Georgetown Fair Queen: 2014 Queen's Tea with Danielle Brown

On Saturday, June 28th we were at the Georgetown fairgrounds for the 2014 Queen's Tea.  The Queen's Tea is a contestant orientation event and kicks off the summer for women hoping to become the next Georgetown Fair Queen.  We've had a blast this year with 2013 Miss Georgetown Fair Danielle Brown and we can't wait to see who is crowned the 2014 queen in August.

Over the next month the contestants will spend time at practices and making appearances in the community, and we'll be with them for several events so watch for pictures right here at Josh and Joe Travels.  As the official photographers of the Georgetown Fair Queen we will do the official contestant headshots very soon, and we'll also be with Queen Danielle at the Potomac Independence Day Parade.  It sounds like directors Karen and Jill are planning something special for the parade this year so be sure to check back soon to see the pictures!

Think you've got what it takes to do Queen Danielle's job?  If you want to be a contestant this year you need to get in touch with directors Karen and Jill and see if there is still time to enter.  The contestants will have a lot of fun this summer so be sure to check back often to follow their journey right here at Josh and Joe Travels!

United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio

If you know anything about Joe, you know how much he loves jets, fighter jets especially, so its a wonder it took us so long to to get to the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. We spent a few hours in the museum, mainly in the cold war gallery, and we can tell you this place is even cooler than it looks on the website, and our pictures really don't even come close to doing this place justice. And be sure to thank Uncle Sam when you walk into the most insane collection of Air Force history and don't spend a dime on admission. The Air Force Museum has no admission charge.

The museum is really very impressive, and you'll have a great time looking at all the planes even if your not a fighter jet buff like Joe. The galleries are absolutely jam packed with jets of all shapes and sizes, and just walking through you get a good look at real American history. More important than the jets are the people who flew them and history of America's modern Air Force. There is a ton of history in these galleries, so come prepared to be awe struck by the planes, but be sure to take a minute a sit and watch the videos and wander through the history exhibits.

Upon entering the museum we were told that we could probably not see everything in a single day even if we raced through.  So plan to spend at least a few hours when you visit, and if you love it as much as we do, plan to make a couple more visits so you'll be sure to see everything. And if we have one tip: don't come hungry. There is no food or water allowed inside, and we couldn't find a single snack shop, so show up with a full stomach so you don't get distracted and have to leave early in search of lunch. This is a great trip for families, and we'd suggest packing a picnic lunch and keeping it in the car in a cooler so you don't have to leave the grounds. So put the US Air Force Museum in Dayton on your travel list, and watch out for Josh and Joe Travels!

Georgetown Fair Queen: Danville D102 Easter Egg Hunt with Miss Georgetown Danielle Brown

On Saturday, April 19th we went out to Danville to spend the day with Miss Georgetown Fair Danielle Brown. Our day started at 8:30am eastern when we left Indianapolis to get to Neuhoff Broadcasting in Danville by about 9:30am central. The Georgetown Fair Queen is at the Neuhoff Broadcasting Easter Egg Hunt every year, and we were there to get pictures of Queen Danielle as she got the kids started in three of the biggest patches you've ever seen.  The Neuhoff egg hunt is one of the biggest with thousands of people on hand. We like to get there early so we can get a reasonable parking place because lots of kids turn up early to see Ronald McDonald do his magic act before they are set loose to gather eggs.

After the Easter appearance we spent the afternoon doing promotional pictures of Queen Danielle. You'll starting seeing these soon as Georgetown Fair Queen Pageant directors Karen and Jill send out contestant information. Thank you've got what it takes to the job of Miss Georgetown Fair? Queen Danielle is the busiest local fair queen in Illinois and we are eager to meet all the contestants this summer. For more info get in touch with Karen and Jill or keep watching Josh and Joe Travels!

Barry Meguiar and the 2014 Autogeek Detail Fest and Car Show in Stuart, Florida

We spend a lot of time in our car, so we take a lot of pride in keeping it looking good.  And lately we've really gotten carried away with the car detailing hobby.  Turns out there is a whole community of car crazy nuts out there, and thanks to the internet, we can find fellow detail buffs at Autogeek.  Autogeek is a gigantic retailer of car detailing products, plus they teach the art of auto detailing and host the web's biggest discussion forum on detailing.

We really love using Meguiar's products to keep the car looking great, and we use Meguiar's exclusively, so when we heard Barry Meguiar himself was going to be at the big 2014 detail fest and car show at Autogeek, we just had to make the trip to Stuart, Florida to be part of the action.  And while we didn't enter our own car in the show, we did spend the afternoon marveling at some of the best looking cars in Florida.  And did we mention we got to meet Barry Meguiar and got an autographed picture?  Of course he asked if we were car crazy, but we also chatted for a minute about the Keys.  We were so starstruck we forgot to mention how we love the durability of the Ultimate line or the deep wet gloss we get from the Gold Class line, or how paste wax changed Josh's life.  And if you have an extra hour on your hands, just let Joe give you some pointers on how Endurance tire gel can keep you looking good all week until your next two bucket wash.  So yep, call us car crazy if you want, but we got to meet Barry Meguiar.  The next time you see the cleanest crown vic in the 305 with insanely clean wheels and that deep glossy shine, you can call us car crazy, or you might just call us Josh and Joe Travels!

Georgetown Fair Queen: Danielle Brown and the 2014 Princess Luncheon

On Saturday, March 8th we were with Miss Georgetown Fair Queen Danielle Brown at the 2014 Princess Luncheon.  We heard there were about 250 tickets sold this year and they even added more tables to make sure every princess in Georgetown had a seat at the luncheon.  The princesses were greeted with tables covered in white linen and lunch served on real china, but most of our queens-in-training went right for the cupcakes.

This year's princess luncheon featured a special performance with a ballerina, story time and several dances with the queen.  As the official photographers of the Georgetown Fair Queen, we were especially pleased to do all the individual princess pictures with the queen, which were all printed and put in cards with a handwritten note from Queen Danielle.  And Queen Danielle visited with the princesses at every table during lunch.

The princess luncheon is one of our favorite events with the Georgetown Fair Queen, and it is truly magical to see the banquet center transformed into a princess wonderland.  Think you've got what it takes to the do the job of the busiest local fair queen in Illinois?  Keep watching our blog for contestant information or get in touch with directors Karen and Jill.  Contestant orientation will take place this summer, but not before Queen Danielle makes more appearances than we can count. So keep watching for new pictures of the Georgetown Fair Queen right here at Josh and Joe Travels!

South Florida and the Florida Keys: In the Swamp at Big Cypress with Florida Panthers and Alligators

Big Cypress National Preserve is over 700,000 acres of freshwater swamp, and it is also home to about 30 of Florida's 120 or so Florida Panthers.  Along with the occasional panther crossing the road, a trip through Big Cypress puts you on a path to see real alligators and lots of other Florida wildlife in its natural habitat.  Big Cypress was established in 1974, and we loved our stop at the Oasis Visitors Center.  The Oasis Center has a lot of education going on inside, so if you have kids or are curious kids at heart, be sure to go inside to learn the real facts about the swamp and the wildlife that calls South Florida home.  Driving through Big Cypress you will see panther crossing signs on the road, and at the center you'll learn how vehicle strikes are still a leading cause of panther death.  We really don't have enough panthers to be running them over at night with our cars, and they are pretty cool and an important part of the swamp, so slow down and observe night time speed limits while your out cruising.

The big star of the show at Oasis Visitors Center are the alligators.  These guys are hard to miss, and even harder not to marvel how you can get so close to them from the observation deck.  As the official photographers of the Georgetown Fair Queen you often see us with big cameras and long telephoto lenses, so we wanted you to know we snapped these pictures with our compact camera which doesn't have much of a built-in zoom.  And he best part - it doesn't cost anything to stop at Oasis.  They'll load you up with maps and information, tell you the best stories and give you the best tips.  Even the visitor center itself has a really cool story.  So when you go out into Big Cypress looking for an adventure, be sure to spend some time at the Oasis Visitors Center, and be sure to look around, because lurking between the alligators and panthers you might just spot Josh and Joe Travels!