Bed and Breakfast for Car Lovers by Jim Ehrlich

On our trip to the Corvette Museum and Factory, we chose against chain hotels. In the past, we've found that a personalized atmosphere goes a long way when we're on the road.

So we reserved a place at a bed and breakfast that we had heard good things about online, and were absolutely delighted with our stay.

Clint and Juannie Kronenberger's have owned their bed and breakfast in Bowling Green, Kentucky, since they retired and moved from Naples, Florida. They've certainly put a great deal of work and charm into their property since then (Be sure to ask Juannie about her sock monkies).

Clint's an interesting guy. For one, he used to drag race his Camaro, pushing over 200mph in a 1/4 mile. It had something like 1,000hp.

He's also a huge cycling enthusiast. When he and Juannie lived in Naples, he ran a cycling shop and helped start the Naples cycling club.

So he gets the car thing, which is one of the main draws to Spongie Acres. If you've got a Corvette, for example, and there's some bad weather or worry about trusting your car to the nighttime hours, Clint's shop has room enough for 6-8 vehicles, climate control, security, and all of the equipment or tools necessary should your car have some issues.

The grounds are beautiful; the food is wonderful. Juannie and Clint served homemade bread, french toast, eggs and bacon for a great breakfast, which always makes for a great start to the day.

Clint and Juannie are deeply hospitable, ready to talk about anything (we talked cars) or to offer some solitude and quiet, if that's what you need.

If we're ever in the area, we'd love to go back.

Visit their website for reservations and information. www.spongieacresbedandbreakfast.com

National Corvette Museum by Jim Ehrlich

The National Corvette Museum and Corvette factory in Bowling Green Kentucky is a pilgrimage for any Corvette enthusiast. We recently took one such trip to tour both the museum and factory, and had a great experience.

The Corvette museum, open 8a - 5pm every day, has a great collection of cars showcasing the history of the Corvette, with information about how Chevrolet designed and changed each car over time.

2016 Corvette waiting to be picked up by new owner.

The museum houses the one and only 1983 Corvette, the others destroyed at the hands of GM after new emissions requirements came out before the production run finished. Workers at the plant schemed for years, keeping this one hidden from GM.

In 2014, an out-of-nowhere sink hole opened up inside the main floor (video). The museum displays seven of the destroyed Corvettes. The museum restored one of the Corvettes destroyed, as it was the 1,000,000th produced.

The Corvette Factory Assembly Plant exhibited serious attention to craft excellence and detail. Chevrolet focuses on building their product to a very high quality, and it shows in the new C7 Corvette.

It’s unfortunate we were not able to take photos of the tour, but Chevrolet strictly enforces their rules (no backpacks, purses, cell phones, cameras, open toe shoes, water bottle or beverages). The tour is right on the floor, maybe a ten feet away from the assembly process, and goes a little over an hour. There's plenty of time to see the museum and the plant in the same day.

 A guide explains everything about assembly, and the tour follows the entire plant, with the finished product firing up for the 1st time and driving off to the water test room at the end.

They offer three tours a day: 8 am, 11:30 am, and 2 pm.

Tour space is limited, and starting in January of 2016, the plant will require reservations.

To reserve a tour spot, visit the assembly plant site: https://www.bowlinggreenassemblyplant.com/

Note: if you drive a foreign vehicle or a non-GM product you will have to park in the back lot. Front door parking is Corvettes only.