Road Trip: Indiana and Kentucky

I was ready for another road trip and actually had somewhere to go. It was time to go sailing again in the British Virgin Islands with John McSherry (Mick), and I decided to drive down to his family’s home outside of Cincinnati before flying down to the islands. 

Sunday, May 3:  I left our St. Paul home and stopped by the University of Minnesota dorm room of John William (JW), Mick and Sue’s son, whom I sailed with in January on AIRSHOW’S sea trials (post link: DragonflyBoating—Jan 23, 2026 ). At JW’s, I loaded up a computer, monitor and clothes to transport down to Kentucky ahead of his end-of-semester move-out, then headed southeast, stopping in Lake City, MN, to check on Dragonfly, which we launched on May 1 into Lake Pepin. I drove another 670 miles to southern Indiana, with stops in West Lafayette, IN, to visit Purdue University and Tippecanoe Battlefield. 

The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811 between U.S. troops commanded by General William Henry Harrison, the Indiana Territorial Governor, and tribal coalition forces led by of Shawnee chief Tecumseh and his brother, Tenskwatawa. Tensions had been building over the ongoing American settlement of native homelands, and Governor Harrison and his 1,000 soldiers dealt the natives a decisive defeat, burning their villages and destroying winter food supplies. Harrison earned the nickname “Tippecanoe” and the Whig Party turned “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” into a campaign slogan and song for his and running mate John Tyler’s successful 1840 presidential campaign. He died from illness just 31 days into his term, the shortest serving president in American history and the first to die in office. Map link: Tippecanoe Battlefield, IN

Bonus Question 1: The special stairs in the photo below are used to climb over the fence at the battlefield. What are they called? (answer at end of post)

Monday, May 4: After breakfast at my hotel, I visited Churchill Downs in Louisville, the home of the Kentucky Derby. It was only two days after 23-to-1 long-shot Golden Tempo shocked the field to win the 152nd Derby, and the track was closed to visitors while workers finished deconstruction of the infield. The interesting Kentucky Derby Museum was open, complete with a 360-degree movie about the historic event billed as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” Fun fact: Thoroughbred foals are fitted with a halter the day after they’re born to immediately accustom them to their lives as racehorses. 

Next I visited the boyhood home of boxer Muhammed Ali. Born Cassius Clay Jr. in 1942 in segregated Louisville, he began his boxing training at age 12, and won a gold medal at age 18 at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. In 1964, he defeated Sonny Liston in a major upset to win the world heavyweight championship, converted to the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammed Ali, denouncing Cassius Clay as a “slave name.” During the Vietnam War, he declared himself a conscientious objector, refused to serve in the army and was arrested and convicted as a draft dodger. He appealed, and his conviction was eventually overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, but he was not allowed to compete for the 43 months that his case was pending. After his successful appeal, Ali won 27 more fights, and reclaimed the heavyweight title in 1974 when he defeated George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

In downtown Louisville I toured the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, manufacturer of major league and amateur baseball bats. As an avid childhood baseball player, I fondly remember my first Louisville Slugger—durable and effective, or so I believed. Founded in 1884 by 17-year-old Bud Hillerich, the company has been making bats in the area ever since. During the 30-minute factory tour, I learned that all of the lumber comes from forests around Warren County, Pennsylvania, near the New York border, and that the wood shavings and sawdust are sold to local farms as turkey bedding. At the end of the tour, we all received a free mini-bat, which the factory’s precision lathes churn out in under a minute. In front of the building is the world’s largest baseball bat, a 120-foot, 68,000-pound version of their famous product. 

I took a stroll down Louisville’s Main Street and then to the Ohio River, admiring the quirky public art, passing the Muhammed Ali Cultural Center, and viewing the state of Indiana on the opposite shore. Map link: Louisville, KY

My last stop in Louisville was the gravesite of Zachary Taylor, our 12th president. A descendent of the venerable Lee family of Virginia and the son of a prominent plantation owner, he was a career army officer who rose to the rank of major general. He became another national war hero following successes in the Black Hawk, Seminole and Mexican-American Wars, was a reluctant candidate before he won the 1848 election, and was the first American president elected without holding any previous political office. Taylor died of stomach illness, possibly cholera, just 16 months into his term, the third-shortest serving president in U.S. history. Bonus Question 2: Who was the second-shortest serving president? (answer at end of post). 

I’ve been to many national cemeteries, and it always moves
me to see these huge fields of military graves. War sucks. 

After leaving Louisville I drove to Frankfort, KY, the seat of state government, and of course I first visited the capitol, which was closed for renovations. Frankfort, population 29,000, is the fourth smallest U.S. state capital city and was likely named for settler Stephen Frank, who was killed by natives in the 1780s on the Kentucky River. The location, a popular river crossing,  became known as “Frank’s Ford.” In the Frankfort Cemetery overlooking the river, I stopped at the gravesite of 18th-century pioneer and frontier hero Daniel Boone, whose larger-than-life persona was part reality and part myth. Fun facts about Boone: He didn’t wear a coonskin cap; He never attended school, a decision apparently sanctioned by his Quaker parents; He was captured and adopted by the Shawnee people, who were impressed with his wilderness survival skills; His remains may actually still be in Missouri, where Boone died in 1820 at the age of 85. Map link: Frankfort, KY

After I was done sightseeing, I arrived at the McSherry-Jones farm, aka Flyaway Acres, near Walton, KY. I was in time to watch the end of Sue’s training session with Irabel, one of her dressage horses at the impressive facility, with an indoor riding arena and seven horses stabled in two barns. Sue’s pride, passion and love for her animals were on full display as she finished her ride, groomed Irabel and then prepared the next mount, all while explaining what she was doing and patiently answering my questions on all things equestrian. Afterwards, we ate dinner with Sue’s mom, Anita, and cousin, Denise. Mick made martinis and cooked chicken wings and thighs in the outdoor pizza oven that he built himself. Map link: Walton, KY

Sue and Irabel

The pizza oven is the white dome on the left

Bonus Question 1 Answer: Stiles are constructed to allow humans to climb over a fence or wall while preventing livestock from crossing over. They were commonly used in rural areas where animals needed to be contained, and were once legally required in many parts of the United Kingdom where public rights of way passed through private farmland. 

Bonus Question 2 Answer: James Garfield, our 20th president, served 199 days before he was assassinated in 1881, making him the second shortest serving U.S. president. 

Nashville, TN

Last weekend I accompanied Kathleen to Nashville, the capital and largest city in Tennessee. She was refereeing at the Percy Priest Sprints, a rowing regatta outside of town, and I tagged along to see a new-to-me city, snap another state capitol selfie and visit our nephew and his family. 

Nashville, population 700,000, was founded in 1779, when the territory was still part of North Carolina. The city was named after General Francis Nash, an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, who died of wounds suffered at the Battle of Germantown, PA. Nashville is nicknamed “Music City” and is home to the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum, Ryman Auditorium and more than 250 venues offering live musical entertainment. It has also been called the “Athens of the South,” due to the large number of colleges and universities located here, including Vanderbilt, Tennessee State and Fisk Universities. Map link: Nashville,TN

Friday, March 27: We arrived two hours early at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, worried about long security lines due to the partial government shutdown. The airport was a sea of spring break travelers, but we got through the TSA Pre-check line in under 30 minutes. After landing in Nashville and picking up our rental car, we ate brunch at Flat Tire Diner, a greasy spoon with excellent food and service. 

Today was a sightseeing day and our first stop was Hermitage, the plantation home of Andrew Jackson, our 7th president. Born in North Carolina in 1767, Jackson was a wealthy planter who became a national hero during the War of 1812, famously repelling the British at the Battle of New Orleans. He lost a close 1824 presidential election to John Quincy Adams, but changes to voting laws—primarily removing the requirement of landownership—paved the way for an easy victory in 1828. His beloved wife Rachel never served as first lady; she died of a heart attack shortly after the election. When the two first met, she was unhappily married and eventually eloped with Jackson, believing that her divorce was finalized, which it was not. The scandal surrounding Rachel’s unintentional adultery and bigamy caused her great stress—she dreaded moving to Washington after the inauguration and sank into depression. Jackson believed that this led directly to her death at age 61, and he always blamed his political enemies and society gossips for her demise. At Rachel’s funeral, he stated “May God Almighty forgive her murderers, I never can.”

History is often messy, and Jackson’s legacy is complicated and controversial. He earned the nickname “Old Hickory” from his toughness in battle as well as his prickly sense of honor and volatile temper, and his personal motto was “I was born for a storm, and a calm does not suit me.” He was immensely popular during his two terms in office; seen not only as a war hero but as a champion for the common man. He abolished the U.S. National Bank, an institution that he saw as elitist, and paid off the national debt in 1835, the only time in our history that this has ever been accomplished. Jackson owned more than 160 slaves, was known as a harsh master and signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, leading to the forced relocation of tens of thousands of natives from the American Southeast over the next two decades. The removal efforts became known as the Trail of Tears, where thousands of Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole natives perished from starvation, exposure and disease on their way to reservations in Oklahoma. Map link: Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage

Our next stop was the home of the Grand Ole Opry, where live country music has been broadcast since 1927, the longest running radio show in U.S. history. The Opry moved into its current 4,000-seat location on Nashville’s east side in 1974. Fun fact: President Richard Nixon attended the opening night performance, and played a few songs on the piano. Across the parking lot are the Opryland Convention Center and Opry Mills Mall, built on the former site of the Opryland USA amusement park. Map link: Grand Ole Opry

We drove south to J. Percy Priest Lake, a 14,000-acre man-made reservoir on the Stones River, named for a local congressman, to do some recon for Kathleen’s regatta the next day. After getting the lay of the land (and water), we returned to Nashville and made a brief stop at the city’s full-scale replica of The Parthenon, built as an art museum and attraction for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition and celebrating Nashville’s nickname of “The Athens of the South.” Lastly, we went to the home of our nephew Robert, his wife Danielle and their daughter Birdie, where a feast awaited our arrival. When we were in France for the holidays, our visit overlapped with theirs in Paris, and we spent some time together, including the celebration of Birdie’s 6th birthday. Post link: Nogent-sur-Marne, France

Saturday, March 28: We woke up early and left the house at 5:15 AM to get Kathleen to the lake in time for the regatta’s referee meeting at 6:00 AM. It was still dark when I dropped her off, then I grabbed some breakfast and planned my day of solo sightseeing. My first stop was an interesting working sundial made out of airplane wings, something I’d found on Roadside America’s website, one of my go-to sources for offbeat tourist attractions. Web link: RoadsideAmerica.com

Next I drove to Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, about 30 miles south of Nashville, timing my arrival for the park’s 9:00 AM opening. A group of reenactors were holding some kind of training at the edge of the field. In December 1862, the Union Army was hungry for a victory, after being stymied at Vicksburg and routed at Fredericksburg. Central Tennessee was a key transportation and supply hub, with major railroads at Nashville and Chattanooga, and controlling it was a key goal of President Lincoln’s. At dawn on December 31, 1862, Confederate forces attacked the advancing Union Army, initially driving them back. The Union lines regrouped, and the two sides suffered heavy casualties in a day-long stalemate. On New Year’s Day, both armies rested, treated their wounded and buried their dead. The Confederates attacked again on January 2, 1863, and gained ground, only to run straight into Union artillery, which stopped the charge, killing 1,800 men in minutes, and the Union held the field at the end of the day. The federals maintained control of the region for the remainder of the war, built a major supply depot and used it as a staging area to capture and occupy Chattanooga and Atlanta. The battle was one of the bloodiest in the war, with more than 23,500 killed, wounded or missing on both sides, about 30% of the 81,000 men who fought here. I have a deep interest in the Civil War, and have always referred to this engagement as Murfreesboro, not Stones River, highlighting a key difference in how the Union and Confederacy named the same battles. The Union Army generally used topographical maps for navigating the terrain, and named conflicts after landmarks or natural features, while the Confederates typically used railroad maps, naming battles after the nearest town. Besides Stones River/Murfreesboro, other well-known examples include Antietam (Creek)/Sharpsburg , Bull Run/Manassas, and Pittsburg Landing/Shiloh. 

Trenches are still visible after 162 years

Next I took a walking tour of Nashville, with the Tennessee State Capitol first on my list. Completed in 1859 on the highest point downtown, it is one of 12 capitols in the U.S. without a central dome. On the grounds is the tomb of our 11th president, James Polk, and his wife, Sarah. A successful lawyer, former governor of Tennessee, congressman and protégé of Andrew Jackson, Polk is the only president to have served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. He strongly believed in Manifest Destiny and American expansionism, arguably the biggest political issue of the day. Texas joined the union during his first year in office, which helped precipitate the Mexican-American War. At war’s end, the U.S. had acquired the entire American Southwest, including California, connecting the nation to the Pacific Ocean. Polk also negotiated with Great Britain over the disputed Oregon Territory, resulting in even more land and the present U.S.-Canada border along the 49th parallel. During his presidency, Polk added more than one million square miles to the United States, the most in American history.

When elected in 1844, Polk pledged to serve a single term, and was one of only a few presidents to keep that promise. He died of cholera in 1849 at the age of 53, only three months after leaving the White House. He was initially buried in the Nashville City Cemetery in a special section—the law at the time required that cholera victims be interred within 24 hours of death. His remains were later relocated to the front yard of Polk Place, his Downtown Nashville mansion, and he was joined there by Sarah upon her death in 1891—both graves were moved to the capitol grounds in 1893. During the Civil War, Polk Place was spared by both sides out of respect for the former president, and Union General Ulysses S. Grant frequently visited the former first lady. Sadly, the house fell victim to infighting between the Polks’ heirs and downtown redevelopment efforts, and it was demolished in 1901.

I walked to the Nashville waterfront on the Cumberland River, which Kathleen and I cruised briefly in October, 2023 (post link: Cumberland River). My first stop was the reconstructed Fort Nashborough, a short-lived stockade built in 1779 for the protection of settlers and not an actual military garrison. Across the river and next to Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, hundreds of people assembled for the third “No Kings” march in protest of the Trump Administration, one of 3,000 such demonstrations in the country. 

I turned away from the river onto Broadway Street, aka the “Honkytonk Highway,” a four-block collection of bars, clubs, shops and more bars, most featuring live music. The streets were busy with cars, party buses and pedal pubs, many with patrons well lubricated at noon on a Saturday. Next I visited Ryman Auditorium, originally the Union Gospel Tabernacle, built in 1892 by Nashville businessman Thomas Ryman. It was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, hosting the famous show from 1943 to 1974, before falling into disrepair then restored in the 1990s to regain its prominence as a premier Nashville performance hall.  

I ate Indian food for lunch at the Assembly Hall food court, next door to the National Museum of African American Music, then walked back to my car, passing Bridgestone Auditorium, where the Nashville Predators hockey team plays, and the former site of Polk Place, now the Capitol Hotel. I left downtown and drove the 30 minutes to Percy Priest Lake, stopping by the Priest Dam on the Stones River that created the lake. I parked, took a short hike and watched the rest of the Priest Sprints rowing regatta from the shore. When Kathleen finished around 5:00 PM, we went out for Mexican food at Chuy’s, did a little shopping, then went back to Robert and Danielle’s house. Map link: Percy Priest Lake

Bonus Question: FICO scores are an indication of a borrower’s creditworthiness. What does FICO mean? (answer at end of post)

Sunday, March 29: We slept in, had some breakfast, then took a quick tour of Downtown Nashville, passing the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Garden, Country Walk of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum and Ryman Auditorium before braving the Broadway Street crowds, which were already growing on a pleasant Sunday morning. We walked across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge spanning the Cumberland River, getting a closer look at Nissan Stadium and its next-door replacement, slated to be ready for the 2027 season. 

Next we drove to the state capitol mall, browsing and eating lunch at the Nashville Farmer’s Market, then visited a WWII Memorial before spending two hours at the Tennessee State Museum. We had heard that the tulips were in bloom at Cheekwood Estate in the upscale suburb of Belle Meade, but the line of cars in the parking lot told us that it was popular and crowded. Instead, we opted for a hike in Percy Warner park, a 3,100-acre park that was once the Belle Meade Plantation. We ate dinner at the Radish Kitchen, then returned back to the house after a second consecutive 12,000-step day.

Monday, March 30: We set an early alarm to catch our 7:30 AM flight home. Clearing through TSA security at the Nashville Airport took 10 minutes, about the fastest that we’ve ever done it. Our Southwest Airlines flight was uneventful and we Ubered home from MSP Terminal 2 after another successful trip. 

Bonus Question Answer: The FICO score was introduced in 1989 by the Fair Isaac Corporation, which named it after the company’s initials. Founded in 1956 by Bill Fair and Earl Isaac, they standardized credit analysis and developed the scoring range of 300-850, which is used in 90% of consumer lending decisions. FYI, the number one driver of your credit score is payment history—i.e. paying your bills on time. 

The Thimble List. Hayward, WI, snowmobiling

My son-in-law introduced me to the concept of the Thimble List, a collection of small, achievable experiences as an alternative to the large, high-effort, once-in-a-lifetime Bucket List, those must-dos before you die. One experience on my Thimble List was going snowmobiling—I’ve spent all but eight of my 61+ years in the Upper Midwest and this was something I’d never done but always wanted to try.

My good friend and sailing buddy John McSherry had invited me to go snowmobiling before, but the timing never worked out, until last weekend. It was late in the season, and the trails were no longer being maintained, but a foot of new snow was a good omen and a signal from the Universe that I needed to do it now. 

On Wednesday, Mick and I had lunch in Minneapolis while he finished up his on-call obligation for Delta Airlines, both of us hoping that his number wouldn’t come up (it didn’t). We drove the 140 miles to his cabin outside Hayward, WI, population 2,500. Homeland to the Ojibwe (part of the Anishanabe group), the town was founded in 1883 and named after Anthony Judson (A.J.) Hayward, a lumberman who opened the first sawmill here that became the center of the new community. Map link: Hayward, WI

Hayward today is a place that seems to punch above its weight. It is the county seat of Sawyer County, named after Philetus Sawyer, a prominent 19th-century Wisconsin politician and another (and aptly-named) lumberman. Al Capone, the Chicago gangster, owned a retreat here in the 1920s and 30s and was a regular visitor. Hayward is the home of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and its iconic four-story, 143-foot muskellunge, the world’s largest fiberglass structure. The Musky Fest summer celebration is held every year the weekend after Father’s Day. This is trophy fish country—at least two world-record muskies have been caught in Hayward-area lakes, the largest weighing in at 69 pounds, 11 ounces. The Moccasin Bar, on the corner of Highway 63 and Dakota Avenue, has the world’s third-largest musky on display, along with a number of quirky stuffed animal dioramas, including chipmunks in hats, a weasel dressed as a cop and a boxing match between two raccoons, refereed by a groundhog. Another attraction is Scheer’s Lumberjack show, which also hosts the Lumberjack World Championships each July, where the best-of-the-best compete in sawing, chopping, speed-climbing, log-rolling and boom-running events. Hayward is the finish line for the American Birkebeiner ski marathon, North America’s largest cross-country ski race, which began in 1973 and now attracts more than 12,000 participants annually. I have completed two Kortelopet half-marathons as part of Birkie Weekend, and the thrill of skiing down Main Street as your name is announced and people cheer you on is an amazing experience. The Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is held in September, where more than 3,000 mountain bikers compete on the Birkie trails. The nearby Namekagon River, a 101-mile tributary of the St. Croix, is a protected National Scenic Riverway, and offers world-class canoeing and camping. And Sawyer County boasts more than 600 miles of snowmobile trails, many connecting with trails in adjacent counties, making snowmobiling another huge draw. 

Mick and I arrived around 4:30 PM, assessed the snow conditions and the forecast, and decided to go out riding that evening. After dressing for the mild 40-degree weather and getting a ten-minute primer on how to ride a “sled,” we were off. We went down the driveway, around the corner to the boat launch, then took a lap around Little Round Lake for a warmup. Map link: Little Round Lake

It was pretty straightforward to control the sled, and accelerating, stopping and turning became second nature. The lake ice was solid, but bumpy, and going faster than 20-25 mph was a rougher ride than I was hoping for, and I rarely exceeded that speed range. Mick said that experienced riders will cruise on groomed trails at 40-60 mph, a speed that I was nowhere near ready for. After getting the hang of things, we crossed the road and entered Round Lake, crossing it south to north, a distance of about 3.5 miles. Our first stop was at Twin Lakes Tap, where we had a “safety meeting” to assess and critique my first ride. 

After our debrief and a chat with owner Dan, we followed Highway 77 another 2.5 miles northeast to Weber’s Northwoods Tavern. Newer owners Mike and Becki knew Mick, made me feel welcome and the walleye fingers and jumbo shrimp were terrific. Conversations at the bar centered around the seasonal outdoor calendar—snowmobiling and ice fishing were ending soon, then things would slow down until the fishing opener in May kicked off the angling and boating seasons. After dinner, we remounted and returned along the highway and across Round and Little Round Lakes, with good visibility from the SkiDoo’s headlight. I was able to speed up to 30-35 mph for brief stretches on Round Lake, trying not to let Mick get too far ahead. Before I knew it, we were back at the cabin and putting the sleds away. I’d done it—ridden a snowmobile—and had a good time and emerged unscathed. 

On Thursday, we slept in, played cards and made a quick trip into town. Mike, who owns the Grand Pines Resort next door, stopped by for cocktails, and told the story of a serious bar fight that occurred at the Twin Lakes Tap a couple of weeks ago, which had not come up the night before when we were there. Mick thawed some soup for dinner and made a salad, washed down with vodka tonics, then we watched a little TV before bed.  

Bonus Question: What is a Moylan Arrow? (answer at end of post)

Friday brought sunshine and temperatures in the 50s, creating standing water on parts of the lake, so we decided against any more snowmobiling and packed for home. On our way out of town, we passed Little Round Hank, a former Big Boy Restaurant statue that is now part of a local ice-out contest. Participants pay $5 to guess the day that Hank will fall through the ice, with the winner getting $500 and the rest going to charity. On our drive home, we passed a similar contest in Cumberland, WI, using a car. I later learned that both of these items will be retrieved from the lake bottom in the spring.  

Bonus Question Answer: A Moylan Arrow is the indicator on a dashboard fuel gauge that indicates which side of the vehicle the fuel fill is located. Invented by Ford designer Jim Moylan, this simple, practical solution to frustrating fueling experiences has been standard on most cars since 1989.