Lover of Wine – Travel along on our adventures – DAVID & JANEEN

Bourbon – Whiskey – stuff made in Kentucky that people drink a lot – that was the mission today. First stop, Jim Beam Distillery

for a tour and tasting. Located just off interstate 65 south of Louisville is the place where they make a LOT of this bourbon. Our tour started at 9:30 and lasted about 90 minutes.   They have been making whiskey since 1795 – ok, there was a break because of that stupid law in the 20’s – but basically continuously for over 200 years.

Here’s the deal, we are not bourbon drinkers – scotch is more to our liking. However, the process is really very similar. Start with a “secret” mix of corn, rye and barley malt

– add some Kentucky water and let it ferment for a while. The natural yeast of the barley creates the fermentation lasting several days.

Once complete, the mix tastes like a rich beer. This beer travels into a 65-foot tall column still. Heated to about 200 degrees – enough to turn the alcohol into a vapor but not so hot that the beer boils. The vapor then turns back into a liquid. This resulting “low wine” is about 125 proof. From the column till, the low wine flows into a ‘doubler’, similar to a pot still, for a second distillation. When the vapor condenses into what’s then called “high wine” it’s less then 160 proof.

After distilling, the high wine is put into brand new charred oak barrels – always new and always American oak. The oak barrels are toasted to what is called an “alligator char” that is they are fired enough that the insides take on the scaly, bumpy look of a gator’s skin.

The law in Kentucky says you have to age in barrel for 2 years.

The basic “white label” Jim Beam that is sold worldwide gets aged for four years. Some barrels become ‘special’ and age longer resulting in different blends and labels and of course a price impact.

During the tour there was an opportunity to create your own bottle – well, not really, you got to “rinse” the bottle,

put it on the line for filling and then once filled and the wax installed you got to personalize the wax. This was on the single barrel line of the Knob Creek Bourbon. Needless to say I did this.

After our tour through the both the small batch processing buildings and through a portion of the big building we ended up in the tasting room where we sampled three different products.

Janeen and I sampled several

but decided the one we liked was Baker’s. This is not for the faint of heart for sure, as it is 107 proof and according to our guide, Olivia, most like a scotch. This is small batch bourbon and aged 7 years. It is named after the grandnephew of Jim Beam. Janeen also liked the Basil Hayden’s another small batch bourbon. Both of these could find it’s way into our drink glasses.

Just down the road from Jim Beam is Forest Edge Winery.

Sure, wine in Kentucky you say.

Well big surprise, they IMPORT all of the grapes from California, Washington and New York in refrigerated trucks. Wine was OK – nothing really special although we did pick up a bottle of the Rose for later consumption.

While at Forest Edge, we asked the guy in the tasting room, Josh, where else we might visit. He suggested stopping at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

just down the road. We did, drove around the area and enjoyed the lovely forest, plantings and

wild life. Founded by a German immigrant, Isacc Bernheim,

the place as been around for a while resulting in a 600-acre arboretum with over 8,000 varieties of trees, shrubs and other plantings.

It was a nice break in the otherwise world of alcohol.

 

Today we headed out of Cincinnati towards Maysville Kentucky. My dad grew up in Maysville along with his brother and adopted sister until he went to the University of Kentucky and then to the US Naval Academy and never really went back except to visit.   Along our way we drove through Ripley Ohio, where my dad was born, and then over the Ohio River to Maysville.

Maysville, located along the banks of the Ohio River, might be the County Seat (Mason County) but it still only has maybe 9,000 residents and I’m sure it was even smaller when my dad was growing up. Along the banks of the River there is a 10 or 15 foot wall built to protect the downtown area from flooding – which it has been know to do over time.

On the edge of the outer Bluegrass Region,  Maysville is historically important in Kentucky’s settlement. Frontiersmen Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone  are among the city’s founders. Later, Maysville became an important port on the Ohio River for the northeastern part of the state. It exported bourbon, whiskey, hemp and tobacco, the latter two produced mainly by African American salves before the Civil War.   It was once a center of wrought iron manufacture, sending ironwork down river to decorate the buildings of Cincinnati, and New Orleans.

Maysville was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, as the free state of Ohiowas just across the river.   Abolitionist author Harriet Beecher Stowe visited the area in 1833 and watched a slave auction in front of the court house in Washington, the original seat of the county and now a historic district of Maysville. She included the scene in her influential novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, published in 1852.

One of the most famous people from Maysville, at least in more modern times, is Rosemary Clooney – you know, George Clooney’s Aunt?

They hold a music festival founded by the singer at the local theatre and have the greats like Debby Boone, Rita Coolidge, Michael Feinstein, Roberta Flack, Alison Krauss, The Pointer Sisters, Michael Bolton and Linda Ronstadt have performed.

We stopped at Parc Café with a signpost

indicating the distance to Athens, Versailles, Paris and London all located along the river in Ohio and Kentucky! Fascinating world we live in.

After lunch we drove out to the ancestral home, Leewood.

My grandmother took Janeen and I to this place when we visited and mentioned that the balcony between the twin chimneys was a spot from which the owners fought off an attack from the Indians. The house and land was purchased in the late 1700 by General Henry Lee

and was held in the family for an extended time. On the hill behind the house is the family gravesites with a number of my ancestors are buried with their families.

Many of the graves are unreadable – but some are still very clear.

After visiting Leewood, we drove further along to Versailles , thoroughbred horse country ,to meet up with my cousin,

Bonnie, who I have never met! It was neat to meet my dad’s sister’s daughter and her husband Frank.

On Monday we left Macomb and started our journey towards Savannah Georgia. Our first stop was in Cincinnati where we decided to spend a full day just enjoying the sites along the Ohio River. After a night at the hotel, on Tuesday we headed out to discover the Riverfront Park. On the way, however, we find The Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park.

This park was completed in 2003 along the Ohio River just east of downtown, and is has a number of sculptures and flora representing five continents and also featuring a riverside bike trail and walking paths.

Named for Cincinnati’s first African-American mayor, it serves as a lasting tribute to world unity and global understanding. The design of the park drew its inspiration in part from a child’s friendship bracelet. Two intertwining walkways guide park visitors through gardens of the continents in a perpetual celebration of international peace and friendship.

It was a nice start for our day.

 

From there we went further along the River and parked across the street from the Smale Riverfront Park Opened in 2012 this park features a number of play areas, water features, walking paths, adult porch sized swings with great views of the river and Kentucky on the other side and a Labyrith.

This delightful park has a variety of sections with lovely flowers, water features, play and exercise areas and generally a nice way to spend some time along the river.

Over the river, is the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge that looks a lot like the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. Built in 1866 it links Kentucky with Ohio.

A neat feature of the Park is the worlds largest Chime Foot Piano. This one-of-a-kind structure was designed and built by Cincinnati’s Verdin Company. Sensors under the piano keys electronically cause the strikes at the top of the structure to ring the chimes. Janeen had a good time tapping out a tune.

 

After playing in the Park, we headed out for some lunch and a brew. Finding our way to Moerlein Lager House we had a wonderful lunch, a few brews and great views of the Ohio River. It was hard to leave this lovely spot but we felt a walk would be a good idea and headed off to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

 

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is based on the history of the Underground Railroad. Opened in 2004, the Center also pays tribute to all efforts to “abolish human enslavement and secure freedom for all people”.

The center’s principal artifact is a 21 by 30 foot, two-story log slave pen built in 1830. By 2003, it was “the only known surviving rural slave jail,” previously used to house slaves prior to their being shipped to auction. The structure was moved from a farm in Mason County, Kentucky,   where a tobacco barn had been built around it.

Throughout the Museum are various displays and artifacts focused on slavery and the fight the struggles of slaves to reach freedom. Several films were presented depicting various portions of the struggle.

A well built place with lots of history to discover.

Wednesday we packed up our necessary stuff and headed to Macomb Illinois. The road takes in some interstate as well as sections of the National Road – Highway 40. Thus we have both a four-lane expressway experience and two land winding road through the countryside. It was getting along lunchtime and we pulled into a lovely spot – Braddock Inn and Restaurant.

We had a delightful lunch and headed back on the road. However, immediately next to the place was the General Braddock Grave – part of the Fort Necessity National Battlefield. Well, since we have been talking about Braddock along the way, we pulled in and walked around.

 

On June 25, 1755, the largest army assembled in North America up to that time passed through the area that is now the Braddock Grave site. British Maj. General Edward Braddock led the first 1,400 soldiers of his 2,400-man army. Braddock followed the trail originally blazed by George Washington in April 1754. The trail at that point was nothing more than a marked path through the woods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In order to move the all the British Troops and supplies, the trail was widened to about 12 feet and cleared of all trees and materials. Braddock’s goal of expelling the French from Fort Duquesne (present day Pittsburgh) was thwarted when his advance troops collided with a force of French and Indians.

Although the initial exchange of musketry favored the British, felling the French commander and causing some Canadian militia to flee, the remaining Indian/French force reacted quickly, running down the flanks of the column and putting it under a murderous crossfire. Braddock’s troops reacted poorly and became disordered. The British attempted retreat, but ran into the rest of the British soldiers left behind from earlier. Braddock, rallying his men time after time, fell at last, mortally wounded by a shot through the chest.

Braddock was borne off the field by George Washington and Col. Nicholas Meriwether and died on 13 July from wounds suffered in the battle. Before he died Braddock left Washington his ceremonial sash that he wore with his battle uniform and muttered some of his last words, which were ‘Who would have thought?’ Reportedly, Washington never went anywhere without this sash for the rest of his life, be it as the commander of the Continental Army or with his presidential duties. It is still on display today at Washington’s home on the Potomac River, Mount Vernon.

On July 14, what remained of that once proud British army hobbled past present day site of Braddock’s grave retreating from their disastrous defeat at the Battle of the Monogahela. The retreating troops camped near hear and Braddock died that night. He was buried under the road, in an unmarked grave, to keep it from being disturbed by Indians. In 1804, workmen repair this section of the Braddock Road discovered what is believed to be Braddock’s original gravesite.   His remains were then reinterred on the hill and a granite monument was added in 1913 to mark the grave.

Few remnants of the Braddock Road remain but it was originally the first ‘highway’ to the west. This route eventually became Maryland route 49 and Virginia route 620. Now it follows along Highway 40 in many sections.

 

 

 

 

Nothing signifies the arrival of spring in the District of Columbia quite like the blooming of the cherry blossom trees. Having returned to Virginia on Wednesday, we took the Metro orange line into the District to the Smithsonian Station.

From there it was short walk to the Tidal Basin and the Cherry Tree Festival complete with blooms and petal showers! This is the final weekend, but visiting during the week it was un-crowded and in FULL BLOOM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first cherry trees were a gift from the Mayor Yuko Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington, DC. The Mayor donated the first trees to enhance the growing friendship between the US and Japan. Of the original trees only a few remain but a lot more that have been added over time around the Basin providing LOTS of color and blossoms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occasionally there were showers of blossoms as the breeze picked up and moved the petals around.

 

 

 

 

 

While the overall target date for the Cherry Blossom Festival is set each year, when they actually bloom is anyone’s guess. We were incredibly lucky to return to Virginia and have the opportunity to see these flowers in full bloom – rain is expected on Monday and I expect that will wash away any that remain.

We walked completely around the Tidal Basin, passed the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial before returning to the Metro for our train home. All in all we completed a 4-mile walk!

Ok, it’s been a while but we finally got to a really good restaurant here in Los Angeles.

Providence has been a local hot spot since it opened some 10 years ago and the number one restaurant in town for a number of years (slipped to #2 just this year). We had made a reservation for Friday, the only day of the week they have a lunch serving, to continue the celebration of Jessie’s birthday. Arriving at our appointed time (noon) we entered a dimly lit, with no real windows seating area and a color scheme that can best described as stormy, we took our seats and looked around (non of our party had been here previously). Adorning the walls and ceilings were fish nets (made from paper I think) hanging from the ceiling with barnacles going up the walls and soft glass panels on either side giving the lighting scheme and settled in.

We of course started of with a glass of wine – there is an extensive wine list, many different things available by the glass, and reviewed the dining options. There was various individual items we could have had but well felt the seasonal tasting menu (four course) would meet our needs nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the corkage fee was high (50 bucks!) we choose to open the bottle of 2006 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Louise I had brought for our enjoyment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The entire experience was wonderful from first to last. This is really a high-end seafood restaurant and they certainly lived up to this reputation.  After a very pleasurable 3 hours (about the right time for a really good meal) we left and headed home.

Forty years ago, we moved from Bethlehem Pennsylvania to Alhambra California. Since that time, we have left the state many times but never for as long as this past “gap year adventure”. We are now back in Alhambra, staying with some friends, and enjoying the sunshine, warm breezes and generally beautiful weather. This is a really nice change from the 20’s, 30’s and 40s we have had since about Mid December.

We flew from our east coast base, Springfield VA, into Los Angeles March 14^th. We left Springfield where the high was low 40’s and we arrived in Los Angeles where the low was upper 40’s. What a difference 3,000 miles makes! Since coming to LA we have been taking care of medical appointments for general health, knees, eyes, teeth, etc.,

 

 

 

 

 

 

visiting our wine – we have a storage locker in Glendale where a LOT of wine is resting waiting for us to open a bottle or dozens –

 

 

 

 

 

going to restaurants we have enjoyed in the past, visiting with friends we have missed and in general relaxing and having an enjoyable time.

We arrived in town soon enough to visit with winemakers Denise and Kirk of WesMar Wines

 

 

 

 

 

from Sebastopol in the Russian River area wine region. This included having a lovely dinner at Bacchus Kitchen and catching up. The following day was the Family Wine Makers Tasting, which we attended. The dinner was the highlight – the tasting the following day not so much. The tasting featured some 80 or more different wineries but nothing that really stood out as being special – with the except of WesMar of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several years ago, we discovered that our Doctor, Garry, had theatre tickets the same night as we did – and we would try and coordinate getting together prior to the play to have dinner. Thus started a friendship outside of the doctor – patient relationship that continued once he retired (3 years ago) and we had the joy of hooking up with him this trip! He travels more than we do – he was heading to Madagascar when we connected a year ago, since then he has been to Columbia (the country of) and several exotic places. He is an avid “birder” and both track’s them in his logbook and also takes wonderful pictures of many.

One of Janeen’s things she has missed the most is visiting and volunteering at the Huntington Library and Gardens. For the last 5 or 6 years she has been a docent in the Herb Garden and has loved the experience. She has already visited once since we got back but will be going a couple more times in the next week or so.

So, while there are not a lot of pictures to share, we are continuing our adventure. In a couple of weeks, we fly back to Virginia where we will stick around for a couple of weeks to celebrate birthdays of Terri and Jason and then head back to Illinois to visit with Janeen’s dad. After that the current plan is to head SOUTH towards Georgia! Only time will tell what actually happens, but stay tuned, more adventures to report on as we move along.

 

Over the last several weeks we were in Macomb Illinois primarily working to get Janeen’s dad into a good living arrangement.  For the last 10 years he has been living in a Senior Independent Living place that allowed him to do things on his own and they provided meals and various room services (laundry, cleaning etc).  However, after experiencing a couple of falls in the last 6 months a higher level of care was needed.  So, much of our time was getting him situated into the ‘right’ spot which has levels of assisted living.  The more active and independent you are the less they have to provide support.  Right now, Harold needs added assistance and they can provide it.  As his strength improves he can be more independent but still have resources available if he needs them.

After getting him situated we were able to celebrate his 101st birthday.  Friends and family shared the time with him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once we got Harold all situated it was time for us to return to Virginia to see our granddaughter, and pack for our upcoming trip to California!  Next Wednesday, the 14th we fly into LAX and stay with friends for 4 weeks.   Visiting close friends we have missed over the last 9 months (it has been since late June of last year when we were last in Los Angeles) , visit various doctors and make sure we are still OK to continue this traveling adventure appointments, eating at some of our favorite restaurants, visiting the Huntington Library and Gardens and of course collecting several cases of wine to bring back with us from our storage spot in Glendale.

So, the adventure continues!

We are still in Macomb Illinois. Macomb is a city and the county seat of McDonogh County, Illinois.   It has a classic 19^th century Courthouse on The Square, and a Carnegie Library that has been expanded using the

 

original architecture design. Situated in western Illinois, southwest of Galesburg  the city is about 75 miles southwest of Peoria and 77 miles south of the Quad Cities. It is also about equidistant west from Peoria and Springfield. A special census held in 2014 placed the city’s population at 21,516. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University “Leathernecks” the mascot bulldog and purple and gold decorate the town. There are also at least seven senior accommodations, some like Everly House (where we are staying) are Independent Senior Living, and others like Wesley Village Independent Living through assisted living and nursing/rehabilitation.

One of the things we have now remembered, living in SNOW isn’t the most fun. We left eastern Pennsylvania some 40 years ago and have not really even visited SNOW since that time.

We were in Macomb maybe a day or two and 3 inches of snow arrived followed by COLD…Most days not getting above freezing. We are now in a warm spell, high of 40! Snow can be really beautiful but damn, it’s COLD and WET.

 

 

 

 

 

Janeen’s Dad spent thirteen days at a Rehab facility where he was to get some rehab after a fall. This was NOT a good spot and after almost 2 weeks, Janeen got him admitted to the Hospital. Now in a different assisted place he is starting rehab again hoping to improve his overall condition. None of this is easy for a man who is going to be 101 on March 5^th. Getting old is NOT for the faint of heart that’s for sure.

During the day, while Janeen is assisting her dad, David gets to explore the city of Macomb – and have coffee at the one ‘coffee shop’ in town.

Upside, they have good coffee and free Wi-Fi and is connected to a wine shop right next door!

 

 

 

 

 

This weekend is the Western Illinois University Jazz festival – while the title seems great it is really a showcase for high school and college groups no names of note participate (damn). Not likely we will make it there as the Lees of Virginia, Terri, Katie Beth, and Jason will be arriving for a Presidents Day weekend visit to see Grandpa Harold and it will be nice to have them here for a few days.

 

So, looking forward, still trying to figure out a time in March to get to Los Angeles and now booked for a weekend at Thomas Jefferson’s place, Monticello in June. It seems the friend who is getting married in September is a Jefferson relative and they have a “decedents” weekend and he has invited us to join him. His wedding, which I thought was going to be in Las Vegas in September, is actually going to be in Santa Barbara so we will be there in September.  After ta visit to LA in March our hope is to begin touring along the east coast – hitting all those places we have read about over the years but have never visited – Savannah, Charleston, and other spots in the “south” and head North ultimately visiting in Bethlehem PA, NYC, Boston and getting up to Canada to Prince Edward Island. December will find us flying to Paris for Christmas and New Years with the Lees’ of Virginia to share the holidays with Ryan and Chris (again).

Still not sure if we will continue to rent our home in Alhambra or have it available should we want to stop all of this travel. So stay tuned as we move along this journey.

 

 

Blog for January 2018

Thus begins the USA return adventure. The Wandering Lees basked in the family love in Springfield, Virginia and went about establishing the bi-coastal identity. No more searching out a laundry mat, a reservation for a bed, or a Metro pass.

Our Mercedes Blu was reunited with us at Mercedes of Arlington, shiny clean and ready for her first US checkup. We are not enthralled with the voice of the GyPSy, but she works. However, the touch pad application did not. So, MercyBlu had to go in for a check up after Eduardo diagnosed her needs. She gets a free bath each visit.

Janeen found her color fix for her hair, and a new coat of “wet” (Katie’s description) for her nails. David found a podiatrist to treat his plantar faciitis (now has a bedtime boot) Janeen signed up with Curves of Falls Church, David began classes at Gold’s Gym . We reconnected with Linda & Bob of Falls Church and Peggy & Mario of Maryland

The Virginia Lees decided to begin adoption negotiations for the white Prius that was fostered with them while D& J went to Europe. GPa & GMa are now card-carrying daycare pickup agents at Cody Daycare near Pentagon (Katie likes the reading light option in MercyBlu near her car seat).

 

 

We were intending to leave for Macomb, Illinois on February 7, but a January 26 call from Macomb Hospital put us on the road Saturday 27. Harold, Janeen’s dad, is recovering in assisted living from infection from an infected tooth and weakness caused by his COPE cough. We are staying at Dad’s home, Everly House, and visiting him daily to help him meet his goal of being mobile enough to return home. This included bundling him into MercyBlu on Tuesday 30^th and transporting him to the oral surgeon appointment to get the offending tooth removed, then transporting him back to his bed at the assisted living facility, Heartland. His next-door neighbor, Bill, at Everly House has been recuperating since November at Heartland, and serendipitously, they are roommates at Heartland. We have set aside February to help Dad meet his goal, if possible, of returning to Everly for his 101 birthday on March 5.

Beyond that we are wide open with the only thing on our calendar a wedding in Las Vegas in September. There are some thoughts about flying to the West Coast and visiting friends, drinking some of our wine in storage there and making various doctor appointments but as yet that is still in the planning stages waiting for Harold’s recovery to be confirmed.

More as things happen – or not.