Day 25

Born in a humble log cabin….

How many thought Abraham Lincoln? Correct. This was a previously unscheduled stop but I discovered last night we were going to be very near Lincoln’s birthplace where he spent the first 2 1/2 years of his life. Judi has been reading a Lincoln biography on the trip and I am always up for historical sites so we made a nice detour through the rural country side of Kentucky to arrive at what claims to be the first Lincoln Memorial at Sinking Springs Farm in Hodgenville. It was a quiet pastoral site and a far cry from the heavy traffic we would experience the rest of the day before arriving south of Columbus, Ohio for the night.

A little off the beaten path and on the western frontier when young Abe was born.

One step for each year of Lincoln’s life.

The dedication in 1911. President Taft leads the way…

Inside the Memorial sits this log cabin. What a unique memorial…

Last Blog….

Our great adventure to the southwest and points in between essentially comes to a conclusion tomorrow when we arrive in Webster, NY at Mathew’s. I started counting the days of the trip the day we left there one month and about 6,000 miles ago. Maybe I’ll do one more concluding entry after we get home. I’ve enjoyed doing the blog and thanks to those who encouraged be to do it and helped me get started.

What’s next?

I love researching and planning trips so something will be in the works. We have big birthdays coming next year and a milestone anniversary the year after so those are good reasons for a journey of some kind. I also have toyed with the idea of a civil rights trip and visits to Central High School and the National Civil Right Museum at the Lorraine Motel only wetted my appetite for that idea. On this trip, we also determined the only four states in the continental United States we have not visited together are the four states in the deep south. Stay tuned and safe travels to all….

Day 24

Little Rock 1957 to Memphis April 4, 1968

Parts of the last two days have been devoted to Civil Rights history. Yesterday we were in Little Rock steeped in the history of the Little Rock Nine. Today we headed out early to be able to spend the morning in Memphis, TN at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. It was a morning full of powerful and historic images and memories. Some of my earliest recollections are watching news accounts of various Civil Rights events. From Little Rock, to Selma, to Birmingham and points in between I remember watching and wondering what was happening and why. In the years to come I would read extensively about the Movement and those involved in it. This morning at the Museum brought all those memories into dramatic focus. The Museum presents a powerful story from the days of slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement and of course the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As you enter the museum the institution of slavery hits you squarely in the face. As you look at images and read accounts of this “peculiar institution” it slowly dawns on you there are words above you encircling the exhibit…. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal” The tensions and contradictions in Jefferson’s words are present throughout the museum. After an introductory movie you move chronologically from the days of slavery and on through history. Eventually the Civil Right Movement begins to come into focus as does a young Martin Luther King. Soon the path takes you to Selma and the March on Washington along with other events and eventually to Memphis. As The Mountain Top Speech is shown on video you turn a corner and suddenly you are standing by Room 306 at The Lorraine Motel in the early evening of April 4, 1968. The rest, unfortunately, is history…..

Near the entrance to the National Civil Rights Museum

The good people of the north share some of the blame…

“King Cotton” is a concept taught in any good middle school history course.

The Museum was busy early on a Wednesday morning.

The beginning of the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr.

This lady needs no introduction… “*All I was doing was trying to get home from work.”*

By some accounts he didn’t want to go to Memphis… but he went anyway.

Room 306 where Martin Luther King Jr. spent his last few hours.

King’s last view… Ray shot from the boarding house between the trees, the top window on the right.

Did he act alone? The Museum makes no judgement.

Day 23

William J. Clinton and Central High School along with an Unexpected Message.

We have been on the road for almost 30 days and today is the first day we have had rain. That’s pretty amazing. The rain did not bother us much since most of our activity today was indoors. We spent the morning at the very interesting William Jefferson Clinton Library and Museum. The afternoon was taken up by a visit to the National Historic Site at Little Rock Central High School.

The Bill Clinton Museum

This is an interesting and well done museum. Being fairly new it is bright and clean and full of audio and video to enhance the various displays. There is coverage from Clinton’s early life through his presidency. Predictably it is heavy on his accomplishments and light on any criticism or mention of any personal failings. The recreated Oval Office was interesting as were displays of gifts given to the president over the years. Since these are thought to be gifts to America they do not become the personal property of any president.

An impressive complex on the Arkansas River

It took 3 years to manufacture this new limo.

Who is the lady in the front between Barbara and Hilary?

The Little Rock Nine at Central High School.

In September of 1957, three years after Brown v. Board of Education, plans were made to begin the process of integrating Little Rock Central High School with nine hand picked black students. Things did not go well from the start and soon the national news was reporting from Little Rock and their images shock much of the nation. As a 7 year old I can remember watching these events on a small black and white television set and wondering what the problem was and why these students were not wanted inside the front doors of Little Rock Central High School. Today I walked through those very same front doors. It was a moving experience. Central High School is still in operation and educates over 2,500 students. Twice a day the National Park Service leads a small group tour into the school to visit the auditorium, cafeteria and other small areas of the school itself. There is an exhibit in the school lobby telling the story of the Little Rock Nine and at least 2 memorials on campus grounds. The nine students and their supporters are well honored by the school and the National Park Service.

This news photo shook much of the world.

Judith found this exhibit meaningful since she wore similar shoes…

Ike called in the army but their roll was limited.

Took this just before I was told… no pictures inside. It is the auditorium.

Our group standing where soldiers stood in 1957. Note undercover security in blue raincoat.

Part of the National Park site, this gas station served as press headquarters in September 1957…. the station had a phone!

Daisy Bates was head of the NAACP and mentor and protector to the Little Rock Nine.

The home of Daisy Bates where the Nine met almost every morning. It is now privately owned and a little over a mile from Central High.

An Environmental Message at the Clinton Museum.

We have been very aware of environmental issues throughout our trip. From national parks, nature preserves, national monuments and just beautiful visitas seen in our travels the environment is never far from our minds. We were not expecting the exhibit we saw today at the Clinton Library. Art work from debris found in the ocean was beautiful in a unique way but so disturbing on so many levels. This exhibit seeks to bring awareness to the pollution of our oceans.

Day 22

Edmund, OK to Little Rock, AR

We left Edmund, OK at 8 AM this morning headed for Little Rock, AR. It was hard to leave Edmund after spending such as wonderful and rich weekend with cousin Kim and her husband Mark. It was a great family reunion that both Judith and I will never forget. We are in Little Rock to visit the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in the morning and take a tour of Central High School in the afternoon. Some history buffs will recall Central High School in Little Rock was the site of a bitter school desegregation effort in 1957. A courageous group of black students who braved hatred and violence to integrate Central High became know as The Little Rock Nine. The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine African American students who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their enrollment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas. They were able to enter the school only after President Eisenhower sent in the 101st Airborne of the U.S. Army to attempt to insure their safety. This was a move that did not result in anything close to safety for the students. This is a good source for more information…. https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/little-rock-nine

Just before dinner, Judith and I visited The Little Rock Nine Memorial in the shadow of the Arkansas State House. It is a powerful testament to the courage and tenacity of the students but makes no mention of the complete lack of support they received from their own city and state governments. It is miraculous that none of these students were seriously injured or even killed.

A Time for Reflection…

They were a courageous group of young people….

The students just wanted a chance for the same opportunities the white students had.

The students were tormented and bullied several times a day every day.

They survived the entire school year despite the tremendous odds against them.

How ironic that this monument sits in front of the Arkansas Statehouse. The Little Rock Nine were defying the Governor of the State of Arkansas in the integration of Central High School.

Real Warriors Don’t Cry…

“Until I am welcomed everywhere as an equal simply because I am human, I remain a warrior on a battlefield that I must not leave. I continue to be a warrior who does not cry but who instead takes action. If one person is denied equality, we are all denied equality.”
― Melba Pattillo Beals, Member of Little Rock Nine.

Day 21

Hanging Out With the Morgans.

After a nice quiet morning relishing the Sooner victory over the Long Horns we headed for the expansive state fair grounds of Oklahoma to visit the World Championship Morgan Horse Show. We had plenty of time to walk around and let Judith meet many of the horses and enjoy the atmosphere of this world class event. We watched the competitions for almost 2 hours and really enjoyed the well trained and majestic Morgan Horses. A quiet evening on the patio was enjoyed by all. Right now the laundry is done and we reluctantly are moving on in the morning. This has been a remarkable visit full of love and laughter and great stories and more stories. We will never forget our introduction to Oklahoma City and the gracious hospitality and generosity of my cousin Kim and her husband Mark. Now it is their turn to get to Maine. We are off to Little Rock, Arkansas tomorrow. The pull of the magnet is tugging to the northeast.

Many farms had elaborate set ups like this.

Day 20

Oklahoma City is OK

Time does not permit me to completely capture the wonderful day we have had, after all we are getting ready to go out to dinner at the best steak house in the Oklahoma City area. After a hearty breakfast at a local place we were off for OKC. Who knew OKC was such a vibrant and alive place? After walking by the great AAA ballpark of the Dodgers we were off for a ride on a downtown canal boat. From there it was a visit to a beautiful although hot and humid botanical garden in the heart of downtown. This was followed by a visit to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art featuring and awe inspiring exhibit of works by Dale Chihuly. After leaving the thrill of that exhibit the mood turned more somber with a visit to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial and Museum. This is an extremely well done and reflective memorial and museum. After remembering the horrors of this day and time a clear message of human resilience and hope is offered. It was an amazing day thanks to Mark and Kim’s love of their city and the generosity of there time. Mark was also very gracious in giving up watching the Battle of the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. The good news in Sooners WON! Time for steak and more to come tomorrow including Morgan Horses!

Our amazing hosts.. Cousins Kim and Mark.

Day 19

Following Route 66 to a Museum, Horses and Family.

It has been a good day. The steak dinner at The Big Texan last night turned out to be a good experience all around. Today we drove from Amarillo to Edmund, Oklahoma. First stop was a wonderfully done Route 66 museum, from there it was a stop to visit some world class Clydesdales and finally we are settled down with cousins Kim and Mark at their beautiful home in Edmund, OK. The blog is a bit late tonight due to their hospitality and a wonderful Oklahoma Bar-B-Que dinner. We have some great plans for the weekend. If I miss a blog it is only because we are having so much fun touring Oklahoma City and all it has to offer. By the way, if any of you college football fans are watching the Oklahoma vs.Texas game tomorrow remember…. GO SOONERS!!!

The Museum told the story of Route 66 from beginning to end.

If you look closely pieces of the Mother Road can still be found.

These horses are world champions and will be at this years Rose Bowl Parade pulling the mayor of Pasadena.

While they were extremely well behaved, we left after the field trip arrived.

Day 18

Following Some of Historic Route 66… Albuquerque to Amarillo.

Today’s drive was done at a pretty relaxing pace. We traveled about 300 miles but East I-40 is pretty straight and the speed limit is 75 mph so miles add up quickly. We also rejoined the Central Time Zone this morning. We stopped at a couple of classic car museums with an old Route 66 flavor and also visited an interesting RV museum in Amarillo. All three attractions were pretty much the work of single individuals and they shared some very interesting history. Almost every small town off of I-40 has some kind of old Route 66 attraction. It is as if they are depending on the past to lure folks in because the Interstate and time has passed them by. I guess the Interstate has made travel across the country much easier but many small towns have died slow deaths because of it. You can see this in Maine also. One unexpected site we saw today was a huge wind power farm in Texas. We estimate it must have gone on for 20 miles or more. Not bad for the red state of Texas! Tonight, on the recommendation of my good friend, Al of the North, we are going down the road to dinner at The Big Texan. Al admits it is a tourist trap but if you can eat their 72 oz. steak with all the fixings in an hour it is free! If you don’t finish it the cost is $72.00. I don’t think I’ll try it tonight but what a gimmick. I’m told by Kim and Mark Fisher, my cousins in Oklahoma, that I should be ready for a great steak there. We are on to Edmund, OK tomorrow; a trip of less than 300 miles. There are a few sites to see on the way and maybe a treat for my animal loving wife. Stay tuned.

Some Images from Today…

The Mother Road… The Main Street of America.

You can trust your car to the man who wears the star; the big bright Texaco Star

Maybe this was used by an Okie or Arkie headed to California during the Great Depression…

The museum at Russell’s Truck Stop and it’s free!

Anyone seen the movie this motor home was featured in?

Hey Wait!! We owned both of these and now they are in a museum…

Day 17

Up at 3 AM Again, Morning Glow and Mass Ascension

We were up and moving again today at 3 AM to beat the traffic and get a prime parking spot for our second day at the Balloon Fiesta. There were many more people attending today for two popular Fiesta events. A Morning Glow where 8-10 and more balloons inflate and fire up before dawn creating an amazing sight and a mass ascension where almost 500 balloons take off within an hour or so were both big crowd pleasers. For much of the time Judith an I stood in the middle of 20-25 balloons while they inflated and fired up. It was like we were standing in the middle of a balloon canyon. The heat, the noise, the colors and the drama were so exciting we forgot we got up at 3 AM. Arriving back at the motel late morning we remembered we had been up since 3 AM and took a nap before lunch. After lunch we rested and organized to leave Albuquerque in the morning. For all those who have been wondering along with Carol Haider, we washed the car for the first time on the trip this afternoon. It looks good! We head for Amarillo, TX tomorrow and Edmund, OK on Friday essentially following the path of historic Route 66. In Edmund we are looking forward to visiting my cousin Kim and her Oklahoma native husband Mark. From there it is on to Little Rock, Arkansas for a couple of nights.

A few more balloon images.

Getting just the right shot in the balloon canyon.

Everywhere you looked there were balloons

At the north end were chain saw artists.

Day 16

Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon…

Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
We could float among the stars together, you and I
For we can fly, we can fly… Written by Jimmy Webb an popularized by the 5th Dimension.

When I started to plot out this trip almost two years ago one of the things I did was check on the dates of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and plan backwards from there. This morning at 3 AM we put that Fiesta plan into action. We certainly beat the traffic jams and also beat the people that were collecting the $15.00 parking fee! The first balloons went off after 6 AM to test the wind speed and direction. Around 7 AM the spectacular lift offs began. In singles and in larger groups they rose into the sky and drifted as the currents took them. Expert pilots used different wind speeds and directions to return to the same field they took off from an hour or two before. It was an amazing day and both Judith and I were thrilled to witness this beautiful event. After coming back to the hotel we slept until noon, had lunch and then visited the very nice Albuquerque Zoo. We are back chilling out now because 3 AM tomorrow will come very early….