Blogs from Kentucky, United States, North America - page 12

Since inclement weather was in the forecast for Thursday, October 24, 2013, I picked up the water and sewer hoses, retracted the stabilizer jacks and connected the Pilgrim to my truck on Wednesday afternoon during a break in the weather. I have done this in the past when I am on a level camping site to expedite the tear-down process on departure day whether because of the weather or because of a long driving day. The forecast was on the mark with Thursday morning revealing a steady, heavy drizzle. About the only remaining task was to pick up the electric cord. The drive east on US 36 from Rockville IN began in a light drizzle but quickly changed to snow and sleet and then back again. Just west of Indianapolis IN, I headed south on the ... read more

Outside of the trail my father and I took the opportunity to see what else the great state of Kentucky has to offer. Horse racing and bourbon go hand in hand in Kentucky. While we were unable to catch a race we were able to tour Keensland and The Churchill Downs. The Downs is where the Kentucky Derby is held and they have a great museum of the sport. We enjoyed a traditional Mint Julep at the Derby Cafe and got to see where the millionaire rows were. My sister would have really enjoyed the downs. I could picture her strutting around with her fancy hat drinking a julep. While we were in Louisville, we enjoyed the Urban Bourbon Trail, which basically was a pub crawl that takes you all over the city. It was fun. ... read more

Day two on the trail was a good one. We took this day to check out some of the remaining distilleries on Lexington. Buffalo Trace, while not officially on the trail, was my favorite distillery. Named after the buffalo crossing of old, Buffalo Trace easily won a place in my heart and a spot in my liquor cabinet. Our tour guide Freddy was quite knowledgeable and very friendly. One thing that deeply impressed me about the bourbon trail is that the industry is like a big family. Buffalo Trace trains all its workers to do every job from the bourbon line to the lawn care. During periods of slow production, they will employee their workers with beautification projects to keep them employed. In a day and age where corporations are villainized as being only out for ... read more

All Bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is Bourbon. A phrase that my father and I heard quite frequently in Kentucky. After our trip my father and I consider ourselves to be doctors of Bourbon, and we even have a diploma to prove it! So what are the legal requirements for a whiskey to be labeled a bourbon? Courtesy of Wikipedia: The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 C.F.R. 5) state that bourbon made for U.S. consumption must be: Produced in the United States; made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn; aged in new, charred-oak barrels; ... read more

Ahhhh road trips! Whenever I travel, I always hope for the best, but something always manages to go wrong. This trip was no different. First stop was to the bank to pick up some spending cash, and as luck would have it the atm "runs" out of money...GREAT! Not to be discouraged we set out anyway, charged some Dunkin Doughnuts and we were off. The drive down to Lexington was a long one, approximately 11 hours, but a scenic one. The trees were starting to turn and the mountains of West Virginia were breathtaking. (Sorry no pictures as I was driving) We just don't have that kind of beauty around here. Now, I know what you are thinking. Eleven hours in a car with my father must be some sort of cruel and unusual punishment, but ... read more