Saturday, May 14, 2011: Every thirteen years this cicada appears and makes the area hum. These are about the size of a large grasshopper. The sound is similar to the noise you hear while inside a large building of the heating and air conditioning noise only much louder. It figures we would arrive in Nashville during the thirteen year visit since we have also arrived during a year the tornados have been the worst ever. Also the Mississippi River is at a 74 year high and the high temperature records for this time of year are tied or broken. When I lived on 38 acres in Selma, Oregon the cicadas were present every summer so I never understood a twelve year break as I learned of cicadas in the eastern part of the US. But the arrival of the cicada is local news which we see interviews with experts on the locals news stations. Here at Poole Knobs, the trees are dense so we are surrounded with cicada music. Click this photo for another cicada view.

Our day today was spent grocery shopping and laundry. Then, later in the day, we went looking for a location to view the Amgen Tour of California bike race which begins tomorrow. We would normally be able to view the race on our own satellite TV but the canopy above our trailer is so thick we are unable to get reception.

Monday, May 16, 2011: What a treat today. We are leaving Nashville tomorrow so the last thing we decided to do was eat at the Pancake Pantry to learn why people stand in line to eat pancakes. We learned about the Pancake Pantry during our Greyline tour. Click the photo to view the inside, a panoramic photo from Gwen's new camera. The food was outstanding ... and breakfast is difficult to make special.

Before returning to camp, we made a trip to Trader Joe's ... we haven't seen one since leaving the west coast. Janet and Ralph lead the way, Gwen and I haven't learned the fine art of Trader Joe shopping yet.

It's time to get ready for an early morning start.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011: Another moving day, this time east to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. We picked the Smokemont Campground because it had spaces large enough for our rigs and I was hoping for a satellite signal for both Internet and TV. I was able to get Internet but too many trees in the way of the TV signal. That means I don't get to see the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race.

Our drive today seemed long although it was only about 250 miles. The two lane park road to the campground was steep and slow traveling with many switchbacks and one loop I've not seen before, the road actually crosses over itself as it climbs the mountain. We arrived at our campground about 4 pm. This time we get no hookups and the trees are blocking our solar panels so it will be generator time when our batteries get low.

There is much to do here if you like to hike. There are also a couple of interesting looking towns right on the border of the park which we want to visit. We have only four days to look around before we leave again so it will be a rushed trip this time.

Friday, May 20, 2011: Today we went to the highest point in the Smoky Mountain National Park, Clingman's Dome. On a clear day, it's said you can see 150 miles, today we could see about 30 miles. To get to Clingman's Dome, you must hike up a paved, steep trail for 1/2 mile then climb to the top of the dome to see over the trees. The weather on the dome was 20 degrees cooler and windy. After the dome, we found the Indian Gap Road, the only way to cross the mountains until 1930. It was a very rough, toll road not made for motorized vehicles. We also stopped at the Newfound Gap, the highest pass in the park. The view from this point are also spectacular. Finally, the gap road crosses the Appalachian Trail so I had to hike some of the trail to say I've been on it. I've spent a lot of time on the Pacific Crest Trail but this was my first time to see the Appalachian Trail. The Smoky Mountains are the toughest part of this trail. Click any photo for another view.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011: After morning thunderstorms, I was able to ride into Columbia, Kentucky for a short tour of the town. The historical court house is what I found in the center of the town square. It is surrounded by small retail shops and probably one of the original round-about's. Click the photo to see the new courthouse. The Columbia terrain for cycling is rolling hills, some are pretty steep hills and deep valleys. Riding this kind of terrain can be exhausting because it is like doing a series of sprints for the length of the ride. We been here only two days and it has rained both days. That must be why I see green every where I ride. Oregon is thought to be the "green" state but from what I've experienced of Kentucky ... I can understand why Daniel Boone was so impressed.

I continued my ride onto the Lindsey Wilson College campus located in downtown Columbia. It is a fine campus of a liberal arts, private college with extensive student activities for such a small school. While photographing the administration building, I met a staff member, Chris, the Dean of Students. As it turns out, he was also the past coach of the college cycling team. Once I returned, I checked the teams performance which is very good for such a small college.

I learned the college, established in 1908, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Chris reported that the college has grown every year of the sixteen years he has been at the college. Next year the college is expanding into nursing degrees, one of the most needed in the country. Chris bragged of the student success. It didn't take long to get excited about this college. I also checked the Web site and learned of the long list of student sports teams and other activities. It seems the small colleges have ALL the fun and academic success. Click the photo to see the new science building.

of a special price on a room, so we rolled in our slides, parked our truck under the lodge entrance roof (to protect from hail) and took a room on the bottom floor of a four story building.

We are currently waiting for the storm to arrive. Even if no tornado, the winds can reach 70-80 mph. The leading edge of the storm is pictured at the left. Clicking the photo, you'll see the lodge.

The campsite was the worst I've ever had to park. I had to dig holes on one side while raising the wheels on the other. Ralph had to loan me all his leveling blocks added to mine, to get the trailer high enough. This promises to be an exciting time in Kentucky.

Thursday, May 26, 2011: Last night's Kentucky thunderstorm began about midnight. If you've not heard a mid-west thunderstorm then you've missed an incredible light and sound show. The storm began with a blast of wind which made me think we had made the right decision to abandon our trailer and seek shelter in the lodge. As it turned out, the storm kept me awake until 1 am and the motel guests in the room next to ours woke me before 6am. So "getting better sleep" in a motel room didn't work for me. We headed back to the trailer early and found several large trees blown down, one blocked the access to our trailer (down the road behind the log). My weather station recorded a 40 MPH maximum wind gust and 3/4 inch of rain. That's much less than the 68 MPH wind and 3.5 inches of rain we endured in an Arizona storm. But, in Arizona, there were not trees to fall on us (or break the wind). Anyway, the wind speed, no doubt, was much higher at the top of the trees than where my weather station is located. The park crew was busy cleaning up the downed trees soon after we arrived back at the trailer. Click the photo to see them moving the trunks.

In the afternoon, we took a few hours to drive into Bowling Green for the first time. One of my goals was to find

This tour was a large loop, beginning and ending in the same location. Several passages had low head room while the "Fat Man's Misery" would truly have been tough for a "large diameter" person. In order to make this a loop, a 5 story set of metal stairs had to be constructed to get up back to a level to exit the cave.

Unfortunately, I forgot my flashlight (a point I made to myself during the Carlsbad tour). There were places and objects I would like to have seen which were not lighted. There was plenty of light to see the passage way during our tour but many locations not lighted.

Many children were on the tour which made it more fun. I was fun to hear their comments and experience their expressions during the tour.

It was easy to image an ancient river coursing through the cave, carving out the passage.

The final stage of the tour was to step into a fungus killing solution to stop the spred of a deadly fungus to the bat population. Apparently the fungus is spread by humans touring different caves wearing the same shoes.

It's only 3 miles from our camp and a perfect PO for general delivery mail.

While riding, I came across this storm shelter in a backyard. After seeing what a tornado can do, I see this as very practical even though the chance of losing life/property from a tornado is probably 1/1000. I can imagine some company selling these just as you would sell a septic tank. I'll bet they aren't all that expensive.

Friday, June 3, 2011: While Gwen watched the French Open Tennis Match, I went for a thirty mile exploratory bicycle ride to the small Kentucky town of Taylorsville. It's the county seat of Spencer County. I learned the Confederate Army invaded Kentucky and many of the county courthouses were burned during the Civil War. Click the courthouse for a view of the plaque

The historic area of Taylorsville has a small "Amish shop" with a buggy out from for sale. No doubt this was the "Corvette" of 1825. Two can ride comfortably and it has a trunk about the size of today's Corvette. Click the buggy to see Main Street.

Finally, I rode by the post office because we are expecting several pieces of mail to arrive here. Unfortunately, some of those mail pieces were sent by UPS so I hope that works out. Click the post office to see a very old house built of dovetailed logs. It's still being lived in.