BOTTOM UP (BENJAMIN HAD A GOOD TIME IN OLD KENTUCKY HOME)

As you could see, Benjamin had a great time (big smile) when he accompanied us on our Labor Day weekend, a short 3-day (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) road trip to Old Kentucky Home.  We left St. Louis on Saturday, Sept. 1st at 8:31 after filling up the gas tank on the Mustang.  Gas price was $3.87 for mid-grade.  (The T-bird must have premium and that is another reason why we take the Pony instead.)  We took breaks for a quick breakfast, at rest stops, and continued driving until 14:07 and decided that it was time for lunch in Round Hill, Kentucky.  We got to Mammoth Cave in Cave City, KY around 15:31.   The rain started just as we were walking down into the cave.  It was an interesting tour but I might have been "over-caved" (is there such a word?) because we just saw Ruby Falls (inside a cave) in Tennessee in July.   After Mammoth Cave, we continued on and beddown in Louisville, KY at 21:52.  (We planned to stay at the Wigwam Motel #2 in Cave City, KY but that did not happen.  It was a long story so I will have to explain in another post.) 

Next day (Sunday, Sept. 2nd) we attended 0900 Mass at St. Ritas Church in Louisville, KY.  It was sunny when we left the church but became cloudy by the time we got to Jim Bean in Clermont, KY.    While waiting for the tour to start at noon, we sat in the rocking chairs on the front porch of the historic home where three generations of the Beams lived way back when.  On display inside the house were family photos and heirlooms.  By the time we walked over to Warehouse D, the oldest rack house built by Jim Beam after prohibition, the rain were pouring so hard that we were stucked inside with nothing to do except looking at Kentucky's finest bourbon aging in 20,000 oak barrels!     

We were cold and hungry by the time we drove into Bardstown, KY.  USA Today and Rand McNalley named Bardstown one of the Most Beautiful Small Towns in America.  Bardstown was also mentioned in the book, "1,000 Places to See Before You Die".  Well, we did not see much because the rain was pouring.  We could not find a restaurant that was open along 3rd Street in the beautiful downtown Bardstown because it was 1300 hour on a Sunday and a holiday.  Someone might have taken a picture of me with rain dripping down begging "Sweet Mama" to let me in at Mammy's Kitchen!  We finally found a restaurant that was open for lunch, across from My Old Kentucky Home State Park.  Next stop was Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY.  (to be continued)