Kentucky – Birthplace of Abe Lincoln, KFC and the Kentucky Derby

04/23/2022 – 05/01/2022

The Journey West 2022 – Leg 1, Part 1

Our journey back to the Pacific NW began on 4/22/22. We left North Carolina and headed to Bardstown, Kentucky. The drive would be about 9 hours, so we split it into two days and overnighted at a Harvest Host in Piney Flats, TN. Bardstown is known as the “Bourbon Capital of the World” but there is more to Kentucky than bourbon, like horses. Our friends from FL joined us and we were also surprised that some friends from OR would be flying in as well. We packed a lot into the week and as a result, I am breaking our adventures into two separate blogs. This one will be all about horses, horse tracks, horse races and a blip about Honest Abe.

East Tennessee Distillery

Have I mentioned Harvest Host before? 😉 We stayed overnight at the East TN Distillery in Piney Flats. Not too far from Bristol, TN and not too far off the freeway. The distillery is just a small operation in the back of a warehouse. Tiny, the owner, started making moonshine in his garage and giving samples to friends and family. One friend came back with an order for 400 cases just about the same time Tennessee started licensing certain types of moonshine and the rest is history.

They now sell their award-winning moonshine in 4 states. Since we were in for the “night” they let us sample as many flavors as we wanted. I think we tried about 8 or so? Somewhere along the way, I lost count. LOL! I promised my mom I would only sip, I just didn’t say how many sips. Sorry, Mom. The liquor cabinet was getting low but that is not a problem now. Our haul consisted of lemon, blackberry, apple pie, and country caramel flavored shines, one white dog and some BBQ sauces. Oh! and moonshine slushies to enjoy on the walk back to the rig. If you get a chance to try some of their shines, take it!

Sanders Court and Café

As we were making our way to Bardstown, our route took us through Corbin KY. Bill says, “Isn’t this where KFC began?” I don’t know. Mr. Google can you help us out? Why, yes, it is and we just passed the turnoff to go see it. We had a quick discussion; do we turn around or just wait until the next time we pass through the area? A quick satellite view on Google maps helps us find a place where we could possibly park Theo and unhook the jeep to drive over to the museum. Jackpot, a Walmart is up ahead. You gotta do it, who knows when we’ll be back in the area? Well, Walmart had a very packed parking lot. No bueno. I get on the phone, call KFC, “Do you have RV parking?” Of course they do 😊 and are on the way to get some KFC and check out the museum.

We arrive with no issue, park and go explore. The KFC is housed in the original Sanders Café along US Hwy 25. A recent renovation of the property was completed 2 years ago but they were not able to open due to Covid. I discovered their Grand Re-opening had just been the day before. We were there on their opening weekend after being closed for 2 years! How lucky are we??

The museum is combined with the restaurant. It contains an original table setting, a model of the kitchen where the secret blend of 11 herbs and spices was formulated and the pressure fried cooking was perfected. There is also a replica motel room in the restaurant. The colonel wanted the mothers and wives to see what a room looked like in his motel. He felt that the mothers/wives made the decision of where the family would be staying and if they could see what they would be offered at his roadside motel they would choose his establishment to rest their weary heads. He wanted his guest to have a comfortable place to stay and good food to eat.

Well worth the stop and hour we spent here. The chicken wasn’t bad either, in fact… it was Finger Licken’ Good! 😊

Bardstown, Bourbon Capital of the World

Home for the next 9 days would be White Acres RV Park just outside of town. Bardstown was chosen as homebase since it’s central to both Louisville, Lexington and many of the distilleries we wanted to visit. We got a nice site on the end with a large lawn and fire pit. Kona was very happy with the soft green grass. Lots of space for our friends to gather around the campfire after bourbon tasting.

Bardstown is a small historic town centered around the old courthouse, which is now the visitors center. There are several historical buildings and houses here and a walk down Main Street is a must. There are several clothing boutiques, restaurants and bars. We enjoyed strolling thru the boutiques and window shopping. However, we were all pretty disappointed with the food scene.

Being on vacation means, no cooking (haha). Our friends were all staying at hotels, so we ate lunch/dinners out. There were several restaurant options in town but sadly, they were not very good. I know the restaurant industry is suffering with finding help and getting supplies and it definitely showed. The average wait for a meal, once the order was taken, was about an hour and then the food was disappointing.

We did find one restaurant though that was fantastic! Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar. Yes, the service was a little slow but the food and staff more than made up for it. We ate there three times during our stay. What does that say? The portions were generous and very tasty. Between our group, I’d say we sampled a good portion of the menu. You can’t go wrong with whatever you decide to order.

As we were finishing lunch one afternoon, we met Mammy herself and got the backstory of her restaurant and her family. How hard she is working to keep her restaurant going in these hard times. I am happy we were able to support her business several times!

A Wild Goose Chase

Since the rest of the gang wouldn’t be arriving until mid-week, Bill and I decided to go see some non-bourbon related sights . On our way from I-75 to Bardstown, travelling on US Hwy 150, we saw a couple of brown information signs. One for a covered bridge and one for Lincoln’s Homestead. I knew Lincoln was born in Kentucky, this must be the sign to his birthplace. Worth checking out, right?

 Mt Zion Covered Bridge

We set out Sunday morning to go find these treasures. The sun is shining and the temps are perfect, the top comes down on the jeep and we are off. We drive and drive and do not see the covered bridge sign but did see the Lincoln Homestead sign. I start looking on Google maps for a covered bridge and Lincoln’s Birthplace. The results are no covered bridges in the immediate area and we are going in the opposite direction of Lincoln’s Birthplace! Uggg…

We continue down the road another 7 miles to find that sign we saw coming in. Finally we find it! Following the sign, we turn right and the next sign informs us that Mt Zion Covered Bridge is another 9.5 miles. No worries, it’s a beautiful day driving a back road in the beautiful countryside. 7 miles down the road we make another right and see another sign, 2.5 more miles to go, almost there…

Driving along, we cross a little river and figure this is where the bridge must be. No bridge, just some stone structures sticking out of the water. The odometer tells us we have definitely gone 2.5 miles. Were those structures part of the covered bridge? We did see a motorcycle and mustang stopping there. Google to the rescue and here is what was discovered from Wikipedia: Mt Zion Covered Bridge was a 250’ Burr truss covered bridge, built in 1871 AND…. burned down in 2021! I think the KY DOT need to remove the sign from US 150.

 Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace-National Historic Park

Now it’s time to go find where Abraham Lincoln, our 16^th President, was born. We backtrack the 20 miles we drove in the wrong direction and drove the 30 miles to the correct location. I am so happy we did not give up and took the time to come here. The park is beautiful,. The trees are green with their new leaves and the birds are singing. The feeling is peaceful. The memorial is magnificent. We started in the visitor center and went thru the very small museum and saw a short movie about Lincoln’s early years.

The Lincoln’s lived here for about 2 years before they left for a farm on Knob Creek about 10 miles away. It seems the Lincoln Homestead, where we were originally headed, is where Abe’s mother and father lived before coming to Sinking Spring Farm.

The cornerstone of the memorial was laid on February 12, 1909, which would have been Lincoln’s 100^th birthday, by President Theodore Roosevelt. 2 years later, the memorial was completed and dedicated by President Taft. Inside the memorial is a symbolic replica of the cabin that Lincoln would have lived in his first few years of life.

A few steps away from the base of the memorial steps are some more steps that lead down to Sinking Spring, which was a fresh water source for the Lincoln’s. The water drops down into a pit and eventually empties into the Nolin River, not far from the park.

Driving back to the campground we passed his home along US 31E on Knob Creek. It is also part of the National Historic Park, but we were not able to stop as they were getting ready to close. If you are in the area, sampling some fine bourbon and like history, take a little time and check this park out. You will not be disappointed.

Thoroughbreds and Horse Racing

Bardstown is the “Bourbon Capital of the World” and Lexington is the “Horse Capital of the World”. How lucky are we to be in this wonderful area?? Bourbon and horses, does it get any better??? The Lexington area is GORGEOUS!! Miles and miles of beautifully manicured, rolling pastureland dotted with magnificent horses, playful foals and the occasional happy cow.

Thoroughbred Heritage Horse Farm Tours took us on a 4-hour tour of Keeneland Racecourse and Magdelena Farm. Our guide was the son in-law of the owners and was a wealth of information. We started at Keeneland Racecourse.

 Keeneland Racetrack

Keeneland Racetrack, opened in 1936 and hosts races in April and October. In November, they will also be hosting the Breeders Cup. The racetrack is not as grand as Churchill Downs, but it is every bit as beautiful. The track also hosts 4 auctions annually: January Horses of All Ages Sale, April Sale, September Yearling Sale and November Breeding Stock Sale. In 2021 6,368 horses were auctioned for a total of $621,880,600! Daannng!

And speaking of breeding… many horses will retire to a stud farm to breed. If they raced and performed well, the stud fees can go upwards to $200k. According to the Googles, American Pharoh’s, 2015 triple crown winner, stud fee is north or $200k and he has sired 23 foals. Do the math…

We walk along the paddock area and see several jockeys warming up their horses on their way out to the track for some morning exercise. Next, we pass by the Breeders Cup statue and on to the famous ivy-covered wall and jockey statues. The jockey statues represent the winners of all the Grade 1 races held at the track each year. The silks are painted the same color of the winning jockey and remain that way for the entire year. Sadly, we were not able to attend any of the races while we were in town.

 Magdelena Farm

After we toured Keeneland, we hopped back in the van and drove through some of the most beautiful countryside of horse farms and saw some exquisite stables. I can only imagine how well these horses live and are cared for. We ended up at Magdelena Farm where we were able to walk around the stable area and love on the mares and foals (if they would let us). This farm was not near as glamorous as those we saw along the way and that’s okay. Being able to be with the horses and see the babies is all I wanted.

As we were walking from stall to stall, our tour guide continued to pump us with all sorts of information. How the horses are bred, how they are prepared for racing, when they get auctioned, how they get their names and on and on. On the outside of each stall is a copy of the family tree. You are able to see the sire and mares blood lines 2 and 3 generations back.

Our guide was throwing out all these statistics; horses names, lineage, values, number of races won, the times they ran the race, etc. It was like listening to someone talk about baseball. My head started spinning, so I just went back over and watched the babies with their mama’s. LOL!

Back behind the stables a mama was exercising in a pen with her baby. They were so fun to watch. The baby would nurse, come over to the fence for some love from all of us, then take off and run around. The mom played around with him some and then would go graze. I was in 7^th heaven!

The tour was well worth the $35 and I highly recommend it. I also found out there are several farms in the area that offer tours as well. Those tours involve a more in depth to the workings of a thoroughbred farm and can include tours of the stables and stud barn. Next time…

Churchill Downs & The Kentucky Derby

It is the week before Derby Week and we all head to Churchill Downs for a tour and trip thru the museum. The first Kentucky Derby was run on May 17, 1875 and it has continued to run every year since. It is the longest continually held sporting event in the US. Churchill Downs was built and the derby started by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. Does that name sound familiar? He was the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

After a trip to England and France and attending horse races there, Meriwether wanted to bring that experience back to the States. However, he wanted to make his race an all-day affair. A place where the city could come, dress up, bring a picnic, spend the day socializing and watch the ponies race.

We made our way through the museum while waiting for our tour to begin. They, of course, have exhibits on the history of Churchill Downs but they also have several interactive exhibits. There are a few kiosks where you can watch any derby all the way back to the first televised race. You can “place a bet” and then go over and watch your race and see if you are a winner and then you can climb on your own “horse” and participate in a race. Don’t forget to visit the gift shop and try on the beautiful derby hats!

My favorite part of the museum, though, was upstairs and I wish I would have had more time to spend up there. Once you arrive at the top of the stairs and head right, the journey to race day begins with the birth of the foal. Following the birth, travel along and see how the foal is raised and trained to become a magnificent racehorse on into retirement. Love Love Love.

Before the tour begins, we entered the 360° movie theater and get a taste of Derby Day. The horses exercising at dawn, the jockeys getting ready, the patrons arriving in their beautiful dresses and hats, men suited up with their hats; all socializing, enjoying their cocktails and cheering on their favorite horse.  They do a great job making you feel like you are right there. After the movie, you are ushered out to the grounds of Churchill Downs.

If you have ever watched the Derby on TV, you know how grand it is. The feeling you get when you are inside the racetrack, walking under the names of all the past winners, over to the paddocks, thru the same tunnel the horses and jockeys use to walk out to the track, out to the track itself, standing in the winner’s circle and looking up to the grandstands is astounding! (and worth the price of admission 😉)

Derby is 5/7/2022. Are you hosting a derby party? Have you made your bets? Do you have a favorite horse? I have chosen mine and will watch tomorrow to see if he wins. A couple of tips we learned from our tour earlier in the week:

• The horse in post 17 has never won a derby. NEVER! In 147 years, never won.
• The horse who won the Bluegrass Stakes has never won a derby.
• Never bet on a gray horse, “they” say.
• Post 5 has had the most wins, followed by post 10.

Whatever method you use to choose your winner, I raise up my Mint Julip and wish you luck!