Sunday, October 26, 2008

October Trips

Part 1: Mill Springs and Big South Fork
Merkin and I went to Mill Springs on my fall break. It was an early Civil War battle, won by the Union. The visitor’s center is new and there’s a museum in it. Kids could try on Union or Confederate uniforms. And we found General Thomas (the Rock of Chickamauga) in his headquarters (he was a statue in a museum display). We also saw some rebel soldiers, so we snapped some pictures. Then at the end of the exhibit, there were old muskets. One was found under a ledge a couple years before I was born, and it was in good shape!
The base of the Zollie Tree ( where they laid the body of the Confederate General Zollicoffer after he died) with flowers twined around it was also in the museum. We went on a very long hike and saw a monument in the place Zollicoffer died. They planted a seedling of the Zollie Tree where the old one was and now there’s a new Zollie Tree.
We then went to Keith’s cabin and hiked around the Big South Fork I really liked Keith’s hammock. At the Big South Fork, I met Tom DesJean who is the park’s archaeologist.





Part II: Trip to Louisville
At Louisville we went to the Speed Museum to see the special exhibit “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” which had furniture, paintings, and other artifacts of early American life. It had famous paintings by John Trunball, Thomas Eakins, and Winslow Homer. There was one neat cabinet that had keys on every drawer. We stayed at the Brown Hotel because Dr. J was having a conference there.
The next day we went to the Louisville Science Center and saw their special exhibit called “Too Small to See“ on nanotechnology. Then we went close-by to the Frazier International History Museum where I saw two reenactors fighting with two-handed swords. We saw their special exhibit on the Civil War called “Liberty on the Border.” That night, Dr. J and I went to the Muhammad Ali Center. It had lots of films about Ali’s life.


Part III: Old Mulkey Meeting House and Daniel Boone.
Monday we saw Scott New, performing as Daniel Boone, give a talk about coming to Kentucky. We saw him at Old Mulkey Meeting House State Historic Site where my ancestor and Daniel Boone’s sister, Hannah, is buried. Scott New is the same guy we saw at Virginia’s Wilderness Road State Park.
October has been action-packed and fun-packed.

2 comments:

Avalon said...

Hey Dude boy! Just wanted to say hello and that I miss seeing you. Wish I could make the Halloween party, but have to work (and I'm too scared!). Love you and talk to you soon.
Avalon

Merkin J. Pus-Tart said...

All work and no play makes Avi a dull girl.