Day 5... the Finale

Friday, the last day of the Bluegrass 1000 dawned partly cloudy with a forecast of showers in the afternoon, temps in the low 80's. 

Jason loads Art and Patsy's Maserati/Chrysler for the final trip back to Louisville and hopefully a cure for the ailing brake issue.  Art and Patsy are driving the back up Mustang Convertible for the remander of the tour. 

This is Doug's Trans Am engine compartment.  This car sounds soo cool.

First stop of the day was the Historic RailPark in Bowling Green, a major stop on the old Louisville to Nashville line.

Our tour guide explained the workings of the Rail Postal Office and how they sorted the mail while underway between stops.

A spirited drive and then lunch in Cave City, Ky... at El Patron a family restaurant serving American and Mexican food.  'Twas good stuff.

The scenic routes in Kentucky are marvelous and fun.  The little Morgan is a handful on some of the twisty roads, but we managed to keep up for the most part.  Following a Porsche is a challenge.... maybe it is the difference in drivers more so than the difference in cars.

We tried mightily to get a picture of a tobacco drying barn, but at speed it was a challenge to get the camera aimed in time.  This is about the best we could do.

Bardstown, Kentucky is the center of the Bourbon industry.  We stopped at Heaven Hill Distillery only to find they closed the gift shop in 20 minutes and the tours were done for the day.  So we shopped a bit.

Across from the parking lot were these barns... actually ageing storage buildings containing millions and millions of dollars worth of good old Kentucky Bourbon.  Makes one thirsty.

We rolled in almost exactly at 6 pm to Bill Collins Ford/Lincoln for our farewell dinner.

Steve Ashcraft and Kevin Collins.  Steve was the mechanic on the tour and the go to guy for Kevin Collins, the dealership owner and son of Bill Collins.  Great guys both.

Art and Patsy Kampschafer from Texas.  Art owns a Morgan and other cars, as well as the trouble plagued Maserati/Chrysler seen in photo one of today's issue.

Doug and Shannon McArthur, youngsters from Indiana with the loud and well presented 1976 Trans Am.

Dick and Judy Muny from northeastern Ohio who operated the 1995 air cooled Porsche 911

Bridget Etherton and Eva Prewitt, Paramedics who have protected all of the Bluegrass 1000 tours to date.  Lovely gals with a wonderful sense of humor and kindness.

Jason Choate, operator of the rescue truck.  He drove the truck like a sports car.... and stuck with us all the way.

 

 

Bill and Marie Tilford, tour organizers, leaders and expert drivers who led the way, all the way.

Thanks to all, and regards to Marc and Renee Pearlman who had to leave the tour midway due to a family emergency. 

Overall, we raised some money for charity, had some fun and met some great people.   What more could you want spending a week in the wonderful countryside of central Kentucky. 

Thanks all

Gary and Sally Kneisley   aka  Mog R

Day 4, Thursday -- A Real CAR day.

This is Thursday, the fourth day of the Bluegrass 1000 tour of interesting places in Kentucky, to benefit the Bill Collins Parkinson Center in Louisville, Ky.  Bill Collins Ford Lincoln automobile dealership, the largest in Kentucky, provided support for the tour, including back up cars, a mechanic, a flatbed and paramedics who tag along all the way.  The route is planned by Bill and Marie Tilford who do all the details and put this wonderful experience together.  We've all grown to know and appreciate each other during this week of touring.

Today dawned clear and dewy again, but the cars were in good fettle and ready to go.

A hearty breakfast at the hotel, last minute adjustment to collapsible roofs and jackets to ward off the chill, and off we go on a short hop to the Kentucky Museum, part of Western Kentucky University.

A marvelous sculpture of Abe Lincoln welcomed us all to the museum.  Bridget is trying to wake up Abe.

The tour guide encouraged some of the ladies to dress up in period costumes.  Here Sally, Patsy and Bridget clown around.  Jeff gets a Union officer costume too.

The tour included many unique exhibits of early life in Kentucky and an impressive collection of early settlers cooking utensils and toys.

Duncan Hines was a resident of Bowling Green, and wrote his famous restaurant and travel guides here. 

Doug and Judy joke around at the Log Cabin exhibit.

Then off to the National Corvette Museum.  Bowling Green is where all the Corvettes are made, and their heritage is preserved here.  A lunch for us all provided by PNC Bank and admission to the museum provided by Bill Collins Ford/Lincoln. 

Many exhibits of these wonderful cars and their designers, engineers and history are on display.

The Rotunda contains many examples of the historical range of Corvettes, and some special Corvettes too.  The museum was expanded about two years ago and was vastly different than when we visited a decade past. 

Then off for a rapid drive through the twisty byways of lower Kentucky. 



I tried to capture Doug's Trans Am in my mirror.  Dick's Porsche is ahead of me.

The day was climaxed with a fine dinner at the Country Club at Old Stone in Avalton, Kentucky, just below Bowling Green.   

Day 3 A Bar B Que and a Cave and many pretty miles.

Day 3 of the Bluegrass 1000 saw the rain out of the way and the sun shining.  We woke to a chill and heavy dew, which soon passed and by 10am most of us were dropping our hoods and basking in the sunshine. 

The fall colors of Kentucky are coming on... and the two lane route US231 from Bowling Green to Owensboro was smooth, with light traffic and relatively fast. 



Our lunch stop was in Owensboro at the Moonlight Bar B Q... world renowned with a huge mail order and catering business.  President Clinton made a stop here during his term in office.

 

Featured on the BBQ line was pork, beef and mutton.... that's right mutton.  Not often seen in restaurants.  Slightly game like in taste but really good.  They also served Burgoo.... a stew made with mutton etc.

After this terrific lunch Judy walked around the grounds to work it off a bit. 

After lunch we had a couple of hours to spend in downtown Owensboro.  This huge bridge connects Ownesboro with Indiana. 

The Bluegrass Music Museum is a really complete introduction to this unique American form of music, and a tribute to Bill Monroe, a local musical who practically invented this genre of music.  Here's Dick, Judy and Sally posing while I take the photo.

Just opened is a beautiful river front park dedicated to the Veterans of America's wars.  The park just opened in August and was extremely well done and the military tribute quite moving. 

Up close

We wandered down 2nd St and found the Bee Bop soda shop.  Only 75-cents a scoop for ice cream. 

After lunch we drove back to Bowling Green, about 80 miles, to the Lost River Cave park. 

Here, at the entrance to the Lost River Cave park are many of the participants of our tour.  Dick, Judy, Shannon, Sally, Jason (flat bed driver), Bridget (paramedic), Bill Tilford tour organizer, Shane Collins tour sponsor, Steve Ashcraft tour mechanic and sponsor, Eva (paramedic), and Marie Tilford, tour organizer.

Entering the cave.  The strings of lights on the left illuminate a dance floor where they hold concerts, weddings and parties.  The tour guide explained that years ago famous orchestras and singers would perform here while touring the country. 

After the cave tour we dined on a very nice catered dinner in the Lost River Cave park meeting room and then found our way back to the hotel after dark, stopping for gas on the way.  A nice day.

Doug and Shannon Mcarthur sent me this photo taken Monday at the Kentucky Speedway.  Who's the dapper guy with the diminutive car?

From Louisville to Bowling Green

The Bluegrass 1000 Day 2 has been an interesting drive from Louisville to Bowling Green with a couple of enjoyable stops.

Jason is the driver of the back up truck.  Bill Collins Ford provides this truck and a late model Ford Mustang in case anyone has trouble with their car. 

And this is the first car to have serious enough trouble.  Marc and Renee's lovely Jaguar XK8 has been diagnosed with a bad rear wheel bearing.  Two days to get the part.  So, they get to use the Mustang. 

The day is dry, but overcast.  Nice tree lined roads and lots of twisty turns.  Fun.

First stop is the George S. Patton Museum at Fort Knox.  Built as a tribute to this great General who guided our troops across Europe to win World War II.

 . 

The Man, himself

General Patton's car.

He died in this car when it crashed with another in 1945, at 60 years old. 

Fort Knox trained most of the Tank Operators during WWII.



Little Bertha.... a big gun.

Oh, Wow, a second car down.  This is Art's 1990 Maserati Chrysler, with a bad brake relay.  This car is so unique he can't find anyone who knows how to fix it.  Art and Patsy get to drive the back-up Mustang... the second one.

The afternoon stop was at Kentucky Down Under, an interesting animal park and cave tour.  Ever pet a Kangaroo?

Terrific dinner tonight at the hotel in Bowling Green, then rest to get ready for another busy day tomorrow.