Friday, June 30, 2017

Summer in Bluegrass Country

The first thing that struck me as we crossed the border into Kentucky was how trees suddenly surrounded us on all sides. In most of the places we've been, you might see trees for short distances before the landscape opens up again to valleys or cities and towns. Here in Kentucky, we can go for long periods of time before we see a clearing. It's actually pretty cool. I'd take forest over concrete any day of the week!


This is what the scenery mostly looks like as we travel from place to place here. We're currently staying in a suburb of Louisville (locally pronounced lua-vul) and I'm happy to report that the traffic hasn't been an issue at all. We can get from the house to downtown in about 15 minutes, which makes it fun to visit the local attractions without having to waste an entire day on travel time. The first place we try to visit no matter where we are is the local farmers market. If you've been following along, then you know how much I love a good farmers market! There's just something about meeting the people who grow your food that makes eating it that much more special.

The Douglass Loop Farmers Market is located in a neighborhood called the Highlands. It's an artistic community that's filled with restaurants, murals, and interesting shops. We immediately set to work exploring the booths to find foods that were new to us, and we were definitely rewarded for our efforts!




This was the majority of our haul.  L-R: Freshly made Salted Herb Cheese, Sour Cherry Preserves, Beer Syrup, Lime Pickles, Blueberry/Green Tomato Jam, Raspberry Cake with Brown Sugar Icing, and Country Ham Quiche. Look at those cute little pig cutouts! Country Ham is very popular in the southern states, and especially in Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. It 's salty and complex and tastes like a hybrid of fresh ham and aged prosciutto.

At the Garey Farms booth, we had fun talking to the couple running it. Garey Farms is family owned and they know a lot about Kentucky. We bought some lime pickles from them, which are made with the same recipe used by the mamaw (grandmother) of that gentleman on the left. After trying them, I'd say they taste similar to sweet or bread and butter pickles. I'm not a fan of sweet pickles, but they weren't terrible. My husband likes sweet pickles and he liked them, so you can trust his judgement better than mine on that issue.  


Makers are always proud of where they come from, and rightly so!

At the Quarles Farm booth, the kids chose different kinds of quick bread to snack on. My daughter was so impressed with her lemon poppy seed bread that she made us promise to return to the market this weekend for more. We also bought blueberry/green tomato jam and mixed berry jam. In the blueberry/green tomato jam, you can taste the blueberry but you can also taste cinnamon and nutmeg. The bits of green tomato add a slightly crunchy texture to it. I think it would be great with some gingerbread in the fall!


We've learned that Ale-8-One is a big deal here in Kentucky. Just as Mainers are enthusiastic about Moxie, Kentuckians are proud of their Ale-8, which is a ginger ale soda with citrus notes. Ale-8-One is short for "A late one," which means it's the latest thing. You know, it's all the rage! It's made nearby in Winchester, Kentucky, and you know a restaurant has Kentucky pride if they serve Ale-8-One. Kentuckians are also very proud of their drinking water supply, which is filtered through the limestone that covers much of the surface area here. This is one of the reasons their bourbon is prized around the world.   


I don't care for beer but when I saw the sign for beer syrup I had to at least try it. Surprisingly, it was delicious! Think maple syrup infused with beer overtones, but non-alcoholic. The kids and I picked up a gift pack for my husband for Fathers Day. It came with a few recipe cards, roasted coffee, and pancake mix from Weisenburger Mill, which is also a local favorite. They make all kinds of mixes for things like hush puppies, spoon bread, and grits.


Summer in Kentucky also means exploring the countryside and bluegrass region. The grass isn't technically blue, per se, but some claim that when the fresh grass comes up in the spring the area can take on a blueish tint, which is how the region got it's name. You can find acres upon acres of thoroughbred horse farms in this part of Kentucky and it's truly gorgeous countryside!


The kids and I drove out that way last week to explore Lexington and the surrounding areas. Here are a few things we saw. (Thank you to my little photographers for taking pictures as I drove!)

Did you know that both Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln were born in Kentucky? This is the Mary Todd Lincoln House in downtown Lexington.

We had lunch at Limestone Blue and I tried Pimento Cheese for the first time, which is a popular sandwich filling in the southern U.S. It's made of grated sharp cheddar cheese, diced bits of pimento (red cherry pepper), and is held together with a bit of mayonnaise. I don't know if I'll be making it at home anytime soon, but I liked it better than I thought I would. Limestone Blue is a local indy place that the kids chose. I'd definitely eat there again.

I love all the fun signs and murals in Kentucky cities!



Imperial Liquors used to be Bondurant's Pharmacy and was originally built the shape of a mortar and pestle. It has since been painted to look like a giant cocktail.

 Martin Castle or Castle Post, depending on who you ask, can be seen from the road and is in close proximity to Keeneland Race Track. Plus, you can rent it out! Imagine being able to stay in a castle overnight....

Our oldest is a big aviation enthusiast, so we visited the Lexington Aviation Museum and learned about some interesting Kentucky history.

The museum is located in two hangars at the Blue Grass Airport. This is the first hangar. The second is where the older artifacts are located.

This is an exact replica of the Quadraplane Matthew Sellars flew in Grahn, Kentucky in 1908.

Willa Beatrice Brown was a famous aviator, lobbyist, teacher, and civil rights activist who was born in Glasgow, Kentucky. She was the first African-American woman to earn her pilots license in the United States.  

Solomon Lee Van Meter, Jr. of Lexington, Kentucky was the inventor of the first successful backpack  parachute.

Last weekend, we celebrated our launch anniversary by driving down to Mammoth Cave National Park in the Green River Valley. It was a beautiful, warm day and we took the self-guided tour of the cave where we learned about it's history and past uses. 



The kids enjoyed exploring in the near-dark and we all laughed when our glasses fogged up as we emerged from the cool of the cave system into the warm humidity outside.




On our way home we visited Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. We got there just as a big group with lots of toddlers arrived. Now I love kids, but trying to navigate exhibits while people are standing in front of things to take selfies and kids are running around was a bit challenging. I managed to work my way around though.


This is an idea of what the lincoln home would have looked like.

These are his parents. He looked SO much like his mother!!

The landscape was gorgeous and it was nice walking from the visitors center to the symbolic cabin. The original was torn down but a new one has been built in it's place in honor of our 16th President.

The cabin is housed in this building.

We managed to get a few decent shots between kids running around and the park rangers chasing them down and telling their parents to keep them out of the enclosed area....  

This past week, the boys and I spent an afternoon together at the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum where we were able to see how the iconic bats are made.


Before you start the tour you have to put your phone away, but you can look up the tour on YouTube and see the whole thing. This is to protect the privacy of the workers. Pictures are permitted just about everywhere else in the museum and you will find jaw-dropping Lego displays, historical exhibits, and memorabilia. You can also hit a few balls in the batting cages and watch a movie about the history of baseball in America.




Of course, we sniffed out all the Mariners related items we could find! We ARE Seattlites, after all! This is a Nelson Cruz bat.

Bats in the belfry?

I had an A League of Their Own moment and was singing the song for the rest of the day... "We are the members of..." Oh, sorry. I get carried away sometimes. It's one of my favorites!


Outside the museum and all around this area of Louisville, you can find little statues like these that give a little history. We love going to Mariners Games together at home, so it was a treat to see this piece of baseball culture in person.


That's it! Now you're all up to date on what we've been up to over the past few weeks. We're still not sure what to do for the Fourth of July so if you have any suggestions, let us know!

Wishing all my American family/friends a fantastic Independence Day, and my Canadian family/friends a wonderful Canada Day! Congratulations on your 150th Anniversary!

Until next week!

- Jen



Friday, June 23, 2017

Happy One Year Anniversary!!!

Today is DAY 365 of our Great Family Adventure!!!!! Hooray!! I can't believe we're already at this point! Just yesterday I looked over the pictures we've posted on our Instagram feed and was blown away by all the adventures we've shared over the past year. We are so thankful for everything we've experienced and are glad we decided to leap into the unknown to do this. As with anything, there have been bad days, good days, horrible days, and awesome days, but if we could go back and do it all over again, we absolutely would.

In honor of this milestone, my husband and I thought you might like to see an update from the kids.* Enjoy!

- Jen

Oldest Son
I think I have had a pretty memorable trip, from flying in Alaska to eating lobster in Maine. Here is a short summary of what I have seen and done.

In Alaska, I enjoyed my first discovery flight to see if I wanted to be a pilot and so far, I really want to be one. In Idaho/Wyoming I stayed in a log cabin near Jackson Hole and saw moose in the back yard. Arizona was very picturesque with its mesas and red rocks near where I was staying. Florida was the same as always since I visit every year but I did see Key West which was new and strange. In Maine, I was able to drive down to Virginia and see my friends and family for my aunt's wedding and my other aunt's graduation. And lastly in Kentucky, I haven’t been here very long but I can’t wait to see Mammoth Caves and try some new food.

Daughter
Over the past year we've been to many places and seen many things. Some of the things that I especially remember took place in Alaska, Idaho, Florida, and Arizona.

In Alaska I saw one of my friends and tried cultural foods like; pierogi, borscht, Kinder surprise eggs, and Canadian style sour cream.

In Idaho I stayed in a big house in a kind community. There was even a drive-in theater, except we did not go to it.**

In Florida we went to Disney World!! I loved going to Epcot the most because I got to try their food and learn about different cultures. My mom enjoyed going to a quilting group at the local library. While at the Magic Kingdom we tried a Dole Whip for the first time!

In Arizona I saw another one of my friends, though for very little time. Christmas was great because we learned a lot about the local culture and traditions. We also saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and now that it is out on DVD, we got it!

In Maine we had a lot of seafood. It tasted so good! Especially the crab. It snowed the day before we got there but the snow disappeared soon after. We drove to Virginia for a week or so for my aunt's graduation and my other aunt's wedding. We returned back to Maine and soon after left for Kentucky.

In Kentucky we saw fireflies! And again, at last, we have a good backyard for the dogs. It even has a playset! Unlike Maine, we can check out books from the library here. I got a lot of books about languages. They also have the Kentucky Derby here. We got to see a mini race at the Derby Museum.

We saw a lot this year but I am very excited to return home.

Youngest Son***
Instead of writing a paragraph, this is a list of the things I've done this year that I liked.

- I've been to Disney World
- I went to Chena Hot Springs
- I've been to the Musk Ox Farm
- Iditarod Museum
- Idaho Pizza
- Aurora Borealis
- Boy Scout Camp
- IHOP Chicken and Waffles
- Storm
- Yellowstone
- Cousins
- Drive Thru Tree
- Halloween
- Washington
- Four Corners
- Antelope Canyon
- Javelina
- Luminaries
- Snow
- Turkey (Thanksgiving)
- Fantastic Beasts
- Cars 3
- Beignets
- Epcot
- Rocket Launch
- Everglades
- Iguanas
- Key West


* The posts above are in the kid's own words and chosen format.

** It was closed for the season.

*** A few things on this list might be cryptic if you haven't been following our adventure for that long. If you have any questions, just ask. We'll be happy to respond. :-)




Saturday, June 17, 2017

Horses, and Food, and Graves, Oh My!

Sorry for the delay! Yesterday I was busy finishing a project for a friend.

This week we've been exploring the area and learning about Louisville culture and history. My sister left Monday and wanted to see everything she possibly could over the weekend. So after I posted last weeks blog entry, we packed up the kids and headed to Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby!



The Derby only happens in May but you can visit the Kentucky Derby Museum any time. We just thought we'd walk around to look at the exhibits. Little did we know that our tickets included a tour AND the chance to see an actual race! It was so fun and the guide did a great job telling us about the history of the site, the races that take place there, and how everything works. Did you know there is a whole community of people who live there?!



Of course, I HAD to get a fascinator. I mean, who watches a horse race at Churchill Downs without a hat?! Not this girl! (That's my sister next to me. Don't worry, I let her borrow it for pictures. I'm nice like that. ;-))

In the movies, they draw out races for dramatic effect. In reality, they start and are over in a flash! It was exciting and a lot of fun to watch. For the Derby, only three-year-old thoroughbreds are allowed to race. You only get one shot! Talk about stressful.


I'm glad we were able to see Churchill Downs on a day that wasn't too busy. People tell me that when Derby happens, you can barely move because there are so many people. There's a special section under the original Twin Spires for VIP's and Queen Elizabeth, herself, has even attended the Kentucky Derby!



After the tour and the movie, we wandered around the museum where they have displays showing artifacts from the beginning of the Derby in 1875. Churchill Downs got it's name from John and Henry Churchill (related to Winston Churchill), who owned the land and leased it to their nephew, Colonel Meriweather Lewis Clark, Jr., grandson of explorer, William Clark. We saw things like trophies, hats, Secretariat's Colors, and much more.

That's a hat...

Haha! This hat reminded me of those sisters in the movie "Mousehunt"!







On Saturday the kids stayed home (I love that they're old enough to do that!) while the adults explored the Kentucky countryside and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We saw some lovely country but since I was the designated driver I couldn't take pictures. Don't worry, I'll get some shots for you at some point. It was like every picture I'd ever seen of the country. Trees everywhere, sleepy historic towns, sprawling estates with stables. It was like something out of a painting! Even though I'm not much of a drinker, it was fascinating visiting the different distilleries and learning about their history and the process of making Bourbon. Bourbon is a very specific type of whiskey where you can only use the barrel once.

The first distillery we visited was Four Roses. We learned that it was extremely popular in the early 20th century and you can even see a billboard in the background for it in this famous WWII picture. It was one of the few distilleries who were allowed to remain open during prohibition because they acquired a permit to produce for medicinal purposes.


Some of the ingredients in bourbon include corn, barley, and rye.

Our guide was so fun!

The next distillery we went to was Wild Turkey. At this one we boarded a bus and visited the actual sites where they make and store their bourbon.



The area where they fermented the mixture smelled soooooo good, like freshly baked bread!




Do you see the clear bottles on the left? That's what the bourbon looks like before it goes into the barrels. The charred wood on the inside of the white oak barrel is what gives it that golden color and flavor as it ages.

After the fermentation process, the distilleries give the spent grains, which are still very high in nutrients, to local farmers to feel their livestock. It's nice to see that this byproduct isn't wasted.

These are the warehouses where the barrels are aged.

The lower rooms are cool because the barrels cool off during the winter and act like refrigerators. Each barrel is rotated throughout the levels for consistent aging. The barrels on the higher levels are exposed to the warmer air as the heat rises over the summer.

The barrels can only be used once for bourbon, so distilleries sell them to private individuals or other whiskey companies for reuse once they are no longer needed.

Finally we drove on that "S" shaped road you see there to get to the Woodford Reserve Distillery. The train bridge you see next to it is maintained and used by a bungee jumping company.

Woodford Reserve is a national landmark and is one of Kentucky's oldest and smallest distilleries.


This was the fanciest distillery we visited. They even had a little café inside. 

This is what the tasting looked like. I left the tasting up to everyone else. It seems each place has their own recipe for bourbon balls, which is that chocolate you see in the middle. Back in WA, Georgia's Bakery in North Bend makes a version during the holidays that is more like a soft chocolate bourbon cake with a chocolate shell. The ones here in Kentucky are more like bourbon flavored truffles. Both are good (mostly) but very different.

This is what I had fun tasting! Kentucky is famous for their Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. Next to it is the ice cream my husband got. Both were good.

Our last adventure with my sister began with lunch at the historic Brown Hotel, home of the Kentucky Hot Brown. Visiting the hotel is like stepping back into the Roaring 20's. Our server, Casey, was great and was so hospitable! She even wrote down a bunch of recommendations of places for us to visit while we are here.







The Hot Brown has a long history and is delicious! It's also very rich, so if you're planning on coming to try one, be sure to share with a friend.....or don't. ;-)

I told you our server was sweet. She also brought my sister some Derby Pie to congratulate her on her graduation from nursing school! Derby Pie, which is exclusively made by Kern's Kitchen, is served all over Louisville and is sort of like pecan pie, but much more delicate and it has chocolate chips in it. We all shared and not a crumb was left.


After lunch we drove to Cave Hill Cemetery and explored. You may be thinking that it's weird to explore a cemetery, but Cave Hill is special. It's like a park with beautiful flowers and trees and is maintained exquisitely. Statues and art can be found everywhere and Cave Hill is also the final resting place for Muhammed Ali, Colonel Harland Sanders, Patty and Mildred Hill who wrote "Happy Birthday to You", as well as a slew of other notable persons.



The kids were not a fan of the humidity that day, but they survived....barely (according to them).

The first grave we saw was a Schmidt!

A yellow line that begins at the office will lead you to the grave of Colonel Sanders.



Here are some other beautiful monuments for the dearly departed that we saw at Cave Hill Cemetery.








Did you know that Frito Lay had their own company magician? They did! Harry Leon Collins.





I could spend all day there. It was that lovely.


I love the inscription on this one. There are photographs in those little gold ovals.

Chickens!

With Louisville being the home of the Louisville Slugger, you know there are some baseball fans here.





This one is from 1919. What a sweet little lamb.


We saw a lot of Masonic inscriptions.

Kentucky has so many interesting things to explore! The next two months promise to be fun!

- Jen
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