My Old Kentucky Dinner Train Bardstown KY Oct 2021

 Here is a video I posted to youtube of our recent experience on the Kentucky Dinner Train.....  They actually had to cancel the dinner the morning of the train ride.  We were given a refund, BUT they still offered us a free train ride with drink service!

Bardstown Kentucky August 2020

 Here is a short video I put on youtube about one of my favorite cities, Bardstown!  

Helm Cemetery- Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Right behind a Wendy's in Elizabethtown is the Helm Family Cemetery.  It is up on a hill and it is very small.

The remains of former Kentucky Governor John Helm are here, as are the remains of his son, Benjamin Hardin Helm.

Benjamin Hardin Helm commanded the legendary Orphan Brigade (1st Kentucky Brigade) for the South.  Reports I have read establish that he was loved by his Confederate soldiers.  AND, he was married to the half-sister of first lady Mary Todd Lincoln.

Benjamin was killed (by a sharpshooter from the 15th Kentucky Union Infantry) at Chickamauga.

The Lincoln's went through a personal period of mourning, and Helm's widow was given safe passage to be with her family at the White House. 

Anyway, here are some photos I took at the Helm Cemetery, where John and Benjamin rest.

Lincoln Heritage House- Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Here are a few photos I took of the Lincoln Heritage House in Elizabethtown!  Abe's dad helped with the construction.  A fire did some damage to it in 2009, and it looks like they are still working on getting it back in shape.  I heard that they are trying to use period accurate tools and replacement wood...  so it sounds like they are trying to restore it the right way!

Back Home Restaurant- Elizabethtown Kentucky

We wanted to try something new while we were in Elizabethtown.  Well, something new to us anyway.

We saw that Back Home Restaurant rated pretty high online.  We were not familiar with it, but we would be passing near it on our trip, so we checked it out!

I was a bit upset when I read their history though.  They have been around for 30 years, and I am just finding out about it!  I need to keep up with things.

Back Home Restaurant is in an old house that is in a very attractive setting.  We went in and we were taken to a dim, cozy booth.  The set up is very unique and hard to describe, but comfortable.

Check out their menu online.  They have a lot of good home cookin' comfort food kind of items.  I had a BLT, AND we had some pretzel bite appetizers with beer cheese dip.  I'll come back for that.

our waitress and a hostess were both Kentucky Country sweet, and it was just fun chatting with these ladies.  One told us some of the history of the building (it had been several businesses over the years).  They were funny, helpful, and fun to be around.


As we paid our bill to leave, we were tempted by some sweets available on the way out.  At least some were made by our waitress earlier!

AND, there is a boutique shop upstairs.  Its very cute and original too!

Back Home Restaurant gets my highest possible recommendation.  I can't wait to dine here again!

Brown Pusey House- Elizabethtown Kentucky

I FINALLY made it to the Brown-Pusey House in Elizabethtown!

I wanted to stop by here because the place is oozing with history.  John Hunt Morgan and General Custer spent time here (at different times).  Plus, they have some very cool items in their community museum.

We visited on an early Saturday morning.  There was a very nice lady running the place, who was actually waiting for a group that might be renting the facility, but she took the time to give us a brief tour.  We were able to fit a visit in to the museum before the others showed up.  We probably should have called before coming to make sure we would be coming at a good time.

Anyway, the home is rented out a lot for wedding and other related type events.


The home itself is very nice.

BUT, I really wanted to see a couple of famous items on display.

The main item in their possession has to be a corner cabinet built by Thomas Lincoln, father of Honest Abe.  Yeah, I get goose bumps seeing that sort of thing.

The cabinet is actually not in the museum area, but it is in a main part of the house.  After admiring the Thomas Lincoln piece, we were taken to the main museum area in the house.

This is very cool, as the museum is in a room built on to the house later, and you actually walk through/under an old fire place to get into the museum!

This room is full of great local relics, including a Civil War surgeons kit, and the original (wood!) grave marker for Benjamin Hardin Helm!

Here are some photos!

Vibe Coffee- Elizabethtown Kentucky

I just took a couple of photos when we stopped by Vibe Coffee in E-Town.

Good coffee, and the place is BUSY!  While we were there, the place was just busting with people everywhere!

Friends were meeting, tables were overflowing, a local author was selling their book.....  This coffee shop is active!


They are in a great location too, right on the square.  There is a sister business that is part of Vibe- there is a health food kind of place right inside.

Plus, its walking distance from several cool things to do in town!

Cannon Ball and Downtown Elizabethtown Kentucky

We decided to spend a day in Elizabethtown mostly hunting down Civil War and historic sites.

You know, I have driven back and forth between Owensboro and Berea, and Owensboro and Lexington hundreds of times.  There was a period that I would ALWAYS stop in Elizabethtown for something.  Gas.  A drink.  Lunch.  I just always stopped.

Well......  I just haven't stopped there in a while.  Probably at least a couple of years.  It was nice to go there and relax a bit again.

We swung by the mall.  Last time I was there, I really thought the mall was on its way to dead mall city.  It still had some stuff going for it, but not like it used to.  Well, the mall now seemed livelier than ever to me!  I was glad to see a good crowd there, and lots of stores.


More on several things later, but we did a lot of walking around the square.  I took a moment to photograph the Civil War cannonball in the building.  There are markers...  and arrows.

We also walked around the cemetery in town, which is walking distance from the square.  Its a nice one to explore with lots of Civil War history.

Here are some photos!

The Stephen Foster Story- Bardstown, KY

"Scene of The Stephen Foster Story My Old Kentucky Home State Park Bardstown, Kentucky."

Christmas Tree near Elizabethtown

The Christmas Tree near the side of the road in the E-Town area is decorated again!  I mentioned it first in 2011 here. 

Barrett's- Exit 112 in Leitchfield

 



I am on the Western Kentucky Parkway a lot.  In fact, I have probably traveled back and forth between Owensboro and Lexington hundreds of times.

If you make that trip often, you know that there aren't a lot of options concerning a good place to stop and stretch your legs.

Well, my favorite spot is Barrett's Marathon off exit 112.  The folks that work there are friendly, the restrooms are nice, and they have a nice beverage selection (I like the fact that they carry Snapple and Jones).

Anyway, this is a nice place to stop on the Western Kentucky.

Jailer's Inn Bed and Breakfast in Bardstown

I have walked past the Jailer's Inn in Bardstown before, but this was my first trip inside.

I have said before that I love going on ghost tours, and the odd historic tour with a bit of a dark side to it.  Well, for $5 the staff at the Jailer's Inn will give you a very nice tour of the site.  We felt this was actually a great deal.

We started our tour in the gift shop.  They had the predictable postcards and trinkets relating to a jail, but there were also some other interesting items to go along with the "crime and punishment" theme.

From the gift shop we moved through to an area where items were displayed from the hangings that occurred at the jail.  Shackles and a black hood were on display, as were photos from the actual hangings.  The presentation was startling and vivid.

From there, we walked through the still well preserved jail area.  One cell is still rented out to overnight guests during the warmer months.  A door used to give inmates their meals is still in that cell's door.  Our tour guide mentioned that one young girl who was serving time there tried to squeeze out of that small door to escape.  She got about half way through and then found herself stuck.

Various homemade weapons were on display. Other inmate made items, such as a key copy and a tattoo pin were there too.

Artwork done by former residents of the jail is on the wall.  My favorite was a painting of playing cards.  VERY nicely done!

Our guide told us a great story about Jesse James relating to the jail.  In fact, there is a photo on display showing Jesse in a family photo with local law enforcement!  It seems Jesse's kin had some authority in the area, and they no doubt had his back!

We were told some stories involving ghosts too, which is a bit standard in Bardstown.  Our guide had a honest feel to her, which gave her stories more credibility than some.

After exploring the cells, the shower area, and other places where criminals were once held, we were taken to the courtyard.

The old stonewall around the courtyard is cozy and private.  Having breakfast here on a summer morning would be great.  However, knowing about the hangings that happened in this area may be a little unsettling for some.  See the photos above for a "then and now" comparison of the back of the jail today....  and a photo of the same spot with a scaffold in front of it.

The Jailer's Inn is right next to the Old Talbott Tavern making the center of Bardstown a great stop for a fan of history.


http://www.jailersinn.com/