Harrodsburg....

....Kentucky, antiques and horses, in this part of the state,

and being a County Seat, makes this town relate;

to its place in the great scheme of things,

its a business center, seeing what daily life brings.

Small towns like Harrodsburg are common in the great land,
people who live here never fail to lend a hand,
there'll be a parade today, down this Main Street,
to honor those who gave their lives, it's an honor, sweet!

Top: Main Street, ready for a parade

Middle: Scenic cruise on a nearby lake

Bottom: Horses enjoy life on a Harrodsburg farm

Elizabethtown....

....Kentucky, just south of Fort Knox,
pretty town here, a lot in a few blocks,
many great features, and walking abounds;
all near nature, fresh air and bird sounds.

History too, makes its home here,

local legends and real people, from far and near,

George A. Custer, General lived here,
commanded some troops - soon to face fear.

Top:  From the citys' web-site

Middle: One of many walking trails, there are over 30 miles!

Bottom: Freeman Lake, reached by a walking trail.

Frankfort....

.....Kentucky, small population, big mission in the race,

it's the Capitol of Kentucky important in its place;

and there are distilleries here that are making...
..bourbon, which is not free, but for the taking.

The Kentucky River flow through town,
and Elk Horn Creek too, where fish abound,
there's plenty of country that surrounds with grace;
with hiking, bike riding and kayak in place.

Top: A view from above, Kentucky River on the left, capitol in center.

Middle: Downtown Frankfort

Bottom: Elk Horn Creek

Dry Ridge....

....Kentucky, a living example of the small town life,

each important in its own way, some have strife;

it's important for us to see,

if it weren't for places like this, there'd be no you or me.

Sure people drive to work at some distant place,

but when they come home, it's a slower pace;

or they work on the farm, daylight to dark,

feeding us all, that's no walk in the park.

Top: An aerial view of Dry Ridge

Middle: The Colored School, being renovated as a museum

Bottom: A small town benefit!

Milford....

....Ohio, Ol' Larry lived here once,

graduated from high school, not the school dunce;

this town has sure changed a lot,

another small town gone, it's what the interstate brought.

Of course, things were simpler then,

now people can remember what might have been;

small towns seem to disappear,

some grow large, for the others shed a tear.

Top: Several views of the town.

Middle: Ol' Larrys former high school, there's a new one now.

Bottom: Downtown, hasn't changed too much.

Dayton...

....Ohio, what a busy place we see,
a city that has earned it's place in history.
Dayton is the home of the Wright brothers and their plane,

and the Air Force Museum, where it can be explain(ed).

There are many companies in Dayton that made a contribution...
to the war effort in WW2, one really helped the nation;
NCR made the Navy Bombe, enigma code breaking machine,
truly a wonder of its time, it's in a museum now, where it can be seen.

Top: Some views of Dayton

Middle: The Wright Brothers in North Carolina

Bottom: The Navy Bombe enigma, code breaking machine. (It was really a sort of mechanical "computer"

Piqua....

....Ohio, home of the Mill Brothers and Bill Lear,
something for everyone, if you look carefully here;
airplane propellers, and long underwear,
so when you're looking, please look with care.

Right on the Miami-Erie Canal, that was used to deliver,
lots of goods between Lake Erie and the Ohio River;
long narrow boats pulled by mules at four miles an hour,
gave way to the railroads, steam and diesel power.

Top: A section of Main Street, Piqua

Middle: Restored Canal Boat on the remaining section of canal

Bottom: Piqua from the air

Lima...

....Ohio, home of the M2 Abrams tank,

so the Army has Lima to thank.

A county seat, a busy place;

not too bad, want to join the race?

Also home to the longest lasting Servicemans Free Canteen,

1942-1970 WW2 to Vietnam, and all the years between,

it served four million troops, with coffee,

87,000 gallons of it - all free!

Top:  The City of Lima, downtown
Middle: Pennsylvania Station, home of the Canteen
Bottom: An M2 Abrams Tank, only one of Limas' products.

North Baltimore....

....Ohio, a small town, with a lot going on,
manufacturers of parts for bridges or stuff for your lawn,
once a oil town, but that didn't last,
good for a few years, now a thing of the past.

This, part of Ohio, Northwestern, is busy at times,
they seem to make everything, from packings to chimes,
the railroad still runs and that's pretty neat;
nice little town, may history repeat.

NOTE: The computer is still in the shop, this posting MAY
be intermittent until something is up and running.  Thanks
for holding on.   Larry and Tehachapi

There..

...will be no posting today.  This old computer is too cantankerous and shuts itself off at random.
The good news:  My good computer should be ready to roll by Sunday...see you then
Tehachape

Toledo...

....Ohio, site of a war between two states,

in 1835, Michigan and Ohio had different slates;

the militias were at the border, but little blood was shed,
a sheriff's deputy was cut, no one was dead.

The deputy was stabbed by Two Stickney,
during the arrest of his brother One Stickney.
Don't you love those names? What history has made,
makes the likes of me and you, look like walking in the shade.

I had to share that story of the Stickney brothers,
but if more reseach was done, I'm sure there are others.
Like the Mud Hens Klinger liked on the MASH TV show,
in a city this big, too many ways to go!

Top: Toledo as seen from the Maumee River

Middle: The Toledo Mud Hens logo

Bottom: Goodnight from Toledo

Ypsalanti......

....Michigan, an automotive town,
home to some famous brands, that are no longer around,
Tucker, Hudson, Kaiser-Frazier, these are a few,
I have my favorites, how about you?

Some parts of town have been resurrected,
and a lot of that is worth being inspected;
vibrant and alive, it is the living past,
this is a part of life that certainly should last.

Top: A 'hot' Hudson, in early NASCR days, this one actually raced.

Middle: Restored Depot Town, a downtown area, very nice.

Bottom: A 1948 Tucker, so advanced it never made it.

Flint...

....Michigan, a City reinventing itself,
time to put the Buick Plant on the shelf,
that plant is gone, it's been torn down,
there's something new coming to this busy town.

It's got lots to offer, here on the Flint River,

there's lots of things here ready to deliver;
everyone's welcome, noone's left out,
all they need now is a reason to shout!

Top: Some Flint attractions

Middle: When General Motors abandoned Flint

Bottom: The City and Flint River

Saginaw....

...Michigan, the city made famous in song,
catchy name, catch title, there was nothing wrong,
it's also caught in the economic drain,
but things are picking up again.

I was born in Saginaw Michigan
I grew up in a house on Saginaw bay
My father was a hardworking Saginaw fisherman
Too man times he came home with too little pay.
             From the song "Saginaw Michigan"  sung by Lefty Frizzell

Top:  Downtown in winter.
Middle: Sunrise on Lake Huron.
Bottom: An autumn walk on the shoreline.

Au Gres...

....Michigan, on Saginaw Bay,
a town where tourists like to come play,
the town owned campground is busy in summer,
and the footbridge to downtown, shown above, make access no bummer.

The fish are biting, all year 'round,
they're big and fat, had to beat pound for pound,
walleye and perch, I don't know what more,
they're out in Lake Huron, but not far from shore.

Top: The camp to town footbridge

Middle: A lucky fisherman shows his catch.

Bottom: Charity Island Light, the "keepers" house is falling in, a group is trying to save it.  Built in 1857, it's worth the effort.

Oscoda....

....Michigan, on the Au Sable River,
lumberjacks here are ready to deliver,
BUT their claim to Paul Bunyan,
is to Ol'Larry pure Bald Onion!

The town has beauty, in places and more,
a sand beach on the Inland Sea shore,
this is Lake Huron, at it's very best,
for the past couple of days, a good place to rest.

Top:  The Au Sable River at Oscoda.
Middle: The Oscoda Park beach on Lake Huron.
Bottom: The walkway near Foote Dam, a hydro-power project.
Note:  The photos weren't well behaved today!

A Note...

Tehachape Pete has been away, the post will resume on Saturday, May 25th.

Alpena...

....Michigan, our first visit to a Lake Huron town,
we've moved to the sunrise side of the state after going through the crown;
This is the place where cement blocks were invented;
and the Besser company keeps making machines, unended.

The harbor stays busy, when the ice is not around,
and opportunities for tourist just seem to abound,
for a serious walker, there is the Alpena-Bi Path, all along Thunder Bay,
it stretches more than sixteen miles, lots to see along the way.

Top:  Outer Harbor Light on Thunder Bay
Middle:  Alpena viewed from a nearby hill, the large building is the Besser plant.
Bottom:  Looking out to Thunder Bay and a foggy morning

Marquette.....

...Michigan, on Lake Superior, is very near the top...
...of the country, and it's not just a whistle stop.
A busy shipping port, for enriched iron ore,
eight million tons are shipped, that's not too poor.

Fifth snowiest town in the lower forty-eight,
141 annual inches, that's a lot, but it's great...
...for snowmobilers who like to ride,
and it's a source, of Marquette's local pride.

Top:  Marquette viewed from a nearby hill.
Middle: Presque Isle Point Park, near the shipping pier.
Bottom:  Marquette Point Lighthouse.

Mackinaw City....

....Michigan, a town on the edge it seems,
only a few in winter, in the summer it teems...
..with tourists - who, want to see,
the town and the island, on out great "inland seas."

This is the southern end of the Mackinac Straits bridge,
the other end lands on the Upper Peninsula edge.
to go to the island you'd take a ferry,
or snowmobile in winter, but it would be scarey.

Top: The Mackinac Straits Bridge - southern end.
Middle: The Lighthouse Point Light (notice it's made completely of stone).
Bottom: The Village of Mackinac Island, no motor vehicles allowed, only horse carriages, bicycles or snowmobiles in the winter.  The entire village is on the National Historic Register.