< more recent | 1-7 September 2023 | older >
7 September 2023: Headed into the mountains today, leaving Canon City en route for Gunnison, and following the South Arkansas River, then climbing up over Monarch Pass at 11.312 feet, where we cross the Continental Divide, then continuing along the edge of Timichi Creek into the town of Gunnison …
6 September 2023: Made it to Canon City and the “Skyline Drive,” which was actually a bit disappointing as it was just a short paved road, but it did have fabulous views …
5 September 2023: Made it to Mushroom Rock State Park and then on to the Castle Rock Badlands, very unusual terrain for a state we think of as flat. These cool rock formations reveal themselves seemingly from out of nowhere as the cornfields and flat lands slowly give way to eroded remains of ancient sea beds…
4 September 2023: Delved into some mining history today in Missouri, checking out old structures of the Missouri Mines State Historic Site and then going underground to see a very unique environment at the Bonne Terre Mine, an underground Lead mine that flooded and became one of the world’s largest underground lakes, which is now a destination for scuba divers. After spending some time at the mines, continued the journey west into Kansas…
3 September 2023: Was a beautiful night under the stars and started the day by going down to the Ohio River and exploring Rabbit Hash while it was still quiet, then broke camp and to the Big Bone Lick State Park to check out their Buffalo herd. Headed west from there, making a stop at the Falls of the Ohio River (which is actually in Indiana) and continued on to Missouri before stopping for the night…
2 September 2023: Woke up early and went out in search of elk in the #PAwilds around Benezette, where they can often be spotted. It is almost the rutting seasonal so maybe they are all “sleeping in” and storing up their energy for “prime time” because we didn’t see any at all this morning. Departed, “elk-less” around 11am and turned south to take a new route west — a southern route — marathoning through the rest of Pennsylvania, Ohio and on into Kentucky. Set up camp for the night on private land in Union, KY, near the little town of Rabbit Hash …
1 September 2023: Maybe it wasn’t such a bright idea to start a roadtrip on the Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend. It took an hour to drive 9.2 miles on the Cross Bronx Expressway to the GW bridge just to get out of New York! On the positive side, watched the sunset while stuck in traffic …
THIS MONTH:
Heading southwest on a different route this time. Will be exploring some new places before reaching some old favorites. Moab it the ultimate “destination” where we will spend some time before turning back towards the northeast creating a “loop”…
Attending the Ladies Offroad Network Convention in Moab, UT. The 7th annual convention will be held September 11-15, 2023, with lots of hands-on opportunities to gain all types of offroading skills, learn and engage with other offroad ladies as they share their stories, and laugh the whole way. The convention is an action-packed, interactive week of educating, motivating, and guiding offroad ladies…
COMING UP SOON:
Attending Overland Expo East in Arrington, VA this year. Expo East will be held at the Oak Ridge Estates October 6-8, 2023, with more than 300 session-hours of incredible programs–that’s 150+ different classes, slideshows, demonstrations, and activities–brought to you by 100+ instructors and presenters from around the world. This is the premier overlanding event series with the largest scope of classes taught by the world’s leading experts alongside a professional-level trade show that brings together so many camping and vehicle and motorcycle equipment and services…
THE BONNE TERRE MINE
Bonne Terre Mine is a historic lead mine located in St. Francois County, Missouri. The mine was established below the city of Bonne Terre in 1864 by the St. Joe Lead Company as one of the earliest deep-earth lead mines. The Bonne Terre mine was the world’s largest producer of lead ore until it was closed in 1962. Flooding turned it into the world’s largest subterranean lake. In 1983, Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso crew explored the mine for a documentary. Since then the underwater experience has been billed as one of “Americas largest scuba diving resorts” and National Geographic called Bonne Terre Mine “One of America’s Top 10 Greatest Adventures.” Today the mine is filled with en estimated billion gallons of crystal clear water and boasts 26 miles of navigable coastline. In addition to luring divers from all over the world, the mines also attract some 30,000 tourists each year who tour the mines via boat. The guided tour descends to 200 feet below the earth and offers insights into the history of mining in Southern Missouri – once the largest deposit of lead on the planet…
RABBIT HASH, KY
Rabbit Hash, located in Boone County, Kentucky, has a population of 254 according to the 2020 census. The tiny town can trace its history to about 1813, when a ferry was established just upriver at the mouth of Middle Creek. The ferry carried passengers, livestock, and farm supplies back and forth to what soon became Rising Sun, Indiana. As the population on the Kentucky side grew, local farmers found a need to build a storage building to safely house items near the ferry while they waited for the next steamboat to arrive. In 1831, a warehouse, of sorts, was built for such a purpose, first managed by 17-year-old James A. Wilson, who would eventually own the place which became the Rabbit Hash General Store. Ownership of the general store remained in the Wilson family until 1919. The building, (c. 1831), was regarded as “the best known and best-preserved country store in Kentucky” and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. In addition to it’s historic buildings, Rabbit Hash is notable for its name and its string of canine mayors. The town’s name, “Rabbit Hash” is said to have originated during the flood of 1847 when the abundant local rabbit population was driven to higher ground and became a food staple in a special stew called “hash.” Little documented history of Rabbit Hash actually survives, primarily because devastating Ohio River floods in 1884, 1913 and 1937 deluged the little town and ruined many records. Another story says the name originated in December 1847, when the townsfolk were discussing what each family would be serving for their Christmas dinner. According to folklore, a man responded that he would be serving rabbit hash dinner. His response led to the other villagers nicknaming him “Rabbit Hash” as a joke. Eventually, the nickname became the known name of the village itself, and the steamboats on the nearby Ohio River stopping to order the famous hash referred to the town by it. The first elected mayor in Rabbit Hash history was an adopted dog “of unknown parentage” named Goofy Borneman-Calhoun, who was inaugurated in 1998 for a four-year term. He died in office in July 2001, aged 16. The mayoralty remained unfilled until the next election, held in 2004, at which time Junior Cochran, a black Labrador, assumed office. Cochran came under the scrutiny of the Northern Kentucky Health Department and was banned from entering the town’s General Store when a visitor complained about animals being inside the store. This ban upset many of Cochran’s loyal supporters, and according to a WXIX-TV report, on March 13, 2008, the dog’s owner petitioned for an exemption for the “mayor.” Cochran had died in office at the age of 15. and on August 31, 2008 a special election was held to fill the vacancy left by his death. Lucy Lou, a border collie,won and became the town’s first female mayor. Mayor Lou is the only mayor not to die in office. The current mayor Wilbur Beast, a French bulldog, was elected in November 2020 with 13,143 votes (the highest winning total ever) out of a total of 22,985 (also the highest total ever for a Rabbit Hash election)…
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
August – Long Island
July – Roadtrip North
June – Nomad Rally Start
23-31 May – Nomad Prep
16-22 May – Nomad Prep
8-15 May – Long Island
1-7 May – Long Island
16-30 April – East Coast
8-15 April – Long Island
1-7 April – Roadtrip Home
1-7 April – Roadtrip Home
22-31 March – DVE
15-21 March – Arizona
8-14 March – Joshua Tree
1-7 March – Glamis
20-28 February – Southwest Roadtrip
1-19 February – Woman and Machine
January – Woman and Machine
22-31 December – Holiday Roadtrip
16-21 December – Holiday Roadtrip
1-15 December – Long Island
November – Long Island
22-31 October – Roadtrip East
15-21 October – Moab LONCON
8-14 October – Moab LONCON
1-7 October – Roadtrip West
22-30 September – Roadtrip West
16-21 September – Roadtrip West
1-15 September – Long Island
Archive
SPECIAL REPORT
All about exploring ghost towns and abandoned places in the USA and beyond, with tips, and information on the many different types of sites to be found across the globe, including detailed guides for eight specific sites… [read]
REFLECTIONS
EGYPT: CAIRO REFLECTIONS
A quick overview of impressions from a stop in Cairo during our recent scouting mission in Egypt and Sudan … [read]
SPECIAL REPORT
A look into south-eastern Algeria on the border with Libya and Niger: overlanding with the Tuareg in one of the most remote corners of the Sahara … [read]
