Hodgenville KY- Lincoln Memorial

I absolutely love this black and white photo of a couple at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Park.  I found it with other photos dated in the early 1970s.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Park Hodgenville Kentucky

I am still on an Abraham Lincoln kick, and I enjoyed another recent visit to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Park in Hodgenville Kentucky....  In this video, there is some discussion about Jefferson Davis' connection to this tribute to Lincoln.

Alaska Public Lands Information Center Anchorage 09 2022

While in Anchorage Alaska, we saw that there was an Alaska Public Lands Information Center!  This is a National Park Unit, so we knew it would be worth a stop!  

Sea Otter in Seward Alaska

 

I got a nice video of this SEA OTTER from the balcony of our hotel (Harbor 360) in Seward Alaska!

Cocaine Bear at the Kentucky Fun Mall Lexington KY

I know the Cocaine Bear movie is coming out.....  so I stopped by Kentucky for Kentucky in Lexington to see the inspiration for the new film!

Seward's Alaska SeaLife Center

 Check out my video on the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward!

Resurrect Art and Coffee House, Seward Alaska

A very short walk from the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward Alaska was the perfect coffee place, Resurrect Art and Coffee.

It is in an old historic church (see historic marker photo). 

We stopped by both days we were in town and there was a good crowd each day.  Still, it had a very cozy vibe.  As we looked around for seating one day, a nice lady invited us to share a table with her.

The whole shop had a feel like that.  Friendly and welcoming.

You know I love a perfect, unique, independent coffee shop and Resurrect was all that.

We REALLY liked the town of Seward too.  If you live in Seward, I am straight up jealous.  Your town is beautiful AND you have this great coffee spot.

 

Seward Alaska September 2022

We had such a great time in Alaska.....  We ended up flying to Anchorage, and then taking the train to Seward (see previous videos) and then getting on our cruise ship in Seward.  Seward is a great town, and he wad a great time!

Ghostlight Coffee Midtown Dayton Ohio

 We stopped by the great little Dayton Ohio coffee shop, Ghostlight recently!

Lebanon Ohio January 2023

 While staying at the Golden Lamb, we took some time to walk around the great town of Lebanon Ohio!

Golden Lamb Inn Lebanon Ohio

I have brought up the great little town of Lebanon Ohio several times on this blog.  I have also praised the historic inn in town, the Golden Lamb, many times.

We really enjoy the place, and its a treat every time that we get to visit!

We recently stayed in the George W. Bush room while there.

Sitka Alaska Post Office

On our trip to Alaska, we DID NOT get to visit Sitka....  I do collect postmarks though, and I corresponded with the post office in this great town, and they provided me with some great info and items for my collection!

 

Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Seward September 2022

Being able to spend several hours on the Alaska Railroad going from Anchorage to Seward was a huge treat.  We were in one of the glass domed cars, and we were able to enjoy a great breakfast!

This was a great experience and possibly the highlight of our trip to Alaska.

"Ride Guide to the Historic Alaska Railroad" by Anita Williams and Linda Ewers

I wanted to mention the fun souvenir book, "Ride Guide to the Historic Alaska Railroad" by Anita Williams and Linda Ewers that I bought at the gift shop before taking my ride on the Alaska Railroad.

This is a short book that gives a rider kind of a play by play about what they will be seeing on their journey.  Of course most people, myself included, don't take the full ride, so it is fun reading about what else can be seen on the Alaska Railroad.

This is a fun read on its own, or to follow along with while on the train!

 

Late 1960s Mt McKinley National Park brochure

 

As I am sure you know, Denali was once called Mt. McKinley.  I was thrilled to find this old brochure, with the former name, at a small shop while in Alaska.  I picked it up for a few bucks.

 

Harbor 360 Hotel - Seward Alaska September 2022

Seward is one of my favorite towns visited on our Alaska trip.  It was great.  We were able to spend a night here, at the Harbor 360 Hotel, before getting on our cruise ship.  

My wife got us a great room looking out at all of the boats and we were even able to watch as our cruise ship, the Norwegian Jewel, pulled in that night.  It was a great experience.

AND, the Harbor 360 just ended up being a great hotel- clean, classy, nice staff, etc.  Staff would wait for guests to get on the elevator.  People at the front desk  would say hello when you came in.

Concert Memories: Warren Zevon- his last two shows in Cleveland, Ohio 2000

I am THRILLED to hear that Warren Zevon is on the ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Actually I thought that pretty much all of the nominees this year are good.

I started thinking about the times I was fortunate enough to catch the late Zevon....  at his last 2 shows he performed in the Rock Hall City- Cleveland.

My buddy Dan REALLY loves Zevon, and he invited me to the first show.  It was great, and we would catch him again later that year.

Even in 2000, those tickets, priced at just over 20 bucks with fees was a great deal to see the legend.  I have mostly stopped going to big name concerts anymore because of the high prices.

I remember both of these shows being great.  Jill Sobule (who I also love) opened both of them, making these particularly memorable shows.  At one of them, he brought her back out to sing a song that he explained was one of his all time favorites, "You Were On My Mind."  I appreciated this because it is also a favorite of mine, and I listen to the legendary recording by the We Five often.

The crowds seemed good and appreciative at both shows.  I did get a CD signed by Jill Sobule at one of the shows, and had a nice, brief chat with her too.  

There was no backing band, these shows were just Warren by himself.

I would read his huge biography later....  compiled by his ex-wife (he gave her his blessing to put it together before passing away).  Man, what an incredible read!  He wanted her to make sure she including all of the good and bad stories about him and his character.  

Anyway, I am so happy to say that I was able to catch this brilliant songwriter/musician/artist while he was still with us.

"Wilderness Blues" by T.B. Botts

 An interesting and enjoyable read while we were on our Alaskan cruise was "Wilderness Blues" by T.B. Botts.  Signed copies were readily available at the shops in Icy Strait Point.  I love local author type books relating to an area that I am visiting.  I had this one finished before we left the ship.

Botts tells his story about leaving life as he knew it to move with his family to Alaska- to join an end of times religious group.  Life is a bit more primitive in his new situation, and he does struggle to earn a living, especially as the religious group claims a chunk of his earnings.

The book does have a very casual feel (you do feel like the author is telling you about his life over a hot drink at a coffee shop).  Some of the stories are funny and comical, but you do feel for T.B. as he does all he can for his family, while trying to fit in with his faith community.

Alaska Airlines Flight before our Cruise, luggage issues, and the Anchor...

Our wonderful Alaskan Cruise started with a flight to Anchorage.  We swapped planes in Chicago, getting on an Alaska Airplanes vehicle.  

Well, as we were in the air, the flight attendants announced that they had to take some of our luggage off due to weight and wind issues.

When we got to the airport, we waited, and our 2 bags did not come through.  We had to wait in a line for about an hour to let some of the staff know where we would be this evening.

It actually ended up not being too big of a deal, though an hour of vacation time is an hour of vacation time.

They did hook us up with some points or miles...  which I may or may not be able to use again.  I don't think they were charging for drinks on the flight either.

Honestly, I don't think anyone was overly ticked off though.  The flight had the kindest crew I have ever experienced.  They joked a bit about the situation.  They didnt charge for drinks and they were sugary sweet.  This went a long way.

Our Norwegian Jewel Cruise to Alaska September 2022

 So, this was a trip that was several years in the making.  After our previous cruise (our first one) we talked briefly about doing Alaska.  It sounded good, so ,we made plans to do it in 2020!

Well, as you know Covid happened.  So, our cruise was pushed back a year.  Then another year as there were still concerns about the disease.  The trip was pushed out another year.

Each time the good people at Norwegian Cruise Lines kept upgrading us when agreed to not cancel and hold out for another year.  Before ya knew it, we really had a nice, VIP trip planned.

And here is a brief video on our cruise.  I will post other videos about where we stopped, and other things we did.

We flew in to Anchorage and spent a night.  The next day we took the Alaska Railroad to Seward.  We spent a night there the we got on the Norwegian Jewel.  The Jewel took us to several more cities, and we finally ended up in Vancouver British Columbia.  We would spend a few days there, then fly home.

"The Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush" by Pierre Berton

Planning for a trip through Alaska, I wanted to find a book on the Klondike Gold Rush.  I googled around, and found the 1955 book, "The Klondike Fever:  The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush" by Pierre Berton.

"The Klondike Fever" weighs in at a nearly 450 pages, not counting notes and bibliography.  This is a nice, big full book.

I DID read a critical amateur online review of the book, by someone who bashed the book for not being PC enough.  There are a few words in the book that most of us would not use in conversation today.  1955 was a different time, AND, an author in 1955 covering events in the late 1800s gets a solid pass in my opinion.  The book is authentic and close to the timeline of the source.  I appreciate a book that is so real, and not edited so as not to offend the easily offended of today.

Anyway, even at over 400 pages, I read this book quick, as Berton describes the first few prospectors finding gold (and a lot of it) in a specific area.  Over a very short period of time, the landscape, the people and the economy associated with it are changed forever.  Towns develop, local economies are formed, and norms are established.  The author really gives a good description of the characters, the places and the events that happen.

Of course, all sorts of issues pop up.  Boats are used (and OVER used) in getting people there.  Paths and trails are established.  Fortunes are made not just on the gold, but on selling things to the prospectors that they forgot to bring, or didn't realize they may want once there (kittens anyone?).  AND, in an area plentiful with gold, the value of the dollar gets greatly distorted.

AND, as all good things come to an end.....  That happens with the gold rush too.

The book flows nicely too.  Pierre Berton tells a constant stream of short stories moving the events along.  Yes, he is talking about thousands of prospectors coming to an area, setting up, and then moving along- but the story is told weaving in and out of hundreds of brief, short stories about specific people at that time.  There are lots of fun facts peppered in to the big story.

"The Klondike Fever" was just a fun read for me and I really enjoyed it.

Gatlinburg Spur Tunnel repairs 2023

 Just a short video of the tunnel going between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  Repairs are expected from January until April or so of 2023.

Deer Sighting Pigeon Forge Tennessee

 Here is a short video of a deer I saw inbetween Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg!

Burg Steakhouse in Gatlinburg Tennessee

 Have you been to Burg Steakhouse in Gatlinburg?  This is a great place to eat when you are in town.  They were very cool about us having our dogs with us too!  We also thought it was a great value!

"Tennessee Tales the Textbooks Don't Tell" by Jennie Ivey, W. Calvin Dickinson and Lisa W. Rand

 I found a nice signed copy of the book, "Tennessee Tales the Textbooks Don't Tell" recently at an antique shop and I am so glad that I found this one!

This is a great book with some simple to understand history about Tennessee.  It covers all of the legendary people and places, and even has a short interesting facts chapter at the end.  All 3 of the Presidents from the state are covered, as is divisions within the state during the Civil War, and of course, Elvis!

I enjoyed reading about Martin Luther King's becoming a martyr in Memphis.  The authors then give information on what happened to his assassin.

The book did come out several years ago, and, at the time of writing, Brushy Mountain Prison was still a working facility.  It is now (as I have mentioned on this blog several times) opened to tourists.

Anyway, I think a book like this for each state would be wonderful!