5 States
4 Days
2,746 Miles
56 Hours and 41 minutes driving time
22 Restaurants
4 Bakeries
2 Ice cream/Frozen yogurt shops
1 Coffee shop
4 Sonic America’s Drive-In (total is now 186 in 25 states)
1 Whole Foods Market (total is now 70)
Friday, December 28th, 2012
Graham Elliot
Chicago (Greatest City In The World)
2 Stars- Michelin
4 Stars- Forbes
3- James Beard Award Nominations
Top Chef Masters- Season 1 and 2
Iron Chef America
Monkfish
Carrot
Review: creepy service, subpar food whose elements did not make sense, waste of $110.
Saturday, December 29th, 2012
Having only seen the skyline of Louisville before it was satisfying to find this river city has a visitor friendly downtown. Though it was embarrassing to find a statue of me.
Invented at The Brown Hotel in 1926 the Hot Brown is found on many Kentucky restaurant menus.
This sandwich is built on toast points with turkey breast, tomatoes and bacon; draped in a Pecorino Romano based Mornay.
It was about a decade ago a desire to dine at Lynn’s Paradise Café was ignited after an episode of the Food Network’s long defunct “The Best Of…”
The décor is a Technicolor blend of garage sale, rec room and flea market.
The Crunchcakes are their Paradise Pancakes (locally stone ground yellow cornmeal and whole wheat flour) filled with Lynn’s cinnamon granola.
Kentucky staple Lemon Chess Pie from Homemade Ice Cream and Pies.
Having had my RDA of butter and sugar for the month headed out of town.
Circled Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. For such a tony event it sure is in a drab area.
Driving past Fort Knox the gold bullion depository is visible.
Didn’t see Kirsten Dunst or Orlando Bloom in Elizabethtown.
You know, it’s a tradition! The state capitol in Frankfort.
A crisp winter night, a few falling snowflakes, darkness, the lights of Frankfort below; the atmosphere to pay respect to the great American frontiersman Daniel Boone.
Frankfort.
The night concluded driving a snow covered, twisting road following the crest of hills in the northern part of the state. Admiring the small towns and country scenery while trying to ignore the drop-offs.
Sunday, December 30th, 2012
The day started in Lexington, the horse capitol of Kentucky, and its downtown has some Victorian vestiges. Then headed east.
Smokey Valley Truck Stop hasn’t had fuel service for years.
But its home-like kitchen still churns out southern breakfasts.
Ashland, in the NE corner of the state, is home to the Paramount Arts Theatre, from an era when the studios owned the theatres.
The mountains started to grow along the eastern border.
After traipsing along the eastern border and through West Virginia the routed headed toward the central part of the state. A narrow country road threaded through the hillsides.
Berea has a regal façade.
Paint Lick.
Scenes similar to this in Danville have been admired countless times along the hundreds of thousands of miles I’ve driven across the USA. And they never fail to tug at the heart strings. It is like an amalgamation of history/photo album/architecture lesson. Just imagine how much these street has seen through the centuries.
The texture of this Cranberry Orange Muffin is what made it splendid.
The day concluded heading south and then along the southern border.
Monday, December 31st, 2012
A centralized start in London headed east and circled back.
The mountains of southeast Kentucky.
There is a lot of mining in this area.
In 1940 Harlan Sanders opened up Sanders Café with an adjoining service station and motel in Corbin.
It was in this kitchen he prepared his famous country ham, biscuits and chicken with eleven secret herbs and spices.
Of course, the current complex includes a KFC.
Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico spoiled me. Ever since being underground there many years ago every other cave just doesn’t impress. However, I was still grateful to visit Mammoth Cave in the central part of Kentucky.
They offer 12 tours and the one I took featured many narrow passages.
Mammoth is the longest cave complex in the world with 400 miles mapped so far.
Trolling along the northern boundary a beacon appeared in then night. “Twist cone please!”
The town square in Bowling Green was lit up for the holidays and abuzz with New Year’s Eve patrons.
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013
This morning’s route started along the southern border heading west. A pause in unspoiled Elkton found them piping Christmas music around their pleasant town square.
Another slice of Americana in Murray.
Downtown Paducah was very charming in contrast to the surrounding bleakness.
Did you notice Kentucky is lacking in bakeries?
And since I was not able to make it to the Abraham Lincoln sites when they were open I will have to return to Kentucky.
Sunday, December 30th, 2012
The day started in Lexington, the horse capitol of Kentucky, and its downtown has some Victorian vestiges. Then headed east.
Smokey Valley Truck Stop hasn’t had fuel service for years.
But its home-like kitchen still churns out southern breakfasts.
Ashland, in the NE corner of the state, is home to the Paramount Arts Theatre, from an era when the studios owned the theatres.
The mountains started to grow along the eastern border.
After traipsing along the eastern border and through West Virginia the routed headed toward the central part of the state. A narrow country road threaded through the hillsides.
Berea has a regal façade.
Paint Lick.
Scenes similar to this in Danville have been admired countless times along the hundreds of thousands of miles I’ve driven across the USA. And they never fail to tug at the heart strings. It is like an amalgamation of history/photo album/architecture lesson. Just imagine how much these street has seen through the centuries.
The texture of this Cranberry Orange Muffin is what made it splendid.
The day concluded heading south and then along the southern border.
Monday, December 31st, 2012
A centralized start in London headed east and circled back.
The mountains of southeast Kentucky.
There is a lot of mining in this area.
In 1940 Harlan Sanders opened up Sanders Café with an adjoining service station and motel in Corbin.
It was in this kitchen he prepared his famous country ham, biscuits and chicken with eleven secret herbs and spices.
Of course, the current complex includes a KFC.
Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico spoiled me. Ever since being underground there many years ago every other cave just doesn’t impress. However, I was still grateful to visit Mammoth Cave in the central part of Kentucky.
They offer 12 tours and the one I took featured many narrow passages.
Mammoth is the longest cave complex in the world with 400 miles mapped so far.
Trolling along the northern boundary a beacon appeared in then night. “Twist cone please!”
The town square in Bowling Green was lit up for the holidays and abuzz with New Year’s Eve patrons.
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013
This morning’s route started along the southern border heading west. A pause in unspoiled Elkton found them piping Christmas music around their pleasant town square.
Another slice of Americana in Murray.
Downtown Paducah was very charming in contrast to the surrounding bleakness.
Did you notice Kentucky is lacking in bakeries?
And since I was not able to make it to the Abraham Lincoln sites when they were open I will have to return to Kentucky.