By the time we left West Virginia, we have only 4 states in the middle of the country left to visit in the lower 48. We have been to Kentucky already a couple of times and spent almost 3 weeks here cumulatively but it is still very exciting to be back. Kentucky has really grown on us and especially since we have some great friends that live in this state which makes coming here all that much sweeter.
We had a dilemma to work out last night. We had initially planned on going to Crossville, Tennessee to visit a friend and skipping Nashville on this trip altogether. We had visited Nashville our last time here but it was just after the 2010 flood and a lot of places were in disrepair. We eventually decided that we needed to make another trip through Music City so we won’t regret it later.
We got a late start today but we can’t blame it on yesterday’s ghost hunting or the consumption of alcoholic beverages at the old tavern. It’s how we roll. We decided to leave My Old Kentucky Home campground today and head to Mammoth Cave National Park to see what the fuss is all about. We unfortunately did not even go see the Home itself. Something about a song plus we were running late and hungry equals next time. And since our good friend Carrie lives in Kentucky, we know for sure that there will be a next time.
Bardstown is one of the oldest European settlements in Kentucky dating back to the 1780s. Our campground, My Old Kentucky Home State Park, is the site of the old plantation owned by the cousin of Stephen Foster, also known as the Father of American Music. He is of course the writer of the song that serves as this state park’s namesake.
Today we checked out of the Kentucky Horse Park campground and headed southwest towards Bardstown. Even though we are traveling just a little west, it feels wrong somehow. We should be driving east until we hit the east coast, right? I know, we’re weird.
The Kentucky Horse Park has been good to us. It gave us just the right kind of stay we needed both times we have been here in the last two weeks. It is quiet, spacious, well-maintained and priced well below what you would expect for a place like this. We have stayed here 3 nights while using it as a staging location for our various explorations around here. Today we are finally going to visit what most people come here to do, visiting the Kentucky Horse Park.
This morning we woke up to overcast skies and light but persistent rain. Last night we came to Lexington and met up with Doug and his family of Troutstream who hosted us at their home a couple of weeks ago in Ohio. When we left, we had made tentative plans to meet up again in Kentucky to do some Kentucky trail hiking: The Bourbon Trail.
Today is our last day at Carrie’s house. We’ve been living large for the past 10 days and it is time to hit the road again. The girls are sad that they have to leave their buddy. “We just got here!”, they screamed. We told them that Carrie will join us for a few more days on the road but they know that this part of our trip is coming to an end.
Now that Halloween is over, the girls are going through a little bit of post trick-0r-treat depression. It might have something to do with the massive amounts of sugar they consumed last night or the fact that we will be leaving Louisville tomorrow.
Today is Halloween and we have a full schedule so we started the day off right with breakfast… at breakfast time. I know! It was a miracle that we were up and eating out before lunchtime. Probably because we left Dan at home, still snoring away after a late night of working. Carrie took us to a Louisville staple, Wagner’s Pharmacy.
Last week was Ava’s official “fall break” so we didn’t have to do any homeschooling. You would think that it make this little kindergartener happy. Far from it. She insisted on doing school work during her fall break like a good little nerd. I think she is doing great so far with her learning. We are even completing some first grade level workbooks. Man, this kid loves to answer story problems. Her biggest issues so far are writing some numbers and letter backwards and confusing the little ‘b’ with the little ‘d’.
Tomorrow we would have been in Louisville for a week and also that many nights away from the Mish. Since Yoda had to stay back in there, I have been going there every 2 or 3 days to check on her. The nights here are getting pretty chilly and since I don’t have electrical hookups at the storage place, she is having to snuggle up in the bedding to keep warm at night. That is pretty much the only thing I worry about since we have been here as Carrie has been a gracious host. The only bigger problem I foresee is to talk the girls into leaving here and go back to sleeping on the road again.
