Day 8 - September 30, 1998
Illinois to
Kentucky to Indiana to Ohio
It's not as far as it sounds
After checking our maps the
night before, we decided that, if we dawdled a little bit, we could end up a little north
of Cincinnati, which is where our cousin Janet and her husband Doug live. So we gave
her a call a little after 11PM to see whether she'd be home and she sleepily but
graciously invited us for dinner and lodging. We realized the next morning that,
with the time zone difference, it was after midnight and we'd aroused her from a sound
sleep. Sorry, Janet! If she could get email, this wouldn't have happened, but
she works for the US Postal Service, and federal regulations prohibit her from sending or
receiving email.
We arose to yet another
beautiful summer-like day, and headed into the rolling hills of western Kentucky, finding
some more exhilarating Alfa roads to enjoy. Took our time, stopped a few places, and
decided that we'd better make some time if we were going to be at Janet's at 6:30 as we'd
planned. Around 4:00, we realized, once again, that the clock on John's CD changer
was in the wrong time zone. We also found ourselves on some very twisty-turny Alfa
roads - great for driving, bad for our schedule. We finally arrived around 8:00 -
sorry again, Janet!
Overall, another great driving
day, some interesting culture, more beautiful scenery, and all topped off with a great
dinner and luxurious accommodations provided by Janet and Doug.
This is where we went today
Super 8 Motel,
Harrisburg, IL
Here is a typical morning scene - loading up, checking fluid levels, warming up the
engine. The laptop responsible for bringing you these pages is in that battered
brief case. Doesn't look like it all ought to fit, eh?
Ohio River, Old
Shawneetown, IL
The Mississippi is America's mother river, of course, but as you can see the Ohio
is no slouch either! In the background is a huge grain elevator loading grain into
barges. Trailer trucks loaded with grain converge here from all directions at a rate
of about one a minute - very impressive!
Roadside Oil Rig,
Western Kentucky
We stopped and studied this oil rig that was in operation along the side of the
road on a farm. It has a single-cylinder engine that apparently runs off the natural
gas coming from the well! If it weren't for installations like these, our trip
wouldn't be possible!
Southern Indiana
Around midday, we began our search for a pleasant, pastoral setting in which to
enjoy our lunch of bread and cheese. Today, we found this lovely oasis of field,
trees, and hay bales. Delightful, don't you agree?
A tributary stream to
the Ohio River, Indiana
John, who has a place on Martha's Vineyard and does some salt-water fishing there,
has really taken to fishing the fresh-water streams. Here he is with his most recent
catch, a very respectable striper (striped bass DO make it up-river this far)!
Janet and Doug's house,
north of Cincinnati, OH
Here's a shot of our beautiful cousin Janet and her dashing husband Doug, our
gracious hosts for the night. Their terrific home had room for themselves,
ourselves, and our pit crew and press entourage if we had them along! It's the first
night we slept in separate rooms in a week! (No further comment.)
Beer(s) of the Day
|
Holy Grail Nut Brown Ale
Oldenberg Brewery, Fort Mitchell, KY
Oldenberg is one of the earliest, and now one of
the largest, microbreweries to lead in the American microbrew revolution. Their
beers are consistently good, and this one is no exception! Janet and Doug had a
bunch of this beer, and also their equally fine Pale Ale, waiting for us upon our
arrival. Thanks, cousin! |
Culture Feature
Another cultural treat is in store for you
today! This is a picture of some genuine Kentucky folk art
that we encountered while driving through the western Kentucky hills. Appreciate and
enjoy!
Alfa Spotting!
We've been keeping track of all the Alfas
that we've encountered on the trip (starting from when we left
Alfa Parts Exchange back in Hayward, CA), and will be
posting the current total, with model names and years, every day! Here's the current
tally:
Day 1 |
0 |
|
Day 2 |
0 |
|
Day 3 |
0 |
|
Day 4 |
0 |
|
Day 5 |
0 |
|
Day 6 |
0 |
(No Alfas, but did see three armadillo roadkills) |
Day 7 |
0 |
(No Alfas, but one Fiat X-1/9 parked, but standing on
its own wheels) |
Day 8 |
0 |
(No Alfas, but plenty of alfalfa) |
__________ |
___ |
|
Total |
0 |
(Still) |
September |
October |
|
|
Back to the Great Alfa Romeo Foray title page
|