May 2003 - Round America

Foot High Pie – Day 61

Foot High Pie

Day 61 – May 31, 2003 – Saturday

I had not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven pieces of pie today. I saw the gym where the movie Hoosiers was filmed, and I saw the world’s largest bottle of catsup. I drove the National Road — Highway 40 — through Indiana and Illinois. It rained much of the day, so I didn’t get out of the car much. I met really delightful people at the two restaurants I visited. I saw my first covered bridge of the trip, my second Madonna of the Trail, a big cross, and my 56th, 57th, 58th, 59th, 60th, 61st, and 62nd pieces of pie.

One of my favorite movies of all times is “Hoosiers.” I also love “Rudy,” and a number of other movies where the underdog works hard and succeeds in the end. The movies are even better when they are based on true stories, like “Rudy” and “Hoosiers.” Basketball is IT in Indiana, so it was especially important for me to see an important basketball sight in the state.

“Hoosiers” was released in 1986. It’s a movie about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. The film is set during 1952, when all high schools in Indiana, regardless of school size, competed against each other in one state championship tournament. It stars Gene Hackman as a new coach with a spotty past, Barbara Hershey, Sheb Wooley, and Dennis Hopper as the basketball-loving town drunkard, a performance that brought him an Oscar nomination. The movie was written by Angelo Pizzo, who co-produced “Rudy,” and was directed by David Anspaugh, who directed “Rudy.” The movie was loosely based on the 1954 Milan Indiana Indians becoming the smallest school to win the one-class Indiana state championship in the modern era against all odds. In 1954, Milan was a quiet rural town in the southeastern part of Indiana, with a high school of 161 students, but it became the scene of one of the greatest basketball stories in history.

So it was with great anticipation that I headed east from Indianapolis to the town of Knightstown, Indiana, site of the basketball gym that was used in the movie. The gym was closed, but I was able to peek in the windows. I couldn’t see much through the windows, but I replayed in my mind the movie and what I had read about that amazing team, and I couldn’t help but be inspired.

In hindsight, I wish I had planned to go to the town of Milan.

Knightstown has a lot of 19th and 20th century architecture with a number of properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I took photos of a great restored gas station. I saw an interesting gun shop. The sign was a giant bullet, and there were two giant bullet holes on the roof. I’m sure there was a lot more to see, but there was a lot of road ahead.

I headed back to Indianapolis on US 40, the historic National Road, the nation’s first federally funded interstate highway.

Back in Indianapolis, I went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I drove in and enjoyed seeing this historic place. I’m not sure if I was supposed to be where I ended up. I just saw an open roadway into the Speedway, and I drove on in. A security guard waved me down and asked me to turn around and go back out the way I came in. I was happy to oblige, but I did hop out of the car and grab a couple of photos first. “The Brickyard” is the oldest race track in the country, and the Indy 500 is the most famous car race in the world. A half a million people were there just a few days before my visit for the race, held the Sunday before Memorial Day.

It was raining in Indy, and it rained most of the way to Illinois. I saw some cool barns today — Eaglesfield-Hunt Barn in Reelsville, Indiana, the Happy Valley Farms barn, and many others. I love the look of old barns — not sure why, I just have always loved the look of old barns and old buildings.

I visited Brazil…Indiana. I do enjoy the odd and funny names of towns. I have taken photos of many city limits signs for these towns.

I figured there are certain must-sees on a road trip of this type, and Terre Haute, Indiana was on my list because it is called the “Crossroads of America.” In the early days of cross-country travel, Terre Haute benefitted by its location on the old National Road (U.S. 40) between Indianapolis and Vandalia, Illinois. At about the same time, U.S. Highway 41 was commissioned between Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. This north-south highway through downtown Terre Haute followed Seventh Street at the time, and met U.S. 40, which followed Wabash Avenue, the main east-west street in town. The Seventh and Wabash intersection thus became known as the “Crossroads of America,” and this is now memorialized with a historical marker at that corner. I found the corner, and took a photograph.

In the process, I’m afraid I found myself going the wrong way on a one-way street in Terre Haute, but Officer Ed helped me. No ticket — just help to get me headed in the right direction. Best Police award goes to Terre Haute!

Vandalia, Illinois was an interesting stop. Vandalia was originally the capital of Illinois, and I saw the Old Statehouse there as well as a Madonna of the Trail.

I stopped in Greenup, Illinois. I was attracted by really interesting overhanging porches on all the downtown buildings. It reminded me of New Orleans. I learned that Greenup is known as the “Village of the Porches” and is often referred to as the “Jewel of the National Road.” The Village of Greenup is filled with quaint antique shops. Many buildings in Greenup are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

I had lunch at the Stockyards Restaurant in Greenup. I just loved my waitress, Jenny. She was SO ENTHUSIASTIC about the food and as sweet and cute as can be. I enjoyed my Very Berry Pie.

Just outside Greenup, I saw a great covered bridge. The Jackson Covered Bridge spans the Embarras River.

I drove for quite a few miles with nothing much to see, and then I saw a small, hand-lettered sign advertising “Mile High Pie.” I got an immediate adrenalin rush, and I sat up straighter and became more alert hoping the Mile High Pie place was still in business somewhere down the road. I had just about decided that the pie place was long gone when I saw another sign promoting the pie. And I was really excited when I spotted the cafe!

I pulled into the Blue Springs Cafe in Highland, Illinois for pie instead of dinner. Carlene, Lauren, Raechel, Cami, Brett, and Brian greeted me. Cami was the manager, and she was great. I told them all about the trip and the pie-eating that I had been doing. They brought Tammy, their pie lady, out of the kitchen to meet me. Tammy makes as many as 100 pies a day, though Highland’s population is only 1,200. Tammy and Cami prepared a special plate for me of six different pieces of Mile High Pie. The pie was great. The pies are 12-inches high because Tammy puts this huge meringue topping on all of her pies. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with everyone on the staff, and the customers all got a kick out of seeing me eat six pieces of pie. Half the place was wearing Mardi Gras beads before I left. Foot High Pie.

Tour buses were unloading as I headed out the door. The Blue Springs Cafe packs them in from buses. As I was about to hop in my car and head down the road, I met Tammy, Stephen, Brady, Little Allie, Edie, Kari, Luke, Marion, and Randy from New Mexico. They were just leaving the wedding of Marion and Randy’s son to a Casey Illinois girl, and they stopped for a pie. They were an especially lovely family, and I really enjoyed getting to know them.

My next stop was the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois. It was huge and very impressive. The World’s Largest Catsup Bottle is on Route 159, just south of downtown Collinsville. The 170-foot tall water tower was built in 1949 by the W.E. Caldwell Company for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant – bottlers of Brooks Catsup.

This landmark roadside attraction was saved from demolition and beautifully restored to its original appearance in 1995, due to the efforts of a preservation group. In August 2002, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

My day ended with a sunset in Alton, Illinois.

My thought for the day is how impressed I have been with most of the young people I have met on the trip. Nice, well-mannered, well-spoken young people. Marion and Randy’s children seemed like really special young folks, and the staff at the Blue Springs Cafe seemed special as well.

Random Comments:

Today marked two full months since the trip began on April 1. It certainly doesn’t seem that long to me.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Each day, we collect our thoughts on a web page just like this. We drop in some of the photos from the day. Our goal with the Daily Journal is to write about the towns we visit, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat. We write about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going, but we also make observations about what we’ve seen and done as well as about life in general.

You can follow our travels from the Daily Journal section of this website. Other pages of interest include the running report of “vital statistics” on the Trip Scorecard, our nominations for the Best & Worst of the trip, as well as a rating of the pie we eat. If you’d like to see information for a specific state or town, click here, and then click on the state of interest, and the full itinerary is shown.

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:Hoosiers — Knightstown Indiana — National Road — Indianapolis Motor Speedway — Crossroads of America — Vandalia Illinois — Greenup Indiana — Blue Springs Cafe — World’s Largest Catsup Bottle

Not a Grocery Store – Day 60

Not a Grocery Store

Day 60 – May 30, 2003 – Friday

The day began in Louisville at the very funky Lynn’s Paradise Cafe. Lynn Winter opened Lynn’s Paradise Cafe in 1991, creating a unique setting, to say the least. Lynn is an artist with an amazing eye and style all her own.

There was a big coffee pot out front that was also a fountain. The parking lot was adorned with concrete wildlife, including a purple buffalo, a lavender crocodile, and a blue bear. The lamps were ugly and the food was great. Nirvana. Lynn’s holds an Ugly Lamp Contest at the Kentucky State fair each year. The restaurant is filled with really ugly lamps…lamps so ugly that they are cool.

Lynn’s has a sign on the door that says “like no place on earth,” and while Lynn’s is wild and crazy and totally enjoyable, Harry and the Natives still ranks #1 for me in the wacky restaurant category.

Next stop was the World’s Largest Baseball Bat and the World’s Largest Baseball Glove. Two World’s Largests in the same place at the same time — doesn’t get much better than this! These were at the Louisville Slugger Factory in downtown Louisville. I am really proud of my photo of the World’s Largest Baseball Bat. I got down on the ground and as close to the bottom of the bat as I could, and I took a photo shooting up. I believe it is one of my very best photos from the entire trip.

You can get a Louisville Slugger bat made with your own name on it. I remember what a huge deal it was every year I played little league baseball when the coach poured out the equipment at the start of each season. It was exciting to look through the Louisville Sluggers to see which players’ names were on the bats we had that year.

I had a wonderful talk at Louisville Slugger with Joann and Jim — two nice folks who now live in Lakeland, Florida but spend 10 months a year on the road in their RV. Their approach is distinctly different from mine. They drive to an area, find an RV Park to serve as home base, and then they thoroughly cover the sights they want to see in each area. I thought that would be wonderful, but you’d sure need a lot of years to see everything.

I visited Churchill Downs, and then I crossed over into Indiana (state #17) and took a very relaxing drive to Indianapolis. I saw a great round barn; toured Story, Gnaw Bone, and Brown County.

I was just cruising when I saw plows on display all over a hillside. The car screeched to a stop. I hooked a U-turn, and when I drove back by, the other side of the hill looked like the place was an old-fashioned gas station. As I drove closer, I saw a big sign that said “Not a Service Station.” Another sign said “Not a Grocery Store.” Another sign said “No vehicles on driveway larger than 1/2 ton.” The sign didn’t say “Keep Out,” so I pulled in. I knocked on the door of the home, and a nice lady came to the door to say “he’s eating,” and then she closed the door. I didn’t know if that meant I was to stay or go, but I stayed.

A while later, a man emerged from the house; it was Mel, the collector. He proceeded to show me his collections of wrenches, plows, gas pumps, and toys. He had been collecting wrenches for 25 years; wrenches were everywhere! He had a number of restored gas pumps, and there were a number of big piles of gas pumps yet to be restored out in the fields surrounding his home. You have to appreciate the spouses of folks like Mel who tolerate the obsessions of collectors. I know I appreciate Bozzie Jane for tolerating my 45 rpm record collection; I managed to amass over half a million records — just what every wife wants to have around the house.

As I drove through Brownstown, Indiana, I noticed the Russell Stover Candies Distribution Center and Factory Outlet. I spent a most enjoyable half hour with the folks at Russell Stover Candies — the employees and several customers. They were my best audience yet for Round America stories. They heard about the Floating Neutrinos, Freddie’s snow cones, and assorted others.

One of the most anticipated stops on today’s itinerary was Mrs. Johnson’s Pies in Ewing, Indiana. There were a relatively small number of must-visit pie places on our itinerary as the plan was to ask the locals where to find the best pies. But Mrs. Johnson’s Pies came to our attention as we did research for the trip many months ago. The “pie shop” is located in Ewing Antiques in Ewing, Indiana. I found the antique store, parked, and walked in anticipating some really great pie. I was so disappointed when the antique lady told me they were already sold out of pies for the day. I kept hoping Mr. Johnson would magically appear with some pie right out of the oven, but the pie lady apparently makes these in her home and delivers them to the antique store each day. I tried to get the pie lady’s address or phone number, but no cigar.

When I reached the one stop sign in the tiny little spot on the map that is Story, Indiana, I glanced to my left and saw a very interesting-looking old general store. I turned in that direction to find The Story Inn, a converted general store. I met some of the weekend guests and some of the staff. I heard some really interesting stories, but as I sat down to write this, my mind was a total blank. I can’t locate a tape for this day, and I have been unable to find a single handwritten note. It didn’t help that the Marriott Indianapolis phone system kept me from getting Internet access, so I was unable to write my report while it was fresh on my mind.

First Story, and then Gnaw Bone. Indiana definitely has some of the funniest town names! I spent some time walking around Brown County, Indiana — packed with tourists. I stopped in the Brown County Indiana Visitor’s Information Office, and I spoke with a sweet young lady, but she didn’t seem to know much at all about the area…but she was very sweet.

I ended the day in Indianapolis with dinner at Union Jack — a great pizza place that I enjoyed 17 years ago. I had dreamed about this pizza for years — deep dish pizza just packed with goodies. It was okay — not nearly as good as I remembered it. While eating, a young woman came up to my table to give me a sample of some new chewing gum. Her name was Theresa, and she was dressed in a blue fluorescent Spandex outfit. She did Spandex proud.

I topped off the evening with a visit to Atlas Supermarket where David Letterman bagged groceries as a teenager while attending Broad Ripple High School. Atlas Supermarket opened in 1947 and closed on May 11, 2002 following a labor dispute with a meat cutter’s union. The store had a special relationship with its customers and the community and featured hard-to-find items. How sad that a union dispute ended a business that was such an important part of the area. Not a grocery store anymore.

I stayed at the Marriott Indianapolis. There was some type of group staying there (possibly the meat cutters union), and they partied all night long. There was yelling, screaming, doors slamming…. I hardly got any sleep. I called the front desk several times during the night. The hotel was full, and there was no room for me to move to. The noise stopped just an hour or two before my alarm sounded. Very frustrating end to the day!

My thought for the day is that the shortest pencil in the world is better than the longest memory. That has always been one of the philosophies that I have preached in training employees. At some point in my life, I decided my brain must be full, because I just no longer had the great memory that I had when I was younger. Only the really important stuff stuck, because I figured it had to push something less important out of my brain. I have always been a list person and a note-taker, but it became even more important to me. My notes and lists have always given me an “amazing memory.” I don’t know how I managed to lose that memory today. That was as frustrating to me as the rude, rowdy people at the hotel.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:Lynn’s Paradise Cafe — Louisville Slugger Museum — Churchill Downs — Mrs. Johnson’s Pies — Story Indiana — Gnaw Bone Indiana — Brown County Indiana — Atlas Supermarket

Old Kentucky Homes – Day 59

Old Kentucky Homes

Day 59 – May 29, 2003 – Thursday

Rain is no fun at all. Please tell Dolly Parton that we will live without rainbows for a while, because the absence of rain makes sightseeing much better. It was raining when I arrived at the hotel in Lexington last night, and it was raining and ugly again in the morning. It was raining too hard to do anything, so my day did not get started until about 10:30. Due to the weather, I was indoors a lot, so I did a lot of eating. I had three (3) pieces of pie today. The Sansabelt Law of Physics will be working on my waistline if I don’t get out to do some serious walking soon.

The rain did affect my plans for today. A tour of horse farms was out. And no sunbathing.

Kristen and Mike at the Fairfield Inn recommended Rogers Restaurant for pie. I walked in with a man who turned out to be the owner, Chuck Ellinger. Chuck sat down to talk, and we had a nice chat. Very sharp young man! In addition to managing the restaurant, he practices law and is a city councilman. Rogers is like a family place, with the staff and the customers all like family. Chuck introduced me to Margaret, the waitress. Margaret had been with Rogers for 35 years. She even got married there; they removed all the tables and had the ceremony right there. Chuck’s father gave away the bride. Chuck also introduced me to Fay, the pie lady. Everyone just smiled when I asked if they had good pie.

Rogers Restaurant was founded by George Rogers in 1923. He moved to the current location in 1964. Rogers was known for old-fashioned home-cooked meals. In 1974, the Ellingers purchased the restaurant from Mr. Rogers upon his retirement. Like Mr. Rogers, they have emphasized good food, good drink, and good service.

I haven’t had fish in a while, so I had whitefish for lunch, and it was very good. Margaret then brought me a big piece of Butterscotch Pie — hot…right out of the oven. It was really, REALLY good. It will certainly rank with the very best. The restaurant was filled with locals who are obviously regulars there. It was exactly the kind of local restaurant that we want to find on this trip. Chuck suggested that I go to see the “All the Queen’s Horses” exhibit at the Kentucky Horse Park.

It was only sprinkling a little when I left Rogers Restaurant, so I took the scenic drive on Highway 68 to Harrodsburg, Kentucky and back to Lexington. It was a pleasant drive, though as with about anything, it would have been much more beautiful in nice weather. There are a lot of bends and curves as the road passes through tobacco farmland, pastures with dairy cows, horse farms, and the Kentucky River Gorge. We lived in Lexington for two years when I was in college, and I can still recall how taken I was with the beauty of the countryside. The only word for the pastures is lush — the grass just seems greener in Kentucky than it seems elsewhere in the US. The green grass and the zillion miles of black or white wooden plank “horse farm-type” fences make it really beautiful.

Back in the late 60’s, I recall that most of the fences were white. Now most seemed to be black. The white looks bad when the paint starts to crack and peel. Black seems much easier to maintain as the black appears to be a stain rather than a paint and the weathering of the wood blends with the stain color, so there doesn’t appear to be nearly as much maintenance with the black color. I added white plank fences to some ranch property we once owned, and I know first-hand.

Lexington is the horse capital of the world. Here in the heart of the Kentucky Bluegrass country, the world’s finest racing stock is born, raised, and bred. I passed a number of horse farms on this drive and later in the day when I visited the Kentucky Horse Park.

There were a lot of weather-beaten barns along Highway 68. I was told these are mainly tobacco barns where the state’s primary crop is hung to cure.

All of a sudden, the road began descending with sharp turns back and forth. This lasted for maybe two miles with limestone walls along the highway. I realized I was in the Kentucky River Gorge when I hit the bridge over the Kentucky River. The water of the Kentucky River is a deep olive green. I took a photo, but the color did not reproduce as I saw it. There are 300-foot high limestone cliffs along the river — very pretty.

After a short drive along the valley next to the river, the road climbs up…almost mirroring the drive down on the other side of the river. The land on the other side is primarily rolling farmland rather than horse farms. Native limestone fences border much of the road. These mortarless fences were built by Irish stonemasons who came to the area to build roads in the mid-1800’s.

The primary sight to see on this drive is the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. Pleasant Hill is the largest historic community of its kind in America. There are 34 original 19th-century buildings and 2,800 acres of farmland.

The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known to the world as the Shakers because of a ritualistic dance, were nineteenth-century America’s largest and best-known communal society. By the 1840’s, 6,000 Shakers lived from Maine to Kentucky. The Shakers chose a peaceful way of life. They were celibate, and they believed in equality of race, sex, and freedom from prejudice. They were practical and innovative people known for their labor-saving inventions, such as the flat broom.

The Shakers came to central Kentucky in 1805 and established Pleasant Hill in a beautiful setting on a high plateau above the Kentucky River. The community was home to as many as 500 residents at one time, but by 1910, only a few Shakers remained, and the village was closed. In 1961, a nonprofit group was formed to preserve its heritage. 34 original buildings were restored and 2,800 acres of farmland were preserved. It’s a very interesting place to see and learn about. For more information, see www.shakervillageky.org.

A man approached me outside the “Dining Room” building and asked about my camera. It was Dave, a farmer from the Missouri Ozarks. When I gave him my card, he read the back (that says we are writing a book about the places we go, the sights we see, the people we meet, and the pie we eat) and told me I HAD to go inside and eat the Lemon Pie. Though I had just eaten a big lunch and that delicious Butterscotch Pie, he was so enthusiastic that I went inside. I was warned that the pie was REALLY tart, and it was REALLY TART, but it was totally unique and delicious. Nathaniel, my waiter, explained the pie is made by slicing lemons into EXTREMELY thin slices (peel and all). The slices are then soaked in a sugar solution overnight and that and only that is placed inside a crust the next day and baked. It was a Shaker specialty, and I’m really glad Dave sent me in. My mouth may never un-pucker, but it was unique and special.

As often happens at a restaurant, the beads introduced me to a variety of people. A number of the young people gave me big smiles when they saw me. A guy wearing Mardi Gras beads stands out a little more in a Shaker Village than he does most places. Debbie was the first to ask me about the beads. Then the word spread, and I met and distributed beads to Katie, Staci, Tiffany, and Nathaniel. These were really nice folks, and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them. Staci and I talked about life in the small town of Bergin where she’s from. She said there were just 60 in her high school graduating class. She has been out of Kentucky just once — an airplane trip to California. Her friends make fun of her because she wants to become a school teacher and teach in Bergin. I encouraged her to travel as much as possible, but I told her she’s smart to cherish the many blessings offered by life in a small town. Tiffany was from the booming metropolis of Hazard, Kentucky. She said there’s not a lot there, but it was a nice place to be from. Nathaniel was a character. He was into beads.

On the drive into Harrodsburg, the oldest settlement in Kentucky, I saw several antebellum mansions along the way, lots of pastureland, and groves of walnut and oak trees. Harrodsburg was established in 1775 to protect settlers from hostile Indians. I saw a reproduction of the fort at Old Fort Harrod State Park. The Lincoln Marriage Cabin is also there, where the parents of Abraham Lincoln were married in 1806. I drove back down Highway 68 to return to Lexington because I never found a sign for a different road that I had planned to take back. Someone should be in charge of signs in each area; their job should be to ride around with strangers to the area to hear where signs should be placed.

I drove through downtown Lexington and out to the Kentucky Horse Farm. It’s quite a place. If you love horses, this is horse heaven! There are over 1,000 acres. It has been an active horse farm since the late 18th century, and now it is a preeminent equestrian and show facility.

Man O’ War is buried there, and a beautiful statue sculpted by Herbert Haseltine provides a fitting memorial. Man O’ War won 20 of 21 races and totally dominated during his two years on the track. He sired an amazing 379 foals, 291 of which went on to race. His most famous son, War Admiral, the 1937 Triple Crown winner, is buried near the memorial. What set Man O’ War apart from all other horses was his stride — an incredible 28-feet. Secretariat, for example, had a huge stride, but just 25 feet. If you cover five or ten feet more per stride than every other horse in a race, you should win them all. Man O’ War won all but one — probably had his biorhythms off that day.

There are all types of things to see and do at the Kentucky Horse Park — exhibits, movies, special events, museums of various types, and more. The exhibit Chuck sent me to see was “All the Queen’s Horses.” It is the most comprehensive exhibition ever to explore the role of the horse in British history. Over 450 artifacts and 60 paintings were assembled from 70 museums and private collections. All I could think was how much our dear horse-loving friend, Carolyn Bazzo, would love to see this! I like horses, but I’m not a horse nut. I did own a race horse once (named him Blackjack). I thought he was a docile saddle horse, but I found out the hard way when I took my first ride at our place after buying him. I saddled him up, and he took off at blazing speed headed downhill for an area that I knew had a creek. Bozzie Jane drove up with the kids about the time Blackjack and I went sailing over the creek. She said she had no idea I was such a great rider. Truth is, I was holding on for dear life, and Blackjack was running the show. Except for Junior, I don’t recall much horseback riding since that experience.

On the drive from Lexington to Louisville, I passed through a number of small towns. There wasn’t much that was too noteworthy, though the drive did once again remind me of the kind of towns we passed through on family vacations as children. Nothing in particular — just a feeling.

Signs near Midway indicated that it was historic, so I rolled into town to see a neat little downtown with nice old storefronts. I stopped and bought a Kentucky Christmas ornament from Lynn and her dog Randy. I met Regina at a nearby gas station.

Just driving along, and then I saw a sign with an arrow to the right. Bagdad. All right!!! First Bagdad, Florida; then Bagdad, California; and now — Bagdad, Kentucky. It was just six miles off Highway 60, and I got several nice photos in this sleepy little farm town. As with Florida, I had no idea there was a Bagdad here.

Robert was very patient in providing directions twice to get me to the Fairfield Inn in Louisville. He then went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me with all types of information about places to go. He prepared individual maps. Outstanding customer service — something the Fairfield Inns almost always seem to have. I also met his sidekick, Genevieve. She’s from Montreal. She’s a “white flag girl” — doesn’t support the US position on the war — doesn’t support war of any type. She was very sweet, despite views that probably should have kept her in Montreal.

Dinner was a real treat. I had heard about a local place called Mark’s Feed Store, and Robert wholeheartedly recommended it for dinner. It was built in a building formerly occupied by an old feed store. The decor was nothing special — in a way. It wasn’t a place pretending to look like an old feed store, it really was one. My waitress, Morgan, was a delight. Sat right down with me to ask about the beads and hear the story. She introduced me to the manager, Gary, and we had a nice conversation. I also met Keith, and we exchanged stories as well. Several folks at nearby tables also got into the discussion. The barbeque was excellent, and the fried corn-on-the-cob and onion straws were unique and especially tasty. I was planning to go to another place for pie, but the Buttermilk Pie was enthusiastically recommended, and it was great!

While the food was especially good, the best part of Mark’s was the people. I had about decided that’s the best part of the trip. While it’s great to see all of the various sights, it was meeting and talking with people that was the most fun for me. I was continually reminded that most of us go through our everyday lives without making much of an effort to speak with and get to know the people we happen to run into. Many of my favorite new friends are desk clerks, waitresses, waiters, cooks, ticket sellers, store clerks, and bus drivers. I was reminded again today of how much more fun life is when you “take a minute” and spend a little time speaking with the people you happen to bump into each day.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:Rogers Restaurant — Lexington Kentucky — Kentucky River Gorge — Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill — Harrodsburg Kentucky — Kentucky Horse Farm — Bagdad Kentucky — Mark’s Feed Store

Gemstones and Dirtbags – Day 58

Gemstones and Dirtbags

Day 58 – May 28, 2003 – Wednesday

I stayed in Cherokee, North Carolina last night. Cherokee is the headquarters for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. The Indian culture is showcased in Cherokee in a number of ways.

The tribal headquarters for the Indians is in Cherokee as well as the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. A big attraction that had come highly recommended was to see the stage presentation “Unto These Hills,” which is the story of the forced removal of the Cherokee from this land in the 1830’s — better known as the Trail of Tears. Seeing it will be added to the list of things to do the next time we come to this area.

Cherokee is on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The drive from Cherokee to Gatlinburg is really pretty — very, very green trees, big trees, lots of trees. It’s a pleasantly winding road up through the mountains and then down into Gatlinburg on the other side of the Park. Water flows by the road at a number of points, and I caught a glimpse of a few little waterfalls. I’ve never seen road signs like several I saw along the drive, such as 450-degree loops and fish-hook-shaped turns. It wasn’t treacherous as the drive never goes along cliffs, but you do have to pay attention.

The story of the Park is an interesting one. Alarmed by commercial logging threats, Congress authorized the Park in 1926, and it was established in 1934. The states of North Carolina and Tennessee, private citizens and groups, and schools contributed money to purchase the land for donation to the Federal Government. The Park has an incredible variety of plants and animal species — 1,500 flowering plants, dozens of native fish, over 200 species of birds, and 60 species of mammals. The Park has maintained one of the nation’s largest collections of log structures along with many buildings constructed during the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps work program.

It was about 30 miles from Cherokee to Gatlinburg, but an hour’s drive on the winding two-lane road. There was no cell phone service in the middle of the Park, so I had to drive quickly through the Park to Gatlinburg to be available for the 10 am radio show with EZ 103.1 in Palm Springs, California. As a result, I only got the big picture view of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I can only imagine the great photo opportunities that I missed. “Few regrets” is our motto, but if I had realized how special this area is, I would have scheduled another day here to really see the sights in the Park.

DJ Dan McGrath called a little after 10 am (7 am Palm Springs time), and we had a live on-air discussion. “Wednesdays with the Windsors” is a new segment on the Morning Show on EZ 103.1. Dan asked a lot of questions. We discussed what we were doing on the trip and why, the overall statistics — 50 states, 2500 towns and over 25,000 miles. We talked about some of the sights we’d seen thus far and what we would be seeing in the Gatlinburg area. We then talked a bit about pie. I reported we had eaten 50 pieces of pie thus far, and I singled out the Key Lime Pie at Harry and the Natives as #1 followed by the Caramel Apple Raisin at the Plaza Restaurant in Santa Fe as a close second. For more information on Dan and the station, see http://www.ez103.com/dj_dan_mcgrath.html. We were scheduled to do this live report every week for the remainder of the trip.

We had thought about going to Gatlinburg for years, but we just never got there for some reason. The picture in my mind’s eye and the reality were quite different. I thought I would see miles of craft shops with local craftspeople displaying their handmade items. Instead, I saw miles of tourist-oriented gift shops, restaurants, and motels. Guinness and Ripley also have an assortment of attractions that dominate one portion of the Highway 441 corridor. These include the Star Cars Museum, Guinness World Records, Ripley’s 3D Moving Theater, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, and Ripley’s Haunted Adventure. I was amazed that I didn’t see much at all in the way of arts and crafts, though I was relieved later to learn that the arts and crafts community is located several blocks off the main drag on Glades Road and Buckhorn Road.

I like cars, so I enjoyed seeing some of the George Barris Collection of cars at Star Cars — the Love Bug, a convertible used in the new Charlie’s Angels, the General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard, the Beverly Hillbillies Jalopy, Grateful Dead’s limo, a police car from the Andy Griffith Show, and more.

Ripley’s Haunted Adventure was even better. I didn’t go in. I did, however, meet and talk with most of the folks working there as some of the monsters razzed me about my beads as I passed by. Most of the monsters were soon wearing Mardi Gras beads as I gave away about a dozen. We got quite a crowd at one point while several of us threw beads trying to get a string into the mouth of one of the monsters who had nothing but his head sticking out of a hole way up high on the top of the building. Nice young folks.

Gatlinburg has a Space Needle, so I took the obligatory photo. I also saw a significant number of wedding chapels; Gatlinburg seems to be like Vegas as a destination for those seeking a quick wedding.

Gatlinburg is situated along the Little Pigeon River, and in addition to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are a lot of nature-oriented things to see and do.

I had a very enjoyable conversation with Carolyn, a timeshare promoter. Anyone who travels much will be well aware that timeshare salespeople masquerade as tourist information people on the streets of many big tourist areas. There were a number of these folks in Gatlinburg. These folks are usually most interested in getting you to a timeshare presentation, but Carolyn was a fountain of information (and brochures) about the sights to see in Gatlinburg (where she says the Aquarium is a must-see), Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville. My chance encounter with her shaped the rest of my day. So if you want to buy a timeshare, please go to Gatlinburg, and buy one from Carolyn!

After walking up and down the street and stopping at some of the shops and attractions in Gatlinburg, I drove on to Pigeon Forge — about 6 miles. Pigeon Forge is the home of Dollywood, and it is now much larger than Gatlinburg in terms of tourist-oriented attractions and shops. Arcades, miniature golf courses, laser tag, go-karts, race cars, car museums, pan for gold places — multiples of all of these. There are also several outlet malls and more pancake places than I’ve ever seen anywhere.

DollyWood operated as a number of other theme parks before it became DollyWood. I drove out to take a photo, but I didn’t go in. I read a couple of reviews that weren’t kind. Local folks told me they believe DollyWood is very successful. I sure hope so as she seems like a really nice person. I assume that she actually owns it, though folks could be just using her name and face for a fee.

Pigeon Forge has a number of country music theatres. Nothing like Branson, Missouri in terms of numbers or stars, but several shows that I am sure must be very entertaining.

Thanks to my timeshare promoter friend, lunch was at the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant in Pigeon Forge. It was off the main highway, so I never would have seen it, though the Apple Barn is a big place and a very popular spot for tourists. (See www.applebarncidermill.com for more information.) I walked in and a nice lady named Dean immediately asked about the beads. She was joined by Millie who asked about the beads. I was quite the celebrity during my hour there; nice folks kept coming over to my table, and when I left, they were all wearing beads and talking about being in the book. Kathy, Colleen, and Melissa were among the other ladies that I met in the restaurant. I had fried chicken, and it was really good. Since they grow apples right there and make and sell all kinds of apple products, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Apple Fritters and Apple Cobbler were excellent. They served the fritters in little balls about the size of hush puppies with apple butter, and they were fabulous. I enjoyed the Apple Cobbler, but it was strong — really spicy. Once again, it was the interaction with the folks who worked there that made it such an especially enjoyable experience. After lunch, I walked through the place. It’s big — all kinds of shops. There’s a big Cider Mill and General Store, a pie shop, an ice cream shop, a Christmas shop, a wine shop, and much more. I met Helen at the Christmas store — very interesting lady. I could have spent a lot more time speaking with her.

The Pigeon River Mine was next on my agenda. As I noted yesterday, I really wanted to pan for gold or diamonds or rubies or sapphires — whatever they had available. One of my fraternity brothers, Bubba Crutchfield, tells one of the funniest stories I have ever heard about his mother’s experience at one of the North Carolina “mines.” His mother saw these gem mining places all along the highways in North Carolina (and they seem to be everywhere there). She wanted to stop at every one of them; she was enamored with the idea of “panning for gold” and finding valuable gems in a pile of dirt. When they finally stopped at one, Mrs. Crutchfield sifted her pile of dirt in the water, and it produced a pile of rocks. When she went in to the office (that she may not have noticed looked a lot like a jewelry store), she was overjoyed to find that she had some valuable stones that could be cleaned and polished and made into beautiful gems. She was shown a wide variety of gold and silver settings for rings and bracelets and necklaces. She wanted to spend hundreds of dollars to get her lucky finds made into jewelry. As I recall, Bubba took his mother aside and explained that her rocks were worth little or nothing and that the whole deal was just a scam to get folks to buy overpriced jewelry. Bubba and Susan dragged Mrs. Crutchfield away from the mine, and she pouted for the rest of the trip — especially every time they passed another of these so-called mines. Bubba is one of the best storytellers ever, so it is a roll in the aisles story when he tells it!

I went to the Pigeon River Mine expecting to have a lot of laughs. When I first entered, I saw that I could buy bags of dirt from various mines that ranged from $6 a bag to $100 a bag. I joked around with Sabrina, the lady standing behind the little trays of running water. There was a nice lady in her 70’s standing to my right. I introduced myself, gave her my card, and I met Thelma. She was waiting for her son who was inside the office. I bought two $6 bags of dirt — one for me and one as a gift for Thelma.

Two couples walked up (Jim and Diane, Jule and Ruth). They asked how it was going, and though I had not yet opened my bag, I told them we were finding diamonds, rubies, emeralds, a Rolex watch…. They all bought their own bags of dirt and got at it. They give you a wooden tray with a screen bottom, and you pour your dirt into the tray (called a “sluice box”) and then lower it into the running stream of water to wash the dirt off to reveal stones.

Thelma assured me that I would indeed find wonderful gemstones. She told me she has done this a lot, and she has a lot of gemstones at home. She then proudly showed me a gold bracelet with red ruby-looking stones set all around it. This was made with stones that she was lucky enough to get right there from some of these same bags. Her son was inside picking up a ring he had made from a stone that he had gotten there.

Uh oh. So much for laughs. Thelma’s son, Bill, came out of the “office” and complained to Sabrina that the folks inside would not give him an appraisal that showed the value of his ring at “several times the price he paid,” as he indicated someone there told him it would be. Sabrina looked sick, and knowing that I was a writer might explain why she disappeared and was replaced by a sweet old man who looked exactly like every caricature you have ever seen of an old miner — bushy grey beard and kindly face. He told me folks call him Gem Dandy. He apologized that he was a little slow — caused by a stroke. He told us he only made it to the fourth grade in a one-room schoolhouse. He was as sweet as could be. He told us they hired him solely because of the way he looked. There might have been other reasons, too, as even the hardest of folks would have trouble complaining to him.

I washed my rocks and was interested to see that I had a really wide variety. I later noticed that everyone else seemed to have the same really wide variety.

Thelma told me about a mine somewhere else where a friend of hers says there are diamonds there just for the taking. I tried to tell her ever so gently that it was hard to believe that some businessperson would let folks come and get valuable diamonds for just a few dollar fee.

I thanked Thelma for showing me the ropes. I again complimented her beautiful bracelet, and I told Bill that his ring may not have a big appraisal, but it was very attractive, and it would always be special because it was made from a stone that he found right there in a bag of dirt. I gave Thelma pink beads to match her outfit. She told me they were really pretty…and she meant it. What a sweet lady!

Inside the building (aka jewelry store) is an “assay office” where a free evaluation of your find is made. Sherry was very nice. She showed me how I was fortunate to have gotten one of each type of stone — emerald (the most valuable), smoky quartz, corundum (ruby or sapphire), topaz, amethyst, citrine, garnet, and black onyx. I thought this was very convenient as I had the option of getting ANY of the pieces of jewelry that I was shown. I told Sherry that I wouldn’t be buying today, and she was kind enough to give me a brochure where I can order by mail as well as a card (normally $1.50) that will enable me to identify each of my stones. I noted that for just $22, I can order a Christmas Dirt Kit — a sluice box, two bags of mining ore (aka dirt), one instruction sheet, a Gem Dandy Mining Certificate, a Gemstone ID Card, and a Christmas gift card. I may have to get one for Bubba as a Christmas gift.

Thelma and Bill were believers. I choose to be a believer about a number of things, but not this. When you see these so-called mines on every corner, I would think that might serve as a clue to folks that this isn’t real. The Mine was packing them in. I just hope folks are going for a few laughs and understand that there is no way they will find something of real value in a clear plastic bag that someone filled with dirt and rocks to sell to them. It bothers me that many folks were spending hard-earned money to buy jewelry that they may not be able to afford because they thought they got a “gem” from a dirtbag.

Next stop: Sevierville. Dolly Parton was born here. I visited the town square, took a photo of the courthouse, and got a snapshot of the Dolly Parton statue.

Between Sevierville and Knoxville is Seymour, home of Big Mama’s Karaoke Cafe. I was in the mood for some laughs after the dirtbags, so I was excited when I walked in. No cameras. Back to my car to lock up the camera. Back in to find a $5 fee just to walk around in the place. There was only one couple there at 4 o’clock on a Wednesday, so I saved my $5 and headed down the road.

Knoxville is the home of the University of Tennessee. I waved as I drove by. Apologies to Knoxville, but I had very little sleep the night before, and I needed to get to Lexington, Kentucky at a decent hour so I could write and get a normal night’s sleep. Kentucky was state #17. It started raining about halfway, and it was still raining the following morning.

There are naive, sweet people in this world who are very trusting. They are believers who believe what others tell them. They’re the people we’ve see on our local news who were hoodwinked by a bogus contractor or who lost their life savings in some type of scam. You always wonder how folks could have been taken. And we see folks dropping quarter after quarter into slot machines and spending a lot of money buying lottery tickets in hopes they will get rich quick. I’ve always wondered why. Now I know.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:Cherokee North Carolina — Great Smoky Mountains National Park — EZ 103.1 — Gatlinburg Tennessee — Pigeon Forge Tennessee — Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant — Pigeon River Mine — Sevierville Tennessee

Winners and Grinners – Day 57

Winners and Grinners

Day 57 – May 27, 2003 – Tuesday

The trip resumed today after time was spent in Atlanta writing about the first loop Round America. 35 states to go

Bozzie Jane worked her magic on a bologna sandwich at about 11:30. The PT Cruiser was finally all loaded up and ready to go. I gave Bozzie Jane (aka Boz or Bosworth or her real name — Barbara) her own beads — making her the first recipient of official Round America beads. She snapped a few photos, and I was off. Not quite the level of excitement of April 1 when the trip began, but I was excited to crank it up again after 10 days of writing, photo processing, editing, and researching.

Different car. We’re driving a black PT Cruiser with bright red flames for this loop Round America. Our signs are on the sides of the car, and Roger and Judy Simpson of Signs Sell in Roswell, Georgia produced some new signs to go on the back of the car. I figured this was a good idea since a lot of folks pass us, and we’ve only passed 10 times throughout the entire trip. The car has a new cell phone hands-free unit as the first one broke. The new one works through the car speakers, and it is much clearer. I have American flags front and rear as well as the signs. I’ve hung a few strands of beads from the rearview mirror. It’s not quite as tacky as it all sounds. Different odometer. The starting mileage in the Cruiser is 21,354. 12,289 miles were racked up prior to now.

The PT Cruiser has massive storage space compared to the little white car. But, we have five bags of tableware that Bozzie Jane has us hand delivering to son Ryan in San Francisco. And we have three big file boxes full of material received from the 35 states we will see on this part of the trip. We have a case of Mardi Gras beads to give to people we meet along the way. The car is pretty well loaded. Amazing how that happens. We made it fine with little or nothing in a tiny little two-seater convertible, but now that we have room, the cargo has really increased. I call this the “Sansabelt Law of Physics” — everything tends to expand to fill the available space.

Signs Sell in Roswell was my first stop. Roger and Judy are delightful people who have done sign work for us for a variety of projects, and I picked up the additional Round America signs, and Judy changed the 18,000 mile lettering on the existing signs to read 25,000. I actually expected the trip to be close to 30,000…but it’s better to be conservative about such things. I presented Judy and Roger with beads.

We sent out a news release update about the trip last night, and the phone has started ringing from various radio stations and newspapers. We now have one regular gig. Each week, we will be doing “Wednesdays with the Windsors” on EZ-103.1 in Palm Springs, California. We will be on the Morning Coffee Show with Dan McGrath at 7:11 am. See http://www.ez103.com/dj_dan_mcgrath.html. This should be a lot of fun. We have a number of other interviews and call-ins set up as well.

The area north of Atlanta is very pretty. Green, lots of trees, hills, and then mountains. I drove for an hour or more before I found anything that caught my eye for a photo. I spotted a big pig statue outside Cleveland, Georgia.

As I drove through Cleveland, I saw a sign for Babyland General Hospital. I pulled in and found myself in the birthplace of Cabbage Patch Kids. The dolls were created here in 1978, so they were celebrating their 25th anniversary. The place is as cute as can be. Doctors and nurses are the staff. They have a big nursery, an area for the newborns, a special window where the newest newborns are placed, a school for the older kids, and much more. Nurse Becky provided me with the basic information, and she gave me a prescription as I was leaving for “lots of TLC.”

Three really sweet Georgia ladies walked in as I did, and I met Honey Dews (that’s her real name), Sally, and Claire. They told me all about how special the place is. It was twice as fun just being around them. They told me about a lot of places I needed to go, but The Gourd Place in Sautee, Georgia was a must-see not too far away, and Honey Dews went out to their car to get the brochure and a map for me.

There was a delivery of a new baby while I was there. A “doctor” handled the delivery out in the cabbage patch. It was a girl. The crowd was asked to name it, and a sweet little girl gave it the first name of “Emily.” I then yelled out “America” as the second name. So, Emily America was named, given a tag with the name, and then moved to the area for the newest of the newborns. I should have bought (adopted) Emily America for Miss Madison, but I just didn’t think about it until I was down the road.

In addition to Nurse Becky, I met Nurse Tammy, Nurse Stacy, and Nurse Carrie. As with Becky, Tammy asked about Mardi Gras. Then the stories began. I was giving beads to those who ask about my beads. I gave away a lot of beads today, so I knew I would need to order more.

As I was leaving, I got into a conversation with the family of the little girl who shared newborn naming duties with me. A man introduced himself as Mark Ussery from Dallas, Texas. I said “I know you.” We did some business back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Mark has a printing business in Dallas and was visiting the area on vacation with his family. First Rich Curilla and now Mark Ussery — two men that I know who I have run into by chance. I wonder who will be next.

Babyland General Hospital was a real treat even for an old hairy-legged boy. I know I enjoyed it even more because I’d never heard of it and just happened upon it. For more information, see www.cabbagepatchkids.com.

Midway between Cleveland and Helen, Georgia, I saw a sign for The Country Bake Shop in what looked to be a sparsely populated residential area. I decided to stop and give it a try. Rebecca helped me. She just moved there a week before from Wisconsin. She was on her own for the first time in her young life. As I walked up, she was sitting on the grass out in front of the shop, with a big maybe six-inch pile of letters rubberbanded together, and she was reading one. I didn’t want to be nosy, but it would be interesting to know what the story was there. Rebecca was either wearing a special costume or she is Amish or something similar. She sold me a dozen cookies ($3) that shortly thereafter proved to be very good. As she was ringing me up and reading the back of my business card, she said it was such a shame that I couldn’t try their pie. She said their Pecan Pie was really special. I left with an entire Pecan Pie. $6.

The Storyland Petting Zoo caught my eye a half a mile or so down the highway. It was closed, and a “For Rent” sign was hanging outside. It appeared to be someone’s dream that didn’t quite work out in the real world. I’ve had a few of those.

The brochure provided by Honey Dews, Sally, and Claire took me right to The Gourd Place. I met Janice and Priscilla, the owners. It was amazing to me what someone artistic (Priscilla) could do with a gourd! They started gourdcraft in 1976. Priscilla was a schoolteacher, and she hated it. She kept telling people she was going to quit teaching, and she came up with some outlandish ideas for what she might do next. One idea she seriously pursued was starting a worm farm. But she and Janice were out shopping one day, and Janice stopped at a farmer’s market to buy a gourd as she wanted to craft something to give to a friend. Janice encouraged Priscilla to buy a gourd, too, and she did. Janice says she has no artistic ability, and her gourd didn’t turn out too well, but Priscilla’s was great. Priscilla said: “This is it. I’m going to quit teaching and become an artist and craftsperson using gourds.” 27 years and counting.

The Gourd Place is unique. They sell gourds and let people come in and do their own gourd crafts with their help. They also have a delightful museum with an amazing variety of gourds from various countries, as musical instruments, with beautiful artwork, etc. See www.gourdplace.com.

I would have never chosen to go to a gourd place, so I’m really pleased that Honey Dews, Sally, and Claire told me about it and encouraged me to go. Bozzie Jane and I especially enjoy following the tips that we get from people we meet.

Helen, Georgia was my primary planned stop for the day. But before I reached Helen, I stopped at a neat little area called Nacoochee Village. Winery, antique shops, and the Nora Mill, a water-powered stone ground mill established in 1876 that produces corn meal, grits, and whole grains. I took a number of photos of the mill, the water, and the waterfall there.

I finally reached Helen about 4:30. Helen is a re-creation of an alpine village nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains by the Chattahoochee River. Helen has more than 200 import and specialty shops, and the entire town has a German Alps – Swiss Alps look. Even the chain hotels and fast food restaurants are appropriately themed in appearance. See www.helenga.org. There were American flags everywhere in Helen — perhaps the most we’d seen anywhere.

I walked around for an hour and then had a bratwurst sandwich at a riverside restaurant called The Troll. Cheryl was my waitress. She earned her beads by asking the most asked question — that Mardi Gras question. She commented that you can learn so much from traveling — about the places you go, the things you see, the people you meet…and about yourself. How very insightful! Cheryl and Yvette have missed their calling; they should get together and write books.

My table was out by the river, and I enjoyed watching people floating by. It’s called “Shooting The Hooch.” The Chattahoochee River isn’t pretty at all in Atlanta, but it was very pretty at this spot. I do enjoy saying the name: Chattahoooochee!

From Helen, you really go up into the mountains. The town of Hiawassee on the Hiawassee River is very pretty — homes and cabins around lakes with layers of mountains around them.

I was welcomed to North Carolina (state #16) a little after 6 pm. North Carolina has great roads — always smooth. I remember noticing that as a child; I was reminded of it when we took Brittany to Duke as a freshman; and I was reminded of it again today. The best roads we’ve ever seen are in England; they must have something over there that we don’t have in the US. I assume the road quality variance from one state to another has to do with a lot of factors. North Carolina has a lot of good factors.

I stopped in Dillsboro, a historic town with quaint shops and cute B&B’s. There are a lot of crafts people and a depot for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. See www.visitdillsboro.org.

North Carolina is full of places where you can pan for gold or rubies or other gems. I would really like to do this, so I will try to find a place. I’ll save my gem story until then.

Rafting is also a huge business in these parts.

I got lost in the mountains shortly after sunset. I wish I knew why Gatlinburg, Tennessee wasn’t signed as that was the direction I needed. It may be because they want to keep the tourists in North Carolina as long as possible. I finally found Cherokee. There’s a lot going on in Cherokee, so I decided to stop for the night and drive to Gatlinburg first thing in the morning.

The Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel & Casino is supposedly owned in part by the “Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.” The hotel was full, so I parked and went into the casino. The Kickapoos need a group like Harrah’s to help them out, because this is a very nice casino and hotel. Absolutely no comparison to what I saw in Eagle Pass, Texas. The $100 that we won at the Copa Casino in Gulfport, Mississippi was burning a hole in my pocket. I searched for the roulette wheel to place our patented $100-on-red bet, but there was no wheel. There were a ton of slot machines and a pretty good number of Digital Blackjack Tables where the dealer presses buttons rather than deals cards, and everyone has a little video screen that shows their “cards.” I decided I needed to bet the $100, and it would have to be Blackjack.

I walked all around the tables looking for a sign that indicated to me on whose hand I should bet. Nothing jumped out at me. I made a second lap, and I spotted a lady wearing two strands of Mardi Gras beads. That was it. I introduced myself to Brenda and her husband and gave them my card. She gave me permission to bet on her hand. I plunked down $50. Brenda drew 18. Rick, the dealer, drew 20. Bye bye $50. I plunked down the rest of my Mississippi winnings. Brenda drew 14. She took a hit, and drew an 8. $100 goes so quickly in a casino. I just hope the Cherokee Indians actually get some of the money. I really thought the beads would be a good system. The beads I have are lucky beads, so I figured someone wearing similar beads would have the same luck going for them. Once I was $100 lighter, I learned that the beads were actually won by Brenda’s husband who was hitting consecutive Blackjacks in the next chair while his wife was wearing his beads and losing my money. I should have saved the $100 for a roulette wheel in Vegas. Oh well, it was great fun. There are winners and grinners, and it was my turn to grin. I wanted to take a photo of the folks at the table, but I was not allowed to do so.

Niki got me all fixed up with a very nice room at the brand new Fairfield Inn. She has given me tips on two sights to see in Cherokee before heading on to Gatlinburg. She says the Cherokee Indians do well through lease payments paid by Harrah’s and others. I sure hope she’s right.

Rebecca was right about the Pecan Pie. I had a slice for dessert once I got checked into the hotel. It was very good.

I was reminded today of several of the lessons we have already learned or relearned from earlier in the trip. There are nice people everywhere. Always have a minute. Ask questions. Keep your eyes peeled for anything that looks interesting as it often will be. You’ll usually have more fun if your expectations are not set too high. It’s a lot of fun to try things you would not normally do. You meet more people if you wear Mardi Gras beads.

I guess I did learn one new lesson: Winning at Roulette is much more fun than losing at Blackjack. Winners and Grinners.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

More Information on the Sights Visited Today:Babyland General Hospital — The Gourd Place — Nacoochee Village — Helen Georgia — Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel & Casino

Safe at Home – Day 56

Safe at Home

Day 56 – May 26, 2003 – Tuesday

“It’s when you’re safe at home that you wish you were having an adventure.
When you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.”
Thornton Wilder

The trip resumes tomorrow after time was spent in Atlanta writing about the first 45 days Round America.

“It’s when you’re safe at home that you wish you were having an adventure. When you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.” Thornton Wilder.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Knowledge is Power – Day 55

Knowledge is Power

Day 55 – May 25, 2003 – Sunday

The day was spent in Atlanta. I was resting, doing some work, and catching up on the photos and reports for the website. The trip was scheduled to resume in a few days.

I have spent time today researching additional sights to see on the second part of the trip.

“As the Spanish proverb says, He who would bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry the wealth of the Indies with him. So it is in traveling; a man must carry knowledge with him, if he would bring home knowledge.” Samuel Johnson.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Love and Dreams – Day 54

Love and Dreams

Day 54 – May 24, 2003 – Saturday

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”

The day was spent in Atlanta. I was resting, doing some work, and catching up on the photos and reports for the website. The trip was scheduled to resume in a few days.

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Glad to Come Home – Day 53

Glad to Come Home

Day 53 – May 23, 2003 – Friday

“Let the wife make the husband glad to come home,
and let him make her sorry to see him leave.”
Martin Luther

The day was spent in Atlanta. I was resting, doing some work, and catching up on the photos and reports for the website. The trip was scheduled to resume in a few days.

I’m always glad to come home. I hope Boz is always sorry to see me leave.

“Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.” Martin Luther.

The Daily Journal of Round America:

Rainy Night in Georgia – Day 52

Day 52 – May 22, 2003 – Thursday

Rainy Night in Georgia (Days, Too!)

The day was spent in Atlanta. I was resting, doing some work, and catching up on the photos and reports for the website. The trip was scheduled to resume in a few days.

I was surprised that my eyes closed to half-mast when I got home on the 15th. I was running on adrenalin and didn’t realize it. I planned to add rest and catch-up days for the remainder of the trip, so the trip will be extended again.

It poured rain almost constantly for the week I have been home. Our trees and bushes were big and green, as it appears it rained continuously since we left. It’s hard to go Round America in the rain, so I hope to leave the rain in the rearview mirror when I head up to Tennessee when I resume the road trip. Barbara will stay here and babysit a bit longer; she will meet me in Vegas in about 10 days.

I finally managed to get all of the photos up to date on the website. I arranged a toll-free number Internet service, so this should enable me to get online to update the website even when we are in areas that do not have dial-up Internet service.

We spent the day stocking up and preparing the PT Cruiser for its journey. The most important supplies arrived yesterday! We now had gifts to give people we meet on the trip as we bought a case of beads similar to those I received from the Floating Neutrinos, so we were prepared to share good luck with beads that were traveling Round America.

One of my pairs of glasses broke in Memphis, so those were repaired yesterday by Wilma at Pearle. Haircut by Kara at Aruka in Roswell. Additional Round America signs for the back of the PT Cruiser from Roger and Judy at Signs Sell in Roswell. I picked up another notebook at Office Max. Got a new license plate for the Cruiser. And I purchased some more L.L. Bean shorts. The Cruiser is packed and ready.

Boz is helping me organize all the brochures that came in the mail since we left on April 1, as well as the 120 pounds or so of stuff we accumulated while on the road. Bozzie Jane is entering the additional Best and Worst nominations on the website.

I prepared another news release with a trip update, and I spent time contacting people who have emailed about interviews, pies, etc. on the second half of the trip.

Please let us hear from you on which title you feel would be best for the book.

The Daily Journal of Round America: