Louisville Sluggers and Shoe Trees

I felt a lot better after sleeping and taking some flu medicine (but was very disappointed that I forgot to bring herbal flu tea). A different woman was in the hotel office, she was friendly and helpful.

Drove to Louisville, and went to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. I am not really a baseball fan (I don't really understand the difference between a goal and a touchback), but it is a fun place. The guy running the batting cage convinced me to give it a try and even took my photo (I only sort of hit one ball out of ten with the machine on the slowest setting).

Passed into Indiana, and let my GPS guide me to a famous Shoe Tree near Milltown, Indiana. It was quite a bit further off the highway than I expected, and it was quite secluded (again, I had visions of Paris Hilton in House of Wax).

Actually Shoetree McFelea Lane seemed like more of a Shoe Tree forest than a single Shoe Tree. There was one predominant Shoe Tree, but several minor ones up and down the road. I contributed a pair of green rubber boots to the primary Shoe Tree. I was well prepared, having drilled a hole in each boot and lashed them together with a strong shoe string. It only took me 3 tries to lodge them in their new home.

I still was feeling some flu-like aches, so I went to the Aihua Oriental Market in Evansville to get some Chrysanthemum Tea, Young Coconut Water, and Ginseng. Then I checked into a Holiday Inn Express.

Road Trip Day 19 - Flu-like Symptoms in Kentucky

Not a great day. After breakfast I drove about 80 miles and did not feel very good. I spotted a church with a shady parking area and got off the freeway. I threw down a blanket on the grass by the Lexington United Baptist Church.

I drank some liquids and after an hour or so was not feeling any better, so I drove back to The Best Western Country Squire in Winchester. A rather unfriendly, desk clerk said she would not honor the hotel coupon because ~it is not valid this weekend~. I was not feeling well enough to drive any further, so I checked in and went to bed. Swine Flu (H1N1) had been in the news a lot, but I did not have all of the symptoms.

Road Trip Day 18 - Four States and Hillbilly Hot Dogs WV

Left Mooresville and headed north on I-77. I-77 crosses the narrowest part of Virginia (about 60 miles), so it was a very brief visit.

Continued north to Charleston West Virginia, then headed west on I-64 / The West Virginia Turnpike, again a toll road which felt like literally highway robbery.

About 4pm, I decided to go the Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Huntington, WV, rather than the more remote original Hillbilly Hot Dogs located in Lesage, WV. Hillbilly Hot Dogs has gained exposure from a number of television shows, such as Guy Fieri's Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives.

While New York and Chicago have their unique Pizzas, and Boston has their Chowder. West Virginia apparently has a love affair with the hot dog, and they have their own ideas about hot dog toppings. I never realized that there was such a robust culture built around hot dogs in West Virginia.

• There are blogs and websites devoted to West Virginia Hot Dogs.
• There are festivals devoted to West Virginia Hot Dogs.
• There are even unconfirmed rumors that a Robert C. Byrd West Virginia Hot Dog Museum and Library may be considered for development under the Economic Stimulus Package.

Since my immune system is still not 100% after my food poisoning episode in Amarillo, I decided to play it safe and only have an order of Garlic Fries, and a 'Scott's Man on Fire Dog 5x Spicy Sauce'(I just could not bring myself to eat coleslaw on a hot dog).

The Garlic Ranch Fries were covered with melted cheese (which most Asians probably are not wild about). The menu said the 'Scott's Man on Fire 5x Dog' was spicy, but I found it a bit bland (I guess I should have asked if they had any 10x or 20x Spicy Sauce). That said, the ambiance is truly unique, and my visit to Hillbilly Hot Dogs was definitely the highlight of my visit to West Virginia.

After my meal, I crossed the Ohio River on the Robert C. Byrd Bridge into Chesapeake, Ohio. I will always equate West Virginia with hot dogs and buildings, roads, and signs saying 'Robert C. Byrd'.

It was very brief visit to Chesapeake, and was really just done to add legitimacy to buying an Ohio Refrigerator Magnet.

I drove on to Grayson, Kentucky, where I spent the night at a Day's Inn across the street from a K-Mart.