...Se-ven, Eight, Ni-ne....... Ten!

Whew! Ten whole sit-ups. That was exhausting, but I can already tell I’m in better shape. Without the Woody Bus, I must be prepared in case I have to walk, row a boat, or even swim to our destination.

We got a doggone lucky break this time. Remember last time when we traveled the Salt River from Shepherdsville to West Point? When Mr. Sullivan dropped us off at the riverbank, the four of us were unsure what we would do. While eating lunch, we heard the loudest horn. Chloe and I covered our ears, but not our eyes. Mom and Dad pointed out that the Belle of Louisville was docked on the bank of the Ohio Rive. It was the most beautiful steamboat.

I was asking Mom and Dad all kinds of questions about the Belle when a gentleman approached. He introduced himself as its captain. He had heard about our bus problems and wanted to offer us an invitation to ride on the steamboat. We couldn’t believe our ears! “A ride? Really? Where are we going?” I asked.

“Well,” the captain said, “how about we travel west on the Ohio River to Henderson?”

That was perfect! We gathered our knapsacks, threw away our trash from lunch, and then followed the captain aboard the Belle.

The captain told us the Belle is the oldest river steamboat still in operation. At 157.7 feet long, the Belle was built in 1914 and was originally named the Idlewild. It first floated on the Allegheny River at Pittsburg.

In 1947, the Idlewild was sold and its name became the Avalon. It 1962, the steamboat was bought by Jefferson County to become the proud Belle of Louisville we know today.

On April 30, 1963, the Belle made her first appearance in a race against another steamboat, Cincinnati’s Delta Queen.

That race began a tradition. Each year on the Wednesday before the Kentucky Derby, the Belle and the Queen race up the Ohio River in the Great Steamboat Race. It was easy to see that the Belle is an important part of our state.

I’d been concentrating on listening to the captain that I was completely surprised when he told us we had arrived in Owensboro. He wanted to make a quick stop so we could stretch our legs, have a snack and take a walking tour.

While walking, Chloe told us she had read in one of her library books that Owensboro is the third largest city in Kentucky. Called the “city of festivals,” its best known festival is the International Bar-BQ Festival. With the mention of barbecue, the captain said he had to stop to get a bowl of burgoo. “Bird goo!

What in the world is bird goo?” I asked. Mom explained that it wasn’t “bird goo,” but burgoo, and it was a savory stew with lots of meats such as lamb, chicken and pork.

It also has vegetables, like lima beans. I love limas. I asked Mom why she had never made burgoo for us. She said most people cooked burgoo in large iron pots outdoors.

It usually took about 30 hours, a long time for a wiener dog to wait for supper! The captain said that burgoo was started in the 17th century by sailors who needed a hearty meal.

No wonder the captain wanted to stop in Owensboro. By the time we had reached the restaurant, we had worked up an appetite. The burgoo hit the spot!

After our meal, we went to the Owensboro Museum of Science and History, the Museum of Fine Art and toured the campus of Kentucky Wesleyan College. Our favorite part of Owensboro was the sassafras tree. That’s right! The world’s largest sassafras tree is located in Owensboro.

It’s thought to be between 250 and 300 years old with a circumference of 21 feet. I was wondering how many birds and squirrels had made their home in that beautiful tree when Dad and the captain said it was time to head back to the Belle. I regretted leaving Owensboro, but was looking forward to Henderson, another town located on the Ohio River.

I couldn’t help but worry what we would do when we arrived in Henderson. The captain wouldn’t be able to take us any farther, so Mom, Dad, Chloe and I would be on our own again. Would the rest of our tour be on foot? Would we be rescued once again?

Find out next time! In the meantime, work on those sit-ups, and work and dream like a Big Dog!

This program sponsored by LG&E; & KU, both e.on companies, and KPA.