Canadian Buffoon's DISmeet vacation - 09/14 - Bowled Over

[pkondz]

I've often wante to get a big magnetic sign for the back of my car that says something like that.

When we went to Italy, aside from the countryside and food, I fell in love with driving there. As soon as someone passes you, they move right back into the right lane. So wonderful to see basic intelligence at work vs put my car in gear, get in left lane and be totally oblivious to anything (sorry Mark for using that word, but so many are) or anyone else. Another reason I want to drive on the autobahn. If you're a moron in the left lane you get a ticket. Wish they'd do that here...the national debt could be paid of in months...could call it the moronic driver tax! <Sorry for the rant, but this really is a huge pet peeve of mine>

Oh, rant away.
It's one of my biggest peeves too.
When I was driving in Germany,
I was quite comfortable driving
at 140mph (230kmh) because
people there get what the left
lane is for.

 

[pkondz]

Whew, found my way back and caught up!

Well, hi there, stranger.

Took a brief detour this summer when I won a quick trip to PEI

How was it?!?!?!?
I'd love to go there
some day.
I've been close,
but not there.

DD25 and her new husband also bought a house and moved in this past weekend.

And you helped?
That's a bit of work,
right there.

Thought of you when I was watching the Boo To You Parade online tonight - didn't catch any Dukes in the crowd though!

You remembered!
That was fun.
And I kinda doubt
many people have
dressed up as him.

 

[pkondz]

Sometime you'll have to caravan together. You can help each other find sights like the world's largest ball of twine or tallest thermometer.

You say that like we wouldn't.

 

[pkondz]

Not to worry, folks down here aren’t much good on it either.

They know some of the myths (but don’t know that they’re myths) and after that most just tend to cherry pick a point or two here and there when it seems to support some conclusion that they’ve either already decided upon or were indoctrinated into (a bit like the way another specific “history” book I know of gets used ‘round here).

I know of that book.
And.... since I'm skirting
the DIS rules here,
I'll just back away quietly.

Useless bit of unnecessary side information: “Abby Someone” is one of the names I generally use for music projects or any band I work in (if it doesn’t already have a name), and for anytime we get into a Team Trivia contest or similar such endeavor. It just seems to suit me.

Perfect!

Yep…
Lost too.
Had to take out a loan to get a new one installed.

(true story)

Ugh. Not good.
Necessary evil I suppose.

Did you know that up here
(at least in my city. other places may vary)
that if your furnace (gas furnace I mean)
conks out, the gas company will come out
and try to fix it... for free?

I guess it has to do with the possibility
of you dying from an explosion
or freezing to death.

No, he wrote the whole thing up.
He was just stunned by the complete lack of damage to the “tank” as compared to the new Olds.

Oh! Okay, get it now.

You and me both, sir.

Problem is…
I may never actually get to retire.

Well... that is patently unjust!

Sometimes we can’t even have anything.

True.

No respect for the Fates, I see.
You do like to live dangerously, don’t you?

Safe is boring.

Driving along I-40, I take it.
That’s a fun drive when it gets to into the The Great Smoky Mountains NP area around the NC, TN boarder. Nice and squiggly (just have to watch out for the occasional rock slide, though).

I'm looking forward to driving
it some day... when I can see.

That must have been interesting as you were rolling through those turns in the mountain areas.

Honest?
I have no idea of the turns.
I saw nothing. It was like
driving with a bag over my head.
If you'd told me it was fairly
straight, I would've nodded
agreeably too.

I really have zero clue
what that road is like.

Just not necessarily a strong indication of which lane you were in…

Oh, yes. It was a solid line.
Unless the highway has a lot of
no passing zones.

No idea.

Yaaah-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!!!

https://www.myinstants.com/instant/goofy-yell/

Pretty much!

Good thing she wasn’t being vindictive at this point, ehhh?

Yep.

The very picture of White Knuckle Driving.

It’s a relative thing…

Oh, some of my relatives
are crazy too.

The hotel staff probably gathers around the CCTV monitors to laugh at everyone that actually follows those directions.

Then they would've seen me
peeing on their carpet
in retaliation.

Less adventurous, to be sure.

But more.... not dead.

Truth is through, in the last few years, there really is little difference (musically, at least) between “Country” and “Pop” other than including a steel-guitar feature here and there, and always having the vocalist sing either in the back of their throat or up in their sinuses.

Lyrically, the difference is that everything has to be a double entendre or heavily laden with jingoism.

Huh!
Nope. Never knew that.
Then again... you could
hit me on the head with
a metronome and I probably
still couldn't hold a tune.

The original (that being the Ryman Auditorium) had a foot print of only about an acre.
A decent size for an 1892 era venue when it opened as the “Union Gospel Tabernacle”. It was already a bit tight during the years that WSM was broadcasting out of the place (having no real backstage area). The “Industry” finally outgrew it completely in the late sixties and needed a newer space.

I read up on it for that chapter.

He’s almost become ubiquitous.

Very!

He did the original chandeliers for DCL’s first two ships
(too bad they’ve since been removed).

I didn't know that!
Why did they remove them?

Would have made a bit more sense if it were a topiary, I suppose.

Or not at all.
I'm not a fan of topiary.
Just.... plants aren't supposed
to do that, you know?

That's just me, though.

Agreed…
If they were depicting fauna rather than flora, I could see it, but why put false flowers in the middle of a botanical conservatory?

Exactly!

Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side.

Best comic strips ever?

Seems Marvin also enjoys a good fountain.

He has eclectic tastes.

Nowhere near enough for that place.
The grounds surrounding the main house need about a day to be properly taken in, much less exploring the rest of the property (and that’s disregarding “The House” itself).

Got it.
So...
Need far more time than I could
possibly afford.

On this trip anyway.

If you head westward again though, there is an entire venue dedicated to Chihuly in the Seattle Center complex right by the Space Needle.

I do know that.
Know why?
Because I went there.

 

[Steppesister]

I'm looking forward
to meeting many
friends-I've-never-met,
as well as some I have met.

Nice! I"m sure many wonderful memories will be had along the way.

Are you meeting any
on your upcoming trip?

Keeping it a surprise. But.... yes.

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

that if your furnace (gas furnace I mean)
conks out, the gas company will come out
and try to fix it... for free?

I guess it has to do with the possibility
of you dying from an explosion
or freezing to death.

Interesting...
And nope, they don't do that down this way.
would be rather Unamerican.

I didn't know that!
Why did they remove them?

They pulled them out of the signoras as each was overhauled and replaced them with structures that more resemble those built for the frauleins. Not certain whether that was an imaginearing decision, a marketing decision, or if the pieces were simply on loan and it was time to return them.

Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side.

Best comic strips ever?

No argument from me on that one.

I might add Bloom County and Doonesbury to the list.

 

[pkondz]

Nice! I"m sure many wonderful memories will be had along the way.

I think so too!

Keeping it a surprise. But.... yes.

Nice!

 

[pkondz]

Saw quite a few motorcycles driving along the coastal trails. It would be beautiful. Why don't you just add it onto your next trip?

Great idea! I just might do that.

Well, I mostly helped by sitting on a chair with my sore arm and doling out sage advice.

Which was invaluable, I'm sure.

Awwww, I loved that costume! I'm not sure what I'd dress up as, but it would have to be something that would complement my new bifocals that I'll be getting in the next few weeks.

Hmmm... bifocals.

Fairy Godmother?

 

[pkondz]

Interesting...
And nope, they don't do that down this way.
would be rather Unamerican.

And we can't have that, can we!

They pulled them out of the signoras as each was overhauled and replaced them with structures that more resemble those built for the frauleins. Not certain whether that was an imaginearing decision, a marketing decision, or if the pieces were simply on loan and it was time to return them.

Hmmm...
I might buy the "on loan" argument.

No argument from me on that one.

I might add Bloom County and Doonesbury to the list.

Used to like Bloom County...
but then it seemed to change
course in the later years
and I didn't like it as much.

I never did get into Doonesbury, though.

 

[chunkymonkey]

As it got darker out,
the rain fell harder.
Soon my occasional on/off
turned into intermittent.
Intermittent turned into on.
Which turned into high-speed.
The rain came down in torrents.
In buckets.
A veritable flood.

Yikes! Scary!

It felt like my hands were glued in place.
With a conscious effort,
I released the steering wheel.
First the right hand, then the left.
It was then that I noticed how much
my back was aching.
I'd been hunched forward
over the wheel for hours.
I leaned back and grimaced.

I would feel the same!! I hate driving but driving in the rain is 10x worse!

I sat in the car for a few minutes,
just listening to the rain and
collecting my thoughts.
i.e. I tried to calm down enough
so that when I checked in,
the clerk didn't think I was some
crazed lunatic........
Well, more crazed than usual.

I probably come across that way
usually anyway.

Good to know in the case we ever get a chance to meet.
Note: pkondz not crazy, just seems to be.

Once I checked in
(and the clerk stopped screaming)
I was directed to park in the back
and use the rear door.

Why was he screaming?

I am not a country music fan.
At. All.

Yes, there is the odd country tune
that I like...
But those are very few and far between.
But I have heard of the Grand Ole Opry
for as long as I can remember.
And when in Nashville...

I've actually been there! My parents took us there when we were younger.

And... total fail...
I have no photos,
and no clue what I ate!

So... imagine something
and pretend it was that.

I don't believe you actually ate anything!

 

[pkondz]

Yikes! Scary!

Wasn't the most fun, ever.

I would feel the same!! I hate driving but driving in the rain is 10x worse!

And driving in the rain
in pitch black conditions...

Good to know in the case we ever get a chance to meet.
Note: pkondz not crazy, just seems to be.

Oh I'm perfectly normal.
Really.

No... really.

Why was he screaming?

Because of the crazed lunatic
that just walked in.

I've actually been there! My parents took us there when we were younger.

What did you think?

I don't believe you actually ate anything!

I did.
Just... no idea what.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Oh I'm perfectly normal.
Really.

No... really.

Sure I believe you.

Because of the crazed lunatic
that just walked in.

I'll need to speak to this person.

What did you think?

To be honest...I do not remember it!!!

 

[pkondz]

Sure I believe you.

Yussss…. Fooled another one.

I'll need to speak to this person.

I'd run in the opposite direction
if I were you.

To be honest...I do not remember it!!!

Left a lasting impression, I see!

 

[docsoliday1]

Wasn't the most fun, ever.

I don't understand why not.

And driving in the rain
in pitch black conditions...

As others have said, you're a braver (or crazier) man than I.

Oh I'm perfectly normal.
Really.

No... really.

I'm not so sure

Because of the crazed lunatic
that just walked in.

See

 

[pkondz]

I don't understand why not.

Because there was no
scantily clad red head
sitting beside me.

As others have said, you're a braver (or crazier) man than I.

Probably the latter.

I'm not so sure

Go with your gut.

 

[pkondz]

Bowled Over


The morning found me
in Bowling Green
and the National Corvette Museum.
I can say that because
it says so on the building
that I photographed.

See?

Either that, or it was an
elaborate prank.

Possible...


Improbable.


I walked in and was
immediately smacked
in the face with a passel
of corvettes.

Hmmm... murder of crows...
parliament of owls...
smack of jellyfish...
prickle of porcupines...
(a personal favourite of mine)

What do you call a group
of corvettes?
A roar of corvettes?
A blur?
A zip?

Nevertheless, my curiosity
got the better of me
and my money
leapt out of my wallet
and into the eager
grubby hands of the
pimple faced tad at
the cash.

Money well spent.

I passed the next few hours
drooling over fast cars.

Well... they looked fast.
They certainly didn't move
overly much.

They did move once,
a few years back...
But I'm getting ahead of myself.

want...

want...

want...
want...
want...

want...
want...
want...

wa.... oh, you get the idea.

So.... you get to pick one of the above.
Which do you pick?
Man... that is a tough call.

There were also these
concept 'Vettes.
While I found them interesting,
I wouldn't want one.
Guess I'm more into the classics.

Lots of later models
(relatively speaking)

...which is nice and all...
But I'll take pre-1968,
thank you very much.
So...

I then entered a large
domed area filled
with nothing but
wonder.

Or at least it was mostly
filled with wonder.

Back in 2014,
a sinkhole opened
up in this room
and swallowed
eight corvettes.

There's a marked area
on the floor which indicates
where the sinkhole was located.
They've been repairing
the cars ever since.

If memory serves,
they won't fix all of them.

I could be wrong.


I frequently am.

The sinkhole was a curse
and a blessing.
While it did destroy some
valuable cars,
the attendance shot up
from 150,000 to 250,000.


After a while, it was time
to get something to eat.
But I wasn't going
to go out to a restaurant
to do it.

I had met Liesa
(@Steppesister )
previously when I
was on my father/daughter
trip and visiting Alison
(@franandaj ) in California.
She had put out
an invitation to one
and all for dinner
at her parents' house and...

How could I say no to that?
(I've since re-met her in
Disneyland on a return
engagement with Alison.
And even met her again
with @cinderkelly at a
MVMCP.
That makes her the DISer
I've met the most,
although that will change
this fall when I revisit Nebo
and Smidgy.)

I had told Liesa when I would
be passing through
and the times coincided
so I said I'd drop by.

I arrived at her parents' house
and said my hellos.
Her folks turned out to be
really nice people
and I had a very nice visit.
Liesa made a lasagne and
a caprese salad.

Boy that was good!

Sorry, total DIS TR fail.
Not a single photo.


I guess...

I was a guest in someone's home
and it just doesn't feel right
to start snapping photos of the food.
I didn't do that earlier at Nebo & Smidgy's
and I didn't do it here either.


Liesa, it was really nice seeing you again
and meeting your delightful folks.


And!
Meeting her Dad, especially,
had a fringe benefit
that I wasn't expecting.

Liesa's dad told me about
something, and when I heard
about it, I knew I had to see it.
I got directions from him,
and after dinner, when I took my leave
(no... I did not dine and dash, thank you.)
I headed over to check it out.

Right in Bowling Green, down an
unassuming road, lies a very small
aviation park.
Just five planes.
(One of which is in the process
of being restored.)

The first four are interesting enough.
All were flown by Kentucky natives
with three out of the four being
either native to or lived for a time
in Bowling Green.

There was a T-33

This Phantom F-4 that was
under wraps and under
restoration.
It was the reason I was here.
Love the F-4.
When I found out there was
one here, that sealed the deal
and I knew I was going to take
a peek.
Unfortunately, since it was covered
in a temporary hangar,
a peek is all I could get.

The next aircraft,
an F9F Panther
isn't the one flown by
a Kentucky native.
John Magda fought in
the battle of Midway in WWII
and was shot down, and ditched
in the Pacific.
He floated in a life raft
for five days before being rescued.
After the war, he flew with and
was the commander of the Blue Angels.
(Navy demonstration flight team.)
He was flying a similar aircraft
to the one on display here,
when he was hit by ground fire
during the Korean war
and crashed into the sea
and was killed.
Among his decorations:
The Navy Cross, the Purple Heart
and the Air Medal with two Gold stars.

The next aircraft,
an F-111, was flown by
Colonel Arnie Franklin.
He led a raid along with
18 F-111s over Libya
in 1986 to combat terrorism.
The flight departed England
and, with numerous air-to-air refuelings
lasted fourteen hours.
While this isn't the aircraft flown
by Franklin, it is one of the aircraft
that participated in that raid.

Now...
The last aircraft just... blew me away.
On the surface, it's not that big a deal.
The T-38 Talon is a trainer aircraft.
It will never be used in combat.

However.
This aircraft type
was the world's first supersonic trainer.
And as such, it was useful
as an astronaut trainer
and chase plane for Nasa.

The above plane, that exact plane,
has been flown by every single
Gemini, Mercury and Apollo astronaut.
You may recognize the names
Gus Grissom, or Alan Shepard.
John Glenn or Neil Armstrong.
They all flew this plane.

That's history right there folks.
And frankly, it gave me goosebumps
just being in its presence.


And after that,
for all intents and purposes
my road trip was done.
(A group of campers set up
their tents on the beach.
Every day, when the cook would
ring his bell, people would eat and throw
food to the dolphins that would occasionally
swim just off-shore.
The cook began to call out:
"Dinner! For all in tents and porpoises."

True story.



Maybe.




Not.)


I still had about thirteen hundred
miles to go, but...
Nothing at all happened.
I drove all day, with occasional
stops at Harley shops,
and an overnight in Minneapolis.

I eventually arrived back home
where I started to plan my next
road trip.


Thanks everyone for reading along
on this long, but fun trip.
I met (or re-met) some wonderful
folks. Some whom I hope
to meet again soon.
Hope you enjoyed reading it
as much as I enjoyed writing about it.


THE END



And in case you didn't see it...

Even Martians like to
look at fountains
from time to time.

Did you see it in this chapter?
Oh, you probably did.
Did you see two of them?
Yeah, you might have.
But something tells me you
didn't see all three of them.

 

[MeghanEmily]

What do you call a group
of corvettes?
A roar of corvettes?
A blur?
A zip?

I call them shiny.

I arrived at her parents' house
and said my hellos.
Her folks turned out to be
really nice people
and I had a very nice visit.
Liesa made a lasagne and
a caprese salad.

Boy that was good!

Ooooh, nice!! That sounds like a lovely visit!

However.
This aircraft type
was the world's first supersonic trainer.
And as such, it was useful
as an astronaut trainer
and chase plane for Nasa.

...woah.

The above plane, that exact plane,
has been flown by every single
Gemini, Mercury and Apollo astronaut.
You may recognize the names
Gus Grissom, or Alan Shepard.
John Glenn or Neil Armstrong.
They all flew this plane.

...WOAH.


I've thoroughly enjoyed another delightful recap of another one of your many interesting trips (even if I've been a lack-lustre commenter these busy days!) Thanks so much for taking the time and making the effort to present it to us in such an entertaining and complete way. Always a pleasure to join in on your trip reports....and I'm looking forward to the next one whenever it begins!

 

[mustinjourney]

And in case you didn't see it...

No idea how I missed that one.

Did you see two of them?
Yeah, you might have.
But something tells me you
didn't see all three of them.

pkondz aviation and someone got their pilot's license I suppose.

Didn't see a third.

Enjoyed the TR. When is your next WDW adventure?

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.