Jean Lorrah's Blog

September 25, 2010

So Long for Awhile

For over a year now, I've been writing about my travels in this blog--and now I have temporarily run out of material. I'll be back the next time I take a trip, or the next time cleaning house turns up photos from one of my earlier trips that I haven't covered yet.

Here's a recommendation for music for the road next time you take off for parts unknown:


In the meantime, if you are an aspiring
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Published on September 25, 2010 14:44

September 9, 2010

Columbus' Ships Visit Kentucky

No matter where you live, interesting things will come your way several times each year. Just last weekend the Green Turtle Bay Resort hosted the Nina and the Pinta, accurate replicas of two of the three ships Christopher Columbus sailed on his first voyage to the New World.

These ships were made for a film about Columbus some years ago, but they were built to be seaworthy, and now sail all
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Published on September 09, 2010 18:15

September 2, 2010

Semi-Staycation, Part Seven

Superman's Home Town

Just across the Ohio River from Paducah, Kentucky is the little city of Metropolis, Illinois, home of the annual Superman Festival each June. Eric wanted to rest, so Lois and I drove up to Metropolis one day in July.

The town is marked by the huge statue of Superman in the court square., an indication--along with casinos--that this town lives on tourism. In July, in the
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Published on September 02, 2010 17:48

August 26, 2010

Semi-Staycation, Part Six

Walk Around Lake Hematite

Lois and Eric and I have traveled all over the world together for the past twenty-five years or so, and have always been able to walk wherever we wanted to go. Despite the insane tour guide force-marching us for miles every day in India, we were able to keep up with the younger members of the tour just last year.

So when we decided to take a day at the beautiful Land
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Published on August 26, 2010 14:52

August 19, 2010

Semi-Staycation, Part Five

Chain Across the Mississippi

On the Kentucky side of the Mississippi, atop a cliff, there is a most unusual relic of the Civil War. Columbus-Belmont State Park memorializes the attempt to stop Union Gunboats from traveling down the river. Confederate General Leonidas Polk commanded the fort on the bluff, and came up with the idea of stretching a huge chain across the Mississippi--but it didn't
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Published on August 19, 2010 20:47

August 12, 2010

Semi-Staycation, Part Four

Ferry Cross the Mississippi

Kentucky has mostly farmland along the Mississippi River, and on the other side of the river so does Missouri. Nonetheless, people who live far from the bridges to the north and south need a way to cross--hence the Dorena-Hickman Ferry.



This is one of the last operating riverboat ferries in the U.S. It's not a tourist attraction, but a simple means of getting from
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Published on August 12, 2010 17:12

August 6, 2010

Semi-Staycation, Part Three

Dinosaurs in Kentucky

 People don't usually think of Kentucky when they think of dinosaurs or other kinds of fossils, but actually there are lots of fossils to be found in this area. Hence the Dinosaur Museum near Mammoth Cave.

The museum is interesting, but the gift shop is amazing. You can actually buy real dinosaur eggs, dinosaur teeth, and dinosaur bones! Jurassic Park, anyone?
If you are
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Published on August 06, 2010 15:27

July 29, 2010

Semi-Staycation, Part Two

Big Mike's Rock Shop and Mystery House

One of the delights of road trips in the United States is visiting the kitchsy roadside shops, museums, and manmade attractions.


Right on the edge of the Mammoth Cave National Forest is Big Mike's Rock Shop, easily identified by the huge cement representation of "Big Mo," a mosasaur whose real skull is on display inside the shop.

That's one of the weird
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Published on July 29, 2010 17:38

July 22, 2010

Semi-Staycation, Part One

Mammoth Cave

You may have noticed there were no new blog posts for the past two weeks. The reason is that I was out getting new material!

This summer, instead of going off to some exotic clime, my friends Lois and Eric came to visit me, and we explored West Kentucky near where I live. The first place we went to see was Mammoth Cave.


All the pictures I took in the cave are available light,
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Published on July 22, 2010 19:14

June 24, 2010

Traveling With Pets, Part Seven

Cats in Cars

No matter how well your cat walks on a leash, you will not be able to walk her like a dog at rest stops. Most cats do not want to leave the car in a strange place, but even if yours will walk with you, you will not be able to achieve the primary purpose of walking a dog at rest stops: elimination.

Now, let's all agree right here that your cat would be safer riding in her carrier
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Published on June 24, 2010 18:17

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