Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Kentucky




Play the above video for a little mood music as I take you on a short trip to Kentucky....

*****

We are off to the beautiful town of Danville, Kentucky

Hunter, myself, and our friends M & J headed out Thursday morning so that we could meet our host that evening.

Fun fact:  Pigs are selling for $50

On the left is our buddy J and on the right is our host Stephen Powell with a whole buncha bourbon.






Ate dinner here:


We stayed here:

Comfort Suites
Not a lot of choices

We did not get to our hotel until roughly 10:30 PM.  It had been well into the 90s and they had the air conditioner turned off.  It was stifling.  Needless to say, did not sleep well.

*****

We watched Stephen blow:







Mitzi, his manager, assistant, boss, what have you, brought this lovely, and thankfully dead, rattlesnake that was killed the night before for us to enjoy.  Well I'll be damned.


Took a break and went to Dollar General to get J a razor.  We found a lovely cemetery that dated back to at least 1818.  Lots of Civil War soldiers.  I had to take a picture of what seems to be the going style in tombstones...


Stephen was commissioned by Maker's Mark for a piece in their gift shop.  Guess who showed up to watch him blow also?  Yep, we got to meet both Bill and Rob Samuels plus some kids.  So...guess where we headed next?


Hand dipped by Hunter.

Yes, this was after the testing room.

Stephen's piece

The tour was great, hot, but great.  We have heard of all on The Bourbon Trail it is the best.

*****

We ended up in Louisville, Kentucky

We stayed here

21c Hotel Museum



Ate here:

Proof on Main

M, J, Me, Hunter


Toured the hotel's museum

Me filming, M dancing, J with his mouth open.  Who's that in the back?









 Was fantastic.  Highly recommend 21c.

Saw the ponies

Churchill Downs



I bet on two races.  My first race I could not decide between two horses so I bet $2 on each to win.  They came in 1st and 2nd.  Yay!  My second race, my horse came in dead last.  He basically trotted across the finish line he was so far behind.

Roamed around Nulu



SHOPPING
Thought of DaniBP



CULTURE
Speed Museum - Temporarily closed but this was a satellite


DRINKS
Garage Bar Hunter's carrying my purchase, M's in yellow wanting a beer,
 J's in yellow checking out the crashed cars

 EATS
Mayan Market MondaysThe Mayan Cafe
Mayan Cafe - Highly recommend


FUN

Stevie Ray's Blues Bar


Great time was had by all!











13 comments:

  1. What fun! I love the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill(?); went there a lot when I lived in Lexington. I need some bourbon drinking lessons, though.

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    1. We arrived around 8:30 PM so did not get to visit the grounds. It looked lovely.

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  2. Looks fantastic! I hate getting to a hotel on a hot night and the AC is off!! I saw the glass pieces on your IG and wondered where you were. They are really amazing looking. Thanks for taking us along on your travels. It's always fun:). xoxo

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    1. I think around 4:00 AM I finally threw a sheet over me. Stephen is both a wonderful artist and a wonderful gentleman.

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  3. WHat fun! One of my best buddies was a professional and award-winning glass-blower. My god, it is terrible physical work! I need to go to Kentucky - this seals it!

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    1. He is sixty three and still handling the glass most of the time. He teaches at Centre College so has to blow in the summer to get any work done. Kentucky is beautiful. My friends bought some jewelry. The credit card thing wasn't working, no check, so the owner sent them with the items (over $500) and an addressed envelope and told them to mail him the money when we got back. Only in the South baby.

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  4. Love watching the glass-making process! I visited a small artisan factory in my youth and was fascinated by the whole process.

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    1. Hunter loves it and could watch all day...it's just so dang hot. I was not expecting the finished product.

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  5. I want to go there - you make it look fantastically fun, bourbon and blowing n all! Is that his house you are sitting in at the top? So cool and I did not know they practically had to stand a storey high over the top of the glass, incredible! I would love to watch something like that

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  6. That is his "shop" we are in. He eventually would like to retire from teaching and have his own place but Centre College makes it easy to stay. It was a very nice weekend for us.

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  7. Thank you for the pictures! I love seeing places that are not on my usual radar. It looks wonderful. We went to see a glass blowing exhibit at the Corning Museum in upstate New York last year. The whole family was mesmerized. It is such a beautiful, risky art.

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    1. After a certain point, they are committed. No way to resculpt, paint over, carve into something smaller. It either works or it's trash. I am delighted you enjoyed

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  8. Looks like a lot of fun, thanks for sharing your pics! I always enjoyed checking out the glass studios at Vancouver's Granville Island when we lived there years ago.

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