Showing posts with label Kentucky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kentucky. Show all posts
Day 8: Dale, Ind., to Paducah, Ky. Read Post

Day 8: Dale, Ind., to Paducah, Ky.

Today we drove about three hours from Dale, Ind., to Paducah, Ky. We loved passing through this pastoral part of the country with rolling bluegrass hills and fields of corn. And we were thankful to spend more time in the car because the temperatures increased to a sweltering 90 degrees. It was actually amusing because our first stop was in a kitschy Christmas-themed town called Indiana and my son said, "Mommy, I thought Santa lived in a cold place!"

Budget
Breakfast: free at hotel
Snacks: $9.10
Lunch: $37.33 (Moonlite Bar-B-Q)
Gas: $33.08
Dinner: $42
Hotel: $91.86
Total: $213.37

Highlights

1) Santa Claus, Indiana
In the middle of Indiana farm country, we found Santa Claus. The jolly man in a red suit was standing in front of a herd of grazing cows and a beautiful old red barn. Huh? We had stumbled upon America's Christmas Hometown.
"Mommy, I thought Santa had reindeer, not cows!" my son said.
In the winter, this town puts on a spectacular Christmas festival, or so we've heard, but in the middle of summer the only sights to see are the Christmas-themed businesses. 
Every business, whether it's a golf course or a campground, has a Christmas theme.
 We later saw a police man getting into this car. No his uniform wasn't red and green.
A Santa statue stands outside City Hall holding a big bag of presents. My daughter asked, "Do kids here get presents every day?"
 Who knew? Santa shops at Dollar General. No wonder he can afford to give so many presents.
This town is home to the world's only post office with the Santa Claus name. The post office receives thousands of letters addressed to Santa Claus every December and volunteer elves respond to answer each one, a tradition that has been going on since 1914.
 
Ornaments in the middle of June? Yes, they're sold year-round in Santa Claus, Indiana.
 Have a Coke and a Santa.
By the time my kids and I bumped into this Santa outside the grocery store, I was singing carols—and they were shouting at me "Stop! You're embarrassing us!"


2) Moonlite Bar-B-Q, Owensboro, Ky.
Jennifer Reese who writes the Tipsy Baker blog recommended this spot for barbecue. She sent a few suggestions for restaurants along the Ohio River but this is the one place where she said we MUST stop—and so we did and we were not disappointed. 
Owensboro, Ky., calls itself barbecue capital of the world and the Moonlite is its most famous establishment. In fact, this town probably gets its title from this restaurant.
We arrived at lunch when this big and busy restaurant rolls out a spectacular buffet: macaroni and cheese, green beans and bacon, buttery mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and lots and lots of barbecue...
Barbecued ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and beef brisket—all of it cooked perfectly over hickory coals until succulent and tender. And there's also the restaurant specialty: chopped mutton, which is mature sheep and has a richer, meatier taste than lamb. Mutton has been popular in the area ever since Welsh settled this area and raised herds of sheep.
So much to choose from...
The macaroni drowning in cheddar cheese and butter and sprinkled with paprika was my son's favorite.
We piled our plates with food...

and somehow found room for dessert. How could we resist?



3) Route 60, Indiana
From Owensboro we crossed the river over to Indiana and stumbled upon this plaque indicating that Abraham Lincoln had made a speech here.

We stopped at the Marion Cafe in Marion, Indiana, because my husband needed a cup of coffee. Cute place but completely deserted.
Someone had fun decorating their garage with old signs.

4) Paducah, Ky.
Paducah is a pretty town that sits on the banks of the Ohio. It's known for its art galleries, performing arts scene and the National Quilt Museum. One local told us that if it weren't for the 1937 flood that swept this town into the river, Paducah would be the size of Nashville today.
In Paducah we reconnected with the Ohio River. That meant more rock skipping.
Paducah has a vibrant art scenes and several theaters, and we found this entertainer, pretending to be Marilyn Monroe, on the street.
This is a photograph of Cynthia's, a restaurant that we couldn't afford—but we decided to photograph it anyway because the outdoor patio looked lovely. On a warm, Friday evening the Paducah restaurants were overflowing with people. We ended up at Max's Brick Oven Cafe and were lucky to get in without a reservation.
We spent the sweltering night cooling off in the town's public swimming pool and watching the movie Hook on a giant inflatable screen. 


What's up next? We're driving to Cairo, Ill., where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi.
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Day 7: Louisville to Dale, Ind. Read Post

Day 7: Louisville to Dale, Ind.

Standing in front of a Churchill Downs mural depicting the trainers who've saddled past Kentucky Derby winners.
Today we cheered on race horses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, hiked around the woods where U.S. President Abraham Lincoln grew up and chased fireflies in a small Indiana farm town.

Budget

Winning at the horses races helped us come in below budget.
  • Breakfast: Free at hotel
  • Horse races: $20 (We bet on horse No. 3)
  • Earnings: plus $46 (Horse No. 3 won!)
  • Drinks: $12.50 (mint julep and beer at Churchill Downs)
  • Ice cream: $5 (Churchill Downs)
  • Lunch: $34.18 (Ramsi’s)
  • Admission: free (We visited Lincoln National Memorial site after 5 p.m.)
  • Dinner: $19.90 (Jenk’s Pizza)
  • Hotel: $89.99 (Best Western Plus Lincoln Land Inn)
Total: $135

Highlights

1) Churchill Downs
Our plan was to take a photo standing outside Churchill Downs and then visit the neighboring Kentucky Derby Museum—and then one thing led to another and we found ourselves watching a horse race—and my daughter kept saying, "I can't believe we're really watching a horse race!" And I couldn't believe it either. This certainly wasn't on the itinerary.

 While looking for parking at the museum, an attendant told us races were starting at the neighboring Churchill Downs in an hour. General admission was only $3—we could afford that! Watching horses speed around a track sounded more exciting than learning about the history of horse racing in a museum, so we decided to go. We parked the car, but not in the $10 lot. We found free street parking.
The people walking into Churhill Downs were dressed up. Women wore fancy hats and pretty dresses. Men donned khaki pants and sports coats, even seersucker suits. We were sporting sloppy shorts and stained T-shirts so we quickly changed into our nicest clothing.
First we snapped a photo in front of Barbaro, an American thoroughbred who won the Kentucky Derby in 2006 and then tragically shattered his legs in a race two weeks later. His battle with laminitis captured the hearts of many.

Then we walked over to the Churchill Downs entrance where a man named Mick stopped us. “Want some free tickets?" he asked. "Box seats and they’re really nice.” My son immediately blurted out, "Thank you!" Our lucky day!

Turned out the box tickets were worth $26. We were feeling lucky so we put $20 down on a horse.
We bet on Number 3. Why? It's my lucky number. We didn’t have time to study up on the horses and jockeys—though everyone around us was closely reading the programs and talking about horses with names such as My Irish Girl, American Kitty and Song Ahead.
The races were thrilling. The horses, with colorfully dressed jockeys on their backs, sped around the track. We yelled and screamed and jumped out of our seats. We yelled even louder when our horse, Cousteau, came in third. We got our $20 back and won $26. Beginner's luck!
We celebrated with vanilla soft serve in waffle cones.
We were tempted to bet again but decided to stop while we were ahead. My husband and I explained to our kids how gambling can become an addictive activity that leads some people to lose a lot of money. We did a little math and showed them that the odds of winning are low. If we were to play again, we'd probably say goodbye to our winnings.


2) Ramsi's Cafe
My friend Myrdin who lives in Louisville recommended this restaurant on Bardstown, a road that's lined with restaurants and bars that spill out onto the sidewalks with cafe tables and chairs.
Ramsi's is owned by a man named Ramsi who's from Jerusalem and he created a menu that draws from cuisines all over the world. I ordered a refreshing Fattoush salad tossed with feta, mint and a lemony vinaigrette and served with crunchy pita chips.

My son devoured a bowl of pasta.


3) Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
We found two main attractions outside Dale, Indiana: Holiday World amusement park and the boyhood home of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Which one to visit? Admission to Holiday World costs $45 for adults and $35 for kids, while admission to the National Memorial is only $5 per family. No-brainer! We opted for a history lesson and hiking over roller-coaster fun.

Abraham Lincoln spent fourteen years of his life and grew from youth into manhood (1816-1830) in the southern Indiana woods, just outside Dale.
The visitor center was closed because we arrived after 5 p.m. This meant admission was free!
My kids explored a replica of the log cabin where U.S. President Abraham Lincoln lived with his parents. They were surprised by his small and humble home. "Where did he go to the bathroom?" my son asked.
We hiked around the woods. I wish we could share a photo of the bright red cardinal we spotted but when we pulled out the camera it took off through the trees.
The kids giggled themselves silly rolling down this hill again and again, but later we found that they were covered in ticks! We examined their bodies closely, but we didn't find any bugs burrowed into their skin. Phew!


4) Dale, Indiana

We stayed the night in the tiny farm town of Dale, Indiana. Population 1,500. Most notable residents: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and Brady Bunch actress Florence Hendersen.
We found only two restaurants in Dale. A Subway, where we couldn’t eat because we vowed to skip all national chains on this trip, and Jenk’s Pizza. We picked up a large pizza and brought it to the town park.
At the park locals were preparing for a town wide garage sale that weekend.
The kids and I had fun looking at vintage jewelry. A friendly antiques dealer named Carl encouraged my kids to touch the sparkly brooches, necklaces and earrings dating back to the 50s, 40s and 30s. "If you don't let them touch then they're never going to learn how to handle nice things," he said. My kids took Carl up on his offer and closely examined each and every piece of jewelry.
Turned out that Carl was an interesting guy who liked talking politics, public education and travel. We chatted with him and his friend late into the night. Even though we voted differently we agreed on a lot and shared similar values.

What were the kids doing? Chasing fireflies. Yes, fireflies! Truly exciting for California kids who'd never seen a bug turn on like a flashlight.

What's up next? Paducah, Kentucky.
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Day 6: Cincinnati, Ohio, to Louisville, Ky. Read Post

Day 6: Cincinnati, Ohio, to Louisville, Ky.

After two full days in Cincinnati we were ready to hit the road. Next destination: Louisville, Kentucky. Driving the main highway, you can get there in two hours. But we traveled the scenic route along the Ohio River and crossed over to Indiana—and didn't roll in Louisville until the late afternoon.

The first thing I learned in Louisville. I've been pronouncing it wrong. The "s" is silent and locals slur all the letters in the middle so it sounds more like lou-ville.

Budget
We stayed on budget and I feel like we did so much, hiking in a state park, getting ice cream, and filling up with gas. We've learned that the trick is to not spend too much on lunch. You need to eat at a place with counter, not sit-down, service.


Breakfast: $9.50 (Bonbonnerie Bakery)
Lunch: $7.77 (Hinkle's Hamburgers)
Ice cream: $6.89 (Blue Bell)
Admission: $5 (Clifty Falls State Park)
Gas: $39.93
Dinner: $60.37 (Lynn's Paradise Cafe)
Hotel: $71.31 (Best Western Plus Airport East/Expo Center, Louisville: Newly decorated rooms, outdoor swimming pool, free breakfast with fresh waffles)
Total: $200.77

Highlights

1) Bonomini Bakery
We started our day at this family-owned bakery in Cincinnati's Northside. The cases were filled with a dizzying array of baked goods: caramel turtle fudge brownies, miniature key lime pies, cinnamon coffee cake, three-tier cakes—all made from scratch. I later read online that some people say this 84-year-old bakery was the first to offer fanciful tiered wedding cakes. Before Bonomini simple pound cake was the tradition.
Cakes for breakfast? We were tempted but finally decided on blueberry scones with lemon icing.

2) Madison, Indiana
Our family of four ate lunch at Hinkle's Hamburgers for $7.77. In San Francisco, where you we live, it's hard to find a hamburger for less than $5, gosh, even $10. Hinkle's was a remarkable bargain, and the food was good. The hamburgers came with tasty finely chopped onions and melted cheddar cheese.
We stopped for a hike at Clifty Falls, just outside Madison.  Here a gorge that was carved by glaciers thousands of years ago cuts through the earth.
Elevated wooden paths wind through a lush forest and over streams...
and under large overhanging rocks.
The actual falls were a trickle but still beautiful.

3) The Thompson family
What's the best part of every road trip? Visiting with friends who live along the route.
One of the top highlights of our trip will be our visit with the Thompson family in Louisville, Ky. Myrdin Thompson and I met while working in Washington, D.C., on a campaign for the UN Foundation called Shot@Life, a movement about investing in life-saving vaccines for children in developing countries. Myrdin is an amazing and passionate advocate for children—and she has lovely children of her own. They welcomed my kids and entertained them with Lego's and games of tag on the grassy front lawn.


4) Lynn's Paradise Cafe, Louisville, Ky.
You can't miss Lynn's Paradise Cafe. Out front a giant tea pot pours water into a tea cup overflowing with soap suds. A silver metallic moose is covered in zebra stripes, a horse wears wings and a set of Pixy Stix pipes are played with flip-flops. At this playful restaurant with wild and whimsical decor anything is possible.
Brightly-colored fake flowers fill the pots at Lynn's.
Diners are turned into forks and spoons at Lynn's Cafe.
A tree decorated with farm animal mobiles grows in the center of the restaurant.
 Legs pop out of the wall and light bulbs hang over the windows.
A pair of trousers made from tea bags hangs from the ceiling.
Beer is served in a boot at Lynn's.
A beer meets a mint julep. (Yes, we're on a budget but we couldn't resist ordering a mint julep in Louisville.)
Salads are big, fresh and come with homemade dressings such as pumpkin seed vinaigrette.
Kid's menu? Of course! And the food is healthy. PB&J with a cup of fruit and milk.


5) Downtown Louisville, Ky.
After dinner, we drove to downtown Louisville that sits right on the Ohio. I always knew sunsets at the beach were beautiful but they're equally spectacular on the river.
We drove by Fourth Street, where you can go clubbing and listen to live music. If we didn't have kids, we would have stopped. It was bedtime!
We also drove by the Muhammad Ali Center. Ali is just one of the many famous people who grew up in Louisville; Whitney Houston and Diane Sawyer are a few others.

What's up next? Dale, Indiana, where we plan to visit Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home.


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