Camp Carlson

Camp Carlson Recreation Activity (Camp Carlson Travel Camp), near Fort Knox, Kentucky

Camp Carlson is open to active duty and retired military retirees (and guests).

On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 7.  We camped in a 40' motorhome.  I'd come here again.

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• Military Campgrounds
• RV Parks

When we were are on our way to Henryville, IN for some volunteer work, we stopped here. We have never been to Fort Knox or Louisville, KY which is about 40 minutes away.

We liked this campground and would visit again.  It is a well run campground and the people here know what they are doing.  They mow the grass and they have a lot of it.  They are friendly at the office and have a helpful way about them.  The price is right ($17/night).

A couple of things you need to know:

• There is no AT&T phone service.
• My Verizon wifi worked OK but it was slow.
• The satellite TV works if you have a spot with good access.  Some sites are in the trees.  There is no cable TV.

The laundry facility is great.  It has plenty of washers and dryers at $1 a load.  It is located with a meeting room and the women and men's showers.

Our first campsite was on a concrete slab near the showers.  It had 50 amp and water but no sewer.

When a spot opened up with sewer, we took it.  It had a more open area which made satellite access no problem.

 The campground is set in a valley with a very small lake/ large pond and it is beautiful.  We had quite a few great evening walks.

The campground is about 40 miles from Louisville Kentucky and near Fort Knox.  It is actually 4 miles away from Fort Knox and does not have military gate access.  It is open which means a military ID is not required to get to the campground.

That is it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Thanks for joining us!  Until next time...

Louisville KY - The Kentucky Derby Museum

While in Louisville we went to the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs.  It has one of the best museums we have ever seen.  It was very well done.  That, along with a tour of the grounds, made for a great time.

In 1872, Meriwether Lewis, grandson of William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame, visited the Epsom Derby in England and the French Jockey Club in Paris.  Inspired, he returned to Louisville and raised money for the Louisville Jockey Club.  The Churchill family donated the land which became the home to what is now known as 'the fastest two minutes in sports'.

Our tickets included a guided tour of the grounds, access to the museum with very interesting displays, and the informative 20 minute film.

A lush blanket of 554 individual roses is draped over the winning horse.  The tradition of 'the run for the roses began in 1883.

Other displays show some examples of the hats ladies wear to the proceedings on the day of the Kentucky Derby.

The 30 minute guided tour took us under the viewing stands, over to the padduck, out to the track and over  to the place where a horse is retired and on display.

Just on the other side of the padduck is the stands the track.  During Race Day, the owners talk to the jockeys and horses before the race, and it is hard to get to their seats in the stands because of the mob of people.  They only have a few minutes to get from here to their seats.  Meanwhile the horses are being taken out to the track and placed into position into the starting gates.

A maximum of twenty horses run in the Kentucky Derby and one time in their life.  The Kentucky Derby is only for three year olds.  There is never a return winner.   Other interesting facts:

• In the padduck, each horse moves from their stable to the infield and pass by a person who checks their identify.  Each horse has a tattoo on their gums for that purpose.
• "My Old Kentucky Home", played when the horses enter the field, has been played by the University of Louisville Marching Band every year since 1936.
• The fastest time (1:59:40) was run by Secretariat in 1973.
• The track started out at 1 1/2 miles in length.  It was shortened to its present distance of 1 1/4 miles.
• The infield will hold about 80,000 people, making it Kentucky's third largest "city" after Louisville and Lexington.
• Since 1946, the Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday in May.
• The traditional drink served at the Kentucky Derby is the 'Mint Julip' which consists of bourbon, syrup sugar and mint with lots of ice.

That is all for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  If you ever get a chance to see Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum, I highly recommend it.  You will not be disappointed!

Thanks for joining us!

Patton Museum near Fort Knox Kentucky

We have been in the area for about a week now and have enjoyed it a lot.  The downside is that our campground is down in a valley which precludes us from having consistent cell phone or internet coverage.

We left Maynardville and spent a night at the Raccoon Valley Escapees Campground outside of Knoxville.  There, we had full hookups and dumped our grey and black tanks.  The next day we drove on to our site here at the Camp Carson Army Recreation Area about four miles down the road from Fort Knox, KY.

Fort Knox is not far from Louisville KY.  Since we have never been here we have done some sight seeing.

First we stopped at the General George Patton Museum at Fort Knox.  It was a freebie but none the less quite interesting and well done.

We have run into Patton's legacy in the past:  first in 29 Palms California where he did some tank training and again in Fort Clark, Texas along the Mexican border.  He was stationed there as Lt Colonel as a cavalry officer.

I think I first got interested in Patton when I saw the movie by the same name.

The 1970 movie became a classic and had some great scenes.  Interestingly enough, the movie was playing in the museum auditorium.

The museum had a pretty good array of artifacts to see.  I didn't realize that he went to the Olympics as part of the pentathlon team in 1912.

He also studied with the French and wrote the Army manual on fighting with a sabre as well as designing the last U.S. Calvary saber.

He petitioned and was allowed to go into Mexico with Gen John J. Pershing in the chase for  Pancho Villa in 1916.

He left his mark on the Army in World War II as the most well known Army Tank Commander of the war along with the German General Rommel.  During WW II Patton commanded the Third Army and was responsible for capturing more enemy prisoners and liberating more territory than any army in history.

 The museum is built around the them of leadership

 One of the B-3 bomber jackets worn by Patton

 The general's modified Jeep

The car in which Patton died, while being driving to a pheasant outing near Mannheim Germany, Dec 9, 1045

The museum is open to the public at no charge and can be reached without driving onto the post at Fort Knox.  It was a good museum and worth the time to see.

That's it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Thanks for joining us!  Until next time...