Kentucky's Mount Rushmore

The Kentucky Rushmore mural was originally going to be a big mountain sculpture .It shows  Kentucky icons Muhammad Ali, Abraham Lincoln, Colonel Sanders and Secretariat. It was painted on the side of a Louisville souvenir shop called WHYlouisville .  

My Old Kentucky Home

 

  My Old Kentucky home is a State park in Bardstown .Federal Hill is the house and estate that is considered To be the inspiration for Stephen Fosters Song MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME .It was Built in 1795 by Senator John Rowan and has a lot of history Behind it. We all know with Great history there is always a Good Ghost story, and one such story is the account of the Restless Grave. John Rowans Monument in the Cemetery grounds has mysteriously moved and fallen over a few times over the years without explanation.

   I made a Recent Trip To Bardstown and Took Cecil Lawson PhD along as Navigator and walking History File. Federal Hill has always been on our Bucket list,I believe My parents took me here as a Kid But I did not remember that much about that trip.This Time armed with a Camera I was to record the whole event.

 

 

 

 

 

 The Coach house

 

 

 

 

This Buggy reminds me of a Cinderella Type

 

 

 

 

 

 

The smoke house

 

 

 

MORE VIEWS OF THE GROUNDS 

 

 

 

Cant resist a selfie---Federal Hill is a big contrast to other KY Iconic homes like
Butcher Holler and the Lincoln Cabin. 

 

In The shadow of Federal Hill Cecil and I have an Ale8 and discuss the fate of the masses.


The Site has a good Bookstore and gift shop and after seeing all that we moved on to Downtown Bardstown.The Talbot Tavern is one thing one never forgets once you have been there.I can remember being there before  and one look at it and you know its haunted, I could feel the vibes. Jesse James is said to be seen there in Ghostly form ,and also a female apparition is often reported.She is described as pale lady in white seen from time to time.Also Guests and employees report to hear strange banging noises and footsteps when no one is around at night and TV sets have come on with no explanation.
We went inside in the daytime and Got lunch.The place oozes History and has been in operation since it was built in 1779.

 

 

 

 

The Food was Great and we walked around Town .I am not keen on big Urban megalopolises and Bardstown is a small Town, but with that cosmopolitan feel I like but without the hassle of being a big City .All the Historical places are preserved and in use and plenty of shoppers and sight seers.

 

Giant Bears In KY Woods

  The Black bear [Ursus americanus americanus]  is the smallest and most common bear in North America, But Is It possible there could be Giant variations? A friend of mine Told me a few years back about seeing a Black bear on his heavily wooded KY farm that he estimated was between 6'6 and 7 feet standing upright and possibly 600 pounds. He witnessed it rear up and mark a tree with its claws. Quite Large considering The Typical black bear you will see in in the National parks Tend to be smallish .The bear in The Great Smoky mountains in TN will usually be around 200 pounds and 5- 6 feet long at the most.

 

Bear still aren't that common in many parts of KY and it seems they tend to not show themselves while I am Hiking or driving around at least. I have yet to see one in person but see there tracks quite a bit. September 2014, I was ''through hiking'' a leg of the Sheltowee Trace.Doing a solo Hike ,I was of course on the alert for bear even though I  know that The eastern bear aren't like grizzlies and into attacking humans so much [Yes I know it does still often happen]. I camped for the night up high in the hills of the Menifee County section near Frenchburg .I Decided to scout down the trail  in the dark before going to sleep. With a flashlight I wanted to do a reconnaissance of the area to see how much more hiking was ahead for the next day. As it turned out I was still in pretty deep woods and sure enough on the sandy mountain trail there was one perfect hind foot print of a bear. I could make out the claw marks and it looked to be quite freshly made. I have a 13 wide shoe size and it was every bit as long and about twice as wide as my bare foot. It looked like a big flat Pad going the same direction as I was. Soon I turned back towards camp, I did hear the ''roar'' or you might say almost a moaning sound in the darkness that very likely was the bear that made the track.