Yenko /  by Dave Hileman

I was excited to see this car at the National Corvette Museum. It was an early effort, and very successful, by Don Yenko’s Chevy garage in Cannonsburg, PA. The town is about an hour south of Pittsburgh and the old airport there was an SCCA track. I was able to work with my friend’s father and their team for one afternoon of tire testing on a Lola T-170 in about 1969. This was also where I had my first ride in a BMW 2002 at speed. But I went several times to the Yenko dealership cause he always had cool cars. He was better known, when I was hanging around, for his Camero and Corvair “Yenko Stingers” that were winning races across the country. Brought back some neat memories.

Safety /  by Dave Hileman

“I tell you it is safe, you can come up.” “But are you sure? It still looks dangerous.” “I can see for a long way, Sam, I tell you it is safe!”

Scarab /  by Dave Hileman

This is a Scarab race car from the early 60’s powered by a Chevy V-8. I had one of these in 1/24 scale that I used in dozens of slot car races. It was a very successful car for me because of the unusual wheelbase it was a dream to drive. This car (not mine:) was in the Corvette museum.

 More Information - https://petrolicious.com/articles/the-scarab-is-the-most-beautiful-race-car-you-ve-never-heard-of

Monday - Monday (The Rabbit and the Moose) /  by Dave Hileman

The Rabbit.

This is the latest small carving - a fun little rabbit project.

The Moose. 

So Cadillac said last we saw him that he would be gone “on a speaking tour” after his alleged heroic efforts to save the Oliver. Turns out to be not quite what happened. We found the errant Moose in a closet once we recovered the Oliver. He was not on a speaking tour, he was not writing a book, he was not being considered for the newest Marvel movie, he was in hiding. He thought he may have caused the electrical malfunction when he plugged in his antler straightener one evening. We assured him that he did not create that problem. Other issues well we could talk.


I was trying to figure out why he was in such a terrible mood, sulking around the camper and just generally being disgruntled. Finally it emerged that he was sad that his friend Tom was not feeling good. (Tom is one of Cadillac’s big supporters, along with Rusty & Dennis - who can understand taste)

Legal Disclaminer: Cadillac lives in his own reality and mis-remembers more than his name on occasion. TLT takes no position on the complete veracity of the following conversation.

So we talked a bit about Tom. Cadillac said he remembers all the great times he had with Tom. Some of the highlights were fishing for salmon in Alaska, making fun of the Amish antler-less horses, sky diving over the Grand Canyon, hiking to the top of “old Smoky” in the GSMNP, quaffing root beers after a hard day of ice cream hunting. He recalls going to the World Series and how he, Cadillac, had to pitch the last inning to save the series. He reminisces over the 36 blueberry pies they ate in Acadia to determine which was the best one and then started over cause they could not recall where they were on the list. He remembers the $12 he won playing poker in Las Vegas and the week they spent in some place hot where he had to deal with an overly large rodent. None of that compared with the time Cadillac had to save Tom from the ferocious Grizzly Bears at Lake Clark. Good thing he knew how to pilot an airboat!

He doesn’t really recall the Shenandoah Valley - it was lost in the mists of wine. But he is clear about the halibut in Seward - both times. Cadillac enjoys watching old movies cause Tom knows everything about them. He looks forward to seeing those inferior antlered animals in the back yard but he does not like the squirrels. He regrets not getting to Hawaii cause he had a most magnificent & colorful shirt. 

After he finished chatting a bit he got very quiet. He posed the idea that good people are always a part of your life cause they change you and friendship makes everything better along the way. 

Apparently he is smarter than the average moose. 

Back Again /  by Dave Hileman

We stopped on our way to Knoxville at the Big South Fork Scenic River. It is in both Tennessee and Kentucky. We were able to do a 4 mile hike to the Angel Falls which were not falls but rapids. It was a lovely day. For Monday’s post we will catch up with the errant Moose, get a few more photos posted and some new information on the Oliver saga. However, tonight it is time for bed. Past time for bed.


Different Kind of Day /  by Dave Hileman

We drove to Bardstown to a distillery. This is the heart of Kentucky bourbon country and there are numerous well known and lessor known manufacturers located in the area and they often provide tours. We chose Barton 1792 Distillery because the tour and the tasting were free. And recommended as well. Plus the company is not going to be doing tours after April so it seemed like the thing to do. It was. Our guide, Kyle was well informed and did a wonderful job on the tour that lasted nearly 90 minutes. It ended in a room were we were each given a sample of four kinds of bourbon, a chocolate and a souvenir. Did I mention it was free.

I had never tasted bourbon before and as you might expect I did not really like it. But I am glad to have tried it once. Once being the operative word here. The milk shake we had late afternoon from the local drug store soda fountain was much more to my taste. We also stopped briefly at the Lincoln Birthplace National Memorial. This is a NP unit that we have been to twice over the years.

The Moose is still holding out on me. He said I can have the code if everything goes well Friday. I don’t know what his cryptic message means but if he does, I will post the photos for Thursday and Friday late Friday. Not sure what his mood is this time. I will get to the story!

This is the still base it extends 70 feet.

This warehouse holds about 7.5 millions dollars of bourbon. It is seven stories tall. The top of the line bourbon is housed on levels 4 and 5, the lowest quality is on 1-3 and the medium is on floors 6 & 7. There are no glass on the windows nor light, heat or A/C. The process is from 3 to 12 years.

And number 312 please step up. /  by Dave Hileman

We visited the Mill Stream Civil War Battlefield this morning. It is the NPS # 312 and the last one we needed to complete Kentucky. It was a windy, overcast, and off & on rainy morning. The tour is a very old one laid out well before the NPS took over the park. Still we managed to follow the battle for about 10 miles from its start to the Cumberland River where the Confederates escaped overnight by way of the Ellis steamship that made trip after trip across the river under fire from the Union forces. On the last trip at daylight the ship was disabled. It was then burned by the Confederates.

We also enjoyed a fine cider donut at the Haney’s Appledale Farm and an excellent cup of coffee from the Battlefield Coffee. Neither had WiFi. We then did a bit of housekeeping at the trailer during a brief rain and then drove to Cumberland Falls a very impressive waterfall in the Cumberland Plateau.

Once again photos may be late for the same excuse as yesterday. The Moose stole the WiFi code.

This was Last Stand Hill. The graves are not individual as they appear, the stones were added later but it is on the site of a mass Confederate grave. The road in the background was a dirt road in 1862 but it is in the same location.

A New Park! /  by Dave Hileman

We arrived at Camp Nelson just south of Lexington, KY to tour one of the newest parks in the system. This was a Civil War depot for the north and a training center for the African American troops. It is adjacent to a National Cemetery for Camp Nelson. This is a large park but essentially grasslands. While there are signs indicating what was on various spots of the grounds there is very little left. Some of the earthen works that comprised several linked forts and a barn. They have a VC but it was not open and a building reconstructed to represent a barracks. We walked about 3 or 3.5 miles of mowed trail past six of the named forts and the stable area. While there was nothing left of that part the signs were very interesting. The army rehabilitated horses and mules here. About 25,000 horses were returned to service from this place. It was also a busy area. There were between 100 and 250 wagons arriving and leaving every day. Five mules would haul a wagon that weighed about 4000 pounds to distant ports or to the nearby railroad and then the supplies were sent to the armies in the western theater.

This park is number 311 on our quest.

We later visited Old Fort Harrodsburg - just the outside, Pleasant Hill Shaker Community - where we had lunch in the Trustee’s House and the Perryville Battlefield, a Kentucky State Historic Site.

Photos will not load tonight, I will post them sometime during the day.

Camp Nelson National Cemetery.

The fort that is in the left of the frame was designed to teach how to build an earthen fort. It served as a second line of defense. In the distance our two yellow flags showing positions of other forts in the line.

A street scene from Pleasant Hill.

Into the Labyrinth /  by Dave Hileman

We took a third tour on Monday morning. This was via the Historic Entrance and we walked about 1 mile into the cave. Only 400+ to go! We say the remains of the salt peter production that was done here from about 1790 to 1815. Salt peter is used to make black gunpowder. There were hundreds of names on the ceiling and walls of the cave from early travelers and guides. They were usually done with candle soot. This is a very dry section of the cave and perishable artifacts have endured here for 100’s of years some dating back to about 3000 BC.

After the tour we altered our schedule and came to Fishing Creek Campground a ACOE place and they are always nice. We are near Somerset and headed to a new park on Tuesday. We have almost no service so if you are reading this later than usual, I had to post as we traveled north toward Camp Nelson.

Big Cave, actually Mammoth Cave /  by Dave Hileman

Yesterday about 10:30 we exited the gated parking lot of Inverter Services and headed out. All was well with the Oliver. At least it appears that way. We successfully camped with no hookups and the battery provided power to the microwave, coffee pot and lights as well as running the furnace all night - it was 31 degrees last night.

We stopped at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. Nice displays placed in creative settings. They had representations of all generations from 1953 to the current mid-engine version. There were also a nice selection of race cars and automobiles that used Chevy power.

Then on to the Mammoth Cave National Park. This is the largest cave system in the world. We have a tour scheduled for Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. There are a lot of choices. After we set up camp we did a 2.5 mile hike to the Green River and along the Historic Trail. Along the ay we passed the Historic Entrance and a neat place where the River Styx flows out of the cave system and into the Green River. We enjoyed the rest of our take out dinner from the Chef Market.

Historic Entrance to Mammoth Cave

River Styx flowing out of the mountain.

On the Road /  by Dave Hileman

It appears the Oliver is back in service. We are tentative about everything yet it is all working. And well.

Travel is and always has been a bit of an adventure. Our modern era seems far removed from those challenges because our automobiles are more reliable (if not so affordable!) as are planes and trains and highways and places to eat and stay so we tend to forget that there are still challenges. And we often magnify those that occur. Our experience with the trailer is so minor in the world of issues that dominate the news. And that our trip did not go according to our plans is more to be expected than that everything would unfold just like we designed it.

Today’s photo is in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The monument is to a John Cooper who was traveling in a buckboard from Bakersfield to Salt Lake City in 1905. The monument is along the Arrow Highway that was the first road though this area. He died while trying to find water. That was 117 years ago and now we arrive in airconditioned comfort on nicely paved and well marked highways, exit where we want to take a two mile hike with amazing clothes that even protect from the sun and carry all we need until back in the car and crank up the AC and the music after checking our messages on the phone.

Travel is way better, not perfect. Thankfully - cause that adds to the adventure.

Almost.... /  by Dave Hileman

We were almost done or at least we thought so. One more glitch showed up this morning and it is being attended to as I type this late morning. Not sure of the outcome at this time but we are on hold. Tomorrow we are to be at Mammoth Cave so, we need this done. Also for mental health we need this done.

In the meanwhile, enjoy this photo of two Burrowing Owls taken just north of Las Vegas. There were two pair that emerged on two different sites about 100 feet apart. I took a LOT of photos:)

UPDATE Friday Evening: It has been an adventure. This morning when the inverter did not function as it was intended I called Inverter Services and they told me to come over. Which we did. Randy, the tech, wanted to make sure it had a full charge because it looked like that was where the issue was so he set up a pure filtered power charge and we went off for more coffee. We returned after about 2 hours, near noon and set up the system but no go. So they pulled the batteries and did a more sophisticated test - lithium are a bit different and they have systems built into the battery itself. Well, #2 was nearly dead. So we contacted Battleborn in Nevada and they authorized replacements (16 months into a ten year warrantee - very good service from them) and I. S. had them in stock! It took an hour to wire the new ones up in a better fashion and then charge a bit. We found everything working, but wait, not the end of the story.

Then we noticed our solar readout panel not working. Everything else was on. Turned out one wire needed reattached. FYI there is VERY little room in the battery box on our trailer and it is hard to see what you are doing. They finished and the panel was on - everything else was not! Back they come and found a main connecting wire that put the two batteries into correct configuration had a fault of some sort - it too is replaced and finally it all seems right. It is, however, important to “balance” the battery so it works well between discharge and charge. Or at least that is what I understood of the conversation. To do that we are spending the night in the Inverter Services parking lot, behind their gate and sequencing 110 charge with 12 volt discharge. After three cycles all is well. On the last test now. And holding our breath.

Tomorrow we hope the wind, rain, hail, sleet and snow will abate, the trailer electonics work as intended, that we recall how to open the gate and we can be off to Mammoth Cave National Park. With a debt of thanks to Inverter Services and Randy who patiently and repeatedly took care of us.

R&R, Restored and Ready /  by Dave Hileman

I hope and I certainly intend this to be the last of the Oliver Recovery Project. We left our very nice campsite near Nashville at a COE lakeside spot in the early dark hours to stop at, of all places, McDonalds. We needed good WiFi at precisely 8:00 EDT (or seven here) to try and score a campsite Gulf side in Florida for next March, that is right NEXT March. And we did get five nights.

Then we drove north to White House and an appointment to get our new inverter. This is a very well run professional place. The work was done fairly quickly and he gave us a thumbs up on the solar with an explanation, finally, as to why for several years our inverter did not work. WIRE SIZE.

While this was going on we met with a friend we had not seen for 41 years. It was so good to catch up with Joyce. We met at a super coffee & ice cream shop. And people have a hard time defining ‘‘heaven.”

I am still zonked. We moved to a commercial campground at 3:30 and have done very little except, set up, take a walk and buy what looks like fabulous take out food from the Chef’s Market- thanks to Joyce!

Maybe tomorrow with a decent rest tonight the actual trip can begin in ernest - or maybe from the campground. We may also have a surprise in a day or two to report. Think antlers.

Our inverter repair center

Deja Moo - recommended if you are in White House, TN

Better, a Bit /  by Dave Hileman

Day two of the Oliver Recovery Project commenced with optimism. We did not sleep too well but still things looked bright in the foggy, hazy, storm impending morning. After breakfast we continued the cleaning and re-stocking. While also checking each of our systems. Late morning we tried the inverter by using the coffee pot, it worked. We thought we were home free. Then last thing we tried the microwave also on inverter, worked fine on 110. It ran 25 seconds and we got an error message on the inverter. We got the tech from Oliver to come over - he recorded the error messages and we took it back across the lot to the shop and left it as the crew was leaving for lunch. When they returned and started in on our issue we chose to go eat lunch. Returning we found the news that the inverter that tested twice by Oliver and seemed OK was actually damaged as well. Did they have a new one? No. A different one is used now and it would be difficult to install it but, Jason found one north of Nashville. Bad news that would take a day or two at best to get. If, he said, we had an appointment they could install and bill back via Oliver. Well, we did! Amazing. I had made an appointment to have the solar checked ( I resisted the urge to write Solar System, you’re welcome) at this place. So arrangements have been made and confirmed. We are to be there at 8 tomorrow.

While at Oliver we met a great couple from Cincinnati, Roy and Christina, and we talked a long time together. About RV and travel and church, they are committed believers, we just had a great time. We are grateful for the time passed much more agreeably with the two of them to visit witha.

Oliver has improved so much from our early experiences. New large facility, full staff, waiting room, nice show room, delivery area and — very accommodating and competent people. They are busy all the time but are doing a strong job.

We moved to a campground about 40 minutes from our appointment on Thursday. It is 8:20 it may as well be midnight - good night!

Truncated Post! /  by Dave Hileman

We were up at five left at six drove 600+ miles in heavy rain much of the way. Picked up the Oliver, cleaned it inside, loaded the clothes, food, dishes, bedding et al and are done at 9:28 which is actually 10:28. I will write about the Oliver experience which was well above expectations - aside from FedEx…later. Good Night.

Ready for this long day to end.

For Sale - no not the Oliver:) Update /  by Dave Hileman

I have no idea what “hotel” spawned the idea for the lyrics of the Eagle’s Hotel California but this fits the bill. It has a courtyard, is well out in the desert and spooky even at mid-day. Plus the entire town of Nipton is for sale if you are interested in becoming the mayor for life - this is your chance.

The part arrived at 3:52 CDT on Monday. FedEx delivered the overnight package to Hohenwald in a mere six days with the overnight service. Ridiculous. One week for an overnight package from 400 miles away. .Next stop install and does it work?

I got word just after six that it is installed and working with one exception that is the low speed fan on the AC. The AC is only working on high speed fan. We can resolve that issue locally. Both the furnace and the AC work and the furnace is the more critical for this trip as temperatures appear to be in the high 30s several nights. We are planning to leave for Hohenwald at six am.

Melted (and update) /  by Dave Hileman

This image is from the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada not too far from Las Vegas. A remarkable place. We did not have enough time here and not having the trailer meant we were 90 minutes away so it was not as easy to be here at the right time of day. This was close to sunset and the colors really pop. The bends in the rock of the various strata of color are magical. My photos do not do them justice. That is one reason why even after a year I have not posted any of these before but I will get a few done this spring.

Speaking of spring we hope now to be in Hohenwald mid-day on Tuesday to get the Oliver. The elusive part has journeyed from the factory to Baton Rouge - where it apparently was held captive by pirates, released to Nashville on Saturday and to a distribution center close to Hohenwald on Sunday. We plan to leave here once the repair folks tell us it is installed and working. So likely Monday. Our first part and last part of the trip is set but we are holding off on the middle cause we may need adjustments if things do not all work correctly in the trailer. More on this Tomorrow. Meanwhile, if we are on schedule, I will be at a motel on Monday night somewhere in TN and will be able to watch the BB game. Go Team!

After six days in transit as of 8:10 CDT the package is out for delivery, FedEx “setting new standards for the word ‘Overnight.’”