tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9500705984174413542024-03-05T23:27:55.149-06:00The House of Keonjeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-79647255847439206492010-09-25T16:44:00.000-05:002010-09-25T16:44:57.131-05:00So Long for AwhileFor over a year now, I've been writing about my travels in this blog--and now I have temporarily run out of material. I'll be back the next time I take a trip, or the next time cleaning house turns up photos from one of my earlier trips that I haven't covered yet.
Here's a recommendation for music for the road next time you take off for parts unknown:
In the meantime, if you are an aspiring jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-56556270834155392462010-09-09T20:15:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:22:50.091-05:00Columbus' Ships Visit Kentucky
No matter where you live, interesting things will come your way several times each year. Just last weekend the Green Turtle Bay Resort hosted the Nina and the Pinta, accurate replicas of two of the three ships Christopher Columbus sailed on his first voyage to the New World.
These ships were made for a film about Columbus some years ago, but they were built to be seaworthy, and now sail jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-51630638872012342022010-09-02T19:48:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:24:25.166-05:00Semi-Staycation, Part SevenSuperman's Home Town
Just across the Ohio River from Paducah, Kentucky is the little city of Metropolis, Illinois, home of the annual Superman Festival each June. Eric wanted to rest, so Lois and I drove up to Metropolis one day in July.
The town is marked by the huge statue of Superman in the court square., an indication--along with casinos--that this town lives on tourism. In July, in the jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-16331401639267193772010-08-26T16:52:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:29:36.375-05:00Semi-Staycation, Part Six
Walk Around Lake Hematite
Lois and Eric and I have traveled all over the world together for the past twenty-five years or so, and have always been able to walk wherever we wanted to go. Despite the insane tour guide force-marching us for miles every day in India, we were able to keep up with the younger members of the tour just last year.
So when we decided to take a day at the beautiful Land jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-45459889698979818072010-08-19T22:47:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:31:45.111-05:00Semi-Staycation, Part FiveChain Across the Mississippi
On the Kentucky side of the Mississippi, atop a cliff, there is a most unusual relic of the Civil War. Columbus-Belmont State Park memorializes the attempt to stop Union Gunboats from traveling down the river. Confederate General Leonidas Polk commanded the fort on the bluff, and came up with the idea of stretching a huge chain across the Mississippi--but it didn't jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-82157567723245127302010-08-12T19:12:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:33:13.675-05:00Semi-Staycation, Part FourFerry Cross the Mississippi
Kentucky has mostly farmland along the Mississippi River, and on the other side of the river so does Missouri. Nonetheless, people who live far from the bridges to the north and south need a way to cross--hence the Dorena-Hickman Ferry.
This is one of the last operating riverboat ferries in the U.S. It's not a tourist attraction, but a simple means of getting from jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-80961625754256538052010-08-06T17:27:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:37:55.324-05:00Semi-Staycation, Part Three
Dinosaurs in Kentucky
People don't usually think of Kentucky when they think of dinosaurs or other kinds of fossils, but actually there are lots of fossils to be found in this area. Hence the Dinosaur Museum near Mammoth Cave.
The museum is interesting, but the gift shop is amazing. You can actually buy real dinosaur eggs, dinosaur teeth, and dinosaur bones! Jurassic Park, anyone?
If youjeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-28531676034632540482010-07-29T19:38:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:40:09.148-05:00Semi-Staycation, Part TwoBig Mike's Rock Shop and Mystery House
One of the delights of road trips in the United States is visiting the kitchsy roadside shops, museums, and manmade attractions.
Right on the edge of the Mammoth Cave National Forest is Big Mike's Rock Shop, easily identified by the huge cement representation of "Big Mo," a mosasaur whose real skull is on display inside the shop.
That's one of the weirdjeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-42775981379574127752010-07-22T21:14:00.000-05:002015-07-13T17:42:51.607-05:00Semi-Staycation, Part One
Mammoth Cave
You may have noticed there were no new blog posts for the past two weeks. The reason is that I was out getting new material!
This summer, instead of going off to some exotic clime, my friends Lois and Eric came to visit me, and we explored West Kentucky near where I live. The first place we went to see was Mammoth Cave.
All the pictures I took in the cave are available light, jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-16621000328276277342010-06-24T20:17:00.000-05:002010-06-24T20:17:10.408-05:00Traveling With Pets, Part SevenCats in Cars
No matter how well your cat walks on a leash, you will not be able to walk her like a dog at rest stops. Most cats do not want to leave the car in a strange place, but even if yours will walk with you, you will not be able to achieve the primary purpose of walking a dog at rest stops: elimination.
Now, let's all agree right here that your cat would be safer riding in her carrier jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-16841697311390792722010-06-17T19:47:00.000-05:002010-06-17T19:47:33.979-05:00Traveling With Pets, Part Six
Cats on the Road, Part One--Lodgings
Most cats adapt well to traveling in cars, but before you take yours on a long trip be sure to try him or her out several times on short trips. Be sure you have your cat secure, either on a harness and leash or in a carrier. If you are going to take trips in which you will be staying in hotels or motels, be sure your cat is contented in a carrier. Take jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-71895992877302880222010-06-10T20:04:00.000-05:002010-06-10T20:04:14.808-05:00Traveling with Pets, Part FiveTraveling with Cats
Speaking generally, dogs travel more easily than cats. However, there are plenty of dogs who get carsick, or whine for 800 miles, or become aggressive toward strange people or animals. Those dogs have to stay home. But on the other hand there are also plenty of cats who love to ride in the car, walk on a leash, and be friendly with strange people and other animals. They can jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-87128522715122211452010-06-02T17:39:00.019-05:002010-06-03T20:34:28.567-05:00Traveling With Pets, Part FourI was going to write about traveling with cats this week, but I turned up some photos of both dogs and cats that I thought you'd enjoy, so I've decided to write about keeping your pets contented when they are out of their home environment.First consideration: if you have an extremely nervous, high-strung animal who is either afraid of or aggressive toward strange animals, leave him or her at homejeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-35496826368085472042010-05-27T21:27:00.003-05:002010-05-27T21:33:21.799-05:00No New Blog This WeekI'm not even going to try to tell you everything that happened this week that simply erased the time in which I normally write my blog.Over at the right you see links to all my posts on travel in India, Nepal, Italy, and Japan, as well as some general blogs on travel and the first three posts on travel with pets. If you haven't seen some of them, here's your chance.If you haven't read last jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-81556392262013838112010-05-20T09:29:00.007-05:002010-05-20T09:40:29.613-05:00Traveling With Pets, Part ThreeEach Dog is DifferentCuddles was a timid little dog who had been raised without much love or attention. He was very eager to please, but he was terrified of riding in the car. Before I rescued him, he had been in a car only once--when he was taken to the pound, where the person he had relied on deserted him, and bigger dogs beat him up and peed on him. I took him home in my car, and the next day jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-32439996893694100702010-05-13T19:19:00.018-05:002010-05-13T19:56:16.578-05:00Traveling with Pets, Part Two See more cute dogs at I Has a Hot DogTraveling with a DogWhen I got my first dog, King, I immediately had to figure out how to travel with him, because I adopted him while vacationing in Florida, and needed to bring him home to Kentucky. It was a case of "learning by doing."King was probably nine or ten months old when I adopted him, which is the perfect age at which to adopt a jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-86619556135329849212010-05-06T11:36:00.020-05:002010-05-06T12:22:38.054-05:00Traveling With Pets, Part OneIn order to post photos from some of my earlier international travels, I need to first locate the photos I took and then scan them. Yes, up until four or five years ago I used a 35mm SLR camera that required film. Remember film? Remember not knowing till the prints were developed whether any of them were good, too late to go back and reshoot? Anyway, till I can find and scan photos from other jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-74887284411709586532010-04-29T17:47:00.013-05:002010-05-01T16:49:04.977-05:00Travel and Cancer Survival, Part TwoEven though I was slower than usual on the trip to Scotland after my cancer surgery, and needed to take daily naps, I still enjoyed the trip and was able to participate in everything I wanted to do. When we returned to the U.S. I had the radiation implant for three days, followed by a short course of external radiation to catch any cancer cells that might have escaped.That's when I found out jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-25800073964748379502010-04-22T20:38:00.026-05:002010-04-23T16:28:13.090-05:00Travel and Cancer Survival, Part OneIn the United States, Relay for Life 2010 has just begun, and will continue for the next two months. If you are not familiar with Relay, it's an annual series of gatherings of cancer survivors and friends who work together before the event to raise money for cancer research. Businesses and clubs form teams who raise funds, then go to Relay to walk all night in support of a cure. Survivors are jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-63525995993715950372010-04-13T22:30:00.019-05:002010-04-16T10:14:12.233-05:00Philadelphia CarouselGuest post from Geezer-ChickI usually bike around Philadelphia. But when my niece was visiting, we walked from Chinatown to Grasso's Magic to watch 3 local magicians. En route we passed Franklin Square, which I hadn't explored before. From the sidewalk, we could see a merry-go-round. "Want to go look at the ride?" asked my niece. As we approached, it became obvious that this is no ordinary jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-63796901596440161612010-04-07T18:35:00.039-05:002010-04-08T19:48:47.509-05:00Japan, Post ElevenImpressions of JapanI think what I carried away with me from Japan were the impressions of friendliness, cleanliness, honor, and beauty. Everywhere we went, people were friendly and helpful. For example, I ventured alone into a huge shopping mall in Yokohama. I had a map of the mall, but ran into a "you can't get there from here" situation in which I could not figure out which elevator or jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-47571621321181049572010-03-31T19:58:00.023-05:002010-04-01T18:52:22.711-05:00Japan, Post TenAnimals in JapanI love animals, especially dogs and cats. The Japanese have pets just as we do--but tourists rarely see them. Nowhere did I see stray dogs in the streets, such as most other countries have.Cats are good luck in Japan. The beckoning cat in the photo at the top of this post is seen everywhere in every size. He can be found in versions supposed to bring wealth, health, and a happy jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-34661580766841727302010-03-14T20:43:00.017-05:002010-03-25T15:12:20.616-05:00Japan, Part NineJapanese Temples, Part TwoThe three major religions in Japan are Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism, although the latter is far more a philosophy than a religion. Other religions are also common, including Christianity--but the Japanese rarely belong to only one religion. In fact, most Japanese will claim that they are not religious at all, and a few minutes later stop to pray at an office jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-15616574126628621952010-03-14T19:55:00.016-05:002010-03-18T08:34:40.372-05:00Japan, Part EightJapanese Temples, Part OneJapan is a land of many religions, although the three primary ones are Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Most Japanese participate in more than one.There are Shinto shrines everywhere, little shrines in homes and offices, and in the streets and countryside, where people stop to offer prayers about any problem in their lives. Torii, the gates of Shinto temples, are jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-950070598417441354.post-52738629295969819392010-03-10T19:16:00.024-06:002010-03-11T19:36:51.509-06:00Japan, Part SevenJapanese CastlesJapan was first united under a single ruler almost two thousand years ago, and the first recorded ruler was a woman, Himiko. That information, however, comes from Chinese travelers to Japan in the second or third century. Japanese history traditionally begins with the first emperor, Jimmu, a descendant of the sun goddess, Amaterasu. Be that as it may, Japan has had the same royal jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08850661003698077507noreply@blogger.com0