Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
October Daily Photos – Part Two
More October “Free Choice” Photos:
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
PEEK-A-BOO
CATCHER OF THE RAIN
AND SO IT BEGINS
ROSES AT DUSK
STICKS ON THE PATH
See you next time……
50 and Done Club Member Right Here!
Over the last couple of weeks, I finished work on a HUGE Bucket List item…..one I’ve been working on for the better part of my life, but more diligently since I retired in 2011. It was a long time coming, but I’m DONE! I have now visited ALL 50 states plus the District of Columbia!!! I have also seen all five Great Lakes, both oceans that border the US (Atlantic and Pacific), both gulfs that border the US (Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of Alaska), four major state named rivers (Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, and Arkansas), and both countries bordering the US (Canada and Mexico)! I was able to completely color in the state map (except for Cuba and Russia, which are shown on the map…..maybe someday I’ll color them in, too)! The two “orange” colored states are states I actually lived in – NY most of my life and NC for 26 years in the middle.
Some states I traveled to through my younger years and some I traveled to for work, but the majority of them were all visited since I retired. Some I flew to, some I cruised to, some I traveled to/through by train, and some I traveled to/through by motor home or automobile! My criteria for considering a state could be colored in and “counted” was: I had to either spend at least one night and/or spend significant time in the state and see or do things the state has to offer. So — layovers in airports didn’t count and flying in for a meeting and flying out same day didn’t count, either! But, driving for several hours through a significant portion of the state and stopping to see/do things that caught my eye did – even if I didn’t spend the night. Many states I have been to multiple times and most I spent multiple days doing as much as I possibly could on at least one trip. I do have a short list of states I want to go back to either because I didn’t feel I did my visit justice or it has been many years since I was there or there is something I really want to do there that I wasn’t able to for whatever reason. Those states are: Texas, Tennessee, Iowa, Vermont, Hawaii, and Montana. Utah was on that list, as well, but I was able to knock it off on my last trip by spending quite a bit of time there on a tour while in New Mexico.
This year, my goal was to color in the last three states – Kentucky, which I visited in August and loved – and Colorado and New Mexico, which I visited the last week in September and the first week in October. Here I am at the Four Corners Monument – the only place in the US where four states physically border each other – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona – I am standing with one foot in Colorado and one foot in New Mexico – my last two states!
So, now I can wear this shirt with pride……I feel like I accomplished something truly amazing……I am a Charter Member of the “50 and Done Club”!
So, what now? Well, I have a pretty good start on some of the countries in our world – I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Jamaica, Bahamas, Portugal, Ireland, and England! So, I think it’s time to start expanding that list some and there are a few other Bucket List items that will help with some of the states I’d like to return to and there are also some favorite spots I’d love to see again! So……..my traveling (and adventure blogging) days are FAR from over!!! Let the adventures continue and get better and better!!!
And, speaking of adventure blogging…….I’ll be starting posts from my Colorado and New Mexico trip soon!!!
October Daily Photos – Part One
Let’s start off October with some “Free Choice” Daily Photos…..
TOTEM POLE AND DANCERS ROCK FORMATION
A WELCOME SIGHT AFTER A LONG DAY ON THE ROAD
VOTE AGAINST PROHIBITION GHOST SIGN
FLYING ABOVE THE CLOUDS
SOMEONE IS HAPPY TO BE HOME
SUNFLOWER SCARECROW
What else will catch my eye in this Free Choice month?
September Weekly Photo Challenge – Week Four
I’m a bit late posting the last week in September’s Daily Photos…….I was away on vacation – posts with amazing vacation pics will come soon, but, for now – here is the end of September……all but the first one were taken on vacation and the first few days in October will be from vacation, too!
W IS FOR WOOD SHED
X IS FOR…..WELL, X!!!
Y IS FOR YELLOW UMBRELLAS
Z IS FOR ZANY
WORDS
CURRENTLY READING
MY NAME
INSPIRATION
(This rock formation is called “Praying Hands”)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again……this year is flying by! I can’t believe we’re in October already!!! This wraps up our month with the Alphabet Theme (and four “word” topics to round out the month after the alphabet was used up). October’s Theme is “Free Choice”, so each day the photo will be of whatever we choose!
September Weekly Photo Challenge – Week Three
Here is my third installment of the September Daily Photos inspired by the alphabet:
O IS FOR ORGAN
P IS FOR PUMPKIN PATCH
Q IS FOR QUOINS
R IS FOR RED DOG
S IS FOR STATE STREET
or – S IS FOR STEEPLE
or – S IS FOR SWAN LIBRARY
T IS FOR TREE
U IS FOR UNDER THE CANAL
V IS FOR VALOR
The alphabet (and the month) is winding down…..next month will be fun – it is “free choice” month! 🙂
Murder and Mayhem Torch-Lit Tour of Albion
Last night I…..and over a hundred of my closest and dearest friends……attended an after dark walking tour of our little village and listened to some stories about Murder and Mayhem involving our early settlers and prominent citizens of long ago! It was led by our County Historian, Matt Ballard, and it was such great fun!!! Here are a few photos I took along the way:
We started at Tinsel on the north side of the canal – there was a food truck from 39 Problems (local Main St restaurant) and, of course, Tinsel’s ice cream available prior to the tour. We then crossed the street and walked up the east side of Main St to Courthouse Square, crossed Main to the Albion First Baptist Church, and back down the west side of Main St. There were multiple stops along the way to hear the various stories.
Someone lost a shoe…..not sure if it was from our group or it was there already…..but, it’s a Sketcher and looks fairly new!!!
Fun was had by all……good job, Matt!!!
SEPTEMBER DAILY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK TWO
Continuing on with September’s Daily Photos inspired by the Alphabet!
H IS FOR HARVEST
I IS FOR IVORY
J IS FOR JAM
(Blueberry Pomegranate Jam on a Rice Cake)
K IS FOR KIM READING HER KINDLE
K IS ALSO FOR KOHLRABI
L IS FOR LIGHT BY THE CHIMES ON MY FRONT PORCH
M IS FOR MARSH CREEK
N IS FOR NIGHT TOUR
Murder and Mayhem Torch Lit Tour of Downtown Albion led by Matt Ballard, Orleans County Historian
That’s all for now…….
September Daily Photo Challenge – Week One
September is here, already……Autumn is soon upon us with chilly mornings, crisp cool air, pumpkins, and vibrant color changes!!! Hard to believe this year has flown by in the blink of an eye!
So……here is the first week of Daily Photos for September……the theme this month is the Alphabet!
A IS FOR ABUNDANT HARVEST
(from my garden)
B IS FOR BENCH
C IS FOR CATHOLIC CHURCH
D IS FOR DROP
E IS FOR ERIE CANAL
F IS FOR FROG FAMILY
G IS FOR GREEN GLASS
See you next week with more Daily Photos inspired by the alphabet…….
2019 Kentucky Adventure – Final Day
My third and final day in Kentucky was also the hottest day — well over 90 degrees and no breeze! But, it was my less structured day and least strenuous day! It was my “fly by the seat of my pants” day! The only things I had truly planned was to visit Churchill Downs in Louisville and the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington……and was open to side trips for whatever else caught my eye!
I started out the day with an unplanned stop that turned out to be an awesome sight! I had seen signs for “Falls of the Ohio” near my hotel – it was on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. I love water falls, so I googled it and discovered it isn’t actually a water fall…..it is a series of rapids caused by lime stone tables along the Ohio River and the spot called “Falls of the Ohio” is a park where the world’s largest exposed fossil bed is located! That got me curious, so I decided it would be my first stop of my last day – since it was near my hotel! I got up and had some breakfast and headed to the park! I wasn’t disappointed — it was strange and beautiful all at the same time! I spent about an hour there before heading on to Churchill Downs.
You can walk down to the fossil bed and walk out onto it – I didn’t, but I saw some people fishing off the edges! The collecting of fossils is strictly prohibited, though!
Beyond the dam is the deeper, main areas of the Ohio River
There are lots of nature walking trails, too……and a visitor’s center with tons of information
The Indiana side of that big yellow bridge I showed you in the first overview post – it is a LONG bridge that, like I said, I crossed at least twice a day every day I was there!!!
Looking across the Ohio River to the city of Louisville from Clarksville, IN
My next stop was Churchill Downs – the home of the Kentucky Derby! I had a general admission ticket to the Kentucky Derby Museum, which included a 360 movie about the history of the Kentucky Derby and what happens the day of the Derby and a tour of Churchill Downs. I loved my time there……it was surprisingly emotional and overwhelming! I would have loved to see a race, but it wasn’t in the cards!
In front of the entrance is a statue of Barbaro – a thoroughbred who won the Kentucky Derby in 2006 and everyone thought he was a shoe-in for the triple crown. But, he shattered his leg two weeks after the Derby and it ended his career and eventually his life! His owners received thousands of cards and letters and gifts from fans all over the world. It touched them so deeply that they wanted to erect a monument in his honor and the Churchill Downs Directors agreed that it could be placed at the Downs. The owners wanted it outside the entrance so that his fans could see it without having to pay to enter the facility or museum – so there it is prominently at the entrance! The other unique point is that all four legs are off the ground in mid-race to demonstrate his powerful speed — the only statue of a horse in the world that has all four legs in mid-air!
The gift shop has many, many Derby hats……all a bit too pricey for me, but I just had to get a photo in one……
You can ride a horse that simulates you riding in the Derby!!!
Of course there are lots of exhibits……this one is a commemorative bottle of Marker’s Mark Bourbon dipped to match this Jockey’s jacket!
The famous blanket of roses!
Honoring the history of hats and outfits ladies have worn to the Derby over the years!
Our tour guide was a RIOT!!!
The famous twin spires that are listed in the National Historic Places Registry
The paddock where the horses first come out of their stalls to go to the race track — this is the last place their owners can see their horse, talk to the jockey, and give final instructions before they enter the track
That tower across the way is where the winner’s circle is for the Derby – only the Derby — other races have a different spot where the winner’s are honored
A zoomed in shot
The finish line is at the end of this stretch
This is one of the Derby racers (not a winner) who currently resides at Churchill downs
Hard to see, but here he is with his “companion pony” – we were told all race horses have a companion pony because they tend to be high strung and these ponies help calm them. The ponies are almost always at their side.
After the tour, I popped in at the bar and ordered a Mint Julep — can’t go to Churchill Downs without trying one!
I watched the bartender make it — ice, a splash of water, fresh mint crushed onto the ice and rubbed on the rim of the glass, bourbon, and a garnish of a sprig of fresh mint!
It cost me $12 for the experience — I took a couple sips and left the rest — it was good, but VERY strong and I had a long drive to Lexington ahead of me…..so, a couple sips was enough to say I had a Mint Julep at Churchill Downs!!! LOL Not something I would probably ever try again, but glad I did!
A parting shot of Barbaro
The tour and drink took a couple hours and then I was back on the road heading toward Lexington…….my plan was to end up at the Kentucky Horse Park and make any other stops that caught my eye along the way.
My first side trip was Frankfort – the Capital of Kentucky! Frankfort is a lovely little town with an awesome Capital Building!
The Capital Building is at the end of a long drive with beautiful grass and flowers all along the circle drive
Then, I saw signs for Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours…..I had to go see what that was all about!!! Well, it turns out that Ruth Booe is the Mother of the Bourbon Ball! She started her business with her friend Rebecca in 1919 when she invented the bourbon balls and everyone encouraged them to sell their candy in a time when it was not so common for women to own a business! She was a savvy business woman and she kept her business going untill 1964 when her son took over. Ruth’s son and grandson still run the factory and business today!!! I asked about the tour – they said I could do it, but they weren’t making candy that day, so there wouldn’t be much to see……so, I skipped the tour and tasted the candy, instead!!!
This is her famous Bourbon Ball — OMG — sooooooo good!!!
I forget what they called this – it had a funny name – but it is basically a marshmallow coated with caramel —- YUM!!!!
And, I wonder how I gained 4 pounds on this trip despite walking a million miles a day!!!
After delighting my sweet tooth, I got back on the road to Lexington, but soon saw signs for Historic Georgetown and just knew that was a stop I’d want to make……I was right! It was a quaint little town! I didn’t do anything specific there, but I parked and walked around Main Street for a little bit – just lovely!!!
This is their Courthouse
And, City Hall next door
For a small town, they sure had an active downtown — lots of shops and shoppers!!!
So, after a brief walk around Georgetown, I got back on the road and made it to the Kentucky Horse Park! It was getting late in the day and most of the activities and demonstrations were done, but I got to take the horse drawn carriage ride around the park and see some of the exhibits, horses, and a movie……..
The horse drawn carriage ride was lead by two stunning Clydesdales!!! I do believe this was the first time I’ve ever seen Clydesdales up close!
What amazing animals they are!!!
I got to walk through the Mounted Police horse barn…….got me reminiscing about a dear friend who was an Orleans County Sheriff and member of the Mounted Police – he died way too young and I miss him……
It was a joy to see and pet these handsome horses!
This is a Mounted Police horse and his name is ALBION!!!! I got a good chuckle out of that!
Part of me regrets that I didn’t have more time at the Horse Park and didn’t get to see more of the horses, but it was because I allowed myself to venture off the beaten path and the little mini adventures were worth it! Maybe I’ll get back someday and have another chance to see more……but, for now, I’m glad I got to see as much as I did!!!
When I left the park, I was hungry……all that candy and a light breakfast wasn’t enough to keep me from really wanting some dinner…..BAD! So, I googled “restaurants near me” and every list I found had this place pop up as the # 1 recommendation!!! I read the menu and the reviews and decided it was the place to go! But, when I finally found it – on a back country road in the middle of nowhere – I second guessed myself…….but, I looked the reviews back up and looked at other suggestions in the Lexington area and decided to give it a try……and, man, am I glad I did!!! It was a back roads dive, but it had the BEST BBQ food……..it reminded me of the little dive I ate at in Iowa that was a bit sketchy, but soooooo good!!! It was PACKED with people! I went in and noticed that I had to order at the counter and then pick a seat and they brought the food out to my table.
You know what they say – never judge a book by it’s cover……this doesn’t show the whole picture I saw when I pulled in – behind it is a run down motel…..but, the parking lot was full and people were coming and going and looked happy! So……I went in!
It is an interesting place with writing on the walls and window shades and photos of country music greats and loud country music playing!
View from my seat
They make their own sauces…..I sampled a few…..all I tested were delicious!!!
I ordered the sliced brisket meal with baked beans and potato salad and, of course, sweet tea (that I refilled 3 times)…..and I chose their Memphis Sweet BBQ sauce —- OMG — what a meal —- it was AMAZING!!! The beef was so tender and loaded with flavor – the sauce was an awesome addition – the baked beans and potato salad were delicious!!! I left STUFFED and ready for a nap! Unfortunately, I had an hour and a half drive back to Louisville ahead of me!!!
So……since it was getting late and I was tired and I had a long drive back to the hotel, I skipped driving through downtown Lexington and headed back. When I got back to Louisville, I got my second wind and decided to just drive around Old Louisville a little bit…..no specific destination, just turn where it looked interesting……I saw a lot of cool stuff, but couldn’t get any photos because it either didn’t look safe to stop and get out of the car or there wasn’t anywhere to pull over……but, I have some awesome memories!!! hehehe
So……that’s my Kentucky Adventure!!! 48 states down……2 to go!!! Colorado and New Mexico, get ready – I’m coming to check you both out in a few weeks!!!
2019 Kentucky Adventure – Bourbon Trail Tour
My second full day in Kentucky was consumed with an 8 hour bus tour of distilleries and lunch at a country club. It was a small group – just me, three young guys who didn’t know each other (two from Australia and one from Chicago), and our tour guide! It was fun and since there were only four of us, we got a lot of extra information, attention, and were able to make some unscheduled stops. I learned a LOT!!! Our tour guide was fabulous!!!
I learned that Kentucky sits on lime stone tables and springs, so the water there is some of the best in the world – they consistently rank in the top 5 best tasting waters! Because of the lime stone filtered water, Kentucky is the best place to make Bourbon – it doesn’t have to be made by lime stone filtered water, but it does improve on the taste significantly. The lime stone filtered spring water so prevalent there is also the reason so many horse farms are located in Kentucky – it gives the grass all the best nutrients for horses to feed on! It is also why Kentucky’s grass is so green and lush!
I also learned that 95% of the world’s bourbon is made in a triangle section of Kentucky – it is actually made in 49 of the 50 states (Hawaii is the only state that does not produce any bourbon), but 95% of all the bourbon supplied to the world is made right there! Bourbon MUST be made in the US – no bourbon is produced outside the United States! It also MUST contain at least 60% corn and aged at least two years (typically 6-8 years – two minimum – then aged “to taste” depending on the brand and quality desired) in a NEW, charred, oak barrel. The only other ingredient permitted is water and only to lessen the proof, when necessary. Bourbon cannot enter the barrel at higher than 125 proof. It cannot enter the bottle at a proof less than 80. No additional colorings or flavorings are permitted – the charred barrels give the bourbon it’s color and flavor! All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon!!! Other whiskey’s can be aged in used barrels and add coloring and flavoring, but if it is to be labeled as BOURBON, it has to adhere to these strict rules set by the government!
I also learned that there is a specific way to drink bourbon in order to get the most enjoyment out of it. I never liked it…..I always took the shot and threw it back, swallowed it as fast as I could, and stopped at the first shot……and, I doubt I ever tasted the “good” stuff! We were told at the first stop – Maker’s Mark – to never “throw it back” – it is a sipping whiskey – the first sip should be a small one and swish it around your mouth to condition your pallet…..then, always take a second sip to get the true flavor…….and, the higher the quality, the smoother the taste. My first thought when they told me that is “yeah, if you swish the first sip around, it burns your taste buds, so you don’t feel anything after that” – hahaha – wrong! I was surprised to find that, yes, that first sip burns, but then after that, you can actually taste the flavors and it is much smoother! I got a new appreciation for this “sipping” whiskey! Not that I’m going to be a big drinker of it, but I won’t turn my nose up at it, anymore!
Our first stop was Maker’s Mark:
Chihuly Glass had an exhibit there – this piece and a few others remain. At the time we were touring, another glass artist had pieces displayed throughout the distillery – you’ll see them in some of my photos!
Maker’s Mark trade make is the red wax seal — every bottle is hand dipped with the goal of 5-7 drips. They have the process copy righted – if any other company uses a wax seal, it can not be RED and can not be DRIPPED – it has to have a smooth edge.
The farm that the distillery is located on has been in the original family for generations and is a beautiful piece of property!
This was the world’s first “drive thru” liquor store – men could ride up on horse back and purchase their drinks!
The labeling making process
The bottling process
Every bottle is hand dipped — they can dip 20-25 bottles a minute!!!
Our tastings – the lower left is the lowest quality – Maker’s White – essentially moonshine! The lower right is the highest quality – Private Select – buyers can come in and select the combination of woods that the barrels are made from to create a unique flavor that can’t be duplicated and they have to purchase the whole lot – usually high end restaurateurs and collectors. The center one was a surprise…….I’ll talk about that later!
These are the bottles our tastings came from
The amount we had in each taste……doesn’t look like much, but there were 6 of them……
No surprise, the Private Select they chose to offer us was the smoothest…..they didn’t tell us how much a bottle cost!
The center (and last) taste we had was this Mint Julep flavored whiskey — I mistakenly thought it was bourbon, but because of the mint flavoring, it could not be labeled as bourbon, so it is actually whiskey……but it started out as their bourbon with the addition of the mint flavoring — I actually liked it a lot!
One of my fellow tour mates – one of the Australian guys – was a Maker’s Mark Ambassador – he registered online and picked a barrel that he was able to follow the progress of the distilling, aging, bottling, etc process. When his barrel was bottled and ready, he was able to go and get his own labels applied (with his name on them) and do his own hand dipping……it was this visit that he did that and we got to watch him do it!!! That was cool! He even got a “perfect 7 drip” on a couple of his bottles!!! I asked him how he was going to get his case of bottles back to Australia – he said he put all his clothes in his carry on and brought a large, empty suitcase, which he plans to fill with bourbon – this case and any others he bought at the other stops we made! The ones here that his name is on the label, he gets to take through customs duty free cause the labels prove he’s not taking them into the country for resale! Interesting!
Our next stop was an un-planned stop at Willett Distillery – our guide added it so we could see a smaller family owned operation — we couldn’t take the tour, but got to see a bit of the place and the gift shop.
This is one of many Rickhouses at Willett — a rickhouse is the building where the aging process occurs at all the distilleries
We stopped at a nice Country Club for lunch and then another unscheduled stop at Heaven Hill Distillery – again, just to get a glimpse of a smaller operation – no tour or tastings.
All distilleries have a retention pond with natural springs — mainly due to historic distillery fires that spread out of control in the past – the ponds are designed to provide quicker access to large quantities of water for fire fighters
This one is at Heaven Hill
While we were at Heaven Hill, we got to watch some guys practicing for upcoming “Bourbon Games” where all the distilleries send teams to compete with barrel rolling, stacking, and other contests
Then, we stopped at Barton Distillery — this was our second planned stop – no tour, just tastings and information.
We got to taste their two main brands – 1792 Small Batch and Very Old Barton — both were quite good!
We got a barrel cork stamped with the code being stamped on all bottles marking that day’s production to take home with us!
Barton is also the home of the world’s largest bourbon barrel
And carved bottle
Our last stop of the day was Jim Beam……
This church is the only church in the world surrounded by booze – it is in the middle of the Jim Beam property! LOL
I took this photo cause I thought it was cool, but later discovered it is actually a photo booth! LOL
The elevator to the second floor of the gift shop!
By the time we got here, my knee was shot, again……it didn’t cooperate very well this trip! So, since I had already seen the distillery process, I decided to sit here and enjoy the gorgeous weather for the hour that my team mates took the tour — I rejoined them inside this building for the tasting!
No – we didn’t taste ALL these……our server chose the two most popular and then described each of them and let us pick a third one to taste!
Jim Beam is the largest producer of Bourbon…….all these brands are produced under the Jim Beam umbrella – including the Knob Creek, Baker’s, and Basil Hayden you’ll see in a second shot of the bar in a little bit!
We got to keep our glasses!
For my third taste, I chose the Basil Hayden’s – he told us it was the smoothest of the selections and it was — I really liked it! If I were to ever purchase any bourbon, this would be it – it was my favorite taste of the day!!!
So – that was my Bourbon Adventure……it was a fun day — me and my three guys! The weather was amazing and I learned a lot and enjoyed all the tastings…….I got back to the hotel about 6:30-ish and ordered my delivery of Papa John’s pizza – pigged out – and crashed!!! I had another amazing night’s sleep! The next day would be my last full day…….I had to rest up to enjoy it!
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