Hickory Hollow RV Park, Somerset, PA:  Awoke this morning to the patter of raindrops.  Drizzled on an off.  After lunch we drove to the quaint little town of Somerset and went to the library to use their wi-fi.  After that we roamed around this cute and immaculate little town.  Back home and relaxed the rest of the day.

Kings Bridge--originally built in 1802

Mon, 6-11:
Hickory Hollow RV Park, Somerset, PA:  Left this morning under cloudy skies heading to Fallingwater.  A beautiful drive through beautiful, scenic jungle.  Fallingwater sits on 1500 pristine acres of hardwood forest lush with rhododendron and mountain laurel.  This beautiful home was started in 1936 and is considered Frank Lloyd Wright’s most widely acclaimed work.  It was built for Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann as a weekend home.  Much to the Kaufmann’s surprise, Wright designed the house to rise above the waterfall rather than facing it.  And the house and grounds were entrusted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963 by Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. with its setting, original furnishings and artwork intact.  There are original Picasso’s and Audubon’s in the house along with lots of Tiffany glass and other works of art.  But the house is the real art with its setting cascading down the hill right over the stream and falls.  Very dramatic.  Stopped for a late lunch in a little town on the Old National Road and then back home.

Fallingwater

Built right over a waterfall on the Bear Run

Rhododendron in bloom

Sun, 6-10:
KOA Columbus, OH, to Hickory Hollow RV Park, Somerset, PA:  Left this morning a little after 9:00 and continued east on I70 through the pretty rolling hills of eastern Ohio, then over the Ohio River into W. Virginia for about 12 miles and then into southwestern Pennsylvania.  Stopped in PA for fuel and food and then we continued east on I70.  The entrance ramps on I70 in PA are very scary.  There’s no long lane so you can merge gradually.  It comes to a stop and you have to gun it to get into traffic—just like Atlanta used to be when I first moved there.  Very dangerous.  Atlanta has done away with them.  Apparently, PA hasn’t.  We were glad when we got off on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  This area of Pennsylvania is beautiful though.  Very hilly with lush forests and pretty streams.  We exited in Somerset, PA, which is a beautiful little town with lots of old, historic buildings in the little downtown area and lots of large, historic homes with immaculately manicured lawns and beautifully kept flower beds.  The park we’re in is in a little valley with cows grazing in the hills around us and the air full of the aroma of fresh mown hay.  We’re here for three days to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and then the Flight 93 Memorial.  Both are nearby.  Arrived and were set up by 2:30.  84 today and sunny.

Hickory Hollow CG

Hickory Hollow CG

Hickory Hollow CG

KOA Indianapolis to KOA Columbus, OH:  Left this morning around 9:30 and continued east on I70.  Another beautiful day.  I70 through Indiana wasn’t so great, but once we got into Ohio the road improved considerably.  That is until we took the I270 circumvential around Columbus.  That was a mess and definitely in need of work.  We should have just gone through the city.  Finally stopped for something to eat just before our KOA exit.  Got set up by 2:30.  There’s a car show here in the campground and they were just getting started setting up.  Some pretty amazing cars.  88 today.

Columbus, OH

1954 Lincoln with a 2006 Mustang engine.

My favorite--a '51 Chevy pulling a '76 Jayco camper

They actually drove this '51 Chevy with the Jayco in tow from Cincinnati and are staying in it here in this campground.

The inside of this retro little camper

Corvair Spyder convertible--my brother had one of these

Corvair Spyder convertible

STL to KOA Indianapolis:  Left at 9:00 this morning under a clear blue cloudless sky.  Took I70 east through rural Illinois.  Stopped at Effingham to top off the fuel tank and get something to eat.  Mike took over driving and shortly we crossed over into Indiana.  I70 between Terra Haute and Indianapolis is a pretty drive through a lush, green hardwood forest with nary a building in sight.  Just a few old, faded billboards.  Got stuck in traffic just east of Indianapolis because of some construction and a couple of accidents.  We’re at a KOA just east of Indianapolis.  Arrived at 3:00, got set up, and relaxed.  88 today.

Indianapolis

KOA, Nashville, TN, to St. Louis:  Actually got going early this morning—just before 8:00.  Took Briley Parkway around to I24 north through rural Tennessee and Kentucky.  Stopped around Ft. Campbell, KY, and had some breakfast.  Ft. Campbell is home of the 101^st Airborne and the restaurant was full of these guys. Lots of testosterone in that place.  Mike took over driving and we stopped just before Paducah and topped off the tank.  We’re thinking—this is great, we’ll be home by 3:00 or so.  Shortly after that we blew a tire on the fifth wheel.  Just north of Marion, IL.  Here we are on the shoulder with all this traffic whipping by us and buffeting us like crazy.  We spent over an hour on the phone with RV Road Help and then finally they found someone that would be able to come out and change the tire.  We sat there for two hours and not one law enforcement person passed by in either direction.  Finally, a state trooper did stop. He couldn’t help us, but he did suggest we move up a little ways where the shoulder was wider and we could get more off the road, especially since the blown tire was on the highway side.  So he stayed behind us with his lights on while we moved up.  The tow truck guy finally showed up around 4:00, changed the tire, and we were on our way by 5:00.  Didn’t get home until 7:30.  Spent 11-1/2 hours in the truck.  At least we made it home in one piece.  Now we get to go through 5 months of mail.

It's great to be home!

KOA, Nashville, TN:  Did the laundry one last time this morning so we wouldn’t have to lug it home.  Started putting together the stuff we need to take home.  Not much really. Backed up the laptop one last time and transferred all the files to a flash drive that we need to load into the desktop computer at home to keep the two compatible. Planning on eating up as much of the left-overs as possible as well.  Tomorrow (weather permitting) we’ll get an early start.  We’ll have a five hour drive or so.  Threat of bad weather in our path.  We’ll have to keep an eye on it and maybe stay over another night.  85 today.

Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville