Good Bye, Bardstown...Hello, Shepherdsville!

Before we left Bardstown, we had an opportunity to visit the Bardstown Civil War Museum. This museum is ranked nationally in the top four among 500 Civil War museums. Like I said before, Bardstown runs the gamut from Indian Heritage to historic homes and military heritage. Outside the Civil War Museum is the Old Bardstown Village, a re-creation of a 1790's frontier village representative of the first westward movement of the nation. The cabins are 150 to 200 years old.

Bardstown, KY turned out to be an excellent base for us while we were getting to know central KY. It was very easy driving through rolling hills on excellent roads; however, it is best not to drive the coach until you have to. Taking the back roads can be a little challenging but you just take it easy and enjoy the scenery. Our trip to the next base for us would be about 25 miles northerly to Shepherdsville, KY, to a little campground known affectionately as Grandma's Campground. What a day - 45 minutes to our next home.

We immediately made contact with the local post office to have our mail forwarded and should receive our mail by Friday, if all goes well. We decided to ride around in the area since the country was so beautiful and came upon a beautiful little vineyard, Brooks Hill Vineyard, just in time to receive a tour of their beautiful vineyard. We really enjoyed meeting several ladies who had stopped in to enjoy the tour - and they were from Bardstown. It was like we had just run into our old neighbors. Tomorrow morning, we'll take our first trip into Louisville to have lunch on The Spirit of Jefferson, and cruise down the Ohio River.

Just a side note - it sounds like all we do is go, go, go. Seems like that is what is happening on this trip; however, we really enjoy the times we can sit and enjoy the countryside, breathe fresh air, and maybe do a little "people watching". Our daughters remind us we are not on vacation - this is our lifestyle. The next week or so we should slow the pace a little, but for now, enjoy Kentucky with us.

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME

My Old Kentucky Home, Federal Hill, is so covered by foliage and trees it was difficult to take a good picture of the house; hence I just didn't try to take but a few. You weren't allowed to take interior pictures during the tour, so it had to suffice that you enjoyed walking the grounds, gardens, carriage house, smokehouse, as well as the family cemetery.

When I used to travel full time, I learned to inspect local grocers in about every town we travelled to. You find such treats, and while we travel, I make it a point to stop at local markets, farmer's markets and bakeries to buy what might be in season, that we may not ever have been so fortunate to try. Sometimes I buy produce I've never seen in my life - like yesterday, a scalloped squash. Imagine a white squash that looks like a UFO. I prepared it as an appetizer - but it was just placed in an egg wash and floured and fried, like fried green tomatoes. I would have liked to prepare it another way, but that was suggested by a local farmer. Other items I purchased were the heirloom tomatoes, small potatoes, green beans and spaghetti squash. Another place I love to go, if possible, are local butcher shops. Bardstown's butcher shop is called Boone's, and I'm not sure, but I think this is the most popular store in town. We purchased several types of meats as well as their thick sliced peppered bacon for breakfast. I just couldn't resist the Homemade Bratwurst. We don't serve it every day, so every once in awhile I try to justify such a treat.

After visiting the State Park, we felt it would be enjoyable to go to the State play, Stephen Foster - The Musical. Apparently, this is the 51st year (since 1957)the play has been produced. The costumes, scenery and singing was quite a tribute to America's first great composer, Stephen Foster, who died at the age of 37.

BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY

Traveling to Bardstown, KY would be a long day - 299 miles (we're retired). But we made it to White Acres Campground, and wouldn't you know it, there is a traveling antique car meeting in town. These weren't stationary cars - they entertained themselves and others by traveling local country roads every day. About 50 cars - all under 1919 Models, were in tip-top shape and we really enjoyed talking to the owners. I'm ready to buy an antique car. We're going to be here a couple of days so we decided to take the Trolley Ride for a couple of hours, go to the historic Bardstown Museum, Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History, and the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, created in 1808. Along with the dioceses of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, Bardstown was chosen as one of the original dioceses because of the migration of Catholic settlers to the west, concentrated in central KY.

No, I had no idea of the historical significance of Bardstown, KY, the second oldest city in KY. No, I did not know this was the beginning of the Bourbon Trail, but it's kind of hard to ignore it once you arrive. There is even a famous whiskey museum connected to the Catholic diocese museum. The museum has a 50 year collection of rare artifacts.

I also was unaware of Stephen Foster's huge significance in Bardstown, and KY. We enjoyed touring "My Old Kentucky Home", a stately Georgian Colonial mansion, known as Federal Hill, c.1818. It was the home of Judge John Rowan whose Pittsburg cousin, Stephen Collins, Foster, visited in 1852 and was inspired to write the song. The house and grounds was sold to the State of KY in 1922 and became a state park, campground, golf course and gardens.