I will be updating this page with notes from my Kennedy Assassination Tour Summer 2012. The content will be in order of newest to oldest updates. I will also update Facebook, Twitter and Instagram along the way. Cheers.
Consider reading this Travel Log in reverse order from bottom to top. Newer posts were added on top. Older posts are at the bottom.
Post Tour Travel Notes
The Northern Face hiking shoes I bought were great. They were very comfortable.
The First Accent pants from Eddie Bauer were also very comfortable, but they caused issues with the airport security scanner every time. The pants have two zipper pockets on each outer thigh that caused me to be frisked at each TSA check point.
I brought along a tripod and my Holga wide pinhole camera. I should have left this at home because I did not have any time for pinhole images. I could have saved the weight.
I bought a neck pillow for the flights. I believe the neck pillow design could be improved by removing some of the padding that goes directly behind the neck. I used the pillow more as a book holder than a neck pillow.
Being a Gold Reward rental car member is worth it. I left each airport and walked directly to my car. This probably saved me 30-60 minutes per stop. This is time that I did not have to spare.
I would like to get the new Nikon 18-300mm lens. This would easily replace my 16-85mm and 70-300mm lens and lighten my camera bag. I have also considered getting a Nikon P7100. Traveling light is the key to success.
Monday, July 9, 2012
I will be dropping off film with BWC Creative today. I expect to get the negatives back by Friday, at the latest.
Friday, July 6, 2012
10:00 a.m. – I’m at the Tampa Int. Airport. I will be flying to Houston and then to Dallas. I can’t wait to be home.
7:45 a.m. – Found Secret Service Agent Roy Kellerman’s grave in St. Petersburg, FL. He is in the north side mausoleum of the Memorial Park Cemetery. Kellerman is buried with his wife.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
7:55 p.m. – I flew out of Greenville / Spartanburg Airport to Houston. I am waiting for my ride to Tampa. Just one more grave to find this week. If I get it, then this trip will be 100% successful.
2:00 p.m. – It’s getting late and I have a plane to catch. Elsa, my GPS, leads me to the far side of the Athens cemetery, which is barred and marked No Tresspassing. I then read a note on findagrave.com that says they don’t allow photos. Dang.
As I started for the air port, I realize the cemetery is part of the Univ. of Georgia campus. I found the correct entrance to the cemetery near the football stadium. I found Dean Rusk in the new section of the Athens Cemetery alright. I had a little help form a librarian, who was walking in 99 degree heat for exercise.
11:30 a.m. – On my way to find Dean Rusk, I decide to find U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr. first. Good thing too because he was not where FindSGrave.com said he would be. I found him and the other Russells in Winder, GA, not Commerce.
7:00 a.m. – With help from Daryl Hannah, not the actress but way prettier, I located Kennedy’s limo driver William Greer. This is a very beautiful cemetery. Looks like there are over 5,000 graves on this hillside cemetery. There is a wonderful view of mountains with a little mist in the distance.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
7:40 p.m. – Flight back to Chicago and then on to Greenville, NC. I got a Milk & Cookies sundae from Ben & Jerry’s. Mmmmmm.
1:30 p.m. – I drove back across Michigan from Grand Rapids to Dearborn. I visited The Henry Ford museum. There I photographed Kennedy’s limo.
There were 6-12 people around the limo at all times. Most people stared in awe while others, like me, took photos.
The Henry Ford also has the Rosa Parks bus from Montgomery, AL. The bus has been beautifully restored to showroom quality. It is very popular with parents trying to explain its significance.
9:00 a.m. – Located President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford’s grave memorial garden. It is very beautiful with wonderful landscaping.
Then U.S. Representative Ford was part of the Warren Commission. The museum almost glosses over this entire fact. They only talk about how long the commission took, his visit to Dallas and his book on the subject.
Most of the museum discusses his succession to the presidency.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
11:30 p.m. – At my hotel for the night. Cheers.
7:40 p.m. – I grabbed my first Chicago dog at the Midway Airport before flying to the Motor City.
4:00 p.m. – Visited the Ernest Hemingway birthplace home in Oak Park. It was a really nice tour for Hemingway fans. I am really glad I added this to my tour. I’m a big Hemingway fan and this is a really cool house.
2:00 p.m. – I found Jack Ruby at Westlawn Cemetery. I also found poet Shel Silverstein.
This is a Jewish cemetery and there is a funeral happening. I need to be quick with my photos. I could be tossed out at any minute.
10:00 a.m. – After a long drive and lots of toll road fees, I finally found Historic Auto Museum in Roscoe, IL. I got there about 10 minutes before they opened. I easily made up the time that I lost looking for Robert Reed.
The Historic Auto Museum has everything including Bonnie & Clyde’s bullet riddled car, the Grizwald’s Family Truckster, and a time-machine made out of a Delorian. They have a large collection of presidential memorabilia, including cars, documents, furniture, wax figures, etc.
I was mainly there for Lee Harvey Oswald’s gravestone and got a lot more. The added bonus was the original Secret Service follow-up car used in Dallas and the taxi cap Oswald used after the shooting. I hope these photos turn out too.
7:00 a.m. – The day stated early at 5:00 a.m. I got to the cemetery at 6:30 a.m. but they were not open till 7 a.m. I had to get help from the office to find Karyn Cookie Kupcinet and Robert Reid.
Cookie was easy to find, but Mr. Brady took some work and I was out of time. I searched for 15-20 minutes. I found him when I was about to leave.
I just could not get The Brady Bunch theme song out of my head. Finding Mr. Brady put me about 15 minutes behind schedule.
Monday, July 2, 2012
10:00 p.m. – Finally at my hotel for the evening. I have another full day again tomorrow. Cheers.
6:30 p.m. – Went to downtown Chicago to find Klein’s Sporting Goods. I know they went out of business a long time ago. I was hoping to find the old build. What I did find was a new modern building. If the building next to it is any indication, then Chicago lost a really cool old building.
1:00 p.m. – Wow! I almost did not get to see Kennedy’s Air Force One. I had to do some begging and pleading. I did get to see it. Thanks to Gail in Operations I did get to see SAM 26000.
The museum has a sign-up sheet for the bus ride over to the Presidential and R&D hangar. The bus has a limited number of seats. The next bus, which was already full, was going to leave at 2:15 p.m. I had to be out of there by 2:30 p.m. to stay on schedule. I just can’t thank Gail in Operations enough for arranging me a ride over to the hanger.
The outside of SAM 26000 has been returned to its presidential glory, but the inside is still configured as a regular government transport, not a presidential plane. There is clear plexiglass down each side of the aisle, which is a very tight squeeze in some places. Visitors can enter the front of the aircraft and walk through and exit the rear.
I’m on my way to Chicago now.
5:00 a.m. – The Kennedy Assassination Tour Summer 2012 started bright and early with at 3:50 a.m. wake-up. I’m now at Dallas Love Field waiting for my ride to St. Louis and then on to Columbus. See you at NMoUSAF.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
10:15 p.m. – Time for bed. The tour begins at 3:50 a.m. See you bright and early. Cheers.
7:00 p.m. – My bags are packed and I’m ready to go. I’ve already made the tough decisions like which of my Holga cameras stay and which get to go. I have an overfull camera bag with the following:
- Nikon D7000 with two lenses and flash
- Holga F-mount for Nikon
- Holga 120N
- Holga Wide Pinhole
- Holga 120 GCFN
- Holga 120 NF
- Tripod
- 30 plus rolls of film
Unfortunately, I am leaving behind my Holga 120 PAN, which produces a 6×12 cm image. I am starting to really like this camera.
6:00 a.m. – I checked-in for my first leg of flights, Dallas to Columbus. The tour begins bright and early tomorrow morning.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Updated Elsa, my Garmin GPS, with the latest maps. I loaded Elsa with all my stops via Google Maps and the Firefox Add-On for Garmin Communicator. It was very easy.
I also found out that Elsa is really a Samantha, but I prefer Elsa.
Friday, June 29, 2012
7:00 p.m. – I know this is truly mundane, but the shoes where the correct size. I went to two stores to figure it out.
3:30 p.m. – I got the right pants. I preferred the First Accent pants over the Travex Pants. I got a pair in charcoal. I already have tan. I also got another web belt and socks.
9:30 a.m. – I’m wearing my new North Face hiking shoes to work today. The shoe are very comfortable but I’ve determined the shoes may be a half size too big. I’ll have to see about exchanging them later. Since I’m thinking about exchanging them, I am sitting shoe-less at my desk today.
I’ll be stopping by Eddie Bauer later today for a pants exchange. It’s almost as if I don’t know how to shop. I’ve never had to return any film.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
I’m testing updates to my travel log through my phone. It’s not as easy as I would like, but it is better than nothing. Thanks for reading.
8:45 p.m. – I noticed an error with my Eddie Bauer pants order. I ordered the wrong pants. I ordered Travex Pants instead of First Accent pants. I just got off the phone with Karen at my local Eddie Bauer outlet. She said they can take the return and get me the right pants. Now there’s service with a smile.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Both my Travex Pants from Eddie Bauer and film from B&H Photo Video arrived. I just love the smell of fresh film and new camera. Mmmmm … camera.
Sunday, June 25, 2012
I ordered film from B&H Photo Video. I’m getting the following:
- Kodak Ektar 100 color film
- Kodak Portra 160 and 400 color film
- Kodak T-MAX 100 and 400 black and white film
- Holga 120 PC Pinhole Camera
I can never have too many Holga cameras. Cheers.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I ordered Travex Pants from Eddie Bauer. I already own a pair of these pants. They are really light weight and comfortable. Travex Pants have lots of pockets with zippers, which I don’t really use but enjoy having. I like them because they are lighter weight than blue jeans. Tromping through graveyards in shorts is not an option. Travex Pants are the way to go.
Monday, June 4, 2012
I booked all my flights and car rentals today. It was a beating working out all the logistics, but I finally have it done. The Kennedy Assassination Tour Summer 2012 is a go.