Appalachian Highways for August 2005 Road Trip, New Book, Batty Gifts, Eccentricities Aplenty Greetings fellow riders! Hope you’re having a great summer. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to put together a few thoughts. As I noted in June, we headed out on a “See America” family road trip for the month of July and returned on August 3rd. It was every bit as much fun as we’d hoped. I won’t bore you with all the details, but here are a few highlights I really enjoyed: Memphis, TN: Sun Recording Studio. Walked in the footsteps of Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and other giants of music. Several key recordings can be heard in full length on the Sun website. http://www.sunstudio.com New Orleans, LA: Lunch at Restaurant Camille at the Riverbend stop on the St. Charles trolley line. Basic but tasty food served by an enthusiastic staff. Carlsbad Caverns, NM: Of all the national parks we visited, the smaller ones like Carlsbad were our favorites. The nightly bat show is an eerie and unique experience. Another great small park – Craters of the Moon near Arco, ID. http://www.nps.gov/cave/ http://www.nps.gov/crmo/ Bend, OR: Beautiful climate, great views of the Cascades. Laid back vacation destination for folks in the Pacific Northwest. A visit to the Pine Mountain Observatory offered spectacular views of the night skies in one of the darkest areas on the North American continent. In the middle of great riding territory, too! http://www.visitbend.com http://pmo-sun.uoregon.edu Alliance, NB: Found by accident -- Carhenge. http://www.carhenge.com Black Hills, SD: Now I understand the allure of Sturgis. The next opportunity I have for a good long ride, I will happily head out to the Black Hills of South Dakota. http://www.rapidcitycvb.com A cross-country tour is something everyone should do at least once. Of course you can’t see it all, but you get a much better sense of the size and scope of our great nation. I can’t wait to get back on the bike and visit some of those great roads that I scouted out by car. Along the way, I brainstormed an idea for a way that anyone could make an affordable cross-country trip in a week. I’m going to test my theory next summer and I’ll keep you posted on the results. Happy Journeys! Dale ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Touring War Stories Wanted I’ve started working on a new book about motorcycle touring that will take a fresh look at the topic with a special focus on the new gear and technology that have become available over the last couple of years. In particular, I’d like to offer some cautionary tales and war stories to add to the book. If you have a war story that illustrates an important point, I’d like to hear about it. Also, if you’ve discovered something that makes your touring more enjoyable and want to share it with others, I’d like to hear about that as well. Please send your thoughts and stories to editor@applachianhighways.com. If I use your story in the new book, I’ll make sure you get credit! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Destination: Louisville Slugger Museum, Louisville, KY Admittedly, Louisville, KY is a little outside the region you might properly call the Appalachians, but a lot of folks pass Louisville on their way to or from a visit to the region. Even if you just have a casual interest in baseball, the Louisville Slugger Museum is a great two hour diversion located in downtown Louisville. There are some nicely done displays of famous players and their bats, but the primary draw is the factory tour where you can see bats being made. Tour guides and videos explain each step in the process. With the aroma of wood filling the air, it is likely to be one of the better smelling factories you’ll ever tour. The gift shop features the expected t-shirts, hats, and baseball-themed items, but one stands well above the rest – a personalized Louisville Slugger bat. Turns out you can order these online as well, but if you’re at the museum, you can order before taking the tour, then pick up your bat in an hour or so. If you happen to have any nephews, nieces, sons or daughters in a junior baseball program, a personalized bat is a great gift (and not terribly expensive). Then again, I wouldn’t mind having one myself. http://www.sluggermuseum.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Found something interesting in your own Journeys? Please forward your discoveries to me at: editor@appalachianhighways.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Help Us Build Our List If you know someone who enjoys exploring the Appalachians as much as you do, please direct them to visit http://www.appalachianhighways.com and click the "Join" button. Recommend us to your friends -- there is strength in numbers! ----------------------------------------------------------------------