Duncan Hines Scenic Byway

afternoon of Oct 24/18  ~ while we were at the Corvette Museum we stopped at the Kentucky Visitors counter and the fellow gave us a tip on finding the Smokey Pig BBQ joint for lunch.  Before we could find the place we could see and smell the smoke from the wood coals outside!

Smokey Pig BBQ

After a plate of brisket, beans and potato salad we were good to go on a ride while the sun was shining.  We were armed with a scenic route map and directions for the 80 mile Duncan Hines Byway.   I will warn you there are about 21 turns along the way so pay attention! haha

near Nolin River Lake Dam

The fall leaves are turning here and the paved winding roads took us to Mammoth Cave National Park and then looped back to Bowling Green.  We did have one tricky area where we kept dropping down and down a winding forested area for five miles to the Green River. Billy wondered what was going to happen when we reached the water.  Several times the signs warned "Road Ends In Water".  What?

I was pretty sure there was some kind of ferry across(said the brochure) but who knew what we would find.... and you cannot see it till you drop right down the road to the edge.  Ok.  Phew.  It was fun and there was a short cable ferry across! 

Green River Ferry

The drive continued through the park grounds, beautiful sweeping roads.  Sometimes we were on lofty ridges and then down into deep valleys.  Wooded lands and weathered stone outcroppings.  Old rustic barns and a series of country lanes edged with field stone fences.  The ride ended back in Bowling Green about 3 hours later and we were exhilarated with the beauty of the area.  Backroad riding here is incredible as every road is paved.  We will have to come back to this area and do some more exploring someday:)

rustic farm yards

Get your Vette on!

Oct 24/2018  Weather sunny, cool high of 62, low of 43.    We leathered up on the Harley and rode over to the Corvette Museum.  

National Corvette Museum

Corvette owners have preferred parking

The factory is right next door and you can tour it too except that it is currently being retooled for the 2019 model and will not be open for visitor till sometime in 2019.  Ok... next time we must do that.  

Rosey is loving this 2015 Stingray

Right from the front door of the museum you can see it's all about the Corvette enthusiast; they have special parking!  Neat.  There will be about 80 different  Vettes in period settings, mint classics, racing models and the ones that went down the sink hole in 2014!!!  And you can try a 2015 Stingray on for size!

Billy's favorite

This one went down the sinkhole:(

2019 Corvette  for $96,000 !     Yikes, she is pretty

Bare Footin'

October 23/2018  Weather sunny and warming up, high of 72 when we arrived in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  

KOA Bowling Green, they all look the same

We backtracked to I75 then took the bypass on the east side of Cincinnati,,,,, I know you wonder why do we do that?  It is about 20 miles longer but so much easier than trucking right down through Cinci.  We have always found downtown is rough and often under construction and the lanes feel so narrow.  So we take I275E.    Back on 75S we cut west on I71 to Louisville where we again take the first bypass I265E and drop on to I65S.  Now it is just an hour and a half to Bowling Green KOA, Kentucky.  Our stop will be the KOA for a couple of nights.

Billy barefootin'

While cruising along today I smiled while noting that Billy is always barefootin'.   This is his preferred mode of driving.  He has a pair of old shoes that he puts on when we stop for fuel at the truck stops.  As well he puts on a pair of leather fueling gloves.  In the motor home we have a hidden compartment under the steps to the outside and it's the perfect spot to keep his fueling gear.

It's that Time

October 22/2018  Weather ~ time to head south weather... we had frost in Southwestern Ontario 3 times last week and most days are grey, windy and high 40's which is cold for us.  Today was a sunny day, high of 62 in Dayton, Ohio with a clear night and low of 37.    
Good travel day.    Toledo is still messy with construction so we were advised to take I94 to 23 to 475 to I75 to avoid it.  Driving was great, maybe a bit longer but no construction zones.    We were wondering about the border crossing too, which turned out to be a breeze.  Nicest officer we have ever met.  So there you go.  
Our friends told us that Dayton had a nice KOA and we thought maybe we would actually drive farther than our normal day ..... yes the 2:30 club or 230 mile club.  We went 292 miles and stopped at 3:30!!!
The Dayton KOA is a huge park, and a good stop for the first day back on the road south and west.

Dayton KOA

2 to Sleep

Oct 15/2018  Weather - we returned back to the farm on Oct 3 and it has been unseasonably warm for fall in Ontario and some days down right hot.  We had two days well into the 80's.  BUT now the season has changed back to normal and it is fallish, and cool and there is a frost warning tonight.  Catching up on our errands and list of things to do so we can vamoosh out of here soon.  Today we came across a picture we snapped while camping in Kitchener.  We met the nicest campers from Sarnia way and the one fellow had just the perfect sign out front of his 5th wheel.  Often we have said this quote to others; it seems to be a camping rule.  It really is so true.

6 for drinks
4 for dinner 
and 
2 to sleep 

 

Cozy by the Fire

Oct 3/2018  Weather  The last week in Kitchener was very damp, rain about 4 of the 7 days, and chilly too.  Thank goodness we had the Jeep to run back and forth to see our Grandson.    On the nights leading up to waiting for grandson to make his appearance we often had our fire pit on at night.  It is new to us and we are thoroughly enjoying it.  Billy loves turning it on and off.  Get it?  On and off !  We can have a nice warm cozy sit for 45 minutes or 15 minutes or 3 hours.   No chopping wood.  No blowing smoke as the wood fire always finds everyone at some point in the night.  No dousing the flames to securely put it out.  We are loving it.  Yes it does not crackle and smell like a real wood fire but the convenience is pretty darn nice. 

Sometimes the Smallest Things Take the Most Room in Your Heart

Sept 21/2018  Weather 70, sunny.  Gorgeous fall day and a monumental day.   Aiden was born today and we are thrilled to meet him !  He is perfect!  Mum and Dad (Nancy and A.J.) are doing awesome and over the moon in love with their new precious bundle.  Aiden Everett.   Ahhhhhh xxxxoooo

Nana Rosey is beaming with her new grandson 

We came camping up in Kitchener to be close to them and see our new grandson.  It was exceptional.  So so glad we have the ability to have our home on wheels to move close to the kids and grandkids.  

A.A. Milne has it right

 

Shadows of Magic

September 18/2018   Magic at the Ontario Butterfly Conservatory

When downloading my pictures of the day I realized that there was more "magic".  Now remember I just point and shoot my little camera.  But these guys hanging against the window became art to us.  They were all fluttering up in top on the windows...... how cool?

Lepidoptera

Sept 18/2018  Weather 75, sunny, lovely day to go to the Ontario Butterfly Conservatory (OBC) in Cambridge.  Lepidoptera is the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths.  How do you say that? " Lep e dop tera "    Yes it is a bit of a mouth full.  When we had a stick home we had some butterfly bushes around our yard and in the fall they would be covered with Monarch butterflies migrating south. 

tropical rainforest conservatory setting

hatching of butterflies

The Monarch will fly all the way to Mexico from Canada!  Such a small beautiful little thing, all that way?  Amazing.  The OBC had a tagging of some hundred Monarchs on the weekend and these guys will fly south and be scanned and found and recorded in Mexico and California for research and preservation purposes.   
The Conservatory has a few rooms of educational preparation for you to understand how a Butterfly is born and the 750 species in the world and the difference between a moth and a butterfly.  Do you know?

a couple of butterflies landed

Owl butterflies feeding on orange slices

After learning some facts you can walk into the rainforest type conservatory where you will be swerving and walking amongst the 2,500 butterflies fluttering around.   Stand still and they will land on your shoulder, your head, your finger!!!    It is rather magical.  The different types and colours are exquisite.  We were enamoured with the blue morpho - they are the largest in the world with wings spanning 5 to 8 inches.  The little devils were everywhere.  Do you think we could get a picture?  Haha no way.  They did not sit much and it was almost comical how we spent a good hour trying to get a shot.  They were fabulous.  Finally got the shot.... well sorry it is in a frame and she was not alive..... but we got it!

blue morpho butterfly

Mennonite Highway - Lobsinger Line

Sept 14/2018  Weather is still quite warm, hitting 80's plus everyday and humid.  Not fall yet. 

along Lobsinger Line

 We meander off to a destination lunch in Millbank where a Mennonite community is dominant in the population.  A picturesque road on the way called Lobsinger Line will take you through the Wellesley area.

well preserved 1800's building in Newton - a Quilt shop!!!

  It is like falling into a scene of Little House on the Prairie.   Farm after farm with lanes so long you are tempted to turn into them thinking they are a road in the county.  Huge barnyards will be spotted and massive vegetable gardens.  Most every farm entrance has a sign for eggs, maple syrup, beef, vegetables, cut flowers, pies, apple butter, quilts.   Bring a cooler!  On many of these farms the only vehicle is still a horse and buggy. 

Mennonite school in Millbank

The Mennonites in this area came from Europe and Pennsylvania in the mid to late 1800's.   Our lunch treat is Anna Mae's Bakery and Restaurant.  We dare you to walk through the front bakery section....  and you have to .... then you can put your name in for a table.  There will be a wait but it moves fast.  Homecooking at its best.  The town of Millbank is small and quaint, on the side street you will also find a grocery market with everything you want to fill your fridge and cupboards.  Worth the stop.  

Anna Mae's Bakery & Restaurant

While dining we chatted with a lady from Stratford who was born and raised in the area and worked alongside Mennonites and Amish.  I asked her if they take a debit card?  She said not to worry it is a Mennonite shop and there is a difference.   The Amish shun mechanical and technological devices and prefer a much plainer, simpler life.   She said you can tell the difference watching along the farm lanes.  ????  I had no idea what she meant.   She explained that when I see what looks like a small bus stop hut away from the home and usually down the lane way that is their phone booth.  Really?  Apparently she knew of some Amish that could use the telephone in the phone booth but could not have it inside their house.    Yes of course on the ride back I was watching for the phone booths.  Was this an urban legend?  Don't know but she had me all the ride back to our campground. :)

Child's bus stop?  or Phone Booth?

A Man's Castle

Sept 8/2018  Weather has turned cool, down to 59 today!  What a change.  We are going to have a few days of this and rain as the remnants of a  5 day old hurricane that hit the New Orleans area is tracking our way.  
Unusual for us, we have our Jeep with us.  Rosey drove the Jeep the other day following Billy in the RV with the trailer(Harley inside).   So no Harley today.   We are going exploring to Castle Kilbride in Baden.  We have seen these signs everywhere.  Can it really be a castle?  Of course we are thinking about all the castles we saw in Scotland a few summers back.  

the front driveway is in the shape of a heart to show his love for his wife

James Livingston built his 10,000 sq foot home which he called his castle and named it after his birthplace in Scotland - Kilbride.  It is a Canadian National Historic Site.  In 1877 and Mr. Livingston was known as the Flax and Linseed Oil King of Canada. 

flaxseed (linseed) and the flowering plant - most of it is now grown in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

At the time he extravagantly furnished the huge home and had rare 'trompe l'oeil"  (means fool the eye) wall and ceiling murals in all the rooms.   It has been beautifully restored and the 3D effect of the painted murals will give the illusion of layers that are not really there; except in paint.  Art abounds everywhere in this house.  Look very closely, in one room there is a painted vase full of a bouquet of flowers, till you look deeper and there is a face peering out. 

elaborate tromp l'oeil -  it is all paint that looks 3D

In the late 1800's flax seeds were not consumed as we do today.  Today every health food store sells them.  I grind mine up and put them in my breakfast shake.  In those days the plant was used to make linen fabric.   The seeds were used to make linseed oil that was used in oil based paints.  As latex paints took over the company declined significantly and closed operations.  Flax and linseed are the same plant.    Three generations lived in the home, but as often with an aristocratic property the upkeep becomes too much.  The property was sold to the town in 1988, and restoration began.  Today they are still trying to buy back the Victorian furniture that was auctioned off. 

unusual game table in the library

Fall is coming.......? Today you would never know.

September 5/2018  Weather - today is unbearably hot.  Temp is 86 but will feel like 106!  And it did.  We really should have waited a day, driving was fine but taking the time to hookup and setup once we were there was nasty.  Billy was soaked with sweat.  The relief came after when we swam in the pool for a couple hours.  That was heaven.  Soon the heat will break and it will feel like fall.  We can't wait for that.  Enough of the hot humid summer here in Southwestern Ontario.

Yes this is Grumpy Cat - she "adopted us".  Sorry but you cannot come with us this time!

We left the farm and headed up to Kitchener to camp about 10 minutes away from our family who are having their first child :)   So exciting and how perfect we can take our house on wheels with us, the advantage of living in the motorhome.   We previously found a nice park Country Gardens RV Park.  This time we are the 3rd site in so no trouble maneuvering the small roads in and out and the power pedestal has adequate power - we checked with the voltmeter.  

country gardens rv park , nice shady long spot

nice old dairy farm

September 6/2018  Weather - normal today.  78 and sunny.  Perfect biking weather.  Away we go for a ride from Kitchener to Mitchell, to Stratford, Shakespeare, New Hamburg and return to camp.

rustic old barn in the countryside

The land is a bit different than down Blenheim way.  We are flat.  Here the land is swales and hills, pretty rolling countryside.   Farmland everywhere, soybeans, corn, white beans, dairy farms, horse farms.  A lovely diversion for us to ride the motorcycle.  Each road is new to us and yet only 127 miles from where we grew up. 

Parking at the Farm

August 18/2018  Weather - in general we are finding the summer of 2018 to be a hot and humid time; with too much hot and too much humid.  Funny.  It seems to bother us more than ever or are we just getting older?  Ok. ok.  Don't anwer that.  Billy feels we spending more of our winter months in the South West so we really gravitate to the dry warm weather and cool nights.  Definitely it is our preferred climate.  But who knows maybe the following pictures are part of the climate.  My Mom has had some amazing flower gardens and sad to say we are kind of downsizing them since she has moved to a senior residence.  It's just too much work!    We have moved some plants and such and we are so happy to have the blooms stopping us to take a second look.  Everything that blooms we take in to Mom for her room, which she totally enjoys.

no idea what this is called

Just have to share these pretty pretty pretty flowers.

hardy hibiscus

hardy hibiscus

Friday the 13th Rally

July 13/2018. Weather sunny and 90.  A hot one to ride to Port Dover for the bike rally.  We had to go, our 139,998 friends will be there!  Yes, 140,000 people did converge on the little fishing hamlet.  It was a zoo!  As we got on the highway bikes were on every road heading towards PD.  We got into town about a half mile out and found parking and walked down to the waterfront.  It is a bike watching day and a people watching day too!  People jammed into the streets, bikes lined up for miles and miles on every street in Port Dover.   Nothing to do but Enjoy and drink lots of water!  Others might be into the beer!  Haha.  Bands are playing everywhere, bars are full, restaurants are full, hotdog vendors will sell thousands today.    A little history is that a local biker named Chris and 25 of his friends decided that on every 13th of every month in every year since 1981 (it was November the 13th) they would invite friends to come.  Word of mouth started it all and it grew into a massive rally in the summer months when the Friday falls on the 13th.  

Summertime summertime

July 11 to 19/2018  Weatherman says July has had more days above normal heat, extremely hot and dry.  The days it is 90’s it feels like over 100 with the humidex factored in.  Luckily at the farm we are beside Lake Erie and it is usually about 10 degrees cooler than in the nearby towns and city of Chatham.   We sure could use a rain.
We are off to KW (Kitchener Waterloo) to see our son  A.J. and Nancy and baby bump !   Lil bump is due in September.  KW is half a million people but difficult to find a nice big pull thru campground.

Country Gardens RV Park entrance

Koi pond at Country Gardens

 We are staying at Country Gardens RV Park which is southeast of Kitchener in Petersburg.  The area is very pretty with rolling farmland and quaint Amish villages.   The RV park has only a few transient spots and not really Big Rig friendly.  We will squeeze in and out very carefully!  Cut off a limb, unhook the trailer and push it around and survive on 30 amp. We ventured well into the park for our site BUT not the next time we come.  Next time we will take one of the first three sites just inside the park where there is room to back in and get out much easier.   Does it sound like we were a little frightened of damaging our rig?  Ahhhh yeah we were and we got lucky.  The first 4 days we had trouble everyday with the power.  Our surge protector kept shutting down the power from the post to our coach.  Finally the owner had to move us two miles down the road to their sister RV park called The Landings.  Really big pullthru and the power worked ! Yeah!   

Our 100 ft pullthru at The Landings

Our site looked at the oool and swim pond 

We really like The Landings.  They have 3 huge pull thrus right by the entrance and overlooking the pool and swim pond.  It was great and we would never have found out if we hadn’t had trouble at Country Gardens.  Sometimes things happen for a reason.