I arrived back home shortly before 5PM on Sunday afternoon (Eastern time) and have mostly unpacked, done laundry, and received an extended royal welcome with lots of bays and yips from Maggie – she was so excited!
Drove to downtown Paducah before leaving town, checked out the murals painted on the Ohio River levee, and saw where the National Quilt Museum is located. It’s quite a nice downtown area, and I didn’t realize until today that the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers also empty into the Ohio near Paducah, which explains why it has been such an important city.
Took I-24 to the Hopkinsville exit and took my nephew’s advice on a couple of things to see. There is a large Amish community in the Hopkinsville area, and I was able to see 4 horse drawn buggies which made up for not seeing any back in Iowa. One of the horses was practically prancing along the shoulder.
The next stop was near the birthplace of Jefferson Davis in the Fairview community east of Hopkinsville. He was the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War. A monument was built between 1917-1924 that is a replica of the Washington Monument in DC. The dimensions are precisely the same.
Continued east to Bowling Green and then headed south on US231 until I reached Lebanon, TN. It turns out to be a quaint little downtown with a great restaurant called “Town Square Social”. After lunch I connected with I-840 to bypass Nashville and then took I-24 to Chattanooga, I-75 from Chattanooga to Calhoun, and then GA53 from Calhoun home.
The side trips that added extra miles both on the way up and back home were worth it. The reentry process has begun with unpacking and laundry. It is difficult to believe I was gone for 3.5 weeks! Thanks for joining me on the journey. Once I have a chance to reflect there may be one additional post.
Photo albums:
If you are interested in seeing more pictures, you can view the three albums that contain nearly all pictures I took.
Here are all the photos from the route since leaving Rapid City: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YpchiigLWGgqiEZr5
Here are the pictures from the days in Rapid City and surrounding area: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RMkTwYNHX5pdwy2E6
And finally, here are the pictures from the journey from Georgia to South Dakota: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ELhb6pWuS3YVLNGs9
Mileage update:
Miles driven from Paducah, KY to Home: 417.5
Total so far: 4,385.8 miles
Photo gallery:
Top row: Paducah: mural wall and National Quilt Museum
2nd row: Jefferson Davis birthplace monument
3rd row: Lebanon, TN and odometer reading
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