My particular interests are racing cars, history, and architecture. The major opportunities on my route are Indianapolis and Columbus IN, and Louisville and Lexington KY. The "must" stop for me in Indianapolis is the Speedway Museum. (There is a small Kurt Vonnegut museum in Indianapolis too. It was his home town and he wrote about it often.) Columbus, which I haven't visited yet, is famous for its architecture. The Miller family, co-founders of Cummins Diesel, put up several nationally known modernistic buildings and homes, including the Cummins corporate headquarters.
Louisville is on the Falls of the Ohio, where navigation was interrupted before the 1800's. (Early explorers portaged around the rapids; later travelers took a day-long stagecoach ride around.) It also has a couple of Plantations, one owned by Joshua Speed, who was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln's in their youth, pro-slavery, and instrumental in keeping Kentucky in the Union during the Civil War.
I haven't toured Lexington yet. As a history buff, I want to see Ashland, the home of Henry Clay, who was a fascinating bundle of contradictions. He was one of the most powerful men in Congress for four decades and a 4-time unsuccessful candidate for President. And the Mary Todd Lincoln house, home of the Todds, who were movers and shakers in Lexington for decades. After I've ransacked Lexington, I'll Google Knoxville and Oak Ridge.
Most Dragon fans know there are other interesting drives and things to see in the area: the dams, Cherohala Skyway, Tellico TN, Bryson City NC, Great Smoky National Park itself, and Gatlinburg. If you have a week to spend near the Dragon, you can pack considerable variety into your trip.
Most Dragon fans know there are other interesting drives and things to see in the area: the dams, Cherohala Skyway, Tellico TN, Bryson City NC, Great Smoky National Park itself, and Gatlinburg. If you have a week to spend near the Dragon, you can pack considerable variety into your trip.
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