After packing up our camp site we head down further south on I-75 to Lexington, KY.
We’re literally “making the rounds” around my old stomping grounds, starting with a visit to the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort at the north end of town, where I used to work for 18 months, starting 1997. Good memories! Instead of my dog Ben I now have J.T. in my arms, and Kirk snaps a photo of us in front of “The Mansion”, previously a fine dining restaurant where my British roommate Darren used to work (while I was in Banquets most of the time).
Then we take Hwy 4 “New Circle Rd”) and Man O’ War Blvd around the city to the south side, where I used to live – first driving by Beechwood Circle, then Brandywine Apartments on Trent Blvd, before a quick stop closer to downtown/campus on Central Ave.
Kirk makes me pay for this round by deciding on White Castle as our restaurant of choice for lunch. A #7 combo gets us 10 (!) sliders, 2 fries and 2 drinks…. I guess you’d have to watch Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle to get it … A first & last for me!
Then we’re heading west, but not too far. Frankfort, KY is already our next stop. Kirk’s cousin Kathy (his mom’s brother’s daughter) lives here and we are stopping by to say Hi! After just a quick visit however we are back on the road – we have plenty of miles (and a couple of stops along the way) still ahead of us today.
Louisville, KY is home to the famous Louisville Slugger (the largest baseball bat in the world!) and its museum, and with Kirk being a baseball fan, this is a must-see. It’s pouring rain, and lighting & thundering right as we are checking it out … time to head on.
We cross the Ohio River and enter Indiana. It’s flat now, but not dark yet, and just at sunset we reach Indianapolis, IN, where we get off the freeway to stop by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the famous Indy 500 car race. A quick video and a few photos, and on we go.
With about 4-5 hours left to our destination in Illinois, only the time zone change (to Central) makes the arrival time in Princeton, IL a little more bearable … 2am. But Mike and Lynn, Kirk’s uncle & aunt are waiting for us and while the trailer gets parked in the driveway, the 3 of us sleep in the house. Aaahhhh …
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