The Need for Speed

After several weeks of studying Civil War battlefields we were ready for a break so we hopped across the Tennessee state line into Kentucky. First stop: Bowling Green, home of the Corvette.

When we were first married and in our early 20s, we found a Corvette we wanted to buy. Everything about it was perfect, even the price: $1,900. The only problem was that even though we had the cash to buy the car, we couldn't afford the high insurance premiums for drivers under 25. So we had to pass on it. Decades later we finally bought not one but two Corvettes--Russ' was a souped-up pewter convertible and mine was an automatic stock silver coupe. Although we no longer own them, we're still Vette fans so we visited the Corvette Museum and Corvette factory tour.

The Corvette factory in Bowling Green

As a "car guy," Russ was interested in seeing all the processes involved in manufacturing a Vette. He would have been happy with a longer tour that covered every step of the process but what we got was more of an overview of some phases of production. The plant was smaller than I expected and even though it had robotics and an assembly line, the output was small and the cars seemed more individually made. It was fun to see those shiny Corvettes rolling off the line but we don't have any photos of the tour since no photos were allowed inside.

 

It was business as usual at the Corvette Museum even though the infamous sinkhole had swallowed up some of their show cars not too long ago.  According to the Museum those cars will be restored but after seeing them we wondered how they'll restore what's basically a bucket of bolts. 

Need a good deal on a car? One owner, very low mileage

We were a little disappointed in the rest of the museum since there were fewer cars and less specific information than we had hoped to see.  One neat feature is that people who order their Corvettes can pick them up inside the museum, start the engine, and drive them out of the building. One happy couple did just that while we were there. New Corvettes are covered with white protective shipping covers even when they're just being moved from the factory to the museum.

Vettes waiting inside the museum to be picked up by their new owners

More yarn for my ever-growing stash

We didn't find any special local food spots in Bowling Green but I did find a great yarn shop--Crafty Hands--where I bought way too much yarn. Anyone need a hand-knitted hat for next winter? 

More photos from Bowling Green:

Russ checking out the cars

Corvettes in their protective covers waiting to be moved in to the Museum

Another of the sinkhole victims

Corner of the sinkhole just beyond the rope