Month: October 2023

The Knob Creek Place

October 28, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Abraham Lincoln’s Boyhood Home

Abraham Lincoln lived on this farm as a boy from 1811 to 1816. He once said that his earliest memories were of the Knob Creek place. A younger brother was born here.

This is another one of the many national parks on the list of many. The boyhood home unit is actually part of the birthplace national park even though it is ten miles away from the Sinking Spring Farm where he was born in 1809. It doesn’t have its own sticker, but it does have a stamp for the National Park Pass Book.

One of the signs says that there was a title dispute over the Sinking Spring property and Abraham’s parents had to move when he was only two years old.

The building on the left is a tavern built in 1928 to serve tourists visiting the park and wanting to see the cabin.

The farm at Knob Creek contained a mere 30 acres when the Lincolns lived here. They grew crops like corn, tobacco, and pumpkins.

There is an overlook trail through the property that is approximately 3 miles long with strenuous difficulty. The sign said to beware of snakes and ticks. Just the word strenuous was enough to deter me.

If you are ever in the area of Hodgenville, Kentucky, be sure to stop and explore the land that Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16th President, knew as a child.

This part of Kentucky is gorgeous. I can see why his family settled here.

Thanks for reading and following us on our travels.

 

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park

October 27, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Hodgenville, Kentucky

Did you know: If you visited only one National Park per year, it would take you 63 years to see them all — and that daunting number does not even include the plethora of national monuments, seashores, battlefields, and other properties managed by the National Park Service.

While the National Park System comprises 423 national park sites, only 63 of them have the “National Park” designation in their names. The other sites fall into different National Park System categories like Battlefields, Historic Sites, Monuments, Seashores, Recreation Areas, and others.

We are trying to visit all of them, or at least as many as we can as we travel around these wonderful states of ours.

And we hit another one yesterday…

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in a small cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky. His early life in Kentucky was a humble start for the 16th President of the United States.

The visitor center contains a small museum and gift shop. The photo above is the Lincoln Family Bible.

We always go inside the visitor center to get my stamp and sticker for my National Park Pass Book. The workers were extremely friendly and helpful.

The trails near the visitor center are paved and make it easy to walk to the buildings on display.

First is the Nancy Lincoln Inn and four cabins.

They were built by James R. Howell in 1928 to accommodate the increasing number of tourists who were coming to visit Lincoln’s Birthplace and Memorial.

The park preserves the Sinking Spring Farm, where Abraham Lincoln was born and includes the Memorial Building, which was built over the original log cabin he was born in. It was designed by John Russell Pope and was completed in 1911.

The building is a Greek Revival-style building with a white marble exterior. It is 100 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 40 feet high. It has a central portico with six Ionic columns. The inscription above the portico reads: “Abraham Lincoln, Born February 12, 1809, Died April 15, 1865, Sixteenth President of the United States.“

What a beautiful place to visit! I didn’t feel up to climbing the steps, so I didn’t go inside.

The interior of the Memorial Building is divided into two main rooms: the Memorial Room and the Lincoln Museum. The Memorial Room contains a marble statue of Lincoln by the sculptor Henry Merwin Shrady. The statue is surrounded by murals depicting scenes from Lincoln’s life. The Lincoln Museum contains exhibits on Lincoln’s life and family.

Off to the side of the memorial are some cement steps leading down to the Sinking Spring, a dependable water source which is probably why his father, Thomas Lincoln, chose this spot to build. This is called the Sinking Spring Farm.

There are additional trails through the woods, which we did not walk. Walking around the paved sidewalk was a good start for me to begin building my knee back up since surgery. I hate missing out on the entire area, but I just can’t do it all yet.

Entrance to this National Historic Park is free. We have our National Park Pass, but we didn’t need it here.

If you’ve ever been curious to see where Abraham Lincoln was born, this is a must-visit.

 

Longview RV Park in Elizabethtown, Kentucky

October 27, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

I do a lot of calling around and researching when I’m looking for places to stay as we travel around America. I have always been fortunate enough to find some of the best places at the most reasonable prices.

As soon as we pulled into Longview RV Park we were greeted by a nice man on a golf cart who led us straight to our site. We would much rather stay in a smaller campground than a larger one. The people are so nice and glad to have you.

The lots are decent length, with room enough for the tow dolly to remain hooked up and park the car in front of the RV.

The only complaint Rich had is that the sewer dump is up by the front of the RV so he will have to wait and dump when we pull forward to leave.

There is a nice pond in the rear of the campground. The water level looked low. They must need rain. They said they had seen bald eagles here. Wish we would see one.

With it being the weekend before Halloween, it was nice to see the decorations.

They even had a bowl of free buckeyes! We are from Ohio, the Buckeye state. Of course, I will take a free buckeye!

The laundry facility was extremely nice and clean and just look at the wonderful private bathrooms!

Another important factor for us RVers is the water pressure. Great water pressure here and the water tasted really good to us. That is a big plus for us.

Longview RV Park in Elizabethtown, Kentucky gets 5 stars from us. If you are ever in the area, we highly recommend it.

Thanks for traveling with us.

Driving From Ohio to Kentucky

October 26, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

RV Life on the road

We pulled out of our familiar spot in Ohio and headed south today. Hwy 30 to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 469 South to 69 South around Indianapolis to 65 South.

Most of 69 South to Indy is under construction and bumpy as heck. The RV has new tires and shocks and we still jiggle nuts and bolts loose all the time.

The trees displayed a gorgeous array of colors including red, gold, rust, brown, dark green, light green, yellow, and orange.

I hope to take more photos of the leaves, but we saw a lot of them blowing off the branches.

I’m so glad Rich enjoys the sights as much as I do. Once in Kentucky, we saw some beautiful hills covered with fall trees and he said, “Wow, look how pretty that is.”

The Louisville skyline is shown in the photo above.

We drove as far south as Elizabethtown and stopped at an RV park for a couple of days. From where we were in Ohio we drove over five hours. We have no set schedule. Five hours was long enough.

Stay tuned for the adventures! I can’t wait to show you a tiny piece of Kentucky.

(all photos were taken by me unless otherwise noted)

Living Our “Dash” To the Fullest

October 25, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

In an old RV

Richard Keirns born 1960 — ?

Julia Keirns born 1964 — ?

We are both still living the dash.

Life is short. It might be a cheesy cliché, but it is so very true. And it’s something that Rich and I have come to realize more and more over the years. People our age are dying including friends from high school and other acquaintances.

That’s part of the reason why we decided to sell our house and buy an RV to travel around the country full-time. It is something we always talked about doing and didn’t want to have any regrets. We are living our dash to the fullest, and we are loving every minute of it. If either one of us dies tomorrow, we will be so glad we spent this time together traveling around the country.

Of course, full-time RVing isn’t for everyone. It takes a lot of planning, hard work, and flexibility. It takes a lot of patience to put up with each other 24 hours a day in a small space. But for us, it works and it is the best way to live our lives right now.

The road is long before us and infinite. We love seeing new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new things all the time. And we love doing it together, as a couple.

We are definitely seeing the country. We’ve been to all but 8 states since we started full-time RVing, and we’ve seen some of the most amazing places in the country.

From the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest to the Rio Grande in southern Texas, and into Maine, we’ve been blown away by the unbelievable beauty of this country.

We love meeting new people. One of the best things about full-time RVing is that we meet people from all walks of life. We’ve met other RVing couples, families with children, and solo travelers from all over the country. We’ve made some great friends along the way, and we’ve learned a lot from these people.

Of course, full-time RVing isn’t without its challenges. It seems like there is always something that needs fixing. There are times when we miss our family back home but Skype is a wonderful tool. And if we get tired of being on the road we can just go home to Ohio and park in our daughter’s yard for a while. But overall, we wouldn’t trade this lifestyle for anything.

We have had to learn to be flexible. Things don’t always go according to plan when you’re full-time RVing. We are prepared to change our plans at the last minute if we have to and we have learned to not be upset about it. Everything always seems to work out for the best.

We are enjoying the journey and living our dash to the fullest. Full-time RVing is a great way to see the country, experience new things, and meet new people.

If you’re looking for a way to live your dash to the fullest, I highly recommend full-time RVing. It’s not for everyone, but it’s the best way we have found to live our lives.

Thanks for reading and coming along on our journey. Comment to let us know you stopped by.

(all photos are taken by me unless otherwise noted)

The Geese Are Heading South and So Are We

October 24, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Off to warmer weather

My knee is healed. I am walking decently with little discomfort, and we are biting at the bullet to head south.

The days are cooling off and the nights are too chilly here in Ohio. When the outside air begins to cool our bones on the inside and the inside heat begins to dry our skin on the outside, it is time to move to warmer temperatures.

Rich works a lot harder than I do preparing to move.

I basically take care of closing up the inside and he takes care of closing up the outside.

Closing up the inside consists of picking everything up and putting it away so it doesn’t fall over, break, or rattle while we drive down the road.

And making sure the television is strapped, drawers are locked, counters are cleaned off, and nothing is going to go flying around if we hit a bump.

Together we dismantle the outside displays such as lights around the awning, picnic table, bug spray, lawn flags, and chairs. But Rich puts it all away in the outside compartments.

He takes out the leveling blocks, dumps the tanks, puts away the cords and hoses, brings in the jacks, hooks up the tow dolly, gets the car loaded up, checks all the lights and turn signals, and locks all the cabinets.

Yes, I help when I can.

Last, but not least, is cleaning the windshield and side windows so we can see good.

I don’t have great balance. I fall easily and break bones, so he doesn’t let me on a ladder much.

We are both excited to be back on the road and in our happy place. I can’t wait to see new places, take lots of pictures, and write all about it.

And of course, take you along for the journey. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading.

 

The Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site

October 17, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Dayton, Ohio

We drove to Dayton, Ohio today to visit the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park so I could get the stamp and sticker in my National Park book.

I didn’t know that Paul Laurence Dunbar’s house was available for touring as part of this National Park. We arrived too late to actually see the inside of the house or the grounds. It closed at 4:00 pm.

Who is Paul Laurence Dunbar you ask?

He was an American poet, lyricist, essayist, and novelist of the late 19th century who was born in Dayton, Ohio.

He was born on June 27, 1872, to parents who were slaves in Kentucky before the American Civil War.

He was one of the first African-American writers to establish an international reputation.

One of the poems I especially like of his is called “Dreams.”

What dreams we have and how they fly

Like rosy clouds across the sky;

Of wealth, of fame, of sure success,

Of love that comes to cheer and bless;

And how they wither, how they fade,

The waning wealth, the jilting jade —

The fame that for a moment gleams,

Then flies forever, — dreams, ah — dreams!

Suffering from tuberculosis, which then had no cure, Dunbar died in Dayton, Ohio, at the age of 33. It’s a shame that he died so young.

Thanks for reading and joining me for another history lesson.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park

October 17, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Dayton, Ohio

We drove two hours south the other day to visit the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park in Dayton, Ohio, and get my stamp and sticker in my National Park book. We didn’t realize this was in the heart of downtown Dayton and finding a place to park was difficult.

There are times we become a bit concerned about the area we are entering and driving through. We passed several police cars with people pulled over and lights flashing. The entire area looked quite poor and rundown, except for the buildings that were part of the park. But I refuse to be afraid when we travel. I will not live in fear.

The Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP commemorates Orville and Wilbur Wright who turned cloth, wood, bicycle chains, and gears into the first heavier-than-air airplane. Established in 1992, this national park includes six unique sites, each highlighting a different part of the story.

The Wright Cycle Company (shown in the main photo above behind the park sign) and the visitor center is the first place to begin. These two buildings are right beside each other. The cycle shop was closed the day we were there. This building was actually the fourth cycle shop location operated by the Wright brothers and is the only remaining testament to their cycle operation.

The visitor center was open. It is a beautiful building and the workers inside were extremely nice and helpful. The first thing we did was walk through the small museum.

The photo below is a replica of the 1902 Wright Glider. It’s the first display you see when you enter the museum. It has a wing span of 32 feet and weighs 117 pounds empty.

Located at the corner of South Williams and West Third Street, the visitor center and museum contains exhibits on every phase of the Wright brothers’ lives, exhibits about aviation history in the Dayton area, and exhibits about the life and works of poet and writer Paul Laurence Dunbar.

The house is the third building that is part of the park and is located on North Paul Laurence Dunbar Street. Dunbar purchased this house in 1904 for his mother Matilda. He lived here after he became too sick from tuberculosis to travel. He died in 1906. His mother lived here until she died in 1934. Free tours are available on select days and it was closed the day we were there.

Did you know that the Wright brothers not only figured out how to fly through the air, but they also built a better bicycle with improved brakes?

The Frank B. Hale Grocery store was also located here in the early 1900s. For seventeen years Hale sold canned goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other goods to the people of Dayton, including the Wright brothers and Paul Laurence Dunbar. This grocery store replica has been carefully furnished with historically correct items to show what it looked like at the time.

In 1920, the Wrights opened the first factory in the United States designed especially for building airplanes. They had just returned from a European tour and came home to Dayton with orders to build three airplanes. The factory is going to be the newest part of this National Park but is not yet open to the public.

Located on West Third Street is this 1905 Wright Flyer III Sculpture. The Wright Flyer III was the third powered aircraft by the Wright Brothers and was built during the winter of 1904–05. Orville made the first flight with it on June 23, 1905.

I love traveling the country and visiting all the national parks and historic sites. I hope you enjoyed this little tour of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park.

Do you collect stamps and stickers of the National Parks?

Thanks for reading.

Annie Oakley: A Pioneer for Women’s Rights

October 15, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

The little sure shot from Ohio.

Rich and I drove 45 miles south today to the birthplace of Annie Oakley. Located on Spencer Road in Yorkshire, Ohio is a small memorial dedicated to the site of her home. It’s a shame that the home itself wasn’t preserved.

The plaque reads that the log cabin was a little over 1,000 feet east which puts it in that cornfield behind the memorial.

Phoebe Ann Mosey, (there is some argument that the last name was Moses, not Mosey), better known by her stage name Annie Oakley, was one of the most famous sharpshooters of the Wild West era.

She was born on August 13, 1860, into poverty in southwest Ohio, but her skill with firearms helped her rise to international fame.

Oakley’s father died when she was young forcing her to learn to hunt and shoot to help support her family. She was so skilled that she was able to sell her wild game around the city of Greenville, Ohio. Some of it was even shipped off to market in Cincinnati.

She was so skilled that she won a shooting match in Cincinnati, Ohio against a professional marksman at the age of 15. That’s how she met the man she would eventually marry, Frank E. Butler.

After visiting her birthplace memorial we drove eight miles to Brock Cemetery just outside of Versailles, Ohio to visit the gravesite of Oakley and her husband Butler.

She adopted the stage name “Oakley” when she began performing with her husband in the early 1880s.

There are several theories about how she chose her stage name. One theory is that she took it from the town of Oakley, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, where she and her husband lived for a time.

In 1885, they joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Oakley quickly became one of the show’s biggest stars, dazzling audiences with her amazing feats of marksmanship.

We left the cemetery and drove 12 miles south into downtown Greenville to the Annie Oakley Memorial Park. Being downtown there was not much parking available so we pulled into the alley and got out for a few minutes.

During her life, Oakley was a role model for women and girls everywhere. She proved that women could be just as good as men at shooting sports, and she inspired many women to learn how to shoot.

She was a strong advocate for women’s rights and equality, a national icon, and one of the most famous women in the world.

Oakley died of pernicious anemia on November 3, 1926, at the age of 66. Her ashes are buried in the Brock Cemetery near Greenville, Ohio. Her devoted husband, Frank Butler, died just three weeks later on November 21, 1926, and is buried right beside her.

Annie Oakley was a true American pioneer, a hunter, and a role model. She showed the world that women could do anything they set their minds to. Her legacy continues to inspire people. She is remembered as one of the greatest sharpshooters of all time and a pioneer for women’s rights.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed seeing the photos and learning about Annie Oakley — the little sure shot from Ohio.

Fort Greene Ville Historical Landmark

October 14, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Greenville, Ohio

We drove south to Greenville, Ohio today and I wanted to see the fort.

The photo above is a replica of The Fort at Greene Ville that was built by General Anthony Wayne in 1793 during the American Indian Wars.

According to military history, Fort Greene Ville was the largest pioneer fort in Ohio. It was used to house about 2,000 American soldiers dedicated to neutralizing the Native American threat and casting American dominance and law over the region. The construction of the Fort was finished by the fall of 1793.

The Treaty of Greene Ville was signed on August 3, 1795, by both the Delaware and Wyandot tribes and the United States at this Fort, after General Anthony Wayne’s victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in northern Ohio.

The treaty marked the end of the Northwest Indian Wars and negotiated the land boundary between the settlers and natives.

The gate was locked the day we were there so we couldn’t go inside.

The fort was abandoned one year after the treaty was signed and settlers in the area descended on it stripping it of construction materials and finally burning it down to scavenge the metal.

I love driving around to find hidden gems like this in the towns we visit and then learning some history about them.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed your history lesson for today.