A Kentucky Tour I Can Really Toast-- Part 2

The grand toasting opening was at the Barrel House Distillery in Lexington.

Others on the tour trail:

Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon
Old Pogue Distillery in Maysville
Willett Distillery in Bardstown
MB Roland Distillery Distillery in Pembroke
Corsair Artisan Distillery in Bowling Green
Silver Trail Distillery in Hardin

MB Roland Distillery is on track to produce two barrels a month, or 100 gallons.

Only problem with bourbon tasting, you can't do more than two in a day.

Mouth-Watering.  --RoadDog

A Kentucky Tour I Can Really Toast-- Part 1

From the Oct. 12, 2012, Yahoo! News "Kentucky craft bourbon distilleries get tourist trail" by Bruce Schreiner, AP

Hey, I like my bourbon, having developed a taste for it after I finally could handle Scotch without gagging.  Good stuff, especially when sipping or on the rocks with water..

Seven artisan distilleries have formed their own trail from Marshall County in the far western end of the state to Mason in the north.  As of October 12th, there is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour.  (There already is a bourbon tour featuring the bigger distilleries.)

This is an outgrowth of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail which has attracted two million people over the past five years and a half million in 2011.  (I went to Honey Hill on an American Road road trip once.)  The participating places give you an inside look at how their product is distilled, aged and bottled.

Of course, then there is always my favorite part of a tour, the sampling (either for free or a small cost).

Of course, the volume produced by these craft distilleries is just "a drop in the bucket" compared to the bigger ones (mostly in central Kentucky) on the main tour.

Feeling Like the Kentucky Colonel.  --RoadDog

A New Lincoln Highway Mural in Mokena, Illinois

From the Jan. 29, 2013, Mokena (Il) Patch.

This Saturday, February 2nd, the newest Illinois Lincoln Highway mural will be unveiled at 11104 Front Street at 11 AM.  This will be the 30th or 35 planned murals.  When complete, the series will be one of the longest public art works in the country.

This mural has a tractor in front of the Cooper & Hostert Garage, which was owned by brothers-in-law Barney Hostert and Elmer Cooper.  They not only pumped gas and repaired cars, but they were one of the earliest Ford Motor Company dealerships.  Henry Ford personally signed the dealership contract.

They opened for business in 1916 and continued until the 1970s.

This is the eighth mural in the Chicago Southland.

An Admirable Project.  --RoadDog

Columbia City Getting Into the Lincoln Highway's 100th Celebration

From the Jan. 25, 2013, Whitley County (Ind) Post & Mail "100th Anniversary: Lincoln Highway hits centennial mark" by Christie Barkley.

There will be big Lincoln Highway doings in Columbia City, Indiana,  in July.  Some 100 classic cars (all-pre 1980) will be making a four week drive on the Father Highway and are expected to be in town on July8th.

I have to wonder if they will be returning from the big celebration the weekend before in Kearney, Nebraska?

Something to Do.  --RoadDog

Music for the Road: Blake Shelton

Another CD I took along in our trip to the Orange Bowl and Search for the Warmth, was Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton.  He is, of course, part of country music's new big married couple along with new wife Miranda Lambert.  He has been recording since 2000, with his first hit "Austin."

He has gone from long hair to short to just very curly.  And, this one, as title, is loaded with hits.  I have most of his individual CDs.

Loved the "Ol' Red" about the lusty tracking dog and his prison break. and then that great "Some Beach" play on words.  Then he became "The world's greatest lover and dancing machine" in "The More I Drink."  This song always reminds me of Jerry singing it on karaoke at the Fox Lake Legion.

He sure has the "Good Old Boy" thing going, like Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley used to have.

Hey, "Hillbilly Bone" with Trace Adkins and "Kiss My Country Ass" if you have a problem with him being a good old boy.

Well Worth Listening to, Especially If You're Unfamiliar with Him.  --RoadDog

Top Ten City Skylines

From Oct. 21, 2012, Reuters.  Includes photos and descriptions.

1.  Hong Kong
2.  New York City
3.  Sydney, Australia
4.  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
5.  Paris

6.  Dubai, United Arab Emirates (for some reason they have lots and lots of money)
7.  Chicago, Illinois  (Yea, Baby)
8.  Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
9.  Shanghai, China
10. Moscow, Russia

RoadDog

Historic Lincoln Highway Gas Station in Geneva, Illinois, to Be Preserved

From the September 1, 2012, Lincoln Highway Association.

The historic Pure Oil station in downtown Geneva will be preserved by the current owner.

The service bays will be converted into drive-thru lanes for a bank.

The owner had previously planned on tearing the whole structure down, but the city denied it.

The last time I saw it, it was a floral shop with lots of color and very fitting with the old-timey vibe Geneva wants to put forth.  To have lost the building would have been a real shame.  At least part of it will be saved.

Saving the Heritage, One Building At a Time.  --RoadDog

Yet Another Illinois Lincoln Highway Mural

From the March 1, 2012, Northwest Indianan "Sauk Village erects historical mural" by David P. Funk.

They are celebrating the old Lincoln Highway at Fairway Foods, at the corner of Sauk Trail and Torrance Avenue.  This mural, along with the others, was created and installed by Jay Allen and Joe Marshall of Shaw Craft Signs and depicts a cow crossing the Kavelaye Bridge, built in the early 20th century.

It is one of 36 planned along the Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway in Illinois.  All are sponsored by the Lincoln Highway Coalition.  This is #24 and four more are planned for 2012.

A complete list can be found at www.drive/lincolnhighway.com.

Each mural has an estimated price of $10,000 and are funded through the National Scenic Highway Grant from the federal Highway Administration and the Illinois Office of Tourism.

The formal dedication was at 1 PM on March 12 with a reception following at the Village Hall.

Bringing the Road to the People.  --RoadDog

Some More on the Delaware Memorial Bridge

Wikipedia

The bridge is actually a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River, carrying I-295 and US-40 between New Jersey and Delaware.  The architects who designed it also made the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge.

Both spans are dedicated to the soldiers from New Jersey and Delaware who died during the wars and there is a war memorial on the Delaware side.

There was a ferry service that started in 1926 until after the first span was completed.

The bridges carry eight lanes of traffic and are around 10,765-feet long.  West-bound lanes pay a $4 toll if they have E-Pass (which probably mean those who don't pay $8).

The eastbound opened in 1951 and westbound in 1968.

Never Heard of It, But I've Never Been to Either State.  --RoadDog

The Billionth Toll Collected at the Delaware Memorial Bridge

From the Dec. 18, 2012, Columbus (Ind) Republic.

And, the governor of Delaware will be there when the event occurs.  The driver will get mementos and keepsakes of the occasion.  (Wondering if that means his toll back as well?)

The bridge connects Delaware and New Jersey and crosses over the Delaware Bay.

It is dedicated to the soldiers who died in World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.

Wondering When It Will be Paid Off?  --RoadDog

Las Vegas Neon Museum

From the Nov. 3, 2012, Roadside Fans Yahoo Group.

Las Vegas' Neon Museum is officially open.  It is an open air one with more than 150 signs.  Of course, Las Vegas is noted for its neon signs.  The electric bill must be stupendous..  And, of course, there are all those great signs for the casinos, sadly, many of which have been destroyed.

Before now, some 20,000 people a year went to the museum by appointment  Owners expect 55,000 this year. (I know that the next time I'm there, I'm going.)

The 1960s striking La Concha Motel lobby was donated (If I recall it stood across the street from the Stardust or nearby).  It cost $1.2 million to move it.  They also have the giant "H" from the the Horseshoe Casino.

Tours are run by eight docents and 20 volunteers assist.

I think that all casinos should donate their old signs when no longer wanted and then also provide money for their upkeep and operation.  It's just good publicity.

Lighting the Landscape.  --RoadDog

Her Car's 82, She's 102-- Part 2

This Margaret Dunning is surely one interesting woman.  And, she has an interesting personal history.

She started driving at age 8 on her family's big dairy and potato farm west of Detroit and had her first car wreck at age 10 while driving her dad's Overland car when she couldn't navigate a turn and crashed into a barn.  Since then, she has had some fender-bender accidents, but she admits her biggest problem is a lead foot on the accelerator and her fair share of speeding tickets.  A real "Little Old Lady from Sullivan"

She owns a number of other collectible cars, but the Packard is her favorite.  "The lines of a Packard car are very artistic, as far as I'm concerned.  My family drove Packards, and I was very proud of the fact, I guess I got indoctrinated."

She still drives the Packard on occasion, but admits she has problems with the big steering wheel.  Her everyday car is a 2003 Cadillac.

She's had her driver's license for 90 years and got her first one at age 12.  Her father died that year and her mother didn't drive.  Her family was politically connected and her mom was able to get her one.

Quite the Life.  --RoadDog

Her Car Is 82. She's 102.-- Part 1

From the December 30, 2012, Chicago Tribune by Bob Dyer.

Now here's a story that applies to old roads.  An old car and an even older woman.  And...she changes her own oil and spark plugs, something I only did once in my much much younger days.  This Margaret Dunning sounds like quite a character and has had quite an interesting life.

Margaret Dunning of Plymouth, Michigan, was born in 1910, making her 102.  She is still sharp and spunky.  And then, there's her "baby," a 1930 Packard 740 Roadster, twenty years younger than herself.  And, she still drives it, but not as often.  Not because of trouble with the manual transmission and shifting, but because she has trouble turning the huge steering wheel.

She bought it back in 1949 in really bad shape.  "Four upholstery jobs and 22 coats of hand-rubbed lacquer later it became the first vehicle to be awarded a perfect 100-point score by the Classic Car Club of America."

And, classic it is.  Would I ever like to get behind the wheel of that car and cruise down some old highway.

A Fascinating Woman's History Up Next.  --RoadDog

Music for the Road: Jim Croce

One of the CDs I brought along was I Got a Name by Jim Croce.  Sadly, it was released December 1, 1973, two months after his death on September 20.  He had three singles released from it: the title song, "I'll Have to Say I Love You In a Song" and "Workin' At the Car Wash Blues."

But, seriously, there was no filler on the album. It was all really good stuff.  I really liked "Age," "Lover's Cross" and "The Hard Way Every Time."

You just have to wonder what he could have accomplished if he hadn't gotten on that plane?  Essentially, you have to regard any of his regular albums as greatest hits collections.

Way Too Bad.  --RoadDog

Some Interesting Places to Go in 2013-- Part 3

DECEMBER

1-31--  Williamsburg and Yorktown, Virginia--  A Colonial Christmas. Old homes, encampments and farms recapture pre-Revolutionary holidays.

25--  Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania--  Washington crosses the Delaware re-enactment (complete with huge chunks of floating ice and wondering if George will stand up like in the famous painting).

Revolutionary War boat ride to Trenton will be repeated.

So, Just Go.  --RoadDog

Some Interesting Places to Go in 2013-- Part 2: Folkmoot and Address

There were more places listed, but these are just the ones I'd be most interested in seeing.

JULY

17-28--  Waynesville, North Carolina, Folkmoot USA.  The 30th annual folk fest attracts French stilt walkers and Irish step dancers among others.  I'd go just for the name.  "Where you been?"  "I've been to Folkmoot!"


SEPTEMBER

2nd--  Put-In-Bay, Ohio--  Bicentennial of the battle of Lake Erie.  Eighteen tall ships will be there.  And, then there are the bars and partying.  Why go to Key West?  The North Coast is better and closer to home.


NOVEMBER

16th and 19th--  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, America's most famous speech.  I am seriously considering stopping here on my way to NC for Thanksgiving.


Moot Your Folk?  --RoadDog

Some Interesting Places to Go In 2013-- Part 1

From the January 20, 2013, Chicago Tribune.

There were other places listed, but I just picked out the ones of interest to me.

FEBRUARY

12-18: Nashville, Tennessee--  Original Emancipation Proclamation display.  Rare viewing of 150-year-old document ending slavery.  Well...sort of ending it.

APRIL

13:  Reopening of the Rijks Museum.  A new dawn for Dutch art.  I went to this place in 2000.  I'm not a big art fan, but this place was impressive.  Thanks Mom.

JUNE

20:  Wheeling, West Virginia Sesquicentennial Celebration.  Mountain State birthday party.  And what part of the Constitution saying you can not form another state from an already existing state does this refer to?

More to Come.  --RoadDog

The Moo Moo Went A-Grazing

I generally stay in 30 to 40 motels a year and always take advantage of continental breakfasts whenever they have them, but what I saw Thursday morning took it to an extreme never seen before.

We were staying at the Super 8 motel in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and trying to get used to all this new-found cold we had encountered yesterday.

This was a better-than-average continental breakfast and even featured home made waffles, biscuits and gravy and sausage links.

I'm finishing up and this lady comes into the breakfast area wearing a moo moo-type dress and carrying a large cloth bag.  She then proceeded to pull all sorts of containers out of the bag and then started one of the grandest assaults I've ever seen on a breakfast.

She made around eight pieces of toast, took six muffins, then two to three cereals.  Then, she made three waffles and put a huge dent in the biscuits and grave and took I don't know how many sausage links.  She put these in the containers as that bag just expanded and expanded.

I'm not sure what army she was feeding, but the desk clerk saw it all and said nothing.

Hopefully, it was not all for her, but even so, it's actions like this that just ruin a good thing for those of us who don't abuse the system.

It Was Amazing.  --RoadDog

Trip Football: Four Hats, Three and a Half Losers

Alright, I brought hats down to Florida to show support of my teams.  That would be Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Da Bears and Da Pack.

I had several NIU hats (not to mention tee shirts and sweat shirts), and one each for the others.  I've just got to let others see who I'm backing.  Plus, it's a great way to get into a discussion with other folk.  Talking with other people is a highlight of any trip in my opinion.

On the way down, Dec. 30th, the Bears won, but a Packer loss in the final game of the season.  That loss by the Pack also ended Bear hopes for the post season.  So, we'll count that as a half loss.

Then, on Jan. 1st, Northern gave Florida State a good run for three quarters before getting blown out in the 4th.  Why, I even had my "lucky" NIU hat that I had worn for all our victories this year and going back to last year's Go-Daddy Bowl.  To no avail.

Then, Jan. 7th, Notre Dame forgot to show up for the NCAA Championship game against you-know-who.  If someone had told me 40 years ago that I would ever be pulling for Notre Dame I'd have said they were crazy.  Guess I have been living in the Midwest too long.

Then, this past Saturday, the Packers played a good game for the first half against the 49ers, but couldn't figure out how to stop their q-back and he ran all over them in the second half.

I'm Going to Have to Quit Wearing Hats.  --RoadDog

"Just Got Back to Illinois": End Trip

To paraphrase that old CCR classic "Looking Out My Back Door."  As JF said, "Just got back from (TO) Illinois, Locked my front door, oh boy."  We got back home here in Spring Grove, Illinois, last night after three weeks and over 3,000 miles.

Both going and coming back were marked by some pretty bad weather, including an unexpected snowstorm in Indianapolis and sleet and snow in Tennessee on the way down and all the winter storms across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee on the way back.

Then, we had the cold and even a half inch of snow in our driveway which made unpacking all the more fun.

This was also our longest-ever trip, three full weeks (breaking the old record of the 2006 Route 66 trip by a day.  But, 16 of the days were at THE BEACH with most of them 70s and sun.  We just had to learn to live with those days.

Some of the snowbirds spending months in Florida wondered why we didn't stay for a couple months or more.  Unfortunately, I'm still a guy who likes to be on vacation, but after a couple weeks, I'm starting to hanker for home.

Off the Road Again.  --RoadDog

When the Weather Gets Bad, the Tough Decide to Stay at the Beach

After carefully weighing our options this morning, the decision was made to stay here at Panama City Beach. 

Hey, it was actually more of a no brainer.  Let's see, do we want to drive north and encounter 33 degrees, ice and rain in Memphis or Nashville, or stay here for sun and 75 degrees?  Hard decision, but we'll stay.

Looks like tomorrow will be an early start and up to I-65 and north.

As much as we love it here, getting a bit antsy to get home as we're nearing three weeks.

You might say we're beaching it.  We stayed one night at St. Augustine Beach, three nights in Hollywood Beach, two nights at Clearwater Beach, two nights on St. George Island and now nine nights at PCB.

Staying in the Warmth.  --RoadDog

A Great Sunset and a Decision to Make

Sitting outside the room right now at 5:20 PM enjoying a surprise sunset.  With some clouds we thought we weren't going to have one, but did.  Listening to the waves roll in and at the end of a great day at the beach with temp up to 75 degrees and plenty of sun.

Watching the weather, it appears that we did well to stay an extra day as all  places north of us that we had thought about driving through are either getting rain, freezing rain or snow.

Now, we have to decide whether to stay an extra day to wait for Memphis and Nashville, which ever route we chose to get whatever fell cleared off.

Wouldn't it be horrible to have to stay one more day/

Decisions, Decisions.  --RoadDog

The Case of the $1.50 Seventy-Five Cent Newspaper

In all my travels and buying from newspaper machines, I had never had what I'm about to write about happen to me. 

Saturday, I drove over to the McDonald's on Beach Front Road here at Panama City Beach to take advantage of their dollar breakfast menu and senior coffee and, as usual, I put my 75 cents in to get the local News Herald.  It had a copy of the Saturday paper in the front of it.

I then went inside and bought my food and went to a table, sat down,opened the wrapper and then the paper.  Only, the stories on the front page looked very familiar.  Further examination showed that it WAS INDEED yesterday's paper. 

It's not like you can do much about it.  I went outside and looked again at the front of the box and it was today's paper.  I wanted to check into what was going on around the beach, so dug out another three quarters and plopped them in.  The rest of the papers were all from Friday.

Someone played a good one on me.  I put the rest of them down below so no one else would make my mistake and took the display one.

So, Next Time You Buy the Newspaper From the Box, Be Careful.  --RoadDog

Music for the Road

I didn't get around to writing this up before we left, but I as usual had taken along some CDs for the road to listen to in between radio stations.

Here's the list for this trip:

I GOT A NAME--  Jim Croce
AMERICAN RIDE--  Toby Keith
Kenny Chesney three-pack: IN MY WILDEST DREAMS--  ALL I NEED TO KNOW--  ME AND YOU

THE ESSENTIAL JERRY REED
GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1--  Rascal Flatts
LOADED: THE BEST OF BLAKE SHELTON

A Whole Lot of Country On This Trip.  --RoadDog

Knew It Would Happen: That Watchband Was Going

And it did.  One of the links was broken even before we left home.  I had even looked to replace it, but not found one of the metal twist link bands.

I was hoping that when it finally did break, it wouldn't be over a toilet, water, or big drop.  It fell off by the bed last night after we got back from Donovan's Reef here in PCB. 

When I got up this morning, I kept looking at my wrist and finding only hair instead of the time.  Si, I had to get a replacement right away.  Went to the Target store in Pier Park hoping to find one, but they had discontinued the bands that I wanted.  That meant the  long drive over to the Wal-Mart at the east end of the beach (and believe me, Panama City Beach is a l-o-n-g beach.

They had the bands that I wanted, and, even better, they had someone who knew what I needed and how to replace the band.  I feel regular again now  I can glance at my left wrist and see the time.  I doubt that I will ever be one of those people who only use their cellphones for the time.

One good thing was that there is a Krystal's by the Wal-Mart, so was able to get their value meal: 3 Krystals, fries and drink for $2.99.  I'd been wanting to get one of those ever since we were down here.

It's About a Half a Hair Past a Hair Right Now.  --RoadDog.

I Could Get Really Used to This

Sitting out here right now, a -typing away with my lil' two fingers with the waves of the Gulf of Mexico coming ashore not 100 yards away and the sun peaking between two palm trees.  Hard work, but somebody's "gotta" do it.  And, I'm just the guy for the job.

Went out this morning for one of the best omelets I've ever had at Mike's.  Then took a walk along the beach collecting shells.  I'm particularly fond of the remnants of conch shells.  Any little piece will do.

Then caught rays, had a nap both outside and back in the room.  Made some blog entries and we're now getting ready to go over to Hammerhead Fred's for a fish fry, happy hour drinks and a band.  After that to Pineapple Willie's for another band.

Tough Times Call for Tough Choices.  --RoadDog

The Mayor Is Dead

The Mayor of Donovan's Reef.

Tuesday, we were saddened to learn that a long-time friend of ours on this annual trip to North Florida had died.

We had run into him every year at Donovan's Reef, across from the Driftwood Lodge where we stay here in Panama City Beach.  Most  every night he would be there, sitting at  his favorite spot on the southwest corner of the bar, essentially "holding court" to all his local and vacationing friends.

His name was Gary (we never did find out his last name) and he was retired from Ford Motor Company in Detroit.  That one opening bit they did  on the "Cheers" TV show always reminded me of him.  It was where a guy comes into the bar and says he hadn't been there for twenty or so years and that the place looks the same, except they had moved the juke box from behind where Norm was sitting.

Well, that was Gary.

He knew us also.  We were the folks from Donovan's Reef North in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin.

And, he always had to have that one particular seat on the affording him a look down the length of it.  If someone was in it when he came in (almost always during the evening), he would get a seat as close as possible and then bide his time, moving continually closer until he had that seat.

Sure Going to Miss Him and Our Talks.  --RoadDog

Now, You Can Get Your Cincy Chili Outside of Ohio

Well, we were sure in for a treat this past Saturday morning when we stopped at a Skyline Chili place in Clearwater, Florida, near Dunedin and had some of that great stuff.  Thanks a lot, Denny, for getting me hooked on the stuff!!

I even got Liz to eat some and she usually does not like unfamiliar stuff.  They were nice enough to give her a little trial taste.  She wasn't sure why I accepted the bib, but soon found out why.

The night before, we had been at the Shipwreck Bar in Clearwater Beach and struck up a conversation with a local and he had said there was a Skyline Chili place in Clearwater.  I knew I had to check it out.
We ordered the large size, of course, so there would be other meals.

Completely full, we drove out onto US-19 North and into thirty miles of the most built-up commercial area I've ever seen and I won't even go into the traffic situation.

Turns out, there are five Skyline locations in Florida.  Besides Clearwater (and I heard there was one in Clearwater Beach), there are ones at Fort Myers, Naples, Sunrise and Ft. Lauderdale.  There are even around eight in Indiana.

Love That Cincy Chili.  --RoadDog

Some More Football on the Trip

Saturday, we watched the Packer-Viking game at the venerable old Harry A's on St. George Island, Florida.  Obviously, there was not a lot of interest in the game, but we cheered the Pack on to that needed victory.  Hopefully, they will play as well this coming Saturday as we'll be watching it here in PCB.

Last year, we watched the Packer playoff game against the Giants at Salty Sue's and the BW3 (Buffalo Wild Wings) here in PCB (Panama City Beach).  Was that ever a sorry Green Bay effort.

Then, Sunday night, it was the Kent State-Arkansas State game in the Go-Daddy Bowl at Harry A's.  Kent State is from our conference, the MAC and hadn't been in a bowl game since 1972, so we were backing them.  But, I have to admit we had a soft spot for Arkansas State as that is who we played last year in the same bowl game.  We got to know a bunch of their fans and really know what they're going through.

Arkansas State won 17-13.


HERE A COACH, THERE A COACH, GONE-A-COACH

Both teams lost their head coaches, a common malady that happens to Mid-Major college football and basketball programs.  As soon as you have any success, you have to find a new coach as one of the big guys will snap him up.  Hey, we lost our coach at Northern Illinois as well.

We played Kent State in the MAC Championship game and both teams lost their coaches.  Ours went to NC State, theirs to Purdue.  Arkansas State's coach is going to Auburn and I'm pretty sure they lost their previous coach just last year.

Then, There Was That Debacle Last Night.  --RoadDog

Spent Four Days Driving One Afternoon Around Tampa

Well, it sure seemed like a real long time.

Yesterday, we arrived at Tampa around 3 PM and got off I-75 at I-4 and headed east.  Then,almost immediately encountered a traffic jam through Tampa.  The worst spot was where a lane ended and the beautiful people decided they shouldn't have to wait like the other peons and drove forward to cut in line.  I REALLY hate when they do that.

The whole I-4 was under construction pretty much all the way to the causeway over the bay.  Then, we were around US-19 which was also torn up and traffic-heavy.  Lots more waiting.  And, all of this was in a steady rain, making it even less fun.

If anybody ever tries to tell you there isn't a lot of traffic around Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater, they are lying.

Another Not-So-Fun-Day of Driving.  --RoadDog

Favorite Eating On the Way Down

DECEMBER 29TH

Had a great breakfast of champions at a White Castle in Brownsburg, Indiana.  Nothing like Sliders in the morning to get you on your way.  Even had one of their Breakfast Sliders with egg and bacon on top of a slider patty.  Pretty good.

Picked up a supply of Chocolate Uglys at the BP station off I-65 at White House, Tennessee.  And that afternoon, stopped at a Jack-In-the-Box by Nashville for some of their great tacos (still 2 for a buck).


DECEMBER 30TH

Since buddy Denny hadn't stopped there, I felt obligated to stop at the Varsity in downtown Atlanta and have some "Whaddayahaves?"  You can also get a "Whaddayawants."  Make sure you have your order in mind before you get up to the front of the line or risk censure.  I  had the slaw dogs and Liz the cheese dogs meals.

Lots of Atlanta Falcon fans there as they were playing at home in the nearby Georgia Dome.  The Varsity is right by the Georgia Tech campus.  With so many streets blocked off or one-way (and no entrance to the interstate by the Varsity), we ended up taking a nice long tour of the campus and many other streets before finding a way back onto the interstate.

Chowing Our Way South.  --RoadDog

The Horror That Was Driving Through Tennessee on Saturday

We've driven through Tennessee many times without problems, but this past Saturday sure made up for all those good times.  We figure it took us an extra four hours due to all the traffic jams.

No problem on I-65 to White House and even for some miles south of it, but approaching Nashville, there were two long delays, and no reason for it that we could see.  Then, closer in, there was a shorter one, this time at least we knew why, road construction.

Then onto I-24 southeast and nice cruising until we hit a really long jam that turned out to be a gapers' block as people had to slow down to look at an accident on the west bound lanes.  I really hate it when that happens.  No excuse whatsoever.

There were snow flurries, occasionally turning to rain and sleet all the way through the state and the snow was getting harder as we approached the mountain pass by Monteagle.  Then we had a big traffic jam all the way up and then another one all the way down.

But, they saved the worst for last.  We saw a sign west of Chattanooga warning of delays for the next twenty miles, and they weren't wrong.  This one was by far the worst of the seven jams we encountered all day (and it was night by now).  It finally opened as we neared Chattanooga and we never saw any construction.  Traffic just slowed to a crawl and proceeded.

Sure was glad to get to Georgia, wait, Tennessee, wait, back in Georgia again.

Enough to Make You Not Want to Drive Through Tennessee Again.  --RoadDog

Dropping More Things

I saw that here in the Miami area, they drop an orange at the stroke of midnight New Year's Eve,

My buddy Denny wrote about them dropping an acorn in Raleigh.

Well, the Seminoles sure dropped a Huskie New Year's Night.

Getting That Old Dropping Feeling. --RoadDog