Showing posts with label Kentucky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kentucky. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Kentucky Adventures! A Trip to The National Corvette Museum and Plant.


So as promised... here is the big post with LOTS of pics from our trip to Bowling, Green Kentucky last weekend. In case some of you didn't read the previous post... my in-laws, the munchkin and I took the hubby to the Corvette Museum & Plant that is up there. It was freakin awesome! There's actually so much history to the cars themselves, and to think... they almost didn't even make it to the assembly line! Corvette got its start by a man named Zora Arkus-Duntov, he is the man who saw Corvette for what it was... the American Dream Sports Car. He first joined GM in 1953 after he first saw the Motorama Corvette on display at GM's press release in New York. Most designers and engineers didn't feel that Corvette was up to snuff with Europes already very popular sports cars; namely Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche and Mercedes Bendz. Zora saw the potential in Corvette and wrote to Chevrolet's chief engineer Ed Cole and told him it would be his compliment to work on such a beautiful car, and the rest is history.

The first generation Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year and ended in 1962. Often referred to as the "solid-axle" models because the independent rear suspension did not debut until the 1963 Sting Ray (which also happens to be be my favorite model). There are now six generations of Corvette and our's is fourth, hence the C-4 model. Ours is also a bit special because its part of the one millionth models that were produced in 1992.

Needless to say we had a GREAT time at the museum and touring the plant, it was the coolest thing to see how its all made, from the start to nuts and bolts of the engine block to the fiberglass hoods and coupe tops. It was really nice to walk around on the factory floor and see the people who actually make the car we drive. I was very impressed by all the fine workings of the assembly productions. I was unable to take pictures, in fact we had to leave our cell phones and my purse in the car while touring the plant. Yes! GM is THAT serious about their secret productions. ;)

But here are some of the pictures I took at the museum...

Us and my in-laws in from of the museum and cafe.

Our little future vette driver ;)

This particular display I found really cool, below the mural it has a display of pictures and stories from all kinds of military members and the stories of how and why they bought their vettes, I loved the one about a Marine who bought his first vette after his last deployment to afganistan, he had it dedicated to his friend who was KIA and on the hood it has their unit insignia and his name engraved in it.

"I'll take this one mom!"

I don't think any words are more true to my hubbies heart...

Inside the Corvette Hall of Fame, they have every model ever made in here!

And since I was unable to take pics inside, here's a pic of the front of the plant. :)


On Sunday in the morning we went to the Farmers Market where I picked up some wild Kentucky honey (ya, know... the kind that still has the comb in it!) and then that afternoon we took the munchkin to see Cars 2. We would have love to adventure off into the Lost River Caves but they are currently flooded by the torrential rain that Kentucky has had in the past few weeks. Never the less the movie was AWESOME! I almost loved it more than the first movie! And afterward we also found a...

Real White Castle!!! So yeah it was a Jess & Hubbers go White Castle moment! LOL!