Driving up to Falling Springs Overlook we drove through thick fog, and then suddenly, bright sunshine! Beautiful autumn view of the falls.This is the fog we drove through going up the mountain.Sunrise over the mountain.Island Ford Cave, east of Covington VAA few feet inside the cave. The cave is deeper and more shallow than this view.Morning scene near Clifton Forge VA
Due to the Wuhan Flu the Capitol was closed to visitors. Additionally, the dome is undergoing cleaning and renovation, so I couldn’t see the beautiful gold dome.
New River Gorge Bridge, Lansing WV
The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest single arch bridge in the western hemisphere.View of the bridge from the canyon overlookThe New River. we crossed this bridge to view the Gorge Bridge from ground level. Interestingly, the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world, older even than the Appalachian Mountains!Structure of the Gorge BridgeSingle lane Fayette Station BridgeView of the New River Gorge Bridge from Fayette Station Bridge.Wolf Creek Falls
Glade Creek Grist Mill, Babcock WV
A picture for my wall, and calendar!
John Henry State Park, Talcott WV
John Henry was a steel driver who was employed to help bore a tunnel through the Great Bend Mountain for the C&O Railroad. When a steam drill showed up at the site, the steel drivers took it as a threat to their jobs. John Henry challenged the steam drill to a contest. After about an hour John Henry had out-driven the steam drill by five feet. Here, the legend says, then he laid down his hammer and died. The legend cannot be proven, but it makes for an interesting story.John Henry started the tunnel on the right, and it is no longer used. The tunnel on the left is still in use.John Henry statue.
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 basketballThoroughbred ParkStatues 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 stadiumMarshall 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.
President Zachary Taylor Home and Grave, Windy Hills KY
This monument honors the memory of President Zachary Taylor, our 12th president. He was president from 1849-1850, when he died in office. His grave is in the building to the right. His original grave was the small mound to the right in the back near the trees.Crypt of President Zachary and First Lady Margaret TaylorSpringfield, the home of Zachary Taylor. Born in Orange County VA while his parents were visiting relatives, Taylor grew to adulthood in this house in Louisville KY.
Kentucky State Capitol, Frankfort KY
The Capitol as seen from an overlook from the westApproaching the Capitol from the north The Capitol is closed due to the Wuhan Flu, so I could not go inside.Kentucky Governor’s Mansion, just east of the Capitol
Historic Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort KY
This historic distillery dates back to 1792. It was closed when I came by for a look, so I couldn’t get any souvenirs. It still had a sweet “angels share” aroma in the air.These warehouses hold thousands of barrels for years!
Lincoln Museum, Hodgenville KY
Lincoln Museum is in the town square of Hodgenville. It is a pretty neat little museum. It is really everything Lincoln – hundreds of images of Lincoln throughout. This is the real Lincoln’s top hat!This is a very rare photo of the log cabin in which Lincoln was bornNewspaper announcing Lincoln’s deathSeveral scenes from Lincoln’s life are displayed in the museum. This is growing up in the log cabin.Lincoln the railsplitter.Lincoln calling on Mary Todd, his future wife, at her Lexington homeLincoln-Douglas debateLincoln writing the Emancipation ProclamationLincoln with son Tad sitting in Matthew Brady’s studio. Brady was the most famous and prolific photographer during the Civil War.Gettysburg Address stageLincoln’s second inaugurationLee surrenders to GrantThe Lincolns at Ford’s Theater
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park in central Kentucky contains the longest system of caves in the world, with over 412 miles of surveyed passageways! This is the Historic Entrance to the cave for the tour.Looking back up the stairs we just descended.Approaching the cave tour from the entrance. The temperature inside the cave is 54 degrees year-round. Same as Luray Caverns in Virginia.Artifacts from saltpeter mining, which was done by slaves prior to the Civil War.The Rotunda. This is a large flat circle ceiling near the entrance of the cave. These pictures do not do justice to the size and scale of this 1.5 mile passage. It is really: you have to see it to believe it.This is called the Methodist Church, because in the 1800s a small Methodist Church met for worship here. The preacher preached from atop a large rock ledge on the upper left.This is a close up at the Methodist Church. Notice the rock just left of center. It looks like the face of a man!This formation looks like a reptileThe “Giant’s Coffin” – this large rock formation looks like a casket!One of several stone houses near the end of one trail. These houses were part of a tuberculosis sanitarium. They had to walk in the cave over a mile to get here!The rotunda from a different angleAudobon Avenue
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 scene1958 Covertte, serial number 00002!Showroom sceneGarage sceneReal #3 driven by Dale EarnhardtHer 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 generation1977 model, 3rd generation1986 model, 4th generation2004 model, 5th generation2007 model, 6th generation2019 model, 7th generationIn 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 holeThe 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 LincolnAbe certainly looked like his mother!Lincoln family BibleReplica 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 KYYoung Lincoln reading, facing the Lincoln statue.Bucolic scene near Hodgenville
