"The Bluegrass State"

Welcome to Kentucky

Kentucky/Ohio border on I-75
August 12, 2005

The trip to Kentucky included a number of firsts for me: the first trip to a state not bordering Michigan, the first trip to a state I have never been to previously, the first to a commonwealth (Kentucky is one of four states that are considered commonwealths for some reason; the others being Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts) and the first in my new car. When people think of Kentucky, I think the first things that come to mind are horses, whiskey and Ft. Knox. Since I was doing a lot of driving, I skipped the whiskey and decided to make a sidetrip to Louisville (farther west than Frankfort) to Louisville, home of Churchill Downs and Ft. Knox is just south of town. I was surprised that Kentucky wasn't your typical flat midwestern state, but I guess it's technically part of the south. Horses should love it here, since there seems to be an endless supply of open land for grazing.

A quick story about my trip to Ft. Knox: I really wanted to see the gold depository, since it is featured so prominently in the Bond movie "Goldfinger." I knew it wasn't open to the public but all I wanted was a shot from the outside. So I pulled off the exit for Bullion Boulevard and the depository was directly to my left. However, straight ahead was the entrance to the Ft. Knox army base with no place to turn around. Now I am completely freaking out, as I  have no particular reason for entering the place where the Army trains its soldiers.  As I pull into the checkpoint, the MP asks me what I'm doing. I nervously say I'm lost and just want to turn around. They asked for my ID and I'm thinking "Oh no! I'm being arrested and will be tired in a military tribunal!" The MP looks at me and allowed me to leave, but holding my drivers license until I reached the exit gate. As soon as he gave me back my ID, I bolted out of there and back on the highway. I pulled off on the shoulder of US-31 and snapped a quick picture. It isn't as good as the view from Bullion Blvd., but at that point, I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

When crossing the bridge over the Ohio River, I expected the welcome sign to be somewhere on the bridge, but that wasn't the case. The sign was above the freeway, so I couldn't get out of the car and take a good shot as I like to do. Therefore, this one isn't very good, since I'm driving 70 miles per hour and the sign is seen through my dirty windshield. I wish they could have placed this sign on its own apparatus, since I don't like it being jammed between two other freeway signs. I liked the horse graphic, since it's synonymous with the state, but I thought it could have been played up a little bit more. The slogan "unbridled spirit," although vague, seems to work in this case.

Welcome to Frankfort

August 13, 2005

Frankfort was nowhere near as nerve-wracking as Ft. Knox was; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Kentucky's capital is a sleepy little town of about 15,000 people that is nestled in a little valley. The town was quite pretty, featuring dense tree-lined streets and quaint shops. The main part of town seemed like it hadn't changed in 50 years, with old storefronts and impressive window displays. Frankfort is also the home of Daniel Boone's grave, so I stopped there for a bit. The view of the capitol from the cemetery was impressive, as it is the only thing in eyesight that is the above the tree line.

The road to the capitol was a wide avenue with flower gardens in the middle and houses on both sides. Even from where I took this picture, there are houses directly to my left and right, which I thought was a little odd. Usually the capitol is isolated, or at least surrounded by state offices and businesses, but I guess that isn't an issue in Kentucky. I guess the commonwealth government wanted the capitol among the people. I really thought the flowers were a nice touch, since they add some color to an otherwise boring capitol landscape. I was actually pretty disappointed that there wasn't anything else to see in the capitol complex, aside from the flower clock; no statues, no murals, no plaques, nothing.

Miscellaneous Kentucky Symbols

State Route Sign

License Plate

Seal

Quarter