We stopped on our way to Knoxville at the Big South Fork Scenic River. It is in both Tennessee and Kentucky. We were able to do a 4 mile hike to the Angel Falls which were not falls but rapids. It was a lovely day. For Monday’s post we will catch up with the errant Moose, get a few more photos posted and some new information on the Oliver saga. However, tonight it is time for bed. Past time for bed.
Different Kind of Day /
We drove to Bardstown to a distillery. This is the heart of Kentucky bourbon country and there are numerous well known and lessor known manufacturers located in the area and they often provide tours. We chose Barton 1792 Distillery because the tour and the tasting were free. And recommended as well. Plus the company is not going to be doing tours after April so it seemed like the thing to do. It was. Our guide, Kyle was well informed and did a wonderful job on the tour that lasted nearly 90 minutes. It ended in a room were we were each given a sample of four kinds of bourbon, a chocolate and a souvenir. Did I mention it was free.
I had never tasted bourbon before and as you might expect I did not really like it. But I am glad to have tried it once. Once being the operative word here. The milk shake we had late afternoon from the local drug store soda fountain was much more to my taste. We also stopped briefly at the Lincoln Birthplace National Memorial. This is a NP unit that we have been to twice over the years.
The Moose is still holding out on me. He said I can have the code if everything goes well Friday. I don’t know what his cryptic message means but if he does, I will post the photos for Thursday and Friday late Friday. Not sure what his mood is this time. I will get to the story!
This is the still base it extends 70 feet.
This warehouse holds about 7.5 millions dollars of bourbon. It is seven stories tall. The top of the line bourbon is housed on levels 4 and 5, the lowest quality is on 1-3 and the medium is on floors 6 & 7. There are no glass on the windows nor light, heat or A/C. The process is from 3 to 12 years.
And number 312 please step up. /
We visited the Mill Stream Civil War Battlefield this morning. It is the NPS # 312 and the last one we needed to complete Kentucky. It was a windy, overcast, and off & on rainy morning. The tour is a very old one laid out well before the NPS took over the park. Still we managed to follow the battle for about 10 miles from its start to the Cumberland River where the Confederates escaped overnight by way of the Ellis steamship that made trip after trip across the river under fire from the Union forces. On the last trip at daylight the ship was disabled. It was then burned by the Confederates.
We also enjoyed a fine cider donut at the Haney’s Appledale Farm and an excellent cup of coffee from the Battlefield Coffee. Neither had WiFi. We then did a bit of housekeeping at the trailer during a brief rain and then drove to Cumberland Falls a very impressive waterfall in the Cumberland Plateau.
Once again photos may be late for the same excuse as yesterday. The Moose stole the WiFi code.
This was Last Stand Hill. The graves are not individual as they appear, the stones were added later but it is on the site of a mass Confederate grave. The road in the background was a dirt road in 1862 but it is in the same location.
A New Park! /
We arrived at Camp Nelson just south of Lexington, KY to tour one of the newest parks in the system. This was a Civil War depot for the north and a training center for the African American troops. It is adjacent to a National Cemetery for Camp Nelson. This is a large park but essentially grasslands. While there are signs indicating what was on various spots of the grounds there is very little left. Some of the earthen works that comprised several linked forts and a barn. They have a VC but it was not open and a building reconstructed to represent a barracks. We walked about 3 or 3.5 miles of mowed trail past six of the named forts and the stable area. While there was nothing left of that part the signs were very interesting. The army rehabilitated horses and mules here. About 25,000 horses were returned to service from this place. It was also a busy area. There were between 100 and 250 wagons arriving and leaving every day. Five mules would haul a wagon that weighed about 4000 pounds to distant ports or to the nearby railroad and then the supplies were sent to the armies in the western theater.
This park is number 311 on our quest.
We later visited Old Fort Harrodsburg - just the outside, Pleasant Hill Shaker Community - where we had lunch in the Trustee’s House and the Perryville Battlefield, a Kentucky State Historic Site.
Photos will not load tonight, I will post them sometime during the day.
Camp Nelson National Cemetery.
The fort that is in the left of the frame was designed to teach how to build an earthen fort. It served as a second line of defense. In the distance our two yellow flags showing positions of other forts in the line.
A street scene from Pleasant Hill.
Into the Labyrinth /
We took a third tour on Monday morning. This was via the Historic Entrance and we walked about 1 mile into the cave. Only 400+ to go! We say the remains of the salt peter production that was done here from about 1790 to 1815. Salt peter is used to make black gunpowder. There were hundreds of names on the ceiling and walls of the cave from early travelers and guides. They were usually done with candle soot. This is a very dry section of the cave and perishable artifacts have endured here for 100’s of years some dating back to about 3000 BC.
After the tour we altered our schedule and came to Fishing Creek Campground a ACOE place and they are always nice. We are near Somerset and headed to a new park on Tuesday. We have almost no service so if you are reading this later than usual, I had to post as we traveled north toward Camp Nelson.
Big Cave, actually Mammoth Cave /
Yesterday about 10:30 we exited the gated parking lot of Inverter Services and headed out. All was well with the Oliver. At least it appears that way. We successfully camped with no hookups and the battery provided power to the microwave, coffee pot and lights as well as running the furnace all night - it was 31 degrees last night.
We stopped at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. Nice displays placed in creative settings. They had representations of all generations from 1953 to the current mid-engine version. There were also a nice selection of race cars and automobiles that used Chevy power.
Then on to the Mammoth Cave National Park. This is the largest cave system in the world. We have a tour scheduled for Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. There are a lot of choices. After we set up camp we did a 2.5 mile hike to the Green River and along the Historic Trail. Along the ay we passed the Historic Entrance and a neat place where the River Styx flows out of the cave system and into the Green River. We enjoyed the rest of our take out dinner from the Chef Market.
Historic Entrance to Mammoth Cave
River Styx flowing out of the mountain.
On the Road /
It appears the Oliver is back in service. We are tentative about everything yet it is all working. And well.
Travel is and always has been a bit of an adventure. Our modern era seems far removed from those challenges because our automobiles are more reliable (if not so affordable!) as are planes and trains and highways and places to eat and stay so we tend to forget that there are still challenges. And we often magnify those that occur. Our experience with the trailer is so minor in the world of issues that dominate the news. And that our trip did not go according to our plans is more to be expected than that everything would unfold just like we designed it.
Today’s photo is in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The monument is to a John Cooper who was traveling in a buckboard from Bakersfield to Salt Lake City in 1905. The monument is along the Arrow Highway that was the first road though this area. He died while trying to find water. That was 117 years ago and now we arrive in airconditioned comfort on nicely paved and well marked highways, exit where we want to take a two mile hike with amazing clothes that even protect from the sun and carry all we need until back in the car and crank up the AC and the music after checking our messages on the phone.
Travel is way better, not perfect. Thankfully - cause that adds to the adventure.
Almost.... /
We were almost done or at least we thought so. One more glitch showed up this morning and it is being attended to as I type this late morning. Not sure of the outcome at this time but we are on hold. Tomorrow we are to be at Mammoth Cave so, we need this done. Also for mental health we need this done.
In the meanwhile, enjoy this photo of two Burrowing Owls taken just north of Las Vegas. There were two pair that emerged on two different sites about 100 feet apart. I took a LOT of photos:)
UPDATE Friday Evening: It has been an adventure. This morning when the inverter did not function as it was intended I called Inverter Services and they told me to come over. Which we did. Randy, the tech, wanted to make sure it had a full charge because it looked like that was where the issue was so he set up a pure filtered power charge and we went off for more coffee. We returned after about 2 hours, near noon and set up the system but no go. So they pulled the batteries and did a more sophisticated test - lithium are a bit different and they have systems built into the battery itself. Well, #2 was nearly dead. So we contacted Battleborn in Nevada and they authorized replacements (16 months into a ten year warrantee - very good service from them) and I. S. had them in stock! It took an hour to wire the new ones up in a better fashion and then charge a bit. We found everything working, but wait, not the end of the story.
Then we noticed our solar readout panel not working. Everything else was on. Turned out one wire needed reattached. FYI there is VERY little room in the battery box on our trailer and it is hard to see what you are doing. They finished and the panel was on - everything else was not! Back they come and found a main connecting wire that put the two batteries into correct configuration had a fault of some sort - it too is replaced and finally it all seems right. It is, however, important to “balance” the battery so it works well between discharge and charge. Or at least that is what I understood of the conversation. To do that we are spending the night in the Inverter Services parking lot, behind their gate and sequencing 110 charge with 12 volt discharge. After three cycles all is well. On the last test now. And holding our breath.
Tomorrow we hope the wind, rain, hail, sleet and snow will abate, the trailer electonics work as intended, that we recall how to open the gate and we can be off to Mammoth Cave National Park. With a debt of thanks to Inverter Services and Randy who patiently and repeatedly took care of us.
R&R, Restored and Ready /
I hope and I certainly intend this to be the last of the Oliver Recovery Project. We left our very nice campsite near Nashville at a COE lakeside spot in the early dark hours to stop at, of all places, McDonalds. We needed good WiFi at precisely 8:00 EDT (or seven here) to try and score a campsite Gulf side in Florida for next March, that is right NEXT March. And we did get five nights.
Then we drove north to White House and an appointment to get our new inverter. This is a very well run professional place. The work was done fairly quickly and he gave us a thumbs up on the solar with an explanation, finally, as to why for several years our inverter did not work. WIRE SIZE.
While this was going on we met with a friend we had not seen for 41 years. It was so good to catch up with Joyce. We met at a super coffee & ice cream shop. And people have a hard time defining ‘‘heaven.”
I am still zonked. We moved to a commercial campground at 3:30 and have done very little except, set up, take a walk and buy what looks like fabulous take out food from the Chef’s Market- thanks to Joyce!
Maybe tomorrow with a decent rest tonight the actual trip can begin in ernest - or maybe from the campground. We may also have a surprise in a day or two to report. Think antlers.
Our inverter repair center
Deja Moo - recommended if you are in White House, TN
Better, a Bit /
Day two of the Oliver Recovery Project commenced with optimism. We did not sleep too well but still things looked bright in the foggy, hazy, storm impending morning. After breakfast we continued the cleaning and re-stocking. While also checking each of our systems. Late morning we tried the inverter by using the coffee pot, it worked. We thought we were home free. Then last thing we tried the microwave also on inverter, worked fine on 110. It ran 25 seconds and we got an error message on the inverter. We got the tech from Oliver to come over - he recorded the error messages and we took it back across the lot to the shop and left it as the crew was leaving for lunch. When they returned and started in on our issue we chose to go eat lunch. Returning we found the news that the inverter that tested twice by Oliver and seemed OK was actually damaged as well. Did they have a new one? No. A different one is used now and it would be difficult to install it but, Jason found one north of Nashville. Bad news that would take a day or two at best to get. If, he said, we had an appointment they could install and bill back via Oliver. Well, we did! Amazing. I had made an appointment to have the solar checked ( I resisted the urge to write Solar System, you’re welcome) at this place. So arrangements have been made and confirmed. We are to be there at 8 tomorrow.
While at Oliver we met a great couple from Cincinnati, Roy and Christina, and we talked a long time together. About RV and travel and church, they are committed believers, we just had a great time. We are grateful for the time passed much more agreeably with the two of them to visit witha.
Oliver has improved so much from our early experiences. New large facility, full staff, waiting room, nice show room, delivery area and — very accommodating and competent people. They are busy all the time but are doing a strong job.
We moved to a campground about 40 minutes from our appointment on Thursday. It is 8:20 it may as well be midnight - good night!
Truncated Post! /
We were up at five left at six drove 600+ miles in heavy rain much of the way. Picked up the Oliver, cleaned it inside, loaded the clothes, food, dishes, bedding et al and are done at 9:28 which is actually 10:28. I will write about the Oliver experience which was well above expectations - aside from FedEx…later. Good Night.
Ready for this long day to end.
For Sale - no not the Oliver:) Update /
I have no idea what “hotel” spawned the idea for the lyrics of the Eagle’s Hotel California but this fits the bill. It has a courtyard, is well out in the desert and spooky even at mid-day. Plus the entire town of Nipton is for sale if you are interested in becoming the mayor for life - this is your chance.
The part arrived at 3:52 CDT on Monday. FedEx delivered the overnight package to Hohenwald in a mere six days with the overnight service. Ridiculous. One week for an overnight package from 400 miles away. .Next stop install and does it work?
I got word just after six that it is installed and working with one exception that is the low speed fan on the AC. The AC is only working on high speed fan. We can resolve that issue locally. Both the furnace and the AC work and the furnace is the more critical for this trip as temperatures appear to be in the high 30s several nights. We are planning to leave for Hohenwald at six am.
Melted (and update) /
This image is from the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada not too far from Las Vegas. A remarkable place. We did not have enough time here and not having the trailer meant we were 90 minutes away so it was not as easy to be here at the right time of day. This was close to sunset and the colors really pop. The bends in the rock of the various strata of color are magical. My photos do not do them justice. That is one reason why even after a year I have not posted any of these before but I will get a few done this spring.
Speaking of spring we hope now to be in Hohenwald mid-day on Tuesday to get the Oliver. The elusive part has journeyed from the factory to Baton Rouge - where it apparently was held captive by pirates, released to Nashville on Saturday and to a distribution center close to Hohenwald on Sunday. We plan to leave here once the repair folks tell us it is installed and working. So likely Monday. Our first part and last part of the trip is set but we are holding off on the middle cause we may need adjustments if things do not all work correctly in the trailer. More on this Tomorrow. Meanwhile, if we are on schedule, I will be at a motel on Monday night somewhere in TN and will be able to watch the BB game. Go Team!
After six days in transit as of 8:10 CDT the package is out for delivery, FedEx “setting new standards for the word ‘Overnight.’”
Oliver Update /
Thermostat is on the move! Tracking the “overnight” package since last Tuesday - Factory, to Baton Rouge Tuesday to Friday, Saturday to Nashville, Sunday to Lawrenceville, the local distribution center.
Perserve /
Big Horn Sheep (3 photos) /
We spotted this small herd of Big Horn Sheep near the main road at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.
The Oliver Update: Fedex has had the part in the Baton Rouge facility since Wednesday before noon and it still is there - it was shipped with overnight fees on Tuesday from the company and it is simply “delayed” with no explanation, no action and no promise it will leave there today or tomorrow or Monday. We are delaying again.
Mother and new born were staying back very still away from the main herd. What do you call a baby Big Horn Sheep? Little Toot Sheep?
Leader of the pack (and now he’s gone)
Lonely and Hot - Oliver Update (that may have the same title:) /
This is a very small mining operation on private land, maybe a single family effort? It is on the edge of the Mohave Desert National Monument but still well in the desert itself. We are several miles off the main highway on a dusty and deeply potholed sort-of-paved road. I cannot imagine what day to day life is like in this area. But I was living here I would guess each day would be like a bad April Fools day prank. Surely this is not my home.
Update: as of 4:00 Thursday the thermostat had not arrived but they were tracking it and still thought it would arrive by close of business. Then it would be installed Friday and tested through the day. We do not yet know if we will leave on Sunday but still hope to do so. I may not update the travel plans until the Monday post.
Big Day /
We find out later today if the trailer is done and ready to be picked up Monday the 4th of April.
We are anxious to be back on the two lane roads headed to parks and friends and travel adventures. So, watch Saturday’s post for the latest on the next - shorter, much shorter, trip.
This is a shot from Death Valley headed toward Artists Point.
Choose Your Own Adventure at Death Valley National Park /
I know it is a tree, but it reminded me of all the old westerns where they come across the bleached bones of __________(fill in the blank) and the ominous music crescendos and the camera fades to the worried looks on the rest of the __________(fill in the blank).
Contrast (update added 10AM today) /
This is taken in the midst of the Great Sand Dunes of Death Valley National Park. I found the mesquite trees fascinating. Here is one atop a dune with the purple/blue/grey of a mountain looming in the background.
Late Update: just heard that the testing of the Oliver is underway. Thermostat failed and is to be replaced in the AM with a new one. It has been fussy for a while and this is not surprising. The good news is that they have moved from repair to testing. Yay!
