Monday, December 14, 2009

TO THE SOUTH

RED MILE RACEWAY PENNSYLVANIA HOME OF THE LITTLE BROWN JUG

PART OF THE HUGE TRAINING RACING AND SALES COMPLEX AT KEENE RACECOUSE LEXINGTON KENTUCKY


KEENE RACECOURSE




CHURCHILL DOWNS LOUISVILLE HOME OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY.ARRIVED FOR THE LAST RACE. BACKED THE WINNER AT ONE OF TOHUSANDS OF COMPUTER BOOTHS THEN HAD TO GO TO THE THIRD FLOOR OF ONE OF THE GRANDSTANDS TO FIND A HUMAN TO CASH MY TICKETS.




SPENT THREE HOURS TOURING THE GETTYSBURG CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD AFTER THE EXTENSIVE MUSEUM .THERE ARE HUDREDS OF STAUES,MEMOIALS,PLAQUES COMMEMORATING EVERY CORPS THAT FOUGHT AT THAT SITE WITH CAUALTY,WOUDEDE INFO. THIS IS THE SCENE OF THE FINAL BATTLE ON THE THIRD DAY. CONFEDERATES UNDER PICKETT CHARGED THE HILL DEFENSES OF THE UNIN. 25000 DEATHS LATER LEE RETREATED AND THE CIVIL WAR SWUNG THE UNION WAY.




NEARLY CAUSED AN INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT. THIS IS THE MAIN GATE AT FORT KNOX. I FRONTED TO THE VISITOR'S CENTRE HOPING TO GET A DISTANT GLIMPSE OF THE BULLION STORE. NOT A THING TO DO SO WHEN LEAVING WENT THE WRONG WAY AND HAD GURDS YELLING AND BLOWING WHISTLES. THEY TOOK IT IN A GOOD SENSE AND I EMBARRASSEDLY SCARPERED.






MAMMOTH CAVES.INTERESTING TOUR .SALTPETRE WAS MINED HERE BACK IN THE 1812 WAR TO MAKE GUNPOWDER. IT IS THE LONGEST CAVE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD AND MANY MORE MILES DISCOVERED EACH YEAR.








LOTS OF WEIRD SECTS FOUND SANCTUARY IN THE US. THIS IS A SHAKERS (BREAK AWAY ANGLICANS IN EARLY 1800'S. THE BUILDINGS ARE MIRROR IMAGES MALES TO THE LEFT AND FEMALES TO THE LEFT. THEIR BIG THING WAS CELIBACY . SO NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY SLOWLY RAN OUT OF RECRUITS.








GATEWAY TO THE WEST (AND RELOCATION AND ANNHILATION OF THE INDIANS) ST.LOIS MSSOURI









HARRY TRUMAN'S HOUSE INDEPENDENCE KANSAS CITY










JESSE JAMES FAMILY FARM. THE FIRST BANK THE GANG ROBBED IS ALSO A MUSEUM.INTERESTING CASE STUDY OF HOW SOUTHERNERS AND SLAVE OWNERS WERE TRATED BY UNION STATES AFTER THE WAR.THEY WERE DISENFRANCHISED.











AT THE HELM!












COTTON FIELD NEAR THE END OF THE CHISOLM TRAIL WHERE CATTLE WERE DROVED TO THE RAILHEADS OVER HUNDREDS COF MILES.
S












OKLAMOMA CITY SITE OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING BOMBING














ONE OF THE BEST MUSEUMS I HAVE EVER VISITED .THE COWBOY HALL OF FAME IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THIS IS BUFFALO BILL.















HOTSPINGS ARKANSAS .BIRTHPLACE OF BILL CLINTON AND HOME TO MAGNIFICENT VICTORIAN BATHHOUSES. WE INDULGED IN THE ONLY PUBLIC ONE STILL OPERATING.

















LOVE BLACK CYPRESS IN ARKANSAS RIVER NEAR TACOMA INDIAN MOUNDS. THERE VERSION OF STONEHENGE.
















TO MEMPHIS. THIS IS SCHWABS STORE ON BEALE ST AMONG THE BLUES BARS AND RESTAURANTS.A TIME WARP BACK TO THE 1850'S. I BOUGHT THREE SCREWS FROM TRAYS AND TRAYS OF STUFF FOR 10CENTS. I AM SURE IT IS THE SAME STOCK FROM WHEN WE VISITED 13 YEARS AGO!!


















INSIDE SCHWABS




















BEALE ST





















THE INNER SANCTUM AT GRACELAND.ELVIS PLAYED ON THIS PIANO THE NIGHT HE DIED.



















FLORISTS ARRIVE THROUGHOUT THE DAY EVERY DAY DELIVERING FLOWERS AND GIFTS TO HIS GRAVE.






















GRACELAND. PLEASED WE CAME BACK. THE HOUSE WAS CLOSED WHEN WE LAST VISITED.HE WAS TRULY THE KING!!
























ELVIS BIRTHPLACE TWO ROOMED HUT TUPELO.MISSOURI


















































CAFE DES AMIS CAJUN RETAURANT NEAR LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA.SAT MORN CRAWFISH OMELETTE AND GRITS WITH THE BAND PLAYING AND LOCALS AND Y'ALL DANCING. THANKS CRAIG HARRINGTON FOR RECOMMENDING. HAD A BALL.

























MARIE LAVEAU THE VOODOO QUEEN GRAVE NEW ORLEANS.






























BOURBON ST.6 INCHES OF RAIN IN THREE HOURS. WE WERE SATURATED. SLEPT IN VAN ON ROYAL ST BECAUSE OF FLOODING. HAD AWESOME EVENING IN A CAJUN BAR.


























ROYAL ST THE NEXT DAY.



























BIG APPLE

LOVE NEW YORK IT'S CRAZY PACE AND HORDES OF PEOPLE.IT IS A NON-STOP ADRENALIN RUSH. WE MAINLY STAYED OUT AT VARIOUS WAL-MARTS ON LONG ISLAND AND COMMUTED IN EACH DAY.THIS IS YONKERS RACEWAY WHERE NZ'S CARDIGAN BAY GAINED FAME. DURING THE DAY A 5500 SLOT MACHINE CASINO WITH BUSES TRANSPORTING PUNTERS FROM THE HUGE CARPARK THAT WAS FILLED WITHIN 30 MINS OF US ARRIVING AT MIDDAY.
ROCINANTE PARKED UP ON 42ND ST STOOD OUT A BIT!!


MAGICAL TIMES SQURE SO MUCH HAPPENIG AND CONTINUOSLY CHANGING.






EASY TO FIND SOLITUDE IN CENTRAL PARK DESPITE THOUSANDS WALKING,JOGGING,SKATING, CYCLING,ROWING, PLAYING ICE HOCKEY ,MAKING MOVIES....................










OUTSIDE THE MET.GREAT TO VISIT ELLIS ISLAND AND STATUE OF LIBERTY .WERE CLOSED WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST. THE BIG HOLE ON THE MANHATTAN SKYLINE
VERY EERIE.




MERRY OLD NEW ENGLAND

A LOT OF NATIONAL PARKS WERE ONCE BIG ESTATES THIS IS IN ACADIA NP MAINE
WE GORGED ON THE FRUITS DE MER CLAMS,LOBSTERS AND FISH

BAR HARBOUR MAINE THE COAST AND ISLANDS OF NEW ENGLAND STREWN WITH FISHING AND OLD WHALING TOWNS



TYPICAL NEW ENGLAND FARMHOUSE WITH WHAT WOULD HAVE N\BEEN LIVESTOCK BARNS ATTACHED TO HOUSE



THIS LIGHTHOUSE TYPICAL OF MANY AROUND THE COAST INSPIRED LOGFELLOW'S SONNET THE LIGHTHOUSE PORTLAND HEAD MAINE



TYPICAL COASTLINE PORTLAND







THE FAST FLOWING RIVERS ENABLED COTTON MILLS TO SPRING UP OVER NEW ENGLAND AND CHEAP IMMIGRANT LABOUR LED TO THE LATE 1800'S INDUSTRIAL BOOM.NOW THE TOWNS ARE LITTERD WITH OLD FACTORIES SLOWLY DECAYING OR AWAITING CONVERSION INTO BOUTIQUE SHOPS AND RETAURANTS





WHEN WE GOT A NEW SET OF FEET FOUND THAT THE SECOND SPARE WE GOT FOR OUR ALASKA TRIP DIDN'T FIT. SO ABOUT 37000KM WITHOUT A SPARE!!WE JETTISONED THE OTHER ONE WHEN WE HAD A BLOWOUT IN ALASKA















SITE OF THE FIRST BATTLE THAT SATRTED THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION NEAR CONCORDE










SALEM THE WITCHHUNT MONUMENT










THE MONUMENT 18 WERE HUNG AND ONE POOR FELLOW CRUSHED TO DEATH WITH ROCKS.NOT NICE CHAPS THOSE PURITANS










MARBLEHEAD A BEAUTIFUL OLD WHALING PORT NORTH OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS














PLYMOUTH ROCK PROTECTOR











BIT OF A DISAPPOINTMENT.WHERE THE FIRST PURITANS MADE SHORE.NOT TRUE ACTUALLY THEY LANDED FIRST NEAR PRINCETOWN CAPE COD BUT NOT SUITABLE.THEY WERE ACTUALLY MEANT TO GO TO NEW YORK.















WALL TO WALL HOLIDAY COTTAGES NEAR THE END OF CAPE COD.















DUNES CAPE COD
















THIS IS WHERE HERMAN MELVILLE STAYED ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD .THE WHALING CAPTAIN HIS HOST WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR CAPT AHAB IN MOBY DICK
















NEWPORT (AMERICA'S CUP) MANSION ROW. ALL THE WEALTHY NEW YORK BANKERS HAD THEIR SUMMER MANSIONS HERE AND TRIED TO OUT DO EACH OTHER. MANY ARE STILL HOMES TO THE RICH AND FAMOUS BUT A LOT ARE PART OF THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND FACULTIES.






































YALE UNIVERSITY NEW HAVEN ADMIN BLOCK .LOTS OF HISPANIC AND ASIAN STUDENTSPATRONISE THE HORDES OF ETHNIC FOOD STALLS SET UP AROUND THE INTERSECTION.




















NEW HAVEN SUPPOSEDLY WHERE THE HAMBURGER WAS INVENTED.