Town and Country

Just got back from vacation.  An assortment of back-roads, interstates, big cities and small towns.

We stopped at many roadside attractions, just as our traveling fore-fathers(and mothers) did.



The entrance tunnel to the Lost Sea cave in Sweetwater, Tennessee.  This is 3/4 mile long cave tour, highlighted by a 4-acre underground lake.  The lake was discovered in 1904 by an 11-year-old boy who lived nearby and played in the cave.  No-one believed him for 50 years, until 1954, when someone finally discovered the lake that he had found.  He was now 61 and helped guide the explorers to where it was based on his memory from 50 years prior.

In 1960 it was setup as a bomb shelter and could house 20,000 people for two weeks.

This was our fourth cave tour in the last three years.

In the 1930's the cave was home to the "Cavern Tavern", a speakeasy with no less than three moonshine stills producing the whiskey.  The problem was that no-one could get drunk because of the air pressure inside of the cave preventing the alcohol from being absorbed into the blood stream...

That is, until you started ascending the 300+ steps out of the cave.  The higher you walked, the more alcohol would be released into the bloodstream.  Many people never made it to the top before passing out.  The long bumpy roll back down the stairs injured many a par-taker...

The Cavern Tavern closed after six months.

They release Rainbow Trout into the underground lake, let them grow for a year and then harvest them.  They are huge.

The Lost Sea.  They need more lights down here, as it is actually quite dark.  This picture is pretty accurate.

Tennessee cows.

The Tennessee River. 

On the way back there was construction here and it took an hour to cross the river.

Just another little sheep at the Museum of Appalachia.

1870's jail cells, used in Madisonville, TN.

Enormous Appalachian tad-poles.

The lawn at the Museum of Appalachia.

A big exhibit of Harrison Mayes signs. 

He was nearly killed in a coal-mining accident and spent the rest of his life making concrete signs and placing them throughout the region.

Mark Twain cabin.

Three happy ones.

Ivey eyeing some sheep.  Some of these looked like Tunis Sheep, which were once the most common breed in the South.  Thomas Jefferson owned a flock of them.  Union troops literally destroyed and ate them out of existence in America during the end of the Civil War.

Gabe would be perfectly happy in a home like this.  As long as he has his Lego's.

Southern Kentucky.

Where tobacco still grows under old water towers.

Cincinnati and the Netherland Plaza Hotel.

This hotel has a great street level parking lot right across the street.  Which is good when your big homeschool van won't fit in the parking garage.

The Ohio River which is the Mason-Dixon line in this part of the country.



The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati. 

After this bridge was completed in 1866, Roebling began the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. 

The weather clears after a rainy and stormy night.

We spotted these two interesting items on the roof of part of the Netherland Plaza...

And found they they are actually bee-hives.

Breakfast at Hathaway's diner has become a family favorite.

Gabe is describing the scary dinosaurs at the Creation Museum to Ella.

Leaving the hotel and heading to the Creation Museum.

Levi examines the awesome size of Noah's Ark.



The gardens of the Creation Museum.

A miniature Jersey at the petting zoo.

Gabe riding the camel.  Another yearly event.

Ohio farm.

The two-lane road to Oak Harbor in northen Ohio.

Oak Harbor is the closest little town to where we stay.  It still has a 1950's feel to it. 

Notice that their last day for the year is 10/2.  After that it will be too cold for ice cream.

No Home Depot here. 

This store has probably looked this way for 70 years and always does a good business.

Finally arriving at the lake house after 800 miles.

Back in Tennessee on the trip home.

We took a side road to avoid traffic and find Loudon, TN.  This was a great little place and will make a good stop for the next trip.