Kentucky Travels
Hi, I am Jim, I love Kentucky, and traveling in and around Kentucky! I also love the entire country, and all of the beautiful and strange places here and there! This blog covers the overlooked, forgotten, and underrated places, people, and moments in history in America, with a focus on Kentucky! It will cover great tourists stops, books about people and history, and include photos and postcard scans.
Mackinac Bridge
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Flatwoods Monster Museum Sutton West Virginia 2024
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Driving around Sutton and Flatwoods West Virginia 2024
Friday, October 11, 2024
"Edgar Cayce's Hometown: Hopkinsville Kentucky" by William T. Turner and Chris Gilkey
Hoptown is a really interesting town with a lot of pop that doesn't get the attention it deserves. There is a lot of interesting and other worldly legends around, not to mention nearby Civil War ties.
But, many people know about Hopkinsville as the hometown of Edgar Cayce. If you aren't up on Cayce, google him. He would go in to trances, and give medical advice, along with other thoughts that were new age.
So, Turner and Gilkey have put together a book (similar to the "Images of America" series) that shows various photos of Hopkinsville around the time Cayce would have been around (very late 1800s- through early 1900s). There are few pictures of Edgar himself, but an impressive collection of pictures the "Sleeping Prophet" took himself, as he was a photographer.
Like I said, Hopkinsville doesn't get the attention it deserves, but it is a fascinating little town, and this is a great book to add to its underrated legacy.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Flatwoods Monster Convention West Virginia 2024
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
San Francisco California Old Postcards
Seelbach Hotel Louisville Kentucky 2024
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Yankee Rebel Tavern Mackinac Island Michigan
Monday, October 7, 2024
Coffee Connection Hopkinsville KY 2024
Saturday, October 5, 2024
"Finding Daniel Boone" by Ted Franklin Belue
Thursday, October 3, 2024
"The Big Muddy Monster" by Lewis/Voss/Nelson
I picked up "The Big Muddy Monster: Legends, Sightings, & Other Strange Encounters." It has been a fun read, giving info on all of the sightings involving "The Big Muddy Monster." It also covers a lot of the other strange history in the area. The book has a great chapter by Kevin Lee Nelson going deep in to explanations for the supernatural and sightings. It is a smart and thoughtful chapter.
I really enjoy a book that is a complete, deep dive into a legend, and the authors of this book have done that, and they have done a good job.
It seems that the area is getting a related festival going too!
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
"Somewhere in Crime" by Dave McVeigh and Jim Bolone
Sunday, September 29, 2024
"Waverly Hills Sanatorium: A History" by Lynn Pohl
I wanted to quickly mention "Waverly Hills Sanatorium: A History" by Lynn Pohl.
Saturday, September 28, 2024
"Mayhem on Mackinac Island" by Johnathan Rand
Friday, September 27, 2024
National Cave Museum in Kentucky
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
"The Civil War at Perryville: Battling for the Bluegrass" by Christopher L. Kolakowski
I wanted to mentioned the cool volume, "The Civil War at Perryville: Battling for the Bluegrass" by Christopher L. Kolakowski which I picked up recently.
The Grand Hotel Mackinac Island 2024
Monday, September 23, 2024
Ace Coffee Co Cave City Kentucky July 2024
Friday, September 20, 2024
"The View from Karen's Book Barn: Stories from La Grange, Kentucky" by Scott Houchin
I LOVED the now defunct Karen's Book Barn in La Grange. I mentioned it here on this blog years ago. It was a perfect little place, with a great selection of books and magazines, and they also had coffee!
I was happy to see this book, for the great cover alone.
Fortunately, the book itself is a very pleasant read!
Scott Houchin has written a very nice book about his life circling around where he grew up- in La Grange Kentucky. The stories are sweet and easy to understand. He talks about childhood friends, reconnecting with them years later, and even dealing with their deaths.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the entire community getting behind the the local high school basketball team.
Scott would later find himself scattered in different places across the US, but he still thought of La Grange as home.
I could relate to this book with my own small town Kentucky experiences, and moving away later in life (and then coming back). I know about finding old friends, and dealing with their passing.
This is a sweet, easy to read short book that would be a nice gift for a younger reader, or an older reader.
Alanson Michigan 2024
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Sammies Sandwiches Union City TN
Monday, September 16, 2024
Daniel Boone Coffee Shop Slade Kentucky
Friday, September 13, 2024
Mackinac Island Carriage Ride 2024
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Trail of Tears Commemorative Park and Heritage Center Hopkinsville
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
"Haunts of Mackinac" by Todd Clements
The first volume really covers a lot of ground, and even includes fascinating facts on shipwrecks in the area, the Mackinac Bridge, the Grand Hotel, and just about everything else of note on and by the island.
I did not know that two cars have gone off of the Mackinac Bridge, or that a plane clipped it and ended up going down.
Ghost stories are told, legends of fairies, graveyards (some moved, for the most part), and old buildings are covered.