Train in La Grange Kentucky

It had been some time since my last trip to La Grange.  Its actually not that far of a drive for me, but its just out of the way enough.

Still, it is a great little town with a lot going for it.  I will write more about it in a few days, but I thought I should post some pictures of the train that literally goes through town!

According to Wikipedia, the CSX Transportation mainline goes right down Main Street!  The only other city in America that has a street running mainline is Oakland California!


I can't say enough about how cool it is to see a train going right through the street, just a few feet from parked cars, parallel with them.  There is a very retro feel to the whole experience.

Plus, La Grange has so many Mayberry-like businesses.  There is an ice cream shop, the very cool Karen's Book Barn, La Grange Coffee Roasters, etc.  This is a great area to visit for a relaxed, casual day.

Abraham Lincoln Postcard, Hodgenville, KY

"Abraham Lincoln National Historical Park- Enclosed in the beautiful, granite Memorial Building is the original log cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born, February 12, 1809."

Lincoln Marriage Cabin, Harrodsburg, KY

The Lincoln Marriage Cabin has been through some changes!  These old postcards show it when it was exposed to the elements.

The top one says-

"On November 4, 1842 Lincoln married Miss Mary Todd, Daughter of Robert S. Todd of Kentucky.

Oddly, that fact has little to do with the cabin pictured.

The bottom postcard gives a more accurate description of the Cabin in Harrodsburg-

Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, parents of Abraham Lincoln, were married in this cabin June 12, 1806 by Rev. Jesse Head.  The cabin has since been moved to Fort Harrod at Harrodsburg, where it is housed in the Lincoln Marriage Temple.  Fort Harrod is an exact reproduction of the first settlement in Kentucky.

Richmond Kentucky

I know I am a little late, but I realized that I had a few pictures on my camera from downtown Richmond, taken around Christmas.

Richmond, for some reason, seems nicer to me than it used to.  It looked nice for Christmas.  I have been spending more time down there these days thanks to Purdy's Coffee.

Coffee House Five- Indianapolis Indiana

I wanted to make sure I mentioned a GREAT coffee shop that we stumbled across while in the Indianapolis area.

Coffeehouse Five is located in the Greenwood area.  It is very close to the Jockamo Pizza (another great site to visit).  In fact, we asked our waitress at Jockamo's about Coffee House Five and though she wasn't a coffee drinker, she said that she had heard it was good.

So, we went in for a cup and to check the place out.

Man, sometimes when I walk into a new coffee shop that has a REAL coffee shop vibe to it, I almost wish I lived in the area, just so I could hang out there!  That is exactly how I felt at Coffeehouse Five.  The place is roomy AND cozy.  There was music playing at a reasonable volume which was nice.  Unlike some places, this would be a perfect place to have a conversation without yelling over music!

I did grab a brochure as I left about the place,
 and I have visited their website.  Coffeehouse Five claims to be set up as a "for benefit" business.  They are a non-profit, noting that people working there are not paid.  They use the money made there to provide counseling and training to help families and couples.  Also, 10% of their proceeds are given to food pantries in the area!

The business does seem to have a religious focus, as they have a Sunday worship service in the evening.  So, if you are up for a church service, this would be a great place to get coffee AND religion at the same time!

Oh, and our coffee and pastries were great!


We really like the Greenwood area anyway.  There is a cool mall (and a Half Price Books) just up the road from here.  Its a great spot south of Indianapolis.  I know of people who enjoy going to Indy for a downtown sporting event, but they aren't fond of lingering in downtown.  Well, Greenwood would be a nice place to spend time before or after a game downtown.

Dr. Suess Gallery at the Keystone Fashion Mall near Indianapolis

I just mentioned the Keystone Fashion Mall in my last post.

Well, they have a super cool Dr. Seuss Gallery inside!  It is very exciting checking out the art inside, AND they are OK with you taking photos!  Check mine out!

Keystone Fashion Mall- Indianapolis Indiana area

I just mention the cool Santa that I love at the Keystone Fashion Mall, I thought I should mention the mall itself.

This is just a cool, classy and clean mall.  This is the kind of mall my wife likes to shop at, and I don't mind going with her.  The stores are upscale (Coach, Crate and Barrel, Urban Outfitters, etc.) but the vibe is casual.  You might pay a little more for what you get here, but you will likely find some nicer things.

The place has one of the coolest artsy type movie theaters I know of, The Keystone Art Cinema.  This very cozy spot shows some of the popular movies, and some of the lesser known, more independent type films.

Another thing I like about the Keystone Mall, is that it is a great shopping local in general.  There are other nice stores around it.  For example, there is a HUGE Barnes and Nobles walking distance from the mall.  Not too far away, there is also a nice Half Price Books!

I don't want to go on and on about a mall, but I really love this one.  We usually do much of our Christmas shopping here each year.

Check it out!

Santa Claus at the Keystone Fashion Mall Indianapolis

I do have a favorite Mall Santa!  The Santa at the Keystone Fashion Mall in Indianapolis is my favorite!

This is one of those odd traditions that I really didn't even realize I had going until this year.  Almost every year since 2008, we have made a trip to the mall during the Christmas season.  Without thinking about it, I always took a moment to snap a quick photo of Santa while there, always from the same angle!

From top to bottom-Santa's area in 2008 (he had stepped away when I took the photo, and I forgot to get his photo later), 2009 (getting his photo taken with a young man), 2010, 2011 (standing and waving at me), 2012 (setting and waving), and 2014.  We did not stop by in 2013.

This is probably one of the classiest malls around, with a very cool and upscale vibe.  Their Santa is cool, and the mall is always decorated for Christmas.

Road to Indianapolis

This weekend we drove to Indianapolis for our annual "Before Christmas" trip. 

In the early 2000s we started going to Indy in November or December just for the heck of it.  Actually, I think there was a reason, but I don't remember it now.  Anyway, there was a year or two when we stopped going and then we remembered how festive the town is for Christmas, and decided that we had to go at some point each holiday season.

I have covered our winter trips to Indianapolis here, here, here, here, and probably a few other places.  So you can see that I really love this town, especially at Christmas.

This year we made it up for a very edited day trip instead of our usual weekend or longer stay.  That was OK, but we missed some of our favorite stops.

AND, there was a strange snow that affected road conditions!  We saw over half a dozen accidents between Louisville and Indianapolis.  It was a bit scary!  AND, Indianapolis had some other traffic issues that slowed things down!

Still, we were happy to be able to stop at a few places and enjoy what we could.

Oakwood Motor Court, Princeton, WV.

Oakwood Motor Court- This is an older one.  On the back it mentions that it was recommended by Duncan Hines.  Anyone know if it is still there?

New River Canyon from Grandview, West Virginia

This postcard was sent from Huntington in 1952.

The back note-

New River Canyon near Grandview showing a breath-taking view and a wonderful panorama of the rushing streams and wooded hills.  On Route US 19, 21 and W. Va. 3.

Random Photos around the Marshall University West Virginia Campus

Hillbilly Hotdogs- Huntington WV

I know, I have posted A LOT about Hillbilly Hot Dogs, like here, and here, but not too long ago, I was able to stop by the Huntington location.

For the longest time, I was calling the original location the Huntington location, but that one is actually the Lesage site.

Anyway, we stopped by the one right around the Marshall Campus.  We actually went past the original site, which had a HUGE line out the door.  I am glad to see that business is good for them though!


The food at the Huntington site was just as good as at the original.  The décor is not as crazy as at the original site, but it is still WAY over the top!

My partners in crime, Brent and El Roy accompanied me on this trip.  If you ever attended an Owensboro Rage game, you might remember Brent as their witty on field announcer.  Anyway, Brent ate a slightly modified version of the "HOMEWRECKER", which is their MASSIVE HUGE dog.  Since Brent modified it, he was not eligible to take the Homewrecker Challenge, but I am pretty sure he could do it if he wanted.  Check out the before and after photos!

I absolutely love Hillbilly Hot Dogs, and wished that would branch out more!  It is so much fun just checkout things out, PLUS the dogs are amazing!  These guys haven't compromised the quality of their food since becoming legendary.

Custer State Park, Black Hills, SD

Horse Shoe Curve on the Needles Highway, Custer State Park, Black Hills, SD

The House of the Seven Gables, Salem Mass.

This postcard is undated and unused.  The House of the Seven Gables is in one of my personal favorite towns, Salem.

Sunset on Kentucky Lake

This is another old, unused postcard with amazing colors, showing Kentucky Lake.