Where have all the birds gone from the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys?

I saw only one large white bird flying over the river during this entire trip.

Nearly 3 billion birds have vanished across North America since 1970, and the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys have suffered massive declines due to severe habitat loss and environmental changes.

While millions of migratory birds still travel the Mississippi Flyway during seasonal surges, their overall numbers are a fraction of what they used to be because the landscapes sustaining them have been drastically altered.

Kentucky Derby Pie that was more like a cube bite of cookie/cake

A Kentucky Derby Pie is a rich, gooey chocolate chip, walnut (or pecan) pie laced with bourbon and baked inside a flaky pastry crust.

The original Derby-Pie was created in 1954 by the Kern family at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. Because the exact recipe is a closely guarded trademarked secret, home bakers usually make one of two popular styles: a gooey, cookie-like batter or a sticky, corn-syrup-based pecan-style pie.

Pittsburgh to St Louis on American Heritage Aug/Sept 2026

On Friday morning Aug. 21 I had to leave the house at 2:30am so I didn't even bother going to sleep.  United Airlines flight left at 5:00am arriving Pittsburgh, PA about 2:45pm, via Denver.  I stayed at the Embassy Suites by Hilton downtown. 

This morning several boats had to be towed away as they were illegally docked on the North Shore Riverwalk when the American Heritage Cruise Ship arrived in Pittsburgh.  

After breakfast the next morning we were brought by motor coaches to North Shore Riverfront Park to board the American Heritage.  We boarded the ship where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River. I had lunch onboard ship in the Restaurant. We departed at 2:30pm.

We arrived in Belpre, OH roughly 14 miles downriver from Marietta, OH on Sun. Aug. 23 at 9:00pm. The next day I visited The Castle Historic House Museum and the Campus Martius Museum showcasing America's migration west, its earliest native inhabitants, and Marietta's pioneers.  I recently read "The Pioneers" by David McCullough about the founding in 1788 of Marietta.  The town was among the first permanent settlements in the Northwest Territory.  We departed at Mon. Aug. 24 at 10:00pm.

We arrived at Limestone Landing Park in Maysville, KY on Wed. Aug. 26 at 8:00am.  I visited the Russell Theatre in Maysville, an atmospheric theatre in the Spanish style with Moorish influence featuring a ceiling scene of the stars and moon.  Site of singer and actress Rosemary Clooney's "The Stars Are Singing" movie premier in 1953.  Other notable locals include bold explorer Simon Kenton.  I went on a Pilothouse Tour at 5:00pm. We departed at 9:00pm.

We arrived in Cincinnati, OH on Thu. Aug. 27 at 8:00am.  I went on the City Experience Excursion.  We departed at 9:00pm.  A Lunar Eclipse Viewing party was held at 10:00pm.  A near-total partial lunar eclipse started at 10:33pm.. At its peak, roughly 96.2% of the moon was covered by Earth's shadow.  The eclipse was the darkest at 12:12am.

We arrived in Madison, IN on Fri. Aug 28 at 7:00am.  I visited the 1844 Greek Revival Lanier Mansion where I had a glass of Lemonade on the porch following the tour.  I met Kelly, a local Geocacher.   Kelly and I had lunch at The Downtowner.  We visited several caches including her Earthcache - Hanging Rock (GCPM48). I got a book at The Little Free Library cache - "The President's Henchman A Thriller" by Joseph Flynn.   I really wanted to do her cemetery cache however it was an incredibly hot afternoon! The ship left at 11:00pm.

We arrived in Louisville, KY on Sat. Aug 29 at 6:00am.  The city first flourished as a crucial portage around the perilous Falls of the Ohio, now tamed behind the Ohio River's Markland Dam.  We visited the legendary Churchill Downs Racetrack, home to the Kentucky Derby.  We viewed "The Greatest Race", a 360-degree, 18-minute epic film.  Afterward we had Mint Juleps and Derby Pie Bites.  The onboard lecture was about the Scotch-Irish and their Folkways.  The ship left on Sun. morning Aug. 30 at 5:00am.

The ship arrived in Henderson/Evansville, KY on Mon. Aug. 31 at 7:00am.  I went to the Victorian Reitz Home Tea Party in the historic Carriage House and visited the 1871 French Second Empire Reitz Home.  The Tea Party was quite lovely.  The ship departed Tues. Sept 01 at 12:00am.

We arrived at Paducah, KY on Tues. Sept. 01 at 7:00pm.  I went on the Local Loop in Paducah which is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers,  The town was founded in 1827 by William Clark of Lewis and Clark expedition   I visited the 1852 Greek revival CSA General Lloyd Tilghman House and Civil War Museum.  Paducah City Hall was designed by same architect that designed the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.  The ship departed Wed. Sept. 02 at 6:00pm.

I was given a book: "Remarkably Bright Creatures"- A Novel by Shelby Van Pelt.  I found it leaning against my stateroom door.  The author was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest.

We arrived in Saint Louis, MO on Fri. Sept. 04 at 8:00am.  I chose to stay onboard as it was much too hot to go anywhere.  At 5:30pm there was a Red, White and Blue Cocktail Party.  Dinner was a disaster however the Apple Pie ala Mode was great. We left Saint Louis at 10:00pm to dock at Riverfront Landing in Alton, IL  

We disembarked the ship at 8:00am the next morning for the Saint Louis airport.  My United Airlines flight didn't leave until 1:36pm so I found a comfy leather armchair at Starbucks to wait.  I arrived at PDX about 5:50pm via Denver.  It was cold and rainy.  It felt so good to be home!

Cosmos Tour: Chicago to New Orleans June 14-25, 2026

I left Portland, Oregon early Sunday morning June 14, arriving Chicago, IL a little after 1:00pm.  I checked into the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Downtown.  On Monday afternoon I checked in with the Group Leader in the Hotel Lobby.  There are only 15 people on this tour!  

On Tuesday June 16, I went on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan Cruise, found an Earthcache on the Michigan Avenue Bridge and took a Lyft back to the hotel.  

On Wednesday June 17 we departed for St Louis. I chose to find the Earthcache at the nearby Basilica of Saint Louis King rather than visit the Gateway (Arch) Museum. 

On Thursday June 18, we departed for Nashville, TN. We stopped briefly in Paducah, KY.  Lunch/Ice Cream. 

On Friday June 19, we went on a City Tour of Nashville.  I toured RCA Studio B and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  I found the nearby Virtual, directly across the street from the park.  I skipped the Grand Old Opry Performance in the evening.  

On Saturday June 20, we departed for Memphis, TN.  We stopped briefly at Tina Turner Museum.  We visited the National Civil Rights Site (Virtual) where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated.  We visited The Peabody Memphis Hotel Lobby and the ducks marble "Royal Duck Palace" on the rooftop. 

On Sunday June 21, we departed for Graceland.  I toured the Mansion and saw the Meditation Garden where Elvis and family were buried.  I had a delicious lunch at Gladys' Diner.  We departed Graceland at 2:00pm.  

On Monday June 22, we departed hotel for B.B. King Museum and New Orleans.  

On Tuesday June 23, we had a morning city tour including St Louis Cemetery No. 3.  I took the Swamp and Bayou Tour from 12:30 or so to about 5:00pm.  We were near Jean Lafitte.   We  cruised down bayous with moss-draped cypress trees.  I saw a white Heron, large turtle sunning on a log and several alligators.  Many of the alligators ate marshmallows from a long red stick held by the boat operator.

On Wednesday June 24, I thought about visiting Baton Rouge but it was way too hot and humid.  I found the Virtual at Jackson Square/St Louis Cathedral, took the City of St Louis Steamboat 75-Minute Sightseeing Cruise at 12:30 pm - 2:15 pm,  ate lunch and rode a Nola Pedicab to the St Charles Streetcar stop on Canal Street.  I rode the Streetcar to the end of the line and back.  

On Thursday morning June 25, I saw a Demo at New Orleans School of Cooking: Corn & Crab Bisque, Shrimp Creole, Bananas Foster, Pralines, a Biscuit with Molasses and two glasses of Lemonade.  I took a Lyft back to the hotel to get my luggage and then to the airport.  I left New Orleans for Portland, Oregon via Seattle late afternoon, arriving around 11:00pm.  Raining.  It was good to be home.

I found three Virtuals and two Earthcaches during the tour.

Notable Obama Speech

Obama was notable for delivering comedic, well-received speeches.  In 2011, he famously roasted Donald Trump who attended the dinner.  Donald Trump did not attend any White House Correspondents' Dinners following the roasting during his time in office, breaking a long-standing tradition of presidential attendance.

Hey, Washington (D.C.): Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

A president who relishes attacking the news media is set to break his boycott of the White House Correspondents' Association black-tie dinner celebrating the news media on Saturday evening, April 25, 2026. What could possibly go wrong?

Seconds thoughts (Cosmos vs Globus)

Even if I had felt well there was really not anything that interested me in Maui except possibly the Road Trip to Hana. The August 2023 wildfires in Maui devastated the historic town of Lahaina, destroying iconic, centuries-old landmarks, cultural sites, and popular tourist spots. Key losses included the landmark 150-year-old Banyon Tree (hopes it may still be saved), the 1834/1835 Baldwin House Museum, the Wo Hing Temple, historic 1823 Waiola Church, and The Pioneer Inn (1901).  The Old Lahaina Courthouse (1860) roof was completely destroyed.  It stands in the heavily damaged Lahaina Banyan Court Park. The Lahaina Heritage Museum and its collection were also destroyed.  The town was completely blocked to traffic. 

If I return to the Hawaiian Islands I will take the 13-day Globus Tour.   Big Mistake taking the cheaper 10-day Cosmos Tour.