Every March the "Mid America Trucking Show" is held in Louisville, Kentucky. Randy has gone a couple of other times with friends and has been after me to go along some year. This year we no longer have any babies or children in foster care so it worked out. As it occurs from Thursday-Saturday during the school year the children ended up being scattered among various homes. Everyone did well.
Wednesday morning (March 20) Randy went for a CT Scan (follow-up to some lung issues he had last summer). When he returned home we packed up the 3 youngest and dropped them off at my cousin's house. We then went and picked up another couple who was traveling with us and headed west. We left around 10:45 a.m. and arrived at our motel on the south side of Louisville around 10:30. We made stops for lunch and supper. And called around to find a motel for the night.
This was our room at the Best Western just south of Louisville where we spent the first night. Nice place. And the complimentary breakfast was at the Denny's across the parking lot. That was good too!
After breakfast we headed north to the Kentucky Expo Center. We made a quick stop to check-in to the hotel that we had booked for the 2nd night. Then we went to the Trucking Show. We had VIP passes so we could get in at 10:00 instead of waiting until 1:00 when the show officially opened to the public. While there were lots and lots of people there, it doesn't get shoulder-to-shoulder packed until Friday afternoon or Saturday.
In the main wing every major dealer of trucks and trailers had large booths with lots of equipment to check out. This was the Freightliner area where we were checking out their newest trucks. Randy got to test drive the latest version!
Randy checking out a Peterbilt.
There were other trucks throughout the show that vendors had to show their customization and chrome and parts.
Outside there was a "Pride & Polish" show. Trucks that were cleaned up and sparkled and were customized. Rich man's toys. :-)
Looking out towards some of the customized trucks.
The sunlight (and me rushing) interfered with this photo. This person had created a gear shift and steering wheel out of chain link. I thought it would've been rather uncomfortable to actually drive it. It also had doors which swung up.
It was very cold last week so we didn't stay outside very long. Then we went back inside and meandered around the booths. I think the directory said that there were 1050 vendors! All the large manufacturers of trucks and trailers, engine dealers, brake dealers, transmission dealers, dealers of all sorts of parts (both original and after-market), insurance companies, truckstop/fuel companies, aerodynamic additions companies, tire manufacturers, dash cam dealers, Canadian border authority....pretty much anything you can imagine that is related to trucking and then a few more. There were also ministries to the trucking community like Transport for Christ. I saw one stand full of hand bags and luggage. A whole section was large trucking companies recruiting drivers.
Late afternoon we met back up with our friends and headed back to the motel to settle in for about half an hour. Then we went to Mark's Feed Store where we met up with a bunch of friends (including our Truck insurance salesman) for supper. I forgot my camera to that event. The food was absolutely delicious! And I loved the sweet tea. We also got to try a southern pie...Buttermilk Pie. It was good, but very sweet. I should've had coffee with it. :-)
Our motel that night was not quite what we had planned. A few weeks before going to KY the motel which we had booked called and said that there had been a flood (I was a bit confused, I'm assuming a waterpipe break?) and that they switched our reservations to another motel for the same rate. Anyway. This motel was not quite what we had hoped for...but in the end it was one of those "you were disappointed but God meant it for your good" moments.
Friday morning I woke up early. We were planning on meeting our friends at 8:00, but I told Randy to text them at 7:30 and let them know we were ready whenever they were. As our friend was approaching the pick-up from checking out, someone called his name. Here a friend of his (& Randy, & Randy's Dad) was walking across the road. Our friend had not seen this guy for 15 years. It made his & Randy's day before it started. :-) We then went across the street and ate breakfast at Shoney's. And wouldn't you know, that man and his group showed up too....and we paid at the same time so they got to talk some more. We all then went to the truck show...but we didn't see him there. So we felt very blessed to be able to see him as we did.
Back at the truck show....
I think they use trucks like this in Australia.
One thing that fascinated me was how you would see people with cameras going up to trucks and taking photos in underneath of parts. And making all sorts of notes. Looked a lot like people trying to steal designs and engineering to make "knock-off" brands....but perhaps they just like to have photos of truck parts?!
From the parking lot looking at the main entrance. In the distance you can see one of the back wing of the building. It was huge. We did a lot of walking.
At the end I got our friend to take our photo...to prove that I was along. :-) And to give me a new photo for my profile on facebook.
We left Louisville around 1:30 and arrived home around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. We had a lovely, relaxing time. The kids managed in the assorted homes they stayed in. Josiah went to Ohio for a quiz retreat while we were gone so he didn't get home until Sunday evening.
