Category: USA

Kentucky 2020 Day 5

Barton 1792 Distillery Tour, Bardstown KY
We toured this historic distillery in Bardstown. In my younger days I enjoyed my bourbon. It was neat to see how it is made and stored. Kentucky is located above a large system of limestone caves. It is the water filtered through the limestone that makes Kentucky Bourbon special. Kentucky produces 95% of the bourbon in the world!
This warehouse is one of 29 warehouses to store and age their bourbon. All of their warehouses are seven stories tall, and hold up to 22,000 barrels.
Each barrel contains 53 gallons of bourbon. During the aging process, over seven to ten years half of the liquid evaporates, so the barrels are only half full. They pay taxes on 53 gallons the whole time from year 1 until the end, 10 or more years!
Here’s an idea of how large this warehouse is.
The clear liquid coming from the pipe into the cube and then into the copper barrel is 140 proof. The tour guide opened a spigot so we could get a handful of the liquid to taste. It was pretty sweet, since it is mostly sugar at this stage. She then had us rub the liquid into our hands, and it was an amazing skin softener! My hands were still very soft and smooth the next day!
Lexington KY
Calumet Farm in Lexington is a world famous thoroughbred horse farm. This farm has produced 8 Kentucky Derby winners, including two Triple Crown winners – Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948.
Calumet Farm, very scenic.
The Kentucky Castle, a large and expensive resort in Lexington. We were driving into Lexington and this just appeared on the left. It was stunning.
Secretariat statue. Beautiful detail.
The house where Mary Todd grew up. She later married Abraham Lincoln.
Rupp Arena, home of University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball
Thoroughbred Park
Statues of a horse race. Usually there are a number of water fountains spraying next to the wall, but it was drained when we visited.
Pretty cool view of the horses coming right at you.
Whoa!
Ashland, home of Henry Clay. Clay was the longest serving Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 19th century, the most influential Senator for many years, and he failed in five runs as presidential candidate for the Whig Party.
Monument to the settlers of Fort Boonesborough, about 15 miles southeast of Lexington.
The fort is a replica of the fort that Daniel Boone and his men built when they arrived here in 1775. It is now set as a working fort complete with cabins, blockhouses and furnishings, 18th century life skills and period craft demonstrations It was closed when we were there, but I got to at least see it.
In West Virginia we passed by Huntington, so we went to see Marshall University.
Marshall football stadium
Marshall was featured in a 2006 movie about the 1970 Marshall football team which suffered a devastating loss in a plane crash.
This sculpture on the stadium wall honors the memory of the 1970 tragedy. The team was returning from a game at East Carolina University when their plane crashed, killing all 75 people on board, including 37 players, 5 coaches, team booster, doctors, the athletic director and flight crew. The 2006 movie shows how the school and team recovered the next year.

Kentucky 2020 Day 4

Fort Knox KY
This is the United States Bullion Depository. It stores gold and other precious metal bullion reserves for the United States. It has more than half of all the gold bullion in the US – around $240 billion worth today!
Churchill Downs, Louisville KY
So we toured Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville KY
This is “The Spires”, a national landmark that is the classic view of Churchill Downs
Statue of Barbaro, who won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, then shattered his leg two weeks later in the Preakness, which led to his death in January 2007. He is buried here.
The two drinks most famously connected with the Kentucky Derby are Mint Juleps and Oaks Lilys.
There are many wagering windows throughout Churchill Downs. All bets at the Kentucky Derby are required to be CASH. Last year’s Derby saw over $80 million wagered onsite. That means there was at least $80 million in CASH in this location at one time! Wow! Overall worldwide over $200 million is wagered on the Kentucky Derby.
More wagering windows
We learned interesting facts about jockeys. This mural of Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys gives a hint about the progression of jockey demographics. The first jockeys were black…
..then they were primarily white most of the early to mid-20th century…
…and today they are predominantly hispanic. Another interesting jockey story is the weight requirement for jockeys. All the jockey’s gear, including halter, bridle, saddle, stirrups, helmet, glasses and clothing, and the jockey himself, must weigh exactly 126 pounds.
Elevators to “The Mansion”. Upon entering the elevator, you are handed a glass of champagne to drink on the ride up six floors. Access to these elevators are exclusively “by-invitation-only”.
We took the “Behind the Scenes Tour”, which allowed us to see areas not usually available to the public. This is the entrance to “The Mansion”, a very elegant and exclusive room. To attend the Kentucky Derby in The Mansion, one must be invited by the Board, and then pay somewhere between $10K and $40K.
The opulence here is hard to imagine. If you attend the Derby here, there are many food stations, where the food is prepared personally by top-line chefs, such as Bobby Flay! Personal attendants tend to the attendee’s every need – bring the food and drinks, and even taking their bets to the wagering counter in the room!
Here we are at the bar.
The view from the sixth floor, again only available to exclusive invitees!
The track in the background, with the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle on the right.
Ground view of the final turn
Finish line
The paddock for 14 to 20 horses
The horses walk through this hall to get on the track.
The Kentucky Derby Museum is a great visit! Upon entering you see this video – pretty cool!
The Triple Crown races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont) are known for the outrageous hats and loud outfits worn by the women! The men also dress up, but women’s hats steal the show. These hats were donated to the museum by a Louisville socialite.
The museum runs a 360 degree movie that shows the entire track oval. It is the only 360 degree theater in the world with 4K resolution. An 18 minute movie is a really neat story.
Kentucky Derby art
Horseshoes worn by American Pharaoh, who won the Triple Crown in 2015. Rachel saw him win the Preakness that year!
Photo of Secretariat, greatest racehorse of all time. Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973, and set speed records in each of the three races, that still stand today!! When Secretariat died in 1989, a necropsy was performed, and they discovered his heart was over 20 pounds! The typical thoroughbred’s heart is 7 to 9 pounds!
Secretariat display
Wagner’s Diner across the street from Churchill Downs. Trainers and owners frequently eat here, but not when we were here. Some of the Secretariat movie was filmed here.
This waitress appeared in the Secretariat movie in 2009.
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) Boyhood Home, Louisville KY
Boxer Muhammad Ali grew up in this house on Grand Avenue in Louisville. He was born Cassius Clay, and won an Olympic Gold medal, as well as the Heavyweight champion in boxing three times. One of the most famous athletes in the world in the 20th century.
Jim Beam Stillhouse & Distillery, Clermont KY
The Stillhouse was closed because of the Wuhan Flu, but we were able to look around the Distillery campus.
Mr. Jim Beam
Warehouse that stores the barrels full of bourbon
Bardstown KY
Within 16 miles of downtown Bardstown there are 11 distilleries!
“My Old Kentucky Home” This early 19th century house was the home of the Rowan family. The tour of the house features singing tour guides, who sing the Kentucky State Song, “My Old Kentucky Home”. It was a pretty neat tour – they dressed up the house like they were in mourning for a death in the household, so black bunting draped over the doorways and picture frames, black fabric covered the doorknobs, and all the mirrors were covered in black to prevent the ghost from seeing himself as he left, and deciding to stay in the house! This demonstrated the Victorian traditions in the 19th century.
Stephen Foster composed “My Old Kentucky Home”. He also wrote many other popular and well-known songs in the 1800s, including Beautiful Dreamer. Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair, Camptown Races, Gentle Annie, and Oh! Susanna.
We stayed here at the Old Talbott Inn, which dates to 1779. It was actually pretty nice!
Old Talbott Inn and Tavern
The oldest bourbon bar in the world at the Old Talbott Tavern

Kentucky 2020 Day 2

NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM, BOWLING GREEN KY
Mary Jean at the National Corvette Museum!
The museum has some cool displays with older Corvettes in vintage scenes. The white Corvette on the right is from the very first year, 1953.
Service station scene
1958 Covertte, serial number 00002!
Showroom scene
Garage scene
Real #3 driven by Dale Earnhardt
Her dream car! 2020 Stingray!
This is a cool picture of a Corvette, composed of small Corvette pictures…
This dark circle is the headlight on the driver’s side.
There are 7 generations of Corvette design. This is the first generation, represented by a 1962 model.
1967 model from the second generation
1977 model, 3rd generation
1986 model, 4th generation
2004 model, 5th generation
2007 model, 6th generation
2019 model, 7th generation
In 2014, the museum suffered a sink hole collapse that swallowed over $1 million worth of valuable Corvettes!
These are some of the valuable Corvettes ruined by the sink hole collapse.
Looking down 30 feet to the bottom of the sink hole
The red tape is the outline of the sinkhole.
The Skydome today.
This was the 1 millionth Corvette ever produced, and it hung on during the collapse and suffered very little damage. Miraculously, several Corvettes survived or were able to be restored.
The museum conducts a raffle for a new Corvette every month. Each winner comes to the museum for the “Presentation”. Here, the winner of this blue Corvette is being taught about his new car.
We watched as the winner of this Corvette drove away!
The Bowling Green plant is the only plant in the world that assembles Corvettes.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN BIRTHPLACE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK, HODGENVILLE KY
President Abraham Lincoln was born here on February 12, 1809. This was the first Lincoln Memorial! There are 56 steps up to the memorial building, representing one step for each year of Lincoln’s life. He was only 56 years old when he was assassinated in 1865.
A replica of Lincoln’s birthplace house is inside the memorial.
President Theodore Roosevelt (in top hat) laid the cornerstone on February 12, 1909, the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.
This is Sinking Spring, which was the spring that provided water for the Lincoln farm.
Sculpture of the Lincoln family in the Visitor Center. Abraham is the baby in his mother’s arms. The girl is his sister Sarah holding their father’s hand.
Abraham Lincoln’s parents, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln
Abe certainly looked like his mother!
Lincoln family Bible
Replica of Knob Creek house, where young Abe lived as a boy. This is about 10 miles from the Sinking Spring farm.
This field would have been farmland tended by the Lincolns.
Statue of President Lincoln in the town center of Hodgenville KY
Young Lincoln reading, facing the Lincoln statue.
Bucolic scene near Hodgenville

Kentucky 2020 Day 1

So we left Virginia for a short trip around Kentucky, with a few stops in West Virginia on the way home.

Our 7 hour drive south took us by this scenic overlook – Veterans’ Overlook in Bean Station TN, which overlooks the Cherokee Reservoir.
We drove through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, which brought us from Tennessee to Middlesboro KY.
CUMBERLAND GAP NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK – KY/TN/VA
Colonists discovered Cumberland Gap as an easier path for westward travel and exploration in the mid-1700s. Daniel Boone made this pass legendary, blazing the trail west into Kentucky, where he encountered the Shawnee and Cherokee, sometimes as enemies and many times as friends. Boone’s encounters with the Indians is depicted in one of the four relief sculptures on the US Capitol doors. This is Daniel Boone Country!
This area has seen a lot of action over the years!
We were surprised to see so much color – we thought we would be a couple weeks early, but this was really colorful and beautiful!
Mary Jean at the top of Pinnacle Overlook. She is standing in Virginia. Kentucky is to the right on the picture, Tennessee to the left.
Cumberland Gap TN
Kentucky
Walking up to the Tri-State Peak. The trail is 1.2 miles long, uphill all the way, and gets pretty steep at the end.
We started around 9 AM in light fog.
“Indian Rock” marks one of the documented trails that Daniel Boone used in 1775 from North Carolina to Kentucky.
The sun peeking through the fog.
This is the Cumberland Gap “Saddle”
Daniel Boone monument.
This is a steep path. The picture doesn’t really capture its steepness.
At the top of Tri-State Peak, where Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee meet at a point. This is the Kentucky sign.
The view of Kentucky from the Kentucky sign
Tennessee sign
The view of Tennessee from the Tennessee sign
Virginia sign
View of Virginia from the Virginia sign. This is the trail we hiked.
This is the far southwest point of the state of Virginia. The round marker is the point. Mary Jean is sitting in Virginia, Tennessee is on the right, and Kentucky is on the left.
Survey marker at the point
Standing in three states at once!
Colorful view on the hike back down
Warrior!
THE ORIGINAL KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN, CORBIN KY
This the location of the very first Kentucky Fried Chicken! The original restaurant was named Sanders Cafe, and was attached to a motel. Of course, it is under renovation so we could not visit the museum. We did get our lunch at the drive-thru. This will be a pretty neat site when it is finished.
Colonel Sanders statue in town.
CUMBERLAND FALLS, NEAR WILLIAMSBURG KY
Cumberland Falls is nicknamed the Niagara Falls of the South
So here we are at Cumberland Falls!
Beautiful waterfalls – 125 ft. wide, 68 ft. tall, 3,600 cubic feet of water over the ledge per second!
Unfortunately, the most recent full moon was October 3, so we did not experience the moonbow, but if we did, it would look like this:
(nighttime picture from the internet, not me!)

Woodrow Wilson

Presidential Museum, Staunton VA

(Thomas) Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the US.
He was the eighth (and so far, last) president born in Virginia. He was born in this house in Staunton VA in 1856. This was the manse for the Presbyterian Church. His father was a Presbyterian minister.
Due to COVID, the birthplace house was not open for visitors, but I was able to see the foyer through the front window.
Rear of the manse.
Entrance to the museum
Bust of President Wilson, wearing a mask. He was president during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, so he actually did wear a mask back then!
President Wilson’s Pierce Arrow, which he used is his post-presidency days (1921-1924).
Wilson’s desk at Princeton. He went to UVA law school, practiced law in Rome GA, where he met and married his first wife. Ellen Axson, another Presbyterian minister’s child. First Lady Ellen Wilson died in 1914.

Wilson earned a PhD in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University, still the only president to have earned a PhD. He subsequently taught at Princeton University, and later was president of Princeton. He also served as governor of New Jersey for two years before winning the presidency in 1912.

President Wilson suffered several strokes, including one before he ran for President. He suffered two debilitating strokes in 1918 as president, and was largely unseen the last two years of his presidency. He required assistance when leaving the White House in 1921 to attend President Warren Harding’s inauguration.

He lived in Washington DC after he left office, and died in 1924. He is buried inside the National Cathedral in DC.

Wilson’s desk lamp.
Due to a schism in the Republican Party, (Theodore Roosevelt ran third party after he failed to gain the Republican nomination from President Taft), Wilson won a decisive Electoral College victory, even though he won only 41.8% of the popular vote. Roosevelt and Taft combined for 50.7%.

President Wilson was a racist in a big way. The first major movie ever screened at the White House was “The Birth of A Nation”, which was glorified the KKK from the Reconstruction Era. He also continued segregating the Civil Service.

President Wilson’s White House phone.
President Wilson’s progressive policies expanded the Federal government bureaucracy. He also opposed voting rights for women.
Three constitutional amendments were ratified during the Wilson presidency.
17th: Enabled direct election of Senators
18th: Prohibition of alcohol manufacturing and sale
19th: Women’s right to vote
After campaigning in 1916 that he kept the US out of war, President Wilson led the US into World War I after the Germans sunk the Lusitania, which killed 1198 people, including 128 Americans.
World War I poster.
It was interesting to see these posters after seeing the World War II art posters at the FDR Museum in New York in 2018.
Trench warfare display
Medic tent. It may be hard to see in this small picture, but there are rats all over this display!

After the war, President Wilson worked tirelessly to institute his “Fourteen Points” toward worldwide peace, which culminated in the creation of the League of Nations, which was a precursor to the United Nations. The League of Nations failed when the US Congress rejected it. It was a huge defeat and embarrassment for President Wilson.