Recordsmith in Richmond, the places on Limestone in Lexington, or the Money Tree in Owensboro. There is something about hearing a song, and hunting the album/CD down.

Every time I pass an Apple store in a mall, I think, "that's the last nail in the coffin for the record shop." Actually, the last nail may have been hammered in long before.

I love CDs. I love holding a CD, I love owning the relic. I like vinyl too, but it is bulky, and it can distort. Setting and listening to an old album is a treat, but my favorite way to listen to music is loudly, in a car, as I drive down the road.

I have a ton of mix CDs. Seriously, I probably have a hundred. Before I take a trip, I like to put a CD together of songs about a place. Or, maybe not even songs specifically about the place, but songs that make me think of the location.

No doubt, John Prine was thinking about Kentucky when he wrote one of the greatest songs ever. There are a lot of other songs that were not written about Kentucky that I personally associate with the state though, mostly for personal reasons.

I will always associate Bob Seger's song, "Night Moves" with Berea, because I woke up there one night during a thunderstorm, with my radio on, almost during the "sound of thunder" part of the song.

Texas songwriter Darden Smith makes me think of Owensboro. My buddy Brent introduced me to Darden's music, and we would drive around listening to him.

Jackson Browne's, "That Girl Could Sing" seemed to always come on late at night on the classic rock station when I was working in fast food in Owensboro. That association will always be there in my mind too.

Most students that went to Berea in the 90s remember Curnutte and Maher playing there a few times. We loved them. The first time I ever went out with my future wife we saw that great duo.

I have a lot of CDs I have bought from indy folk performers at coffee shops. When I listen to those CDs I think about the song, the artist, and the venue.

I could go on and on.

This Christmas, I started getting interested in the whole Ipod thing. Reluctantly, I bought one. I must say now that I am converted.

A recent road trip around the state proved a great time to give mine a good "on the road" work out.

There were some songs I had been hunting down for years. Sometimes I find myself driving through a small town, listening to the local college station. I catch a catchy unfamiliar song on one of these stations. I quickly try to jot down a few lyrics, so I can google them later.

Before, I may have gone to the record store to find the CD containing that song, plus others. I might have to pay $5 or more for a used CD, or $15 plus for a new one.

Now, I can download a song, pretty much any song, for a dollar and some change. A buck.

I spent about $30 downloading songs the other night. I had a list of about 35 songs I had jotted down here or there. About 3 of them just didn't sound as good when I went back to listen to them again. Only a very obscure 2 were unavailable.

I will have to research some of the artists more thoroughly later, since I am judging them on 1 song so far, but I am judging them favorably.

I think about how exciting it was finding the Sundays CD in the CD shop. I bought it for their hit, "Here's Where the Story Ends". By golly, every song on that CD is a winner! I experienced similar excitement with the Innocence Mission, John Hiatt, and others.

Recently, I have experienced that same excitement with Amy Macdonald. I bought her CD while driving through Jackson TN. I listened to the album as I drove around the second greatest state, and now I will associate them together.

It would have been wrong if I had just downloaded the hit songs from the artists I just mentioned.

I think about the more common flip side of this too though. I have bought many more coasters with barely 1 good song on them.

Natural Bridge

When I was going to school at Berea, several of us would drive up to Natural Bridge. I love the park, the area, and the gift shops. It has actually been some time since I was there last. We have tried to get up there and finally made the trip recently.

The drive from Lexington is less than an hour, and as with most of Kentucky, its an enjoyable drive.

We parked at Hemlock Lodge early in the morning, and made our way up. I think the signs said that the actual Natural Bridge was a half mile hike. The hike is almost straight up. It is exhausting! There are several benches on the way up so you can rest.

I had some friends go up recently who did not take my warning. You almost get fooled in to think its not that far, so its no big deal.

The walk is very tiring, especially if you haven't done a lot of walking lately. We easily took out the 2 bottled waters we took up with us too.

The actual "Bridge" is a real treat. I remember the 1st time I ever went, making the hike, and then suddenly realizing that I was next to it! There are so many trees and just so much park area. The bridge is huge, but you don't see it until you get to it.

You do have to go up some steps to get on top of the bridge, and you have to squeeze through a section that makes you think of "Fat Man's Misery" at Mammoth cave. I had to walk sideways to get through.

Once on top, you do get a view that is remarkable. No tall buildings. No hotels. Its just sky blue and green forest. That is all you can see. It is great that this sort of situation has been preserved so perfectly.

Hiking back away from the Bridge to your car is no problem. Its all down hill. Your legs might be a bit shaky from the trip up though.

There is a skylift that takes you up to the bridge too. I have only taken the lift a couple of times. The skylift is a great alternative for someone not used to hiking. It also offers a great view on the way up and down. Its $9 per adult round trip.

The gift shop at the bottom of the lift is small, but it has all of the great touristy items. Cool mugs, t-shirts, etc. My co-worker insisted that I get some fudge there this time. It was incredible. Buy some fudge and undo all of the calorie burning you did on the hike up to the bridge! Seriously, the skylift gift shop may have found a way to make the perfect fudge.

A stop at Rosie's restaurant for burgers is a must in my opinion too. In fact, I don't think I have ever been to Natural Bridge without stopping there. The cool decorations alone are worth checking out. This is a not so typical burger and ice cream place that is ran in typical Kentucky fashion. The people running the place have authentic Kentucky charm. This is one of those great stops for perfect burgers that you can't find in a bigger city.

There is another shop to the right of Rosie's that sells Christmas and holiday stuff that we like a lot too. Check it out. They also have fudge, but I was fudged out after my visit to the skylift gift shop.

I did learn a few things during this visit to the area:

There are falls and other accidents at the Bridge. One local said he thought there was an accident about weekly.

The Hemlock Lodge seems secluded and dated, but in a good way. If you keep all cell phones and lap tops hidden, you might almost feel like you were back in the 70s! Think about that for a little bit. I love going places that make me truly feel I have gone back in time. They have a cool gift shop there, and their restaurant looked very nice. All reports are this is a great place to eat. We would have given it a try if we didn't have our hearts set on Rosie's.

I heard SEVERAL different languages spoken on this trip. The area gets visitors from different parts. Still, I think it could get more attention. It always seemed more like a word of mouth kind of place than a place you heard about through advertising. I don't know if I would rather tell the rest of the world about it, or keep it a great Kentucky secret!

Steve & Barry's and old stores

3-4 years ago, Jenn and I were at a mall near Detroit. I really love going to malls and just seeing what is there. Anyway, we stumbled on to a cool store called Steve & Barry's.

We could not believe how great this store was. They had a fun selection of cool novelty shirts, college team shirts and jackets, and other great clothes items. Everything was about $7! The jackets may have been $13 or so, but everything was very affordable. Christmas was months away, but we did all of our Christmas shopping right there on the spot. We carried out huge bags of future Christmas presents and spent well under $100.

Holy Carp! Was this Detroit's well kept secret? A lot of regional areas have great shops. Maybe it had been around Detroit for a long time, but we just found out about it.

We both agreed that a trip to Steve and Barry's would be justification for future road trips to the Motor City.

We realized that would not be necessary. Steve and Barry's seemed to pop up on all of our road trips. We shopped at Steve and Barry's in Buffalo, Erie, Florence, and many other familiar towns. A mall a few miles from our home in Cleveland at the time got one. Steve and Barry's was becoming an exciting chain of stores-thank goodness!

I love novelty t-shirts, and I found a bunch of great ones at Steve and Barry's. My favorites include the orange prison number shirt. "Rehab is for quitters" is a classic too. Fictitious sports team shirts are always good. I will not discuss the rude innuendo type stuff, but my dad and cousin always got one on the holidays.

Maybe 6 months to a year ago I realized a couple of Steve and Barry's shops were folding. I didn't think much about it at first. No big deal. That happens.

Then I slowly realized, they were all closing. Who could supply me with my novelty t-shirts now?

I guess I just now noticed that they are all gone. All of them.

This is, in a very urban way of thinking, sad. I know in Florence, there is the vacant Steve and Barry's. The sign is still up. It might be for some time.

I know in Owensboro, at least last time I was there, the old Keuster's store still had their signs up, though it has been closed for several years.

There are a lot of traces of former chains and old stores from the past. Every city I have been to recently has an abandoned, almost spooky looking former Circuit City. There are 2 within a few miles from my home.

I walked past one in Memphis recently, it was at night. Peeking in to their big windows and seeing nothing was sad. People were once employed there. Just a few years ago, in some cases, just a few months, these were lively, busy businesses in the community.

"This American Life" recently did a great show about Circuit City closing, and they played short interviews with people after losing their jobs at Circuit City stores. Former employees talked about jacking prices back up before they started their "going out of business" sales. They talked about the last item sold in a store, and even how everything was for sale, including bathroom items. It was a great show, I am sure you can download it somewhere on the internet.

A web site I like to check ever so often is deadmalls.com. It talks about, well, dead malls. If you travel, or if you move around a lot, malls often become very familiar. For professional reasons I spent a lot of time in malls around Cleveland. I noticed that some of those malls have, after struggling, closed for good. Turfland Mall in Lexington JUST closed up for good. I spent a lot of time there in college.

Don't get me wrong, I will take a nice wooded park any day of the week over a mall. But, as many others in my generation, I have grown up in malls. I have spent a lot of time in big box stores. I feel some nostalgia connected to malls and stores.

I know Steve & Barry's is gone now. A lot of malls and other places are no more. Even though I was probably in a Steve and Barry's in the last year, walking in to one again now would be pleasant. It just seems like the chain hit the scene a few years ago, and already it is no more.

Miamitown Ghost Tours

I really enjoy each season. I love the anticipation each of the four. I love drinking hot chocolate in winter, road trips with the windows down in summer.

In my own mind, I like to break the year down to two simpler seasons too. Around January I start to look forward to baseball season. In August I look forward to Halloween.

Autumn and Halloween are the best. Flannel shirts are appropriate. I don't want to sound like a cliche, but I could look at colorful leaves on trees all day long. I love scary movies, and I love a little bit of a chill in the air.

I love spookiness. I enjoy hearing scary stories, and feeling a connection to things that are a little scary.

Jenn and I like to travel a lot, obviously. We enjoy making "haunted" stops on our trips.

I will probably write about some of our previous trips later, probably closer to Halloween, but we have visited Salem Massachusetts several times. We've been to the Lizzie Borden House. We have spent time in several supposedly haunted B&Bs. I have lost count of how many "ghost walks" we have taken. Alcatraz, Seattle Underground, The Winchester Mystery Mansion... we've been there. I could go on and on.

I thought now would be a great time to mention our favorite ghost walk again, Miamitown Ghost Tours, since their new book (their SECOND book) is coming out in early June.

The Morris brothers have been doing their ghost walk in Miamitown since 2006. Jeff and Michael are friendly, and excited about their tour. They also seem a little odd themselves. They are eerily casual and calm. Think Lurch from the Adams Family, or the Tall Man from Phantasm. It truly adds to the experience. These guys are all ghost hunting.

They charge $10 a person, BUT there is a $2 off coupon on their website! A group of 4 of us took their tour before Halloween last year, and used the coupon. The Morris brothers spent a solid 2 hours with us on a full and fascinating tour. Not only that, but we asked if they could change the start time a bit because of travel issues, and they were accommodating. It was an off night too, so no one else joined our tour. Our tour was very personal.

I'm not going to do the math here (you can do it in your head if you want) but Jeff and Michael obviously didn't make a ton of money off of my group that night. They stuck around to answer our questions too, and to discuss ghost hunting. This was a very affordable adventure for us (we each used a coupon!) but I am certain Jeff and Michael did not compromise on the quality of our tour.

I am sure that the town where the brothers do their tour is charming during the day, but at night it is a little creepy. I say that in a nice way, it is a cool little town but it just feels strange anyway. I think, even without a ghost tour, this town would feel a bit odd.

I would not want to give anything away about the tour, but there is a bridge and a school (among other stops). The stories told about each were strange, spooky, and dark. Many of their tales involved sad and creepy true crime events.

Of all the tours I have been on, this was the one that felt the most real. As our guide told us about the school (his back was to the school) I was certain I saw something go past a window inside of the building. Our group started to walk to the next stop on the tour. I was about to say something when my friend Fako said that she had seen something go by the same window! Our stories matched.

And the bridge is not your usual "crybaby bridge." There story was researched and frightening. You have to hear them tell about the red truck.

I enjoy every "haunted" tour I take. I can honestly say that I have never been on a bad one. I really enjoy the more bizarre stories that you will not get on the regular bus tour of an area.

Theirs has a very authentically dark feel. 2 guys talking about the town they have researched. No hocus-pocus strings attached gimmicks here. They don't get too excited about specks of dust caught on film.

The thing I appreciate most about Miamitown Ghost Tours, and what separates them from other tours, is that it is a couple of guys running the show. It is not a franchised tour. They are keeping it going year round, not just in September and October. These guys enjoy doing this. Sure, you can take a ghost tour any night of the week in Gatlinburg, New York, or San Francisco. Many towns have one ran around Halloween. This one is ran in a small town all year long!

Check out their website. They have a lot going on right now, with Halloween still many months away. I can't wait to see what they have planned in October!

http://miamitownghosttours.com/

Hell Michigan

It just hit me that I still have a few things to write about concerning my last trip to Michigan!

After many suggestions to do so, we did make it to Hell. Its a bit of a novelty, and there isn't much going on in Hell, but they sure know how to have a fun time with a cool name.

There are 3 business buildings in Hell, all right next to each other. They are small. One is a post office/grocery store/lunch place. It is a very understocked grocery store. They do have Hell postmarks though. Also, I was told that it is the only post office in the US that can actually print "Hell" on their postmark! Another thing, they can singe your mail!

Next to the post office is the novelty shop/ice cream place. Most novelties that you might want from Hell (t-shirts, post cards, patches, etc.) are here. They have one of my favorites, a smashed penny machine. They have ice cream, and you can actually use their topping bar which is inside of a real (and USED) coffin. The lady running the shop had a great time using the name of the town every chance she could. Each use was witty.

Next door is a bar. We didn't make it there though.

Hell is out of the way. We had to drive about 10 miles there and back off of the main road. It's worth it though for the novelties, the one of a kind postmark, or just to say you've been to Hell.

Dinosaurs Alive at Union Terminal Museum Center Cincinnati, OH

I was talking to some friends in the Akron area recently. We were talking about how, as we have gotten older, we have developed a love of traveling, and taking road trips. We love doing this sort of thing. We love finding a fun place to go and explore, researching it, mostly on the internet, and then getting in our cars to go!

My friend Tim and I talked about how often, you hear about a place. It sounds great. You do some research. You find the web site for the place, and it just doesn't do the actual place justice. One of my favorite places not linked to Kentucky at all is Sedona Arizona. I have yet to see a web site that translates how fantastic that place is.

Tim brought up the Museum Center at Union Terminal in Cincinnati. I had checked on the place before. I had always heard good stuff about it in the past. I thought that I had googled it before, but I didn't really find anything out about it that made me want to go there immediately.

Tim said he recently went down there and the place was amazing.

Actually, places like Union Terminal are exactly why I wanted to start blogging. Over the last several years I seem to keep discovering places that are great, but there is just not enough information about them out there. Great places should have at least a colorful official web site!

I am surely not going to knock the museum web sites associated with Cincinnati. They are fine, slick, and professional. Most people will get all of the information they need from the sites. You can find hours, gift shop and exhibit info, etc.

The actual physical locations are so spectacular though. Their official web representations don't do them justice!

We recently travelled to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal to check out their "Dinosaurs Alive" exhibit. After 2 recent trips I have already mentioned (involving museums in Indianapolis and Ann Arbor) I am on a dinosaur kick!

Cincinnati is such an interesting city. It has endless history. My buddy Nate who lives there is always bringing up something cool and historical that I didn't know. Its like the area guards its history. I almost feel like the area doesn't want the rest of the world to share in its fascinating past.

I have passed by the Terminal building many times. It almost seems strange now that I've never stopped there. The building reminds me of the Hall of Justice form the old Super Friends cartoon- actually, I just looked up the Hall of Justice on Wikipedia and it says that the Hall WAS based on the Terminal! If I would have known that I would have stopped by long ago.

So, we get to Union Terminal and buy a pass for the "Dinosaurs Alive!" movie and "Dinosaurs Unearthed" exhibit.

The Terminal is huge and spectacular. There are several other museums here, including a history museum, a children's museum, and a museum of natural history and science. I think that, at the moment, you can buy a day pass for those museums.

The movie was good. The theater has a planetarium feel to it. It is projected on the 5 story screen, and takes up your entire field of vision.

The movie and exhibit both talk a lot about new discoveries concerning dinosaurs. Feathers are the big thing at the moment. Also, most in science now feel that dinosaurs are technically not extinct, classifying birds as dinosaurs.

The movie talked a lot about dig sites, research, etc. I must admit, I was hoping the 5 story screen would be utilized to showcase some 5 story CGI dinos. There was some of that, but not as much as I had hoped for. The movie was fun and informative, but it would have been just as enjoyable on a smaller screen, or even on a TV screen.

The animatronic dinosaurs in the exhibit were like life sized toys. In fact, most had control pads where you could push a button to hear and see them roar. They looked scary, and surely will give many children nightmares.

There were many skulls, skeletons and other fossils on display. There were some very cool fossils showing feathers.

Henry Ford Museum, Detroit MI.

We recently drove through the Detroit area as we travelled through the mitten shaped state. We have been through Detroit several times over the last decade or so. I have to admit, it is generally not my 1st choice when it comes to vacations. I have had a lot of fun in the city, but it is rough too, and I make that statement not just from what I have heard, but also from first hand experience. With that being said, it is still a lively town oozing with history and character.

A good friend who lives in the area offered to show us around recently. We drove around down town, walked around near the GM building, hit some malls and restaurants, and had a very nice time.

One thing I wanted to do on this trip that I meant to do on previous trips but never got around to was go to the Henry Ford Museum. I had heard the legends, but just never made it there. The Henry Ford Museum was a priority on this trip.

There are all sorts of ticket packages for the museum. I should say upfront that was decided to skip the whole Greenfield Village thing. I wanted to see it too, but time restrictions on this trip prevented it. A factory tour was also offered, but it sounded like a lot of video was used, plus the factory stuff was shut down while we visited. No real production type stuff was going on.

We spent the entire day here. The museum seems endless. I hate to talk about the stuff you always hear about, but I must. It is one thing to hear about certain exhibits at the Henry Ford, but it is something else to actually stand next to them.

When we first walked in we noticed the Presidential Limousines. Yes, there were more than the Kennedy and Reagan limos, but these are the two that stand out.

I remember being in elementary school and hearing that Reagan had been shot. It didn't really click with me what was going on, but I remember. We have all seen the video too.

JFK was before my time. Like Reagan we have all seen the video, we have heard what happened.

Anyway, both limos associated with the failed attempt to end Reagan's life and the Kennedy assassination are there. We were able to stand next to each one without a crowd around. It is really moving standing next to these cars.

The chair Lincoln was setting in at Ford's Theater when Booth shot him is on display too. It is in a glass case, but it is right there! You can feel the hair on your neck stand up as you look at it!

The bus Rosa Parks was on when she refused to give up her seat is on display. You can go in and sit in it! There is a cool book available in the gift shop about how that specific bus was found after decades of being forgotten. A guy was using it to store lumber on his property. The museum bought and restored it after tracking it down.

As a fan of road trips, I especially liked how the museum had some recreations of older hotel chain rooms. I love getting in the car and going. I love day trips, weekend trips, etc. I love hearing about (and seeing) relics related to road trip travelers when road tripping really took off.

There is an actual (non-functioning) diner too. Lamy's Diner, which was functioning at one time, is on display. You can walk through it.

The round, UFO looking Dymaxion House is here. It was a proposed mass produced type house at one time that never took off. It reminded me of a round trailer. Like many pieces on display at this museum, you can talk a walk through the house and check it out. The kind of "hands on" access here is unusual and appreciated!

I believe the oldest existing Wienermobile is also at the museum.

The Henry Ford has something I haven't seen anywhere else, but I would love to see this catch on - Mold-A-Rama. Throughout the museum, there are vending machines that make toys while you wait. Each plastic toy is associated with a display in the area. The toys are simple, one piece plastic injection molded. For $2 you can actually watch your Wienermobile, Abe Lincoln Bust, or another souvenir being made!!! I loved this, and brought back several cool plastic toys. They kind of remind me of the old Marx toys. I love elongated penny machines, and I am glad many places I visit have them. I would love to see "Mold-A-Rama" next to penny machines at every tourist stop!

Rosie's Diner, Rockford Michigan

I know, Michigan does not even touch Kentucky. We visited Jenn's family in the Grand Rapids area recently, and they told us about this. I am talking about THE Rosie's Diner.

When Jenn's uncle mentioned going to Rosie's Diner, a little memory from my past triggered something. At first, I thought the Bounty/Rosie's Diner commercials were made in the 70's. I just checked Wikipedia though and it looks like they ran from 1976-1990. Anyway, this is the same diner where those commercials were filmed. It was moved from New Jersey after those commercials to this location.

That's reason enough to make sure you hit this location on a trip through Michigan. That has to be one of the most well known commercials ever. When I heard that the actual diner where those commercials were filmed was near by, I had to see it.

Not only can you go and look at the diner, you can stop by for a meal! I had a turkey Reuben and Jenn and I shared a mild shake. Portions were generous and delicious. I swear, this may have been one of my best meals ever. I have had some good Reubens. In fact, I can't think of a time I have had a bad one. This was one of the best ever. The milk shake was the best ever. I'm not kidding. I challenge you to go to Rosie's Diner, get a milk shake, and tell me its not the best. Do it! NOW! You can't get something like this at a fast food place.

Rosie's is, like any diner, boxy. It is tight, and I did feel like I was going to slide off of my bench. That's my only criticism of the place. I would hate for them to fix that problem though, because then it would be a modern restaurant, and not a diner.

I didn't see anyone talking on a cell phone. Yep, if you tried to forget about modern conveniences you could fool yourself in to believing you were at Rosie's Diner 20 or 30 years ago. I love places like this. I tip my ball cap to the owners and management of Rosie's Diner for their sense of preservation... and good food.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

It has been a little while since posting, but I was away for a little over a week! We recently went on a road trip circling through Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.

Our first stop was in a city that is probably my new #1 favorite stop outside of Kentucky- Indianapolis! I love this town. It has always had a nice, cozy feel to it.

On our recent trip, we stayed downtown. I love the fact that you can walk from your hotel room to the central mall area without going outside. I love being outside, but the whole being inside thing is really nice if there is bad weather or if it is cold. I would compare downtown Indy to Lexington in the way that many hotels, malls and shops are connected. Indianapolis has a better system though. The walkways are clean, have good lighting, and they are easy to navigate.

We did have to drive out of the downtown to get to the Children's Museum. It was easy to find using basic directions given by hotel staff. There are signs too.

They are doing some construction at the museum, and this does interfere with parking, and going from the parking lot to the museum. Parking is free and easy in the next door garage, and staff were there directing traffic and pedestrians. Even with the construction parking and walking across the street to the actual museum are effortless tasks.

The museum was crowded and a ticket line was forming but several ticket windows were open and moving. Even with a crowd, it only took a couple of minutes to get tickets. The museum does have a planetarium show and a theater. Showings are free, but you do have to get the free tickets at another counter in the level under the main entrance area.

Counting the lower level, there are 5 stories here. You can take the elevator, or use the squared spiraling stairs. The stairs have a glass sculpture going from the main floor to the top level. On the lower level, there is a glass exhibit and you can look up at the bottom of the giant art piece. A round, rotating reclining bench allows you to look up at the bottom of the sculpture and take it all in. It is truly amazing, and writing about it cannot do justice to it.

The outside of the museum has a very nice, detailed set of dinosaur statues that appear to be busting out of the museum. The statues look very lively and realistic.

The museum's main floor has the ticket area, a huge gift shop and a cafeteria. The gift shop is huge and well stocked with items relating to the museum, and general museum gifts. As they currently have a Star Wars and a Lego exhibit, they had plenty of related toys and gifts. I bought my usual postcards and a patch.

We did have lunch in their cafeteria. We opted for the quick, easy and tasty burger baskets. For a museum lunch site, it was very affordable and the food was good. I would not go out of my way to eat here, but I would look forward to a lunch here on another visit for sure!

There is a really cool water clock designed by Bernard Gitton. You have to look at it for some time to figure it out. Like the glass sculpture, pictures don't show you how amazing it is. I am glad I picked up a postcard showing it, but standing next to it and looking up at it really gives you an appreciation for merging science and art.

The lower level (actually, any level here) would top many museums I have seen on its own. Their Dinosaur display area was worth the price of admission alone. At the main entrance to their "Dinosphere" is a reproduction of "Super Croc." There are several other cool dino skeletons and displays. There is a great balcony window a couple of floors up for photo opportunities of the area too. There is a mastodon skeleton, originally found in Indiana, there too.

Continuing on the lower level floor, there is a train that you can walk through, and some fun train lay outs.

At the moment, there is a cool Star Wars exhibit there. Loads of concept art, some costumes, and Jango Fett's helmet! Predictably (and unfortunately) an actual NASA space suit worn by Indianapolis' own David Wolf was mostly ignored by visitors.

We did attend a planetarium show about planets from the Star Wars films, and how similar planets may actually exist somewhere. This was fun, but I will probably try to catch a more traditional show next time.

I won't go floor by floor on the upper 3 levels, but an entire book could be written about this museum. Current temporary exhibits including a comic book/super hero display, with every super hero toy that I can remember on display. There was a nice lay out here too. Like everything in this museum, the flow of this display was very well done. One of the Bat-Man movie used cars was on display here too.

They had a great Lego Castle room. Legos are pure joy. Small Lego castles and a life size dragon and suit of armor were here, among many other Lego creations.

Other cool areas included a doll house display, a carousel, and a fun house area. There is a dinosaur art area.

The Power of Children area was well done too. There is an entire section about Anne Frank which is always touching. There was a section on Ryan White too, along with Rudy Bridges. This was the only area of the museum that did not go along with the generally fun theme. Using this area for such a display is bold, and the Children's Museum deserves a lot of credit for including these displays.

We spent several hours at the museum, and we were exhausted! I am really looking forward to getting back there soon.

Memphis, TN

We recently drove down to Memphis for the weekend. This was our second trip to the are in the last year.

Memphis is a very active town. It has a lot of attitude too. There is a ton of history in the area.

We went down mostly to see the Memphis Redbirds AAA baseball team (I wrote about that on my baseball blog). We ended up doing a lot more.

After work on Thursday, we made the drive down towards Nashville. Bad weather reports should have discouraged our making this trip, but we really wanted to get going. The weather reports were accurate though, and we had rain and rough winds to deal with the entire trip down.

We did make a stop at Loretta Lynn's Kitchen and gift shop. That was cool, they had your usual postcard and t-shirt type things. The place reminded me of a truck stop/gift shop. It was novel.

Downtown Memphis is a fun area. We have enjoyed walking around the ball park and the Peabody Hotel over our last 2 visits. We went there again this time.

A lot was going on in the area on this date. Pro baseball and basketball players were both at the hotel. Several St. Louis Cardinals players were there for the game, and so were the NBA Mavericks. The hotel was hoppin'. It was very busy and active.

I can't say enough about the Peabody Ducks. Kids and adults both will appreciate them. Every morning at 9am, they ride the elevator down from their rooftop house, then they walk a red carpet to the fountain. At 5, the process goes in reverse. It is something to see, and the ducks are very sweet. The roof to the Peabody is opened up and it is a great place for skyline photo ops.

Peabody Place is a great place to set and relax in downtown Memphis. The place is a "Dead Mall" though. I love places like this, but I feel sad that they are not more active. Peabody Place is a very nice layered mall. There is a ton of opportunity here for a business. It seems that most major businesses have moved out, and now there are just a few kiosks. This is a beautiful mall with rocking chairs around a fountain. We enjoyed a cup of Starbucks while sitting in rocking chairs listening to the fountain. If this mall was in my hometown, I would be there every day!

The Memphis Redbirds play at one of the most aesthetically perfect parks around. The giant baseball slugger over their front entrance is one of the coolest monuments in all of baseball. The park is simply perfect. It isn't that old, but it does have an old, traditional feel to it.

I was very sad to learn that Friday Night Fights was going on at the same time our ball game was happening right down the street! The good city of Memphis had it in an open out door venue. No ticket needed! Luckily, I always DVR this show.

Our next day in Memphis was spent mostly at the Memphis Zoo. Like most big zoos, this one was exhausting. You name it, they had it. Panda's seemed to be the big attraction.

In our recent travels, especially in the state right under Kentucky, I have developed a real appreciation for the Hyatt Place chain. These guys have perfected the hotel. They are always clean, nice and cozy. I love the big screen TVs that can tilt and be seen just about anywhere in your room. I just realized they have an IPod docking station too! We love the one in Memphis, which feels really homey to us. They have a very comfortable eating/front desk area. Leslie at the front desk remembered us from our last visit and added to the familiar feel here.






On the way back north, we stopped in Nashville. Everyone from Nashville likes to make a point in telling me that there is more to the town than Opry Mills mall. I know, but man is this a cool mall! Its just fun making a lap around it though. The kiosks are getting a bit out of control, but otherwise this place is perfect. I do need to get to Nashville to do some more local stuff.

Henry Clay Philatelic Society Stamp Show Lexington

This past weekend, the Henry Clay Philatelic Society hosted a stamp show at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington.

I had a great time at this event. I was on a bit of a time limit, and only had a couple of hours, but it was time well spent.

Stamp collecting is a very welcoming hobby, and it is one that can be done very economically. The Henry Clay group had an info/welcome table set up at the front. Their were many brochures on the hobby, club business cards etc available. Several club members took time to ask if I was having a good time, and they asked my opinion about the show on my way out. There was no admission fee.

Cachet maker/show cancel designer John Cropper was busy at the desk preparing the shows exclusive cancel and covers. John designed this years special show cancel, featuring a picture of Abe Lincoln. A specially decorated envelope was also available. They were selling the stamped, cancelled envelopes for $3 a pop, or a complete set (4, each with one of the different Lincoln Stamps recently issued) for $10.
I personally love this sort of thing. I think a lot of people think of stamp collecting as a dull hobby. You just go out and find old stamps. The hobby gets more complicated (and interesting!) when you get in to collecting special cancels.

Many areas have special pictorial cancels (cancels with the general info, place and date, along with a related design) for certain events. Some of these cancels coincide with recently released stamps. Many areas had special cancels when the new Lincoln stamps came out. The Henry Clay Philatelic Society chose a great subject for their show this year with their cancel, cover, location, and the popular new stamp set all relating.

Many dealers at this show were selling nicely designed cancelled covers. Very interesting ones for the general collector (me!) could be found for 50 cents to a dollar. Pricier ones were available, but for someone dabbling in the hobby, and more concerned with finding an attractive item than a pricey rarity (me again!) this event was perfect. I could have spent many more hours looking through boxes of covers at this event. I plan on doing just that at their next show!

Obviously a lot more went on at this show than I have mentioned. There was an area where framed displays were being shown. Oh, and there were lots of stamps being sold. The US Postal Service had a table set up too, which was pretty cool.

There was a good crowd at the show. The vibe was very casual and relaxed. No squabbling collectors fighting over rare items here. Friendly conversations with with other collectors seemed common. Several dealers and show staff were chatty about their hobby, and some gave me some great advise and suggestions relating to my collecting niche.

Lexington Stamp Show

Just thought I would throw up a note that this weekend (March 28th & 29th) there is a stamp show in Lexington. I have started to collect First Day Covers myself, and I will probably try to attend this one Saturday or Sunday.
http://www.henryclayphilatelic.org/
Check it out!

Montgomery Inn, OH

I am pretty much on the edge of my seat waiting for baseball season to start up. I am getting out, but not as much as I would like. I have been trying to get out towards Western Kentucky for several weekends now, but things keep coming up.
I did make another trip to Cincinnati, a pretty regular trip for me these days.
My friends Nate and Holly took us to the original Montgomery Inn.
I am sure anyone from the area knows all about their ribs. It was a bit funny though. I didn't know what to expect. Our friends thought we really needed to go here. I walked in, and just figured it was a nice, classy restaurant. OK, a classy restaurant that serves ribs. Our very professional waiter asked if we would need bibs. I thought this was a bit strange.
Anyway, everything was good. People in southern Ohio know their ribs and everything else is good. I was a bit hypnotised with all of the sports stuff. I love looking at signed jerseys, baseballs, and bronze statues. There was just no way to take it all in. The Montgomery Inn made me think of a less chaotic version of a Hard Rock Cafe, but for the sports lover instead of rock lover.
It also looks like everyone has been here. Presidents, ball players, rock stars, etc.
After our wives dragged Nate and I out with our heads still twisting around for one last peak, we walked around this neighborhood. Nate and Holly are very familiar with the area.
There is an exclusive baseball museum/social club next door. the place looks great, but it is very private.
This is a cool little area though. I am excited about getting back here for more Ribs and baseball relic looking.

Baseball

Not a lot going on at the moment. I am edgy at the moment waiting for baseball season to start. I have my other blog about baseball in and around Kentucky, but I am so anxious! In fact, I am planning some small road trips through Kentucky and THREE neighboring states (possibly 4) within the next couple of months.
I think it is so exciting that so many smaller cities have brought independent pro teams in. Kentucky has 2 pro basketball teams at the moment and 4 pro baseball teams. When I was a kid in Owensboro, I was pretty excited about getting to see pro-wrestling at the Sports Center! I am a bit embarrassed about that now.
3 of the 4 pro baseball teams are within about a 1 hour drive of my area. The Legends are very close.
Going to a Legends game has almost a party atmosphere at times. You can get a lawn ticket for $4! Thats pretty much free. They do charge for parking, but there is usually street parking available close enough.
A Louisville Bats game is similar to seeing a game in the majors. At the AAA level many of the guys you see playing have some Major League experience anyway.
The Florence Freedom, near Cincinnati, are a great, economical alternative to seeing the pricier Reds up the road. I love the Reds, but the Freedom is my team. Tickets are $6-$10, and there is not a bad seat around. Florence is a fun area to hang out in too. I love this area, and I love this non-affiliated team. Their web site is super cool too.
The Bowling Green Hot Rods start play this season. I really wish this team went with the Cave Shrimp theme (they are an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays- Cave Shrimp would have been appropriate for the franchise, and for the area). I am excited about this team too.

Creepy Ohio Books

I often like to visit places that have a history, or that may be a little Creepy. There are a lot of good general books on strangeness in Ohio.
Chris Woodyard's extensive Haunted Ohio series covers the better known locations, and the other ones too. I think it is up to 6 volumes. It is ALL here. If you plan on spending a lot of time in the state, and you like ghosts, go ahead and pop for all of them.
John Kachuba has a really interesting book out called Ghosthunting Ohio. This is a great book too. John seems to be around the Cincinnati area a lot so its not hard to track him down to discuss his book or things ghostly. I read this book not long ago, and I might try to put a review up.
I have bumped in to 2 of the authors of the cool "Weird Ohio" book. This book has lots of info, and lots of pictures. I like this series. I met one author James Willis at an under promoted book signing in Indianapolis. He is another fun guy that knows his stuff. He could talk weirdness all day long. Willis is always out ghost hunting, or looking for the unusual. I met his co-author, the legendary Loren Coleman (cryptomundo.com) here in Kentucky last year. he might be about the last serious person still looking for Bigfoot. He is keeping it scientific though, and in many cases he is very sceptical. If either of these guys contributes to a book, its worth a look through. Weird Ohio comes score points for having both of them credited.
Craig Cartography's Hidden Ohio map is painfully informative! As far as volume goes, the map might be as informative as Woodyard's series. I hope this MAP gets re released in some type of book form. Because it is a HUGE map, it is difficult to use. It's worth its price though because of the volume and accuracy of the information. Most Half Price Book Stores in Ohio seem to be well stocked with this map. Pick one up before other people start to realize how great this resource is for the traveler who appreciates hidden attractions.
Southwest Ohio is Haunted is another fun read written by the guys who do the Miamitown ghost walk. Sadly, on their web site, it says that this book is no longer available. Fortunately, the last time I talked to them they talked about a new version coming out. Miamitown Ghosttours do their research. The book talks about local legends, and they research the legends. The book was put out independently, and it does have some editing flaws, but their writing style alone is worth the price. The stories are more specific than most. They give locations, details about the legends in the area, and when possible, they try to figure out from where the legends originated.

Ohio: The Whole State

I have spent a lot of time in Ohio. Its the only other state I have actually lived in. I am, in general, pretty fond of the state, especially to the south. It is without a doubt worth a visit. Since I haven't put anything up in the last few days, I thought I would take a moment to mention some of my favorite things in the state, by location. I've talked about much of it before, but there is still a lot more to cover.

Cincinnati
I have really become a fan of the city. LaRosa's Pizza alone is worth the drive north. There are plenty of malls and shopping areas, and I have already covered Jungle Jim's and the Golden Lamb.

This is the starting point of Ohio and you know it as soon as you go over the bridge. Several Kentucky towns benefit from their nearness. I love Florence. I go up for ballgames all the time, and the mall there is a great place to kill some time. There is a Starbucks there that feels more like a small local place than a chain store. Yes, we've all seen the "Florence Ya'll" water tower a thousand times, but I still get a kick out of it.

How about Newport? The place is very happening. It always seems like a party atmosphere when I walk around down there. The aquarium can compete with any other around. Going to Newport would be a nice day trip for most in central or northern Kentucky.

For those into the weird, Bobby Mackey's is in Wilder Kentucky, it's still pretty much Cincinnati. I did drive by it once, when it was closed, and I got the creeps from the outside! Believe the hype on this one. The guys who run the Miamitown ghost tour have really established something too. I took their tour last Halloween and had trouble sleeping that night. It is the only ghost tour I have been on where I think I saw something. I turned to tell my friend Fako about what I thought I had witnessed, and she had seen the same shadow pass the same window! The guys that run this tour are a bit Lurch-like too. They have done their homework! I hope they continue doing their ghost walk.

Cincy would be a GREAT economical get-away for the family over a 3 or 4 day weekend. You can kill several hours in Jungle Jim's easily, be entertained, and not spend a dime. You could buy all sorts of unusual ethnic foods to try for $20 or so and make an affordable and unique light lunch out of it for the family.

Seeing the Reds or Bangles may be a little out of the budget for some large family's but seeing the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum next door could be just as satisfying. Adult tickets are around $10, and they have had free admission and specials at times in the past. For the sports fan on a tight budget, go see the Florence Freedom. You can get a good ticket for 5-10 bucks a person, you are MUCH closer to the action, and you will have a great time.

Last Halloween, we did a "spooky weekend" trip to the area. We stayed at the Golden Lamb, did the Miamitown Ghost Tour, and visited several locations in the spooky Ohio books. Cincinnati is a great place for those that enjoy getting spooked.

Akron
I worked in Akron for a little over a year. Go see an Aeros game. If you are there for awhile, drive over to Kent and check out the cool college vibe going on, or walk their downtown area. If you are in Akron longer than a few days leave.

Columbus
Columbus is a cool town, and I think, in some ways, many people outside of the area are not aware of how cool it is. There are really energetic music venues all around town. I saw my favorite band Equation more than once at the classy Thirsty Ear Tavern. This is a great venue that has pulled in some great acts (it was also the site of a brief onstage break up of Fairport Convention). I saw one of the best shows ever at Ludlow's: 10,000 Maniacs with Todd Snider opening.

Something really cool in Columbus is Easton. Easton is a massive in-door out-door type mall. I have seen other centers similar to it, but not nearly as nice. It is surrounded by other shopping areas and hotels. We have gotten a room at a near by hotel and hung out at Easton all weekend. Most hotels are about a 1-2 minute walk from the mall. It is big and well maintained. There is something for absolutely everyone here.

Oh, and Columbus has that fun German area! They have one super cool book store that seems to go on and on down there!

Cleveland
I must admit I have a love hate relationship with Cleveland. Check out the NASA visitor Center. It is small though. You have to be a science/space fan to really appreciate it.

Tower City Downtown is amazing. It is 3 stories of mall, under a couple buildings. Some of this area was used in the movie "Christmas Story" too. The house from the movie is near by too, for fans of the flick. Some of downtown Cleveland substituted for downtown New York in the 3rd Spider-Man movie. Fat Fish Blue is a fun Cajun lunch place/evening concert venue that I love right next to Tower City.

The Rock Hall is overrated.

Get away from downtown though, there are some cool areas on the east and west sides of Cleveland.

On the west side is probably the coolest coffee shop ever. Seriously. One thing I can say about Cleveland is there are MANY nice indy coffee shops. I can think of 3 or 4 that I really miss. The coolest one ever is Savor the Moment. It is cozy and family run. They have very nice lunches too. This is the kind of coffee shop you wish someone would open in your area. The people living near Rocky River drive are lucky, because someone did open it. The family that runs it is just a nice, sweet bunch. I'm not kidding, if you find yourself in Cleveland, go here. It is worth a little drive out of your way. Friendly places like this used to exist in the 50s, but even then they weren't this nice. Mostly only locals know about this place, which is sad. I wish it were franchised, but you can't franchise what they have going on here. Even if you order a large, caffeinated beverage here, and add a lot of sugar, you blood pressure will still go down it is so relaxing!
http://www.savor-the-moment.com/

On the corner of Lee and Van Aken is Kokopelli coffee. It's kind of between Shaker Heights and Beachwood (I think it's technically in Shaker Heights). Great coffee, GREAT veggie chili. Easily the best coffee place on the east side. This is another friendly indy place. There is a lot of foot traffic, and it might get crowded here, which is good, they deserve the business.

Visit Amish country. About half an our east of Cleveland (you can take Mayfield Rd all the way there) is Mesopotamia. The End of the Commons general store and other attractions are worth it. http://www.endofthecommons.com/

Squires Castle in the Mayfield Heights Metroparks area is a cool place. It's an abandoned stone building that was going to be the ground's keepers house to a castle that was never built. It is cool, and it is near a cool hiking area.

Visit the Coventry area if you find yourself in Cleveland. There are some cook book shops, restaurants, and one of the coolest novelty shops ever, Big Fun.

Mentor, outside of Cleveland has a fun mall, and the Lake County Captains baseball team is close (I have been to MANY Captains games, I love this team). For those who are interested in the creepy, this area is a goldmine. Go hunting for the Melon Heads. Read up on some of the religious history of the area. Visit Rider's Inn (It's a B & B) in this area too. It is spooky. Have a nice dinner or stay for the night. There is often live music and the owner is a bit of a local legend. She is always happy to set at your table and tell you some ghost stories about the place.

The rest of the state
There is still a lot more. Toledo has the Mud Hens, some other indy pro sports teams on the way, and a great art museum. They have a nice downtown area that can get hoppin'.
Dayton has the Dragons and the Air Force Museum. I will have to talk about the Air Force Museum more later, because I love it. Between Cincy and Dayton is the Touchdown Jesus statue. You will know it when you see it. If you have driven between those 2 cities you then have seen it.

Bardstown Rd. Louisville

My friend Heather showed me around Bardstown Rd. this weekend. I have been in the area a few times since coming back to Kentucky, but I haven't had the time to really explore it.

I spent a little bit of time there with my cousin a long time ago. In fact, it was the last time the Grateful Dead were in town. I know we had a lot of fun driving up and down the road then. It seemed just as exciting this weekend as it did back in 92 or 93, or whenever that was.

Our 1st stop was Heine Bros Coffee, which is quickly becoming a place in Louisville that I must hit when I am in town. We stopped at the Heine Bros. connected to Carmichael's book store. What a cool location, and for such a small 2 business set up, this place really packs a punch. For such a small book store, they get a lot in. They had a great magazine section, an above average local interest section, and a bunch of postcards I haven't seen anywhere before. What a cool place to spend a morning!

We stopped by Ear X-Tacy which was a lot of fun. This is the record store that most other record stores wish they could be. Lots of records, books, novelties, etc. They have bands playing there all the time too. This has to be a great hang out for locals. It looks like they are pulling in very interesting national and local acts pretty weekly. I hope the music lovers in the area realize how great a resource this place is for Louisville.
We had lunch at Ramsi's Cafe on the World. A buddy in the building where I work suggested this place. When I mentioned it to Heather, she said that was a favorite of hers. We had their Chipotle Con Queso for an appetizer. This was a melted cheese dip with spinach and peppers, with tortilla chips. I love this sort of thing. Ramsi's may have perfected it.
I had their Cubean Burrito. This burrito was good, and big. It was good for lunch. It was also good when I warmed up the half I didn't eat at Ramsi's later that night, and finished it at home. I can't wait to get to Ramsi's again. They had all sorts of other ethnic type entrees. I think just about anyone would love this place.
There's a lot going on on Bardstown Road. There are several Heine Bros coffees. There is still a lot more going on that I need to check out. With the few hours I was able to spend there the other day, I know that its a great area for live music, finding obscure CDs and novelties, book, and for eating some great unique food.