Bristol Speedway (08/19)

We only had a couple of hundred miles to drive today, so it was an easy drive for the most part, of course I wasn't driving, Joe may have felt different.  I know we were very excited to get here.  Bristol Speedway is in the middle of pretty much no where.  Half way between Johnson City and Bristol.  It is all rolling hills.  We are staying at the All-American Campground.  It is so hilly I am not sure how we will be able to park.  But once we got into the campground we saw they have rows of leveled off areas for RV's with water and electric.  We had a heck of a time parking, we have to back into the space with no way to pull forward to straighten the truck out.  After about 10 attempts we finally were in fairly straight and could unhook without to much trouble.  Our neighbors were a big help in guiding us.

Our first look at Bristol from where we are parked!

We sat out side for a while and just took it all in, then we walked over to the track to see if the souvenir booths were open yet, they are not.  I guess everything starts tomorrow starting with the Truck race.  We also discovered that the modifieds will be racing too.  We both have come to really like watching the modifieds.  Back at the fifth wheel we cook ribs for dinner along with some potato salad and watch a movie.  Our neighbors invite us over for drinks and games.  We were told to bring dollar bills.  So about 8 we went over and met everyone and signed their bar table.  Anyone that comes over has to sigh this table.  Now it is time for the games.  Well just one game, it is called Left, Right and center.  Everyone has to start with $3.  There are three dice, one side with an L, one side with an R and onside with a C and the last side with a black dot.  You roll three dice and you do what they say.  If you roll 3 dots you don't lose any money and everyone has to take a drink.  If you roll a L, R or C you have to give the person to your left or right a $1 and if you have a C you put a dollar in the middle of the table.  As you lose money you roll less dice, and at the end the person with money left gets the pot in the middle.  Joe won once, about $20.  It was a very fun evening and about 11 pm we headed back to our place happy but tired.  Tomorrow starts all the racing so Joe is really pumped.  I don't plan on going to practices or qualifying but will go to the big truck and modified race tonight.                                                                                                                                                

Cahokia IL to London KY

We are up early and on the road by 8:30.  We will drive a little more than 400 miles today.  I am really tired today, I think it is this raining weather that is fallowing us.  It leaves me feeling sleepy and grouchy.  Poor Joe has to put up with me.  I try to put on a happy face and get through the day.  I managed somewhat to accomplish this.
Joe took a wrong exit once when I wasn't paying attention to tell him that wasn't the way.  I was not real happy about it as now we had to find a place to turn around.  It seems in these southern states they do not give you very good signage and it is easy to take a wrong turn.  I will pay closer attention.  Tracy I am blaming my in attention on you, why you ask, will you got me started on the Outlanders series and I have trouble putting the book down. LOL   I am now on book 3.  I wish I could watch the show but we have no cable or dish network.
The drive in the morning is so foggy you can hardly see where you are going.  Then it clears up some and we get a small amount of sunshine.

Some views from the road of the limestone that pops out and very interesting to see.  We stopped early for lunch at Cracker Barrel, will I had breakfast Joe had lunch. Then back on the road,we have about 200 miles to go.  By the time we reach London KY I am ready to be out of the truck.  I think this is the first time riding for so long has bothered me.  Sure   hope it doesn't continue.  We are staying at the Budget Host Westgate Inn & Campground.  We are the first to arrive for the day and get to pick our spot.  Luckily we were able to get a pull through.  In no time we were all set up and relaxing for a bit.  We went across the lot to  the Shiloh Roadhouse for dinner, we got it to go and came home and ate and watched a movie.  I had some decent hot wings and Joe had a very good Black and Blue burger with fires.  Again early to bed.  We don't need to get up early but are tired from the days travels. We also gained another hour, so now we are 3 hours different from AZ.  We did't get up until 7:30.  Managed to get everything put up pretty quickly then went to the Waffle House for breakfast.  Then back on the road again to Bristol TN.

Gate Way to the West (08/17)

Sunday is another raining day so we went into St Louis again for lunch and to see the Gate Way to the West Arch.  Again we had trouble getting around the city.  This time a baseball game was getting ready to start so the streets were a mess.  It took us three tries to find the parking lot for the Arch.  There is so much road construction that it is had to follow directions due to streets being closed.
Once there we managed to get 1:40 tickets for the tram ride to the top of the arch.

This is pretty cool.  You get into these little egg looking cars, 5 people to a car, then you go up inside the arch to the top where you get out and there are windows to look out to see the city below.  It was fun to feel the cars make adjustments as he shape of the arch changes and curves before you reach the top.  It is a little claustrophobic riding in them.  The views from the top is really cool.  I could look down on the baseball game and the Mississippi River.



















The Gate Way to the West is an Arch that was built to signify the starting off point of the settlers heading to the west.  They had to cross the river and this is where they waited to get started  and made last minute purchases.  I can only imagine the feelings of our ancestors as they go ready to embark on and extraordinary journey.

After our tour we went down to the river for a paddle boat tour of the Mississippi River.
What a relaxing enjoyable trip.  It sprinkled on us the whole time but it didn't matter.  You got lost in the history that was being told to you by the Captain then then by the National Park Ranger. They told about how things have changed a long the river since those early days.  You could see barges being pushed up and down the river, these were quite a site to see. They can have up to seven barges be pushed by one tug boat.

 These are several of the bridges that take you in and out of St Louis.  In the one you can see the train going through below he freeway.  The one to the upper right is the newest bridge, it looks a lot like the arch holding it up.

Once back on dry land we head back to the car and Joe wants to go to a blues bar for a blues jam that started at 4 pm.  I think the name of the bar was the Hammerstone, and the Voodoo Blues Band was hosting the jam.  The food smelled good so we decided to have dinner here.  Joe had a Philly Cheese Steak and I had a bowl of chili.  Both were very good.  The jam was very good, they had a great sax player and keyboardist.  We ate and listened to one set then had to head back to Cahokia IL.  We leave in the morning for Bristol TN.  It will take us two days to drive there, it is over 600 miles.  So early to bed early to rise.      

Budweiser Tour (08/16)

Same old story, we woke to pouring rain this morning and thunder.  So we just relaxed and took are time at getting ready to go eat.  We went to White Castle Burgers.  Joe grew up eating Crystal Burgers, which are just like White Castle.  We both ordered the 4 pack as they are very small, Joe's with cheese.  When they brought them to our table Joe noticed there was no cheese on his so he took them back.  They had us keep the ones without cheese and made him new ones with cheese.  So that was 12 hamburger between us, I managed 5 of them and my french fries.  I think I am on burger over load.
Tummy's full we head into St Louis.  There are a lot of boarded up houses and stores.  You could really see how depressed this area is.  We got lost a few times, which made me a nervous wreck as the streets are very narrow and you really need to pay attention for the one ways.  We finally found the right street to get us to the Anheuser-Bush Brewery.  We finally found the parking lot, which was pretty full, we had to park in another lot.  Once inside they right away tell you the next available tour is at 3 pm, it is now 1:30, so we have a little wait.  We went through the gift shop then to the beer garden for a beer.  I tried their Leffe beer.  Not bad!  It was finally time for our tour.  We learned a bit about the history of Anheuser-Bush, then a quick tour.  Nothing like we got at the Sierra Nevada Brewery.  The highlight for me was getting to see the Clydesdale's.  I have always loved seeing these big horses.  I got to pet one of them and posed for a picture.

Pictures of the brewery

Once the tour was over you are given a token to taste one 16oz glass of beer.  Joe got there Budweiser Black Crown, he was surprised how much he liked it.  I tried their Belgium Hoegaarden wheat beer.  Not bad, pretty potent.  Back in the gift shop I bought a Biergarten glass and a four pack of Stella Artois' Cidre, a premium cider.  It is pretty good, very refreshing.

Now it see if we can find our way back home.  It was easier going home than coming into St Louis.  We had dinner then Joe was off to a Blues club.  He said the band was excellent but he only stayed for two sets and it was thundering and lighting and pouring rain.  Surprise, Surprise!!!!!!!  Because of the rain our orginal plan to go to the I 55 Speedway were canceled.  This is one of the tracks that is on Joe's bucket list so I am sure we will be back.