May 23 &24 - Kentucky

May 23
We headed east for our last stop before going north. The drive to the Louisville/Lexington area in Kentucky was more than a days drive so we picked a place with a KOA to spend the night. We made it easy on ourselves and didn’t even unhitch the Manor. I was reading the AAA tour guide as we were going down the road and saw that the Laura Engels Wilder Museum was just off the highway. We hit it just right to see a film and have a tour of the house at Rocky Ridge Farm. She was a favorite of Rachel and Zoe when they were about 6 and 7 years old. Zoe read everything she could get her hands on that was written by Laura and her daughter Rose. Laura and Alfonzo moved here with Rose in 1894, and lived most of their adult life in this home, both living to 90 and 92. The last addition to the home was in 1912. It looks just like it did before Laura passed away. The furnishings included furniture that Alfonzo made. Laura published her first of her “Little House” books in 1932. All nine books in the series were written right here. Pa’s fiddle and some of her hand written manuscripts are in the museum.

Laura Engles Wilder's Home

May 24
We made it to My Kentucky Home State Park in time for Norm to have a nap while Chris and I played cards. We set up the “screened bug free tent” for the first time. We could enjoy the nice breeze and not be bothered by the bugs. Yea!

We went in to check out Bardstown and have dinner. What a surprise. This town, just south of Louisville, is listed in “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” The town dates back to the 1770’s and many of the buildings are still standing. One home built in the 1780’s was lived in until 2000 and is now a classy restaurant. Talbott Tavern has been taking care of hungry folks since the 1770’s! We had a drink and appetizer in the very room where Abraham Lincoln’s family ate while they were waiting on a court case decision. George Washington, Lewis and Clark, and Henry Clay, to name a few, sipped some ale and had a bite to eat in this very room. We only had a chance to go into a couple of shops before they closed. We talked to a shop owner whose family had owned the building and clothing store since 1889. It is a darling Main Street. Maybe we will get back here when the shops are open.