Monday 23 September 2013

Newsletter 13 - September 2013



We visited some friends in Ohio, Dan and Monica, whom we met last year, and then we turned south. The “buckeye” state is named after the nut from the buckeye tree - falling now, poisonous to cattle and possibly for humans, as they contain tannic acid.
Buckeye
Newark was east of the capital Columbus, and we were able to book in for a service for the RV. What an interesting town! 
Erie Canal - before it was filled in
There were huge (4 square miles) of geometrical earthworks, believed to have been constructed by an ancient Indian culture about 2000 years ago. 
Hopewell Culture Earthworks in Winter
It seems the moon had some significance as the embankments show that they’re lined up with the moon rising and setting over an 18 year period. 
Hopewell Mounds
It was named the Hopewell Culture because Mordecai Hopewell owned the farmland where part of the site was excavated in 1891.

Hopewell mounds alignment with the moon rising and setting
Dave Longerberger built an empire by making quality maple wood baskets. They are sold “direct” (Like Tupperware) and it is obviously very successful. In 1995 he wanted a 7 story office built in the shape of a basket and searched for an architect who would take it on. 
Longerberger Corporate Headquarters
This is the result – the Office building is the shape of the popular Medium Market Basket and has a glass covered atrium in the centre. 
Interior of Longerberger building
We watched a video clip about the construction. The part when the handles were attached, weighing (almost 150 tons- and heated during winter to stop ice forming), was very interesting.

Newark Court House

Newark Court House interior
The town also has the Midland Theatre which opened in 1928. 
Midland Theatre, Newark

Midland Theatre Stage
Struggling financially, it finally closed in 1978 after a blizzard brought loss of power resulting in frozen boilers that cracked. 
Midland Theatre seating
 So it was pretty dilapidated when Mr Longerberger gave $8 million to renovate it in 1992. The basket business must have been profitable! The theatre is so beautiful and it attracts top quality performers. Arlo Guthrie and Wynonna are on the list of upcoming shows and Blood Sweat and Tears are coming in October.

Original mouldings were used
After the RV’s service the next morning we went back to walk past the old jail 
Original Newark Jail - not a lot of crime in those days
and visit the A H Heisey Glass Museum. 
Heisey Glass Museum
Heisey’s ideal was to make beautiful glassware that ordinary people could afford. 
Heisey Glass Museum display
Pressed glass is cheaper to produce than hand blown and his workers must have perfected their craft because the hundreds of pieces were quite beautiful. 
Heisey Glass Museum horses
His sons who continued the business, constantly changed with the fashions and some of the coloured glassware is exquisite. 
Heisey Glass Museum candle sticks
Heisey Glass Museum display
Mass production and overseas cheap labour eventually forced the family to go out of business in 1957. Now pieces are regarded as collectors’ items and the collectors groups have thousands of members who meet and trade regularly.
Heisey Glass Museum beer mugs
We must check out the charity shops and flea markets at home, now that we know what to look for.

 
Velvet Ice Cream - restored Mill - we had to stop

Velvet Ice Cream - it was yummy

So we crossed the great Ohio River at Maysville into the Commonwealth of Kentucky. (The other three Commonwealths are, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Massachusetts). 
Maysville Bridge across the wide Ohio River
A tug was going underneath the bridge pushing nine barges (3x3) of coal up the river to the power station. In times gone by bison would cross the river here when it was low and travel south stopping at Blue Lick or one of many other Licks in the area. Many of the roads today follow the traces the bison walked.

And so we were in Kentucky, home of horses, bourbon, bluegrass and tobacco. 
Iron Works Pike
We drove the Iron Works Pike towards Georgetown. That road must have the richest horse studs along it – huge mansions, avenues of trees, four rail horse fences, beautiful (locked) wrought iron gates at the entrances and many dry stone walls. 

Horses

Wonderful horse facilities
As well as the thoroughbreds, trotters and pacers figure prominently too.

The Kentucky Horse Park is a working museum – all things equestrian. 
National Horse Centre - Kentucky
Kentucky Horse Park
Competitions are held in the huge covered building. There were seven dressage rings in the complex with a ½ mile race track around them and a special barn for retired famous champions (that have won many dollars). 
Man-O-War

Great indoor arena
We found the Museum of the Horse, tracing the horse through history from the tiny “eohippus” – fossilised bones found in Nth America, through centuries of bloodlines to today, fascinating.

Secretariat statue

Meeting up with a little horse
The Horse Park had a campground set in a beautiful grassy “paddock” with huge trees – some of the leaves are just starting to turn. 
Georgetown, Kentucky- main square

Georgetown main street
So we stayed a couple of nights so we could have a look at Historic Georgetown with its beautiful buildings and links to the Civil War.

Georgetown Mansion

Georgetown Mansion
Georgetown Mansion
The area was re-vitalised when Toyota came to town in 1986. The company make Camry, Avalon and Venza producing more than 500,000 cars annually – that’s 2000 a day! They employ 7,500 on two shifts with excellent conditions and there are plans to open another vehicle production line, for a Lexus model, in 2015. We toured the factory for 45 mins on a motorised tram - no photos. There were car bodies being lifted like toys, robots welding, workers on seats being moved into car bodies fixing panels into place, robot carriers following magnetic lines on the floor delivering parts where they were needed, testing areas, and railway and truck loading areas – all this busy activity over 1300 acres.

The following day was the Georgetown Airfest Show. So clutching our VIP tickets we were given at Toyota (major sponsor), we drove to the regional airport. 
Georgetown Airfest
A mild sunny day, we looked at all sorts of small planes. A B25 Mitchell Bomber was offering rides for $400 and a Huey Helicopter that was the pride and joy of “The Yankee Airforce” (retirees) was also doing 10 minute flights. 
B25 Mitchell bomber

Huey Helicopter
Jen took advantage of the offer and sat in the gunner’s position looking out of the open space – very exciting ride.

A "gunners" view of the airport from the Huey- can you see our RV?
Beautiful Kentucky rolling hills

Farmland -  note the horse paddocks
The Woodford Bourbon Distillery was the afternoon stop – one of the smaller ones (after Jim Bean and Wild Turkey).
Copper stills at Woodford Reserve
The original stone aging warehouses are set in an area of natural beauty beside the stream that supplied the “pure” water when the business was established about 1812.

Frankfort is Kentucky’s capital. 
Kentucky Governor's Mansion
As it was a Sunday with everything closed, it makes it easy to take an RV into town, then to park and walk and look at the buildings.


State Capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky

Capitols in almost every state have the grand neoclassical style building with a rotunda and high dome. They usually house offices, the legislature and often the Supreme Court. 
Floral Clock - not so floral
We walked to the floral clock nearby but were here the week it was being “renovated”. Oh well next time!


Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style home in Frankfort
Just one more Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style house to see – the Zeigler House, and then we were heading for Churchill Downs - to visit the “Derby Museum”.
First across the line at Churchill Downs
That Sunday was also a race day. At seniors rates of $1 we watched a few races and spent the rest of the time in the interactive museum.


The Kentucky Derby is referred to as the "run for the roses" as the winner is wreathed in a garland of roses
The first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875. The race is held on the 1st Saturday in May for 3 year olds, so a horse only gets one chance.
Before the race, the spectators, usually numbering up to 150,000 sing the state song – “My Old Kentucky Home,” so the next day we had to visit this historic site at Bardstown.
Bardstown- one of the prettiest towns in America


Federal Hill was a typical stately Georgian mansion built in early 1800’s by Judge (later Senator) John Rowan and lived in by the family until the last member Madge sold it to the state in 1920.
Federal Hill - "My Old Kentucky Home"
Tradition holds that songwriter Stephen Foster, a cousin from Pittsburgh, was inspired to write the song while visiting Federal Hill in 1852.
Stephen Foster- One of Kentucky's favourite "sons"
It is now part of the State Park and the attached campground and golf course made a pretty setting. After dinner we were able to walk part of the course along the sealed cart tracks. Most golf courses have these paths. It seems the golfers here do not get the exercise we do, as carts are the usual. I guess it speeds up the play and more people can get in a round.

Just before you cross the border into Tennessee is the National Corvette Museum at Bowling Green. 
National Corvette Museum at Bowling Green Kentucky
A great ride on the Interstates but not sure where the kitchen sink, bed, shower and toilet would go?
We were disappointed that the Assembly Plant tours were cancelled as preparations had begun to build the new model Chevrolet Corvette, but the museum was pretty good.
A great museum


Very pretty cars and all the merchandise to go with it

We had a couple of long drive days, Nashville and Memphis, visited last year, and into Arkansas, our 38th State in the last couple of years.


Little Rock Central High School hit the world headlines on September 4, 1957. When classes began nine black students who had been selected on the criteria of excellent grades and attendance to integrate the school, were blocked from entry by orders of Governor Orval Faubus, who deployed the Arkansas National Guard.
Little Rock Central High School
The US Supreme Court in 1954 had declared segregated schools were unconstitutional and called for desegregation of all schools throughout the nation.
The President, Dwight Eisenhower attempted to de-escalate the situation by warning Faubus not to defy the Court’s ruling and eventually sent in troops from the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army who escorted the students.
"The Nine"
The black students did have a difficult time and were subjected to physical and emotional abuse. Today the school stills functions as part of the Little Rock School District and is a National Historic Site. The National Parks Service administer the Civil Rights Museum nearby and typically anything with National Parks is done really well, giving a well documented and balanced account of the happenings.
The Capitol, Little Rock
As Little Rock is the Capital of the state we went on a tour of the Capitol, typical of most Capitols. 
Governor's Meeting Room
The Senate Chamber
They are grand buildings and this particular one had stained glass domes with acoustic curtains and a magnificent chandelier under the central dome.
The Grand Staircase
Dinner was at The Red Lobster that evening to celebrate Jen’s birthday.
Dinner at Red Lobster
Birthday present - Marion Mahony inspired design, umbrella and earrings
And so to Houston to Jenny and George’s place, where we were able to unpack everything, clean out the RV and take it to PPL, the consignment place, for sale. Thank you Jenny and George!
We’re sad to see it go but we have had a most wonderful time over the last couple of years.
Saying goodbye to our modern day Conestoga Wagon "Connie"
Before we left we had a quick look at downtown Houston and a visit to the Museum of Natural Science.
Sam Houston Tollway interchange
Houston Skyline
The Energy Hall had varying exhibits but concentrated mainly on Texas oil and gas, explaining how it formed, how it’s extracted and we all know how it’s used.
Jaw of the Megalodon shark - twice the size of the biggest Great White
The Hall of Paleontology had numerous fossils and fossil replicas providing a vivid glimpse into the incredible 3.5 billion year story of life on earth.
Huge petrified log
The Ancient Egyptian civilization with its lifeblood the River Nile, developed its own architecture, writing and religion.
Beautiful bronzes from Egypt
The exhibits, brought in from many sources, traced their development, including their skills with mummification.
Egyptian gold figurine
We found the Hall of the Americas, which showed the diversity and skills of indigenous peoples from Alaska to Peru, to be particularly interesting especially the Inca Empire before the Spanish Invasion.
Alaskan scrimshaw
But perhaps the remarkable exhibition on gemstone carving was something we had not seen before.
Beautifully carved quartz
Harold Van Pelt has been perfecting the art of carving quartz, rock crystal and agate. He works the stone down to very thin walls which gives quartz the transparency of glass.
Quartz container and faceted vases
The fluted glasses, textured vases and hollowed vessels to hold jewellery or specimens were just exquisite.
The last leg is getting to Los Angeles, ready to fly out on 8 October.