10th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion

Fantastic nostalgia drag racing could be found at Beech Bend Raceway Park during the Hot Rod Reunion. The more than 60 year old Beech Bend Raceway dragstrip was the perfect hosting facility for this awesome race and vintage car show held in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

 

As soon as you walked onto the show field your eyes were attacked by all the great rides present. There were old Beetles to vintage gassers scattered about the tree lined fields. The hot rods were displaying all shades of the rainbow as well.

It is all the great details that draw us to these shows. Many of these car owners also have a wicked sense of humor.

You can never go wrong painting your hot rod or custom with traditional skinny flame licks. The Hot Rod Reunion again had many colors to choose from.

The pit crews were sweating hard under the mid-day sun but the covered spectator areas of Beech Bend Raceway provided relief for guests. Why don’t all drag strips have covered seating?

Over three hundred drivers suited up to make a pass down the strip. Dragsters included AA/Fuel Altereds, Funny Cars, front-engine Top Fuelers, and of course mile-high Gassers.

Great big smoky burnouts were common. At times, you couldn’t even see the cars due to all the smoke and the lack of a decent breeze.

Of course with all the horsepower these racers have under the hood you know the wheels are going up!

The Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion is a fantastic event whether you wish to participate or just sit back, watch, and pretend you have traveled back in time.

Check out more photos from the show at our photo website: Photos.BGCustoms.Biz

The Crazies Make a Visit to the Asylum

Even in the daytime the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV is a little creepy. Originally known as The Weston State Hospital, this gothic beast was designed by Richard Snowden Andrews of Baltimore. Construction started in 1858 and wasn’t completed until 1881. It was originally designed to house 250 patients but the population swelled to more than 2400 in the 1950’s.

The hospital closed in 1994 due to terrible conditions. Hundreds of patients died here. Just a short drive off of I-79, the Asylum now offers ghost tours as well as historical tours of the property. Just wandering around the grounds gave me the chills. Visit it soon before it totally falls apart!

Floating Underground at Lost River Cave

Maybe you have done a cavern tour before but have you ever explored one in a boat underground? Lost River Cave sits just on the edge of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Shopping centers and businesses are growing up all around it. But, the 68-acre park is a great escape and a good way to spend a few hours.

The cave tour itself is rather short at less than 30 minutes. If you have a bad back you may want to skip it. The entrance to the cave is very low. If you are claustrophobic you are going to be freaking out a little. At 6’5” tall, I had to hunker down in the bottom of the boat to keep from scraping my back. The electric powered skiffs soon pass into a great opening where you can breath a little easier. The inside isn’t much to look at due to regular floods wiping out any real rock formations. It’s different and you can tell all your friends that you took a boat underground!

 

The trails up to the cave are beautiful and the leftovers from The Cavern Nite Club are interesting. The Cavern Nite Club operated at the entrance to the cave from 1933 until the late 50s. From the website:

The spirit of long ago dances and romances lives on in the legends and stories told along the Historic Riverwalk. Visitors are encouraged to explore the site heralded by Billboard Magazine in the 1930s as one of the only air-conditioned night clubs in the country. Folks can still view the “Cavern Nite Club’s” original bar as well as the bandstand that showcased great acts like Dinah Shore and the NBC Orchestra!

Be sure to take some time to explore the Blue Hole Trail. You will find lots of life in the three sinkhole ponds that are scattered on the trails. The crawfish we saw were the size of small lobsters!

The Lost River Cave park is expanding. It now includes a butterfly house which you can visit in season. They are also adding a meadow were you will be able to watch the plentiful songbirds play. I would have to say we enjoyed walking the grounds more than the boat ride but a visit is definitely worth the trip.

Big Mike’s Rock & Gift Shop – Cave City, KY

If you’re in the Mammoth Cave area do yourself a favor and check out Big Mike’s place. Here you can find a large selection of rocks, minerals, gems, and fossils. Also available is a huge selection of souvenirs and gifts. On the upper level of the gift shop is “Big Mo”; a mosasaur fossil.  But the real reason to stop is the cheesy fun that is known as the Mystery House. For the $1 tour you will see water that flows uphill, balls that climb ramps, and chairs that balance themselves. Slanted floors mess with your mind as well as forced perspectives. Cheesy black lights and warped mirrors round out the fun.

Don’t forget to snap a photo with the full scale replica of “Big Mo” before you leave!

Photo Op: Kentucky Capitol Building Overlook

A short drive from I-64 East exit 53B (Frankfort) is a great spot to take a photo of the Kentucky Capitol Building. Take US 127 North and then make a right turn onto Louisville Road. The overlook will be on your right.

Where can you find the best hot dogs? Hillbilly Hot Dogs!

Everyone at Bubba’s Garage loves a good hot dog. We first learned about Hillbilly Hot Dogs while watching one of our favorite food shows, “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” on the Food Network. When we saw that we would be in the area while on travel, we knew we had to stop. Our road trip brought us near Huntington, WV and we planned our day so that we would make it to the wiener stand before the earlier Sunday closing time.

It was a 6 hour trip but after chowing down on a Rahall's Red Hot Weenie I knew we had made the right decision. It’s a grilled spicy Mettwurst on a toasted bun topped with nacho cheese, sautéed peppers and onions, jalapenos, hot mustard, and sauerkraut!  Peg’s choice was the deep fried A La Cheesy Beefy Weenie. There are dozens of dogs that you can and they are all awesome! If you don’t like dogs (shame on you!) they also have “Bubba Burgers”, chicken, subs, and “Rabbit Fixins” (salads). Don’t forget to pick up a t-shirt on your way out. The Huntington restaurant is easy to find on 3rd Avenue.

Just one week later we found ourselves craving some more Hillbilly Hot Dogs heaven so we entered the address into our GPS for the original location in Lesage, WV for our return trip home. We thought the Huntington location was fun but it didn’t even compare to the original!

You can’t help but smile with the the campiness of the décor. You can sit outside or grab a table inside one of their school busses. We can see why the Travel Channel rated this place #15 in the 101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown. I decided that I needed to try one of their signature weenies before we left. It is called the “Home Wrecker!”  It’s a 15” 1 pound deep fried weenie.  After it is loaded up with toppings it weighs in at a whopping 3 1/2 pounds.  Wait a few hours and you will know why they call it the Home Wrecker.

The people are great, the décor is silly, and remember if you want a hot dog, Hillbilly Hot Dogs likes to say “We got the Weenies.”