In this thread over the next weeks or months, I will share some of my thoughts and experiences about traveling across a good stretch of the USA in the summer of 2011.

The first thing that strikes me is the tremendous diversity - geography, flora and fauna, people, architecture, etc.  Every American should take at least one extended road trip across this great country during their lifetime.  I have been blest to have made 4 such extended road trips and a number of shorter ones.  each time, I have learned many new things about America -- especially about its people.

The second thing that struck me after this past trip is the tremendous changes since my last extended road trip a couple of decades ago.  The growth of urban and suburban sprawl .... the modernization in our rural areas ...  and still the true spirit of America lives on.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

In this thread over the next weeks or months, I will share some of my thoughts and experiences about traveling across a good stretch of the USA in the summer of 2011 during two weeks that I should have been home protecting historical documents.

Among the highlights of the trips were visits to as many places (homes, memorials) connected to past American presidents that I could squeeze into my itinerary.

In Ohio, I had the opportunity to visit the home of James A. Garfield (one of the former presidents that I find most interesting to study about),  the memorial to William McKinley in his home town, the home of Warren G. Harding and the home of William Howard Taft.    I had already visited the home of Rutherford B. Hayes some years ago.  

*yawn*

Visiting Orrville, Ohio -- the home of Smucker's -- was quite fun.   The town itself is testament to how a small family business can become a world class company with many brand names under its umbrella (including Dunkin Donuts and Pillsbury).

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Visiting Orrville, Ohio -- the home of Smucker's -- was quite fun.   The town itself is testament to how a small family business can become a world class company with many brand names under its umbrella (including Dunkin Donuts and Pillsbury).

Pilsbury,how appropriate.

Dvr.......this is NOT the kind of forum one does their traveling experiences on. People use something called a PERSONAL BLOG!!! Not a message board!!! Try Word Press for this type of thing. REALLY!!!!

However.......feel free to continue to trash, bash and burn local businesses that don't align with your political flavor!!!

Quoted from bumblethru

Dvr.......this is NOT the kind of forum one does their traveling experiences on. People use something called a PERSONAL BLOG!!! Not a message board!!! Try Word Press for this type of thing. REALLY!!!!

However.......feel free to continue to trash, bash and burn local businesses that don't align with your political flavor!!!

This is under "chit Chat about anything" ---- and anything is appropriate ... and there is NO evidence of trashing, burning or bashing ANYTHING and certainly not local businesses   .. and there has been no partisan commentary from me under this thread ....    

so if you are not interested in the thread .. no one is forcing you to either read or respond.

Traveling through Kentucky was very interesting.  

In the Lexington area, I spent some time touring the back roads around Keeneland Racecourse and the many horse farms in that area.  As someone with a great love for the "sport of kings" and who has been known to place a some modest bets on the ponies, I was blown away by the natural beauty of this area and the well-maintained thoroughbred horse  breeding and racing facilities.  It shows what is possible in New York State and, in particular, in the Saratoga-Capital Region IF we are willing to make an investment to revive/upgrade and promote the Empire State's thoroughbred horse breeding and racing industry.   The potential for job creation and revenue would tremendous.

One disappointment in Kentucky --- the home of Kentucky Fried Chicken --- is the difficulty finding a KFC or any place that actually serves fried chicken.    (The next time that I visit Kentucky .. I will make an effort to viist Corbin, KY where Colonel Sander began serving his famous chicken and where a museum/restaurant is in operation)

Bardstown, KY was a brief but interesting stop --   Stephen Foster's Old Kentucky Home and the Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral were my goals in visiting this small city.   The latter was the seat of the first Roman Catholic Diocese in the United States west of the Appalachian mountains (established in 1808 and transferred to Louisville in 1841).

The Land Between the Lakes  (Lake Barclay and Kentucky Lake) , which lies in both Kentucky and Tennessee was a very pleasant stop  on the way out (in Kentucky) and on the way home (in Tennessee).   Both visits were brief -- but I can assure the  campers, water-sport enthusiasts, hunters and fishers that there are plenty of opportunities here to relax and have fun with your favorite pastime(s).   There is even a huge shoppingoutlet (in Kentucky) to keep the women folk busy.

All in all, Kentucky is a beautiful state and -- admittedly -- one that I had previously underestimated ... I can assure you that I will be making future visits to the Blue Grass State.

Quoted Text

A Blog is Yours, and A Forum is Not
With a blog, you set up your account and site, design it to look the way you want it to look, add advertising in some cases, and write regularly. Over time, both by your own design and as a result of what you've written, your blog develops a "personality". You can elect to allow comments or not. Blogs are often devoted to a specific topic, although some are devoted to a number of topics (for example, "All the things I've thought" or "What I did today") that, essentially, are only related by virtue of the fact that the same person wrote them.

A forum belongs to someone else (a company, an online site, a non-profit organization, or anyone who who creates and runs the forum). A forum is a collection of posts offered by the general public, often in a question-and-answer format although some forums are nothing but comments on a post that, itself, was nothing but a comment.

get it???????

Quoted from bumblethru

get it???????

It says very clearly ----  "Chit Chat About Anything   Talk about anything you like.  Can't find a subject start one."  

If you don't like the subject don't bother to read it and don't bother to respond  ...  get it  ??????  

Or are you going to act like a spoiled child  and whine about it  or a  terrorist and make an attack or threat against me  personally ????

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Chit Chat About Anything  ...  get it  ??????  

you really do need to become more educated and acquainted with internet functions.

Sticking to the topic of the thread -  

the topic for tomorrow will be another state - that I had previously underestimated - that proved to be filled with wonderful places to visit .. s

::yawn::