Local people
End a tour of Mercer’s quilt squares with a meal at the Kentucky Fudge Company Page 20
• Dog lover • Great bowler • Mustachioed man • Apple farmer • Catholic priest • Firefighter • Police chief • Good dad • Animal lover • Barber • Aspiring writer • And more ...
Great places Learn about bourbon at Wilderness Trail Page 15
Taste the country life at Penn’s Store Page 17
Escape the world in palisades preserves Pages 24-25
Discover Kentucky’s military history Page 31
Kids’ talk We asked Danville and Boyle students:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Pages 22-23
Old Fort Harrod
Pioneer Days Festival August 18, 19 & 20, 2017, 5:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M. One of central Kentucky's fastest growing festivals, we offer live music, great demonstrations, car show, great food, inflatables, animal corral and much more. With OVER 100 vendors last year and more expected this year, there will be plenty for everyone to see, do and even shop for. Great family environment under the shade trees of Old Fort Harrod State Park.
Fort Harrod Jazz & Art Festival
A full-scale replica of the fort built by James Harrod in 1775 is the centerpiece of Old Fort Harrod State Park in Harrodsburg, KY. Cabins and blockhouses are furnished with handmade utensils, furniture, crude tools and implements used by the pioneers. The park complex also features the historic Mansion Museum, George Rogers Clark Federal Monument, Lincoln Marriage Temple, and oldest cemetery west of the Alleghenies. The Lincoln Marriage Temple is one of the stops along Kentucky's Lincoln Heritage Trail.
Pick Up The Park
EVENTS
April 8, 2017, 9:00 A.M. - Noon Volunteers are needed to get the grounds ready for the big Easter Egg Hunt next Saturday. This annual clean up day is always a lot of fun and a great way to pitch in and get the park ready for the mowing season.
Community Easter Egg and Candy Hunt April 15, 2017, 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. Everyone is invited out to attend this celebration on the front lawn! Sponsored by the Harrodsburg Kiwanis Club this event brings out hundreds of youngsters of all ages. Games and booths and the Easter Bunny too.
Fort Harrod Grand Council April 22, 2017, 11:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. Natives and Settlers come together for a meeting to discuss their differences here on the Colonial Frontier. British and French agents are also on hand to give their side of the settling of Kentucky.
PICNIC IN THE PARK Old Fort Harrod June 2, 2017, Noon - 1:00 P.M. *Every Friday in June and July at noon! You are invited to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy free entertainment under our "big ol' tree"! Every Friday in June and July at noon you can enjoy the park while singers or magicians or piano players perform for you and for all. A 30 year old tradition here in Harrodsburg!
Please call us to see who is performing this week. 859-734-3314
James Harrod: The Battle for Kentucky Outdoor Drama
September 16 & 17, 2017, 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 P.M. Come and enjoy world class Jazz and much more at this fast growing festival. Bring your lawn chair and spend the day ,or two listening to great live music in the park. Food vendors are ready to supply you with great food so you can stay and listen all day. Event is free to the public.
Haunted Frontier:
A Haunted House 243 Years in the Making October 27, 28 & 29, 2017, 7:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. Come and experience this haunt that starts in the old fort before entering the wooded area behind the fort, very near the oldest cemetery in the state of Kentucky! Most of the haunt is outside in the smoky darkness of this historic place. This is a serious haunt, not recommended for children under 10 or the weak hearted! Starts at 7 p.m.
July 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 2017, 8:30 P.M. - 10:30 P.M. The Ragged Edge Community Theater produces this outstanding play in the James Harrod Amphitheater. The play centers around Harrodsburg's founder, frontiersman, James Harrod and his group of men that came to what is today Kentucky in 1774 to start a new life. They battled the elements, other settlers, each other but mostly the Natives to survive out here in the wilderness. Come and see this action packed portrayal of how the first settlement of the West was started.
Brigadoon: Outdoor Drama Musical
June 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 2017, 8:00 P.M. - 10:30 P.M. The Ragged Edge Community Theater produces it's summer Musical, Brigadoon, in the James Harrod Amphitheater! This timeless play is sure to please audiences of all ages performed under the stars here at historic Old Fort Harrod State Park. Group discounts, lodging packages and more are available too! Please
call 859-734-3314.
HARRODSBURG BIRTHDAY PARTY Old Fort Harrod State Park June 16, 2017, 5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. Come celebrate our town's 243rd birthday with cake and entertainment under our "big ol' tree".
Fort Harrod Settlement & Raid June 17, 18, 2017, 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Our signature event! This is a full scale re-enactment, complete with living history, native culture, presentations, demonstrations and even a Native attack on the fort! A 1770's mix of settlers, sutlers (sellers) and Natives. Come and enjoy the weekend and check out all the great history and entertaining people here.
Hours of Operation / Admission Admission Adults - $7.00 Senior - $6.00 Children (6-12) - $4.00 Discount for Military and Veterans - $1.00 off
April 1 - October 31 The Fort Harrod State Park Museum is open Wednesday - Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm. Open Sunday 1:00pm to 5:00pm Park is open to the public Park is open to the public 8:00 until dusk, 7 days a 8:00 a.m. until dusk, 7 week. days a week. December 1 - February 28 March 1 - November 30 Fort, Gift Shop and Lincoln Fort, Gift Shop and Lincoln Marriage Temple Marriage Temple are open Monday - Friday, 8:00am are open Wednesday to 4:30pm Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. Open Sunday Noon to 5:00pm
November 1 - March 31 Museum is closed.
Meetings, Conventions and Groups Harrod Banquet Room Dimensions: 47’x47’. Built in screen and staging available. 160 people at round tables or 200 people in a reception standup style. $300.00 rental/deposit. Lincoln Board Room Intimate room with windows. Perfect for the strategic planning session. Sits 20 people. $50.00 rental/deposit.
Pioneer Room
Room with small kitchen area. Sits 20 people. $50.00/deposit. Amphitheatre Chairs included. $300.00 rental/$200 deposit. Indoor & Outdoor Theatre Chairs & Shelter included.$500.00 rental/ $400 deposit. Park Grounds Weddings $100.00 rental. Shelter $50.00 rental.
Old Fort Harrod State Park 100 S. College St. Harrodsburg, KY 40330 Phone: (859) 734-3314 Email: fortharrod@ky.gov Park Manager: David Coleman
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Experience 2017
Experience is an annual publication of The Advocate-Messenger
PUBLISHER — Larry Hensley EDITOR AND DESIGNER — Ben Kleppinger AD DIRECTOR — Carrie Shields CONTRIBUTORS Rosalind Essig Kendra Peek Kayla Lasure James Morris Amanda Wheeler Bobbie Curd Abigail Whitehouse Robin Hart AD CONSULTANTS Steven Sleet Lee Smith Melanie Tackett
Cover photo: A cold glass of sweet tea accompanies a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich with extra pickles at the Kentucky Fudge Company in Harrodsburg. Writer Amanda Wheeler took this photo when she visited the restaurant after taking the self-guided quilt square tour in Mercer County, available through the Mercer County Cooperative Extension Office. Read more — Page 20
THANK YOU DANVILLE COMMUNITY FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT. PRESENTED BY
PHONE 800.482.1717 WEB NATIONALOFFICEFURNITURE.COM
Experience 2017
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Great places to visit Local flavor Downtown Danville.................................................................................9 Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge........................................................11 Wilderness Trail Distillery.....................................................................15 Penn’s Store..............................................................................................17
Hidden gems Mercer County Quilt Square Tour.......................................................20 Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve...................................................24 Jim Beam Nature Preserve....................................................................25 Crab Orchard Cemetery Tour..............................................................26
Best of the Bluegrass Kentucky Arboretum............................................................................28 Kentucky Military History and Memorials........................................31 Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm...................................33
Photo by Rosalind Essig
Retired thoroughbred horse War Emblem grazes at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm near Georgetown. Read more — page 33
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Experience 2017
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The barber “I’ve been cutting this guy’s hair since he started third grade — makes me feel old! I’ve owned The Shop for almost 22 years, so I’ve seen a lot of them grow up around here. I started cutting hair at 14. My cousin needed a haircut and I messed his hair up – real bad — with a pair of dog clippers. But I knew I wanted to be a barber. I love doing career days at schools, I cut kids’ hair in the classroom, tell them about being a barber, getting their cosmetology license, all that. I cut kids’ hair for free who are going back to college. It’s really not much, but it’s how I thank them for their loyalty, and the fact they’re going to college. I do the haircuts for St. Baldricks cancer event at Centre, this year I did about 22 of them, along with Jerry Farmer. It’s not cutting hair, it’s saving it. I probably do about 17, 18 haircuts a day. I’ve got carpel tunnel, but I really can’t take the time off to have the surgery on my hands like they want me to. I need another full-time person bad, I’m always looking for help. I cut kids’ hair from 5-months-old to the end. My hours vary, due to playing golf. Fridays are crazy around here; I may have 25 people hanging out. Absolutely, the barber shop is the place the guys hang. But you see my sign on the wall: ‘If you can’t respect others, go somewhere else.’ I always wanted a place where you could bring your daughter with you when you got your hair cut. Think that’s a good motto?” Barber DeWayne Southerland with customer Steven McAdoo Danville
LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE...
Eat, Drink & Buy Local When you buy local you support your friends, family, neighbors, and your community. For every $100 spent at locally owned businesses, 68% will stay in the community. We invite you to love local in downtown Danville: -Shop at locally-owned, one-of-a-kind stores. -Enjoy food & drink from unique, award-winning, and nationally recognized eateries. -Discover local history, including 8 National Register Districts, 15 locations on the National Register of Historic Places and 2 National Historic Landmarks. To see all of the restaurants, stores and attractions in the heart of Danville visit http://www.downtowndanville.com.
Photo by Bobbie Curd
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Experience 2017
The flag protector “I take care of the flags. If they break down I repair them. Sometimes they break down like a pole will break or something or they tear up. A violent wind can rip them like a piece of paper. I’m kind of their protector. I’m a volunteer firefighter. I’ve been on the fire and rescue service for 44 years. I help decorate at Christmas time. I visit sick veterans. That’s part of my job to do that. I go to the hospital or nursing homes. Or if I’m called, I go see someone who’s lost their husband. That’s kind of rough on me, but I do it.” Woody Stigall Perryville Photo by James Morris
NATIONAL OFFICE FURNITURE IS PROUD TO HAVE A MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN DANVILLE.
THANKS TO THE DANVILLE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING NATIONAL. PRESENTED BY
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Experience 2017
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Spend a night out
on the town without leaving town Local Flavor
Downtown Danville has a lot to offer Story and Photos by Amanda Wheeler Contributing writer
t
The small Bluegrass town of Danville, known as the home of Centre College and the Kentucky School for the Deaf, has a lot packed into its downtown space. Danville offers as many scenic sidewalks along its beautiful downtown streets as you would care to walk. You can also indulge in lots of delicious food options. I began my visit to Danville at the city’s Community Arts Center, where there is always at least one featured exhibit, but sometimes there are as many as three. Also available at the CAC are a number of art classes for adults and kids, including ceramics, dancing, drama, painting and music. After visiting the arts center, my husband and I took a leisurely stroll down main street. Our destination was Burke’s Bakery — known all around the area for its donuts — but we stopped on the way at A&L Accessories, a cute little shop with lots of UK gear, jewelry and shoes. Cars pass by Danville Office Equipment and Maple Tree Gallery along Main Street in Danville.
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Experience 2017
Constitution Square park in downtown Danville is the birthplace of Kentucky.
• The Community Arts Center is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Exhibits change regularly; check out their Facebook page: facebook.com/danvillecommunityartscenter • Many stores downtown close at 6 p.m, but make sure to check each store individually before planning your trip — some close at 5 or 5:30 p.m. • Check out a larger list of restaurants, stores and other attractions in downtown Danville on a PDF map available here: http://bit.ly/ExploreDanville night — the ambiance got even better. The ceiling was covered in multicolored lights and many different
lamps hung down. Our server was very nice and attentive even though they were clearly busy. We had the “Main Line” pizza, which is their ver-
sion of a supreme pizza and it was wonderful. They have really big cups so you never run out of your drink — and they have adult beverages, including a wide selection of beer. There are plenty of other eating options, including Cue on Main (make sure you have a reservation if it’s on a weekend in the evening), Nellie Burton’s Steakhouse, Captain Frank’s Hotdog Emporium and more. n
We also made a stop at Constitution Square State Park. This beautiful little park is chock full of Kentucky history. Constitution Square was the site of the signing of Kentucky’s Constitution in 1792. It has a display that includes a plaque for every Kentucky governor, currently up through Steven Beshear. Constitution Square also features many old buildings to tour, including meeting houses, a schoolhouse and a jail. Visitors can get a map for a selfguided tour from the Visitors Bureau. After walking around Constitution Square, we made it to Burke’s Bakery. Burke’s donuts are delicious — no matter what kind of donut you like, you cannot go wrong. They also have wonderful cookies and other treats. Make sure you have cash or check with you because Burke’s doesn’t take credit. They do have an ATM in their store if you need to use it. After a delicious snack, we headed for a walk back down Main Street and did a little window shopping. When walking by the shops downtown, it was easy to tell who was open because most of them had a sidewalk sign. The signs looked the same for each shop and it was really nice to be able to tell even from a distance if each place was open. After our window shopping, we ended up at Bluegrass Pizza & Pub. As soon as I walked in, I could tell this was going to be a different kind of place. There are chairs in the entry where you can wait to be seated and they are all mismatched and super fun. The walls are covered in all sorts of different eclectic posters and memorabilia. Once we were seated — which took just a little while, but nothing unexpected for a Friday
The PURRfect place to find your next FURever friend
Stop by to see the dogs’ new digs: the Katherine E. Nelsen Adoption Center!
Cats and kittens have their own comfy space in the original shelter building
778 N. Danville Bypass 859-238-1117 www.homes4pets.org
Experience 2017
11
Take a drive to the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge and find
beauty in the knobs
Local Flavor Story and photos by Ben Kleppinger ben.kleppinger@amnews.com
H
t
idden down the rural back roads of Boyle County is one of my favorite natural spaces in all of Kentucky: the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge. It’s name is something of a misnomer. Unlike the many wildlife refuges that rehabilitate injured animals, the 500-acre CKWR is a refuge in more of the literal sense: It’s a protected space where plants, animals and birds are allowed to simply exist with zero to minimal interaction from humans. More than six miles of wellmarked paths take hikers past multiple ponds that attract waterfowl, frogs and turtles; through idyllic wooded areas filled with deer and birds; and along a high-elevation ridge in the heart of Kentucky wilderness. The paths include multiple bridges and benches.
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Experience 2017
“We are not interested in making the most, just the best.” Master Distiller Shane Baker
Maps for the trails are available at the entrance parking lot. Many of the trails are mostly flat and easy to walk — kids as young as 4 years old can enjoy the trails near the entrance. It can get more difficult if you decide to walk along Ridge Trail, which has the highest elevation at CKWR. CKWR has a bird blind less than a minute walk from the parking lot and an education center about two minutes down the main path that helps kids learn about the wild flora and fauna that’s being protected. Near the education center is a gazebo and Island Pond, a large pond that often attracts a lot of wildlife. Island Pond is easy to get to quickly from the parking lot. The best thing about CKWR is its serenity. It’s about a 15-minute drive from Danville, so it’s not an extremely distant place to
visit. But just five minutes into a walk, you’ll be all but removed from civilization. Walk for 10 or 15 minutes and you can feel the natural peace and calm that comes with remoteness begin to affect your mindset. There’s nothing I’ve found that’s better for my mental health than spending time in nature without a screen in front of my face and without the noise of traffic and busy people. At CKWR, you can spend hours without hearing anything but the birds and crickets. There’s no cell service, which actually helps ensure that the time you spend there is serene. I recommend hiking a decent way into the refuge, finding a bench and just sitting for 15 or 20 minutes, listening and letting your regular worries wash away. Visiting CKWR in the morning is a good plan if you hope
• The Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge is open year-round from dawn to dusk. • CKWR is located on Carpenter Creek Road in western Boyle County. It’s most easily accessed off of Ky. 37. • The education center is open on specified dates as announced on the CKWR Facebook page. • The website is www.ckwr.org.
June 9 - 10, 2017 Mercer County Fairgrounds
Harrodsburg, KY
"Something for Everyone" Tour Hours
Tuesday—Saturday 10am-4pm
Gift Shop & Tastings
Monday—Saturday 10am-5pm
4095 Lebanon Rd • Danville, KY 859.402.8707 • WildernessTrailKy.com
www.fortharrodbeeffestival.org
linda.mcclanahan@uky.edu
859-734-4378
Experience 2017
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to see plenty of birds at the bird blind. Arriving early also allows more hiking before temps rise too much in the summer, but as winter approaches, it will be nicer to take advantage of the midday heat. Bring a camera or binoculars as you will almost definitely see some wildlife during a hike of decent length. It’s a good idea to wear closed-toe shoes and tuck your pants into your socks to ward off chiggers and ticks.
The foster parent
The driver “I deliver beer. Five days a week. I’m a single father of two beautiful girls, 6 and 10. The people I do know already know, they know about me, so I all can say is I’m single. I hope my daughters know their daddy always tried his best, no matter how hard it got. A friend of mine here in Danville invited me out, and I didn’t have to drive while we’re out. I drive for a living, so I don’t need no trouble.”
“I’ve been fostering puppies for the humane society for seven or eight years. I get the very young puppies and socialize them with other dogs and children and just love them in a better environment. Fostering the puppies is very important for the welfare of the animals, especially the very young ones. It’s a passion. It’s a mission. They just want to be loved. I made up my mind to give them the best chance they can have to get adopted and have a loving home.”
Frank Soard Stamping Ground
Jane Boyd Danville
Photo by Robin Hart
Photo by Bobbie Curd
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Experience 2017
The advocate
Celebrating 20 Years Serving Seniors !
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Experience 2017
15
Local Flavor
A tour of Wilderness Trail and Ferm Solutions will give you a behind-the-scenes look at
the science of bourbon Story and photos by Amanda Wheeler Contributing writer
One of the most famous things about Kentucky is its Bourbon Trail. But there’s another distillery trail as well — one that’s less well known, but if the stop along it in Boyle County is any indication, just as fun and interesting. Wilderness Trail Distillery in Danville is one of 13 distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. This tour is similar to — and organized by — the more famous Bourbon Trail, because it leads you to different bourbon distilleries around the state. But this tour includes craft distilleries, some of which you might not have heard of before. Wilderness Trail is located only about 10 minutes from downtown Danville, but once you head out Lebanon Road it feels like you’ve traveled
At top, the stills at Wilderness Trail distillery use heating elements and multiple chambers to refine bourbon after its been fermented. Above, newly filled barrels of bourbon wait to be transported to a rickhouse for aging. much further into the countryside. I went there for a tour on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The location is beautiful and surrounded by farmland.
During the tour, I learned that 95 percent of Kentucky bourbon is made within about an hour and a half of Wilderness Trail, which means you are lit-
erally in the heart of bourbon country while you visit the distillery. The tour was $7 per person, which I think is very reasonable. Other tours are free, but this tour was really insightful — and it came with samples of Wilderness Trail products and a shot glass with the distillery’s logo. The tour was very fun, educational, and gives you an up-close look at the process of fermenting, distilling and aging bourbon. Our tour guide also taught us about other beverages made by Wilderness Trail, including vodka and rum. Wilderness Trail is unique when it comes to distilleries because it is also a science lab. This other side to the business is called Ferm Solutions. It tests for yeast and bacteria in many other businesses’ products, and they’re also able to test every batch of Wilderness Trail’s products to make sure all the chemistry is happening as they want it to.
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Experience 2017
In addition to testing samples for alcoholic beverage makers, the company tests yeast for other companies making fuel alcohol. Ferm Solutions also sells yeast for fermenting with. During the tour, you get to climb a platform in a large, open building in order to see the fermentation process in action. Wilderness Trail ferments its products in huge, 4,000-gallon metal containers, which I found really interesting. You can also see some barrels before and after barreling and the distillery’s copper stills, which are very pretty. I was impressed by how much Wilderness Trail uses local resources. It uses water from Highbridge, which is located in Jessamine County. It also gets as many grains from Kentucky as possible and the staff knows exactly which farms their grains are coming from. This was really impressive to me because they are taking great care to make sure their product is as local as possible. Currently, Wilderness Trail produces bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, vodka and rum. They are a young distillery, however, and haven’t yet released their first
• Wilderness Trail is located at 4095 Lebanon Road, Danville. • Tours are available TuesdaySaturday and begin every hour on the hour, with the first tour starting at 10 a.m. and the last tour starting at 4 p.m. • The gift shop is open and tastings are offered Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. • More information about the 13 distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour is available at kybourbontrail.com/craft-tour. The organizers recommend spending four to five days if you want to visit every distillery on the trail. • Brothers’ BBQ is located at 464 S. Fourth St., Danville.
batches of bourbon. Our tour guide said that would happen in December. When you visit right now, you can sample the rum and vodka. After my visit, I took a quick drive back to downtown Danville and had dinner at Brothers’ BBQ, which made for an excellent pairing with the distillery. If you stop by Brothers’ for dinner, you should definitely get their pork toppers as an appetizer — you can thank me later.
Tour guide Jerod Smith talks about the fermentation process while standing between two 4,000-gallon fermentation vats.
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Experience 2017
17
Local Flavor
Craving a little taste of the past?
Get going to Gravel Switch and stop by storied Penn’s Store Story and photos by Abigail Whitehouse abigail.whitehouse@centralkynews.com
Penn’s Store is the oldest family-owned and operated country store in the U.S. It’s buried deep down Boyle County’s backroads, in the community of Gravel Switch.
Penn’s Store isn’t a secret, though many consider it to be one of Central Kentucky’s favorite off-the-beaten-path spots. As the oldest family-owned and operated country store in the U.S. (it’s been around since 1850), Penn’s Store is visited by people from all walks of life throughout the year. Inside the store, memorabilia from years past paint the walls and photographs of musicians and performers — some famous, some not — line a shelf around the perimeter of the ceiling. If you stay long enough, Jeanne Penn Lane, fifth-generation owner of Penn’s family store, will point at each and every photograph, telling you about the time the person shown came into the store or how each photograph ended up where it is today.
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Experience 2017
Everything inside Penn’s Store has a story to tell and if you have time, you might hear quite a few of them. It isn’t uncommon to hear live music coming from the porch of Penn’s Store either — Lane’s daughter, Dawn, is a well-known singer in the Central Kentucky area and often she and friends will make the front porch a stage. That is definitely the case when it’s time for the Great Outhouse Blowout race. Each year, teams get together and decorate their very own outhouses on wheels, with hopes of winning the championship race at Penn’s Store. On the store’s website (www.pennsstore.com), there are links detailing past Outhouse races, musical performers who played each year and other acts that participated in the past. I first visited Penn’s Store for the great Outhouse Blowout in 2014. It’s a tradition started many years ago when the store got its first outhouse. It was then that I realized the Penn family’s uncanny ability to bring together people from all walks of life. From woodcarvers and artisans to writers and musicians, the Penn’s Store property now fills each September with creative minds and crafty outhouses waiting to make their way across the finish line. The annual outhouse race isn’t the
• Penn’s Store is located at 257 Penn’s Store Road in Gravel Switch. GPS coordinates are available on the store’s website, www.pennsstore. com. • Hours of operation may vary and long-distance travelers are encouraged to call ahead. Penn’s Store is currently open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. • More information is available by calling (859) 332-7706 or emailing pennsstore@aol.com.
Penn’s Store still sells many common goods today, including cold drinks and canned food. only event that Gravel Switch and surrounding areas look forward to each year — in the spring, Penn’s Store hosts several days of festivities around the Kentucky Writers Day Celebration.
Usually in April, writers gather at Penn’s Store and other designated locations to listen to music and share personal writings with other writers and artists.
Not only does this give writers a chance to brainstorm ideas, they can also share their work and display their books for sale. Whether it is during one of their annual events or just a normal weekend in Kentucky, Penn’s Store is always worth a visit. The winding country roads leading back to the store travel through a historical Gravel Switch area that once had a thriving population. While Penn’s Store stands alone in the field today, it was once surrounded by buildings such as a spirit shop and a poultry coup. Today, the store still sells common goods from canned food to cold Coca-Colas.
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Experience 2017
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The wood-cutter “I’m 73 and I’ll tell you what, I lived behind the old Bate School when I was growing up and this tree was pretty old then. I’m going to get a chainsaw now.” Harvey Chenault Danville
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Experience 2017
Hidden gem
With map in hand or on your phone, hit Mercer’s backroads and do some
barn hunting
Above, below and opposite, barns with quilt squares are seen along a self-guided tour in Mercer County available from the local cooperative extension office.
Quilt square tour puts unique spin on country cruising Story and photos by Amanda Wheeler Contributing writer
Kentucky is a beautiful place to live. I think sometimes we are so busy going from point A to point B that we don’t really allow ourselves the time to enjoy the rolling hills, beautiful trees and the scenic landscapes of the Bluegrass. Luckily for us, the Mercer County Extension Office has made it a little easier to enjoy the beauty around us. The extension office has put together a map of barn quilts in the area. Currently, there are around 11 locations on the map. Some stops have more than one quilt and I think we spotted a few extras while driving around that weren’t on the map. You can use the map to cruise
around Mercer County’s back roads and find barn quilts hanging on barns and other buildings and even standing alone in some front yards. It’s a great opportunity to take a drive
around the countryside, relax and enjoy the beautiful landscape. There are two ways you can get a map of the barn quilts. I stopped in at the Mercer County Extension Office to pick
one up. You can also view a pdf version of the map here: harrodsburgky.com/ pdf/Barn_Quilt_Brochure.pdf. I figured out the best route to take by putting the addresses in Google Maps on my smartphone. It worked out really well because I plugged all of the addresses into one series of driving directions. Once I drove to one quilt square, my phone was prepped to take me to the next one whenever I felt like it. The map didn’t cost anything, so I had a wonderful afternoon with my husband, driving around, listening to music, chatting, and finding barn quilts in the beautiful countryside for just the price of gas. It’s not always immediately obvious where the quilts are, so it takes a little searching sometimes. This turned into a fun, Where’s-Waldo type of game —
Experience 2017 who can find the barn quilt first? The barn quilts are beautifully done and it was amazing to see so many. As we drove we also got to see cows, donkeys, chickens, butterflies and horses. The day we drove around, it was very hot — too hot to do anything outside. So this was a good way to have an “outdoor” experience without having to really be outdoors. You could do the same on a very cold day. A great thing about the tour is you can visit as few or as many barn quilts as you want, and you can do it at your own pace. The Mercer County Fair and Horse Show quilts are located at the fairgrounds. There are actually five on display there. This would be a great trip to bring kids on. They could play “spot the barn quilt first” and learn about the history of the barn quilts, which is included with the map from the extension office. It’s also a great time to be together and
21 • The Mercer County Extension Office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4:30 p.m. Quilt square maps are available for free inside. • The Kentucky Fudge Company, 225 S. Main St., Harrodsburg, is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m. have conversations without a ton of distractions. After our beautiful drive, we stopped at Kentucky Fudge Company in Harrodsburg for lunch. I had a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich and I cannot say enough good things about it. The unique restaurant is located in an old drugstore, so the atmosphere is great. I highly recommend checking it out after your scenic drive.
The rehabilitator “Baby possums like holding onto something. I’ve been everywhere with him tucked into the back of my hair, no one ever sees him. I have a bag of baby squirrels I’m working with until they’re healthy. Some deer, raccoons ... The baby animals are just dropping out of the sky this time of year, and I don’t know what it is, but they all come to me. I’m on a list somewhere, I must be.” Photo by Bobbie Curd
Laura Sullivan Mercer County
22
Experience 2017
Kids’ talk
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” We asked elementary school students in the Danville and Boyle County school systems to tell us what they hope to do once they’re adults. Here’s what they said.
“A clothing designer. I like art and I like to be creative.”
“An artist, a scientist and a cop. It sounds fun.”
“A nurse. I want to earn a lot of money and I want to help my family if they are sick.”
“A teacher because they help students learn.”
Brianna Anderson Hogsett Elementary
Sky Douglas Hogsett Elementary
Ace Brown Hogsett Elementary
Ayne Thompson Toliver Elementary
“Cop. I like helping people.”
“Electrician. My dad is an electrician.”
“A teacher. I like to help people be smart.”
“An NFL Pro Bowl player. I love to play sports.”
Landon Alford Toliver Elementary
Parker Montgomery Toliver Elementary
June Goodwin Jennie Rogers Elementary
Kyren Burdette Jennie Rogers Elementary
Experience 2017
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“A vet. I like to take care of animals and play with them.”
“A paleontologist. I want to discover a new dinosaur.”
“A teacher. Mom and Dad are teachers.”
“A U.S. Navy Seal or in the Army. I want to be a hero.”
Macee Vest Jennie Rogers Elementary
Zac Kirchner Woodlawn Elementary
Ella Wheeler Woodlawn Elementary
Jackson Cade Woodlawn Elementary
“Chef. I would get to make food.”
“A professional swimmer. I swim and have good times. I’m always breaking my times.”
“A NFL superstar or football player. I love football, and I like to tackle people.”
“A country music singer. My uncle writes country music. I want to make him proud. If he hears me sing, he would really like it.”
Caroline Asher Woodlawn Elementary
Luke Harmon Woodlawn Elementary
Titus Gay Perryville Elementary
Ellie Weyer Perryville Elementary
Photos by
Kendra Peek
kendra.peek@amnews.com
“A scientist. I want to make cool experiments.”
“A professional horse trainer. I love horses, I have four.”
“A babysitter. I’m really good with babies.”
Evan Moore Junction City Elementary
Miley Waterfill Junction City Elementary
Lilly Turner Junction City Elementary
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Experience 2017
Hidden gem
Visit Tom Dorman for remote natural beauty, then ... Story and photo by Ben Kleppinger
• Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve is located at the end of Jess Brim Road, off of Ky. 1845 (Rogers Road) in northern Garrard County. The public entrance is less than five minutes from the U.S. 27 bridge between Garrard and Jessamine counties. • The preserve is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. • Trails are open for foot traffic only; horses, bicycles, motorized vehicles, camping, fires, pets and picnicking are prohibited. • The preserve is owned by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission and The Nature Conservancy. Its land was purchased with the assistance of The Nature Conservancy, the Kentucky River Authority and the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund.
ben.kleppinger@amnews.com
Hidden just off the beaten path in Garrard County is a protected wilderness that showcases many of the best features of the Bluegrass. Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve is a sprawling area nestled against the Kentucky River palisades. The public entrance is an understated location, with nothing more than a few signs and a small parking lot to greet visitors. It has a single attraction — the Palisades Trail, a 2-mile looped hiking trail that weaves through hilly but open forestland before making a steep descent to the banks of the Kentucky River. But it doesn’t need more than that to make it a worthwhile stop for hikers, birders and their kin. The Palisades Trail has pretty much everything you could hope for from a hiking trail. It has long, meandering pathways that snake over scenic creeks and forested hills. It has views of the palisades — one of the defining geographic elements of the Bluegrass. It has an auxiliary path — Knights Ferry Trail — that provides several hundred feet of strolling space along the sandy edges of the Kentucky River. There are no boring “everything looks the same” moments on the Palisades Trail; every few minutes, the landscape changes. I spent approximately three and a half hours hiking in the nature preserve, stopping frequently in order to see what wildlife would emerge in the quiet — it’s amazing to see the world come alive when it forgets that a human is watching. Someone could easily spend four or even five hours enjoying the trail if they really took
A winter wren perches on a tree stump along a path in Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve. their time. The loop could also be completed in less than an hour by a more determined hiker. Among the animals I spotted were white-tailed deer, yellow-bellied sapsuckers; a pileated woodpecker; a hermit thrush; a winter wren; and too many songbirds and vultures to count. Other animals sometimes seen at the preserve include red-tailed hawks and Indiana gray bats, according to the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission. Much of the preserve’s more than 900 acres are dedicated to its main purpose: preserving the state’s natural life. The trail-accessible portion is only a small piece of the land, which
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stretches from Garrard County across the river into Jessamine County. The palisades along the river are the visual centerpiece of the area, with layered limestone cliffs reaching 200 feet or higher above the water. Black and turkey vultures can be seen soaring along the top edges of the palisades. By visiting in winter, I had the best chances to see wildlife. It also allowed for excellent views of the river and palisade rocks. In other seasons, the Palisades Trail offers different benefits: Warmer months bring wildflowers, while fall can provide beautiful colors as the trees change.
The trails are wide, well-maintained and clearly marked with consistent, bright symbols. The descent to the river is the steepest part and includes several large rocky steps you’ll need to be careful navigating. The ascent back to the top is more graded and won’t even wind you if you take it slowly. The preserve’s location is pleasantly remote, but not so removed that you can forget you’re near civilization. The rumbles and whistles of somewhat distant trains are often audible, and at one overlook, traffic can be seen crossing the southbound U.S. 27 bridge high above the Kentucky River. There are other parks with more trails, or longer trails, or additional attractions. But for simple, beautiful hiking, it’s hard to beat Tom Dorman’s combination of easy access, untainted nature and unique landscapes.
Experience 2017
25
Hidden gem
Go next door to Jim Beam Nature Preserve for more Story and photo by Ben Kleppinger ben.kleppinger@amnews.com
Jim Beam Nature Preserve in southern Jessamine County is a simple, beautiful place to visit. The preserve is 115 acres of pristine forests along the Kentucky River Palisades protected by The Nature Conservancy. True to the “preserve” part of its name, the vast majority of the land is not for use by humans. Getting to the preserve entrance feels a little like discovering a secret. It’s only a couple minutes from U.S. 27 at the county line between Jessamine and Garrard counties. After turning off into a residential area, you pull down Payne Lane, a narrow road used by local residents to access their driveways. The road turns to gravel and runs along a fence line as you approach the preserve, marked simply with a plain “Beam Preserve” metal sign. A small parking lot and information shelter greet you once you arrive. The area of the preserve accessible for visitors is limited to a single loop trail that runs around three quarters of a mile. A picnic area is located near the trailhead, making it possible to lunch and hike. The trail is great for birding. It runs near the high cliff faces of the Kentucky River, making it possible to spot vultures and birds of prey. Many interesting birds populate the region that you won’t necessarily see at the bird feeder outside your kitchen window. On my most recent visit to the preserve, I got to watch a pileated woodpecker investigating a dead tree before spreading its impressive wings and swooping through the woods. I also saw several other woodpeckers, including downy and hairy ones. Hidden in the woods along the trail
Lookout Point in the Jim Beam Nature Preserve is a rocky outcropping high in the forest running along the Kentucky River palisades. • Jim Beam Nature Preserve is located at the end of Payne Lane in southern Jessamine County, off of Hall Road, which is accessible from U.S. 27. Hall Road is the first left off of northbound 27 after crossing the Kentucky River; and the last right on southbound 27 before descending the hill to the river. • According to The Nature Conservancy, “The palisades region harbors the largest concentration of rare plant species with the Bluegrass Region … (and) is home to at least 25 mammal species and 35 reptile species,” including two species of bats. • The preserve is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Hiking, photography and bird-watching are all recommended activities. Camping, biking, horses and off-road vehicles are prohibited. is a long stone fence that serves as proof the land once had other uses. The loop trail includes a branch to “Lookout Point,” a rock face seemingly designed for sitting on, high at the top of a heavily-wooded cliff area. If you bring binoculars with you, you’ll be
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able to look out to the palisades along the Kentucky River, up to the tops of the towering trees and down to a valley beneath Lookout Point. Late autumn and winter may be the best times to visit if you want to see wildlife since the leaves won’t be in your way.
There’s nothing flashy about Jim Beam Nature Preserve. It’s a simple, straightforward hiking trail that’s best for slow walks when you just want to get outside and feel immersed in nature. If you pack a picnic lunch and spend a good amount of time, as I like to do, sitting quietly at Lookout Point and waiting to see what wildlife happens by, you can use up most of a short winter afternoon. It can be enjoyed in an hour or less if you need a breather from civilization but are crunched for time. You can also make it one stop along a tour of the palisades area by visiting Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve on the Garrard County side of the Kentucky River and Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park a little ways north on U.S. 27.
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Experience 2017
Above, Crab Orchard Cemetery sits on a hill overlooking the town in rural Lincoln County. A free audio tour can guide you to numerous graves in the cemetery with historical significance. At right, one of the stops along the audio tour is seen.
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Experience 2017
Hidden gem
FUTURE
History on a hilltop Crab Orchard Cemetery audio tour a walk back in time Story and photos by Abigail Whitehouse abigail.whitehouse@centralkynews.com
diers such as Perry Thorton Pollard, who served in the 8th Kentucky Calvary for the Union Army, and Moses Fish, a black veteran of the Civil War. While I enjoyed walking through the cemetery and listening to the history it holds, a moment of true appreciation came as I rounded a corner and stood beside a giant tree overlooking a beautiful view of the City of Crab Orchard. With a lovely Lincoln County sunset for a backdrop, the Crab Orchard Cemetery provides a peaceful retreat, whether you’re in a group or meandering alone. If nothing else, the cemetery has well-paved roads that provide a nice walking path for anyone who wants to stretch their legs and take in a nice view of the city.
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If you’re looking for an informative, outdoor activity, you don’t have to travel far to explore Crab Orchard’s Civil War history. Thanks to the work of Boy Scout Dakota Martin, Lincoln County Property Valuation Administrator David Gambrel and others, the Civil War history buried in Crab Orchard is available to anyone with a smartphone. In 2013, Martin coordinated a group to work in the Crab Orchard Cemetery to restore deteriorating Civil War graves for his Eagle Scout project. With Gambrel’s help, Martin put together a one-hour, self-guided audio tour of Civil War graves in the cemetery. Today, anyone can take advantage of that hard work by grabbing a tour brochure from Crab Orchard City Hall and traveling less than a mile down the road to the cemetery. Before starting the tour, be sure to download and install a QR scanner application on your smartphone. There are many free QR scanner options. I have a Samsung Notebook 5 and use the I-nigma QR and Barcode Scanner app. Once you’ve installed a scanner on your phone, use the app to scan the barcode on the brochure and begin the tour. The voice of David Gambrel is an informative guide as the tour takes you to 27 different Civil War era graves, stopping at each to elaborate on particular histories. The first stop is at the grave of W. T. Humber, who was born in 1834 and assassinated in Kansas in 1856. Humber was originally from the Crab Orchard area, according to Gambrel. The tour continues to the graves of other Civil War sol-
• Crab Orchard Cemetery Civil War Tour brochures can be found at Crab Orchard City Hall, located at 224 Main St. in Crab Orchard. The city hall is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • The tour lasts about an hour and details 27 graves with audio tracks narrated by Lincoln County PVA David Gambrel and soldiers’ descendants. • The brochures include a map of the cemetery with graves numbered. Each name and military history is included as well. • The speed limit through the Crab Orchard Cemetery is 10 miles per hour and driving in grassy areas is prohibited. • There is a similar self-guided tour available for the Double Springs Cemetery located at 237 Cemetery Road in Waynesburg.
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Experience 2017
Best of the Bluegrass
A wooden bridge at the UK Arboretum includes informational signs about birds you may see in the area.
At the University of Kentucky Arboretum State Botantical Garden, you can
walk across Kentucky
Story and photos by Ben Kleppinger ben.kleppinger@amnews.com
Kentucky has a lot to offer when it comes to natural beauty, from the Appalachian mountains to the rolling hills of the Bluegrass to western prairies. You could spend days traveling the state to see all of the different geography and ecosystems. Or you could take a walk through the Arboretum State Botanical Garden in Lexington. The Arboretum is well-known as a popular destination for joggers and engagement photo takers. But I was
• The Arboretum State Botanical Garden of Kentucky is located off of Alumni Drive in Lexington, across from Commonwealth Stadium. It’s about a 50 minute drive from the Danville area. • Admission and parking are free. Dogs are allowed on the main “Walk Across Kentucky” path but not on the side paths. • The Arboretum’s website is arboretum.ca.uky.edu and the Arboretum Explorer website for finding where species are planted is uky.arboretumexplorer.org. • The Arboretum is open every day of the year from dawn to dusk, except on days when the Kentucky Wildcats have a home football game. The Dorotha Smith Oatts Visitor Center is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
surprised to learn that the 100-acre park on the edge of the University of Kentucky campus is so much more than just a path with pretty landscaping. The centerpiece of the Arboretum is
the “Walk Across Kentucky,” a 2-mile looping path that travels through seven sections of the park designed to correspond to the seven natural geographic regions of Kentucky. Each section features native plants
that grow in one of the geographic regions of the state. And the park sections are arranged so you pass from one geographic landscape to another as you would traveling through the state.
Experience 2017
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That means in the time it takes to walk 2 miles, you can get a taste of everything that makes Kentucky geographically unique. But there’s no reason to rush through — there are mulched side paths branching off the main paved path regularly, providing scenic detours. The side paths are calmer areas, away from the joggers and student groups that often frequent the main path. I made many stops on those paths in order to enjoy a few peaceful moments in the beautiful space. One of my favorite paths took me through the Arboretum’s rain garden, where many wildflowers were in bloom and birds were plentiful. The rain garden is accessible from a lovely wooden bridge, which provides a good vantage point for spotting the birds attracted to the area. It’s up to you how much you want to learn about the state’s natural beauty while you’re at the Arboretum. If you’re curious about an interesting tree or bush, signs identify many of the plants near the pathways. There are also brochures available at the visitors center with information on native shrubs and trees, as well as the park’s variety of gardens. And if you’re really serious, you can use the Arboretum Explorer, a web-
Native wildflowers at the Arboretum attract pollinators. site at uky.arboretumexplorer.org that provides you a map of where different species are planted around the park.
You can search for specific plants, too. In addition to its walking paths, the Arboretum has a rose garden, a
children’s garden, a fragrance garden and a memorial to Flight 5191, which crashed at Blue Grass Airport in August 2006, killing 49 people. The memorial features 49 sculpted metal birds flying into the sky. The children’s garden is “designed to help children 2-10 years old discover plants and the environment,” according to UK’s College of Agriculture. With kids spending more and more time in front of screens these days, a fun and beautiful outdoor space like the Arboretum is just what many of them need. If you see plants during your visit that you like, there’s tons of information available — along the paths and in the visitors center — about how to plant native Kentucky species in your own yard. As an informational sign at the Arboretum notes, you can help preserve Kentucky’s natural beauty “by providing a place of honor for some of Kentucky’s native plants in your yard, business, church, school or farm.” If you stroll the entirety of the Walk Across Kentucky path, take a few detours, check out the gardens and walk the Arboretum Woods path hidden deeper inside the park, you can easily spend four hours or more on a pretty day.
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Experience 2017
The welder “If money weren’t an issue, I would absolutely not be doing this for a living. What I would want to do to make money would be to write creatively. And that would be in any form, whether writing for a sitcom, writing screenplays for the stage or for movies, or just being able to create a blog and write. That would be my dream job, to be able to write creatively and make money.” Allen Martin Danville
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Experience 2017
31
Best of the Bluegrass
In Frankfort, you can find lots of
Kentucky patriotism on display Story and photo by Kayla Lasure Contributing writer
In school, many learn about the history of the United States military. However, not as much is
taught about Kentucky’s military history. Anyone looking to feel a little patriotism and Kentucky pride should take a day trip to Frankfort, where you can delve into our state’s military history.
Frankfort features spots such as the Kentucky Military History Museum, Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Kentucky National Guard Memorial. Visiting these left me feeling proud to be from Kentucky.
The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of several patriotic landmarks you can tour in the Frankfort area.
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Experience 2017
The Kentucky Military History Museum is a two-story gallery of Kentucky military artifacts from throughout history. The first floor explores the earlier years of military actions such as the War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War and the Spanish-American War. The second-floor displays focus on World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and post9/11 war times. Display cases of firearms throughout history, uniforms from the past and personal mementos can be found on both floors. Most artifacts on display have a tie back to a Kentucky member of the Armed Forces. Along with the artifact is a small biography of the veteran who possessed the item and a description of his or her time in the military. One of the more intriguing items I found was a Chinese type 56 rifle from 1970. The owner of the firearm, Estill R. McIntosh, was from Booneville and served three separate tours in Vietnam. During his first two tours, he shipped the rifle home to his mother, piece by piece. When he arrived home, he assembled the rifle back together before returning back to Vietnam for his third tour. He died on that tour on May 10, 1970. It’s stories like that that make the pieces so engaging.
• The Kentucky Military History Museum is located at 125 Main St. in Frankfort. Admission for the museum is $4 for adults, $3 for veterans and $2 for students. Admission includes a free guided tour of the capital building and of the history center. • The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located at 365 Vernon Cooper Lane, which is right next to the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives. There is no admission fee. • The Kentucky National Guard Memorial is located at the entrance of the Boone National Guard Center at 100 Minuteman Parkway. There is no admission fee.
The museum also offers a few interactive displays. One on the first floor offers a competition game with two rifles in a vertical position and a stop watch next to each.The idea is to see, between two participants, who can keep their arm outstretched while holding the rifle the longest. With the rifle being so heavy, I of course didn’t make it very long. While at the museum, I met two volunteers who work there, Danny Lefler — a Marine who served for 10 years — and David Johnson. Both of the men were very passionate about history and loved chatting about the rich history offered not only in the museum but in other parts of Frankfort as well. They recommended a visit to the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Kentucky National Guard Memorial.
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The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a giant granite sundial that memorializes Kentuckians who died in the war. Of the 125,000 Kentuckians who served in Vietnam, 1,104 of them died. They are now named on the memorial. The names are placed according to what year and month they died during the war. Names are strategically placed so the shadow of the sundial pointer (named the gnomon) will fall on their name on the anniversary of their death. As beautiful as the memorial is, you can’t help but feel somber while standing in the presence of so many names of those who died. It’s an overwhelming feeling. As you walk up to the memorial, there is a podium that has a book with all of the names on the memorial listed
in alphabetical order. You can look up a name and view each person’s rank, in which brach they served, their date of birth, the date they died and their home county. Visitors can go to the memorial day or night any day of the year. My final stop on my military history tour was to the Kentucky National Guard Memorial. This memorial sits on a foundation where soil from all 120 counties was spread and has a bronze statue of Daniel Boone at the front. The memorial is a large granite stone in the shape of Kentucky with 251 engraved names of soldiers who have died in the line of duty since 1912. Around the memorial are signs with the history of the Kentucky National Guard. Similar to the one at the Vietnam Memorial, there’s a book with a list of names of Kentucky National Guardsmen who have died while on duty. Each name is followed by a biography of the soldier, what they did with their time in service and how they died. After leaving Frankfort for the day, I was left with an overwhelming sense of pride, gratitude and patriotism. Taking the time to learn about our state’s military history and its men and women who have served was well worth the trip.
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Experience 2017
33
Best of the Bluegrass
Make new friends at Old Friends Horse farm for retired thoroughbreds a great feel-good experience Story and photos by Rosalind Essig Contributing writer
Of all the thoroughbred farms in central Kentucky and beyond, the farms that take care of the industry’s retired horses are the most special. Old Friends is a thoroughbred retirement farm outside of Georgetown. From the outside, it doesn’t look all that different from any other horse farm in the Bluegrass: rolling hills, black fourboard fences and a bunch of bays and chestnuts following a Kubota, waiting for their dinner. But Old Friends is home to many horses, both famous and unknown, who were rescued when they were no longer running or earning. The farm offers tours so visitors can learn about the industry, the individual horses and how to help them. Old Friends was founded in 2003. Around that same time, the world learned that 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand had died in a Japanese slaughterhouse when his stud career had come to an end. Ferdinand’s death drew attention to the fate of racehorses and breeding stock when their industry value went down. Since then, Old Friends has worked with Japanese and other overseas thoroughbred organizations to bring several Amer ican-bred thoroughbreds back to the U.S. The farm offers multiple tours each day and the tour lasts about two hours. The tour starts at the front office and gift shop, where the guide explains how to behave around the horses and how to feed them carrots. The rules are aimed at the inexperienced, but also at those horse people unfamiliar with handling stallions. According to the farm’s website, Old Friends is the only thoroughbred rescue or retirement organization that specializes in being a home to stallions. The famous boys living at Old Friends draw visitors and donations to support the less-famous residents. The farm is home to 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Silver Charm, 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner War Emblem,
A visitor pets a retired thoroughbred horse living at Old Friends thoroughbred retirement farm outside Gerogetown. • More information about Old Friends in Kentucky and the organization’s other locations is available online at oldfriendsequine.org or by calling the farm at (502) 863-1775. Tours can be booked online or by calling ahead — without a reservation, there might not be room for your whole group on a tour. The farm is located at 1841 Paynes Depot Road outside of Georgetown. • Heirloom Restaurant, Darlin Jean’s Apple Cobbler Cafe, Holly Hill Inn, The Grey Goose, Mezzo Tavern and Wallace Station Deli and Bakery are some of the eateries in Midway. I recommend you check hours before leaving home. • The Kentucky Horse Park is located at 4089 Iron Works Parkway outside of Georgetown/Lexington. Go to kyhorsepark.com for more information about visiting or camping at the horse park. • Woodford Reserve Distillery is located at 7855 McCracken Pike outside of Versailles. For more information about tours and tastings, visit woodfordreserve.com. • Equus Run Vineyards is located at 1280 Moores Mill Road outside of Midway. For more information about tours, tastings and events at the vineyard, including live music, visit equusrunvineyards.com. 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and 1996 Breeder’s Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup, among others. After getting our instructions, we walked down the tree-and pasture-lined road into the heart of the farm. We were greeted by a
friendly and carrot-hungry Sarava, the 2002 Belmont Stakes winner who upset War Emblem with 70-1 odds. The guide told us the story of each horse we stopped to see. We not only learned their winning and earning history on the track, but when their racing or stud ca-
reer tailed off and how they came to Old Friends. The tour was accessible for those with only casual knowledge of horse racing, but the guide gave plenty of details that would keep it interesting for more avid racing fans. A golf cart was made available for tour group participants who had difficulty walking and standing. Old Friends is located less than 15 minutes from great dining (downtown Midway), another horsey stop (the Kentucky Horse Park) and more grown-up recreation (Equus Run Vineyards and Woodford Reserve distillery). It would be easy to make a visit to Old Friends a great day out, no matter the age of the members of your group. And if you have a horse-obsessed child like I was not so long ago, be prepared to head down the road to the horse park after you feed some thoroughbreds carrots at Old Friends. It’s too close by to say “no”!
34
Experience 2017
The mustachioed man “I work for the railroad. I work the road and go from Cincinnati to Danville or to Somerset. I lay over in one of the towns from 12-24 hours and then run a train back north. I’ve been going to Danville for 20 years now. I’m a huge Reds fan. I go to spring training in Goodyear, Arizona every year and attend as many games at home as I can. I originally grew the mustache for the Red’s opening day three years ago, and I grew a big beard and shaved it off on opening day right before the game. Twisted up the stache like Mr. Redlegs (their mascot) and have had it ever since. I’ve only entered one mustache contest, which I won. I walked in the Bockfest parade with the Beard Barons which is a local beard and mustache club. I am asked all the time to pose for pictures at mostly at Reds games, but even as far away as Spain with a group of Chinese girls traveling. I have posed with MLB for their twitter account and usually make the jumbotron at the games. My greatest compliment was this past year at spring training — a Rollie Fingers (mustache icon) told me I had an amazing stache.” Jeremy Nelson
Falmouth
Photo by Bobbie Curd
The priest “(Becoming a priest) wasn’t on my radar at all. I wasn’t even raised Catholic, matter of fact, so being Catholic wasn’t on my radar growing up and certainly not the priesthood. I was living and working Lexington, which is where I’m from. I was a business consultant and I did that for about 10 years, really kind of happy with life. … I was stopped one day at a stoplight and said out loud to myself, ‘I should go be a monk like Thomas Merton.’ He was a (monk) over in Gethsemani near Bardstown. His writings were pretty profound and his writings were a part of me coming to be Catholic. That idea should’ve sounded really crazy — why would I give up my life and go be a monk? What are you talking about? But it didn’t sound crazy to me at all. So in the process of unfolding that and understanding it, really that’s the way God kind of manifested the call to the priesthood to me.” Rev. Alan Carter
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Photo by Ben Kleppinger
The apple farmer
The bowler
“We’ve been raising a garden here, me and my daddy, for about 30 or 35 years. I’ve got the Cherokee Purple tomatoes. That’s one of the best tasting tomatoes there ever was. I’ve put three rows out this year instead of one row last year. A lot of them don’t make it to market cause I eat ‘em all.”
“I’ve been bowling here since about 1970. Dave Mahan, the owner, taught me to bowl. I’ve been president of the men’s bowling association for 15 years. I’ve been up and down in this house. My highest game is 299. I left the seven pin. My most memorable thing is bowling the 299 game and having Dave Mahan teach me to bowl. Picking up your spares is the hardest part … and managing your nerves.”
Ricky Richardson
Nat Whethers
Photo by James Morris
Junction City
Photo by James Morris
Danville
eXperience By Dr. Gregory Kasten
RETIREMENT
Many people view retirement as a prize they’ll win if they work long enough, save enough, and invest well. But when you think about it, retirement isn’t the finish line, it’s the starting line. It’s the start of a new lifestyle and for many it’s an opportunity to enjoy family, hobbies and travel. Enjoying retirement should be easy, but the modern retiree faces many challenges.
THE RETIREMENT CHALLENGE Retirees commonly face three major hurdles when trying to secure a reliable stream of income in retirement. The first challenge is called ‘Sequence risk’ which is the danger that you’ll retire at the “wrong” time and your savings will suffer from the effects of an economic downturn. Those that retired in late 2007 or 2008 experienced Sequence Risk. The nearly 37% drop in the stock market in 2008 caused irreparable damage on their retirement savings. ‘Inflation Risk’ is another major challenge for retirees. A retiree must be able to build enough growth potential in their retirement investments to guard against future increases in the costs of goods and services, especially healthcare. Even a relatively benign 3% annual inflation rate could boost a $500 monthly grocery bill to $903 over 20 years. Addressing the potential effects of inflation is important for protecting purchasing power during retirement. A recent survey found that three out of five individuals ages 44 to 75 fear outliving their money more than they fear death. ‘Longevity risk’ or the risk of outliving ones retirement resources, is a major concern for those in or nearing retirement.
WHAT’S YOUR PLAN? A recent study reported that 81% of preretirees think a retirement income plan is important. However, 77% of preretirees have no plan. Research from AARP provides a different take. Of the Baby Boomers AARP surveyed, 40% said their plan for having a “retirement” paycheck is to work until they drop.
A BETTER CHOICE Whether you want to travel the world or stay close to home, your retirement should be exactly what you want it to be. It should be a
time for you to enjoy all that you have worked for without having to worry about your funds running out. But as we’re learning, retirement can be challenging and the first step is to make sure that you have a fiduciary, like Unified Trust, by your side. A financial expert that’s bound by law to act in your best interest. We also know that retirement isn’t a one size fits all solution. So it’s important that you have a personalized retirement solution that addresses the retirement challenges in terms of your goals and expectations — a solution that anticipates lifestyle changes as you age and professionally manages your assets to provide you with a reliable and sustainable income stream throughout your retirement. Unified Trust, a fiduciary based in Lexington, KY, has spent years prudently developing a retirement income solution to help you achieve a reliable income stream in retirement. Unified Trust’s solution, called the Unified IncomePlan® integrates all your financial components — your investments and other financial assets, tax-efficiency planning, trust and estate planning, health care and insurance coverage, lifestyle spending, and cash flow planning — and addresses the challenges that can get in the way of enjoying your retirement years.
RETIREMENT IS THE STARTING LINE. ARE YOU READY?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Gregory W. Kasten, MD, MBA, CFP®, CPC, AIFA®, began his career as a board certified anesthesiologist. In 1985 he founded what is now known as Unified Trust Company, a nationally chartered trust company with offices in Lexington and Louisville. Dr. Kasten was inducted into the Advisor Hall of Fame by Research Magazine in 2012 and was named the 2013 Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year by Employee Benefit Adviser Magazine.
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Gregory W. Kasten Chief Executive Officer Unified Trust Company (859) 296-4407 x 202 Greg.Kasten@unifiedtrust.com
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