Day #29, October 28, 2016 Needles to Santa Cruz - The final day

Today was the final push to get home...a distance of 514 miles. We got an early start at about 6 am so the traffic was not bad. They are replacing a lot of bridges on Interstate 40 across the Mojave Desert so there are sections of about 55 mph. However, the majority of travel speed is 65 to 70 mph.

At Barstow, you transition from Interstate 40 to Route 58 that takes you through Boron and then on to Bakersfield. We did stop briefly at Tehacapi for Starbuck's coffee. Tehachapi is famous for the Tehachapi Loop, where the freight trains loop upon themselves in climbing up the mountains. I believe this is the only place in the USA where the trains loop upon themselves.

Tehachapi Loop (Click the link)

Getting through Bakersfield was the slowest part of the transit. It is mostly city driving with a lot of traffic lights until you get to Buttonwillow where you join Interstate 5 to the north. We got fuel at Buttonwillow and ate a quick lunch at Subway sandwiches so that we would not have to stop unless we needed a restroom, which we did because of the coffee we were drinking.

We were happy to arrive at our home at about 3:30 pm, exhausted, time zone shifted and ready for "wine time."

Our total travel distance was 6,926 miles at an average speed of 58 mph and an average fuel consumption of 13.4 mpg in the Nissan Armada beast! We were happy that the price of fuel was reasonable at about $1.99/gallon in most of the mid-country states.

The USA is a very diverse country with amazing geography and people. I would highly recommend a cross-country adventure to you. Now having done it twice, I could do without the Great Plains states where there appears to be endless flatlands. :)

Day #28, October 27, 2016 - Tecumcari, NM to Needles, CA

Today was a big push towards returning to Santa Cruz, CA. We drove 704 miles today but despite what it appears, the drive did not seem arduous as Interstate 40 has a speed limit of 75 mph and we drove at about 80 mph most of the way. In addition, we gained another hour as we crossed from Mountain time to Pacific time.

We listened to a Jack Reacher audiobook called "Make Me" by Lee Child and it made the time go by rapidly. We only made one real stop in Flagstaff, AZ for a beer and a sandwich.

We are anxious to return to Santa Cruz and should be home by tomorrow evening. It has been an amazing trip but I will be glad to see it terminate. :)

Day #27, October 26, 2016 - Springfield, MO to Tecumcari, NM

Today was a major push to the west...662 miles! Fortunately the Interstate 46 to 40 was generally about 70 to 75 mph and aside from hitting a rainstorm upon leaving Springfield that lasted for several hours, the drive was uneventful. We did switch time zones and picked up an extra hour and that is why we kept on going west.

We crossed the Mighty Mississippi in St. Louis,, MO. No time to stop with all the traffic!

We did stop for lunch in Tulsa, OK at a brewpub called Belle Isle Restaurant that was located at 1900 NW Expressway, just off Interstate 40. They serve good food and delicious beers and it is worth a stop if you are in the area.

The only other stops were for coffee and gas. We were listening to an audio book called "The First Family" by David Balducci and this made the time fly by. It is interesting that we saw what appeared to be a storm forming with a funnel cloud, just outside of Springfield. Later, a news broadcast said there was a warning of large hail stones that could cause significant property damage. I am glad we missed that one.

Sometimes, you just never know what you will encounter. At one coffee/gas stop in Texas, we encountered a steer in the back of a pick-up truck. Humm....

Crossing the panhandle of Texas, we did encounter what was once the largest cross in the USA, located on Interstate 40 at Groom Texas . You might remember that we encountered the largest cross (to date) in the USA while driving eastward on our journey on Interstate 70. That cross is located in Effingham, IL. (Largest Cross). Not to be outdone, there is a larger cross being constructed in Corpus Christi, TX that was started in February of 2016. Even Bigger Cross!

We crossed the panhandle of Texas in a rapid manner and we will roost on historic Route 66 in Tucumcari, NM for the evening.

Day #26, October 25, 2016 - Paducah, KY

Today was a planned visit to Paducah, KY. This town is a UNESCO Heritage city and is famous for many things. It is at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers and this place was very important in the Civil War for Grant to invade the Confederacy. In addition, William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition laid the town out.

Paducah was formally established as a town in 1830 and incorporated as a city by the state legislature in 1838.^[2] By this time, steam boats traversed the river system and its port facilities were important to trade and transportation. In addition, railroads began to be developed that entered the region. A factory for making red bricks, and a foundry for making rail and locomotive components became the nucleus of a thriving "River and Rail" economy. It became the site of dry dock facilities for steamboats and towboats, and thus headquarters for many barge companies.

At the outset of the Civil War, Kentucky attempted to take a neutral position. However, when a Confederate force occupied Columbus, a Union force under General Ulysses S. Grantresponded by occupying Paducah. Throughout most of the war, Col. Stephen G. Hicks was in charge of Paducah, and the town served as a massive supply depot for Federal forces along the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee river systems.

On January 21, 1937, the Ohio River at Paducah rose above its 50-foot flood stage, cresting at 60.8 feet on February 2 and receding again to 50-feet on February 15. For nearly three weeks, 27,000 residents were forced to flee or to stay with friends and relatives in higher ground in McCracken or other counties. The American Red Cross and local churches provided some shelters. Buildings in downtown Paducah still bear plaques that define the high water marks.

Flood Marker on Broadway (top 1937, bottom 1913, below -> 1884)

Driven by 18 inches of rainfall in 16 days, along with sheets of swiftly moving ice, the '37 flood was the worst natural disaster in Paducah's history. The earthen levee was ineffective against this flood, and as a result, Congress authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers to build the flood wall that now protects the city.

In 1950, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission selected Paducah as the site for a new uranium enrichment plant. Construction began in 1951 and the plant opened for operations in 1952. Originally operated by Union Carbide, the plant has changed hands several times. Martin Marietta, its successor company Lockheed-Martin, and now the United States Enrichment Corporation have operated the plant in turn. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), successor to the AEC, remains the owner.

On April 25, 1991, the National Quilt Museum opened in downtown Paducah. The museum is a cultural destination that annually attracts an international collection of more than 40,000 quilters and art enthusiasts to the Paducah area. The museum features professional quilt and fiber art exhibits that are rotated throughout the year. It is the largest single tourist attraction in the city.

For over 30 years, Paducah has been host to one of the largest Quilt Shows in North America, QuiltWeek Paducah. On November 21, 2013, UNESCO designated Paducah the world's seventh City of Crafts and Folk Art.^[12

We explored Paducah by first visiting the Tourist Center that opened at 10 am. There were were given information about the city and received a coupon worth $1 off admission to the National Quilt Museum, our major reason for visiting Paducah. This is definitely worth the $9 price of admission for a senior (with the $1 off coupon). The quilts displayed are definitely works of art requiring countless hours of work. Many were hand quilted.

Following the visit to the quilt museum, we visited a small distillery called the Silent Brigade at 426 Broadway. There we met the owner who showed us his small copper stills and explained his unique distillates. He also gave us tastings of several of his "moonshines" and brandies. 

We decided to eat lunch before leaving Paducah and we were very glad that we did. Kirchoff's Bakery has delicious artisan breads, a great coffee shop and some of the best sandwiches we have had at remarkably low prices. I would definitely recommend this place to eat if you visit Paducah.

We then drove westward through St. Louis, trying to get as far west as we could before resting for the evening. We made it to Springfield, MO where we got a Holiday Inn Express for the evening. 

Distance traveled today was 462 miles.

Day #25, October 24, 2016 - Summersville, WV to Central City, KY

Day #25, October 24, 2016 - Summersville, WV to Central City, KY

We left Bonnie and Earl’s place in Summersville, WV at 8 am and headed west towards Paduka, KY, the site of the National Quilt Museum. However, that distance was about 532 miles and it was unrealistic to expect that we would get there in one day, especially if we wish to accomplish a tour of a Bourbon Distillery along the way.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Therefore, we elected to visit Woodford Reserve Distillery,  the oldest working distillery in Kentucky, that was located in Versailles, KY. The differences between Jack Daniels Distillery in the Nashville, TN area and this distillery were quite different. Jack Daniels filters their distillate through a tank of charcoal while the Woodford Distillery triple distills their bourbon and places it in charred oak casks. Jack Daniels places their barrels in separate areas of the storage facility and does not move them during aging while the Woodford Distillery blends their barrels from different locations in the storage facility prior to bottling. The quality of this product is very good. We purchased a bottle for about $39 to remind us of where we were.

I always thought that bourbon could only be made in Kentucky or Tennessee but it turns out that in reality, it is a legal definition requiring the following to be called a bourbon.

1. Made in the USA
2. Must have at least 51% corn. Rye and malted barley make the remainder of the grains.
3. It must enter the barrel at 125 proof and cannot enter the bottle at less than 80 proof.
4. The proof can only be adjusted by the addition of water. No coloring agents are allowed.

What is proof you ask?  The term proof dates back to 16th century England, when spirits were taxed at different rates depending on their alcohol content. Spirits were tested by soaking a pellet of gunpowder in them. If the gunpowder could still burn, the spirits were rated above proof and taxed at a higher rate.^[1] Gunpowder would not burn in rum that contained less than 57.15% ABV. Therefore, rum that contained this percentage of alcohol was defined to have 100 degrees proof.^[2] The gunpowder test was officially replaced by a specific-gravity test in 1816.^[1]

Three large copper stills provide triple distillation of this bourbon.

We drove to Center City, KY for a distance of about 432 miles before roosting for the evening at a Best Western motel for $99/night. We ate at El Bracero, an “authentic Mexican restaurant” next to the motel that I would rate as 4 out of 5 stars.

Tomorrow, we continue westward with expectation of visiting the National Quilt Museum at Paducah, KY.

Day 23-24, October 24-25, 2016 Earl & Bonnie's House

There has been no internet connection during our stay in woods, thus the abbreviated entries. :)

We generally relaxed at Earl and Bonnie's cabin in the woods. Things were very low key and I learned to shoot a cross bow and to dig holes with a back hoe. It was a lot of fun. In addition, we had some target practice with hand guns.

Lee Needs a New Toy!

Earline tried my Kahr 40 hand gun and ran away after firing one round. It was too much gun for her and she could not rack the slide. This would not be a great protection gun for her.

Day #22, October 21, 2016 - Summersville, WV

Day #22, October 21, 2016 - Summersville, WV

We awoke to the sound of rain on the metal rooftop that was reminiscent of the house I grew up in Pennsylvania. The sound was very comforting to me but was a bit noisy for Earline. We had breakfast and the Earl brought over his two granddaughters for a sewing lesson by Earline. We discovered that Earline is a great aunt and that makes me a great uncle!

Following the sewing lessons, we all assembled to travel to the New River Gorge National River. This national river preserve has the western hemisphere’s longest and third highest single span arch bridge. The New River is also one of the great white water rafting areas.

This area was home to West Virginia’s coal mining industry as the coal veins were revealed on the sides of the gorge.