KY

Harrodsburg, Kentucky
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In the mid 1700’s, Daniel Boone scrambled between mountains at the Cumberland Gap to the unknown wilds of the Kentucky frontier. He blazed the Wilderness Trail and intrepid pioneers soon followed seeking a new life. They established the first Western settlement in Harrodsburg near the Kentucky River, and had a bloody hard time defending it against native Indians. 

Today Old Fort Harrod stands as a mild testament to their fortitude by showcasing replica log cabins and a few sparse pioneer possessions. 

Strolling the little town of Harrodsburg I kept thinking this place is Old. In fact, it’s as old as it gets west of Virginia and the New England colonies. 

Broadway Avenue in Harrodsburg is the oldest street in Kentucky. Its wide boulevard disappears into the sunset at the top of a steeply pitched hill. For a place of such historic import, I was shocked to find the street lined with derelict bungalows reeking of mold and decay. And at the crest of the hill, after a long hike up, Broadway Avenue abruptly ends at a sleepy cattle farm.

Surely Kentucky’s first street originally led some place greater?

Fast forward 100 years to the 1800’s and you’ll find the Shaker Village colony a few miles from moldy old Harrodsburg. In stark contrast to the spartan conditions of the pioneer fort, Shakers lived a clean and prosperous life. Their sect was an offshoot of the Quaker religion, officially named the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Coming, and they were seeking a different life.

“In the world, but not of it.” 

Men and women were viewed as equals. They lived in a grand 4-story dormitory separated by gender; men on the west side of the house, women on the east. Everyone had employment, lodging, and were well fed. Jobs were rotated every month so members could learn a variety of skills. It was a utopian society where each person was valued and procreation was prohibited. That last part was the death knell for the sect, as they failed to generate enough recruits to sustain the village by the turn of the 1900’s. 

But the legacy of the Shakers continues on with their perfection of form and function in furniture and baskets. 

Shaker Broom Making Class

Rolling forward another century to today we find a yet another kind of sojourner in community at Cummins Ferry RV Park. Here against the limestone banks of the Kentucky River is an enclave of full-time campers who have chosen to forgo living in standard homes and are perpetually in motion.

It seems fitting that this region, which has called both pioneers and utopians to its shores, still holds the same allure for those seeking an alternative way of life. 

Lebanon, Kentucky
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Down the road a piece from our farm, past a dozen catholic churches (one for each little town) and past a bunch of bourbon distilleries (several for each county), is the charming town of Lebanon. It’s a bustling little burg, and I find myself there often – shopping the local stores, seeing a show at their excellent regional theater, or just for a cruise through the pretty countryside.

This weekend was Lebanon’s signature event – Country Ham Days. It’s a big street fair with lots of events, including a famous ham breakfast feast. We didn’t arrive in time for breakfast but we did catch the Hog Hollering Contest and a great parade.

We scored a second floor window seat at Shiners restaurant and enjoyed lunch while the parade passed by. What a relief the air conditioning was! It’s still hot as Hades – in the high 90’s with unbearable humidity – even though the calendar says it’s officially Autumn.

The parade featured one marching band, several historic tractor clubs, and all of Marion County’s fire trucks. There were a dozen pageant winners waving from convertibles and hay wagons – Miss Lebanon, Miss Teenage Lebanon, Miss Preteen, Little Miss (a child), Wee Miss (a baby), and of course Miss Ham Days. Then a similar collection of County pageant winners rolled by. That’s a lot of taffeta and tiaras in one parade!

On the way home we stopped at Limestone Branch Distillery for a tour, and more importantly, a free sampling of their bourbon.

Distilleries are big business around here and operations are usually huge, with giant stills and dozens of large bourbon warehouses dotted around the countryside. But Limestone distillery is just getting started, so their rickhouse (the place where bourbon barrels are aged) is only a small trailer with little quarter-kegs stacked up. The Limestone owners are from the Beam family (as in Jim Beam) and are 7th generation master distillers. Our tour guide was one of the owners, and we discovered his great grandpappy had a distillery only a mile from our farm in the 1870’s. Old Trump was its best brand, and the ruins of the place are still there.

It was a great Fall day of adventure, even if the temperature didn’t coordinate with the calendar.

Henderson, Kentucky
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John J. Audubon (1785-1851) was a failure. He spent most of his life trying his hand at different businesses and failing miserably. He fled France using a false passport to avoid being conscripted into Napoleon’s army and landed in The New World with yellow fever. Quarantined with Quakers in New York, he learned to speak English and then proceeded to bankrupt every venture he tried. Audubon wandered from Philadelphia to Boston, Cincinnati to Louisville, and down to New Orleans without finding success. He was barely able to feed his family and often his wife provided support by teaching. All the while Audubon was sketching and drawing. He loved to paint wildlife and often joined hunting parties of both Indians and Frontiersmen, keen to document new American species.

In 1826, at the age of 41, Audubon finally hit success in London with his series of woodland paintings. The exotic wilds of America were fascinating to Europeans, and Audubon sold expensive subscriptions to his monumental work, Birds of America.

Printed as “double-elephant folios” (meaning extra large), Audubon’s birds were presented life size on hand-colored lithographs. The series made him a rich man, and today an original Audubon lithograph is worth a fortune.

Audubon did not paint his birds from life – he painted them from death. He hunted and killed each of his subjects in order to study them closely. Which is why nearly every bird in an Audubon painting has a wobbly neck. It was deceased.

A hundred years later, his museum was built in Henderson, Kentucky by the CCC as part of Roosevelt’s jobs program. Audubon had lived for some time in Henderson, and so the town claimed him as a native son.

Visiting here was a fine end to our Summer History Lesson Tour, and we hope you’ve enjoyed following the trip, too!

Opening day at the Kentucky State Fair
 – Photo Essay –

Bowling Green, Kentucky
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For a brief period of time during the Civil War, Bowling Green was the Provisional Capitol of the Confederate States of America. Despite the town declaring itself neutral and telling everyone to leave them alone, the CSA occupied Bowling Green for about six months. Then after General Ulysses Grant lobbed some cannon balls, the city fell under Union control for the next two years.

At Fountain Square Park you can still find Confederate memorials and stone archways engraved with the CSA emblem. So the rebels managed to leave an enduring mark on the city anyway.

Back then Bowling Green was a bustling river port and railway center. Today the town is still hopping, fueled by the energy of auto and textile industries (Corvette and Fruit of the Loom) as well as a big injection of youth culture (Western Kentucky University).

This is a sprawling and prosperous city, and it kept surprising us at every turn. We came here to service the RV and ended up touring around town for two days, courtesy of Enterprise’s exceptional $19/day rental car rate and free pick-up service.

We started our tour of Bowling Green at the National Corvette Museum. Its huge yellow Skydome, unmistakably visible from the highway, has beckoned us for years. Even if you’re not a die-hard motor head, this is a first-class museum worth the stop. And if you’re into cars, well, it’s nothing short of Mecca.

There are scores of gleaming Corvettes on display, from antique and rare, to celebrated racers, and even futuristic concept cars. Gear heads can go deep into the descriptions provided for each car, reading about exciting details like “finned drum brakes with sintered metallic linings and forward self-adjusting mechanisms.”  The rest of us can just enjoy the beauty and artistry of one of the pinnacles in automotive design.

You may recall that in 2014 the floor of the Skydome opened up and a giant sinkhole swallowed a dozen prized Corvettes in one gulp. It was a freak disaster and collectors around the world were in deep mourning. But the good folks at the museum rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They hauled crushed Corvette carcasses out of the hole, poured umpteen tons of concrete and steel reinforcement into the gaping cavern, and then put the cars…this is really unbelievable…right back in the same spot. A whole new wing featuring the Skydome Cave-In was added, complete with pictures, chunks of rock, and geological explanations. The new displays include a simulated cave hole where you can watch the showroom floor collapse accompanied by deep rumbling sound effects. You can even play a video game of a crane retrieving each crushed car. And inside the Skydome you can walk along the fault line marked on the floor with red tape and cry over the mangled muddy Corvettes in the center.

I truly applaud the museum’s ability to move forward from such a huge loss, especially since they are only funded by private donations. But I was also eyeing the floor a bit uneasily, watching for hairline cracks. So it was time to move along.

After checking into a cozy KOA campground we hopped into our cheap rental car and discovered the Aviation Heritage Park just down the street. In the middle of a residential area, four military jets are unexpectedly lounging around a lovely little park. Each plane and pilot has been given a plaque commemorating their aviation accomplishments, and by tuning your car radio to a specific FM station you can hear additional history about the planes. We listened to a recording of Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry during an intense dogfight and the downing a MiG-21. It was a bit chilling, thinking that the enemy pilot probably lost his life during that sortie, but in fact Lieutenant Nguyen Hong survived the crash and years later was the guest of honor when Aviation Heritage Park formally opened. The story is chronicled in Cherry’s book, My Enemy – My Friend.

The next morning we piloted our RV to a Camping World service bay. Tired of our own dogfight with the steering wheel, we are upgrading the suspension by adding beefy anti-sway bars to the front and rear. This should correct the white knuckle side-to-side roll on this coach. According to all the reviews, the modification will “make the RV handle like a family sedan and take curves smooth as butter.” We’ll see.

While the coach was in the shop, we tossed Coco into doggy day care, too. That gave us a whole day at liberty with the rental car, and the first order of business was a giant pancake breakfast at IHop. There were dozens of swell restaurants to choose from, but IHop was what we craved.

Sufficiently fueled for adventure, we headed for another of Bowling Green’s signature attractions – Lost River Cave. This cave is toured by boat along a shallow but swift creek. Twenty of us piled into an aluminum skiff for a short ride through the dark, dank cave. Our guide explained that there are no bats here because this cave is not a hibernaculum. I liked that word so much I made her repeat it twice. Hibernaculum. We also learned more Confederate history – rebels camped at the cave and discovered a bottomless man-eating pond. And we heard another tall tale about Jesse James hiding out here after robbing a bank in Russellville of $60 grand.

We killed some time at a groovy comic book store and then stumbled across a Popsicle joint where they hand-make frozen treats from local produce. (I had the raspberry/basil version and it was divine.) By mid-afternoon it was time to retrieve the dog from the kennel and fetch the RV from the dealer.

There’s a lot more to Bowling Green that we’ve yet to discover, so I think we’ll mosey back this way again. Hopefully without “rolling” into town!

Axtel Campground at Rough River Lake
McDaniels, Kentucky
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Kentucky is blessed with a multitude of lakes and waterways and most of these places are the product of the peerless Army Corps of Engineers. Their mission is to “Deliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters.”  

The Corps of Engineers, first commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, has a long and notable place in history. From the Panama Canal to the Normandy landing, the Washington Monument and Kennedy Space Center, the footprint of the CoE is everywhere. And perhaps most well-known is their management of dams, locks, and waterways. The CoE is the lead federal flood control agency, and delivers one-quarter of our nation’s hydroelectric power.

And here on Rough River Lake, far removed from battle plans and disaster relief, we are benefitting from the CoE’s secondary mission as a “leading provider of recreation.” 

Axtel campground on Rough River Lake is a Corps property, and as always I was suitably impressed with the thoughtful layout of the camp sites and how well they are maintained. In our area, CoE camps are always superior to state parks, and that’s the difference that federal funding makes.

We spent a swell weekend camping at Axtel with friends, two things we hardly ever do – camp with friends and go to a lake on a busy summer weekend. Every camp site was occupied but folks quieted down nicely at night. No drunken yahoos here. 

We enjoyed lots of lolling and strolls around the campground. Tim & I took a float in the water while Todd & Em kayaked around the cove. Big steaks were grilled over an open fire on a clever tripod device, and then a guitar lesson was held in the RV. 

It was a good getaway for the weekend and an easy-peasy ride to get there. I’ll have to put Axtel on my favorites list because I’d sure like to come back.

Valaterra

I spent the weekend on Retreat at a lovely farm in Northern Kentucky. I know that’s not exactly a change of scenery, hanging out on a farm, but the Valaterra property is truly a luxury retreat.

Valaterra bills itself as “A Living Sanctuary for Alternative, Complementary and Integrative Health.” And whatever that means, that’s what we did this weekend.

There was a program of yoga and meditation and a series of tasks meant to guide you into a higher state. I’ll leave the details a little sketchy because it seems rude to elaborate on such a tranquil and intimate setting. Suffice it to say that souls were searched.

Of course when you get a bunch of interesting women together not only is the conversation lively but the food is as well. We ate our way through the weekend. Truly a blissful state!

Dog Creek – Nolin Lake
Cub Run, Kentucky
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Play Music Here : Pontoon – By Little Big Town

Back this hitch up into the water
Untie all the cables and rope
Step onto the astro turf
Get yourself a coozie
Let’s go

Who said anything about skiin’?
Floatin’ is all I wanna do
You can climb the ladder
Just don’t rock the boat while I barbeque

On the pontoon
Makin’ waves and catchin’ rays up on the roof
Jumpin’ out the back, don’t act like you don’t want to
Party in slow motion
Out here in the open
Mmmmmmm…motorboatin’

Reach your hand down into the cooler
Don’t drink it if the mountains aren’t blue
Try to keep it steady as you recline on your black inner tube

Pontoon
Makin’ waves and catchin’ rays up on the roof
Jumpin’ out the back, don’t act like you don’t want to
Party in slow motion
Out here in the open
Mmmmmm…motorboatin’

5 mile an hour with aluminum side
Wood panelin’ with a water slide
Can’t beat the heat, so let’s take a ride

On the pontoon
Makin’ waves and catchin’ rays up on the roof
Jumpin’ out the back, don’t act like you don’t want to
Party in slow motion
I’m out here in the open
Mmmmmmm…motorboatin’

DERBY DAY – On the first Saturday in May the Kentucky Derby race is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Seventy miles away in Lexington, at an equally celebrated race track, Keeneland hosts The World’s Largest Derby Party. And we gladly joined their festivities for the day.

Built in 1936, Keeneland is on the National Register of Historic Places and still maintains its old-time charm with tree lined avenues and rock wall fences. The movie Seabiscuit was filmed here because it’s so authentic to the period. Keeneland has a long tradition of racing, and is also the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house.

This gorgeous property is situated on several hundred acres along Versailles Road (pronounced “Ver-Sails” in the local accent) and is surrounded by all the swanky horse breeding farms that make Lexington famous. Even the Queen of England keeps her horses here!

We arrived at Keeneland early in the morning to secure a good parking spot for the motorhome and settle in for a long day of tailgating. A line of RVs were already encamped in the designated area and the party was waiting to start. In the lull before the race day crowds descended, the dog and I took a walk around the mostly empty grounds.

Around noon the party wagons started rolling in and parking areas quickly filled to overflow capacity. Our friend, Rhonda, joined us early in the afternoon and we trotted over to the grandstand, grabbed some seats and scrutinized the racing form. Tim did a good job of picking a horse in one of the pre-derby races based solely on its name, Camelot Kitten, and he walked away with a big wad of cash. Now that’s handicapping!

The skies opened up right before the Derby Race so we hightailed it back, tote tickets in hand, and watched the race on our own JumboTron screen in the coach. None of us had the Derby winners, but a call-in bet by my Dad netted $30.

Since the parking is free and we are settled in nice and cozy, we’ll just camp here at Keeneland overnight and head back home tomorrow. Add in Tim’s big win and this was a swell Derby Day!

Irvine, Kentucky
Estill County
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Tucked away in the Appalachian foothills, the lively little town of Irvine is “Where the Bluegrass Kisses the Mountains.” Here, above the rolling Kentucky River, an annual spring ritual is celebrated – the arrival of Morel Mushroom season.  

We joined the Mountain Mushroom Festival this weekend, along with thousands of other visitors, and spent a perfect blue-sky day wandering around Irvine. The downtown district with its turn-of-the-century iron façade buildings was bustling with tourists. We arrived just as the traffic backed up for the Big Parade, and managed to find a parking spot right at the start of town.

Morel mushrooms grow wild in these mountains, and local hunters (“shroomers”) stood around under a large tent to sell bags of fresh picked morels. A one-pound bag will set you back $70. Despite the hefty price I had to buy some and will be cooking them up tomorrow. Know any good recipes?

Several side streets were blocked off for a giant street fair with vendor booths, entertainment stages, and greasy fair food. You could pet a llama, buy mushroom souvenirs, watch a cooking contest, listen to bluegrass music, clap along to cloggers, and thread a puppy on a leash through a throng of tourists. Coco got petted by dozens of curious passersby.

Irvine is the seat of Estill County, which is the only place in the world to find red and black agates.This oddity was celebrated with a huge Rock & Gem Show located in the gym of the elementary school (circa 1902). Took me all day to realize the wall mural at the edge of town was a picture of an agate rock.

We had planned to bring the RV here and do some camping at a nearby state park. I’m glad we decided to drive the car instead because there wasn’t a spot big enough in the whole county to park the motorhome!