Bluegrass

When I started this journey, there were two regions that drew my attention most.  First, there was my own Caves, Lakes, & Corvettes region.  It required two parts to detail stops in the region that inspire me, and I probably could have moved into a third.

The second region is the Bluegrass region.  It is home to most of the blog writers that I follow (if not all, actually).  It is also home to one of the most brave and beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure to know, bluebelleinbg.  She is a wonderful person, and I count myself blessed to be able to call her friend.  She also provided much of the list for the trip through the bluegrass region.

Since the region is most famously known for horse farms, I thought I would use day one of our visit here to focus on all things equine.
One of the most unique of these farms is the Kentucky Horse Park.  At its base, the park is an operating horse farm.  Home to fifty different breeds, visitors can take tours through the park and identify these regal animals.  These tours detail the proud racing history that is ingrained in Kentucky's heritage.  The park is also home to two museums that house trophies, horse-themed artwork, and a detailed history of the Saddlebred, Kentucky's first native horse breed.

Currently, the Kentucky Horse Park is playing host to the 2010 World Equestrian Games.  The games are the national championships for eight equestrian sports: dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, para dressage, reining, and vaulting.  The games are held every four years (two years before the Olympics and in the same year as the FIFA World Cup).

In addition to the events, there is a Trade Show (where all things equine, and some not, can be purchased), an Equine Village (featuring opportunities for the industry to showcase itself), and even the Kentucky Experience (where visitors can learn about Kentucky without leaving the park).  There are also other activities and entertainment available to see.  You can find them all here.
(Special thanks to CanonChefTom and MJansenMiller for the pics)

While in Lexington, be sure to make a stop at Thoroughbred Park.  You can take pictures with the bronze statues of horses racing as Thoroughbreds graze in the nearby pastures.

 Lexington is also home to Thoroughbred Center.   Tours are offered through the center, which offers visitors a glimpse into the daily life of a racehorse.  Early morning tours also allow for the chance to see the horses being trained on one of two tracks at the facility. The Thoroughbred Center is owned by a local racing facility: Keeneland.  Speaking of which...

For the avid horse-racing fan, a stop at Keeneland is a must.  Although, it would be a shame to just leave racing as the idea of the only thing to do while there.  Keeneland also offers visitors the opportunity to see morning exercises and a self-guided tour of the grounds.  Stop at the track kitchen for breakfast, where you just might rub elbows with jockeys, trainers, or owners.  Thoroughbred sales at Keeneland are also open to the public: just be careful lest you find yourself bidding millions on a future champion.

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning more about these majestic animals and what the Bluegrass region offers in terms of enjoying them and learning more about them.

As I previously mentioned, one day is not enough for this beautiful region.  In an effort to assuage my OCD, I elected to separate details of the area into two specific parts:  Day 1, all things equine; Day 2, all things not.

So tomorrow:  all things not.

 

Kentucky's Derby Region

This region of Kentucky is probably the most misnamed of the regions.  Calling it the Derby Region seriously limits the beauty and wonder that awaits a visitor here.  And, after all, the Derby Festival happens once a year, lasts only two weeks, and the actual race itself is just under two minutes.

A rather short length of time by which to label an entire region.

While I won't completely ignore the Derby and Festival, I do want to talk about some of the other wonderful things the region has to offer.

So, we will start with the Derby and Festival.  The Festival is held for the two weeks preceding the actual race.  There are contests, concerts, specialty meals, and so much more.  The culmination of the Festival is the actual running of the race.  The race is the first of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Races (generally just called the Triple Crown).  Side note: no horse has won all three races since 1978.

As previously mentioned, Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky.  His birthplace, Hodgenville, is located in this region of Kentucky.  This actual house is enshrined in the Memorial Building on the property.  The site recently reopened after undergoing renovations to restore and preserve.  Visitors can see the site where the Lincolns got the water they used on a daily basis.  As a fun fact (no real purpose), Abraham Lincoln's last living relative passed away in 1985.

The Derby region is also home to several stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  Bardstown, considered the bourbon capital of the world, is located in this region.  Visitors can complete a "passport," which shows they have stopped at all six of the distilleries on the Trail.  Doing so will gain the visitor a commemorative t-shirt. Of the six stops, only one has a very small admission fee.  The others are free and all six offer tours and tastings.

While in Bardstown, you can visit Federal Hill.  The mansion in this state park served as the inspiration for Kentucky's state song, "My Old Kentucky Home."  Costumed guides will take you on tours through the house, transporting you back to antebellum South.  While there, you can also see "Stephen Foster: The Musical," depicting the life of this amazing composer.   

This musical is Kentucky's longest running outdoor drama.  Stephen Foster Productions also offers two other shows: Floyd Collins and Footloose.  Additionally, the company also has a Live at the Park concert series through the summer.  

For the food-minded visitor to Louisville, the Hot Brown is a must-have.  Created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, this dish was born out of the need for a new menu item in a hurry.  Like it enough to want to re-create it?  The Brown Hotel's website offers the recipe!

Sports fans will find fun in Louisville as well.  Louisville is the hometown of Muhammad Ali and is the location of the Muhammad Ali Center.  The Center strives to move past simply being a museum.  Visitors can take a tour through Ali's career and memorabilia. However, the exhibits are designed to relay Ali's story based on the six core values of his life.  The hope is that inspiration will come to those who visit and they will strive to live lives of purpose through Ali's example.

Finally, no stop in Louisville would be complete for any baseball fan without a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: if for no other reason than to get a picture with a bat that is 120 feet tall.  Visitors can also see bats being made, learn the history of the bat and see the evolution of the sport, and follow the walk of fame.






Most of my trips to Louisville have been for conferences, so I have not had much time to visit the city or what it has to offer.  I plan to add stops in Louisville to my travels, to get a chance to experience what the city has available to visitors.

Over the next couple of days, I am going to spend time in the Bluegrass Region.  This is home to some wonderful people I have met through my bff bluebelleinbg.  I am as excited about writing of this region as I was about my own.  I cannot wait to learn more about the region my friends call home!

Southern Lakes & Rivers

When I entered my senior year of high school, I had every intention of leaving Bowling Green for Lexington and the University of Kentucky.  As the first in my family to attend college, I didn't realize that it was important to start working towards scholarships and financial aide early in the year.  And so, I found myself in the spring accepted to UK with little money to actually attend.  Since I had completed most of my requirements for graduation early, I really had nothing better to do one day than to agree to go on a visit to a small private school located in the Southern Lakes & Rivers region of Kentucky.

It is this chance trip in the Spring of my senior year that would decide my future.  That trip found me on the campus of Lindsey Wilson College.  Five months later, I entered LWC as a Freshman, armed with plans to stay two years and transfer to UK to finish my plans.  As Robert Burns once said, "the best laid plans of mice and men..."  Four years later, I walked away with a degree in English, a husband, and a best friend.  It is at LWC that I met bluebelleinbg.  She is smart and brave and sometimes forgets how completely wonderful she is.  Thankfully, as she is always reminding me the same, it is easy to point the mirror back to ensure that she sees.   I also met Mr. Irishbookworm21 at LWC.  I credit him with the salvation of my self-esteem.  He loved me at a time when I didn't love myself very much.  He has taught me that appearance doesn't equal beauty. Over a decade later and it still feels like yesterday.  Blessed doesn't even begin to cover it.

For those visiting this region, LWC is home to a multi-time National Championship soccer team.  The college is now also home to a football team, with this being their inaugural season.  LWC is also home to the Lindsey Wilson Singers, a choral group that travels each Spring on a choral tour of a different region of the US.  It was with this group that I was able to travel and see more of the US and the world than I would have been able otherwise.
 And in the interest of fairness:  the region is also home to Campbellsville University...LWC's longtime friendly rival.

For visitors, the region is also home to Green River Lake.  While we were dating, picnics next to the lake were a common date for us.  In the land of poor college students, it was about being together, not how much we had to spend to do it.  Green River Lake is a beautiful place for camping, swimming, boating, and there are many limestone outcroppings that are perfect for simply being.  It is the kind of place where you can sit in the silence and dream.  Dream of the world, dream of life, dream of love, dream of the future.  I didn't initially fall in love with my husband on these banks.  I did learn more about him and grew to love him even more in the time we spent on the banks of this Lake,

Lake Cumberland is also located in the SLR region of Kentucky.  Lake Cumberland offers more water sports, camping, and lodging on a beautiful lake.   If you are looking for world-class, record-breaking fishing, then Lake Cumberland is the stop for you.  There are also more opportunities to experience the beauty of nature in Kentucky,

Finally, this region is home to Mill Springs.  This town is home to a Civil War battlefield, the National Cemetery, and the world's largest working water-wheel.  Small towns dot this region. offering a glimpse into Kentucky small-town life and culture.  There are also opportunities to walk the land of the past, steeped in the history of a battle during the war that changed the fabric of our country.


While this region isn't home, it does hold the memories of some of the best days of my life.  Days awash with love and friendship, ups and downs, tragedies and triumphs.

Tomorrow, I move to a region for which Kentucky is famous:  Kentucky's Derby Region.

Caves, Lakes, & Corvettes (Part 2)

Nestled just northeast of Bowling Green on 1-65 lies Smiths Grove.  This small, quiet town hides a treasure trove of goodies and a great deal of memories for me.  I spent a great many days riding my bicycle or rollerskating along the sidewalks.  I may have been born in Bowling Green, but Smiths Grove captured my heart. 

Smiths Grove is a fantastic place for antique shopping.    As a young child, I would pass the windows of the shops and think of all the junk lining the stores.  As I got older, I began to look at that junk as treasure.  I would create stories about who had owned a certain item.  The Fenton lamp that once resided in the home of a wealthy duchess, the wagon that was lovingly cared for by a child, or the washboard that was used by a mother to prepare her children's clothes for school.  There are several stores that house these treasures in Smiths Grove.

Smiths Grove is also home to the Victorian House Bed and Breakfast. I didn't really think about what the purpose of a B&B was when I was a child.  This was just another one of my imaginary places.  Once I read Great Expectations, the house had almost a menacing presence.  I remember wondering if the house had its own Pip and Estella inside, with Miss Havisham still there in her wedding dress with the molding food on the table.  In reality, the house has been restored and is considered the best B&B in Warren County.  

Kentucky is also home to the Mammoth Cave system.  It has certainly earned its name, as it is the longest cave system in the WORLD at 367 miles (591 km) in length - and that is just what has been mapped.  It is three times longer than its closest competitor, a cave system in Russia that measures only 143 miles (230 km) long.  Looking at pictures of the entrance every school child in my hometown entered in Cave City reminds me why I love this cave system.  

I am claustrophobic.  I will not even get on an elevator if there are too many people sardined in with me.  I have been known to take 10-12 flights of stairs to avoid them.  To get to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, visitors must ride an elevator 260 feet down to the cave shaft.  For me, it feels like a ride down into the bowels of the earth, from which I might never return.  With Mammoth Cave, there are stairs.  The descent into the caves is gradual, which allows for people like me to adjust to the hike through the cave.  For me, that makes the wonders so much more enjoyable.  I am able to see the formations and watch what the gradual dripping of water underground has created, as opposed to thinking the ceiling of the cave is slowly closing in on me.  

Caves, Lakes, & Corvettes wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Lakes.  Near Scottsville, you will find Barren River Lake, home to fishing, boating, and swimming.  More childhood memories swap me as I think back on times spent on the banks of the Lake.  It is one of the few lakes that I have swum in.  Lazy summer days slide into quiet, breezy nights. Time becomes of no consequence as relaxation takes over and the worries of the world are washed away in the waves.  

For those wishing to catch a glimpse of how life might have been a century ago, Scottsville is also home to a Mennonite community.  The "plain people" are friendly and welcoming.  Visitors can watch molasses being made and purchase fresh produce and handmade goods from the community.  


I am so reluctant to leave this region.  I miss home.  My house may not be there, but my home is in Kentucky.  This is the connection I was seeking, the reminder I needed of why there should be pride in my voice when I say I am FROM Kentucky.  There is beauty in home, peace in home, love in home.  And while the reluctance remains, it is time to say a "See You Later" to my home region.  After all, it's home.  It will never be good-bye.


The next stop is the Southern Lakes & Rivers, where I fell in love and found lifelong friendship.

Caves, Lakes, & Corvettes

This is the region I know better than any other in Kentucky.  And, there is a good reason for it:  it is the region of my two hometowns, Bowling Green and Smiths Grove.  I was born in Bowling Green, on Hospital Hill.  After a brief two year stint in Tennesssee, we moved back to Kentucky and settled in Smiths Grove.  Driving home always fills me with nostalgia.  I am constantly reminiscing about what I remember seeing there and what has changed here. I am filled with both sadness and pride.  Sadness for the changes and what I have missed.  And pride for the progress made in my hometown.

For those not from Kentucky, Bowling Green is most famously known as the Home of the Corvette. Bowling Green is also home to the Corvette Museum.  When you arrive at the exit where both the manufacturing plant and the museum are located, there is a corvette waiting to greet you (located in front of the plant).  As an elementary school aged child, we were all given tours of the plant.  I remember feeling awed by the size and machinery in the building.   I was lucky enough to be part of a choir that was invited to sing Christmas Carols just after the museum opened.  Part of the package was free admission to the museum.  While I may not be a passionate car girl, I can appreciate the sleek lines and the barely leashed power under the hood of a corvette.

Bowling Green is also home to Lost River Cave.  A couple of years ago, a close friend of mine got married at LRC.  There is an area cleared in the grove of trees where chairs are set up for the ceremony.  A ceremony here feels almost like a commune with nature.  The area is beautiful and a small breeze through the trees feels like God is reaching out to bestow blessings on the new couple.  The cave and river have quite the history:  first used as shelter for Native Americans, then used for water by those milling in the area, next a hideout for Jesse James, and lastly a nightclub through the 60's.  Now, a pavilion at the mouth of the cave serves as the perfect area for a reception.  The natural formations created the perfect environment where lights and shadows speak of days gone by and mysteries to be discovered.

A great deal of my time in Bowling Green was spent at Western Kentucky University.  All of the choir competitions held in our area were held at the top of the hill.  When you are walking up it, "hill" is quite a misnomer.  The only available parking always seemed to be at the bottom of the hill.  Walking up that "hill" in heels and a formal choir gown is an experience that I will never forget.  I will also never forget performing in the grand halls of the University.  I did choose another path for school since I lived in the town my entire life.  That, in itself, is its own tragedy.  I was so quick to dismiss WKU as a school option.  However, the tragedy is only in the discounting, not the choice that I did make.  Had I not, I would have missed out on a wonderful friendship and a wonderful marriage.  So, I have no regrets about the choice I made.

A trip to Bowling Green would not be complete without a trip to the Fountain Square.  My fondest memory is of a trip to the Square to attend an International Festival with my now-husband.  On that trip, we enjoyed food from around the world and came home with George.  George is a wooden giraffe with hand-stretched leather covering him.  As he was made of natural leather (not the processed, cleaned version), he was not pleasant smelling.  Over time, that went away, and we are now left with a more than decade old reminder who has graced a shelf in my living room for the last six years of that.

I have it on good authority that a trip around the square also requires a stop at Verdi.  The restaurant specializes in food with Bosnian, Greek, and German flair. They also are a green restaurant, specializing in organic ingredients.  I have never eaten there, but I am already making plans to stop in for a meal on our next trip home.

And if the meal tastes even a FRACTION of how good it looks...I am confident I won't be disappointed. 







There is so much to share and so much I love about my home region, that I have decided to split it into (at least) two parts.  I am also just not ready to leave...

Tomorrow, we venture to my other hometown, Smiths Grove, and to other stops in the CLC region.

Bluegrass, Blues, & Barbecue

I LOVE music.  I think I was probably singing as soon as I learned to talk.  There are very few kinds of music that I don't like.  And even for those, I can appreciate the talent that is required to perform.

Bluegrass falls into that category.  Even though it is not my preferred choice of music, I can appreciate the hard work that artists put in to be successful.

My mother adores Bluegrass music.  Her take on it is that even though there are slower songs, it is still upbeat and fun.   Owensboro, located in the West, is home to the International Bluegrass Museum.  The museum houses exhibits honoring Bill Monroe, the father of Bluegrass music and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, among others.  This year, the museum hosted the Bill Monroe Centennial Exhibit, showcasing many of Monroe's personal items that have never been seen.

Owensboro is known as Kentucky's Festival City.  Owensboro is home to the International Barbecue Festival, held every May.   Groups travel from around the world to compete in different meat categories.  And the visitors reap the benefits of all this barbecue goodness.  Now barbecue, I can seriously get into!  The slow cooked goodness and scents that fill the air during the day must be heaven.

Also in the West lies Henderson.  Henderson is home to the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue festival.  While Handy was not originally from Henderson, he was a resident there for many years and even met his wife there. Handy is considered the Father of Blues, and he has said that his time in Henderson helped him "learn to appreciate the music of his people."

And that is how I have begun to feel while I am venturing through this region.  Bluegrass is the music of my people.  It was created in Kentucky and the state has fostered the musical genius of those who have come to the state to find inspiration.  I can completely understand how someone who ventures to our great state could be inspired to create music that tells the story of life, love, and loss.

Just the beginning of this journey has me itching to get behind the wheel of my car to take a long drive through our state, snapping pictures and recording feelings as I go.  I want to record it all, live through it, and experience the life of Kentucky.  I have already started compiling a list of festivals and stops for this journey.

And tomorrow, I get to go to the Cave, Lakes, & Corvettes region of Kentucky.

Or, as I like to call it, home.

Western Waterlands

And so, my journey begins in the Western Wetlands.  Located between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the western-most part of the state is famous for its water activities: skiing, fishing, tubing, kayaking, and swimming (among others).

The Western side of the state is home to both Lake Barkley and Land Between the Lakes.   Both are known again for their outdoor activities, with LBL being comprised of 170,000 acres and possessing an Elk and Bison reserve (among other things).

I have to be very honest, I like water activities in limited quantities. Normally, I get very apprehensive about activities in and around water.  It has nothing to do with fear of the water; I am actually a very good swimmer.  I think, for me, that the connection with water is that there is normally a swimsuit requirement that goes along with it.  Any time a swimsuit is involved, I automatically want to find a reason not to do it.

If not for that, I would LOVE to stay in the water.  Water is very freeing.  The sound it makes as it laps across a shoreline is a lullaby to which I could fall asleep every evening.  I always say that I am not a beach person (only due to the aforementioned swimsuit and the lobster condition that normally occurs when I go out in the sun), but I could handle living in a beach house and swimming on cloudy days.  It is one of the reasons I am most excited about our cruise.  I cannot wait to sit on the deck of the ship and listen to the water, as well as swim in it in some of the most beautiful locations in the world.  By that point, the meal plan should have helped to make me a little less apprehensive about that swimsuit requirement.

The Western Waterlands region is also home to Paducah.  If you are looking for local crafts and antiques, then Paducah is a must visit stop. Quilting is one craft activity that I have always wanted to learn and for which Paducah is well known.  My mother and I have made attempts to do it, they have just never come to fruition.  Like many traditions, quilting by hand has largely been lost to the faster, more efficient machines that can do the same work in less time.  It is the loss of these traditions that saddens me.  While no one in my family quilted, cooking is another story.  There are recipes that were known only to the cook and were lost before I was old enough to appreciate that I might want to have learned them.  My Great-Aunt Grady's fried apple pies were manna from Heaven, created with such loving care that cooking had to be a gift given to her from God.  To this day, I have found no equal.

Hopkinsville, aka Hoptown, is home to the Cherokee Trail of Tears Commemorative Park.  It is the site of an encampment used by members of the Cherokee Tribe during the atrocious movement of several tribes to the Western US.  Two Cherokee chiefs are also buried here, having succumbed to the conditions while being forced to leave their homes.

Hoptown is home to an annual Powwow, normally held in September (I was sad to learn that I had missed the event for this year...maybe next year?).  Native American dancers, singers, drummers, and arts and crafts vendors gather with both Native and non-Native people to celebrate their rich heritage and tradition.  I love that this is done.  To have a time set aside where the heritage and traditions of a people are celebrated is such a beautiful thing.  It makes me desire to find out more about my own heritage and what traditions I am missing.  I am slightly ashamed to admit that there is very little I know about my own family history, with the exception of some vague connections (I know my family is Irish on my mom's side).  Again, another journey for another time (but certainly one that would be worthwhile).

And while there is SO much more that could be detailed for the Western Waterlands, it is time to head East.

Tomorrow, it's Bluegrass (the music, that is), Blues, and Barbecue.