Kentucky In Review

Although we're packing in a lot of sight seeing, we're realizing we are only scratching the surface of what each state has to offer.  It is so much harder than we thought to cover an entire state in one week!  We're also learning the importance of scheduling days off.  A break every week to do schoolwork, work-work, plan for the upcoming states & rest.  We did just that on our first day in the Louisville area.  Along with the mentioned "catch-up" activities, we scheduled the RV's first oil change.  When calling around to set up an appointment,  we learned that most places would require a 2-3 week wait because of the filter they would need to order... and we rarely know where we'll be in 2-3 weeks!  So Jim tracked down a filter and we had our oil changed in less than an hour:) - and we were ready to hit the sight-seeing once again!

Our first taste of Kentucky was at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.  It is the oldest continuously held sporting event in America for 3 year old thoroughbreds.  The first Derby held here was in 1857 and it was Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. (grandson of the explorer William Clark) who named and modeled the KY Derby after the English Epsom Derby (the original derby).

We walked through the informative & interactive museum, watched a 360 degree short movie that gave the experience of "being" at the Derby on race day, and took a historic walking tour which brought us by horse stables, the commons area (with plaques of all past winning horses displayed) and out to the stands... right at the finish line.  Nearly 168,000 fans filled the stands this year!  

A little info we learned about the sport...

The term "jockey" comes from a Scottish variant of the name "Jack", meaning "boy" or "fellow".  Until recent decades, many jockeys were in fact young boys of small stature who competed on horseback.  In pre-revolutionary times, races in the colonies were simple speed matches between two horses.  By the Civil War era, jockeys, some as young as nine years old, were competing in multi-horse races at tracks across the United States.  African-Americans who had been in charge of caring for horses during slavery often became skilled horsemen and would compete successfully in the races.  African-American riders dominated the sport when the Kentucky Derby opened in 1875, winning 15 of the first 28 Kentucky Derbys.  By the 1930's popularity for the sport increased as fans sought an escape from the grim realities of the Depression.  But the sport was still largely unregulated.  Jockeys didn't wear protective gear such as racing helmets or goggles.  And there were no safety rails, trackside medics, or health insurance policies available to them.  Between 1935 and 1939 alone, nineteen jockeys were killed in racing accidents.  After a torturous 30 minute ride in the back of a pick up truck en route to a hospital after a fall, jockey Sam Renick with fellow jockeys Eddie Arcaro & John Longden formed the Jockey's Guild.  It helped to improve safety standards, establish an insurance program & increase the fees paid to riders, which are still in place today.

The girls with Animal Kingdom, winner of Kentucky Derby 2011

While in the area, we had to get a taste of Louisiana's traditional foods.  After a bit of googling, I knew exactly where we needed to go... the Brown Hotel.

In the 1920's , this hotel held a nightly dinner dance that drew in over 1,200 guests.  After their nights of dancing, guests would head to the restaurant for a late night snack.  Bored with the traditional ham & eggs, Chef Fred Schmidt impressed the guest with his creation- The Hot Brown.  And almost a century later, this is exactly what we came to try... a broiled open-face turkey sandwich topped with bacon, tomatoes & mornay sauce. 

Of course we couldn't stop here... coming from the Derby, we just had to try the traditional Mint Julep (over 120,000 are served each Kentucky Derby weekend in the collectable Derby glasses). 

A concoction of mint leaf, bourbon, sugar & water... though I believe in ours they left out the last two ingredients!  Oh so strong, I was content to only drink a few sips.  Jim, on the other hand, loves a challenge and as true to his nature, must always finish what he starts... unfortunately this left him face down at the table...

At this point we were all over-stuffed, but still had one thing left to try.  The Derby Pie.  A delectable chocolate walnut tart.

Our next campsite was about 100 miles south in Bowling Green, KY, where all Corvettes have been assembled since 1981.  We toured the plant and loved getting a view of the assembly line process from beginning to end, including the white-glove inspection and test drive out of the plant.  (Again, sadly no cameras allowed).  

From here we enjoyed the afternoon at Mammoth Cave, the world's longest known cave, with over 392 miles of interconnected passages!  We decided on the 2 hour Historic tour where we walked 2 miles & descended 300 feet.  A stunning variety of HUGE rooms and tiny passageways... one being called the Fat Man's Misery:)

There were writings from the 1800's that visitors would pay the slaves (who were the guides) to burn with candles onto the cave walls.

We learned that the land around this cave entrance was purchased in the 1790's by a family that soon learned they could make a killing by using materials found inside the cave to make gun powder to sell during the War of 1812.  When these supplies were no longer in demand, the cave was home to many other ventures including church services, dances and even an ill-fated tuberculosis hospital.  Eventually it became the tourist destination it is today.
We then traveled to a campsite near the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana border.  Always being on the move, we're often asking ourselves, "What state are we in?!?".  Staying so close to 3 states made us especially confused:)  While here we visited the much anticipated Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY.  An amazing museum filled with fossils & facts that counter-act the teachings of evolution.  With walks through scenes of Biblical History,  theater presentations,  fossils galore & hands on displays... Scripture was displayed throughout showing how God's Word, taken literally, proves that our world is the result of a Creator... not an explosion or happenstance over millions of years.

 It left us with a great reminder that when faced with any questions (Could one day really mean 1,000 years?  Could dinosaurs have made it on the ark?) to go directly to the Source of the Bible to get true answers.
"Broadly speaking, 'human reason' refers to 'autonomous reasoning'- the idea that the human mind can determine truth independently from God's revealed truth, the Bible.  Reasoning is God's gift to humankind, but He has instructed us to use the Bible as our ultimate starting point (Proverbs 1:7) and also to reject speculations that contradict God's knowledge (2 Corinthians 10:5). "
"When Moses writes that God created heaven and earth and whatever is in them in six days, then let this period continue to have been six days... For since God is speaking, it is not fitting for you wantonly to turn His Word in the direction you wish to go." -Martin Luther, Kritische Gesamtausgabe
This is a stop to be sure to fit in to your future travels.  Though we didn't have time, we could have spent a couple of days here as special events and workshops are also provided... they're also building a life-size replica of the ark which will be completed in a couple of years!
For more local flavor, we stopped in at the fast food chain Skyline Chili.  A simple menu of chili, coneys, and pasta prepared in a variety of ways.  If you haven't tried Cincinnati chili, it has a very unique flavor as cinnamon & chocolate are in the list of ingredients... not our favorite.

We couldn't leave Kentucky without some horseback riding, so we headed to Kentucky Horse Park, the "epicenter of equestrian life" in Lexington.  The park included horse drawn tours, horse shows displaying trick riders and different breeds of horses, a museum, famous horse grave sites and horse rides.

Our horseback ride brought us around the gorgeous, pristine, white-picket-fenced rolling hills of pasture throughout the park... a horse-lover's heaven!

And on our way out of town, as the sun was setting, we drove the Old Frankfurt Pike between Lexington & Frankfurt, named one of the most scenic byways in the country.  More gorgeous rolling horse pastures and elite homes & barns.  Also beautiful were the miles of stone fences (hand laid, without mortar) known as "slave fences".  They were introduced to the Bluegrass Region by Scottish immigrants in the 18th & 19th centuries who then taught the slaves how to build the fences.  Today there are workshops available to learn how to build and preserve them.

Kentucky, horse capital of the world, became one of our favorite states yet!