April 29, 2006

Louisville, Ky.

Originally uploaded by macwarriorny.

Earl and I have settled in Louisville, Kentucky for the next couple of days. Earl has a trade show to attend on Sunday and Monday afternoons, so this was a good way to kick off our Jeep tour. Vacation is always more fun on an expense account.

After arriving around 3:00, we decided to walk around the downtown area and came across “Fourth Street Live”, a closed off section of Fourth Street with several clubs and shops, with the area partially covered from the elements. That was very convenient since there were passing showers.

We stopped for a couple of drinks at The Pub. We always enjoy hanging out at locally owned establishments (I certainly hope this one was locally owned!). And eavesdropping on surrounding conversations is an innocent way to enjoy the night in a strange city. Earl says he has a hard time eavesdropping because of the accent.

Afterwards we went to the waterfront where we had supper at “Joe’s Crab Shack”. There were quite a few boats on the river. I then discovered that the Canadian side of the river is actually Indiana. The things you find out in middle America!

I think we’re going to go out tonight and see what the nightlife is like. I’m staying awake while we’re out of town for a change. I think Earl finds the trend pleasant.

Earl and I hit the road this around 9:00 this morning. The drive south of Cleveland was your typical mid-Ohio drive along an interstate, with rolling hills and farmland as far as the eye could see. One interesting this I did see was just south of Columbus. It was a billboard that said “Hell Is Real.” Apparently the other half of the billboard, the part that said “You Are Here”, had fallen off in a recent storm or something.

Anyways, we were about 20 miles north of Cincinnati when our guts told us we needed to think about lunch. In an effort to eat at local establishments, we decided to check out a local chain of restaurants called Skyline Chili.

Skyline Chili is very casual in that you seat yourself and you pay at the front cash register as you’re leaving. The serving staff was very friendly and the atmosphere is very diner-ish.

What we found interesting was the chili itself. Apparently Cincinnati is famous for chili, at least according to the information on the back of the mneu. Having not had chili in a while, I was excited to try some of this famous chili.

Earl and I both ordered the “three-way” chili, which is chili served over spaghetti with cheese on top. To keep it healthy, we each ordered a salad as well.

When the chili was served, it looked a little different than any chili I’ve ever had. For some reason I was reminded of a scene from “To Tell The Truth” that they’ve played over and over again on “The Most Outrageous Moments on Television”.

It’s the scene where they trick Kitty Carlisle into eating dog food and she spits it back into the spoon she’s using.

Apparently chili in these parts is devoid of kidney beans and tomato sauce. While fairly tasty, it didn’t really taste like chili to me. It tasted more like a beef sauce, like something you’d find over egg noodles or something.

While the experience was pleasant over all, now I have a hankering for “real” chili. On the other hand, maybe I don’t know what “real” chili is. Maybe we’ll find something that fits the bill in Oklahoma or something.