Tag Archives: Travel Series

2022 Road Trip-Part 12 B

28 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 12 Continued (5/27/2022)

So, after missing out on a visit to the Gasoline Alley Museum there in St. Marys, I just headed east 15 miles on US-33 to visit the Armstrong Air & Space Museum located in Wapakoneta, OH.  I had visited this museum once before on another road trip, but since I had worked on the Apollo-Saturn V launch vehicle (at KSC) that put Neil Armstrong, and the other eleven American astronauts on the Moon, this museum held a special interest for me.   The museum is housed in a specially designed 17,291 sq. ft. building and displays artifacts and memorabilia related to the military and space life achievements of Neil Armstrong and what led to man’s first steps on the moon on July 20, 1969.  There is now doubt that he was an amazing person. 

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After that great trip down memory lane, I headed south 30 miles on I-75 & SR-273 to visit The Bicycle Museum of America located in New Bremen, OH.  This 2-story museum is absolutely jam-packed with 150+ bicycles of every size and configuration dating from 1816.  The curator told me the museum is a part of the private collection of one man, Jim Dicke II, and consists of some 750 cycles (600+ in storage).  I even got a chance to try my luck on their 1870 ‘Big Wheel’ cycle (fixed in place).

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was less than 10 miles south on SR-66 to where I visited the Wilderness Trail Museum located in Fort Loramie, OH.  This museum is situated in the old renovated 1852 two-story brick building that was originally a hotel used by Miami-Erie Canal travelers to the area.  The museum is arranged to represent a mid-1800s hotel and displays antique artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of Fort Loramie and the surrounding Shelby County area from the late 1700s.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was another 15 miles south on SR-66 to where I visited the Johnson Farm & Indian Agency located in Piqua, OH.  The Johnson Farm is a 200-acre site where General Anthony Wayne built the Fort Piqua in 1811.  After the military withdrew from the fort around 1858, John Johnson extablished a traiding post and Federal Indian Agency at the site.  The farm includes the Johnson home (circ 1815), restored portions of the old Fort Piqua, and a one-mile restored section of the Miami-Erie Canal.  Visitors to the Johnston Farm can also take a ride in a replica of the 70-foot mule-drawn ‘General Harrison’ canal boat (circ 1845).

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was only about 10 miles south on SR-25A to where I planned to visit The Museum of Troy History located in Troy, OH but they were closed.  So, while I was in Troy, it was only a short drive to visit the WACO Aviation Museum located there in Troy.  This museum has a restored 1856 barn that was relocated from Lorain, OH and two other large hangers, filled with a beautiful collection of restored WACO biplanes dating from 1921.  WACO built some of my favorite “Golden Age” aircraft, and I love seeing them up close and flying (Not today).

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

The original 1820s building in which the Overfield Tavern Museum, is housed is also located there in Troy, and was in the process of being renovated when I stopped by for a visit.  So, all I got for my troubles was a photo and then was on my way to the next museum on my list.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was another 10 miles south on I-75 to Vandalia, OH where I wanted to visit the Sunwatch Indian Village, but they were closed.  So, I just continued south another 50 miles on I-75 to Sharonville, OH where I planned to stop for the night.  I found an IHOP Restaurant in the Oakley Center and ordered one of their ‘Colorado Omelettes’ and enjoyed that delicious meal.  Yummm!  It was hugh, and I even had enough left over for tomorrow night.

Photo Credit: ihop colorado omelette – Bing images

After that great meal, I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address for the motel there in Sharonville, and she took me right to it.  I got checked in, got my stuff into the room, and recorded the day’s activities.  Then it was to bed for this tired puppy.  No TV again tonight.

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip-Part 11B

14 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 11 Continued (5/26/2022)

The inside portion of the Grissom Air Museum displays various military aviation and space related artifacts and memorabilia.  These include photos of Gus Grissom and the Mercury Redstone 4 (Liberty Bell 7), in which he was the 2nd American astronaut to orbit the earth.   Grissom was the 2nd American astronaut to fly twice in space in the Gemini 3 (Molly Brown) space capsule with John Young.  I also checked out the cockpit of the museum’s restored F-4 Phantom while I was there.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Almost next door to the Grissom Air Museum, I stopped to see what they had going at the American Huey Museum, but it was closed.  So, before I left Peru, I drove over the check out the Peru Historical Circus Winter Quarters.  Since it wasn’t WINTER the area and buildings all seemed deserted, with just a few circus wagons scattered around the grounds.  I took a photo of their sign and was on my way to the next museum on my list.  

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed northeast 15 miles on Alternate US-24 to visit the Wabash County Historical Museum located in Wabash, IN.  This museum is filled with local artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of the city of Wabash and the surrounding Wabash County area dating from the time of the Native Miami Indians and French fur traders of the early 1700s to the present.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Next, I headed northeast 20 miles on US-24 to visit the Forks of the Wabash Historic Park located along the Wabash River in Huntington, IN.  This village park museum is set on the site of the signing of the historic Treaty at the Forks, in 1838, that allowed the extension of the Erie Canal into the Wabash Valley.  There are restored original and replicas of 1800s cabins, buildings, and a church, with period furnishings, on the site to help educate visitors about the life and times of the early settlers to this area.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

While I was in Huntington, I checked out the Veterans Memorial located next to the city’s Memorial Park.  This memorial honors veterans from all branches of U.S. military services.  The Memorial 

is used to celebrate several military events each year, and historical markers around the Memorial honor past Huntington citizens who have contributed their lives and talents to our nation’s history.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

 It was only a short drive to where I visited the Corn Coast Comics, which turned out to be a computer games and all things ‘geek’ store and was closed.  So, for my last museum today, I drove over to check out the Sheets Wildlife Museum there in Huntington.  This museum is a collection of animals, fish, and bird taxidermy displays of hunter, Sumner B. Sheets, which he has taken during his many hunts all over the world.  A unique example is the 2nd largest polar bear ever known to have been taken.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address for tonight’s motel, there in Huntington, and she took me right to it.  After I got checked in, I asked the desk clerk for good restaurants there in Huntington, and he rattled off a list of restaurants close by.  I selected the Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant, where I had their Chili Relleno plate which came with yellow rice and refried beans.  That was indeed a delightful meal. Back at the motel, I recorded my day’s activities and went to bed.  No TV tonight.

Photo Credit: https://www.nomascantina.com/items/chili-relleno

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip Part 11A

7 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 11 (5/26/2022)

This morning, after a good breakfast, I went looking for the Frasca Air Museum which is located adjacent to the Frasca Field there in Urbana, IL.  I found the hanger where the museum is, but it was closed.  So, I headed east 30 miles on I-74 to visit the Vermillion County War Museum located in Danville, IL.  This museum is situated in the old 1904 Carnegie Library building and contains over 25,000 military photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia dating from the Revolutionary War to the present.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was just a few miles north of Danville to where I wanted to visit the ILLINI Glider Club located at the Vermillion Regional Airport.  I had been given a wonderful glider ride with  a friend a few years ago, and since it was a good morning for glider flying, I thought I might get to see a few flying.  But there were no gliders on the field and none in the sky.  Bummer!

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

So, I just headed east 50 miles on I-74, across the border, to visit the Linden Railroad Museum located in Linden, IN.  This small museum is situated in the original old restored 1852 Albany & Salem Railroad Depot that was move to this location in 1881.  The depot served the Nickle Plate Railroad and the CI&L Railroad until 1973.  The museum has a very nice display of antique railroad artifacts and memorabilia dating from the early 1800s.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

This museum also has several pieces of restored rolling stock, which includes a very old 1837 Norris 4-2-0 Steam Engine, coal car, and open passenger car.  In another building there are model railroad layouts.  A very impressive museum to visit!

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed north 15 miles on US-231 to visit the Tippecanoe County Courthouse located in Lafayette, IN.  This magnificent structure was the third Tippecanoe County Courthouse built in 1884 to replace the second 1845 courthouse which replaced the first 1829 courthouse.  It has served Tippecanoe County for going on 138 years and looks as though it could last for another 100 years at least.  There was no museum located in the courthouse, as I had expected to see, so, I took this photo and was on my way.

Next it was northeast 40 miles on SR-25 to check out the Dentzel Carousel located in Logansport, IN.  This is another of the beautiful Dentzel Carousels that grace our country and provide entertainment for young and old alike.  This particular carousel was built in the late 1800s by the famous carousel maker, Gustav A. Dentzel, and was brought to Logansport in 1949.  It is located adjacent to the Riverside Park there in Logansport and hosts many event days throughout the year, including Carousel Fun Day.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed east 15 miles on US-24 to visit the Grissom Air Museum located in Peru, IN.  I visited this museum on one of my past road trips and it is one of my favorite aviation museums.  The museum has an impressive outdoor static display of 27 restored aircraft dating from WWII to the present. The indoor portion of the museum displays many artifacts and memorabilia covering the life and achievements of Gus Grissom.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip-Part 10B

30 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 10 Continued (5/25/2022)

While I was in Lincoln, I wanted to take a look at the World’s Largest Railsplitter Covered Wagon.  This tribute to Abraham Lincoln, and the historic western movement, was built in 2001 by David Bentley and was displayed on Historic Route 66, in Divernon, IL until 2009 when it was moved to this location, for all to see and appreciate.  I have to agree this IS the largest covered wagon I have ever seen.  I think it is much more impressive in some of the other photos I have seen, with the canvas cover in place.  The photo below will give you some perspective as to its actual size.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was only about four miles from the World’s Largest Covered Wagon to the Lincoln County Airport where I wanted to visit the Heritage In- Flight Museum, but they were closed.  So, I headed northeast another 10 miles on I-55 to visit the J. H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum located in Atlanta, IL.  This is a fully restored, and operating, 1903 wooden grain elevator (amazing) that was used to store locally harvested grains until the Illinois & Midland Railroad could load and transport it to places like Terre Haute, Indiana and other destinations on their early 1900’s rail route.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

While I was in Atlanta, IL I wanted to visit the 19-foot-tall ‘Paul Bunyan’ holding a giant hot dog statue (one of the many Old Route 66’s mythic Muffler Man Statues) that was supposed to be located on SW Arch Street.  Greta (my Garmin) took me to the correct address, but the Paul Bunyan statue had been replaced by a large Golden Eagle Statue.  I took a photo of the eagle thinking I could read the wording on the plaque later, but the words came out blurred, so I’m not sure what the eagle is supposed to represent.  

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed northeast 20 miles on I-55 to visit the Prairie Aviation Museum located adjacent to the Central Illinois Reginal Airport in Bloomington, IL.  This museum is filled with model aircraft, photos, and aviation memorabilia, while their outside airpark has a collection of several restored civilian and military aircraft on static display dating from 1945.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Next, I travelled 50 miles southeast on I-74 to visit the Illinois Terminal located at the Event and Meeting Center Plaza in Champaign, IL.  This famous MTD terminal was originally built in 1896 by the Terminal Railroad Co. to serve the railroad needs of the city of Champaign and the surrounding Champaign County during the late 1880s.  The old Terminal and Meeting Center have been renovated several times over the years to their present status as the Illinois Terminal.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was time to head for my motel for the night.  I gave Greta (My Garmin) the motel address and it only took her a few minutes to get us to the Urbana, IL location, which was only a couple miles east, on the outskirts of Champaign.  I got checked in, got my things into the room, heated up my leftover Riblets Dinner from Applebee’s, and enjoyed that delicious meal again.  YUMMMM!

Photo Credit: https://yahoo.com/applebees+riblets+plate

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip-Part 10A

23 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 10 (5/25/2022)

This morning after breakfast, I headed east 15 miles on and I-55 to see what The Largest Catsup Bottle, located in Collinsville, IL was all about.  It turns out it is this huge 170-foot-high Collinsville water tower (100,000 gallons).  Built in 1949, in the shape of a catsup bottle, it has the name ‘Brooks’ painted on it, to honor the Brooks Catsup Company, that was in business there from 1907s to 1959, when the company merged with the P. J. Ritter Co.  The Suppiger Bottling Company moved its operations to Illinois in the early 1960s, and their name also appears on the water tower. Collinsville is also the self-proclaimed Horseradish Capital of the World, and hosts the annual Horseradish Festival held there in the city.

Note: Collinsville, IL was originally founded in 1837 as Unionville, IL. 

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was northeast 45 miles on I-55 to visit the Litchfield Museum located in downtown Litchfield, IL.  This small museum is the Official Route 66 museum in the area, as Old US-66 ran thru Litchfield, but was bypassed by I-55.  The museum has a large displays of early Route 66 artifacts, memorabilia, and curios.  The curator and I had a nice time remembering the Route 66 days of our youth.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

North 40 miles on I-55 I visited the Chatham Railroad Museum located just off Main Street in Chatham, IL.  This small museum is situated in the old restored 1902 C A & M station, that replaced the original 1852 C & M Railway Depot, and displays local railroad artifacts, memorabilia and photos associated with the railroad’s influence on the growth of the city of Chatham and the surrounding Sangamon County area from the mid-1800s.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was only another 10 miles northeast on SR-3 to where I visited the Air Combat Museum located at the Lincoln Capital Airport outside Springfield, IL.  This museum consists of the private collection of Mick George and has 18 beautifully restored aircraft, most of which are in flying condition.  Their latest project is the restoration of a WWII P-40N Warhawk, which is being restored to flying condition.  The crew were very friendly, showing me around their restoration hanger, and I invited them to visit our Valiant Air Command Museum in Titusville the next time they were in our area.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Next it was only a couple of miles over to visit the Lincoln Memorial Tomb Site located within the 180-acre Oak Ridge Cemetery there in Springfield.  Wikipedia tells me that the National Lincoln Monument Association was formed by citizens of Springfield on April 15, 1865 (the day Lincoln died) and has maintained Lincoln’s tomb ever since.  It is a magnificent mausoleum to our 16th President.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After touring the rest of the beautiful Oak Ridge Cemetery, I headed east another 30 miles on I-55 to visit the Postville Courthouse Historic Site located in Lincoln, IL.  This is the site of the 1839 Postville Courthouse that served Logan County until 1848.  As a member of the Traveling Bar of the 8th Illinois Judicial Circuit, young lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, attended court here twice each year until the county seat was moved to Mount Pulaski, IL in 1848.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip Part 9B

16 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 9 Continued (5/24/2022)

Next on the list was The National Museum of Transportation located in the Twin Oaks area of St. Louis.  This museum is laid out over a huge 42-acre rolling hills park that could really be called a four-museums-in-one arrangement.  There is the Lobby Area with its antique streetcars, the Miniature Train Station, the Automobile Collection, the Train Yard, and the Roberts Pavilion.  This museum has gone a long way to protect and interoperate North American’s Transportation Heritage.  There is something for everyone, including a miniature train ride around the park perimeter.  A family could easily spend a whole day here, and sill not see everything.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

In the main lobby area, I was impressed with the 1870s Bellefontaine Railway ‘mule car’ and the 1880s Boston & Providence Railroad coach.  There was also a selection of framed model history scenes depicting the evolution of transportation in America, as well as the McDonnell Tribute Exhibit.  For the antique car collector, there was a 1924 Ford Model ‘T’ there in the lobby being showcased as a give-a-way (Sweepstakes).  A real prize for someone!

Photo credit: Bill Lites

Within walking distance of the lobby, I checked out The Carl G. Lindburg Automobile Center, which displays some 60+ beautifully restored cars and trucks dating from the early 1900s.  Two of the most unusual cars in this collection are Bobby Darin’s Dream Car (Designed and built by fashion designer Andy Di Dia) and a 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car (only 55 produced).  And yes, Jay Leno has one that runs (#34) that he bought from Chrysler.

Photo credit: Bill Lites        Bobby Darin’s Dream Car

Photo credit: Bill Lites        1963 Chrysler Turbine Car

A little farther up the hill was the museum’s huge historic Train Yard.  This collection of 45+ pieces of restored rolling stock, includes the 1939 General Pershing Zephyr streamlined ‘Silver Challenger’ and the Union Pacific #4006 ‘Big Boy’ steam locomotive, considered to be the world’s largest (successful) steam locomotive

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

As I was walking back down to my van, I passed the Miniature Train Station, filled with excited young passengers waiting for their turn to ride in the museum’s Miniature Train. The train travels around the perimeter of the park and gives visitors an opportunity to see where all the exhibits are located.  Everyone loves that train ride!  This is truly a family attraction.

Photo credit: https://www.ksnt.com/news/miniture-park-train/

After that informative visit, I headed over to visit the James S. McDonnell Prologue Room located in the Boeing/St. Louis Headquarters building adjacent to the St. Louis Lambert International Airport.  This prologue room displays full-size Mercury and Gemini capsules as well as hundreds of models, dioramas, photographs, and videos that tell the story of the milestone events that the original McDonnell Aircraft Company was instrumental in, that helped shape America’s early manned space programs.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was time to get something to eat and head back to the motel for the night.  I stopped at an Applebee’s in the St. Johns area for a plate of their Rib-Lets with French fries and coleslaw.  I had enough left over to enjoy that delicious meal again tomorrow night.  Greta (My Garmin) acted like she knew the way to the motel, having been there before,

and took me right to it.  I recorded today’s adventures and went to bed.  I didn’t even turn on the TV.  I was a tired puppy.

Photo Credit: https://yahoo.com/applebees+riblets+plate

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

Tags: , , , , ,

2022 Road Trip-Part 9A

9 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 9 (5/24/2022)

I was up early this morning, had breakfast, and headed for downtown St. Louis to visit The Gateway Arch and Museum.  I wanted to get there early to find the right parking garage which I had not been able to locate yesterday.  As luck would have it, I found it on the first pass and even with the three-block walk, still arrived at the Arch before the doors opened.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

The prelude talk before the ride to the top was long and took us from one level to the next, but we finally arrived at the trams.  The 6-minute ride to the top of The Arch was knee-to-knee crowded in the tram, but when we got there, the view was worth the ride.  The windows were small, but the view (30 miles in any direction on a clear day) was spectacular!  I was amazed to feel the floor under my feet move slightly at one point.  We were only allowed about ten minutes at the top before we were herded back into the trams for the 4-minute trip back down.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

As we exited the trams, we were guided onto the museum floor and the exits.  The museum is a very impressive layout.  There are six-themed exhibit areas that chronicle 201 years of American Western Expansion history as was witnessed by the St. Louis area from 1764 to 1965.   The displays are informative and explain each of the six periods in detail, with hands-on items for the younger visitors.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After completing that ‘Bucket List’ adventure, I walked over to check out the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France church (known as the Old Cathedral).  This cathedral’s roots date back to 1764, when St. Louis founders Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau dedicated land (church block) to the people of St. Louis for religious purposes. The log cabin built on that site was the first church west of the Mississippi River and the first church in St. Louis.  This 1831 Cathedral (renovated over the years) is the fourth structure to be built on this site and tells the story of the early history of St. Louis.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed off to explore some of the other museums on my list there in the St. Louis area.  First on the list was the Jefferson Barracks POW & MIA Museum located in the 405-acre Jefferson Barracks Park which was founded in 1828 as part of the Jefferson Barracks Military Post.  This museum is housed in the old restored 1905 Post Exchange building and is designed to honor those men and women who did not return from the war they fought, with personal and military artifacts and memorabilia.   

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Before leaving the Jefferson Barracks Park, I visited the Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum which is situated in an original restored 1896 building.  This building was originally designed as a two-family duplex, and was part of in the ‘Officers Row’ housing section, within the U.S. Army Jefferson Barracks base.  The museum features an extensive collection of telephones, and telephone related equipment dating from the late 1800s to 2012. 

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Next, I drove out to the Creve Coeur Airport, not far from the Missouri River, to visit the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum.  As I was pulling into the airport complex, I saw a sign for the Army Aviation Heritage Flying Museum which I didn’t know was also located in this complex.  I looked for their museum all over the complex, but couldn’t see any other indications as to where their museum was.  So, I tried the Restoration Museum.  This museum was closed, and I was really disappointed to miss a chance to see their collection of beautifully restored ‘Golden Age of Flight’ aircraft.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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 2022 Road Trip Part 8B

2 Nov

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Day 8 Continued (5/23/2022)

After that quick ‘Trip to the Past’ I left Paduca and headed back north 50 miles on SR-13 to visit the Gateway Classic Cars collection located in O’Fallon, IL.  This is a fabulous collection of beautifully restored cars, ranging from the 1930s Hot Rods to the present-day Muscle Cars.  I never get tired of drooling over the finished product of someone’s ‘Dream Car.’  I’ve been there and know how hard it is to sell that car you have put your heart and soul into restoring. 

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

Now it was only about 15 miles west on I-24 to where I had planned to visit the old 1831 Campbell House Museum located in the Lucas Place neighborhood in St. Louis, MO but they were closed by the time I got there.   Just a few blocks away I stopped to see if the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum was open.  They weren’t, so it wasn’t far to where I checked out the Moto Motorcycle Museum.  This museum is the private collection of famous architect, Steve Smith, and displays mostly motorcycles made before 1975, and mainly from European countries.  It is a beautiful collection of motorcycles with names not commonly heard of in the United States.

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

On the same block I noticed the International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum, and stopped to take a photo.  They were closed also, so I headed a few blocks to check out the Laclede’s Landing Wax Museum located not far from the Gateway Arch, adjacent to the Mississippi River.  This museum has five levels and displays over 250 wax figures of some of the most famous persons in history, including movie stars, presidents, world leaders, religious leaders, and inventers just to name a few of the categories of wax figures.

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

By now I was getting hungry, so I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address for the Blueberry Hill Diner located in the Delmar Loop district across from the Ackert Walkway leading to University City.  The Blue Berry Hill is a longtime pop culture–themed diner where live music is played several nights each week (Not tonight – Bummer).  They advertise that Chuck Berry walked across their stage, in their ‘Duck Room’ over 200 times.  I enjoyed an order of their famous French Dip, accompanied by a lot of Chuck Berry’s recorded music in the background, while I ‘people watched’ the crowd who came and went.

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

After that exciting experience, I walked across Delmar Blvd to take a photo of the bronze statue of Chuck Berry that guards the entrance to the Ackert Walkway leading to University City.  I was amazed at the crowd of people filling the sidewalks on either side of the street.  They consisted of people of all ages dressed in every conceivable type of clothes, from shorts to dinner attire.  What a sight that was!

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

Greta was again employed to take me to tonight’s motel there on the outskirts of St. Louis, and she did a good job.  After I got checked in and got my things into the room, I recorded my day’s activities, and went to bed.  I had to get up early as I had reservations for the first timeslot at the Gateway Arch tomorrow morning and wanted to get a good night’s rest.

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip-Part 7B

19 Oct

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 7 Continued (5/22/2022)

Next door to Willie’s Museum was the Nashville Palace, which is a live music venue that was once the home of ‘The Grand Ole Opry’ and TV shows like ‘Hee Haw’ and others.  The Nashville Palace is a place where Country singing stars can come to relax and share some of their songs with visitors.  Some of the greats who have appeared at the Nashville Palace, over the years, are Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Roy Acuff, George Jones, Randy Travis, and Mel Tillis just to name a few.  Unfortunately, no performers were on hand while I was there, so the only music I heard was piped out from loud-speakers I could hear from the parking lot.  That’s OK, as I liked what they were playing. 

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed northwest about 50 miles on I-24 to visit the L & N Train Station Museum located in downtown Clarksville, TN.  This museum is situated in the old restored 1859 L & N Railroad depot, and displays many antique railroad artifacts and memorabilia related to the railroad’s influence on Clarksville and the surrounding Montgomery County area dating from the early 1800s.  The museum also has a restored diesel locomotive and caboose on display outside.

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com.my/travel/l&ndepot/clarksville/

On the north side of Clarksville, I visited the Fort Defiance Civil War Park located on a bluff 200 feet above where the Red River and the Cumberland River converge.  Over the years, the area around this famous site (originally Sevier Station) has been the focal point for Native Americans, early 18th century pioneer settlers, a long-standing trading post, and a stronghold for Confederate forces during the Civil War.  The fort and interpretive center provide a wealth of information related to the use of this site, prior to, and during the course of the Civil War.

Photo Credit: clarksvilletn.com/fort-defiance-civil-war-park/

Now I headed north another 35 miles on US-41, across the border, to visit the Hopkinsville L & N Railroad Museum located in Hopkinsville, KY.  This small depot was built by the EH&N Railroad in 1868.  It was   acquired and refurbished by the L & N Railroad in 1892.  The station closed when the last passenger train left Hopkinsville (Hop Town) in 1968.  However, the L & N Railroad merged with the CSX Railroad in 1982 and CSX still runs trains on the tracks alongside the museum.     The L & N Railroad Museum displays many antique railroad artifacts and memorabilia dating from the early to mid-1800s.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed northwest 30 miles on SR-91 to check out the Adsmore Museum located in Princeton, KY.  This Greek Revival style residence was built in1854 by John Higgins and served as the family home until, Katharine Garrett, the last surviving relative passed away in 1984.  This living history museum consists of four acres on which one finds the original residence, filled with period furnishings, a carriage house (gift shop), a restored mid-1800s log cabin, and the Ratliff gun shop.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

My motel was in Benton, KY tonight, which was about 30 miles west of Princeton.  So, I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address and using I-24 she took me right to it.   On the way I crossed the Cumberland River and then the Tennessee River before arriving in Benton.  After I got to the motel and checked in, I carried my things in to my room and warmed up my leftover St. Louis Ribs from ‘Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q.’  I really enjoyed that delicious meal again.  Yummm!!   I tried to watch some TV, but there was nothing good on, so I recorded the day’s activities and went to bed.  Boy, was I tired.

Photo Credit: yahoo.com/big+bob+gibson+bar-b-q+st.+louis+ribs

Just looking at this picture, and remembering, makes my mouth water!

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip-Part 7A

12 Oct

A Slice of Life

Bill LItes

Day 7 (5/22/2022)

This morning after a quick breakfast, I said my goodbyes to my friends, Terry and Mary and headed north 25 miles on SR-29 & SR-166 to visit the Sam Davis Memorial Museum located across the border in Pulaski, TN.  This Memorial Museum is a small mausoleum dedicated to Sam Davis, a young Confederate soldier, who was captured while carrying Union battle papers and hung as a spy on November 27, 1863, at this location.  The museum was closed today this photo of the mausoleum was the only thing I had to remind me of my visit.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed north 30 miles on US-31 to visit the President James K. Polk Home and Museum located in Columbia, TN.  I discovered this museum was only open for appointment tours, but their website tells me that this is the first home of the eleventh President of the United States.  The house was built by his father, Samuel Polk, in 1816 and was in the family until 1871 when the last Polk relative to live in the home passed away. Sarah Polk was instrumental in preserving many of President Polk’s White House furnishings, which are now displayed in the museum.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

I headed north 45 miles on I-65 to visit the Johnny Cash Museum located in Nashville, TN but by the time I got there, the tourists were out in force, and I couldn’t find a place to park.  I drove past the museum and the streets were so jammed with tourists that I decided to pass up that museum.  That was a very disappointing decision, as Johnny Cash is one of my favorite country singers.  What a Bummer!   Just a few blocks away I tried to visit the Tennessee Central Railway Museum, but it was also closed.  Today was turning out to be a driving day and not a viewing day.  I took a photo of this museum and headed for the next museum on my list.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

In another part of town, I visited the Lane Motor Museum (I finally found a museum I could visit today!).  This museum made my day.  It is the collection of Jeff and Susan Lane and consists of some 500+ cars (150 on display) from all over the world.  Many of these cars are one-of-a-kind, prototypes or antique models.  The collection is rotated periodically, and many are loaned out to other museums for special events.  One event is the annual fundraiser where donors are allowed to drive one of the museum’s cars on a nearby rural route.  How about that for a donor prize!  This is a fantastic museum for car buffs!

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Not to be deterred by the many museums being closed on Sunday, I pressed on to visit the Willie Nelson & Friends Museum there in Nashville.  This wild and wooly multi-purpose attraction features a Museum, General Store, Gift Shop, and a Snack Shop.  The Willie Nelson Museum is filled with artifacts and memorabilia that relate to Willie’s life and career.  This whole block is home to several Country Music establishments.  A person could spend a whole day visiting just the stores on this one block!

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

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