Indiana Caverns

To celebrate the last "official" three-day weekend of the summer, I gathered the family into the Corolla and we headed west to explore Indiana Caverns. Only open to the public since June, this attraction has been generating some buzz due primarily to their somewhat unique offering of an underground boat ride - the deciding factor for me when choosing our destination. We'd been looking forward to this trip for a couple of weeks because, other than briefly exploring an unmapped cave on our neighbor's farm, we hadn't been underground since last visiting Mammoth Cave back in 2009. Ultimately, the experience lived up to expectations!

Indiana Caverns was established as a commercial venture by Gary Roberson and the Indiana Speleological Survey in order to provide a public entrance to the Binkley Cave system, the largest cave system in Indiana. Prior to this venture all of the known access points were located on private property, keeping the wonders of the caverns restricted only to those properly trained and equipped to experience them.

Located just a short drive south of Corydon, Indiana Caverns' newly constructed above-ground facilities can be a bit easy to miss unless you're sure to grab directions before embarking on your trip. Hopefully more prominent signage is in the plans for future visitors. The unassuming structure that houses the gift shop and serves as the origination point of the cave tours also contains a vending machine (great for post-tour refreshments) and well-cared for restrooms.

Tours, which depart approximately every 30 minutes, begin with a short film production that explains the history of Indiana Caverns as well as providing a brief summary of caves in general. Be prepared to encounter a subtle creationist bias to the science that's presented, if that sort of thing bothers you. Although the production doesn't come close to being a Michael Bay extravaganza, it serves as a decent introduction to the cave system and well worth sitting through its short running time.

Entrance to the cave is achieved through an airlock of sorts - one of the many measures implemented by Indiana Caverns to preserve and protect the cave system. In my mind it goes without saying, but after reading some of the reviews on TripAdvisor I learned that many cave visitors didn't expect to have to navigate steps of any sort while touring the caverns. Well, Indiana Caverns has 'em, and many of them involve spiral staircases with see-through metal grates. Be prepared to descend (and ascend) a fair number of steps.

The walking portion of the tour is conducted not on the natural cave floor surface, but on elevated "cat walks". Not only does this help preserve the cave, but it also provides a walking surface that is - fairly - consistently level. The walkway also has handrails to either side, allowing for maximum stability and "user-friendliness". You lose a little of the natural beauty aspect, with these man-made surfaces constantly in view, but it's far less of a distraction than you'd think. Instead, expect your attention to be held by the many calcium formations (stalagmites, stalactites, etc.), the evidence of prehistoric animal habitation (including the nearly complete remains of an Ice Age peccary), and the highlight of the tour - a boat ride on an underground stream.

Visitors are loaded, two-by-two, into a specially designed flat-bottomed boat to be taken to the furthest reaches of the "developed" portion of the cave. While the ride is relatively short, it's an uncommon feature found in only a handful of commercial caverns around the country. This was a first for both Wonderful Wife and The Youngest, and I can assure you that they (and I) thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Compared to other cave destinations, Indian Caverns ranks somewhere in the middle. The formations are interesting but not awe-inspiring and the tour length is relatively short, but this attraction deserves a place on your itinerary.

Loveland Castle, Loveland, Ohio

Chateau LaRoche, Loveland, Ohio

Taking advantage of an absolutely beautiful Sunday, Wonderful Wife and I spent the day exploring a new (to us) Cincinnati attraction - the Loveland Castle. Located on the western bank of the Little Miami River, just to the north of the suburb of Loveland, and known officially as Château LaRoche, the castle was built by Harry Andrews over the course of 50+ years. Using stones collected from the Little Miami as well as hand-made cement bricks, Harry toiled relentlessly until his death in 1981. Harry's order of knights, known as the Knights of the Golden Trail, maintain and continue to expand the castle to this day.

View of Loveland Castle from the gardens

The castle is relatively easy to find, with visible and well-placed signage not far from the nearest main thoroughfare (US-22, aka Montgomery Rd). When we arrived, there were only two other cars in the parking lot but several other visitors materialized (including a group by canoe) as we explored the castle and grounds. The Knights, as Harry's Boy Scout troop refer to themselves, not only maintain the property but serve as interpretive guides. Officially the castle is a "self-guided" attraction, but don't be surprised if one of the Knights attaches himself to your group as you meander through the structure.

While the Knights provide a wealth of information regarding the history of the castle, its builder, and their Order, be prepared for an occasional nugget of fancy to be tossed your way.  For example, we were told that Harry, a World War I nurse, was knighted by the Queen of France for his wartime humanitarian service - which bestowed upon Harry his power to knight others. As wonderful a story as that may be, the French monarchy was dissolved by the Third Republic in 1870 - nearly 50 years before Harry arrived in Europe. One could argue that the last "queen" of France, the Empress Eugénie de Montijo, was alive until 1920 and so could have encountered Harry, but she lived as an exile in England and Spain. The story of Harry's knighthood doesn't mention any trips outside of France before he returned to The States.

The gardens

What is certain is that Harry was a man possessed of great ingenuity and perseverance. Having visited several castles in Ireland, I found his attention to detail quite remarkable. Although his man-made materials (the cement bricks formed using discarded milk cartons, specifically) reflect 20th-century innovation, it's quite easy to imagine Château LaRoche nestled alongside the Loire instead of the Little Miami.

The castle was not only Harry's obsession, it was also his home. As such, a few "modern" amenities can be seen throughout such as electric lights and running water. In what is often considered a trend in today's society, Harry grew his own food within the castle gardens, canning and preserving what he couldn't immediately consume. The Knights say that the last of Harry's canned goods remain in the castle, undisturbed to this day (and probably should remain that way!).

Coral from Hawaii

Over the years, many visitors have brought their own contributions to help Harry realize his dream. Embedded within the walls are rocks (and other materials) from all 50 states and several countries. Wonderful Wife pointed out the coral from Hawaii and the fossilized wood from Arizona.

Although the motivations behind the creation of the Loveland Castle may be confounding, it's a truly unique experience worth the short trip from the Bluegrass (and the $3 admission fee).

Staircase leading to The Dungeon

The dining hall (with our Knight guide)

Passage to the gardens

Fun!

River View Park in Frankfort, Kentucky

Wonderful Wife and I chose the hottest, most humid day we've seen in weeks to take a stroll along the Kentucky River in Frankfort's River View Park. At least it wasn't raining, which is remarkable given the incredibly wet summer our area has been experiencing. Extending along the bank of the river from the Ward Oates Amphitheatre to the Buffalo Trace Distillery, the River View trail is a mile-long paved walking path lined with picnic tables and a handful of historical markers. Parking at the Farmer's Market Pavilion, we didn't quite make it all the way to the distillery but still got in over a mile of walking.

Kentucky River Bridges, Frankfort

The highlights of the trail are the views of the Kentucky River, since at the level of the park most of Frankfort is obscured by the levee that was built in the 1960's in response to decades of often devastating river floods. In fact, much of the park was under water as recently as 2010! Some of the most enjoyable vistas are of the several old bridges, both auto and railroad, spanning the river where it's joined by Benson Creek.

This junction of waterways also lends Frankfort its name. In frontier times, when the land that was to become Kentucky was still a vast and untamed wilderness, a group of settlers established a camp on the point of land where the creek meets the river. At this spot there was once an island where local Native Americans set their fishing nets, and the encroachment

Benson Creek emptying into the Kentucky River

by the white settlers was not taken kindly. The settlers' camp was attacked, resulting in the death of a man named Frank Ford. Since then, the crossing point of the river was known as Frank's Ford - over time morphing into Frankfort. The island disappeared under the river after the construction of the dam just downstream from the park, but the mouth of Benson Creek can clearly be seen from the trail.

Other interesting sites along the trail include several examples of dry mortar stonework, an art that originated in Old World countries such as Ireland and kept alive today by specialized craftsmen.

Stone bridge built by the Dry Stone Conservancy

Stonemasons from the Dry Stone Conservancy have constructed small sections of wall representing some of the common styles found in the Bluegrass region such as the double-faced fence, plantation fence, and edge fence. The stonemasons also crafted a beautiful walking bridge that would serve as an ideal location for Senior Pictures - something we'll keep in mind since The Youngest is a senior this year!

At a point near the northern parking lot (accessed from Wilkinson Blvd across from the Capital Plaza Office Tower) is a boat launch where you can get an up-close-and-personal look at the Kentucky River. Looking upstream affords a nice view of the newish (1980's) Robert C. Yount* Memorial Bridges, with the much older spans in the background.

Looking Upstream

Downstream, just out of sight, is Lock and Dam Number 4 which recently underwent a rehabilitation project with the goal of reopening this stretch of the river to boating traffic. Other than a nifty fishing spot, the boat launch is used for free river tours conducted by the Capital City Museum. Reservations are required for the 1.5 hour trip on the pontoon boat Nancy Wilkinson, but you can't beat the price!

A very scenic choice for a short walk, Frankfort's River View Park is a bit of a hidden gem worth a stop.

* Franklin County native and World War II Navy veteran Robert C. Yount (1909-1989) was mayor of Frankfort from 1953-57

 

Looking Downstream

RJ Corman Railroad bridge, built 1929

The "Blue Bridge", built in 1910 and now closed to vehicles

Kentucky Towns: Pleasureville

Original site of Pleasureville, at the intersection of US-421 and KY-22

Located in southern Henry County on its border with Shelby County, the town of Pleasureville (38.346099, -85.115404) occupies land originally settled in 1784 as part of a Dutch Huguenot colony. About a mile and a half northwest of what is now the intersection of Castle Highway (US Route 421) and Kentucky Highway 22, the Dutch erected their fort and named the subsequent settlement Bantatown after the colony's land manager Abraham Banta.

In 1828, a post office was established and the town's name officially changed to Pleasureville. Sources are unclear as to the actual origin of the new name, with most published accounts suggesting that a visitor to the area proclaimed his stay to be so pleasurable that the town's name should be changed to reflect the citizens' hospitality. The other story centers around the old Pleasureville Hotel. A brothel was supposedly operating in the building which caused the town to be referred to as Pleasureville among the hotel's patrons. As much as I would like to believe this particular story to be the truth of the matter, the chronology simply doesn't add up.

The old Pleasureville Hotel

The original settlement that became Pleasureville in 1828 is located about a mile north of where the Pleasureville Hotel sits. In 1858, a full three decades after the town was renamed, what would ultimately become the Louisville & Nashville railroad passed south of Pleasureville. Not much later, a new town - which included the hotel - sprung up around the depot. By 1878, the post office (as well as the name) of Pleasureville had relocated south to the now bustling community at the depot. The original settlement became known as North Pleasureville and actually retained its own post office until 1962.

In its heyday, Pleasureville boasted not only a hotel and railroad depot, but also a cigar factory, multiple banks, and an ice cream parlor (among many other businesses). It also has the distinction of being home to Henry County's first school when the Lindley Academy was founded in the North Pleasureville vicinity in 1806.

The Pleasureville depot, site of at least 5 Civil War executions

Pleasureville also played a role in the Civil War when a band of Morgan's raiders attacked the town on June 9th, 1864. Captain Richard J. Sparks, who was the Provost Marshall of the town and had earned a reputation as an overbearing and punitive sort of commander, was killed in the engagement. In retaliation for Captain Sparks' death, Major General Stephen Burbridge (known as the Butcher of Kentucky) sent two Confederate prisoners via rail from Lexington to Pleasureville to be executed. Blood would flow at the Pleasureville depot once again in November, as three suspected Confederate guerrillas were shipped to Pleasureville and executed as retribution for the killing of two local African-Americans.

What remains of downtown Pleasureville

Today, virtually all of the earliest structures have disappeared, as have the L & N tracks. The depot remains, and so too does the hotel (as an apartment complex), but the once thriving downtown is now mostly vacant. There is a hardware store, a pool hall, and until recently a diner occupied the old depot, but Pleasureville appears to be headed for ghost town status.

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Ghost Towns: Defoe, Kentucky

Nestled in a bend of the Castle Highway (US-421) on the southern edge of Henry County, Kentucky, is what remains of the town of Defoe (38.341118, -85.054278). Established in the early 19th-century on land that had originally been a part of the tract of land purchased in 1786 from Squire Boone by the Low Dutch Colony, the town was first called Sweet Home. The name stuck until 1886 when the citizens' petition for a post office was approved and, since another Sweet Home already existed in Kentucky, the town was renamed in honor of author Daniel Defoe.

Defoe, Kentucky

During the late 19th-century, Defoe boasted not only several residences but two smithys, a church, two stores, and a school. First built in 1845, the school remained - in various buildings - until 1948 when a fire destroyed the last structure. Although the blacksmith shops have disappeared, both store buildings remain and until the closing of the 20th-century were occupied by Payton's Flea Market and L & L Grocery.

Although the stores are now shuttered, the church remains active and several well-kept homes still line Castle Highway.

Antiquing in La Grange, Kentucky

Downtown Shopping District, La Grange, KY

Despite the threat of rain on the air, Wonderful Wife and I journeyed up the twisting, turning US-421 to explore what the burg of La Grange, in Oldham County, had to offer in the way of antique shopping. Founded in 1827 and named after the home of the Marquis de Lafayette (he was quite the rock star in these parts), La Grange is the seat of Oldham County and boasts a rather unusual downtown shopping district. The beautifully restored and well-maintained buildings that line Main Street house a variety of specialty boutiques, art galleries, and eateries, but what sets La Grange apart from similar towns is the active railway line that runs through the center of it all. The tracks still see quite a bit of rail traffic, but we weren't fortunate enough to experience a train passage during our visit. We did, however, enjoy a nice stroll as we ventured from shop to shop in search of an exciting find.

Heirloom Antiques, La Grange

My pre-travel internet sleuthing turned up two antique shops in town, both located on Main Street in the heart of the shopping district. The first on our list, Heirlooms Antiques, is a nice-sized establishment of mid-ranged pieces. Wonderful Wife spied a set of reasonably priced owl earrings in a cabinet but - and we should know better by now - chose to see what else La Grange had to offer before making  her decision. You know you this story ends, of course. Those earrings are, as far as we know, still sitting snugly in that cabinet.

Absolutely Fabulous!, La Grange

And so we moved on to the next shop on my antique radar - Absolutely Fabulous! (the exclamation point is actually a part of the name, and is not a result of my extreme excitement). Occupying the corner of Main Street and Walnut Ave, Absolutely Fabulous! boasts 4,000 square feet of adventure. I was a bit let down, however, to discover that back in March the proprietors had chosen to make the switch from antiques to gifts and accessories. Wonderful Wife did manage to find herself a purse, but as far as antiques go the shop was a bust.

The Treasured Child, La Grange

The remainder of the shops along Main Street were primarily of the "unique boutique" variety, though many did have a few vintage items in their inventories to compliment - or accessorize - the more trendy stock. One of these shops, a toy store called The Treasured Child, managed to catch Wonderful Wife's attention (and some of the contents of my wallet) and contribute to her successful shopping adventure.

For those of you who enjoy unique downtown shopping experiences, La Grange is quite the hidden gem just begging to be explored. Hopefully the town's one remaining antique store will stick around as I'm sure that we'll be back to check out some of the potentially interesting festivals scheduled for later in the year.

Oldham County History Center

Encompassing a city block in La Grange, Kentucky, immediately to the west of the Oldham County courthouse, the Oldham County History Center is an impressive collection of buildings and artifacts representing the rich heritage of the local area. Wonderful Wife and I stopped here after spending a nice, if cloudy, afternoon visiting the unique shops of the La Grange downtown business district.

The centerpiece of the complex is the Peyton Samuel Head Family Museum housed in the restored Victorian home once owned by the museum's namesake, a local banker in the early-20th century. His daughter Louise Head Duncan donated the house and adjacent property to the Oldham County Historical Society, who've since done a remarkable job restoring the structure and converting it into first-rate history museum.

Peyton Samuel Head Family Museum

The first floor contains an abundance of artifacts from the area's earliest inhabitants right on up through modern times. Special attention is given to the life and career of D.W. Griffith, who was born and raised in Crestwood (just about 10 miles west of La Grange down I-71). Annie Fellows Johnston, author of the Little Colonel series of books and a turn-of-the-20th-century resident of the Pewee Valley area, is also given special attention by the museum. All of the interpretive displays are of impressive design and each is presented in such a way as to maximize the limited space of the Victorian home. I was struck by the unexpected wealth of information and artifacts on display. Plan to spend upwards of an hour examining all of the interesting exhibits.

Printed word special exhibit

On our visit, the second floor of the museum was devoted to a special exhibit honoring the printed word. Extra space was devoted to the stories of Annie Johnston, with additional exhibits featuring various local history artifacts such as war-time letters and ephemera related to Louisville's Southern Exposition. Although the material was presented in a way that was quite "busy" (the museum staff once again packed a considerable amount of information into tight quarters), seeing it all was a treat.

Next to the museum is a restored 1840's house that is home to the society's administrative offices as well as what is, I am told, a rather extensive research library. I had no cause to look in on the library, but perhaps one of my research projects will one day lead me to examine what they have to offer.

Honestly speaking, I was not expecting much given what are often the limited resources available to local history museums. Needless to say, I was significantly impressed by the Oldham County History Center and certainly recommend a visit to any history-loving visitors to La Grange. There is no admission fee, though donations are accepted - and I would encourage you to help keep this little gem in operation.

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