An Autumn Road Trip, Chapter 3: Homeward Bound.
Words and photos: Steve Johnson
Be sure to read Chapters 1 and 2 of this road trip saga to put this final chapter in the proper context. We pick-up in chapter 3 covering some ground headed eastward, Theresa and I stayed in Springfield, MO, on Sunday night. And a cold night it was too. About 20 degrees Fahrenheit and a stiff wind made repacking our S5’s trunk on Monday morning a unpleasant experience. It was sunny however as we headed east on U.S. Route 60. It’s a smooth and sparsely traveled road but surprisingly Waze warned us of a few County Mounties along the way. At one point Waze said, “Watch out! Vehicle on shoulder ahead.”
As we approached said vehicle we were amazed to see a campsite for a modern day Conestoga Wagon. Actually more of a cross between Conestoga and Romani wagons, picture a colorful Gypsy wagon. Its two donkeys were standing-by and the occupants appeared to be cooking on an open fire. Neither one of us said a thing for a moment or two, and then simultaneously said, “What was that all about?!” It was a once in a lifetime sight, too bad we passed too quickly for a photo.
Going back to the Chapter 1’s route planning, objective number one was to stop that evening in Oak Grove, KY, to see Theresa’s sister and her husband. The next morning we hit the road for objective number 2—the National Corvette Museum. I’m not a Corvette guy by any stretch but I appreciate the car and do like the new rear-engined C8. I know just enough about ‘Vettes to carry on a conversation about them so I found the museum interesting. If your Corvette knowledge isn’t equivalent to your Audi knowledge you may not enjoy the visit as much as we did. But it does have a nice restaurant and you can check your tire pressure and add air if needed courtesy of Bibendum the Michelin Man, AKA Bib, on-duty in the parking lot.
The next objective was to visit Bardstown, the heart of Kentucky Bourbon country. We dropped in at Heaven Hill Distillery and toured their mini-museum and did some Christmas shopping in the gift shop. Asking questions about their product line earned us a sample of rye whisky which subsequently earned the gift shop a sale. Bardstown is a nice place to visit, a quaint town surrounded by distilleries. I highly recommend visiting the area whether you’re a bourbon drinker or not.
Speaking of bourbon, based out of Lexington our objective for the next day was Woodford Distillery for a deluxe tour and tasting. The tour was made special by the fact we were the only two people on it. Even if you’re not a bourbon drinker I think one can appreciate a distillery tour which takes you through the manufacturing process. The fermentation process smells are, shall I say, interesting. Theresa, who has Woodfords in her family tree, was disappointed to learn the distillery gets its name from the county its located in and not from someone to whom she might be related.
After a late lunch at Ricardo’s Grill & Pub, a converted train depot in Versailles (try the Kentucky Hot Brown) we went to the Aviation Museum of Kentucky at the Blue Grass airport on the west side of Lexington. We only had a couple of hours until closing to see its two hangers full of aircraft and displays but it was another surprisingly great visit. Dwight, the docent and retired Naval aviator, showed us around both hangers. I had such a great time swapping war stories with Dwight that I neglected to take any pictures so I added the museum’s Exhibits Brochure to the photo gallery. And as it turned out, Dwight was also a car guy; he has two Corvettes including the 1966 he bought new.
Our trip’s final leg ended much the same as it began, a drive focused on covering ground quickly. I-64E twists and turns through West Virginia and is a pleasant drive without too many trucks. After nine days on the road we were glad to be home. We covered over 2,600 miles and our 2014 S5 Coupe, the Red Baron, performed flawlessly. He now proudly wears his MidCon Mountain Rally 2025 decal. We had one last surprise from our road trip, a bill for $4.20 came in the mail the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. Didn’t notice the toll road at the time but no worries though. I’m glad there weren’t any speed cameras on that part of the rally.
What we’d like you to take away from this three-part post is to get out there, on the road in your Audi, and engage with fellow Audi Club North America members at events in other chapters. If you read about an event in quattro Magazine that sounds like fun, attend it the next time it’s held. Once there you’re going to meet club members who share the same passion for Audi, you will have a good time, make new friends, and collect a few ‘car tattoos’ as I like to call them. To make it a complete adventure, plan a classic road trip that hits a few places along the way that you and your family have always wanted to see. Maybe even hit some quirky stops off the beaten path. Have you ever seen the world’s largest candle? We have!
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