Governor's Mansion, Frankfort, KY

"This elegant mansion for the Chief Executive of Kentucky was built to harmonize with its splendid State Capitol."

I am guessing this postcard is from the late 60s or 70s.

Chimney Rock on the Kentucky River

"Chimney Rock on the beautiful Kentucky River is 75 feet in height and 4x6 feet at the base.  This natural attraction is viewed by thousands of tourists annually."

This is an older postcard, probably form the 40s or 50s.

"No one wonders what Lyndon and I wear"

It's November 22nd, I thought I would mention that I have recently read a few books on the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

Its odd in many ways how the mind works.  I wasn't born until over a decade after his death.  I remember the 80s well.  I do remember a few things about the tail end of the 70s.  Jimmy Carter is the first President I remember (though I mostly remember watching him solidly defeated by Reagan in 1980).  Still, there are things about the 60s that I almost remember, mostly because I have read so much about them, and I have visited significant places where majors 60s events occurred.  I have talked to a lot of people with clear, first hand memories from that decade.

So, in some ways I kind of feel like I know JFK, just like I know Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton, etc.  I feel like I know Honest Abe pretty well too,  in a similar way to how I know Mr. Kennedy.

So, I picked up Seymour M. Hersh's "The Dark Side of Camelot" not too long ago.  The book is somewhat legendary in its.... well, DARK depiction of John and his lifestyle.  After reading that book, I didn't feel so good about the man who is often described as a savior type.  Some of Hersh's sources are pretty solid (Secret Service Agents) while some are odd, and questionable.

I next read a copy of Jim Bishop's "The Day Kennedy Was Shot" that was written in 1968.  A friend let me borrow his copy of the book, which was printed around that same year.  There is something special about holding and reading a book that is so close to the event.

I really enjoyed the Bishop book.  It made me feel a lot more sympathetic towards JFK and his legacy.  Also, I feel like I have a better understanding about Oswald and Ruby.  Both obviously had their issues, but Ruby really comes off, in my opinion, as the wackier of the two. 

AND, in this book, Kennedy seems to be such a great guy.  He insists on pulling over to shake hands with children holding up a sign asking that he stop to shake hands.  There is something very sweet about it.

I like the Bishop book too, because he obviously scored some big interviews, including face time with Kennedy before the assassination, and with Johnson afterwards, along with many others.

After reading these two books, I still feel pretty much the same about John F. Kennedy.  He was a rock star before there were rock stars.  Women were throwing themselves at him (even before he was president).  He grew up in privilege, and had a dad who provided A LOT for him.  Hersh's book wasn't the first to expose that.

Still, he was a likable guy who was exceptionally personable.  He would ignore the advice of secret service to shake hands with people.  He was kind.  People related to him.  He was accessible.  He was TOO accessible.

Milton KY Bridge

"Free Bridge crossing the Ohio River from Milton, Kentucky to Madison, Indiana, with the beautiful hills of Indiana in the background".

Executive Inn Owensboro KY

I was very excited to find this postcard recently!  It has become kind of difficult finding Owensboro Executive Inn items after they knocked it down.

This is postmarked from Owensboro, 2001.  It shows the main lobby and dining area.

I spent a lot of time here, mostly going to see bands.  My cousin worked here too.

Waveland Art Festival- Lexington

We made it to the Waveland State Historic Site in Lexington last month.  They were having their annual art festival on that day.  It was  a rainy and dreary Saturday, which obviously affected attendance.

It was still nice checking out the vendors, and visiting the home.

The house is spectacular and well maintained.  Our tour guide told us about the Bryan family who owned the home.  Daniel Boone, slaves, the Civil War and gambling all play major roles in the plantation's history. 

The land was acquired by the family in the 1780s.  The mansion was built on the property in 1840, and sold in the 1890s.

Our guide told us a lot about the lives of the people on the plantation back in the 1800s.  He discussed how even the wealthy did not have the modern conveniences that our poorest members of society have now.


I personally appreciate this line of thinking, and it is something that I think a lot about now.  I do like the fact that parks and museums bring to the attention of the kids how easy they have it now, compared to just a couple of generations ago.

On the site are the very well preserved slave quarters.  This was probably the most impressive part of the tour. 

Our tour guide also talked about the slaves back then.

He brought up the fact that a slave cost several hundred dollars back then (equating the price to about $20,000 in today's currency).  He stated that most farmers he knew today would likely not abuse a $20,000 piece of equipment.  He doubted that the farmers of the slave era would either.  He also noted that all of the slaves at Waveland decided to stay as paid help, after being freed.

I understood where our guide was coming from, but I did not appreciate the slave/farm equipment comparison as much as the previous discussion. 

Still, it was an interesting tour at a very well preserved location.

Greetings from Owensboro

Both of these postcards say "Greetings from Owensboro".

The bottom one mentions that the population is (was) about 40,000.  though, "The trading area is about 235,000 people."

Tobacco Fields in Old Kentucky

The top postcards says on the back-

A typical scene in sections of Kentucky, Northeastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina and Southwestern Virginia.

Park Mammoth Resort, Park City, KY

"Slave Cave, Authentic Pre-Civil War Way Station on Underground Railway".

This is an odd Mammoth Cave postcard I found recently, I am guessing from the 60s.

Alltech- Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a big deal in my area.  Very big.  It is such a big deal, even non-drinkers like myself enjoy making their way around the trail.  I am working on my second lap around it now!

Visiting the sites along the trail is just a lot of fun.  It is a fascinating process, and- even if you don't drink, it is cool checking out the other bourbon related products.

The Alltech Brewing and Distilling Co. is a relatively new addition to the Trail.  In fact, the last time I visited all of them, Alltech wasn't around.

As a newer entry on the Trail, Alltech lacks a lot of the history that you will find at the other sites.  Being pretty much right in downtown Lexington, it also misses out on some of the rural charm found near Bardstown.

Still, it is right in Lexington, so if you are not from the area and find yourself at Rupp Arena, this would be a very easy to access tour to get to, without having to drive an hour outside of town.

Plus, I like Alltech.  This is an interesting and unique company, even if you don't consider the brewing and distilling part.  Company founder Pearce Lyons has done a lot in and for the area, and he is a one of a kind character.  His motivated attitude is infectious.

Our tour at Alltech focused much more on tasting than touring.  I would say that, if you enjoy the sampling part of a beer and bourbon tour, this is the tour to take.

If you like seeing the huge warehouses full of aged barrels, and the three story mash filled tubs with the smell of bourbon heavy in the air, you might want to look into one of the other Trail member sites.

AGAIN, this is one of the more unique sites, with the brewing in addition to the distilling, AND with the generous tasting.  If you are in the area and want to see more than one distilling location, this would be a good second stop.

Audubon Ave. Dining Hall Mammoth Cave KY

The Audubon Avenue Dining Hall at Mammoth Cave seats 500 people!  I found both of these cards recently, one is colored and one is black and white.

Carter Caves State Park

This 60sish postcard says on the back-

This fascinating State Park is located between Olive Hill and Grayson just off Highway 60 in eastern Kentucky in an area that is truly a scenic wonderland.  Besides the two caves, one has natural arches, rugged mountains, virgin forests.  Furnished Cottages and other facilities available for the vacationist.