It's good to be home

Kiwishooter · #1 10-02-2015, 11:11 PM

Well my wife and I have not long (2 days ago) returned from our vacation in the USA.

We landed in LA on the 29th of August at 8.30 am........8 hours before we left New Zealand, and had lunch with Eric Mayer. Thanks Eric for lunch and all your help.

Eric took us to a ammo shop that is near LAX, I have to say if I had more luggage space coming home I would've bought back quite a bit of ammo....some people just don't know how lucky they are.

It was absolutely fantastic to meet old friends and also make new friends, as things turned out we got to meet Tom (a member here) and Randi in Liberty Indiana during the first week in September and had lunch with them.
Helen and I felt like we could've stayed for hours talking, and I'm sure Tom and Randi would've obliged.

I have to say the drive from where we turned off on I 74 to drive up to Liberty Indiana was very picturesque.......(sorry no photos taken) and even after coming home that stretch of road still lingers in the thoughts, thanks Tom and Randi.

Well since this is a gun forum I better get on topic and post a pic.......I handled this rifle while staying with my friend in Brazil IN and have to say the photo does not do it justice.

If everyone doesn't mind I'll do a pictorial of our vacation like I did here all those years ago http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10488

BTW look out for more photos of the above rifle latter in this thread.

Kiwi

MIBULLETS · #2 10-03-2015, 01:28 AM

Please do. Glad you enjoyed your vacation!

Kiwishooter · #3 10-03-2015, 10:56 PM

After having lunch with Tom and Randi we headed South and visited a distillery for a tour.........first stop after Liberty Indiana

Wild Turkey Distillery....this was a good tour and I did learn a bit about Bourbon

This was on the fermenting floor.........look at all those fermenting tanks

Just to give you an idea of volume, there were a few 30,000 gal fermenting tanks, but since they were just starting up after having a shut down for maintenance most tanks were empty. Most of the maintenance is done during summer when it is hard to maintain the correct temperatures due to the summer heat.

There are several building that these barrels are stored in, this is the bottom level and there are several levels of these barrels.....apparently this is where most of the employees work.........moving these barrels around from bottom to the top etc. Quite a smell at the doorway that wasn't so apparent after entering the building.

Kiwishooter · #4 10-03-2015, 11:17 PM

A cabinet with some of the old bottles of Wild Turkey

There was a tasting of some of the Wild Turkey Bourbons at the end of the tour and a visit to the shop to buy some ahhh mementos

While we were on the Wild Turkey tour we got talking to a lady who had obviously carried out a few Bourbon distillery tours and she recommended we tour another distillery.

So we took her recommendation booked a night at a Hotel and arrived at the other distillery early the next day....glad we did

glennlasher · #5 10-03-2015, 11:38 PM

If I'd known you were in the area, I've have bought you lunch, too

. I'm pretty close to Bardstown, Kentucky, and close enough to many of the others.

Kiwishooter · #6 10-04-2015, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennlasher

If I'd known you were in the area, I've have bought you lunch, too

. I'm pretty close to Bardstown, Kentucky, and close enough to many of the others.

We would've really liked to have met you.........and instead of lunch we could've bought you dinner. We stayed in Frankfort Ky after doing the Wild Turkey Tour........Kiwi

Kiwishooter · #7 10-04-2015, 12:12 AM

After spending a night at Frankfort Ky we headed toward another distillery,

The Woodford Reserve distillery, this is set amongst some beautiful grounds and some of the buildings are the original buildings from this distilleries early days.

Below is the "barrel run" where they use gravity to move the barrels of bourbon

The barrels run along the tracks from one building (big stone far away building) to the barrel storage building (on the left)

Daryl · #8 10-04-2015, 12:21 AM

Sounds like a LOT more fun than a wine tour in Southern B.C.- LOL- wouldn't have to visit so many??????????
Word of caution, do it on a bus tour! Driving yourself is not recommended. LOL

Bill K · #9 10-04-2015, 12:59 AM

Yes home is always great to return too.

Glad you did enjoy your time in the old Republic. And thanks for sharing those photo's. Bill K

toolman47327 · #10 10-04-2015, 11:48 PM

I am glad you both had a good time on your holiday. I have always heard the distillery tours are fun, but as close as we are I am guilty of not having gone.
Thanks for stopping in, we had a great visit!
Tom