February 24th, 2018 - Jim Beam Distillery to Ft Campbell

In the morning we left Winchester and headed to Ft Campbell by way of Clermont, KY, home of the Jim Beam Distillery.  After looking online and finding out that we needed to reserve a tour 2 days early, we took a chance to see if we could get a walk on tour..  We arrived about 10:22 and got on the 10:30 tour of the plant.  First the rules for Bourbon.  The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 C.F.R. 5) state that bourbon made for U.S. consumption must be: Produced in the United States. Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn. Aged in new, charred oak containers. Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume) 

 With that out of the way, we continued the tour.  The mixture basically is taking the mash mixture and distilling it up to certain percentage standards to meet the US requirements above.   

 Below, Danny explained the process of getting the resulting product into further production.  Before it is put into barrels, it is clear and gets its color from the wood charred barrel.

 They have 15 vats on site each holding 25000 gallons.

 In this building, a "small batch" was created.  Now, small batches are still made although now, the building houses the control center for the whole process.

 The aging process is important to a fine product.

 
After each barrel has spent anywhere from 2 to 15 years, or even more in barrels, the bourbon is emptied from the barrel into a container to measure how much is produced. Some of the alcohol has evaporated over the years and in some cases a 35 gallon barrel may produce as little as 10 gallons (rare).

 

 Because the barrel is charred before the bourbon is put in, there is frequently charcoal in the barrel.

 A sample was poured...to smell only while he held the glass.

In the bottling room we had a unique opportunity.

 Choose our empty bottle, mark it with a colored sticky dot, rinse it with bourbon to clean it...

 put your bottle on the line, watch the bottles being filled, capped, and labeled, ready for pick up back at the gift shop.

 At one time, they used to bottle the bourbon in special containers to increase sales.  Although no longer done, some of the containers have become collectables, demanding a good price.

  The Rainbow Trout container...

 and the PGA container.

 Although Jim Beam sells different bourbons, they all start from the same recipe, and leave the final results up to the temperature and amount of years that it is stored.  In this chart as an example, the bourbon sold under the Knob Creek label is taken from the locations in the lighter X shaped area.

 The 13 million and 14 million barrels produced. (April 2014 and May 2016)

 We finished the tour in the tasting room.  After viewing the different varieties sold, we were given a card with a chip in it that allowed us to taste up to 1.5 ounces in 3 different pours...and a shot glass.

 Yes, Grammie went back to school and received her Mixology Degree...or was it just a bartender?

 Alice and Jim Beam, the 4th in a line of 7 Master Distillers.

Over the years, production has resulted in 80 buildings for storage in the process.  They are not in the same location as a fire in a building would only take about 7 or 8 minutes to destroy the building.

Thanks for following Grammie.

February 23, 2018 - Charleston WV Capitol tour.

What started as a quiet day had it's ups and downs.  We left Morgantown in a little bit of rain and reached Charleston, WV to visit our 33rd State Capitol.  When we arrived, the city looked busier than usual...and it was.
Trying to find a parking spot near the Capitol, we drove down Kanawha Boulevard and were greeted by hundreds of teachers, many whom were holding signs.  Of course we had to come back through the same street to continue looking for a spot. 

Finally finding a spot several hundreds of yards away, we met up with 3 teachers and found out they were there protesting the negotiations with the PEIA (Public Employees Insurance Association) One of the first posters we saw was... "don't hurt me, I covered by PEIA".  Tom asked if this was their vacation and the answer was No, we are on strike.  The schools in West Virginia were closed for 2 days because of the strike. Still planning to visit the capitol building we saw a line of teachers at the security entrance for the building.

 Not wanting to stand in line, we went into the West Virginia State Museum right next door.  In what might seem like a timely display,  Tom noticed this quilt.  To those who might initially look and turn around, it wasn't what you might think.  This quilt was done by Ella Martin in 1933 and presented to President Roosevelt as her appreciation for his policies for Women  through the National Recovery Administration. (NRA).

Once we crossed to go into the Capitol, the previous line was gone and we quickly got through security.  Once we got to the Rotunda area, the noise had greatly intensified.  Both chambers of legislature are on different sides of the rotunda, but still on the same floor.  There was someone up front, near the door to the chamber, who was leading the cheering and jeering aimed at the legislators.

 Tom took a picture of one of the posters while Alice introduced to one of the ladies.  

  Once they found out we were teachers, she turned and told a cameraman for channel 59 news who immediately wanted to know if either one of us would speak into the camera for the news.  Nope, even though we supported the teachers, this story wasn't about us.

 Down the hall, outside the other chambers, more teachers, and more noise.

 The people that we talked to agreed that the building was beautiful, but were also agreeable that the people who worked there were not for teachers needs.

Outside was a statue commemorating West Virginia who was the first of 2 states that entered the Union during the Civil War.

Back out in front of the building where we first saw the crowd, there were more cheers for those that drove by with horns blaring and thumbs up in a show of support.

 Close to noontime, many were taking a break on the stairs or headed somewhere for lunch.

 An inscription just below the dome.

 More teachers supporting their cause.

 Although there were many teachers from all over the state, there were also children there as they had no school also.  Tom's vote for the poster of the day done by a child.

Across the Kanawha River is the University of Charleston. Would you believe that they offer Undergraduate Degrees in Elementary, Secondary, and Special Education Programs. You don't suppose they got the idea that their education doesn't matter to legislators do you.

 Although not quite the Capitol tour that we envisioned, we did see education happening.

Oh yeah, Where's Grammie? We'll try for a good picture tomorrow.

Teachers at the State Capitol

February 19-20, 2018

Yesterday we left home is search of warmer weather to run some errands.  Pick up some suntan lotion in New Orleans, catch a few suns rays in Texas and visit another National Park or 2 or 3 or 4. 
We stopped in Danvers and Joan and Tom started in earnest, the planning of a future trip to the ancestral motherland.
Today we ended up in New Jersey where a small family gathering of cousins occurred. By the end of the afternoon we managed to get a picture of all of the "double troubles".  Pictures were shared...as well as family stories, and history.  A fun day.  Thanks for sharing.

September 21 and 22, 2017 - Latrobe, PA

Hi everyone.
We left Morgantown early Thursday to get up to Latrobe, PA where Tom made a commitment for a friend that involved caddying for 2 rounds of golf.  It was an all day commitment, and ended up being a little tiring. 

By the time this picture was taken, Tom had already walked 18 holes, had lunch and was preparing for another 18 holes.

Thursday evening we had an evening meal up at the clubhouse.  Every wall had pictures of Arnold Palmer taken with many famous personalities, displayed on the walls.

...and display cases of trophies he had won throughout his career.

Thursday evening, we stayed at one of the houses nearby so that Tom could get up early.  There was enough room for a small gathering on the property...as well as enough room for a larger gathering.

Out on the back deck, there is a view of one of the Tee boxes.  Too bad it wasn't the first hole as Tom had to walk to get there.

On Friday, Tom got up early, and happily, to play golf at the same course that he caddied at the day before.  The first hole at Latrobe looking down over the hill.

The 18th hole looking up at the clubhouse. 

Up on the left side of the 18th hole, there is a carving of a tree stump in the likeness of Arnold's father, "Deke".

Tom had a good day at golf and shot a 79...that is if you subtracted the 10 strokes that Arnie's greens cost him on the slick and curvy greens.

After the morning's adventure, we headed off to Carlisle for the evening stop.  On Saturday, we will be doing our last long day on the road.  We will be visiting some college friends in Connecticut.

Thanks for checking out where Grammie has been.

September 17, 2017

Hi everyone.  We are finally in the Eastern Time Zone, about 850 miles from home, and just a couple of more quilt shops to visit and golf courses to play.
On the 15th, we left Hannibal MO, but not until another visit to the downtown area.
We wanted to see the Molly Brown Museum, the birthplace of the Unsinkable Molly Brown of Titanic fame, but is only open during the summer tourist season.

We went downtown and separated ways, Alice to fabric shops and Tom just browsing.  On the way back towards the van, we were walking back to the van on opposite sides of the street, Alice not knowing that Tom was on the other side.  Just before Alice got back to the car, Tom pushed the Panic button on his car key FOB.  As Alice was digging for her key, Tom happened to notice a guy sitting on a bench, having a good chuckle about Alice, all the time waiting for his wife at another fabric store that Alice was heading towards. Tom sat down besides Jerry...and Jerry, the other guy and Tom spent about a half hour just chatting.  Alice came back out first and we told Jerry about the Missouri Star Quilt Company we had been to.  In a few minutes, his wife came out and Alice started to tell Jerry's wife about the quilt stores in Hamilton.  They started chatting, walking down the street towards another shop, and Jerry and Tom continued chatting.  When they got back we all chatted for a few more minutes and just as we were about to get up, Alice mentioned something about the Ice Cream Store right behind us.  Tom said that he felt like Forrest Gump, sitting on the bench all the time and the Ice Cream store was right behind him.

This picture is not of Jerry, but probably someone that does Mark Twain talks during the tourist season.

We wanted to see more of the Mississippi River and took off towards Louisville on a winding road.

Headed towards St Louis, we drove by the Arch where we had been before in 2012. We spent the night at Scott Air Force Base and had our evening meal at Food Truck night.  Vendors come to the base with trucks selling all sorts of food.  We sat and chatted with another couple (retired military) who try to do a 10K run in each state.

Driving through the city, there were several signs updating the reason we like to live in the country.

Last night, 16th, we spent the evening in Cincinnati visiting with a former student, Cincinnati Jane, and husband Dave.  After catching up a bit, questions were asked about former classmates/students, and out came the yearbooks.  It was a good evening.  Thanks Jane

Today, we arrived in Morgantown, WV for the next 4 nights.  After checking into our room, we looked out the back deck, and there was a golf course.  Who knew. 😉

Supper, shopping, and now watching the Ken Burns special on Vietnam.  Thanks for keeping a lookout for Grammie.