Sunday, May 27
Jim and I have had an enlightening revelation…we have a job…yup! That’s right. Our job since retiring has been to travel thousands of miles staying in contact with family and friends. So…we’re really ready to have a vacation sometime soon! But…not today. Today in the pouring rain, we left Kansas City on our way to Richmond. Several times when the rain became really annoying (and dangerous), we discussed stopping; however, we persisted until we got to Evansville, IN…by then Jim was worn out. (I don’t drive Big V with a trailer on the back and I definitely don’t do rain!)
Since we were “flying” through St. Louis, I did give the Buttram’s a call One way we are able to do what we do is by “dry” camping…that’s staying at places like Wal-Mart, truck stops, etc. These places always have good security; and if we’re lucky, we can connect to someone’s wi-fi. This is what we did tonight in Evansville.
However, we did have an interesting experience. We were each at our computer “stations” (Jim’s is the dining room table and mine is at the slide out desk in the front by the passenger seat.) when suddenly a young Black man appeared at my window. He wanted a cell phone since he, his wife, and baby (not that we saw them) had run out of gas. Not willing to turn over our phone to a stranger, I called “his brother”, but no one answered. Shock of all shocks. Because, eventually what we found out was that he wanted some gas money to get back to Vincennes, IN (about 30 miles away). Jim gave him $5 and then he asked for a couple more as he said he really needed $7…we gave him 8 and he disappeared, but my feeling of safety was shattered. We talked of moving, but one look at Jim made me realize that man couldn’t drive another mile…so we stayed put!
Monday, May 28
Jim: We started the day with a walk around the area. After our little encounter last night, we weren’t sure what we’d find, but everything was intact. From our parking place we had a beautiful view of the Ohio River. Evansville has really gussied up the riverfront so that it is a very charming place.
Of course, the camera was packed away, so we didn’t get any pictures…guess that will have to wait until a motorcycle trip. Maybe we should install some kind of rack mount for cameras above the door so we don’t miss any more of those “digital moments.”
We were on the road a little before 9:00, headed east on I-64 with no particular goal in mind for the day except to make as many miles as possible before shutting down.
After a few miles of interstate, I spotted a sign giving directions to Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood home, about 8 miles south of the interstate at Dale, Indiana. We had gotten some information about it on our last trip and decided that we needed to take a side trip to visit it.
We hadn’t gone very far when we began questioning the wisdom of this decision. The road was not the best, and once we turned onto Indiana 262, we wondered whether the road would be wide enough for our rig and if there would be a place to turn around. But, once we point Big V and the trailer in a direction, we’re pretty much committed, so we trusted that everything would work out ok.
We hadn’t gone far when we spotted a National Park Service sign directing us to the park’s visitor center…a place with ample parking and turn around space…things that are critical to the success of a day for us.
While we were more than satisfied with the parking arrangements, we were absolutely in awe of
this beautiful memorial to the boyhood of our 16th president. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is situated on 200 acres of land near Lincoln City, and is under the auspices of the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior.In addition to the beautiful visitor’s center, adorned with five bas relief sculptures by E. H. Daniels depicting
steps of Lincoln’s life, the park has Pioneer Cemetery, where Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is buried, the Cabin Site Memorial, Lincoln Spring (source of fresh water for the family), two hiking trails, and a living historical farm.Lincoln and his family moved to this plot of land in 1816, when he was seven years old. Here he and his father cut planks and fastened them together to make a coffin for his mother when she died of the “Milksick” two years later. And it was here that he helped bury his sister and her stillborn child a few years later.
Milksick, a fatal illness, was a scourge of the pioneer settlements. It was caused when cows ate
White Snakeroot, a shade-loving plant (photo above) that grows throughout the Ohio Valley. This drought-resistant plant contains a toxin that is poisonous to animals and to humans who consume the milk products or meat of the animals. During a drought period in 1818 many cows grazed on White Snakeroot, the only live vegetation they could find. It was during this time that many people in the Little Pigeon Creek settlement, including Nancy Hanks Lincoln, became ill with Milksick and died.Still, it was also a place of happiness, growing up, educating himself, and learning the work habits that served him so well in his future life. While most of us think of him as the man from Illinois, it was his 14 years in Indiana that prepared him to be that man. It is little wonder that, in 1945, Abraham Lincoln penned these words, “My childhood-home I see again, and gladden with the view: And still as mem’ries crowd my brain, there’s sadness in it too.”
There wasn’t nearly enough time today to see the entire memorial grounds and the adjacent Lincoln Park, so we decided that we would have to get aboard Big V and head back north to the big road, vowing that we would have to return someday.
Once back on I-64 we put the pedal to the metal and moved on across Indiana and into Kentucky, crossing the Ohio River at Louisville. Our trip through Kentucky took us through Louisville, Frankfort (the capital), and Lexington (home of The Kentucky Derby). It seemed that the miles just kept unfolding and that we would never reach West Virginia where, we had decided, we would stop at an RV park just outside Charleston.
Finally reaching the West Virginia Line about 4:30, we decided (notice that we make a lot of decisions as we roll along…some good, some not so good, and some just reversals of previous decisions) that it was too early to settle in at the place we had chosen, so we continued driving through Huntington and Charleston until we got on the West Virginia Turnpike and eventually reached the Beckley Service Area, where we decided to spend the night nestled in among the truckers who had shared the road with us today.
Wouldn’t you know it…rest areas on this side of the Mississippi are just not as friendly and accommodating as those in the Midwest and Southwest. Most eastern states do not allow overnight parking in their rest areas, and this one was no exception…they allowed a maximum of four hours…not nearly enough for the hours we had put in today and the mountainous road ahead of us.
We thought we’d just drive the eight miles on up to Beckley and search out their Wal-Mart parking lot, but just as we were pulling up on the road, Barbara spotted an RV with its slides out in a parking lot above us. Deciding (there we go again) that we’d check it out, we found that the
parking lot was at Tamarack, a state-sponsored arts and crafts workshop and exhibition hall. We went in to see if there were any rules for RV parking and the kind lady who was working as a receptionist (and busy trying to close the place for the night) took the time to explain that the RV lot was for the convenience of their visitors and that there was no charge. So, here we sit, in an space larger than many we paid to stay
in, surrounded by the magnificent West Virginia mountains and anticipating a morning visit to Tamarack to watch the artists and craftsmen at work and (almost surely) leave some cash behind in exchange for some regional goodies.And so it is we leave you for the night, sitting at home in Big V and enjoying the peace and quiet of this beautiful place.
Tuesday, May 29
After we finally got moving this morning, we went into the Tamarack Center and enjoyed a
wonder Appalachian omelet with
fried green tomatoes, ham, and cheese in their outdoor dining area. What a wonderful way to start a beautiful morning! Then, we wandered through the magnificent art displays with very pricey tags!
After we finally got moving this morning, we went into the Tamarack Center and enjoyed a
wonder Appalachian omelet with
fried green tomatoes, ham, and cheese in their outdoor dining area. What a wonderful way to start a beautiful morning! Then, we wandered through the magnificent art displays with very pricey tags! Finally it was time to get on the road for this last leg of the journey…Richmond!
Yesterday’s long day of travel paid off today, since we arrived in Richmond by 3:30! After setting up Big V, we headed for the pool. We’ve decided our “vacation” has started. We don’t plan to do any sightseeing or wandering around until at least next week.
From Richmond, VA at last!
Jim & Barbara
“And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God.” Abe Lincoln, message to Congress, July 4, 1861.
Yesterday’s long day of travel paid off today, since we arrived in Richmond by 3:30! After setting up Big V, we headed for the pool. We’ve decided our “vacation” has started. We don’t plan to do any sightseeing or wandering around until at least next week.
From Richmond, VA at last!
Jim & Barbara
“And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God.” Abe Lincoln, message to Congress, July 4, 1861.
