Berea, KY - Sep. 27 - Oct. 10, 2006
We left Lebanon, Ohio hoping to find warmer, drier conditions in Kentucky. Considering the Lexington area had just experienced a flood we were probably being a bit too optimistic. However, we were fairly lucky. While the weather in the area continued to be damp and wet, we did catch a few bright, sunny days.
We selected an RV park in Berea, a small town about 30 miles southeast of Lexington. Religious folks with a strong abolitionist bent established Berea in the 1850s. In 1855, a local citizen contributed a large tract of land to establish a college to provide equal education to whites, blacks and Native Americans. Today, Berea College provides a full-tuition scholarship to every student, admits only low-income students, and requires all students to work in a college job.
The town is also known for its artists and artisans. The quaint streets are lined with fine art, pottery, weaving, woodcraft and furniture studios and galleries. At the north end of town is the Kentucky Artisan Center offering beautiful Appalachian arts and crafts items. In the center of town is Berea College, the historic Boone Tavern and Hotel established in 1909, shops, galleries and the Churchill Weavers.
While in Berea, Bill worked on activities related to our Point & Surf business, and Susan kept busy by rambling the country roads, being chased by the occasional dog, and visiting galleries, shops and the Artisan Center.
Our first excursion was to drive the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway, which takes the traveler into the Daniel Boone National Forest via the very narrow Nada Tunnel, formerly an old railroad tunnel. It then follows the Red River through a beautiful forested gorge and past natural stone arches and old settler cabins. The maples and dogwoods were just beginning to flash their fall foliage, adding to the beauty of the drive.
We took advantage of another sunny day to visit Frankfort, Kentucky's state capital. Frankfort is a lovely old community located on the Kentucky River. It has an old town section along the railroad tracks and numerous historical homes. We visited the Old State Capital, a Greek Revival building that served as Kentucky's seat of government from 1831 - 1910, and the beautiful new Beaux Arts capital building. While we were touring the capital and debating where we should go for lunch, a staff member emerged from the Governor's Office and suggested we come inside to discuss our lunch options with the Governor's Executive Secretary. Now that is down-home hospitality.
The Buffalo Trace Distillery , the oldest continually operating distillery in the country, is located in Frankfort. The first still on the site started operation in 1787. During prohibition the distillery was licensed to manufacture bourbon for "medicinal purposes only". The consumer needed a prescription to purchase the "medicine" from a pharmacy. To this day you can still buy "spirits" in the local pharmacies. The tour at Buffalo Trace was great fun and informative, and the grounds are an ideal place for a picnic. Our guide, Freddy, was a hoot and very proud of his employer. Oh yes, the bourbon was excellent.
Note: "Trace" is a term used for animal trails. In this case, buffalo herds that migrated from the eastern salt licks to their western grazing lands.
On our return trip from Frankfort we took the back roads through the rolling green hills around Lexington. Lexington is all about horses - horse farms, horse sculptures, horse tracks and horse parks. It looks just like in the movies - green hills, white fences, steepled stables, fine horses and stately homes.
In the heart of the Kentucky bluegrass region is the Kentucky Horse Park, a working horse farm with 1,200 acres surrounded by 30 miles of white plank fencing. During our visit the Park was hosting a Saddlebred competition. The competition was reminiscent of a square dance as the horses and riders changed their gait and direction as ordered by a "caller". The horses were quite proud and haughty with their tails held high, necks arched and high stepping gait.
We visited the Hall of Champions that included horses that had won millions of dollars in their careers, the Parade of Breeds Arena and a spectacular equine photography exhibit. We highly recommend the Kentucky Horse Park if in the Lexington area.
Our last excursion was to Cumberland Gap National Park to walk in the footsteps of Daniel Boone. After hitting the Visitor's Center we hiked the Gap Trail, which took us from Kentucky to Virginia. We then took a side trail to the tri-corners of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. After our hike, we drove up to Pinnacle Peak for a wonderful view of the valley below. It was a beautiful day, and there was something quite moving about walking in the path of those early settlers.
On October 11, we left Kentucky during a driving rain storm and high-tailed it south to Sevierville, Tennessee about 15 miles east of Knoxville.
