Graduation Trip

To celebrate my completion of graduate school at Eastern Kentucky University, Ariane and I took a little trip out to the Ohio and Kentucky area to do some sightseeing and spend some time away from the kids.  I love my kids more than anything but there is nothing better than a childless vacation, especially when you are just sightseeing.

Ariane has family that lives in Ohio so we were able to spend a few nights with her aunt and some of her cousins.  She really enjoyed seeing them again and it was cool for me to get to know some of them.   We went with them to a Cleveland Indians game one night.

 

 

 The tribe managed to beat Oakland, but it does help when you hit four home runs in the game, pretty exciting.

While we were up in that area we decided to go see a few sacred sites like the church history sights in Kirtland and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

The hall of fame was cool, we got to see all kinds of cool football memorabilia.

Of course the highlights were the Denver Broncos stuff like the John Elway bust and jersey. 

The Super Bowl jersey of Terrell Davis and the rings from their two super bowl wins. 

There was some old Broncos stuff from their AFL days.

 

Arianes personal favorite was the jersey worn by Tim Tebow when he won that miracle playoff game a couple of years ago. 

 Probably the only time you’ll see anything that says Tebow in the Hall of Fame.

After our trip to the Hall of Fame we went up to Kirtland to see the church history sites.  We went to the Newel K. Whitney Store, where the school of the profits was held and many revelations were given that made up several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.

We then went up the road to the Kirtland Temple, currently owned and operated by the Community of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized LDS church). 

 

 It was really neat to be in that building where so many sacred things took place.

After a couple nights in the Cleveland area, the mistake by the lake as Ariane’s Uncle Dave called it.  We drove south to Cincinnati where we caught a Reds game. 

 

The Reds lost to the Atlanta Braves 7-4, the Braves hit a grand slam in the game.  I wasn’t to broken up about the loss since the Reds play in the Cardinals division and a Reds loss helps the Cards out.

After out night in Cincinnati we then headed across the Ohio River to Louisville Kentucky. 

 

We took a tour of the Louisville Slugger factory and museum; they make all the bats for major league baseball.

 

They had some cool stuff there like one of Babe Ruth’s bats that he used when he hit 60 home runs in a season. 

 

We got to hold some game used bats, like Mickey Mantles, that I am holding, and Johnny Bench’s, that Ariane is holding. 

 

 We even took a few swings in a batting cage, here I am using Evan Longoria’s bat, I even managed to foul a few pitches really hard.

They had a cool Lego exhibit there as well.  Here is a replica of Wrigley Field in Chicago.

While in Louisville we spent the night with an old friend of mine, Robert Valention.  He was kind enough to let us crash at his place.

We also checked out Church Hill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby is held, we were a week late for the Derby however. 

They even have former Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird stabled there.

 

Then it was on to Richmond KY, for graduation ceremonies.  This was the first time I had ever set foot on the campus of my school.

They offered a tour to all the on-line students so we took it.

 Here is the Johnson building, the main reception area for the university.

Students rub the foot of Daniel Boone for good luck when they walk by it.

When we got home and told Lucy all that we had done, she told us it sounded like a boring trip.  For us it was exciting to be able to listen to a tour guide, read all the plaques in a museum and sit through a baseball game and graduation without the kids bothering us because they were bored.  We’ll have to take them to Disneyland or Sea World some time to make it up to them.

Places You Aren't Allowed To Visit

I ran across this video one day on MSN, it it is the "Top 10 Places You Aren't Allowed To Visit" as I watched I discovered one of the places on the list I have visited before.

So watch the video and see if you can guess which one it was. For those of you who know me or my family very well it won't be hard to figure out.



Did you figure it out? I have been there not just once but three times. I have to admit it made me feel pretty cool to be able to say I was there.

I guess I'll just tell you which one it was, though most of you probably know, it is Club 33 in Disneyland. My Dad has a friend who was on the waiting list for a decade and can get us reservations. It's pretty cool to go there.

Club 33 was originaly a place that Walt Disney imagined as a special area he could take coroporate sponsors and VIPs to eat and relax. When New Orleans Square was planned a spot for Club 33 was included, named for its address 33 Royal Street. It opened in May 1967, 5 months after Walt Disney passed away.

Located above the Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square it is one of Orange County's finest five star restaurants. With a limited membership of only 487, Club 33 is not open to the public. Members may however arrange for their friends and associates to experience the club. The waiting list is currently 14 years.

Presidents of the United States, leaders of foreign nations, dignitaries, actors, and business leaders from around the world have all enjoyed the club.

Here are some pictures to prove it, though none of you have been inside so you wouldn't know if I were telling the truth, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

This is last year with my mother and father in law Jerry and Lorain Evans, my brother in law John and his wife Liz, my parents and Lucy.

Here are some shots from when Ariane, Lucy and myself went last month with my parents and my brother Greg and his wife Stacey.
This is the outside of Club 33. There is a call box by the 33, you push it they ask, "Can I help you?" You tell them you have a reservation and give them your name, if it checks out, they let you in.

Here is a view from the balcony.

They have some movie props inside as well, like the telephone booth from "The Happiest Millionaire" and a table from "Mary Poppins"

I am 100% certain that I will not be visiting any of the other 9 places on this list.