September 19, 2012 – Bowling Green, Kentucky

We finally left beautiful Lexington, heading for Bowling Green.  Our route took us west across the Bluegrass Parkway which passes through only a few towns and then south on I-65, also known as the

 

 and crossing from Eastern into Central time.

We were again intrigued by the rock strata exposed when sections of road required blasting which disintegrates in moments what it took nature millions of years to create.

 

 

And, for the 359th consecutive day of RVing, we were greeted by road work.

After checking in at our campground, we stopped right across the street at the recently opened Aviation Heritage Park.

USAF T-33A-5 Shooting Star

Grumman F9F-5 Panther

USAF F4-D Phantom

And then headed out for the Corvette assembly plant only to discover that it was temporarily closed for a $130 million dollar overhaul.  However, just ½ mile away was the

While we are not car buffs, we do retain fond memories of the “original” Corvettes of the 1950s … before their designers took too many liberties and altered the car’s classic appearance.  However, it was still a fascinating place to visit with many one-of-a-kind cars on display.

1953 (first year) Corvette … only 300 made

Replica of 1953 gas station with ’53 Corvette (Note the price of gas)

Roy Orbison’s Corvette

1952 Corvette stolen in 1970 and subsequently recovered in 2009 (39 years later)

 

The only Melon-colored Corvette ever made

And, several Corvettes whose owners detailed their cars as memorials to 9/11.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a unique “picture” of a Corvette

 

Actually, each “pixel” is a photograph of a Corvette.

Of equal interest was the evolution of the Corvette logo.  When the first Corvette was about to be debuted in New York City, the logo was a pair of crossed flags.

 

Then someone remembered that it was illegal to use the American flag for commercial purposes.  As a result a new logo had to be designed, manufactured and flown to NYC for the debut.  The result was the logo the world knows to this day.

 

And, little did we know, but between 1954 and 1964, the company also manufactured Corvette-Schwinn bicycles, then the most popular in the country.

As we entered the last room on the walking tour of the museum, we were taken aback.  Instead of more cars, we were walking through a gut-wrenching exhibit of relics and stories of 9/11 … a portion of which which included:

Lisa Frost’s United Airlines Mileage-Plus Card

Part of an Antenna which stood 1,368’ up on Tower 1 of the World Trade Center

Fuselage Window Fragment from either American Flight 11 or United Flight 175

 

Portion of the landing gear from American Flight 11

Quilt Made by Susan Walsh of Chicago incorporating photos of all 373 NYC Firemen who perished on 9/11

From there we took a brief tour of downtown Bowling Green.

Fountains at Circus Square Park (which put on a pre-programmed show, similar to that at Bellagio, albeit on a much smaller scale)

Where there were unusual “No Smoking” signs posted.

 

There is also a restoration of Standard Oil Filling Station #1 (circa 1920)

which at one time dispensed

Crown Gasoline

Crown Gasoline with Ethyl

 And

 

By the way, did you catch the price of gas in 1920?

Driving through the more historical section of the city, we stopped at Fountain Square.

Where prohibitionists have marched around it, trolleys have encircled it, parades of all types-circus, military, historical, homecoming, Irish, political and patriotic- have taken place around it, scrap drives headquartered here, Civil War soldiers knew this place, hundreds of farm animals have been sold here as well as fine horses, pageants have been held here, veterans were welcomed home here, people have sold and traded every kind of item imaginable here, and buildings here have come and gone.

Hebe (Goddess of Youth) tops the central fountain

Around which four other statues are mounted on locally-quarried limestone.

Ceres (Goddess of Grain)

Flora (Goddess of Flowers)

Melpomane (Goddess of Tragedy)

Pomona (Goddess of Fruit)

And just outside the park’s entrance

Father and Children Reading a Newspaper

This park, too, had yet another twist on smoking …

Around the park, there were several examples of art deco architecture.

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