Over the river and through the woods…to Clarksville!     I used to go camping in the woods to escape the city. But now that I live in the country, I want to visit a place that has something interesting to offer. Preferably somewhere I can get around on a bicycle and not have to rent a car. Clarksville, Indiana – just over the bridge from Louisville – fits the bill.  It’s on the path of the Ohio River Greenway, a paved bike and walking trail that runs from Jeffersonville to New Albany. Clarksville is famous for the giant Colgate Clock – which is larger than Big Ben. It ..read more

We spent a spooky Halloween weekend at a couple of historic ghostly sites.       Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is a wonderfully preserved historic site in central Kentucky. And it’s exceptionally lovely in autumn. We joined a guided Spirit Walk through the village by lantern light. As we strolled the grounds, our guide told hair-raising tales about the Shakers. Well, actually, they were pretty tame stories. The Shakers were peaceful community who disapproved of violent confrontation. Things got spookier at the Shaker cemetery. Especially when we realized the tour group ..read more

The region’s hottest new band, Batsy, laid down some smoking licks at their debut performance last Saturday.   Enthusiastic fans lined up for Batsy’s world premier, which opened at Nelson County’s newest countryside venue (our farm). Music lovers tailgated (in our living room) before the highly anticipated debut performance. Outside, savvy stage hands (the band) expertly prepped the sound stage (our carport) for the big show. Batsy opened the first of two clean sets with crisp driving rockers from Jimmy Reed, Cream, and Hendrix. Playlist also included crowd favorites Mustang Sally ..read more

Summer is over. Did you eat enough ice cream? Float in the lake enough?     End of summer found us moseying around to different locales. I caught an Elvis show at the venerable Lincoln Jamboree theater in Hodgenville. Eddie Miles, a locally renowned impersonator, put on his original Elvis suit for the show. He complained in a good-natured way about how heavy and hot it was. Ladies in the crowd hooted and hollered and threw their underwear on the stage. The mystique of Elvis lives on, even if it’s only for a look-alike. The Bardstown Bourbon Festival was in full swing at the end of ..read more

We traveled south to enjoy Lake Cumberland and attend the Kingsford BBQ Festival. None of that happened.   The plan was to stay at General Burnside State Park and ride our bicycles into town for the BBQ festival. But we found a flat tire on Tim’s bike upon arrival. He patched it up with whatever glue we had on hand, and then had to wait overnight for the glue to set. Burnside State Park is on an island. The campground is on one end, a boat launch on the other, and a golf course in the middle. I took my bike around the park looking for access to the water, but found only a lone overlook ..read more

  August rolled around with a host of visitors.   I’ve been looking all over for the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. Should be in the soybeans somewhere… Last month I went camping for a couple of weeks, and creatures of every variety took advantage of the dog’s absence to roam the property with impunity. Which left my SUV unguarded in the carport. That’s when Gary the Groundhog took up residence under my hood. He munched his way through a bunch of important wires, disabling the car. After a week with the mechanic and a hefty bill, the car was mobile again. I figured I’d b ..read more

Seems odd to go north for a beach vacation, but Lake Michigan was so good that I may never return to Florida.     Since January, I’ve been watching the weather south of here, hoping for a beach vacation in Florida’s Panhandle.  Each time we settled on a date, some terrible weather event would occur between us and the beach: tornados, floods, killer hail, tree-toppling wind, vicious thunderstorms. All the stuff I definitely didn’t want to drive through. Then I saw a picture of Lake Michigan’s beaches.  It looked so appealing; the sand, the clear water, the lack of crowds. S ..read more

  I don’t live in the middle of nowhere – but you can see it from here!     It’s a personal choice to live way out here, where the corn grows and the white-tailed deer roam with impunity. And like many good decisions, sometimes you have to give up something valuable to get exactly what you want. The peace and quiet of country living comes with benefits and drawbacks. On the plus side, I don’t have to worry what the neighbors think. They’re half a mile away. So we can park the truck anywhere, let the lawn grow shaggy, or stand on the deck buck naked just for giggles. Nobody com ..read more

Cave-In-Rock is a cavern alongside the banks of the Ohio River in Southern Illinois. It’s also a state park and tiny village.     We’re always looking for someplace new to explore. Cave-In-Rock has been on my list for a while. The tiny village of Cave-In-Rock is a couple of streets wide, but a popular destination. Everybody wants to see the cave. The State Park dominates the town. It has a swell restaurant, cabins overlooking the river, and a pretty little campground. The other big business in town is the ferry to the Kentucky side of the river. But of course, you come he ..read more

A sunny day in January begged for a long walk, so I went exploring in LaRue County.     LaRue county is famous as Lincoln’s Birthplace. The major town is Hodgenville, which sports a small but pretty downtown.  I walked around a bit with dog and camera. Next stop was the LaRue County Fairgrounds. A derelict, rambling old place that once had a race track and impressive grandstand. The buildings are in ruins now. Outside Hodgenville there’s a random sign pointing to “Environmental Research Facility.” Turns out it’s a farm with woodland trails that are open to the public ..read more