Monkeys Eyebrow

Hello! Yes, there really is a place called Monkeys Eyebrow in Kentucky; and Hippo and Chicken Bristle. Needless facts supplied by my travel book, but ones which nevertheless aid amusement along the way. Today is Monday 13th September and we have a nice quiet day in Lexington, Kentucky. It's due to get up to high 20's / low 30's C so we're off to the pool in a wee while.

Day 14, having successfully engineered our way out of Manhattan and paid numerous toll road fares, we made the trip down to Washington DC. Along the way we have been playing the registration plate game, trying to spot plates from all the states. Day 14 was a big day as we notched Rhode Island and New Hampshire. We only have New Mexico, Louisiana, Hawaii and Alaska to go. Driving down to DC it felt good to be on the road again having felt somewhat confused in NYC. It's so squashed and busy and noisy in there, yet at the same time there is something inspiring and mesmerising about all those bright lights and sky-scrapers. We arrived on the outskirts of DC and took a train in and walked around the Capitol Hill area looking into some museums, playing a bit of frisbee and just generally being tourists. That evening was the first time that I felt genuinely fed-up of the food. I just wanted a salad or some potatoes, but they were nowhere to be found. Whilst watching the sunset from the Capitol building, we got chatting to a randomer out for a run who it turns out was a professional pianist who just played a few concerts in Finland with a guy from Scotland who went to Duncan's high school. Small world.

Having spent the night at a house on land once farmed by George Washington we went to see his old mansion and had a good look around his former grounds. And then... The drive we'd both been waiting for. It took us 5 hours 20 minutes to drive 105 miles along the Skyline Drive in Virginia. With a 35mph speed limit, this road offered spectacular views, 270 degree corners and the need to drive rather than sit on cruise control. There is no way to properly describe how exciting it was, other than to say that the black bear which ran across the road right in front of us only filled our thoughts for a few minutes before turning back to incredible apexes, inclines and views. Had we driven this road say 2 weeks later, we're both pretty sure that the onset of Fall / Autumn would have dusted the road with layer upon layer of red and brown leaves and made the experience all the more amazing. We managed to find a campsite that evening and survived the night, perhaps being too smelly from our travels to be on the local bears menu.

Day 16 was a fairly routine drive west into Kentucky. Kentucky is the 17th state we've been in, along with DC. We've also now done over 3,800 miles without breaking down. So today, day 17, as our hosts are in class all day, we have their keys to the pool and access to a tennis court so aim to make the most of it.

The link to the photos I posted about a week ago has been updated and there are another 45 photos on there - just a selection of some of the fun we've been having!

We hope you enjoy watching a few short video clips of things we've done along the way :)
Make sure to click on the volume button to get sound!

Welcome to Nebraska!:


Duncan on his way to winning a $100 cheque:


The musical stairs of Cornell University - throw stones to hear the noise:


After more than 3,500 miles of Interstates and corn, the following 105 miles of Skyline Drive were spectacular: