The five hour drive from Tennessee to Kentucky was tiring, but upon our arrival we witnessed this magnificent sunset.
The next day, around dusk, Zach, Craig and I took a ride in the van to find something for dinner. We found ourselves on a backroad and passed numerous houses, barns and pastures sprinkled with cows. After spending so much time in Louisiana and Mississippi we became accustomed to the flat terrain, so the rolling hills in Kentucky were a welcomed change. The three of us were ooing and aahing as the sun began to set over this incredible landscape. I think it was fate that I did not have my camera with me during this scenic drive. Otherwise, I probably would have missed the moment when the largest and most regal looking cow I have ever seen, turned her head to look at me and winked. No joke. As the van rolled past this majestic looking cow, I turned around to look at her through the rear view mirror but the orange light of the sunset blocked my view. Moments later, I thought to myself "It's strange that we haven't seen any other cars on this road." And then, twenty feet in front of us, we saw a cowboy on a large chocolate colored horse trotting towards us. The cowboy was wearing a white t-shirt and faded jeans and for several seconds I was convinced that he was movie star. As we slowly rolled by in our Toyota Sienna, feeling incredibly envious of his sweet ride, the cowboy tipped his hat and said in a calm voice, "Well hello there. How are ya'll doing?" We were speechless. Is this real life? When I finally accepted the fact that I was not dreaming, I realized that Kentucky is simply a magical place.
On Saturday we went to Green River Lake State Park. The lake is a manmade reservoir and the water was so clear, clean and gator-free! These photos really do not do this place justice, but they will give you an idea of how neat this hike was.
The view from the bridge overlooking Green River Lake.
The view on the other side! We hiked to that small peninsula on the right.
Thinking about jumping in the water…
We spent hours hiking around the lake and jumping off of various cliffs into the water. It was a picture-perfect day, but sadly I do not have any photos of the rest of the hike. I suppose that's what happens when you are having too much fun.
The next day, it was back to show business.
Craig, making new friends.
Me, with some 2nd graders.
During our lunch break we sat on the "front lawn" of the school and enjoyed this beautiful view.
I made sure the cows knew that the hills were alive.
Zach, lounging in the grass.
Who would have guessed that the Maker's Mark distillery was only about a mile away from the elementary school? The guys enjoyed this after-school activity much more than I did.
Zach, dipping his bottle in the red wax.
So, this concludes the story of how we all fell in love with Kentucky. I could bore you with stories about cows winking and rivers flowing with whisky, but you get the idea. When times are tough and the cast is in the middle of a six hour drive we fantasize about abandoning the tour and buying some horses and a dog and living happily ever on a farm in Kentucky. But the show must go on!
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