Sunday, May 31, 2015

Rocky Mountain National Park...Spring Has Arrived!

 Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park opened on Friday, May 29th.Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, climbs to 12,183 feet and connects the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. 

Having heard about all the snow still at the top of Trail Ridge Road, we had to check it out for ourselves on Saturday.









A few photos taken at our summer home, Elk Creek Campground in Grand Lake.  We are still in the mud season here, with late season snow and rain.  The temperature yesterday morning was 31. Our furnace and electric heater are getting a work out. 


Sunday, May 24, 2015

Movin Through Kansas.....


Spent two nights near Fort Riley, KS, on Milford Lake at West Rolling Hills Corp of Engineer CG

West Rolling Hills is a nice campground with W/E hookups and a good place to take a break in our 7 days of travel to Colorado.  The sky was a beautiful blue and this was one of the few days with no rain.




Saw this interesting design on a class B at one of our other stops, High Plains CG in Oakley, KS.


Friday, May 22, 2015

Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, TN

Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey and the highest selling American whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation since 1956. 

Take a carriage ride into historic Lynchburg, TN....

  Jack was a consummate promoter of his brew and stayed on top of the industry and informed of the latest developments in the art of making whiskey, including an aging process that benefited the taste and character of the whiskey. When he finally turned 21, Jack Daniel decided to go to the city on a shopping spree. When he returned, the 5’2" distiller was sporting a formal knee length black frock coat and a broad-brimmed planter’s hat that would eventually become his trademark daily uniform. Jack Daniel was always described as a colorful character who gave the small town of Lynchburg a sense of spirit that couldn’t come from a bottle. He always maintained his home-spun appeal to those who knew him and, as late as 1880, the U.S. Census in Moore County listed his profession as "farmer".




Jack Daniel found a tract of land in Lynchburg that included a limestone cave and spring. The pure spring water from the cave became the most important business tool Daniel ever purchased.

Stella(in backpack), Joe, Jack Daniel, Ted, Jan and Colby enjoyed the very informative walking tour of the distillery...



Sometime around 1906, Jack Daniel arrived at the office one morning and tried to open the safe in his office. He either couldn’t remember the combination or wasn’t getting it right on the dial. In a fit of anger, he kicked the safe and broke his toe. Daniel never had it attended to by a doctor and an infection soon set up in the toe. The gangrene eventually spread throughout his system and resulted in Daniel losing his leg to the disease. With the illness starting to wear on him, he began turning more and more of the company’s operations over to his nephew Lem and eventually deeded the business over to him. 
Jack Daniel survived until Oct. 9, 1911 when he died of complications due to the gangrene infection.









The Distillery location is the only place in Lynchburg where you can purchase Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, but only the commemorative bottles the company has issued. After 136 years of being home to the world’s most recognized distillery, the City of Lynchburg is still officially " dry". The hardest drink available at the lavish bar at the end of the tour is lemonade.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Tim's Ford TN State Park Get Together

We had a nice three day weekend atTim's Ford State Park near Winchester, TN, with Joe, Colby and Miss Stella. (also Max and Gus, their four legged kids) 







We met another family at the park, also.....

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Paul Revere's Raiders with Mitch Ryder

Attended a great concert last night...Paul Revere's Raiders , which included a wonderful set with the legendary  Mitch Ryder.

Mitch performed many of his hits: "Sock it to me Baby", "Jenny take a Ride", "Devil with the Blue Dress"......




Unfortunately, Paul Revere past away in 2014...with his colorful clothing and infectious stage persona, Paul was considered "the madman of rock and roll" Paul Revere's Raiders are doing a wonderful job of carrying on the rock traditions! The rocking party included many of our favorites: "Kicks", "Indian Reservation" "Louie Louie"......
Drummer, Tom Scheckel, a show within the show!
Promo video..




The after the show "show" at the Circle Square patio area...with live music to dance to!