Cooperstown, NY and the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum

    We took a beautiful drive down past a gorgeous lake to Cooperstown, New York and the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum.  Cant begin to tell you how nice the drive was from our camp site (which in and of itself is beautiful and serene).  The town of Cooperstown is quite overtaken with tourist and trinket shops everywhere and on every corner.   However, once you get off Main St, there are some beautiful homes.      

We parked next to this infamous ballfield named after Abner Doubleday who many say started baseball but records indicate otherwise.  Abner Doubleday was a Civil War hero and did hail from the Cooperstown area .

As you walk down Main Street, you find yourself standing in front of several stores with names that ring of days gone by.

 





These two stores contained so much baseball "stuff" and were side by side.  One had exactly the same as the other.  But cool nonetheless.

 

As you enter the museum, you pay and start the tour on the second floor.  Every nook and corner has a display of both present and days gone by.



   

 





 



 After walking around the second floor for what seemed forever, we went up to the third floor and started another journey down Major League Baseball as it has evolved thru today.  Many of the exhibits are changed yearly and some had been displayed for years.  In addition to Modern Major League Baseball, there was an area set up displaying women in baseball during WWII and the early Korean War.

 

 



And of course, where would we be without the antics and costumes of the team mascots.



 

 And who doesn't remember the Pine Tar incident and George Brett.

 

Of course, the most World Series won have been by the New York Yankees.

 







After the third floor, you head down to the first floor and the Hall of Fame Gallery where you find bronze plaques of every player inducted each year since 1936. 

 

 



 JD, here are your heros.

 

 

After about three hours of walking around this beautiful old building, it was time to leave.



 

National Corvette Museum

    Today we checked off an important Bucket List item:  The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky.  This is right across the road from the Corvette Plant and is very accessible to the public.

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   ( Depending on how much you want to spend, you can also tour the plant right across the road).

    We arrived about 11:30 and were on our way home about 2:30 so it does not take long to eat a burger and tour the museum.

    Here are several photos of our tour.  

Only three Corvette Gibson Guitars built like this and Billy Gibbons owns two.  This is the third.

This was a very nice patriotic display to veterans.

The Corvette name is derived from the WWII Canadian Warship

In 1953, the only color available was white exterior and red interior.

    When you walk around it becomes really clear this is an American Icon. Not built to compete with any other known car except two seaters from Europe.  It was General LeMay who wrote Chevrolet and other auto makers to build cars that would keep servicemen busy and occupied.  What I found amazing was the beginnings.  Zora Dunkov is considered to be the father of the Corvette, but he was not on the original design team.  The honor goes to Harley Earl.  Zora did attend one of the first track showings of the Corvette and wrote a letter expressing his views of the car.  He stated the exterior was a showstopper, but the motor was lacking.  Zora was offered a job on the design team as a Design Assistant.  Throughout the years, Zora only owned one Corvette which was given to him.

    Of course, in April 2014, the devastating sink hole that swallowed up several cars.

This ZR1 could not be restored.

This white Corvette was only found after total removal of all other cars.  None of it showed above the water and debris.

Both the ZR1 and the millionth Corvette below were sent back to be rebuilt after being recovered.

   

    We ended the tour exiting through the store. 

    Bill, this is for you.  Thought you'd appreciate this.

  

    One last Corvette.