Returning home from the beach

On the beach behind Kingfisher Inn

We had the last of the eggs and ham in breakfast burritos as we finished packing to leave the Kingfisher Inn. We stripped the beds, putting the linens and towels in the bathtub as directed. We loaded the dishwasher and started the cleaning cycle. Rex and I brought luggage carts from the first up to our third floor room so we could load our luggage to take to the cars. We did our best to clean the room the best we could although, without a vacuum, we were unable to clean the sand that we tracked into the room on our feet.

The condo office doesn’t open until 8:30 am but we put our keys in the dropbox and left the parking lot by 8 am. Although the trip would be slightly longer, we decided to return home via the West Virginia Turnpike to avoid driving through larger cities with the Labor Day weekend coming up. We topped off the gas tank at the Walmart so we could avoid stopping once underway. Rex and Natalie made a detour to Harrelson’s Seafood Market where we got our shrimp earlier in the week. Rex wanted to bring a bunch of shrimp back home for a shrimp boil.

We followed exactly the same path that we used for the trip south on Saturday. We even stopped for lunch at the same exit in Ashboro, NC, as Saturday except we ate at the Arby’s Restaurant. The Wendy’s Restaurant at that exit was disappointing on Saturday.

The weather was very hot so we didn’t leave the air conditioned car very much other than lunch and rest area bathroom and stretch breaks. Our EZ-Pass got us through the West Virginia Turnpike tolls quickly and without charge. When in Huntington, we made a quick stop at the Sam’s Club in South Point, Ohio to stock up on salads for the week ahead. We got pizza slices and large soft drinks from the café at Sam’s. It is hard to pass up a meal for $5.

While at Sam's Club we topped off the tank.  We would have made it about 30 miles from home on the gas that we bought at Garden City this morning but we wanted to take advantage of the better prices before we left.

We arrived back home before 9 pm and unpacked most things before heading to bed. Tomorrow would be a day of laundry, cleaning and putting gear away and resting some after the 11 hour trip.

We were glad that we made the trip to the area but were confident that we had spent enough time there to do what we needed to do. Additionally, it is doubtful that we would return to the Myrtle Beach area in the foreseeable future. Other than really good seafood restaurants, there didn’t seem to be a lot of things to do in the area that appeal to Mary & I. The trip to get to Myrtle Beach takes 10 to 11 hours of driving and we can be in Florida in 12 hours. The area on Florida’s Nature Coast, around Homosassa has lots of outdoor activities that appeal to us and is mostly I-75. The only negative for the trip to Florida is that we frequently go through Atlanta traffic.

Fishing at Pawley's Island

Breakfast was cold cereal and yogurt from Kroger. Rex and I gathered our fishing gear into his Highlander and left Kingfisher Inn at 8:30

We got bait at Pawley’s Island Seafood Market. Rex remembered that we could get shrimp, squid and cut bait at the market. However, the market only sells shrimp for bait now. The young Russian man working the counter informed us that they only sell shrimp that didn’t sell or were dropped on the floor for the market. Rex bought three small packets of frozen shrimp.

Fishing at Pawleys Island

We drove through a residential area on Pawley’s Island passing people fishing from bridges and access points along the way. We parked at the Pawley's Island Parking Lot South where there was plenty of fishing access in the canal available portable toilets. As we were locating a place to fish and place our folding chairs, a man fishing nearby offered us his spot and gave us some advice on fishing the canal. He invited us to share a charter boat with him on Wednesday, but we were already making plans to drive back home by then. 

Red drum from Pawleys Island

Fishing wasn’t great in the canal but we hoped that things would change as we neared high tide at 11 am. Crabs stole our shrimp bait nearly as fast as we could replenish our hooks. We were nearly ready to give up around 11 am when I caught a small fish that we cut up and used as bait. A second small fish was used the same way. We seemed to be getting bites on the cut bait but were unable to catch anything. I started casting a gold colored spoon hoping that would avoid the crabs and possibly entice a larger fish to take the lure. Around noon, I had a strong strike and a good fight from a fish. My old spinning reel wasn’t working especially well so I was wondering if I could land the fish at all. I eventually caught the 25 inch red drum that was released as soon as I removed the lure. The fish would have been good to eat but we had dinner plans already and no feasible way to get the fish back home on Wednesday.

While we were out fishing, Mary and Natalie went back to Brookgreen Gardens to see some of the area that we missed on Sunday.  The day got hot so they didn't stay long but checked out some of the beach shops near the condo to get T-shirts for Rex and Natalie's grandkids.

Back at the Kingfisher Inn, Rex and I rinsed our fishing gear at the outdoor shower by the pool then showered and cleaned up at the room. We relaxed with Mary and Natalie before leaving for dinner. On our drives south, we had seen the Hanser House and checked the online reviews. We were satisfied with the strong positive ratings and made that our choice. Mary had made dinner reservations for us but was really no need since plenty of tables were available when we arrived a little after 6 pm. Like our other meals in the area, we avoided the big all-you-can-eat buffets in favor of small, locally owned restaurants with good food and service.

In the top bunk

My creole shrimp from Lee’s Inlet Kitchen was so good that Rex and I both had it this evening. Everyone was happy with the meal. When we returned to the condo, we went to one of the beach stands for after dinner drinks. Afterward, we changed at the room then took a two hour walk along the beach getting back to the condo in the dark at nearly 10 pm.

We packed a few things then headed for bed. Our bunk beds were very comfortable once we were in bed but I will not miss climbing up to the top bunk.

Huntington Beach State Park

View from room 302 at the Kingfisher Inn

I made breakfast burritos with eggs, cubed ham and cheese for breakfast. We went to the Kingfisher Inn front desk and picked up a pass for state parks. This would give us free admission to any South Carolina state park. We left the condo at 9:30 driving south and arrived at Huntington Beach State Park by 10 am.

We toured the home of Archer and Anna Huntington that was called Atalaya Castle which translates to The Watchtower. The Huntington family built this winter home in hopes that the South Carolina weather would be good for Anna’s tuberculosis. Construction on the home was completed in 1933 and was used for about six months each year until the family abandoned it in 1947. The 30 room house was not overly opulent but provided comfortable living for the Huntington family and their servants. Mrs. Huntington had a sculpture at the house with a large skylight where she produced many of the sculptures that are on display at Brookgreen Gardens.

Natalie & Rex at Huntington Beach State Park

By noon, the temperatures were heating up so we drove back to the Kingfisher Inn for lunch. We had salads and diced chicken that we brought from home. We relaxed at the room for a while then Rex and I walked around the small downtown area and checked out a place for Natalie to buy T-shirts for their grandkids. By 3 pm we drove to the nearby Walmart where Rex and I bought fishing licenses for Wednesday. I persuaded the clerk at the sporting goods desk to tease Rex about his “criminal record” from the traffic stop in Virginia last month.

We returned to Huntington Beach State Park and visited the nature center where the interactive displays illustrated the coastal wildlife. A volunteer at the nature center was very helpful in answering our questions. After leaving the nature center we walked the short Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail until the insects got so bad that we walked back to the car.

Hiking on Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail

We went back to the Kingfisher Inn to change for dinner then drove to Lee’s Inlet Kitchen I had the shrimp creole that was similar to shrimp etouffee and was delicious. Everyone enjoyed our meals that were well prepared and delicious. Natalie and I had margaritas that were mostly ice and not especially good but the rest of the meal was excellent.

We returned to the Kingfisher Inn too late to walk on the beach so the four of us walked out on the pier adjacent to the condo. There are two bars on the pier with cover bands at each. Several people were fishing off the pier but no one appeared to catch anything.

Back at the room, we turned in for the night. Our bunk beds were difficult to get into but one we were in the beds we were comfortable and slept well.

Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens

Since we had only the cereal that we brought from home, our breakfast at the Kingfisher Inn was cold cereal again. Rex brought oat milk with him which he says tastes better to him. We all got into Dillinger’s Toyota Highlander at 9:30 and drove 30 minutes south to Brookgreen Gardens. This 9100 acre garden is part of the estate of Archer Milton Huntington and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington. Archer Huntington was the stepson of railroad magnate, Collis P. Huntington and Anna was an accomplished sculptor. Prior to the Huntington family purchasing the property it was used as four rice plantations prior to the Civil War. Anna wanted a place to showcase her sculptures as well as works from other sculptors that she admired. The property includes numerous flower gardens and a zoo featuring animals that are native to the Carolina low country. We saw river otters, foxes, owls and many other native animals. It is believed that Brookgreen Gardens is the first North American sculpture garden. Our admission included a seven day pass so we could return to the park whenever we liked during our stay.

Russell's Seafood Grill

We spent all morning walking through the beautiful gardens including indoor areas with orchids and others with artwork collected by Ann Huntington. The temperatures were in the 90s but there was a nice breeze and a good bit of shade.

Lunch at Russell's Seafood Grill

Around noon, we drove a short distance to Russell’s Seafood Grill where we had excellent seafood meals and ate too much so we didn’t have a lot of energy in the afternoon. We returned to Brookgreen Gardens to revisit some areas that we didn’t have time to see in the morning. Most of our time was spent at the small zoo on the property with many examples of South Carolina wildlife.

Once the afternoon heat got to us, we left for Harrelson’s Seafood Market where Rex remembered that his parents got excellent shrimp. He bought a bunch of fresh local shrimp to have with our salad for dinner. We made a stop at Kroger where we got salad makings and a few breakfast items. After our large lunch, we weren’t very hungry for dinner and made salads with the boiled shrimp.

View from our room at Kingfisher Inn

After dinner, we took a long walk on the beach and enjoyed the cooler evening air. Back at the Kingfisher Inn, we showered and turned in. We were impressed that the shower had plenty of pressure and provided enough hot water for the four of us to shower.

Arriving at the beach

We had a breakfast of cold cereal with Dillingers then helped them do their last minute packing before leaving at 8:30 am. We opted to take two cars since the two families may want to do separate things on some days and may even leave on different days.

Sitting area at the Kingfisher Inn

The drive through the West Virginia Turnpike was uneventful. Our EZ-Pass got us through the three toll booths avoiding the $4.50 per stop and saving time. There was little traffic in western Virginia and eastern North Carolina putting us at the Wendy’s in Ashboro, NC for lunch. We had hoped to stop earlier but all of the restaurants in the High Point area were 8-10 miles off the interstate and we didn't want to give up that much time.  Because of a miscommunication regarding Interstates 73 and 74 in Ashboro, we were unable to have Rex and Natalie join us for lunch.  Despite having few customers, this Wendy's was very slow.  In addition, the automated soft drink dispenser was out of many drinks.

Rex at the Kingfisher Inn

We arrived at the Kingfisher Inn before 5 pm and took care of the check-in process with Kevin at the front desk. He gave us a lot of information on attractions and dining options for our stay. He told us that he had discount fishing passes for the pier although warned that recent excavation had made fishing poor recently. He also had free passes for Huntington Beach State Park available. We would certainly take him up on the State Park passes. Although the Kingfisher Inn permits only one car per unit, he prepared a free parking pass for Dillingers when they arrive.

Bedroom at the Kingfisher Inn

While watching for Rex and Natalie, I got something from our car. An older couple noticed our Kentucky license plates and inquired where we were from. He said that he was originally from Harlan County, Kentucky but has lived in the DC area as a minister for many years. They, like most people we met in the area, recommended some of the local seafood buffets. As a rule, we don’t usually prefer a buffet since we don’t like to eat enough to make it worthwhile. We usually order from a menu and find that the meals are fresh and to our liking.

Bunks at the Kingfisher Inn

Rex and Natalie arrived about 20 minutes after us so we helped them move their things into room 302 of the Kingfisher Inn. We put them in the bedroom while Mary and I took the bunk room which was about 8 feet deep and 5 feet wide with two bunks and a cloth curtain over the door. The bathroom had been recently renovated with tile floors and a roomy lavatory. The sitting area had a credenza with a television, two chairs and a sofa. The balcony off the living area had a great view of the beach over the pool behind the inn. The kitchen was adequate but dated. The full sized refrigerator was new but the range was older with exposed electric coils. The dishwasher was older but functional. The kitchen had all of the cookware that we expected to need. The Garden City Pier was directly adjacent to the Kingfisher Inn and the downtown area of the town was only a few blocks in size and had very little traffic.

View of the Kingfisher Inn from Garden City Pier

After we got moved in Mary scanned restaurant ratings and decided on Southside Grill which was only a few minutes away. The restaurant owners were Pittsburgh natives with a great sense of humor making us feel right at home. Everyone but me ordered the grilled grouper with mango chutney. I had a seafood sampler platter. Everyone’s meals suited them perfectly and were well prepared and served. We planned to return here later in the week since they were only open from Wednesday through Sunday evenings.

After returning to the Kingfisher Inn, we changed clothes and took a walk on beach. We walked under the pier and continued south along the water’s edge until we were ready to head back. By then, the sun has set and we rinsed at the inn’s outdoor shower before going up to the room and relaxing before bed.

Leaving for Myrtle Beach

We spent the day on Friday mowing and packing for our time at the beach. Unlike most West Virginians, I had never been to Myrtle Beach. However, my friend, Larry has had a timeshare at Garden City, between Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet, that he wasn’t using for his week so he let us rent it from him. Neither of us are really all that into the beach but we enjoy seeing new places and eating seafood so we decided to give it a try. We invited our friends, Rex and Natalie Dillinger to join us since they enjoy the same kinds of things that we enjoy and they have traveled to this area many times and are familiar with the attractions.

Rex had recently been involved in a legal issue involving a traffic ticket in Alleghany County, Virginia. He had passed a police car on I-64 and, in the officer’s opinion, didn’t move far enough into the left lane. He has secured an attorney to challenge the reckless driving charge to an offence with fewer points on his driver's license. In addition, he has had a health scare following a tick bite resulting in a diagnosis of ehrlichiosis. He had been very ill until starting a course of antibiotics that will hopefully prevent any chronic health problems. We hoped that the beach trip would be a pleasant diversion from his legal and health issues.

We really didn’t know what to pack since we hadn’t been to the area before and hadn’t really taken a “beach vacation” other than as a stop on one of our visits to Florida. We packed more clothes that we thought we would need despite knowing that our lodging, the Kingfisher Inn, would have a laundry. We packed a good bit of food since we planned to eat breakfast and lunch at the condo. We took water shoes and camp chairs as well as fishing gear to take advantage of whatever the area offered.

We turned the water heater and under-sink water heater off, locked the doors, set light timers, security cameras and the entry alarms. We were on the road by 4 pm. Although the shortest and most direct route for us would be by taking I-75 through Knoxville but we opted to spend Friday night with Dillingers in Milton then we could leave from there taking the West Virginia Turnpike avoiding most large cities. We ate our dinner of cold cut sandwiches along the drive arriving at Dillinger’s before 7 pm. We enjoyed catching up then turning in to bed before 10 pm.

Wickliffe Mounds and Memorial Cross

As usual, we were awake early at the Paducah Super 8. Our room was clean and quiet, our only criteria for lodging these days. We did morning language lessons then went to the breakfast room when it opened at 6 am. We had cereal and bagels before checking out of our second floor room.

We drove to Wickliffe Mounds, an archeological site from the Mississippian culture dating from the 1100s to 1300s. Some of the mounds are thought to be ceremonial while others are burial mounds. It is believed that the site’s leaders selected the site since it provided a strategic view of the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and was on a high bluff unlikely to flood. The museum on an excavated mound includes many pots and other artifacts of the civilization that built the mounds. No human remains were on display but were returned to Native groups who reburied them in accordance with their beliefs.

A short distance from Wickliffe Mounds is the site of Fort Jefferson, a stockade constructed by George Rogers Clark in 1780 on orders from then Virginia Governor, Thomas Jefferson. Kentucky was part of Virginia at that time until statehood in 1792. The fort was plagued by illness and constant attacks from Chickasaw Indians and was abandoned only a year later. Because of the site’s view of the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, the knoll was used as a Union post during the Civil War.

Since 1939 large crosses have been constructed at the site. The current cross was completed in 1994 using donations from the sponsorship of bricks and donations from the public. The 90 foot tall freestanding cross is constructed of aluminum and cost over $300,000 to complete. A walking trail and interpretative signage provides information on the historic forts as well as Native cultures in the area. The granite bricks surrounding the Memorial Cross carry the names of the many donors contributing to the construction and maintenance of the cross.

As we left the confluence of Ohio & Mississippi Rivers we saw a town with an interesting name. When we saw a nearby town called “Monkey’s Eyebrow” there was no doubt that we had to go there. The “town” even has its own zip code but is nothing more than a small community of a few farms. Of course, we stopped and took photos of the sign. We learned that the most likely source for the town’s name is the two small hills that are crescent shaped and were covered with brush. A local farmer remarked that the hills looked like monkey’s eyebrows and the name stuck.

On the way home, we passed through Muhlenberg County and stopped at the county seat, Central City, where we went to the plaza honoring the Everly Brothers and John Prine including statues and monuments describing their connections to Muhlenberg County. The Everly Brothers were born in the small Muhlenberg County community of Brownie before moving to Knoxville, Tennessee when the brothers were in high school. John Prine spent many summers in the town of Paradise which no longer exists. Prine’s song, Paradise, made Muhlenberg County well known to many music fans all over the world.

As we neared the Land Between the Lakes area of Kentucky, we were ready for lunch. Friends had suggested Patti’s 1880s Settlement as a great stop for a meal. We were fortunate to be seated without a wait since the restaurant is said to fill up quickly. The décor of the restaurant is intended to be a throwback to the 1880s with waitresses wearing what appeared to be feed sack dresses and items on display from the area’s rural history. Mary had a huge turkey sandwich on homemade bread and I had one of the day’s special, “sticky piggie” was a pork cutlet on a homemade bun with caramel sauce and apple slices. We both enjoyed our meals then walked around the area finding a couple of geocaches before driving back home. We got to the house by 5 pm in time to unpack, do some laundry and get ready to go to our volunteer responsibilities on Thursday morning.

National Quilt Museum & Geocaching in Arkansas

Since the Paducah Super 8 was quiet, we slept well and awakened by 5 am. We did our morning language lessons then went to the breakfast room at the motel. There was cold cereal, a few cups of yogurt, toast and bananas but that was fine with us after the large meal at Strickland’s last night. We drove down to the Paducah Riverfront where we walked along admiring the beautiful murals on the floodwall. There is a long history of the influence of the Ohio on the city’s development.

We walked along the riverfront and chatted with several local walkers about the area’s attractions. The murals along the floodwall were beautiful. Each panel represented an element of Paducah’s history from settlements by native cultures, early European explorers, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the influence of railroads and steamships and the civil rights movement in the city. It was encouraging that we saw no graffiti or other vandalism on the murals. It appeared to us that the murals are touched up and maintained regularly.

Around 9 am Mary walked around the area before she went to the National Quilt Museum. As a quilter, she has wanted to visit this museum for many years. She photographed many of the quilts that interested her and learned about the quilt competitions. She learned that the maker of a winning quilt can choose to get the quilt returned or to give the quilt to the museum and accept a large cash prize. She was at the museum for over four hours before coming out to walk around the surrounding area in Paducah.

While Mary was at the museum, I drove to Blytheville, Arkansas. My motivation was to find geocaches in Arkansas since it was the only state in which I had not recorded geocache finds. I figured that my easiest and fastest way to log a geocache in the state was to go to the Welcome Center. I parked at the rest area and checked my GPS receiver which showed that I was very near the geocache hide. I looked out of the car window and spotted the tiny geocache container suspended in a small tree next to the car. I could have reached out of the window to get the geocache container. I signed the cache log then went to the rest area then made my way back to pick Mary up at the Quilt Museum.

On the drive back to Paducah, I wanted to avoid Interstate highways but to drive through part of the state included in the Jackson Purchase. In 1818, General Andrew Jackson and former Kentucky Governor, Isaac Shelby negotiated the purchase of land east of the Mississippi River with the Chickasaw Indians for the price of $200,000. Today this land makes up eight of Kentucky’s westernmost counties and is typically referred to as “The Purchase” region. This is the area where the New Madrid Earthquake rechanneled the Mississippi River to leave an area of Kentucky that 27 square miles in size that is surrounded by Missouri and Tennessee. This “Kentucky Bend” has a population of nine people.

I was struck by the topography and ecology of the area. It is very much a Delta environment with cypress swamps and river lowlands. The predominate animals that I saw along the road were armadillos.

I picked Mary up at the Quilt Museum around 2 pm then took her to Hancock’s of Paducah to look at quilt fabric and supplies. While she shopped, I sat on a bench near the front of the store which was clearly placed there for husbands to sit while their wives shopped. I chatted with several other old guys as I waited. One fellow whose wife was from California who was primarily in the area because his wife wanted to visit the Quilt Museum and to shop at this shop. She had been at the store area and purchased so much fabric that she took it back to their motel then returned to shop again this afternoon. Her husband, George, and I chatted for a long time and enjoyed each other’s company. I mentioned that we were considering dinner at Broussard’s Cajun Cuisine and he said that they may see us there.

After a short break at the room in the Super 8, we were hungry and went to dinner at Broussard’s Cajun Cuisine around 5:30. We started with a flight of Cajun stews to sample. We liked the etouffee and jambalaya but we both really liked the shrimp gumbo. I fully expected to get etouffee since that is my go-to choice when we go to Cajun restaurants. However, the gumbo was exceptional. The cook came out and chatted with us for a long time as we dined. As we were leaving, we saw George and his wife coming into the restaurant. We chatted with them and exchanged contact information before we left the restaurant.

Before we went to the motel, we drove out Jefferson Street in Paducah to see some of the monuments and statues in the median. Back at the Paducah Super 8, we did our evening language lessons then turned in.

Mahr Park Arboretum and Doran Arboretum at Murray State University

We had been hoping to make a trip to Western Kentucky since we moved to Georgetown in 2020. I have been fascinated by the 1811 New Madrid Earthquake that rerouted the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers leaving bits of Kentucky in Indiana and Missouri. A few years ago, we traveled to Henderson, Kentucky where we crossed the Ohio River into Indiana and back into Kentucky. We hiked along the former Ohio River bottom then stopped by the nearby former home of artist, John J. Audubon.

There were several recent motivations for the trip this year. Mary has wanted to visit the National Quilt Museum in Paducah for some time. I had logged finds of geocaches in every US state except Arkansas. Since Paducah is less than two hours from the Arkansas border, I decided to take the state off my to-do list. The last major motivation for the trip at this time is the Kentucky Garden Trail. On a field trip with Scott County Master Gardeners in June, we visited the Waterfront Botanical Gardens in Louisville and really enjoyed it so we decided to visit all 12 of the botanical gardens in the state. Two gardens on the list are in Western Kentucky.

After breakfast and exercise at Planet Fitness, we left home picking up the Bluegrass Parkway outside of Lexington. The trip would take about four hours but would seem like three hours since we would cross into the Central Time Zone as we traveled west. We stopped for fuel in Bardstown where we had lunch of cold cut sandwiches that we brought from home. We had corn nuts to snack on as we drove. At Elizabethtown, we picked up the Western Kentucky Parkway and continued through towns like Dawson Springs, that had been wiped out by a tornado in 2021.

Our first stop was in Madisonville, at Mahr Park Arboretum where we admired the beautifully groomed 265-acre municipal park. The Mahr family owned the property from 1964 until donating the land to the city of Madisonville in 2009. We enjoyed the well-labelled trees and shrubs throughout the park. We chatted with the volunteer at the park entrance for some time and got stamps for our Kentucky Garden Trail Passports then decided to continue on to Murray, Kentucky.

The drive to Murray from Madisonville was only about 90 minutes through the beautiful Western Kentucky landscape.

Doran Arboretum

There was no attendant at the Doran Arboretum at Murray State University but we were directed to a large mailbox where we could pick up the Garden Trail Passport stamp. The only other person we saw was a young woman on a mower who we gathered was a Murray State student. The grounds of the arboretum were beautiful with trees, shrubs and perennial flowers displayed and labeled. We walked out to the apiary where several bee hives were active. The whole property was very impressive.

Mantle Rock

From Murray, we started toward Paducah but saw a trailhead for Mantle Rock Preserve and decided to stop. We learned that the trail that we were on was part of the Trail of Tears, the path that the Cherokee were forced to travel to Oklahoma in 1838. In total over of 60,000 members of the “five civilized tribes” and their black slaves were removed to western territories between 1830 and 1850. In the winter of 1838-39, nearly 1,800 Cherokees took refuge at Mantle Rock since the extreme cold winter had make the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers difficult to cross.

As we drove, we saw that Possum Trot, Kentucky was nearby so we couldn’t resist stopped by. As expected there was really nothing in the small village but we took a few snapshots of the sign then continued on to Purple Toad Winery. Although we seldom drink wine, we had seen wine from this winery at our Kroger store and stopped to see what we could learn. The visitor center offered free tastings of eight wines and four distilled spirits of our choice. All of their wines and spirits are made on site at the Paducah location. We each tasted our eight wine choices and liked a few. Most of the wines from Purple Toad are very sweet dessert wines but their information sheet identified each wine’s sweetness on a 1-5 scale. We picked out a couple of bottles to buy then sampled some of the spirits. Several spirits including vodka and moonshine are made using their grapes as the based material for fermentation. We sampled some of the bourbons and clear spirits and found them to be fine but not exceptional so we elected to only buy the wine.

When we arrived at the Super 8 Motel in Paducah we checked in quickly and found the motel to be clean and quiet. We were very happy with the daily rate on the room and moved our things into the second floor room.

After changing clothes and relaxing a bit, we checked restaurant ratings and decided on Strickland’s Seafood House which was just a few blocks from our motel. We both ordered the Harris Platter which is an assortment of fish, crabcake, clams and shrimp. Our meals were very good and we returned to the Super 8 where we read then turned in for the night.

Returning home from Germany

Mary and I had our cell phone alarms set for 5 am, but much to our surprise, Peter was already awake and ready to get dressed. We ate a little in the hotel then put our pajamas in our bags then left the Adina Hotel to walk to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof.

Peter finished his breakfast in the Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Once in the train station we bought a couple of pretzels for Peter to have with his hummus for breakfast. The train to the Berlin Flughofen (airport) was only a few minutes from arriving so we didn’t have long to wait. At first the train wasn’t crowded but as we neared the airport, more passengers boarded the light rail. One person appeared to be emotionally disturbed or under the influence of a drug became loud on the train but soon exited the car.

At the airport, we easily checked our three bags then moved to the first security where we got through quickly since we only had one small carry-on each and no unapproved items. We then went to the German exit point where we waited in a long time to present our passports. Once we were at the checkpoint we were approved quickly. When we got in the line only three of the fifteen or so windows were open. Some families were at the window for over 30 minutes. While we were in the line a group of passengers from some Eastern European country started cutting line. We knew that they were not from an EU country or they would have been in an expedited line. Some of the line cutters got through, but the ones who were seen by the agent received a severe scolding and sent to the rear of the line. We passed through this checkpoint in less than a minute once we were at the window.

After going into the next room, our passports and boarding passes were checked by an agent from the US then we walked toward the terminal gates, but had to pass through another passport check which took a very short time. When going through a checkpoint we would put Peter between us in case of a problem. At one of the checkpoints, photographic recognition was used but the camera clicked on Peter before he was fully in place. He was routed to a desk where a human verified the passport. However, Mary had already passed through with Peter’s passport. Peter and I communicated the issue to a German police officer, who got the passport from Mary and straightened things out quickly. At the terminal for our flight, we had a few minutes for a bathroom break and to eat some of the breakfast that we packed. A tall slim man of about 35 years with long hair had been in the lengthy security line with us. While at the gate he was approached by two Berlin police officers, airport security and a representative of Delta Airlines. The police told him that another passenger had reported that his behavior was suspicious and that he needed to have an additional security check and interview. Mary said that she believed that he had been talking to two young girls who were flying back to New York and may have said something that they believed to be inappropriate.

Although we were in group 6 for the flight from Berlin to New York, we boarded quickly, after yet another check of passports and boarding passes. While all of the checks may seem like overkill, we are certainly happy that measures are in place to assure passenger safety. Our assigned seats were in the center section of the Boeing 767-300 so Mary and I had aisle seats with Peter between us. As with the trip to Germany, Peter traveled really well watching the inflight entertainment and snacking on things that we brought for the flight. When the meal was served about 90 minutes into the flight, he even ate most of the chicken curry and rice which is pretty impressive for an eleven-year-old.

When we arrived at JFK Airport in New York around 1 pm, we saw that a flight to Cincinnati was leaving around 2 pm. Our scheduled flight didn’t leave until 6:30 meaning a 5 ½ hour wait in the airport. Mary went to the Delta Airlines desk and unsuccessfully attempted to get on the earlier flight. There was a series of checkpoints and security stops on the way, but we were surprised that we didn’t have to go through customs. Rechecking our bags was quick and easy. Peter has become very skilled at spotting our luggage at the airport. He usually has our bags before we even make it to the carousal.

We walked around the airport, got some food from airport restaurants then sat at the gate while doing some German lessons and reading some eBooks that we had checked out from the library. Peter fell asleep in the seats at our gate and slept hard for almost an hour. We woke him in time to board the flight.

The aircraft from New York to Cincinnati was smaller but we had plenty of legroom. There was no in-flight entertainment but the flight was supposed to take only 90 minutes. However, we were on the taxiway for nearly an hour before takeoff. The cabin appeared to be completely full, and the flight had little turbulence once in the air. Peter slept much of the way while Mary and I read eBooks.

When we arrived at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, we were met by Sarah picking Peter up. Sarah and Peter were very happy to see each other. Mark and Cindy were flying out of Cincinnati on Monday morning after a visit to a graduation in West Virginia. They met us at the airport and gave us a ride back to the Hilton where we left our car parked.

Although sleepy, I made the one hour drive from the airport back to the house where we went straight to bed, We would unpack and do laundry on Monday but it was after 11 pm and we had been up since 5 am in Germany which was 11 pm Eastern. We are too old for these 24 hour days!

We had a great time on this trip and having Peter with us made it very special. We wanted this to be his trip and to be something that he will remember about us after we are gone. We wanted him to experience another culture and have a broad perspective. We were very proud of him trying different foods that he had never tried in the US. He was willing to try everything and actually really liked several German food items. We were proud of his manners while traveling especially when he offered his seat on the train to an older person. Although we didn’t put a limit on things he could buy or money he could spend, he was very conservative with his requests and wanted to buy things for his family, especially his brother. He loved the pocket camera that we bought for him before the trip. He took well over 2000 pictures, mostly of himself making faces but a lot of sites that he wanted to remember. We are hopeful that we can have successful travel with his brother and cousins when they complete fifth grade.

Sachenhausen concentration camp

"Works makes you free"

We were up early to get the train to Sachenhausen concentration camp. Breakfast wasn’t started until 7:30 on Saturday at the Adina Hotel. While the breakfast buffet was good, the breakfast at Eden Hotel Wolff in Munich was better. Part of it is that we just like Bavarian food better than food from most other places in Germany.

Wall and barbed wire

After breakfast, we returned to the room to change clothes. Since the Sachenhausen concentration camp is a somber place, we felt that it would be inappropriate to go in shorts and t-shirts. We took a short subway trip to Friedrichstraße then changed to a train going to Oranienburg for 45 minutes. After leaving the Oranienburg station, we caught a bus for a short ride to the concentration camp. This camp housed prisoners who were Jewish, dissenters, work-shy, gypsies, disabled persons, homosexuals, and others considered undesirable by the Nazi government. The museum had chairs with straps where prisoners were beaten, sometimes to death, for infractions of the camp rules. There was a gallows where prisoners were hung while other prisoners were forced to watch as a lesson for conformity to the rules. Most of the barracks are no longer standing since materials for the structures were scavenged after the war. However, the infirmary, kitchen and laundry barracks remain standing.  There was a wall surrounding the camp with guard towers spaced along the wall.  Inside the wall were several layers of barbed wire.

Restored infirmary barracks

The medical care received by prisoners was less about preserving lives than allowing young German doctors to practice on the prisoners. Surgeries were sometimes unnecessarily performed so doctors could get experience. Inmates who died or were killed had their bodies dissected in the mortuary area for the education of the staff. Medical supplies were constantly in shortage for the needs of the prisoners.

Shoe test track surrounding the role call area

Near the area for the twice daily roll call, there was a shoe testing area. Prisoners would be required to wear shoes that we being developed for the German military. These shoes were seldom the correct size for the prisoners. They would be forced to walk many miles around the camp in the shoes so the leaders could assess the quality of the shoes and the durability of the shoes to hold up to a variety of terrain.

Execution trench

Although Sachenhausen wasn’t a death camp on the order of Auschwitz and some of the others, many prisoners were murdered here. Some were beaten to death, others hung and there was an execution trench just outside the barracks. Sometimes prisoners were shackled and shot, other times they would be placed in a device to measure height and a guard would be behind to shoot the prisoner at the base of the skull. There were mass burial areas adjacent to the execution trench for the bodies of those killed. The visit to the camp was a very sobering experience but we were glad that we could expose Peter to the history of the war. The camp continued to be used by the Soviets as Special Camp for Germans who had participated in the war, whether or not they had been convicted by a Soviet tribunal.

When we left the camp around noon, we saw that the next bus to the Oranienburg station would not arrive for 45 minutes, so we got lunch at a nearby café. Peter had a hot dog that was over a foot long on a large roll. Mary and I had Apfelschorle which is a blend of apple juice and sparkling water. Peter was very pleased with his meal. We have been very happy that he has been adventurous enough to try a variety of German food and has enjoyed many more than we expected.

Poppy blooming outside the Sachenhausen gate

As we waited for the bus, a group from an Italian tour group arrived. They were very loud and mostly rude. Many of them were smoking so we tried to stay upwind from them. Back at the train station in Oranienburg we quickly boarded the train for Fredrichstraße which took less than an hour. While we were on the train an older couple boarded and saw that all of the seats were taken. I gave my seat to the lady. When a man boarded using two canes, Peter offered the man his seat. The gentleman was appreciative but refused the seat. I was very proud of Peter for his concern.

At Fredrichstraße we went up to street level where we found an Aldi market on the lower level of one of the street buildings. Since we were leaving early tomorrow, we knew that the Adina Hotel breakfast would be unavailable. We bought rolls, cold cuts, cheese, hummus and pretzels for breakfast. We also bought several packages of Haribo items including gummy bears. Peter wanted to take them back as gifts. I got a large bottle of Apfelschole to sip this evening before bed as well as in the morning.

After taking a short subway back to Invalidenpark, we went to a small market and got Peter an ice cream to have up in the room before bed. We finished packing, showered and prepared for an early bedtime. Our flight to JFK boarded at 8:50 am and we knew that we would have multiple layers of security to navigate before we get to the gate.

While packing we had to screen Peter’s luggage. He had packed several glass drink bottles that we had from prior meals, as well as   a pair of Knipex channel lock type pliers he picked up someplace. Those items were not permitted in his luggage. We decided to check all of our bags except our backpacks since we would have 5 hours in JFK and there was nothing in the larger bags that was important or valuable. 

Reichstag Building

We decided to take the night tour on the Hop-on, Hop-off bus so we took a streetcar to the meeting point near Alexanderplatz.  Since we had a little time, we looked for someplace to get a small meal.  We decided on a KFC, Korean Fried Chicken.  We found the chicken to have a lot of fat and gristle, probably wing meat and not especially tasty.  None of us finished the meal.  

Not surprisingly knowing German precision, the bus left promptly at 6 pm.  Using the earbuds provided, we heard a narrative about each area of Berlin and many of the major buildings and historic locations.  We were back at the meeting spot by 7 pm then caught the streetcar back to Invalidenpark near the Adina Hotel.

After our baths, we went to sleep quickly and slept well.