Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Frankfort

Frankfort is far from the busiest city in Kentucky, though the manpower required to grease the bureaucratic wheels of state government and all of its ancillary support industries tends to supply this historic Kentucky River town with quite a bit of daily hustle and bustle. Yet there is a place just south of downtown, on a rise overlooking the State Capitol building, that seems to remain reverently quiet even on the busiest of days. Surrounded by new-growth woodlands and well-manicured lawns (the latter of which frequently attract the grazing attention of the local deer populace) rests one of the most solemn and distinctive memorials in the state - the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Honoring all 125,000 Kentuckians who served during the Vietnam War, the memorial consists of a giant, gleaming sundial (or more precisely, gnomon) set within a field of smoky-hued marble slabs. Upon the marble field are etched the names of the 1,103 Kentuckians who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during that conflict. The names are arranged in such a way that the shadow of the sundial falls upon each one precisely on the anniversary of their death. The mathematical calculations required to make this happen boggle the mind (my mind, anyway).

Designed by Lexington architect and Naval aviator Helm Roberts and dedicated on Veteran's Day, 1988, the privately-funded and maintained memorial has become one of the most popular "hidden" attractions in Kentucky. Most days, just a handful of visitors trickle past, quietly taking in the solemnity of the memorial's purpose while marveling at its unique and innovative design (which earned it the American Institute of Architects Merit Award in 1995). It has become a routine stop on the various bus tours of Frankfort, leading to brief moments of crowded admiration, but most often the memorial sits within a bubble of solitude befitting its purpose.

Special ceremonies break the typically silent surroundings on important days of remembrance, such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, POW/MIA Recognition Day, and especially during the annual Rolling Thunder pilgrimage. Often, though, it's the individual families and loved ones of the fallen who visit the memorial to spend a few moments reflecting upon the lives of those lost in the name of freedom, and to perhaps leave a token in their honor.

Whether or not the Vietnam War touched you personally, the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial should be a definite stop on your visit to Kentucky's capital. The memorial is open year-round from dawn to dusk and lies just off the East-West Connector (KY 676) at the intersection of Coffee Tree Road and Vernon Cooper Lane (38.177159, -84.864145).


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Antiquing in Glendale, Kentucky

Downtown Glendale, KY

Cheryl and I are antiquers (not a word, I know). Follow this blog for a while and it'll become obvious that, when visiting a city/town/region, seeking out the local antique shoppes tops our to-do list. Therefore, when putting together our anniversary/Mother's Day plans this year I made a point of including a visit to one of Kentucky's antique hot-spots - the village of Glendale.

Straddling the former Louisville and Nashville (now CSX) rail line, quaint Glendale lies in Hardin County just outside of Elizabethtown and is only a 50-mile drive south of Louisville. Even though the Glendale is within easy reach of metropolitan sprawl, insightful community leaders and officials have put ordinances and historic protection measures in place to keep the village's rural nature pure and intact. While you will not, thankfully, find fast food chain restaurants and "dollar store" retail establishments here (those can be found just two miles away at the Interstate, if absolutely necessary), this sleepy former depot town offers plenty of shopping and dining excitement.

The centerpiece of Glendale is the Whistle Stop restaurant. First opened in 1975 as a sandwich shop in the town hardware store, the eatery has evolved into a must-visit attraction for down home cooking connoisseurs. Don't take our word for it, though, since gluten free options are understandably absent from the menu. The Whistle Stop was voted as having the Best Desserts in Kentucky (we hear their pies are to die for) as well as the Favorite Non-Franchise Restaurant in Kentucky for the past 5 years running by readers of Kentucky Monthly magazine.

Surrounding the Whistle Stop are a variety of antique and boutique shops in which you'll find something for just about every taste from shabby chic to "crows and stars" primitives. Traditional antiques and vintage items are well represented, of course, with Bennie's Barn Antique Mall earning our vote as the best "old stuff" shop in town. Boasting three jam-packed floors, Bennie's is an antique hound's dream. Some of their inventory stretches into the pricey side of the spectrum, but believe me when I say that there are some incredible bargains to be found!

Our absolute favorite Glendale business is the Glendale Broom Company. Proprietors Tommy and Allie Shadowens offer, just as you expect, a variety of handmade brooms and walking sticks - including magical wands! Huge fans of the Harry Potter series of novels and former staples on the Renn Faire circuit, the Shadowens incorporate a considerable touch mysticism and folklore into their beautiful works of utilitarian art. After we concluded a lengthy conversation with Tommy that included everything from Glendale history to Appalachian folklore, Cheryl left carrying a beautiful walking stick that is sure to see plenty of use on our future hikes.

Though we obviously had our favorites, each of the shops in Glendale offer unique browsing/shopping opportunities. The hours flew by as we took in all that there was to see, and though we left with our dogs barking (does anyone even say that anymore?) we're looking forward to another opportunity to rummage through the town's treasures. We missed the annual Spring Fest by a week, but the Crossing Festival held in October is already lodged firmly in our calendar. Maybe we'll see you there and maybe, unlike me, you won't fail to snap a few photos as a train barrels through the center of town.

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Waveland, Lexington, Kentucky

Tucked away near Lexington's south-easternmost border, on 15 rare acres of undeveloped land, sits one of the region's premiere antebellum estates - Waveland. Constructed in 1848 by Joseph Bryan, one of Daniel Boone's grandnephews, the Greek Revival manor house presides over the picturesque estate without a care for the urban sprawl that lurks just beyond its boundaries. Now a State Historic Site, Waveland provides a tranquil escape within easy reach - just a mile south of the Fayette Mall and the dreaded Nicholasville Road corridor - for Lexingtonians and visitors alike.

Waveland has a reputation for being the spot for professional and amateur photographers to practice their craft. Visiting on a beautiful spring Sunday afternoon, it was immediately apparent to us that the reputation was well-deserved. Small groups of people, with at least one camera-toting member, buzzed about the grounds. Though it was much too early for the blooms of spring to be in full force, we witnessed young couples in poses of affection beneath garden trellises and seated on centuries-old stone walls. As lovely as they were this early in the year, I can only imagine how inspiring the formal gardens must look during the height of the growing season.

Making our way around the grounds, doing our best not to spoil any of the engagement/best-friend/going-steady photo moments being made, it was interesting to note how one of Kentucky's major plantations was being enjoyed by 21st-century folk. Along with the photographers and their subjects, several groups of picnicers were making good use of the site's picnic tables and playground while casual browsers (like us) viewed the exteriors of the manor house and outbuildings (which include brick slave quarters, ice house, and smokehouse).

During regular operating months (which are April through December, though the grounds are open year-round) visitors can step into a 1790's log cabin to purchase admission for a guided tour of the estate. During our visit, we were fortunate enough to have as our guide a descendant of the Bryan family who was extremely knowledgeable not only of the house and the genealogy of its owners, but of the abundant antiques and portraits contained within.

Beginning, as historic home tours often do, just inside the front door, we were quite surprised to learn that Waveland was one of only a very few manor houses of its era to boast wall-to-wall carpet throughout. It seems that the lady of the house, Mrs. Margaret Bryan, née Cartmell, had quite aristocratic tastes and insisted that her home be lavished with luxuries - including one of the earliest sewing machines, which is still on display in the master bedroom.

Touring the interior of Waveland on a bright day will give you the best chance for photography. Use of a flash is prohibited, and electric lighting is non-existent in order to present the home as it would have appeared during the height of its occupation. Keep that in mind when planning your visit, because you'll definitely want to capture snapshots of some of the rare artifacts such as General John Hunt Morgan's cavalry sword, Henry Clay's personal coin-silver tea set, or a chair handcrafted by Squire Boone himself (how all of these famous families are interrelated is fascinating and reminiscent of feudal European society).

While describing the upper-class way of life that the owners of and visitors to Waveland enjoyed, our guide often remarked upon the contributions that slavery had on the Bryan family's ability to enjoy their wealth and pursuit of leisure. The curators of the estate have done a remarkable job presenting an honest portrayal of what is an often ignored fact of pre-Civil War Southern culture. The brick structure that once housed the kitchen and the living quarters for the house slaves now also contains many artifacts, photographs, and illustrations meant to foster discussion of slavery at Waveland, in Lexington, and throughout the South in general.

After slightly more than an hour with our guide, the tour concluded and he left to collect the next group of visitors while we spent a few more minutes walking about the grounds. Waveland may not be one of the larger manor houses in the region, but its exceptional state of preservation (even the cedar thresholds are original, showing more than 160 years of wear) and unique period furnishings make it a must-see for lovers of history, architecture, and Southern antebellum culture.

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North Limestone Night Market, Lexington

Every city of a certain size has one or more depressed neighborhoods. Lexington is no exception, and for the downtown area of the city that particular neighborhood is North Limestone (fashionably referred to as NoLi). Since Lexington's earliest days, Limestone Street has been a major north-south artery. Through the mid-20th century, the area surrounding the thoroughfare saw consistent commercial and residential growth, but over the last half-century outward sprawl and a decentralized economy have taken a toll on what was once a close, vibrant neighborhood.

Today, amongst the shotgun houses, vacant lots, and light industrial architecture, a budding civic-minded cultural redevelopment movement has taken root. Home now to organizations such as the Lexington Art League as well as popular entertainment destinations and eateries, NoLi is in the midst of transforming into a chic and pedestrian-centric community once more.

To help raise awareness and foster involvement, the NoLi Community Development Corporation hosts a Night Market on the first Friday of each (warm) month. Occupying the 700-block of Bryan Avenue (the small spur between Limestone and West Loudon Ave), the Night Market features live music, local art, adult beverages, delicious eats, and more earth-friendly causes than you can shake a stick at.

The first Friday in May found Wonderful Wife and I strolling the pleasingly crowded block, eying all of the finely crafted goods and enjoying the thumping bass lines of some spectacularly vintage funk spinning on the event's turntable (as a warm up for the night's live entertainment provided by Soul Funkin Dangerous). The crowd was an eclectic mix of young and old, with skinny-jeaned hipsters mingling amicably with aging hippies and a smattering of Gen-X'ers (including yours truly).

Although the West Sixth Brewing tent was in close competition with Thai and Mighty for the gravitational center of the market, a piece of unique interactive art propped just west of the stage was our focal point. Envisioned by the students of the University of Kentucky College of Design, the sculpture was a gigantic abstract representation of a hackle - a tool that was very common to the hemp-making industry that once was prominent in this region of Kentucky. Young children and their parents (and some not-so-young children) enthusiastically applied their creative abilities to transform the apparatus into a "community" work of art.

The NoLi Night Market, which is free and operates between 7:00pm and 10:00pm, offers a chance to be part of a grassroots revitalization movement while enjoying great food, tasty beer, and enthusiastic attitudes.

Jack Jouett House, Versailles, Kentucky

The Jack Jouett House, Versailles, KY

Nestled in among the rolling hills and horse farms of Woodford County, just 6 miles southwest of Versailles, sits the estate of one of Kentucky's earliest and most prominent settlers and distillers - John "Jack" Jouett, Jr. The Jack Jouett House, a 1797 Federal-style brick home with attached circa-1780 stone cabin, has been meticulously restored and populated with antiques appropriate for the time period that the Jouett family occupied the property. Admission to the house, grounds, and visitor center (completed in 2009) is completely free and includes a guided tour by an extremely knowledgeable docent.

Although little remembered by those outside of Kentucky, Jack Jouett was a hero of the American Revolution who gained a reputation as the "Paul Revere of the South" for his daring 1781 ride to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature of a surprise raid being conducted by the infamous British colonel Banastre Tarleton.

In 1782, Jouett moved to Mercer County (in what is now Kentucky) and served first as a Virginia legislator and then as a member of the Kentucky legislature when the Bluegrass State formed in 1792. While in Mercer County, Jouett married Sarah "Sally" Robards and started a family, one of whom - Matthew - would rise to fame as a portraitist. Many of Matthew's portraits (reproductions, of course) are on display at the Jouett House.

Original c. 1780 stone cabin

Jouett moved his family to this small stone cabin in Woodford County in the mid-1790's, eventually constructing his new brick home with an eye toward flaunting his status as one of the young state's most influential citizens. The family wouldn't remain here long, however, as indebtedness forced Jouett to sell his estate an relocate to Bath County where he died in 1822.

Much of Jouett's 500-acre property has been parceled off over the years, with just the small portion comprising the historic site open to the public. Even so, the comprehensive display of Jouett family history in the visitor's center, the beautifully restored cabin and main house, and the frontier kitchen garden make this a worthy side trip destination. With a price tag of free, you can't beat the value.

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Jacob Spears House, Paris, Kentucky

One of the main attractions of the Blue Grass region is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a driving tour that visits seven of the more famous Bourbon distilleries in the area. Ironically, the Trail bypasses the place where it all began. Located in the countryside just north of Paris in Bourbon County - of course - on quiet Clay Kiser Road (38.267753, -84.307994), is the Jacob Spears house and distillery (also known as Stone Castle).  Jacob, who was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1754, first began distilling whiskey in Kentucky in 1790 and is widely considered the first to coin the term "bourbon whiskey".

Jacob Spears house, Bourbon County

Spears was a Revolutionary War veteran, serving in Captain Hoagland's company of Colonel William Crawford's regiment during the Sandusky expedition of 1782. He later joined Joseph Bowman's company as a sergeant and trekked with that outfit to present-day Harrodsburg, in Mercer County, where he purchased a tract of Bourbon County land from John Haggin.

The stone Federal style house (which features Gothic Revival additions) was built on Spears' property in c. 1790 by Thomas Metcalfe, a fellow Bourbon County resident who would become Kentucky's 10th governor. Together with his wife Elizabeth née Kellar, Spears raised six children (4 daughters and 2 sons) on his farm while continuing to produce bourbon for markets as far away as New Orleans.

After Jacob died in September of 1825, the distilling operation was continued by his son Soloman before being sold to Abram Fry. William H. Thomas purchased the farm and distillery in 1849 and continued its operation until 1882. In 1881, what was then known as the W.H. Thomas Distillery produced 900 barrels of Kentucky bourbon.

Just across Clay Kiser Road from the house sits the remaining stone bourbon warehouse that was built around the same time as the house. Up to 2500 barrels of whiskey could be stored in this remarkably preserved outbuilding.

Spears distillery warehouse

Today, the property is privately owned by a lawyer and his wife, who is currently serving in the Kentucky House of Representatives. There is no public access, other than to take photos from the road. At the corner of Clay Kiser Road and Cynthiana Road (US 27) sits Kentucky historical marker 2295. It's situated in a rather inconvenient location, so I didn't bother obstructing traffic to get a photo. The text, however, follows:

"Named after Bourbon Co. because of quantity and quality of whiskey produced within its borders. Made from a fermented mash of at least 51% corn, with less wheat, rye, or barley, yeast and limestone water. Distilled at no more than 160 proof and aged in charred oak barrels. In 1964, Congress recognized bourbon as a distinctly American product.

(Reverse) Stone Castle, 1 mile south, built 1790 by Thomas Metcalfe for Jacob Spears. A Pennsylvanian who settled in Paris, he was innovative farmer & one of first distillers of bourbon whiskey. Still standing on this farm are a springhouse and a storehouse for his bourbon whiskey. It is the most complete distiller’s complex still in existence today."

Suggested Reading:

Scott County AirFest 2013

It's been years since we've been to a bona fide air show. It's been so long, in fact, that I can't rightly recall the when and where of the last one we went to. Thinking back on it earlier this summer, I was surprised to discover that we might not have been to an air show since were still stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, in 1997. Time certainly flies, and it's a shame that we didn't take advantage of attending more shows over the years while the kids were still young.

The Opening Ceremony of AirFest 2013

Resolved to make amends, I began to scour the Internet for upcoming air shows in our vicinity. I learned that, besides the massive and incredibly difficult to attend Thunder Over Louisville extravaganza held each year, Kentucky is somewhat barren of air show opportunities. As luck would have it, though, one of the few Kentucky air shows is held every other year just down the road from The Homestead.

Officially called the Georgetown-Scott County Air Festival, the Scott County AirFest is a relatively new event that organizers hope to hold every other year in September.  Taking place at the Georgetown/Scott County Regional Airport, the show originated as a means of drawing attention to the airport as an alternative to the Blue Grass airport in Lexington for private and commercial light aviation usage.

Small crowd

The last air show featured a number of warbirds, including a B-17, as well as Kentucky Air National Guard aircraft. This year, thanks to The Sequester, no active military aircraft would be participating. Vintage aircraft would be limited as well, with a B-25 from the Yankee Air Force in Michigan (Go Blue!) serving as the centerpiece. For the air show starved public, like me, it seemed good enough.

Since The Youngest was down with a migraine, Wonderful Wife and I headed for the show on our own. The weather was absolutely beautiful - a cloudless, deep blue sky and temps in the low 70's. After a short hayride from the parking area to the flightline entrance (not something you expect at an air show), we handed over our $5-a-piece admission fee and stepped onto a tarmac that was packed with aircraft nearly empty. A few private aircraft were available for viewing near the entrance (think Cessnas and Beechcraft) and the B-25 could be seen at the far northern edge of the pavement, but in between - nothing. Well, almost nothing. A Stearman biplane was taxiing out to give a lucky enthusiast the open-cockpit ride of their life, but really that was the extent of the displays.

The Stearman taking a passenger for a ride

We watched the three parachutists descend with their American flags, then headed past the antique tractor display and community services booths to the B-25. Built in 1943, B-25D s/n 43-3634 was assigned to the 489th Bombardment Squadron where, as the "Ellen E. & Son", she flew seven combat missions over Corsica, Sicily, and the Brenner Pass. After the war, the aircraft was handed over to the Royal Canadian Air Force where it remained until purchased by a private party out of Detroit. Eventually making her way to the Yankee Air Force, she was renamed "Yankee Warrior" and restored to military configuration in 2001.

B-25D "Yankee Warrior"

The crowd was sparse, but the majority of those that were in attendance had gathered around what was obviously the main attraction. I managed to snap a few exterior photos, but the interior was pretty well buttoned up since she would be conducting flights for the very lucky few who could plop down $400 for a ride. I, alas, was not among the few.

While most of the adults were fawning over the B-25, many of the children in attendance were mesmerized by the remarkably "life-like" R2D2 replica. Even R2's squeaks and clicks weren't enough to make up for the disappointment of not seeing more aircraft on display.

Good ol' R2D2

After having spent just over an hour on the premises, Wonderful Wife and I left for our "Plan B" activities (more on that later). Although I'll keep an eye on the plans for the next edition of AirFest, it's unlikely that I'll take time out to attend. It was a dud of an air show, but if there is a bright side to the time we spent there it's that my air show appetite has not been sated.