The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
took a Segway tour of Louisville Waterfront Park
and enjoyed the Big Four Railroad Bridge
June 3, 2013 - (page 1 of 2)
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Louisville Waterfront Park is a 72-acre municipal park adjacent to the downtown area of Louisville, Kentucky and the Ohio River. Specifically, it is adjacent to Louisville's wharf and Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, which are situated to the west of the park. As of Summer 2005, Waterfront Park offers free wireless Internet access. Currently this is the largest public park in the nation to offer such access.

Once an industrial wasteland, Louisville's reclaimed waterfront now features trees and walking paths.

The western half of the park features linear fountains, not officially intended for swimming but nevertheless quite popular for that purpose. Further east, there are two expansive lawns, bisected by the interstate, and a small series of docks for boats. Nearby are the Children's Play Area and the Adventure Playground. The pedestrian walkway and ramp are on the eastern end of the park.

OOOH read the sign shown below that is posted at the beginning of the pedestrian walkway ramp to the Big Four Railroad Bridge - The two RV Gypsies really liked the fact that dates and romance ARE allowed on the bridge.

sign at the Big Four Railroad Bridge

Below: Karen Duquette on the pedestrian walkway which curves around and links to the Big Four Railroad Bridge shown behind Karen.

Karen Duquette on the pedestrian walkway to the Big Four Railroad Bridge
Karen Duquette on the pedestrian walkway to the Big Four Railroad Bridge
sign at the Big Four Railroad Bridge
Karen Duquette on the Big Four Railroad Bridge

Below: The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge as seen from the pedestrian walkway. The bridge is 5,746 feet in length and 38 feet wide over the Ohio River.

Locally, the Clark Bridge is also known as the Second Street Bridge, as Louisville's Second Street leads directly to the bridge. This has never been a formal name however. There is a pedestrian sidewalk on each side of the bridge deck. Since 1991, the bridge has been used as "ground zero" for the annual Thunder Over Louisville event, when a waterfall of fireworks flows along the entire length of the bridge during the fireworks show. This involves traffic being closed for much of the week. The bridge is featured in a scene from the 1981 movie Stripes in which Bill Murray drives his cab to the middle of the span, gets out of the vehicle and then tosses his keys into the river below.

Above quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge
The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge

Below: The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge as seen from the Big Four Railroad Bridge

The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge

Below: The two RV Gypsies and their Segways on the Big Four Railroad Bridge

Karen Duquette by her Segaway on the Bridge The two RV Gypsies and their Segways on the Big Four Railroad Bridge

Below: The Big Four Bridge is a six-span former railroad truss bridge that crosses the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States. It was completed in 1895, and updated in 1929. It has its largest span at 547 feet for 2,525 feet in total. It gets its name from the defunct Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, which was nicknamed the "Big Four Railroad." It is now a converted pedestrian walkway from Louisville into Indiana.

Access to the Big Four Bridge is limited to pedestrian and bicycle use and Segways. The Indiana side was not completed as of this date, as shown below. However, the two RV Gypsies returned to Louisville in 2015 and took the Segway tour again, and the Indiana side was completed and they rode their Segways into Indiana. Those photos can be reached from the link at the very bottom of this page.

Most of the above quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
the temporary end of the Big Four Railroad Bridge
The Indiana side of the Big Four Railroad Bridge

Below: Other sights the two RV Gypsies toured on their Segways

Since 1963, the Belle of Louisville has taken people for a cruise on the Ohio River .The Belle is America's last true Mississippi River Steamboat still in operation, and she is preparing to celebrate her 100th birthday in October 2014. Though we know her today as the Belle of Louisville, she was originally named The Idlewild when she was built in 1914 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was designed to be a ferry and day packet vessel for freight work, and was also outfitted for her later career as an excursion boat. Completely paddlewheel-driven with a steel hull that draws only 5 feet of water, she was able to travel on virtually every navigable inland waterway, earning her the distinction of being the most widely traveled river steamboat in the nation. The Belle was named a National Historic Landmark on June 30, 1989.

Above quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
the Belle of Louisville

Below: The Lincoln Memorial at Waterfront Park was dedicated on June 4, 2009 and was funded by the State of Kentucky, the family of Harry S. Frazier, Jr., and the Kentucky Historical Society/Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission as part of the two-year national celebration of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth.

This memorial tells the story of how, as a young man, Lincoln began developing his abhorrence of slavery while watching slaves being loaded onto riverboats on the Ohio River in Louisville. The memorial features a 12-foot statue of Lincoln seated on a rock and looking out over the river.

Karen Duquette at the Lincoln Memorial in Louisville
Karen Duquette at the Lincoln Memorial in Louisville
the Lincoln Memorial in Louisville

Below: The Grasshopper sculpture that has been a centerpiece of Waterfront Park since 1999, created by Artist Tony Smith.

The Grasshopper sculpture  at Waterfront Park in Louisville KY

The two RV Gypsies really enjoyed this Segway tour, and the price was quite reasonable. Their tour guide was very knowledgeable in the area and told about each stop. The two RV Gypsies highly recommend Segway Tours by Wheel Fun in Louisville. As stated above, the two RV Gypsies returned to Louisville in 2015 and took the Segway tour again. Those photos can be reached through the TOC button above and choosing S, then scrolling down to Segway tours.

The Segway tour stopped briefly at The Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden, but the two RV Gypsies were glad that they had taken the below photos earlier before they took the Segway tour, because this tour did not allow much time for photography, which is okay with the two RV Gypsies, because they took the Segway tour mostly for the joy of riding a Segway again. This was the two RV Gypsies' 5th Segway tour, all in different cities and states of course. Use the TOC button above to see those photos, listed under S for Segways.

The two RV Gypsies got kissed at The Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden

Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden
Lee Duquette and a big rooster
Karen Duquette and a weird bird
Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY
rooster at Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY
Karen Duquette and a weird bird at Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY
Karen Duquette and a weird bird
Karen Duquette and a weird bird
a rooster with a big roost
Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY
Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY
Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY
3-headed rooster at Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY
Flock of Finns Sculpture Garden in Louisville KY

The below photos were taken at nearby areas, but not taken during the Segway tour.

Below: The KFC Yum! Center is a $238 million, 22,500-seat basketball and multipurpose arena that opened on October 10, 2010, on the Ohio River waterfront in Louisville, Kentucky - capacity 22,090. On April 19, 2010, it was announced that Louisville-based fast food giant Yum! Brands would pay US $13.5 million for the naming rights and would sell the products of four of its chains, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell and seven concession stands within the arena. It is the Home of the Louisville Cardinals.

Above quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The KFC Yum! Center
The KFC Yum! Center  & Joes
Louiville marathon official finish line sign and Karen Duquette
Louisville Slugger Field
sign: Louisville Slugger Field

Below: The pole below marks the high-water level of the Great Flood of 1937 - Imagine that if you can!

sign: The Grat Flood of 1937
look below

This is not a linear site, and visitors can always control where they go. This page has two options below:

continue on for more photos in Louisville, KentuckyPlease continue on to page 2 in Louisville, Kentucky: the Big Bat, Statue of David, Fourth Street Live, the big guitar, and more.

OR

continue on for more photos in Louisville, Kentucky IF you got here from the 2015 Segway tour, you may return there now.