2021 season will have 120 racing days April 13th through November 4th
The horse on the far side is escorting the competing #4 racehorse to the starting gate. These escort horses are usually called Pony Horses and are a vital part of the horse racing business. They help calm the racehorse while on the way to the starting gate, and also aid in training the racehorse, among other tasks.
There are few things on Earth that are more stunning than a colorful sunset view of the Sonoran Desert. This image was taken west of Tucson, Arizona.
Dolly Parton’s statue is located on the courthouse yard of Sevierville, Tennessee, her home town. The statue was placed in 1987, and shows Dolly as a young lady before she gained international fame and fortune.
Sevierville is right next to Pigeon Forge, where Dolly World and Dolly Parton’s Stampede show is located.
Seattle’s Puget Sound is home to 13 working lighthouses
The Alki Point lighthouse is an operational fully automated facility operated by the US Coast Guard. It is the southernmost of the 13 lighthouses on the Sound. This is a beautiful structure when seen from any angle, and is often open for free tours. Sorry, you can’t take your dog to this one. We got this shot on a cruise from Seattle to Tillicum Island.
Yellowstone, beauty with some danger
They mean it!
The geysers cover the walkways with steam
Bison in Hayden Valley
Yellowstone National Park is 3500 square miles of Earth’s magnificence, mostly in Wyoming but there are parts in Montana and Idaho. We would recommend a trip to Yellowstone. Keep in mind that during “peak tourist” season there are thousands of people in the park. You’ll still be able to enjoy the park, the geothermal features, the scenery and the wildlife.
Our site was about a 3 minute walk from the bus stop
Did you know that Orlando’s Disney World has a great RV and tent campground? Called Fort Wilderness, it offers a first class facility for an RV Disney experience. The RV sites are full hookup, paved and most have room for an RV and a tent. Rules allow up to ten people per site, so a great family vacation is possible. The campground is quite large, but shuttle busses run to the bus station that goes to all the Disney Parks, or to Bay Lake where you can catch a boat ride to one of the theme parks.
This boat runs the same times as the buses, and goes from Ft. Wilderness to the Magic Kingdom about every 15 minutes
Keep in mind that the sites at Fort Wilderness are pricey, to say the least. Most are well north of $120 per night. However it is a great way to “do Disney”. Walk to the shuttle, go to the bus station or Bay Lake for a ride to one of the parks. A while ago we had a nice family get together at Disney World. Sher and I stayed at the RV park, and our kids and their families were in the other hotels. Sher and I really enjoyed our vacation there. We loved taking the boat rides and sharing time with family.
We’ve been to San Antonio a couple of times. Once was over New Years and was it cold! However, San Antonio is a wonderful spot to visit. The River Walk gives you a chance to stroll along the river and have a great meal. You can also take a fun boat tour of the river. There’s lots to enjoy along the River Walk.
View of the River Walk from a pedestrian bridge
It was a nice warm day to explore downtown
The Alamo, a special place
The Alamo is just one of the many historic sites to explore and enjoy. Be advised the Alamo is one of the most important and revered places in Texas. No pictures are allowed in the edifice. And men, be sure to remove your hat upon entering.
Sher and I were here back in 2016.
When traveling east on Interstate 40 into Oklahoma from Texas you should take Exit 7 and head south into the town of Erick and Old Route 66. This former boom town was founded in 1901 but fell into trouble after WW II. The main street is filled with several nice old brick buildings that unfortunately are mostly empty.
Of special interest in Erick is the relic adorned “City Meat Market” building. This brick is covered in old signs the likes of which would make any antique picker green with envy. This is the current home to the Sand Hill Curiosity Shop. We did not hit Erick on a day that the shop was open. A local shared that the shop is owned and operated by a pair of characters named Annabelle and Harley, AKA the Mediocre Musicians. They will play and sing for you if you catch them there.
We’re 15 days away from our second dose of the COPVID-19 vaccine. Shortly after that it should kick in and offer us a measure of protection from the virus.
Bourbon Street in New Orleans, known for music, food and revelry. Note the famed balcony iron work in the background
Red beans and rice with smoked sausage
The band at Bamboula’s
We are standing in front of the tomb of Marie Laveau, the famed Voodoo Queen. This is reportedly the most visited tomb in New Orleans.
We are not sure exactly when we’ll decide to travel again. But one place we do want to visit again is New Orleans. Sher and I both so enjoyed our last visit there back in 2018. We loved the food, the music and the atmosphere of this exciting place. There is so much to see and do in NOLA. It will definitely be on an upcoming itinerary of ours.
Why they celebrated the new concrete paving!
One journey that is enjoyable is following the Old National Road, aka US 40. For one thing, you are not on an interstate! Anyway, near Brownsville, Ohio, east of Columbus, you’ll find the Eagle’s Nest Monument. It was erected around 1916 after a 29 mile stretch of the then unimproved and often nearly impassable road was replaced with concrete. The stretch of highway ran from Zanesville to Hebron. The large granite rock has some great markings, including a rough Conestoga wagon.
The Eagles Nest monument
Conestoga wagon etched into the granite
You are 220 miles from the start of the National Road in Cumberland, MD.
Get off the interstate and travel the Old National Road anywhere along the route in any state. The signage is excellent and easy to follow, and you won’t be bored!
Roadtirement 