Having learned about the glorious history of chopping down beautiful specimen trees in order to fashion wooden clubs for swatting balls around a field and then sampled Louisville's finest cuisine, we went and checked into our hotel to unwind a bit. We let the kids jump on the sofa bed and generally annoy anyone who was in the rooms around us while we unpacked and lay down for a quick rest.
Our plan for the rest of the evening was to hang out at
Louisville's Waterfront area--specifically at Riverview Park, which had a playground and splash area for the kids. We'd seen pictures from Barry's previous visit and thought it would be a good spot to unwind. So, we made the short drive downtown. The local minor-league baseball team, the Louisville Bats (where did they come up with that one?) had a game that night, so parking was a little scarce. Dave saw the stadium and immediately announced that we had to go to the game, right there, right now! We said no, but we'd keep it in mind for the following evening*.
*Foreshadowing alert
As we drove past the waterfront park, we noticed most of the parking there was taken as well. Some tents were set up on the grassy area.
As it turned out, there was a summer concert going on, or some party put on by the local radio station. That was ok with us, though--we just wanted to use the park.
There were two problems with that idea. The first was that all of the parking was taken. The second was that the park was closed for renovations.
Time for the backup plan. We'd seen another fountain/splash area on the drive in, and several kids were running around swimming in it. So, we'd try that. Parking was tight, but available. I called Jay and Donna and told them our location. Then I called Norm.
Norm (AirGoofy) is another one of the DisDads, from Owensboro, Kentucky. He travels a good bit throughout the state for his job, and had re-arranged his travel schedule so he could meet me in Louisville. I'm afraid we gave him a bit of the run-around with all of our last-minute plan changes, but we finally were able to tell him our location so we could meet up.
The kids wasted no time jumping into the fountain area. It was a pretty cool spot, located right on the shores of the Ohio River.
Several of these cascading steps were crossed by bridges as the water flowed down to the river.
It wasn't long before our friends arrived. The kids were running all over the place in the water, sometimes being carried downstream by the current. This made keeping up with them a challenge. In any case, after a couple of phone calls to confirm locations, Norm arrived.
Altogether now: NORM!!!
We shook hands and hung out, watching the kids swim, and discussing our love for all things Disney. Norm seemed like a laid-back guy, just going with the flow. He gave the impression that everything just rolls off his back, and doesn't seem to work up a fuss over minor problems (like, say, a guy who keeps calling saying he's in a different spot in the city and could you meet him there?). He's the proud father of two little girls and I really appreciated him finding a way to come see us. It was great to meet you, Norm!*
*(even if you're a Cowboys fan)
As the kids swam, we couldn't help but notice a sign posted nearby:
That extra hand in the picture is due to me cropping out one of Jay and Donna's daughters, not any unseemly effects due to extra hydrogen.
Does extra hydrogen really produce dangerous water? Is it even water anymore if it has extra hydrogen? I looked up "
heavy water" online when I got back, and couldn't find any ill effects reported from it.
While we were there, several bicycle cops road by. They didn't stop a single kid from swimming or playing in the fountain. So I guess it was ok. My kids haven't had any limbs fall off yet. I was kind of hoping they'd develop super powers, actually.
Once the kids were finished swimming, we took a stroll along the river. Norm snapped this picture of Julie and me at the waterfront.
The
Belle of Louisville happened to paddle by.
The Louisville waterfront is a beautiful area. The sight of the city skyline, the river and the bridges spanning it is spectacular. It was a wonderful place to whittle away a summer evening.
It was well past the dinner hour, but none of us were very hungry due to our late lunch at Lynn's. So we consulted some of the Universal Rules of Vacation:
- Normal rules of life do not apply.
- Calories do not count on vacation.
- There is no room for Heath Nuts or Overbearing, Nagging Parents on vacation.
In the spirit of these rules, we decided on ice cream for dinner. The DIS Dads had provided a local tip:
Graeter's Ice Cream. There were a few shops scattered around town. We found this one, next to a Heine Bros. Coffee shop.
(Heh--he said "Heine")
I tend to be an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kinda guy. At most restaurants, I find something I like on the menu and I stick with it, rather than risk disappointment with other items. When it comes to ice cream, I love cookies & cream. Sure, it's simple. Maybe a little boring. But it's a great combination. Anyway, my kids have learned to make fun of me regarding this choice, since I rarely venture out to try something new. Sarah will even nudge me and say, "So, Daddy, are you going to walk on the wild side and get cookies & cream tonight?"
We walked into the shop, and scanned the flavors. All sorts of variations were available. I studied the menu carefully, and looked around at the others. My kids stared at me expectantly. I swallowed, took a deep breath...
And ordered cookies & cream. If it ain't broke...
And it tasted great. And the kids made fun of me. But they were happy, because we had ice cream for dinner!
Coming Up Next: We travel back in time, and towards the center of the earth, all in one day!
It's a lot of work to go through to make them....
cross country. You make it sound like so much fun!
