Posts

Showing posts from May, 2021

Bluegrass and Blue Ridge 5-12-21 (Knoxville, TN)

Image
We have not had great weather this entire trip, unseasonably cold and very little sunshine, but this morning is the wettest and coldest day so far…and we are headed for the highest elevation on the trip.  On the way to our first stop, we watched a Ken Burns video about the Great Smoky Mountains.  It was a good diversion from the foggy, rain covered bus windows that obscured our view as we traveled along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Up first this morning was the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.  With a mission “to preserve and perpetuate the history, culture, and stories of the Cherokee people”, the museum covers 13,000 years of their history.  Unfortunately we were not able to actually visit the museum as it was unexpectedly closed, something we discovered only after the majority of the bus had made their way to the museum doors.  There are a few advantages to being at the back of bus as we did not even make it off the bus! Onward to our next stop, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Amazon Adventure 5-16-17 (Packing)

Image
All my packs are packed...NOT Making a list and checking it twice, or more.   I will probably over pack, but not needing to check luggage at the airport allows that freedom! Planning for most healthcare contingencies, I have packed a mobile pharmacy.  Should be able to treat most minor ailments without looking for a drugstore or visiting sick bay. We have completed all sewing projects (a pair of linen slacks, evening jackets, shortening the sleeves on a new top, etc). One recommendation was to apply permethrin to the clothing we will be wearing when hiking around the Amazon.  We completed that today as the weather conditions were finally favorable.  Both low humidity and calm winds are a rare combination in Indiana this time of year! I think we have finished shopping.  The list seemed never ending as items were being added almost daily during the last month.  But with the purchase of additional memory cards for the cameras, extra batteries, and a couple Misson Towels, all items have be

Amazon Adventure 4-30-17 (Cruise Details)

Image
 We will be sailing on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator.  This is the same ship we sailed on our Alaskan cruise several years ago. The Navigator is a smaller ship with only 245 rooms and holds up to 500 passengers.  The Navigator will have just finished a 128 day around the world cruise shortly before we board. Regent is an all inclusive cruise line with the fare including all tips, all beverages (including alcohol and wines), specialty dining, and a selection of shore excursions in each port of call.  Also included is Internet access, round trip airfare and in some suites, a pre-cruise hotel accommodations. This particular cruise is also a Smithsonian Journey.  That means we will have a guest lecturer on board who is a specialist in the Amazon.  Our Alaskan cruise also had this feature and it provided an excellent opportunity to learn more about the ports we visited and the local flora and fauna. Our cruise will last 25 days, beginning in Miami, FL on May 23, 2017.  We plan on arriving

Amazon Adventure 4-28-17 (Pre-Trip Prep)

Image
 We are now less than four weeks out from our adventure and beginning to be overwhelmed by all the details of preparing for a trip of this length! By way of an overview of our sojourn to the equator, we are driving to Miami, where we will board our cruise ship, the Regent Navigator.  The cruise itself is 25 days with several ports of call in the Caribbean on the way to the Amazon.  Sailing down the Amazon to the Brazilian city of Manaus and back to the Atlantic Ocean will take 7 days.  The return to the US includes stops at Devil's Island and a few additional Caribbean Islands and will have us back in Miami where we will pack up the car and drive back to Indy. Packing has begun....that means we have begun selecting items we THINK we want to take and stacking them on the bed in the spare bedroom.  We need to plan for the sun and surf of the Islands, the heat, humidity and BUGS of the Amazon, and the formal dress of the cruise ship.  Besides clothing, there are electronics (iPads, Ph

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5-11-21 (Asheville, NC)

Image
Today is all about the Biltmore…the home and grounds. Matt, a local guide, joined us on the bus as we left the Biltmore Inn.  He shared with us the history of the Estate and how George Washington Vanderbilt, the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, came to build in North Carolina.  The largest privately owned home in the US, it is still owned by descendants of George V.  The estate at one time consisted of 125,000 acres, but following his unexpected death in 1914, his wife completed the sale of 87,000 acres to the federal government.  This parcel is currently  included in the Pisgah National Forest as a condition of the sale was that it remain in its’ natural state for all to enjoy. The grounds surrounding the estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, famous for designing Central Park in New York City.  In addition to formal gardens and landscaping surrounding the house, a large portion of the land was planted with 3.1 million trees.  White pine, white, oak and hemlock were cu

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5-10-21 (Asheville, NC)

Image
Breakfast this morning was a little odd.  With the hotel under renovation, they have limited services and space, but the dining room was not really ready for us.  We were the first ones down at 7am and were told to take a seat.  We found plenty of open tables…in the dark.  It took several minutes before anyone could figure out how to turn the lights on. The young girl that took our orders was also working the Starbucks kiosk and running back and forth.  She did not write anything down when we gave her our orders and then she had to come back and get them again.  When the orders came out, only one order came, and that was packed in a bag as a “to go” order.  When other orders began coming out, they were in the “to go” containers, minus the paper bag.  Oh the joys of COVID travel; until our tour, they have only been doing carry out! Heading to Asheville, NC today, so the bus trip started with a Ken Burns video.  This short movie focused on the importance of the Cumberland Gap in the

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5-9-21 (Lexington, KY)

Image
Horse Day Breakfast started with an other appetizer…Muesli…popular with a lot of Europeans, I can’t seem to enjoy it.  But as usual on a Tauck trip, there was plenty of other food to enjoy.  Today we move to Lexington, so bags needed to be ready by 7:30am and we were on the bus at 8:30am. With many outside activities planned today, the weather was a factor.  So far it has been unseasonably cold and overcast; today we added wind and rain.  First up on the agenda, Churchill Downs. Our visit comes just one week after the running of the 147th Kentucky Derby.  The Derby grounds have a very special feel, different from any other race track I have been to.  After a brief discussion regarding timing of the morning events, we headed straight outside to beat the rain. About a dozen horses were working out and we lined up along the “rail” and took pictures of the passing horses.  Back inside we headed up to the suites where we had great view of the grounds, the infield, the paddock, the

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5-8-21 (Bardstown, KY)

Image
Today was Bourbon Day. The day started off with an incredible breakfast. I’ve never had a breakfast appetizer before, but each place setting had a small plate with a baby bagel, lox, capers and cream cheese.  The rest of the meal was ordered off the menu and the bacon was some of the best bacon I have had in years…the melt in your mouth kind of bacon. The Brown Hotel was built with the check in desk and restaurants on the second floor.  This was done so that guest did not need to hear or view the local trolley cars that were the mainstay of transportation when the hotel was built in 1923.  This feature allowed the hotel to survive the flooding of the Ohio River in 1937 and serve not only their guests but the surrounding community.  A plaque on the Broadway side of the building marks the high water mark of the flood. The Bluegrass and Blue Ridge Tour is one of several Ken Burns tours offered by Tauck.  Through a collaboration, Burns has created vignettes that highlight the regio

Bluegrass and Blue Ridge 5-7-21 (Louisville, KY)

Image
Today was our transition day as we switched from family vacation mode to guided tour mode.  The drive from Knoxville to Louisville was uneventful.  The day started very early with a ride to the airport in time for the 7am departure for those Boston bound.  Returning to the hotel, we spent a few hours catching up on the blog and organizing for our tour. This is one of the first US tours for Tauck since the COVID pandemic started.  The tour started with a reception where we met our fellow travelers and our guide, Steve.  At only 15 members, we are very small tour group.  The reception area was set up to promote social distancing with 7 small tables spaced throughout the room. Besides getting details about the tour logistics, we signed a COVID waver, attested to being vaccinated or having a negative PCR test in the last five days, and had a presentation on COVID precautions.  We will be expected to wear our masks when are not outside and 6 feet apart…this means wearing them on the b

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5-6-21 (Knoxville Zoo-Not)

Image
We packed up the car and departed the cabin this morning, heading to Knoxville, about an hour drive away.  Although we enjoyed the cabin and the view, I was very happy when we made the drive down the mountain road one last time.   We made a reservation at a hotel across from the airport as Maura & Amelia will be Boston bound on a 7am flight tomorrow morning.  That left most of the day available for seeing Knoxville and, since children of all ages enjoy the zoo, we set our sights on Lions, Tigers & Bears. As we pulled into the parking lot, Mary stated she wanted to grab her camera; that’s when we had an oh-oh moment…the camera bag was still hanging on the back of the chair in the dining room IN THE CABIN.  We dropped Maura & Amelia at the entrance to the zoo and made our way back to Pigeon Forge.  By the time we returned to Knoxville, there was not much left for the others to see at the zoo, so we just waited in the car. Once at the hotel, we enjoyed the pool, a quick

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5-5-21 (Dollywood)

Image
What a day we had…a good time was had by all, but Amusement Parks do take their toll on those of a more advanced age!  I don’t remember it being so difficult to exit swinging rides when I was in my twenties. Our morning start was little delayed.  As we were climbing into the car, a neighbor in a passing vehicle stopped to point out a nearby mammal; two doors down a very large brown bear was raiding a couple of trash cans!  We decided to retreat to our deck, for a more protected viewing spot.  It certainly seemed to like what was on the breakfast menu and did not seem to mind an audience.  After capturing a few great pictures, when his attention turned elsewhere, we quickly jumped into the car and headed down the mountain. Dollywood is not yet open every day and is limiting how many guests can enter.  We purchased day specific tickets several weeks before leaving home.  The restriction on the number of guests, along with a strong threat of rain, made for an intimate experience.  A

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5/4/21 (Ripley Aquarium)

Image
In the words of Bob Seger…”I awoke last night to the sound of thunder”.  Mother Nature provided quite a lightning show for us early this morning.  Not sure if the height of the mountain has anything to do with it, but it seemed as if you could reach out and touch individual lightning bolts.  Once the main storm rolled through, a heavy blanket of fog covered the area making for an eerie sunrise. We decided on pancakes and bacon to fortify us and then were off the to Ripley Aquarium in Gatlinburg.  The trip took a little longer than expected as getting off the mountain is just as confusing as finding the cabin; let’s just say we took the longer but more scenic route. We wandered the Aquarium for about 30 minutes, then headed for our pre-scheduled glass bottom boat ride.  A short ride, about 10 minutes, it goes out over the shark tank.  If you visit here, skip the ride, the views from the underwater tunnel are much better.  After the ride, we visited the rest of the exhibits.  We wer

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5/3/21 (Sevierville, TN)

Image
Wow, the view from our cabin is spectacular….however, the drive up the mountain is not for the faint of heart and one I would not attempt after dark.   It seems that guardrails are optional and they opted out, but then again, a guardrail would take precious space needed to squeeze past any oncoming cars. After a quiet morning at our hotel, we picked up Maura & Amelia at the Knoxville Airport and yes, all the luggage fit, although, most had items under their feet.  Lunch was BBQ at a local chain, Calhoun’s.  You could smell the smoke as you entered and the Ribs and Burgers did not disappoint.  We made a quick stop at the Publix to pick up a few fresh and cold items and then made it to the cabin by late afternoon. Our cabin, A Walk in the Clouds, is fairly new.  The previous cabin on this spot was destroyed during the Great Smoky Mountain wildfires of 2016.  All around, you can see cabins being rebuilt.  The new cabin is three stories with balconies on each floor, 2 bedrooms, 3 b

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5/2/21 (Indy to Knoxville)

Image
We hit the road on schedule and had smooth sailing all the way to Cincinnati.   One minor detour due to a missed exit, but made it on time for lunch with my cousin.   Prior to lunch we did a quick drive-by of my mother’s childhood home.   Built in 1835, it has lots of good memories.   During my mother’s time there, they had a large garden, lots of fruit trees and chickens.   Living there during WWII, it provided a comfortable life and resources that could be bartered.   I grew up hearing stories of family sing alongs and daily pie baking. After lunch, we made the drive to Knoxville.  Other than the usual traffic issues associated with large trucks and the hills of Tennessee, it was again uneventful.  A quick bite to eat at a local pub closed out the day…the calm before the storm….tomorrow we pick up family at the Knoxville airport and head out to Pigeon Forge.  It’s going to be a very full car!

Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5/1/21 (The Plan)

Image
And Away We Go The wait is over….we are starting our first trip since the SAR-COV2 virus invaded the world.  We have planned a two part excursion that includes family time followed by an organized land tour. For the first five days, we have rented a cabin in Sevierville, TN…home to Dollywood.  This part of the trip is to replace the Disney trip canceled last year to celebrate a grandchild’s birthday, so we will need an extra candle for the cake! The rest of our adventure will be spent on a Tauck tour, Bluegrass to Blue Ridge…a tour of primarily Kentucky and Tennessee  We are certainly out of “packing shape”.  Due to frequent trips (work & pleasure), a lot of items were pre-packed (toiletries, electronics, etc), but after being home for over a year, many items were out of date and required starting from scratch.  Many lists later, our suitcases are packed and loaded into the car for an early morning departure. As were began contemplating taking a post COVID trip, we resear