Day 10 of the Drive East (part 2): Louisville Slugging, and the long drive...home

We started the day yesterday in Louisville. The main reason we looped through Louisville, rather than stay on I-70 through Indianapolis, was so we could see the Louisville Slugger factory and museum.

As a family of baseball fanatics, it was the right choice.

We knew it was the right choice when we saw the 120' replica of Babe Ruth's bat from the highway. From the street it was even more impressive.




We toured the factory to see firsthand how major league bats are made. They were turning a set for Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki as we watched, and the kids got to handle a sample of Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia's bat. We just missed seeing them make Pedroia's bats, but the wood billets used to make the bats were sitting within reach so we touched every one of them. Someday soon he'll be swinging a stick in a game that we touched. Very, very cool.

Levi was impressed with the machine that flame brands the bats before shipment. One of the operators let Levi hold the bat and feel the heat from the freshly burned Louisville Slugger logo.

Alas, we weren't allowed to take photos in the factory, so all we can do is describe it.

After the factory tour we visited the museum. We held (with white cotton gloves) and took photos with game-used bats from Boston's David Ortiz (Melissa, Dylan, and Levi) and Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle (Jason and Colin) and Rod Carew (Carson).





We also saw a variety of authentic bats, including the thick handled ones used by Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Jimmie Foxx; the improbably big bat of Roberto Clemente (35-inch, 36 ounce); infamous bats including Shoeless Joe Jackson's "Black Betty" and George Brett's pine tar version; and the bats of many, many more.



The kids also enjoyed mimicing the poses of wax statues of Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Ken Griffey, Jr., and climbing on the Bunyanesque glove sculpture. Levi also got to hit in a kids' sized batting cage.




All in all, what a great stop.

From there, it was 550-ish miles to Frederick, Md. After lunch at the Louisville Jimmy John's, dinner at a table outside the Bridgeport (W.Va.)Wendy's, and a late snack at the Cumberland (Md.) Chick-Fil-A, we arrived in Frederick around 11:30 p.m. Odd to say, but we are home at last.

Except that we don't have a home yet (we have one under contract, but are having issues with the appraisal and are shopping again for a backup). We're hopeful to iron it out during the next couple weeks and move in before Labor Day. For now, our home is the Frederick Holiday Inn -- it's not much but it's near the mall and has a pool, two things we couldn't say about our home in Vegas.




To be honest, it's kind of a drag not to be on the road. We saw a lot of this great country, met many great people, and ate at a lot of fun and unique places (we had a blast at the Chick-Fil-A in Cumberland last night; they thought it was funny that we were moving from Vegas to Frederick and took great care of us, and the kids loved the attention). Reality hasn't set in yet, but it's coming (and it's coming fast).

Thanks for tagging along, and for not backseat driving.