Shenandoah Valley

What a magnificent fall trip! Last week we began our jaunt to western Virginia and stayed in Hot Springs at a quaint bed and breakfast. Next we stayed outside of Staunton and visited the Shenandoah National Park and Monticello. Lastly, we visited Lexington, Virginia, where we experienced the rich history of the area. The Segway aided me to be able to go on the walking tour through the town and Washington and Lee University. Unbelievable fall scenes.The Big Skyline Drive through the national park featured many overlooks where one can enjoy the mountain scenery.
Visiting Monticello was an awesome experience. I bet Thomas Jefferson would've loved to ride on a Segway since he seemed to like gadgets.

Two Fall Festivals

We attended the Salt Festival at Big Bone Lick State Park in Northern Kentucky on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the middle of October. This was a festival that we hadn't heard a lot about, and were we ever surprised. This year the theme was 'Lewis and Clark Homecoming'. Complete with a 'primitive camp' where members of The Old Caintuckee Primitives and Clan Desdin held a large weekend encampment complete with activities and demonstrations of pioneer life.
We attended a session entitled 'York' where Hansen Davis (pictured above) gave a very moving portrayal of Lewis and Clark's slave, York.
This festival will definitely be on our calendar next year.Earlier in October we visited the Mainstrasse Festival in Covington which featured crafts as well as a large selection of food items and drink from our German Heritage. Afterwards we went to Newport on the Levee where this picture was made with a street performer. I tried, to no avail, to get her to smile but she still managed to maintain her rather austere expression.

St. James Art Fair

Sunday afternoon, Wanda and I traveled to Louisville for the annual St. James Art Fair. The St. James Art Fair is a juried fair, one of the largest and most prestigious in the nation. This year with the beautiful fall weather, the show broke previous attendance records with more than 3 hundred thousand visitors over the three day period.
Navigation through the crowded walkways proved not to be a problem. Because of the maneuverability of the Segway and the way it and I work as one, I can still proudly state that I still have not even slightly bumped into anyone in the crowds. We had one of the best 'fair food' treats we've ever had, a section of a frozen cheesecake on a stick, which had been dipped in chocolate. Makes my mouth water just to think about it.

Smoky Mountain Fun

This past weekend we traveled to Gatlinburg, TN where we rented a cabin for the family. Above is a shot of the two elder members of the Pruitt clan (Grandpa and Mum) with the three most recent additions (grandkids Tanner, Sam, and AnnMarie).
Daughter No.1 (Melody Ann) and daughter No.2 (Cynthia Rose) on the lookout at the Newfound Gap Overlook. It's not clear that they found what they were looking for, but they're looking real hard. Tanner and I atop the lookout. As usual, the Segway helped to provide my wife and I with some unforgettable family moments. This sure beats sitting at home.