2011-43 National Corvette Museum, Kentucky & Amish Acres, Indiana
Hello
All,
It was mid-July when we arrived back home in Alabama and the heat and humidity gently touched our bodies—sort of like someone hitting you between the eyes with a two by four! August was even hotter and we just couldn’t stand it any longer. So, we hopped in our car and started heading north. We knew if we kept going north we would eventually find a cooler dryer climate. Our plan was to have no plan. We would play it by ear and check out places that caught our eye and looked interesting, but had no firm plan or itinerary.
Departing Alabama we proceeded north following I-65 through Tennessee into Kentucky. Near Bowling Green, Kentucky, we passed a sign advertising the National Corvette Museum. We needed a break from driving and a little exercise so we decided to stop and check it out. The museum showcases the Chevrolet Corvette sports car that has been in production since 1953. The museum was built and opened to the public in 1994. It is located only a quarter mile from the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, where Corvettes have been made since 1981.
There are over 70 different models of Corvettes on display at the museum. For each model there were many different cars in a multitude of colors exhibited. Anything and everything a person would ever want to know about a Corvette from the first production model to present day models are readily available. It was fun drooling over certain ones on display as we all seem to have our favorite years of production.
It was mid-July when we arrived back home in Alabama and the heat and humidity gently touched our bodies—sort of like someone hitting you between the eyes with a two by four! August was even hotter and we just couldn’t stand it any longer. So, we hopped in our car and started heading north. We knew if we kept going north we would eventually find a cooler dryer climate. Our plan was to have no plan. We would play it by ear and check out places that caught our eye and looked interesting, but had no firm plan or itinerary.
Departing Alabama we proceeded north following I-65 through Tennessee into Kentucky. Near Bowling Green, Kentucky, we passed a sign advertising the National Corvette Museum. We needed a break from driving and a little exercise so we decided to stop and check it out. The museum showcases the Chevrolet Corvette sports car that has been in production since 1953. The museum was built and opened to the public in 1994. It is located only a quarter mile from the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, where Corvettes have been made since 1981.
There are over 70 different models of Corvettes on display at the museum. For each model there were many different cars in a multitude of colors exhibited. Anything and everything a person would ever want to know about a Corvette from the first production model to present day models are readily available. It was fun drooling over certain ones on display as we all seem to have our favorite years of production.
Here
are a few of the many concept cars they had on display.
This
was racecar driver A.J. Foyt’s Corvette.
This
1965 Corvette had an interesting story attached to it. In 1970 the 29-year old
owner parked the car outside a honky-tonk located in middle Tennessee. When he
returned to where the car was parked after a night on the town, he discovered
it was stolen. At the time of the theft it was worth $2,200. The owner’s
insurance had lapsed just prior to the theft so he never received a paid claim
for it.
Thirty-nine years later the owner got a call from a detective in Scottsdale, Arizona, informing him that his stolen Corvette had been found. The car was discovered when a collector, who bought the car for $65,000, took it to the Department of Motor Vehicles for an inspection. The inspector ran the serial number through the National Insurance Claim Bureau, and it came up stolen in 1970.
Detectives tracked the car back to California, and then to New Jersey in 2000. The business in New Jersey that sold it is now closed so they will never be able to figure out who stole the car. It is thought the completely restored Corvette spent years as part of various collector’s stock. Now it is back in the hands of the now 68-year old owner. After nearly four decades the car is now worth thirty times what it was the year it was stolen.
Thirty-nine years later the owner got a call from a detective in Scottsdale, Arizona, informing him that his stolen Corvette had been found. The car was discovered when a collector, who bought the car for $65,000, took it to the Department of Motor Vehicles for an inspection. The inspector ran the serial number through the National Insurance Claim Bureau, and it came up stolen in 1970.
Detectives tracked the car back to California, and then to New Jersey in 2000. The business in New Jersey that sold it is now closed so they will never be able to figure out who stole the car. It is thought the completely restored Corvette spent years as part of various collector’s stock. Now it is back in the hands of the now 68-year old owner. After nearly four decades the car is now worth thirty times what it was the year it was stolen.
We
found this huge mural of one of the original Corvettes to be a masterful piece
of artwork even though the car was somewhat distorted. At first glance you
would never guess the medium being used to create it. In our eyes whoever made
it was very talented.
Okay,
here is a close up of a section of the mural. It is made from photos of
Corvette owners and their cars.
In
addition to the Corvettes, the museum had a collection of pristine old classic
cars--all of which were Chevrolets of course.
This
1936 pickup was known as a Canopy Express. It was based on the popular half-ton
FB-series and includes the optional canvass canopy top and side curtains. 1936
was a big year for Chevrolet with truck registrations topping 200,000 for the
first time.
Our
short stretch break at the Corvette Museum suddenly became hours of
exploration. We found it to be quite interesting but there came a point where
we had to say goodbye and hit the road.
We continued following I-65 north and crossed the border into Indiana where we stopped at their Welcome Center.
At the Welcome Center we looked at the various brochures advertising places of interest. One such brochure Barb found talked about a place called Amish Acres in Nappanee, IN, where there was a round barn. Since we photograph barns throughout the country this became a must see for us, as a round barn would be a new first. So we set the GPS for Nappanee, and off we went.
Amish Acres is a 138-year old 80-acre farm homestead. The center point is the Stahly-Nissley-Kuhns Farmstead, the only Amish farm listed in The National Register of Historic Places.
Widow Barbara Stahly and her five sons migrated to the area from Germany in 1839, likely making them the first Amish settlers in Indiana. By 1873 son Christian had acquired eighty acres of land to build a house and barn for his son Moses. This was a year before the village of Nappanee was established. From that beginning the main house was built in 1893. Noah Nissley, his wife’s father, purchased the farm from Moses and at his retirement, in turn sold it to his son-in-law Nanasses Kuhns. From the Kuhns’ estate the farm was purchased for the purpose of preserving the buildings and traditions of the three generations of Amish families who lived on and tilled the land. After a year of restoration Amish Acres opened to the public in 1970.
Here are some of the old farm buildings. Some have been converted into various shops for catering to guests visiting.
We continued following I-65 north and crossed the border into Indiana where we stopped at their Welcome Center.
At the Welcome Center we looked at the various brochures advertising places of interest. One such brochure Barb found talked about a place called Amish Acres in Nappanee, IN, where there was a round barn. Since we photograph barns throughout the country this became a must see for us, as a round barn would be a new first. So we set the GPS for Nappanee, and off we went.
Amish Acres is a 138-year old 80-acre farm homestead. The center point is the Stahly-Nissley-Kuhns Farmstead, the only Amish farm listed in The National Register of Historic Places.
Widow Barbara Stahly and her five sons migrated to the area from Germany in 1839, likely making them the first Amish settlers in Indiana. By 1873 son Christian had acquired eighty acres of land to build a house and barn for his son Moses. This was a year before the village of Nappanee was established. From that beginning the main house was built in 1893. Noah Nissley, his wife’s father, purchased the farm from Moses and at his retirement, in turn sold it to his son-in-law Nanasses Kuhns. From the Kuhns’ estate the farm was purchased for the purpose of preserving the buildings and traditions of the three generations of Amish families who lived on and tilled the land. After a year of restoration Amish Acres opened to the public in 1970.
Here are some of the old farm buildings. Some have been converted into various shops for catering to guests visiting.
Below
is a photo of the house and the original barn that were the center point of the
farm.
If
you weren’t up to walking you could tour the farm in a horse drawn wagon with
an authentic Amish wagoner at the lead. Here is a photo of him coming around to
pick up another load of passengers.
To
our surprise, the round barn at Amish Acres brings to the area the best of
Broadway’s Golden Age of Musical Theatre. The Round Barn Theatre was created
from a 1911 round barn that was dismantled and resurrected at the historic
farmstead to become a resident repertory theatre. Over a hundred Broadway
musicals have been produced over the last 25 years. It is a full performing
arts venue with its own scenic and costume shop, rehearsal space, and
employs a full time technical staff, including artistic director and stage
manager, along with sound and set designers.
Playing during the time we were there was a musical titled “The Ring of Fire.” It featured the music of famed country western singer Johnny Cash.
Playing during the time we were there was a musical titled “The Ring of Fire.” It featured the music of famed country western singer Johnny Cash.
We enjoyed our visit at Amish Acres but
it was time to move further down the road. Temperatures were better than those
of the deep south but still a little warm for our blood. Our next state to
explore would be Michigan, but we’ll fill you in on our adventures there in our
next little blurb.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns