Day 15---Starting BIG, then 3 states in a day

Had a wonderful time on a tour of one of the caves in Mammoth National Park.  Learned many things about caves. In general. there are two types of caves, wet and dry.  Most of Mammoth is dry, as is Carlsbad Caverns, however, the cave we went into, called Frozen Niagara, is a wet cave.  A dry cave has a sandstone "roof" which prevents water from entering.  Wet caves do not have this top layer, so surface water can percolate down through the limestone, creating stalactites and stalagmites, as well as curtains, pillars, soda straws, etc.  We were 600 feet under the hill on this tour.  Did not bother either one of us, and we were very comfortable in our jackets.  We would both like to recommend the experience, and think staying longer at the Caves than we did would be great.

About 3 feet long

A curtain about 30 feet high

Historic Entrance

The entrance that we used to go through this cave was blasted in about 1912, so it is relatively new.  The original opening has been used by humans for at least 6000 years, and is a natural opening.  The "Historic Entrance" is about 60 feet high, and has cold air coming out of it in summer.  In winter the direction reverses, as the caves remain at about 52 degrees year round. The cave system is currently at 390 miles, and grows every year as more passages are explored.

Buttercups, acres of them

After leaving the National Park, which by the way, is the only one that does not charge an entrance fee (they charge for the cave trips instead), we drove through miles of Kentucky countryside.  It is much more interesting being off the Interstate, as nice as they are.  There is so much more to see at 40 mph.  For instance, the open fields are covered with what to us Californians appears to be mustard.  It is not, it is a buttercup-like flower, and we're talking acres of them.  Reluctantly, we reached a parkway, which is really a state freeway, and headed toward I-64.  On the way we crossed into Indiana, where we stopped for lunch in Evansville.

A fuzzy flower from Mammoth

Second state for the day

 We were off the "TripTic" from AAA at this time, so got gas, had the tire pressure checked at Sears, went to Walmart for cash, and finally headed for our first quilt shop since Paducah.   My smart phone directed us to a cute shop called Quilter's Nest.  Pat found some patterns she liked, and I found some material.  We recommend the shop!  Started to rain hard while we were in the shop, so the picture has raindrops coming down.

Highly recommended
Quilter's Nest

This was the first real rainstorm of our trip--have we ever been lucky with the weather!  Except for humidity it has been great, and even the humidity hasn't been too bad.  Asked, as usual, for a place to eat, and were directed to the Hilltop Inn.  It was really raining by this time, with thunder and lightning, so we were really glad to take a lunch break...it was also 3:30.

Two, count them, two
whole catfish

Pat's meal was much more interesting than mine.  The dish was called "Fiddlers", and we had to ask what that was.  Catfish, we were told, and since Pat had wanted catfish, she got it.  (I had Chicken Fried Chicken, which, while tasty, isn't very exciting.)  Fiddlers turned out to be two whole catfish (headless, thank god), which Pat had to ask how to eat!

The storm was what Hoosiers call a light thunderstorm, and it was over and the sun was out by the time we finished eating.  Driving west (homeward bound) the clouds that followed the storm were striking.

After the storm

Over the Wabash River
Into Illinois

We finally entered the last state for the day, and drove as far in Illinois as Mount Vernon, which is kind of half way to St. Louis in the lower part of the state.  And so, good night.

Day 14---Goodbye Tour, Hello Open Road

Note:  This post is really for April 29th.  Unfortunately Pat and I were off the grid yesterday, but more about that later.

The Patti and Terry Show

 Groan, we had to have our luggage out in the hallway by 6:30 this morning, the breakfast, and on the bus by 8:00.  Six-thirty in the morning is mighty early if you are used to getting up by 7 ;-).  We did it though, and were soon bidding farewell to Paducah and on our way to Nashville.  Once we got into Nashville we had a bus tour of downtown.  Nashville considers itself "Music City" and certainly tries to live up to the designation.  In addition, Nashville is the  capitol of Tennessee and so there are a lot of government building in town, not to mention Vanderbilt University.

Naked men dancing
near Music Row

An exact reproduction of the Parthenon

In the Bicentennial Park
Tenneesee's bicentennial, that is

In the Park, looking toward the State Capitol
in the background

Grand Atrium
Opryland Hotel

After about a 90 minute tour of Nashville we headed out of town to OpryLand Hotel.  Both Pat an I thought that the Grand Ol' Opry was in downtown, which it used to be, but it is now a little NE of downtown.  We had lunch there and then got to look about the huge 14 acre hotel for a little bit.  Pretty pricey, as far as I could see.

After lunch, back on the bus for a stop at the Nashville Airport, where many got off for flights home or on to further adventures, while the bus dropped us off at the Airport Marriott to get the car.  Looking a little dusty and rained-upon, the car started immediately, so we loaded up and were off to Mammoth Caves.

Back to Kentucky again, it turned out to be only 90 miles to the Caves.  We decided to try and stay at the hotel on the National Park Grounds which is called (ta dah) Mammoth Park Hotel.  An older hotel, we got a room.  Supposedly there is Internet, not.  Supposedly it is better in the lobby, not.  Also no cell phone service...truly off the grid.  Sorry if you tried to contact us, but that's the way it is.  We were in bed by 8:30, and so good night.

Kentucky one more time

Day 13---More Quilts

Us with Chief Paduck

G'day to you all...a lot of Aussie's in our group, not to mention I can do a Kantucky accent now.  We started out this morning by going to the Rotary Club antique guilt show.  In the park next the the hall was a huge oak sculpture honoring the Chickasaw Chief Paduck.  Notice Pat and my beauty queen wave.  

c1880's Pennsylvania

A Hoffman Challenge quilt

In the quilt show were many quilts from the 1840's with "modern" colors, all of them in excellent shape.  Saw Eleanor Burns checking out the quilts,  bet she'd like to get her hands on some of them.  A lot of vendors...vendors everywhere, including the mall.  Also at the Rotary Club were the Hoffman Challenge Quilts;  it's truly amazing how the same fabric as a starter can have so many different outcomes.

Quiltman and Bobbin

Also at the show we saw Quiltman again...he must really enjoy this.  With him was his trusty sidekick, Bobbin.

From there back to Hancocks-Paducah for 90 minutes of fabric fondling, selecting, and buying.  Notice the sign...so true.

A quilt, believe it!

Back to the main quilt show, where Pat and I looked at a whole section of quilts that we had totally missed before.  These were miniatures and small bed quilts.  I still think, and have verified this by asking, that most quilters are more traditional than art quilters.  To most of us art quilters are really artists who use fiber as their main medium.

We then attended a session from about nine quilting teachers who each gave a 10 minute presentation on a technique they had developed or perfected.  They were very strictly kept to the 10 minutes, so it went fast and both Pat and I learned a few things we can use in the future.

Grilled Pork Chop 

Rolls baked in clay pots

Back to the hotel for about 90 minutes, and then back on the bus.  ("If this is Tuesday, it must be Belgium.")  Drove out of town about 20 miles to a restaurant called Patti's 1880's Settlement.  Located in Grand Rivers, it is a country style restaurant and gift shop.  Had some great food and great company, then back to the hotel.  Luggage has to be out by 6:30 tomorrow morning OMG.

Coffee ice cream on a brownie, oh my

Finally

 I have been trying to take a picture of the lovely 18" high clover that grows all over here.  With the breeze that is always blowing, it was nearly impossible.  Finally convinced a clover to hold still long enough to take a picture.

Day 12---A Day with Eleanor and Ricky

One of Eleanor's favorite quilts,
an antique Eleanor Roosevelt wreath

Awaiting Eleanor
We haven't killed each other yet.

Eleanor's grand entrance
In costume, of course

Pat and I decided to go to Eleanor "Quilt in a Day" Burns' show, which is held in a park outside the main area downtown, so shuttle riding is required.  She is set up with three tents, with the fire department serving a bbq pork sandwich which turned out the be pretty good.  Eleanor presents a very good show, and we were in stitches (laughter, not cotton thread :-) ) the whole time.  The presentation was Quilts of the First Ladies, and information was presented about several first ladies who had quilt patches named after them, interspersed with sing alongs, techniques, and quilts both modern and antique.  A fast paced show with good sound, lots of humor, and an audience of maybe 400-500, (plus the temperature was cool, no humidity) we throughly enjoyed ourselves.  After some more shopping at the tents at the Park, we took the shuttle to the Eleanor Burn's warehouse, and finally back downtown, where we caught the Country Heritage bus back to the hotel.  Let me tell you, quilt shows are not for the weak, it's exhausting work!

Dinner at Max's

After a way too short rest, we were back on the bus for a trip downtown, where we were dropped off for dinner before the Ricky Tim's show at a wonderful auditorium on the river front.  We shared the dinner with a delightful group of ladies from the San Francisco Quilt Guild.  The food was wonderful, very tasty and well presented. In addition we had a waitress who was very much on the ball, which helps immensely.

French Onion Soup

Planked Salmon on wilted spinach
Wasabi sauce and herbed potatoes

Ricky Tim's Quilts

Pat and I had no idea of what to expect from the Ricky Tims show.  I had heard singing cowboy, and I have seen some of his quilts, but other than that, nothing.  Were we in for a surprise!  The man is so multitalented.  He trained as a musician in St. Louis, and composes and plays the piano wonderfully well.  He can even sing, although that is not what he does best, which is piano and quilting.  The first quilt in the middle row is his first quilt, and he moved on from there.  So many different types of quilts, so many techniques, some of which he developed himself ( see Convergence, 2nd from right in top row) were truly awe-inspiring and humbling.  Could I ever make anything like that?   Truly eye-candy.

Day 11---Wonders of Paducah

We set out this morning for the National Quilt Museum, but detoured along the way.  First we went to Bryerpatch  Studio, which is where Caryl Bryer Fallert creates her art quilts.  Most art quilts are unknown territory to me, but Fallert uses color so well that I enjoy looking at them.  She was there and invited us up to her studio which is on the second floor of a wonderful old brick home.  She showed us quilts in progress and told us of her plans for an exhibit at the Houston Quilt Festival next year.  She has some lovely graduated color fabrics available.

Caryl Bryer Fallert

A Fallert "wing" quilt

An art quilt I like

Walking up to the
National Quilt Museum

 From Bryerpatch we walked to the National Quilt Museum.  Starting to be a little humid today, the first "sticky" day of our trip.  Unfortunately you cannot take pictures inside the museum, so I won't be able to show any of the fantastic quilts inside.  A little about it though:  Divided into three sections, the major gallery is quilts owned by the museum.  Among others are most of the winners of the Paducah Quilt Show from the earliest show to last year's winner.  The hand-quilted quilts have such tiny stitches that they are almost impossible to see, and the miniature quilts make me want to do one, as they are tiny gems.  I'm not sure I like the density of the quilting that is on the most recent winners, which makes bed sized quilts too stiff for anything but wall hangings.

One gallery consisted of a fiber arts exhibit from Great Britain--truly fiber arts, not quilting as I think of it.  The other gallery had the theme "Baskets" and showed basket quilts from about 1850 on to a contest held every year by the museum, which is a modern interpretation of a theme, which was obviously, baskets.  Next years contest will be Jacob's Ladder.

After further walking around downtown, having lunch at the Whaler's Catch, and more shopping we were ready to return to the hotel.  Nothing was planned for this evening except a trip to the local mall where there were a lot of restaurants, and more shopping.

Pat and I have decided that it is not the show that's the most important thing in Paducah (unless you're a contestant, of course) and it's not the Museum or the shopping or the eating, but rather the community of all of these things.  The whole area comes together for show week, and everyone is pleasant to each other, and all the parts make a wonderous whole.

Now showing below; some more of the wonderful quilts from the show.

Rainbow Flying Geese

Game Board

Best Handwork--Star Struck

Back of Star Struck
Pat overcome with emotion!

Day 10---Quilts, quilts quilts

Paducah High Drum Corps

We were met at the quilt show by a band of drummers this morning:  the local high school, and they were very good too.  Pat and I decided to finish off the vendors this morning, and so headed off to the Pavilion, which is a very large forced air building.  (My ears popped going in and coming out.)  It was totally filled with vendors and some quilts.

Vendor heaven

There are some many great quilts here that I think a selection of a few every day is going to be best, and less boring, so here goes.

Sew Many Swirls

Border of a quilt named
Awesome Blossoms

A small quilt named
New Outfit?

Mrs. McDonald's Farm

One of the animals from
Mrs. McDonald's Farm

Another from Mrs. McDonald's Farm

Fabric Acquisition Road Trip

A fabric gingerbread man

 We came back to the hotel, collapsed, and then went downtown for a dinner provided by the tour...very tasty prime rib.  Coming back to the hotel we had a show and tell.  Pat and I made a fabric gingerbread man for Jenny from Nabiac, New South Wales, Australia.  Below is a picture of a real gingerbread man.  WARNING:  Rated XXX.

A real gingerbread man
with a banana candy "member"