Sunday, May 28 - I traveled with the Road Scholar from Pittsburgh to Louisville: Sailing the Ohio River from May 28 to June 8, 2023. I traveled United Airlines Bulkhead Seat from PDX to PIT via DEN, arriving at 3:06 PM. I was met by Road Scholar greeter at Pittsburgh Airport and transported to the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place. After I picked up my room keys from the front desk and put my luggage in my room, I went to the Road Scholar hotel meeting room. Introductions/Orientation. Dinner, A schedule of each day’s American Countess activities and events will be delivered to my cabin #323 on Deck 3 (top "Texas" deck).
May 29 - After breakfast buffet at
the hotel, we headed out by motor coach for our field trip in Pittsburgh -
"the city of steel." I have already geocached in Pennsylvania so I
did not try to get a geocache. Guided city
tour. Tour of Heinz History Center. I especially liked the "Mr. Rogers"
Exhibit. I remember Pianist Van Cliburn
playing an Upside-Down Concert which aired in May, 1971. We had lunch at the Grand Concourse. We rode a
cable car, the Duquesne Incline. Great
view of the three rivers! Dinner at the
hotel.
May 30 - We had our luggage ready
for the hotel porters inside our rooms by 8:30 AM. Following buffet breakfast, we visited the Phipps
Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. We next
visited the Italianate-style Clayton, home of industrialist and art collector
Henry Clay Frick. It gave me a glimpse
into family life in Pittsburgh during the Gelded Age. I would have liked to have found three Virtuals: Mr. Rogers Memorial Statue, the Skinny building
and Rub the Nose. We had lunch at the
Bosphorus Mediterranean Cuisine. We then
departed for the Rivers of Steel Cruise. We
had a stunning panoramic view of the city and the three rivers that run through
it. Afterwards we departed via motor
coach to the American Countess cruise ship.
I got a glass of champagne and had dinner in the Grand Dining Room. I slept soundly.
I read James Alexander Thom's
historical novel "Follow the River" in preparation for this trip.
May 31 - Wheeling, WV, I had early breakfast. I attended
the River Chat at 8:30 AM in the Theater.
I had lunch in the Grand Dining Room.
I went to the talk about River Charts.
The ship arrived in Wheeling, WV in the early afternoon. I rode the hop-on/hop-off bus. I have already geocached in West Virginia so
I did not try to get a geocache. I
explored the Wheeling Artisan Center where I purchased a souvenir. I had planned to visit the Queen Anne Eckhart
House (1892) but it was Temporarily Closed.
The Eckhart House offers a Tea Room, a Gift shop and Tours. The Captains Welcome Reception was held at 4:30 PM. Dinner in Main Dining
Room. I attended the show in the Theater
- "Miracles of the Mind." I
didn't sleep soundly tonight.
June 1 - Marietta, OH. Breakfast aboard the boat. This morning I visited Marietta, Ohio, established in 1788 as the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. I read David McCullough's novel "The Pioneers" in preparation for this trip. I rode the Hop-on, Hop-off bus to explore the city. I visited The Mounds where I found a Traditional Geocache. I had lunch aboard the ship. Liars Club was held at 3:00 PM in the Theater. Great fun! Dinner was in the Grand Dining Room.
June 2 - Huntington, WV. Breakfast in the Main Dining Room. At 9:30 AM there was a talk with the Cruise Director. Jeff Hudson talked about his career working with Debbie Reynolds, Ginger Rogers, Pop Star Adele etc. I had lunch at the ship. I went on the Pilot House Tour at 2:00 PM. I took the hop-on, hop-off bus to Marshall University. I watched the DVD "We are Marshall" (2006) in preparation for this trip. On Nov. 14, 1970, Flight 932 carrying 75 Marshall football players, coaches, staff and supporters crashed into a hillside on approach to the Huntington Tristate Airport returning home from a game in North Carolina. Everyone on board was killed. The movie depicted the aftermath of the tragedy for the university and community. I found the Virtual - the Memorial Fountain. I also found an Earthcache - 1937 Flood. Dinner onboard the ship. At 6:30 PM it was "An Evening with Mark Twain." Hal Holbrook was better!
June 3 - Augusta, KY. I had breakfast in the Main Dining Room. I explored the 1835 Rosemary Clooney House Museum. This house is dedicated to the life and career of singer and actress Rosemary Clooney. Rosemary Clooney is George Clooney's aunt. There is a framed photo of George on the ferry Jenny Ann in the upper left corner of the Living Room. I rode the Jenny Ann round trip to get credit for a Virtual geocache. I found a Nano Cache on the far bank. I had a tour of the American Countess Pilot House at 3:00 PM. I had dinner in the Dining Room of the ship.
June 4 - Cincinnati, OH. This morning we were docked in Cincinnati, Ohio. This city got its name in 1790, when General Arthur St. Clair, the Commander of nearby Fort Washington named it after the Cincinnati society of Revolutionary War officers. I visited the Underground Railroad Museum with the Road Scholar group. I rode the Hop-on Hop-off bus to hear about the city's sights. I had lunch on the ship. I rode the bus to Newport on the Levee. I walked across the Purple People Bridge and back again to get a Virtual Geocache - Caching in Two States At Once. Dinner onboard the ship. Tonight was "Country in Concert" - celebrating the best in country music.
June 5 - Madison, IN. I had breakfast aboard the ship. This morning we stopped in Madison, Indiana, which boasts the largest contiguous National Historic Landmark in the United States in its downtown area. I used the Hop-on Hop-off bus to explore the Greek Revival Lanier Mansion and the Classical Revival Shrewsbury-Windle House with its unique spiral staircase. I found a Geocache at a Little Free Library. I returned to the ship via bus barely in time for lunch in the River Grill. At 3:00 PM there was a private Road Scholar cocktail party in the River Grill. I missed the earlier Disembarkation Briefing so I got the information and luggage tags from the Purser. I set my luggage outside my room before 11:00 PM.
June 6 - Louisville, KY. I had breakfast in the Main Dining Room. I said my goodbye to my Dining Room server, Luis. At 8:30 AM we disembarked the ship. We had a Louisville City Tour with a local guide via motor coach. We had a guided tour of Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Lunch at Proof on Main. After lunch, the group had a tour of the Farmington Historic Plantation however I remained in the museum/gift shop. We checked into the Hyatt Regency Louisville. We had dinner at the Brasserie Provence. I had a large corner room on the 7th Floor.
June 7 - Louisville, KY. Buffet breakfast at Hyatt Regency Louisville. This morning we boarded a motor coach for a tour of Louisville, and then made our way to the iconic Churchill Downs Racetrack to visit the Kentucky Derby Museum for a walking tour, a talk with a derby expert, and free time to explore the museum. It was pouring rain! We had lunch at Vincenzo's. While the group visited the Frazier Museum I walked to my Event venue at the nearby Mussels and Burger Bar. I had a great turnout for my Event - "Meet Rose Red." I took a Taxi back to the hotel. Some of the group had a disastrous dinner at the 8UP Elevated Drinkery. My dinner was fine. The Hilton Hotel Manager arranged a lift for me to my hotel via the Hilton Hotel shuttle driver.
June 8 - the program concluded. Breakfast buffet at the hotel. Once again problems arose as we did not know who was supposed to catch the 8:00 AM bus to Louisville Airport (SDF). I checked in at the United counter at SDF, went to the new United Lounge in Chicago (CHI) for 3 1/2 hours and traveled Bulkhead window seats both flights to Portland International Airport (PDX), arriving 1/2 hour early. I was unable to find my checked suitcase. Evidently it arrived on an earlier flight. Really! Why was I not booked by Road Scholar on the earlier flight?
I found three Traditional Caches, five Virtual Caches, one Earthcache and hosted one Event. I added three states that I have cached in - Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
