Although we are DEEP into the Summer of 2022, I have only JUST returned from my first significant trip: A (very brief!) visit to “my” 45th state: KENTUCKY!! It is my FERVENT HOPE to finish my self-imposed 50 States QUEST before the end of this year, so on we go!
I have friends who retired a few years ago to the sweet Kentucky hamlet of London, and purchased this lovely home …
As Kentucky is geographically located where I’ve just never had reason to go … I’ve actually been to every other state east of the Mississippi River EXCEPT Kentucky (!!) … the idea of visiting my Kentucky transplanted friends, Candace and Jason, has been rolling around in my head for a LONG time, and I finally made it work!
Our mutual friend Skylar was 100% on board with joining me on a visit; not only on board, but offered to DRIVE! Not only that, but offered his guest room in his place (just outside of Philadelphia) as my Air BnB the night before we left, and the night we returned … AND he acted as my valet / baggage handler all weekend long. I mean …. THANKS, SKY!
Lulu & I began the first leg of the trip on an Amtrak train to Philadelphia, where Skylar the chauffeur / valet / Air BnB host / travel buddy met us. “Where we goin’, Mom??” Lulu asked. Oh, that Lulu … she kills me! 🙂
Driving from Landsdowne, PA to London, KY is one LONG ASSED DRIVE, so we got a very early start … we were officially on the road a short time after 6 AM on Thursday, Aug. 11. Waze & Google Maps brought us through PA, MD, WV, OH, and then into good ol’ KY.
After only one nasty traffic jam, we arrived at our destination roughly 12 hours after we began. Our hosts could not have been more hospitable! A delicious dinner was waiting for us, followed by their nightly activity: we adjourned to the side porch, and were each given a jar of unshelled peanuts. We then fed the Kentucky wildlife said peanuts … mostly squirrels, blue jays and cardinals.
Such a sweet tradition … and, as I often repeated all weekend, “When in Rome …”!! I was happy to participate in Candace and Jason’s nightly nature routine. Before we retired for the evening, Jason said, “Can you smell the honey buns?” A local bakery bakes these each evening, and the heavenly scent wafts over from the bakery as far as their yard.
We began the next day at a local breakfast spot, Weavers. If you look carefully at the photo of Weavers, you’ll see a campaign poster in the window. Yup. Same Weaver. Gotta love ‘Merica!
And after the breakfast, and the tease of the bakery scents from the night before, our next stop HAD TO BE Flowers Bakery!
It became soon apparent that life in London, Kentucky revolves largely around the planning of the next meal / snack / restaurant. LOL RELAXING was our top priority, but seeing the sights and tasting the local fare was a close second! After coffee cup #3, we were off to Corbin, KY, and a possible visit to …
Nibroc, in case you didn’t catch it, is Corbin spelled backward. As it turned out, stopping at the festival wasn’t possible due to crowds & lack of parking. HOWEVER, if Jason & Candace reported correctly, the crowds in attendance at Nibroc sounded like a cross between “Deliverance” and a bad Fellini flick, so I wasn’t too sad about missing it! LOL
Instead, we made our way to ::drumroll:: the ORIGINAL location of Kentucky Fried Chicken!
It was a lovely and well done restaurant and museum, and I was happy to visit. My only regret was not getting a photo of the dining room employee, a mild mannered elderly man, taking out the trash & cleaning the dining room, who (in ALL of our opinions!) was the SPITTING IMAGE of Colonel Sanders, down the to the white hair and goatee!!
On the way back to London, we happened to see an abandoned business, that must have been some sort of repair shop … or … maybe not?
Back to the homestead, for more R & R, and before we knew it, it was time for DINNER! (LOL) We had a MARVELOUS dinner at C & J’s favorite London spot, Local Honey.
Saturday morning started off at the BP Gas Station.
Did we need to fill up, you might think?? Nope.
This wasn’t for gasoline … this was our BREAKFAST STOP!! LOL Get a load of this menu … Semi-Load, Full Load, Tank Topper, etc. You can’t make it up!!
But, speaking of gasoline … we were VERY PLEASED at the price of magical fuel, there in Kentucky. As I’ve been paying around $4.50/gallon here in NJ, imagine my delight to see this:
From there, we traveled to Berea, Kentucky, near the Berea College campus, to several local artisan type shops.
We were then off to our next stop. Skylar called it, “The Taj Mahal of Convenience Stores”. I’m not sure that I would quite characterize it that way, but a visit to Buc-ees was sure something!
And … although the statue of Buc-ee Beaver sits out in front of the main building, who do you suppose appeared, JUST as we walked up?? You betcha … it was Buc-ee Beaver HIMSELF!!
Soooooooooooooooo …..
Everywhere I go, I try to find two things: A representative magnet, and a postcard or two of the location. My cousin Mae told me many years ago that she LOVES getting postcards, and I make it a point to send her one from everywhere I visit. Although I found the magnet at Buc-ees, they did not carry postcards. Neither did the Artisan shops in Berea. Neither did the BP gas station (“Oh, we USED TO HAVE them!” said the cashier. D’oh!) No dice at every turn … nothing at the CVS, or the Wal-greens, or the Wal-Mart,etc. etc. Finally, Skylar called a shop called “DogPatch, and … BINGO!! They were getting ready to close, but off we raced! We walked in, and the proprietor warned, “OK, y’all, we’re closin’ in EIGHT MINUTES!!” “Where are your postcards??!?” I chirped, and finally struck gold at Dog Patch!
Here are two extras that I bought:
Ya done good, DogPatch!
And, as we walked out — FYI _3_ minutes later!! LOL —we were sent on our way by some original Dog Patch residents:
All in all, it was a wonderful trip. The weather was great — cool and comfortable, the company was gold, and I got to check off my 45th State!
Thanks again, Sky … it was a LOAD of fun!
