Slade, KY....Natural Bridge Rock

After our drive around Red River Gorge yesterday and then the big rain storm last night, we decided to take the hike up to Natural Bridge.

Natural Bridge has several hiking trails up to the rock, but they also have a Sky Lift. The Sky Lift is $9 for an adult, that’s round trip.

The trails are tough but this lift looks kind of scary.

The trail we took is the easy trail, according to the sign. But it was very wet from the night rain and no breeze until we got to the top. Be sure to bring drinking water.

This is under the rock that is Natural Bridge.

To get on top of the rock you need to climb these rock steps. See the guy at the bottom, well; he had a tight squish getting thru these narrow openings.

The Sky Lift will take you to the top of the rock.

On top of the rock, you will not find any fences. That is quiet a step off to the side. Very nice to just sit and look out over the valley. Last time, Craig and I brought a picnic lunch.

Take a half mile (one way) easy hike and you get to lookout point. A great place to view the Natural Bridge. Because it is summer the trees blocked some of the bridge.

These young people where enjoying the view from Lookout point rock to the Natural Bridge Rock. Good for them.

Sometimes, when hiking trails that have stone steps and are very very wet, things happen. Remember when I said we got to know Range Brook. This is why, turns out he does the first aid. Can't tell you who this knee belongs to, because Susan would get mad at me.

Clay, KY....Red River Gorge

Do you get a little lazy sometime. This is from last week but I thought you might like. Posting sometimes takes more time then I have. We are on another trip, but more about that after you get to see Red River Gorge.

Never saw a tunnel like this before. Only one car at a time and no flag men. Loved it.

Their is a light at the end of the tunnel.

These are real rock walls. Not much room and my CRV is small. You know it's my Tonko Toy.

More tunnel.

Still more. We drove thru, turned around and drove back thru. Us girls are having a blast. Tried turning off the head light, dark very dark.

Slade, KY....Daniel Boone Forest

When the sun got low in the sky we headed south toward’s Beattyville, KY. Just for a road trip.

Discovered this man made spillway. This was a big kid/youth person place to swim. These guys are having a blast. They waved and hollowed while we took pictures. See the guy on the right he will jump off that rock and do a canyon ball. Oh, I remember the days!!

This rock climbing adventure is amazing but looks closed. Wonder what happen to close this place? Seems like the summer would be the busy time.

By the time we returned to the condo, it was raining. It was obvious that the wind had be strong because limbs where all over the road. We missed it. Didn’t have the awning out so that was great. No worries there. Think we can do without the awning this whole trip.

Later that evening the storms returned. Looked like trouble. I heard a ding dong, oh that’s my doorbell. Ranger Brook informed us that a dangerous thunder storm is expected. He suggested that if we needed, we should go to the bath house. I asked if we should move the camper and he said that would be our choice.

We stayed put and the line of thunder storms evaporated. But two of our neighbors pulled out. Call me silly but, where would a person go??? You don’t know the area and you are in the foothills, nothing but gulles and hollows.

Just three days ago, the rains caused flooding, less than 50 miles away, in Pike County. People lost there lives and many lost homes.

Note: We got to know Ranger Brook very well.

Slade, KY....Natural Bridge Resort

This past week was spent in a ‘hollow’, in the foothills of KY. Phone service, satellite, TV, or internet was not available.

Monday, Susan and I hooked up the CRV and headed to Natural Bridge Ky State Resort, in Slade, KY. The Daniel Boone National Forest covers a large area in Eastern KY.

Drove 95 miles, skirting Lexington and going east on I-64 and then on the Mountain Parkway road. Dropped the TOAD about 12 miles from the park because I could not remember if I would have an area to unhook. I would have but I just didn’t know.

I did not make reservations, for a weekend, reservations are needed. But we found a site for Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thurs night. We would depart on Friday morning.

I have been here before. Two year ago I would never have got the Condo on this site. This is site B 33 in the Middle fork campground

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Pulled the Condo in front first. We wanted the view but lost the large part of lot.

We have 30 amp electric and water. No sewer. Did not use the water, we used the holding tanks and demand pump. A bath house is available with a washer and dryer. The bathhouse is clean.

Left the house around 10 am and was on site by 3 pm. That included the 12 mile trip because we left the Condo and drove the CRV in. We also grocery shopped at the Kroger’s in Clay City.

Spent about $75 for diesel, $18 for gas in CRV, $50 grocery, and $87 for the campsite.

H'burg, KY...picture day

Today has been a lovely Sunday. Hope your Sunday was lovely.

My dear husband needed a picture (head shot) for his company’s magazine. This September he has worked for this number, #1 construction outfit in the free world, for 30 years. Previous to this he put 8 years into the Air Force.

This is want we came up with.

This is the true shot.

How did you get your first major job?

I was no where around, but around 1980 Craig was out of the Air Force, back on the farm in Bridgewater, SD he was looking for work, aka, career. On a airplane, on his way back, from a job interview in Wyoming, he happen to set next to a Fluor Daniel construction employee. This guy (Loren) is also from South Dakota. Anyway, Loren sent Craig an application, Craig returned it and a few months later he was on a project in Laramie, Wyoming. Has traveled with the company for 30 years. He picked me up on a project in Hopewell, VA in 1988.

He has worked his way from warehouse forklift operator, to Material Manager, without a college degree. Craig has a excellent reputation with his work. Many of the people we worked with, out in the field, have gone on to be Vice Presidents (of something) within the company.

Filled 57 gallons of diesel in the Condo fuel tanks, cost $162.00. Can you spell road trip.

Lexington, KY...car repair

Hoping this post will live on my blog where it is suppose to. Probably will not post but a couple pictures, as that is what takes so much time and then fails.

Well, here goes. Tuesday Craig made an appointment to have his car worked on. Guess who he expected to take it into Lexington for 7:30 AM.

This is where I needed to be.

On the way into Lexington, remember I don’t know where I am going, it began to rain, heavy. Of course, luck will have it, between rain showers, I ran the back passenger side window down. When I tired to run it up it won’t. It is raining hard now.

To make a long story short, the window fix was almost $500. Just to fix a regulator. I asked the tech why this broke and he said ’they see it ALL the time’ I ask why and he said poor design. The check engine light required a test that cost $90 and showed absolutely nothing wrong. Sheesh. Got to go home $700 later and all that was done was reset the check engine light off and the glass back in the window track.

Lexington has these horses all around town. It is a way of raising charity money. With the horses Olympic they have built more to auction after Oct 10th.

Fort Knox...KY Patton Museum

Where are the last 3 days of posting!! Makes me sad that my efforts have vanished!!

Think I have found those days, today's post is listed as June 28th. Will try to fix. Until tomorrow. Don't we just love the 21st century.


Do you ever plan to do something, but once you sit down, well, your toooo tired. That is what has happen tonight. So I will post just a little about Fort Knox and Patton Museum.

For once, Craig planned this. He actually said what do you have planned this weekend???? Why don't we go to Fort Knox.

This is so what I want to happen, when we go full time/part time RV travels in 2011. I will not plan everything we do, everyday.

Off we go. About 80 miles and 2 hours. Took a back road to see the country side and of course we hit a road detour. Bridge out. Craig goes ballistic and I respond in like. We both get quiet and get over it. Does that mean we are adults???

Fort Knox has nothing to do with gold and all to do with the Patton Museum. Although, the city is called the gold city, this is all you see of where to gold is.