We're home from our wandering, our exploring, our enjoyment of places far from home. It is a joy to be home; the mundane, the simple, the everyday aspects of being home are welcoming and heart-warming, just as our travels are stirring and exciting. How lovely it is to be able to savor both the travel and the homecoming!
Our last three stops before coming home were in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Makers Mark Distillery in Kentucky, and Jackson Center, Ohio.
We visited Hot Springs National Park last year and really enjoyed it, so made a point of spending a couple of days here on our way back home. This is a brief summary of the history of the area: "The perceived healing properties of the hot spring water were discovered centuries ago, and the waters were legendary among several Native American tribes. Following federal protection in 1832, the city developed into a successful spa town. Incorporated in January 10, 1851, the city has been home to Major League Baseball spring training, illegal gambling, speakeasies and gangsters such as Al Capone, horse racing at Oaklawn Park the Army and Navy Hospital , and 42nd President Bill Clinton. " For more, see the link above for Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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| Steam rising from a hot spring in the park at the center of town |
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| Historic Buckstaff Baths - still going strong today |
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| The Grand Promenade in the downtown park immediately behind "Bathhouse Row" |
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| Gulpha Gorge Campground at the Hot Springs National Park - such a pretty stream running through the campground! |
The Makers Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky is just one of a number of bourbon distilleries that are part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We were there on a rainy Saturday, but it was still an interesting place to tour; hearing about the family history, the history of the region and the reasons for it being home to so many high quality distilleries, and enjoying the plain of beauty of old buildings and equipment lovingly maintained was so enjoyable.
As a last stop on the way home we scheduled a few repairs for the trailer at the Airstream Factory in Jackson Center, OH - better known to die-hard Airstreamers as "the Mother Ship" :)
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| Murphy guarding the Silver Spirit at the Airstream Factory "Terraport" :) |
While the trailer was in the shop, we spent a day at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. We have been here many times in the past when visiting family in Ohio when we were much younger and John and Mark young boys, but each time is different, each time we learn something new or notice something different, as the museum expands and exhibits change.
One of the life stories represented at the museum is that of the Doolittle Raiders, and their silver goblets, which has fascinated us for years as representing the strong and lifelong ties of people who have endured extreme hardships together.
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| Silver goblets of the Doolittle Raiders |
Just before leaving Ohio, we had the opportunity to have a lovely lunch and visit with relatives David and Cindy Biggs; we were so pleased that they took time out to travel to meet us!
We arrived home late on Tuesday, April 1, to a relatively balmy 45 degrees. Today we have had freezing rain - beautiful, if not exactly welcome. It's good to be home!
