Day 302 (Sunday 5/19/13)- Harrodsburg, KY

　Harrodsburg really didn't have much to offer us beyond a place to stay but we made the most of it.

Enjoying lunch at the lovely Old Fort Harrod State Park we pursued the grounds, including the wedding chapel where Lincoln's parents were married, but skipped paying to see the inside of the fort (turns out it isn't hard to see through the widely spaced slats of the fence).

In the evening we watched the movie End of Watch. Thinking this would be just another cop movie I was blown away. Though Isaiah would tell you the villains were ridiculous and brought the movie down a little (though I would argue it was perfect) he would also say that he hasn't seen a better depiction of a close friendship in a long while. My usual distaste for Jake Gyllenhal movies wasn't applicable here and Michael Pena was great as always.



 

 

Day 301 (Saturday 5/18/13)- Lexington, KY

Able to once again claim a spot on one of the highly sought out Buffalo Trace tours we started the day with a little Bourbon and some history too.

As we would hear on each subsequent tour "A Bourbon is a Whiskey but not all Whiskey is a Bourbon." In essence this means that you can only call your Whiskey a Bourbon if it meets strict Federal regulations. There are several but the most noteworthy are:

-It has to be aged in a brand-new charred Oak barrel

-It has to be made in the U.S. (though 95% of Bourbon is made in Kentucky alone)

-It has to go into the barrel at 125 proof (it usually comes out much stronger than that)

-It has to be free of additives

Having a fascinating tour guide we learned much--the word Kentucky is actually a butchered pronunciation of a Native word referring to Kentucky's lovely rolling hills. We also learned that the word proof comes from when early bartenders literally had to prove that their liquor was safe and pure (yes, back then that was less of a contradiction) by setting in on fire (if it burned it was legit) and that the proof of an alcohol is double the actual alcohol content (I.E. 120 proof is 60% alcohol).

Touring the Four Roses distillery next we had a totally different tour experience when we were led right along a catwalk weaving in between huge vats of mash ton. Normally off limits or completely enclosed this was a much more intimate and exciting (though extremely hot and a little dangerous) look into the behind-the-scenes process.

In Lexington we were disappointed to find the Keeneland horse racing track packed with people and thus inaccessible for a tour and that all the pools would not open for another few weeks. So much for that shower...

 

 

 

 

Buffalo Trace Distillery

 

 

 

 

Three Roses Distillery

 

Mash ton

 

 

 

 

Day 300 (Friday 5/17/13)- Louisville, KY

I almost missed a great experience in the city of Columbus, IN when I suggested we skip a tour of the city's architecture. Thankfully Isaiah and a well timed promotional video at the visitor's center convinced me it was worth the effort and so we ventured out.
Ranking 6th in the nation for best modern architecture, the small city is a treat for anyone with a passion for building design or even just an hour or so to browse out of curiosity. Since the city expects you to pay $3 for a city map, we had to wing our tour route, but managed to do so with a blessedly small amount of aimless circling.

Arriving in Louisville we were aghast when the woman at the visitor's center instructed Isaiah not to travel alone in the historic neighborhood we had on our sightseeing list (It was the middle of the day). Though we have visited some questionable places before, this was the first time that Isaiah had been warned. We did do the drive but more quickly than originally planned and thus found few opportunities for good pictures, but lots of reason to leave Louisville, staying just long enough to realize the correct pronunciation of Louisville--say "Lou-ville" and you've just about got it.

Having been lucky enough to secure a spot on one of the four different tours offered at the Buffalo Trace Distillery we arrived in Frankfort right in time for the tour to begin.

Marketed as a Ghost Tour we hadn't anticipated much beyond a few ghost stories. The tour proceeded to blow away our modest predictions. An enthusiastic self-proclaimed "Spirit Communicator" led us around the nation's oldest continuous distillery (opened in 1787 and one of just a few distilleries that operated during prohibition making "prescription" Whiskey) pointing out places where she or other staff or tour guests had seen or felt spirit activity.

If we had to put all our faith in just one woman's account it would have lessened the legitimacy of the supernatural claims, but Buffalo Trace was the only distillery featured on the show Ghost Hunters. During the 2011 filming, several cast members experienced unexplained phenomenon like two people being pinched on the butt at the same exact moment in two different locations. Though a skeptic by nature it certainly made the hair rise on my neck. (though my butt was ok)

Ending the tour with samples Isaiah especially enjoyed getting to try White Dog, which is unaged and as close to moonshine as you can legally get and I was in heaven trying cream liquor (made with real cream) mixed with root beer and a bourbon chocolate.

 

 

Architecture in Columbus, IN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haunted Buffalo Trace Distillery

 

Day 299 (Thursday 5/16/13)- Indianapolis, IN

Some good friends who used to live in Indy gave us some recommendations on how to tackle the town and made our visit more focused.

After rain spoiled our attempt to visit a lovely city park we drove to the highly recommended Friendly Tavern and munched on apple dumplings with cinnamon ice cream. Apparently used to people ordering more than just the dumplings, our waitress was far from friendly which made the restaurants name a bit of a misnomer. Absolutely worth the apple dumplings though.

The rest of our day was dominated by the massive Museum of Art which had multiple floors and, outside, numerous acres of lovely gardens and walking trails. We enjoyed the artwork, which spanned many centuries, as well as walking around the gorgeous garden grounds.