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Micro.blog photo challenge 📷 Day 1: tree

📍Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

A savanna landscape features two isolated trees under a partly cloudy sky.
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Was told I had to stop here (or Gold Star) while passing thru Cincinnati. Welp, I absolutely DO NOT need to come here ever again. (Everything about it was terrible). 🏷️ 25.05C

A Skyline Chili restaurant is lit up at dusk, featuring a prominent neon sign and blue awnings, with a flagpole and landscaped greenery in the foreground.
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Did a short hike through the Bluffs of Beaver Bend. 🏷️ 25.05C

A small, tranquil waterfall flows over a moss-covered rock ledge surrounded by lush greenery.A shaded cave entrance is surrounded by rocks and greenery, with a mixture of dirt and scattered branches on the ground.A narrow dirt path winds through a lush, green forest with tall trees and dense undergrowth.A lush, green forest scene with rocky cliffs and dense foliage.

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This is the Triple Whipple Bridge, which features a rare triple-intersection truss design—the only known example of its kind in the United States. 🏷️ 25.05C

A historic iron truss bridge spans a lush, green landscape under a clear blue sky.
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Pushing up the Ohio River 🏷️ 25.05C

A long, red barge floats on a calm river, bordered by lush greenery under a clear, blue sky.
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Of course, if you find yourself in Frankfort, you have to stop by the grave of Kentucky’s most celebrated folk hero. 🏷️ 25.05C

Daniel Boone's grave is marked by a historical plaque and bordered by a decorative fence, situated in a cemetery with trees and American flags nearby.A stone monument with the name Daniel Boone engraved on it is surrounded by a black metal fence in a wooded area.

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Kelsey must have been a real dick.

A tall, gray gravestone with the name "Kelsey" stands overlooking a lush, green landscape with a distant town and a prominent dome-shaped building.
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I also marked off Kentucky and Indiana on my State Capitol Buildings quest. Of course, both rotundas are currently under construction. 🏷️ 25.05C

A historic building surrounded by scaffolding stands amidst a lush, green suburban landscape.A neoclassical-style government building is undergoing construction with scaffolding and a crane, surrounded by trees and a statue.

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Larry Bird, the pride of French Lick, Indiana. 🏷️ 25.05C

A stone bust of a person wearing a Celtics 33 jersey is displayed in front of a brick building.
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Toured the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site today, which brings me to within two of completing my “A Site For Each President” quest—just Madison and Nixon left. I’ll do Nixon in Aug, but no immediate plans for Montpelier (they closed early on a previous trip I made to the site 🙄). 🏷️ 25.05C

A historic red-brick house with a wraparound porch is surrounded by lush greenery and features American and state flags at the front.A vintage bedroom features an ornate wooden bed with a patchwork quilt, surrounded by antique furniture and patterned wallpaper.A vintage wooden roll-top desk with multiple compartments and drawers is paired with an antique swivel chair, surrounded by a lamp and file cabinets.An ornate office setting features a marble desk with a vintage typewriter, a pair of decorative lamps, an encased object, an American flag, and elegant curtains.

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Had an enjoyable evening at Mirror Twin Brewing in Lexington KY a few nights ago. Also made a stop at Afterburner in Terre Haute IN last night. And Kismetic in Indianapolis IN today. #LostNeededDirections 🏷️ 25.05C

A glass of beer from Mirror Twin Brewing sits on a wooden counter with a backdrop of beer taps and a menu board.Four craft beer taster glasses sit on a wooden flight board in front of a wall with beer taps and a menu.A glass of beer sits on a table in a bar with taps and neon signs in the background.A glass of beer with a colorful logo sits on a counter in a lively bar setting.

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So, this was an unexpected voicemail to receive. It was apparently an email(?) read aloud to my voicemail by a T-Mobile operator, asking me about a random blog post about the only way way to drive directly from Missouri to Kentucky, an artifact of one of my (weird) “state border crossings” quest.

A voicemail transcription details a message from a person seeking directions to Kentucky, mentioning their interest in a road trip through Illinois or Tennessee and offering an email address for further contact.
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I sidetracked a bit to visit Berea College, the first racially integrated and coeducational school in the South.

Funny enough, this cool memorial scene was funded by the guy who opened the very first KFC franchise, in Salt Lake City of all places. And, yes, I have already been there 😂. 🏷️ 25.05C

A bronze statue depicts a historical school scene with an adult teaching children, set against a stone wall backdrop.A historical plaque describes the history and significance of Berea Colleges, highlighting its founding, integration efforts, and ongoing initiatives.A bronze statue depicts a woman holding a document while a child points at it, set outdoors.

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Grabbed a sandwich on my way to Flat Lick Falls so I could use it as a nice lunch spot.

Unfortunately(?), I enjoyed this quaint little falls enough that I totally forgot about my sandwich and drove an hour to the next town and got an entirely different lunch. 🤦‍♂️ 🏷️ 25.05C

A waterfall cascades over rocky ledges surrounded by lush green foliage.
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While I followed along much of the Hatfield-McCoy feud trail, the only spot I spent more than a brief moment pausing to read a plaque was visiting the oddly-placed on the side of a steep hill Hatfield Family cemetery, which features the grave of the Hatfield ringleader, “Devil Anse.” 🏷️ 25.05C

A historical marker at Hatfield Cemetery describes the site amid lush greenery and a nearby pathway.A statue of a bearded man stands atop a stone pedestal inscribed with names and the word HATFIELD, surrounded by greenery and a metal fence.A statue surrounded by a fence stands amidst a wooded cemetery with multiple gravestones.

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I also visited the historic African Zion Baptist Church, one of the first churches started by slaves. It was the home church of Booker T Washington. 🏷️ 25.05C

A small, white wooden church with a steeple is surrounded by trees and a fence.A sign in front of a white building provides historical information about the African Zion Baptist Church established in 1852.

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I’ll need actual wifi to upload the video, but I made it out to Black Mountain, the high point of Kentucky.

It was the last one to complete for my “lazy highpointers” quest of (nearly) drivable state summits. One of my oldest quests, originally called High Points of Otherwise Flat States. 🏷️25.05C

Two green road signs indicate the location and elevation of Black Mountain and Harlan County, surrounded by trees.
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Made a new, but short-lived, friend. He just seemed far more interested in my picnic basket than my friendship. 🏷️ 25.05C

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Haha, whoops! 🙈🤷‍♂️😜 I’m now in Virginia (and no, I didn’t get a map for that this morning at AAA). 🏷️ 25.05C

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When in coal country…build things out of coal?

I sure hope they have a no smoking policy! 🏷️ 25.05C

The photo shows the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce building, featuring a fountain with a Native American statue in front and surrounded by red brick paving and greenery.A metal plaque is mounted on a textured brick wall, detailing the construction of a building using Winifrede seam coal by various coal companies.