Green and Green /  by Dave Hileman

We were walking along the Green River in the Mammoth Cave National Park. This is a large park both above and below ground and there are miles of hiking trails and horse back trails. This trail led off the plateau down to this river with deep forest and decent cliffs on one side of the water. Steamboats used to bring tourists to the area and docked near where we were. What caught my eye were the emerging leaves - spring green agains the deeper, green, brown-tinged Green River. An early sign of spring at a higher altitude in the Cumberland.

Drips and Domes /  by Dave Hileman

This was the name of one of the tours I took at Mammoth Cave. It included 580 steps down into the cave where we were on a level that was nearly 300 feet underground. It was about a 2 mile walk through the limestone passages of the cave. There are about 400 miles of mapped and they estimate 600 miles of addition passages in this massive underground labyrinth.

Is it real or is it memorex? /  by Dave Hileman

Once again trying to learn a bit about using the software program. This Glossy Ibis was flying fast across a blue sky and appeared in the photo like a silhouette (who knew there was an “H” in silhouette?). So this is with a new sky and using some masks et al in a new way. Not perfect for sure but we are learning.

You can even move the background around

Poor /  by Dave Hileman

This was a throw-a-way snap. Cindy and I were touring the Dr. Pepper place in Waco, worth the visit, and this was on a wall near where the trucks loaded for delivery. It is an original - could have been re-done at some point, it dates from the 1940’s. This was the longest any slogan lasted for Dr. P. This one began in 1923 and was used until the late 1950’s. I did a terrible job with the exposure among other faults. Finally i wrote something everyone can agree with! Anyway On 1, my editing software offered a free course and following the course I got this photo. Still not a super shot but way better than where I started. I plan to try a few more this week with this course as the basis for the edits. We will see how it goes.

Yenko /  by Dave Hileman

I was excited to see this car at the National Corvette Museum. It was an early effort, and very successful, by Don Yenko’s Chevy garage in Cannonsburg, PA. The town is about an hour south of Pittsburgh and the old airport there was an SCCA track. I was able to work with my friend’s father and their team for one afternoon of tire testing on a Lola T-170 in about 1969. This was also where I had my first ride in a BMW 2002 at speed. But I went several times to the Yenko dealership cause he always had cool cars. He was better known, when I was hanging around, for his Camero and Corvair “Yenko Stingers” that were winning races across the country. Brought back some neat memories.

Safety /  by Dave Hileman

“I tell you it is safe, you can come up.” “But are you sure? It still looks dangerous.” “I can see for a long way, Sam, I tell you it is safe!”

Scarab /  by Dave Hileman

This is a Scarab race car from the early 60’s powered by a Chevy V-8. I had one of these in 1/24 scale that I used in dozens of slot car races. It was a very successful car for me because of the unusual wheelbase it was a dream to drive. This car (not mine:) was in the Corvette museum.

 More Information - https://petrolicious.com/articles/the-scarab-is-the-most-beautiful-race-car-you-ve-never-heard-of

Monday - Monday (The Rabbit and the Moose) /  by Dave Hileman

The Rabbit.

This is the latest small carving - a fun little rabbit project.

The Moose. 

So Cadillac said last we saw him that he would be gone “on a speaking tour” after his alleged heroic efforts to save the Oliver. Turns out to be not quite what happened. We found the errant Moose in a closet once we recovered the Oliver. He was not on a speaking tour, he was not writing a book, he was not being considered for the newest Marvel movie, he was in hiding. He thought he may have caused the electrical malfunction when he plugged in his antler straightener one evening. We assured him that he did not create that problem. Other issues well we could talk.


I was trying to figure out why he was in such a terrible mood, sulking around the camper and just generally being disgruntled. Finally it emerged that he was sad that his friend Tom was not feeling good. (Tom is one of Cadillac’s big supporters, along with Rusty & Dennis - who can understand taste)

Legal Disclaminer: Cadillac lives in his own reality and mis-remembers more than his name on occasion. TLT takes no position on the complete veracity of the following conversation.

So we talked a bit about Tom. Cadillac said he remembers all the great times he had with Tom. Some of the highlights were fishing for salmon in Alaska, making fun of the Amish antler-less horses, sky diving over the Grand Canyon, hiking to the top of “old Smoky” in the GSMNP, quaffing root beers after a hard day of ice cream hunting. He recalls going to the World Series and how he, Cadillac, had to pitch the last inning to save the series. He reminisces over the 36 blueberry pies they ate in Acadia to determine which was the best one and then started over cause they could not recall where they were on the list. He remembers the $12 he won playing poker in Las Vegas and the week they spent in some place hot where he had to deal with an overly large rodent. None of that compared with the time Cadillac had to save Tom from the ferocious Grizzly Bears at Lake Clark. Good thing he knew how to pilot an airboat!

He doesn’t really recall the Shenandoah Valley - it was lost in the mists of wine. But he is clear about the halibut in Seward - both times. Cadillac enjoys watching old movies cause Tom knows everything about them. He looks forward to seeing those inferior antlered animals in the back yard but he does not like the squirrels. He regrets not getting to Hawaii cause he had a most magnificent & colorful shirt. 

After he finished chatting a bit he got very quiet. He posed the idea that good people are always a part of your life cause they change you and friendship makes everything better along the way. 

Apparently he is smarter than the average moose. 

Back Again /  by Dave Hileman

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 /  by Dave Hileman

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. /  by Dave Hileman

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! /  by Dave Hileman

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 /  by Dave Hileman

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 /  by Dave Hileman

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 /  by Dave Hileman

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.... /  by Dave Hileman

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.