After a long drive from Mississippi to Kentucky, we arrived at Uncle Bob’s and Aunt Patsy’s right around dinner time. They have a beautiful property in south central Kentucky with abundant garden space, rolling hills, and a pond.
We sure didn’t go hungry – Uncle Bob loves to cook on his outdoor griddle setup and Aunt Patsy is a marvelous cook and baker!! Some of our projects during the week included sourdough bread and sourdough chocolate chip cookies. Uncle Bob is very involved with the local Cooperative Extension and he and Tim worked on preparing a space for native grasses to be planted by the Extension team.
One of the highlights of our visit was a day spent paddling down the Cumberland River! Uncle Bob was able to borrow a couple kayaks from a friend, and he set us up for a day trip paddle from Helm’s Landing to Winfrey’s Ferry, about 12 river miles. Aunt Patsy sent us off with a cooler packed with lunch, snacks, and drinks. Out to the river we went!
The weather was awesome. We soaked up the scenery and enjoyed many birdsongs as we drifted downriver. About halfway through, we pulled out at the Creelsboro Natural Arch or Rockhouse, as it’s known locally. What a cool place – a 300 million year old limestone arch sits just off the river bank. You can’t help but stare up in awe at the colossal structure.
After our paddle, we hauled out at Winfrey’s Ferry and made our way back to the house. Uncle Bob took us to check out Short Creek, a neat alcove with unique rock formations and caves. The water comes out from one cave and goes right back in to another, hence Short Creek!
We made one more stop to visit Uncle Bob’s friend and fellow tractor aficionado. He has a big property with lots of goats! We were introduced to his daughter, who was eager to teach us the names of all of the goats. She also knew their specific breeds, and had every relationship within the herd dialed in. I was impressed! They also have 3 Great Pyrenees dogs who roam the property and are sure to keep everyone in line.
Sunset was upon us when we returned home. After a delicious meal together, we relaxed for another couple of hours before heading to bed. It was another full day of great adventures and we were so thankful to have this opportunity to spend time with Uncle Bob and Aunt Patsy as we don’t get to see them very often!
The next morning we decided to check out the mountain biking trails at Pulaski County Park. Some spots were tricky as the fallen leaves obscured the tree roots and made it slow going at times. We came across an old suspension bridge and stopped to get a closer look.
It was another day of beautiful weather – we really lucked out. It was also our last full day in Kentucky! That night, we enjoyed a great meal with Uncle Bob and Aunt Patsy and after packing up the next morning, we said our goodbyes and got back on the road.
We had a short drive planned to Bloomington, Indiana to visit my sister Joy. Since we weren’t in a rush to get there, we made several stops along the route to check out some unique places. Our first stop was Abe Lincoln’s birthplace in Hodgenville, KY. It’s a National Historic Park and has beautiful grounds.
Our next stop was a car museum in Elizabethtown, KY: Swope’s Cars of Yesteryear. It was neat to see pre-war era cars and Tim especially enjoyed the collection!
Before entering Louisville, we jogged east a little bit and stopped at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. What a beautiful spot! The trails were fantastic and we especially loved the 3 giant trolls created by artist Thomas Dambo. If you’re interested in his work, check out the Troll Map and discover where else in the world you can find these giants!
After a quick stop in Louisville for gas, we were only a few hours away from Bloomington and arrived just in time for dinner. It was great to see Joy and catch up!
Over the next week, we spent time helping Joy with some projects, exploring Bloomington, cooking and baking, practicing yoga, and hanging out together.
On Saturday, Joy gave us a tour of campus and showed us the laboratory where she’s working on her research and focused on studying microbial activity within permafrost.
Her research focuses on microbial activity within permafrost
Outside the lab, this thermograph caught my eye! It wasn’t recording, but is meant to monitor the temperature inside the laboratory. Very cool!
Later in the day, we took a drive to nearby Nashville, Indiana. It’s a cute little town full of shops and restaurants. We had lunch and walked around. It was absolutely packed with people! We later learned it was the weekend of the annual Chocolate Walk, a popular fundraiser event for the Brown County Humane Society that drew all the crowds.
Another highlight of our time in Bloomington was exploring the great trails! Our favorite was the Karst Farm Greenway. After walking part of the trail, we decided to come back with our bikes and bike the whole stretch.
With another kitchen available to use, I spent a lot of time cooking and baking! Not only do I enjoy it, but it was also a gift for Joy to have a stocked freezer for quick meals during busy weeks at school. Some items on the menu included cauliflower & pumpkin pasta, Moroccan meatballs, chicken soup, lentil soup, 2 loaves of bread, banana nut muffins, and Bolognese sauce. In an effort not to waste the pumpkin puree, I ended up making a couple batches of pumpkin cookies too. The freezer was full – success!
After a week in Bloomington, it was time to pack up, say our goodbyes, and get back on the road. We had a great visit with Joy and really loved the area. Soon we would head back into central time for a visit with Steve and Joellen in Illinois!