Day Twenty One- July 4, 2010 Tampa to Montreal Tour

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We have taken a lovely route home, US 31E, and passed through Elizabethtown to see Swope's Cars of Yesteryear Museum, but it is too early on a Sunday morning to get in. Off to Bardstown KY for our next stop. This is a historic town with a very cute downtown square. Brando and I have stayed at the Talbott Tavern and Inn on past trips through this area. This tavern has very good food, and five rooms upstairs all named after famous people who have stayed in their Inn. Its history dates back to the 1700's. Talbott Tavern is said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America as the westward expansion brought explorers from the east into Kentucky.

According to legend, figures straight from the history books sought lodging here during their travels; as a young boy Abraham Lincoln and his family stayed here, Gen. George Rogers Clark, Daniel Boone, and exiled French King Louis Philippe and his entourage stayed here, even painting murals on the upstairs walls. There are noticeable bullet holes in the now faded paintings and Jesse James is said to be responsible for them.

Built in 1779, people have for many years claimed to see ghosts here. One ghost in particular has been seen by many guests: the ghost of Mrs. Talbott, wife of the original owner. She is said to float about in a white dress with long, brown wavy hair. A recent guest wrote the Inn and stated that while staying there she had dreamed of a woman with that exact description coming to her bedside. This guest stated she had no idea who the woman was until she got home and looked up the history of the Inn on the internet. When she read the description of the woman, she claims a chill ran up her spine.

On another occasion three women were sharing a room at the inn. They were all awaken at the same time in the middle of the night and saw a thick mist hovering over their beds. These women could not move from their beds until the mist gathered together and went under the door of the room. The terrified women spent the rest of the night in the lobby.

We stayed in the "haunted" room named the "Heinrich Suite" after a royal visit from King Heinrich. We chose this room because Brando's middle name is Heinrich. At around 9:00pm our bed began to shake vigorously. It did not take long for me to realize that our particular ghost appeared at the very moment "Ladies Night" in the bar below started up with a country band. I may have told Brando that I will never be able to sleep under those conditions, but the bourbon miniatures we brought from the earlier tour of the Jim Beam Distillery changed my mind.

Our first breakdown on the journey home involves a distributor cap and the need for a soldering iron. Brando has left with one of the locals who volunteered to take him back to their shop, and I am waiting with the car, answering the questions of every fellow who comes up and wants to know what the heck that car is! Did I mention that I am on US31E in Hardeeville, KY? Just in case anyone needs to find us!

Back online, and Brando has returned, only to find that he has to leave again to buy some JB Weld. Apparently when just checking the distributor cap, a joint snapped. His escort, Ronny, was so kind as to take Brando again to fetch the needed supplies. Thanks Ronny!

Thank you to the fine folks of Hardeeville for letting me camp out in their gas station and cafe. It was actually the best country ham biscuit breakfast I have had in a long time, and the folks were very friendly.

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