It's never great to be awoken by noise first thing in the morning. I know my husband K and I are staying in a hotel, but it should be quiet that early.
We got up at 7:15 and enjoyed the muffins that I bought yesterday in Nashville. Then, I packed up what I needed for my trek and K got his things and we left at 8:28, with the odometer reading 56,868.
I dropped K at 8:30 at the University of Tennessee and I headed north on I-75.
Just north of I-40, there was a fair amount of commerce. Then, it dropped away and the road eventually began to roll up and down hills. There were lots of green trees on either side as I got into the Cumberland Mountains. Fog and mist were prevalent at this early hour before the sun had had time to burn them off. I could see deep valleys out there, as I zoomed by.
At 9:34 (56,930), I crossed into Kentucky and three minutes and two miles later, I parked at the Kentucky Welcome Rest Area. It was a very busy place, but I made my way out to the edge of the parking lot to take this shot.
I was back on the road at 9:58. It was cool to catch glimpses of just how the mountains looked beyond the trees.
I got off at Exit 87 in Richmond and endured a long light, before pulling into a Shell station at 11:19 (57,019). I got 10.863 gallons of diesel for $2.749 each, saving 5 cents a gallon with the Fuel Rewards card. I'd gone 458.5 miles on this tank and I was thrilled to see the car got 42.207 miles per gallon, the best it has been in ages. I was back on the road at 11:35.
I saw a sign at 11:56 at about mile marker 107.2, saying that I was crossing over the 39th Parallel North. It's not every day that you know what parallel you are crossing, let alone a whole number one.
I followed Sarah, the GPS, as usual. When she led me off in Frankfort, I followed along, until 12:35, when she said we'd reached the destination and we had not. So, I had to reprogram her. However, it turned out to not be a bad thing, because just two minutes later, I came upon the capitol overlook. Well, that was a seriously cool view! So, I couldn't be too mad at her.
After three minutes of photography, I got going again, arriving at the Kentucky State Capitol at 12:45 (57,077). It wasn't overly clear, where I was to park, but I finally found a sign indicating that visitor parking was over on the right. This was confirmed, when I saw other tourists getting out.
I took a few minutes to appreciate the beautiful promenade stretching out northward in front of the building. It is part of the landscaping plan from 1905 by John Olmstead, son of the famous Frederick Law Olmstead. Evidently, costs kept most of the plan unfinished.
I was rather surprised, when they made a photo id sticker for me at the desk. The picture was way too dark to see me and I wouldn't have accepted it, had I been in charge of security. The nice lady behind the info desk stamped my capitols passport and gave me the self-guided tour brochure. This was not a slick, colored one like in other capitols. It was black and white and basically a large piece of paper folded up. But, it was chockablock with info. It explained why this was a commonwealth, the difference between "capital" and "capitol", and the legislative branch. It even had the words to "My Old Kentucky Home". (The family actually visited My Old Kentucky Home years ago. It is a real house.) It told things to look for in the building, especially the state seal, which is all over the place. I learned that the building is in the Beaux Arts style and designed by Frank Mills Andrews. The dome is covered in terra cotta, and I don't think I've encountered a capitol that has that before. There's a lantern on top, also different.
There is a map of each floor and each is devoted to a different branch of government. The executive gets the first, the judicial the second and the legislative the third. After the conveniently placed ladies room just after the entrance area, I proceeded to the rotunda. The lady at the desk had told me to pay attention to the dome-the color changes! Well, that's different!
I tried to take photos of those designs at the corners, but they really turned out poorly, except for the one below. Unfortunately, the brochure did not give the meaning of all of them.
I turned my attention to the statues in and around the rotunda. The center was given to Kentucky's most famous son- Abraham Lincoln.
The first on the list around the circle was Henry Clay, who had worked so hard to avert conflict between North and South. His nickname was "The Great Compromiser". The pedestal calls him "Kentucky's Favorite Son". Sorry, Lincoln.
Kentucky started out the Civil War as neutral. While the state was strongly Southern, including to the point of having slaves. But the state had a strong affinity for union and its economy was tied to the North. They didn't have an affinity for the Northern cause, but a belief in their dependence for a strong economy on the North overcame strong Southern sentiment. It didn't help, when a Georgia Senator supposedly said that the border states would do all the fighting, while the rest of the South tended to its cotton undisturbed. Confederates were welcomed, when they invaded Columbus, Kentucky, which soon led to an end to neutrality in September, 1861.
This is a long way to go to say how surprised I was to see a statue of Jefferson Davis here. His was also the only white statue. It turns out, he, too, is a son of Kentucky. How ironic that the president of the Union and the Confederacy were both born in this state.
I've never heard of the next two guys, Ephraim McDowell and Alben Barkley (Harry Truman's veep), but I need a palate cleanser after Jeff Davis.
The offices in this building are all around the perimeter of each floor. That let the architect put in beautiful stain glass skylights on either side of the dome. The mural over the East wing is of Daniel Boone's first view of the Bluegrass region, or "beautiful level of Kentucky" back in 1769. The West mural is of Boone and Richard Henderson finishing the Treaty of Watauga in 1775, which let the Transylvania Company purchase much of what is now Kentucky from the Cherokee. They were painted by T. Gilbert White
I went to the west side of the rotunda to look at display cases honoring Kentuckians who served in the military.
I then checked out the exhibit on the east side of dolls done up to be the First Ladies of Kentucky- and the first female governor. They did some nice work on the dresses.
Along the southern corridor, which went past the Governor's Office, which can't be visited, there are great posters from the Kentucky Derby.
At the est end was a bust of "Happy" Chandler, a governor whom I recognized, because he'd been commissioner of baseball, too.
The north corridor had an exhibit honoring Kentucky women of note, but I didn't recognize any of them. At the west end, was a famous face, Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken Fame.
I found the state seal on the elevator!
Before going upstairs however, I got a shot of the grand staircase at the east end. Quite grand, indeed.
Once on the second floor, I took a shot down toward the west staircase. The brochure informed me that this was a view of the nave and the space is over 300 feet long. The 36 columns are each one piece and are made of Vermont granite.
They are quite proud of their Supreme Court room. It has Honduran mahogany paneling and a Dutch metal leafed ceiling lacquered to look like bronze. It really is a handsome room.
This floor also has the elegant State Reception Room, with its mirrors at either end to create the illusion of an infinite view like at Versailles. It was restored in 1995.
There's actually a chapel on this floor, which is not something I've encountered in any other capitol.
It was now time to head upstairs to the legislative floor. I started at the east end with the House of Representatives. (I seem to start in the House a lot.) There are 100 members and each has a laptop, which allows for the electronic tabulation of votes, I suppose. A very attractive room. I love the rol ltop desks.
Then, it was down to the other end of the building to the Senate. The brochure had talked about some of the decorative touches in the building- fasces (axes bundled in sticks), eagles and torches. Those I found here. What I didn't find here or anywhere were swastikas. The brochure noted that these predated the Nazis and were just classical motifs.
From this end, I had a view of the expanse to the east end and it seemed huge.
I took some time to notice other details, some of which the brochure told me about. For example, there is a centralized vacuum system installed during construction and you can still see round brass fixtures in the walls for it. There are some mail chutes as well. I also noted the state seal in various configurations on doors.
Before I left, I stopped at the front desk again. I asked about a pin, but they had none. The lady did have a few postcards and I paid $1 for 2. I then asked for a recommendation for a place to eat local food. She asked if I'd ever had a Hot Brown. When I said no, she started to describe it and I suddenly realized that I knew what it was- I'd read about it before the trip and had wanted to try it. So, she told me the best place in town to get it and, even though it was well past lunchtime, she was sure they'd be serving. I thanked her heartily.
When I got to the parking area, I walked to the end of the parking lot and looked over the side. There was the very green Kentucky River.
The lady at the desk had given me a map and had drawn the route to the restaurant on it. I honestly tried to follow it. However, once I crossed the river and turned left on US 60, it got tricky, because some of the streets were one way and I didn't see Broadway. Well, it was the scenic route. It is an attractive older downtown. They have banners up of famous people from Kentucky, hence Johnny Depp. I even got to see the outside of the Old State Capitol.
Finally, at 2:16 (57.079), I found a parking spot in the small lot next to Gibby's, which was founded in 1995 in an old store. They did well, so they expanded into the one next door as well. You order at the counter and then take a seat. I ordered the Hot Brown with everything and a fountain drink, that I filled myself, for a total of $11.64 plus a tip. The Hot Brown was invented at the Brown Hotel in Louisville by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. The version here was quite a sight in its metal disposable pie pan. It was two pieces of white bread grilled with garlic butter, fresh turkey breast and tomatoes drowning in a white creamy cheese sauce (Mornay), and topped with bacon and melted cheddar cheese. It was absolutely amazing! I'm positive it is not good for you, but who cares, when it is that good?!
There was a center for Kentucky history nearby, but I didn't feel like paying to park. Instead, when I left at 3:12, I went east on US 60, as the lady at the capitol had also suggested. Six minutes later (57,080), I reached my destination, Frankfort Cemetery. If I'd been in the mood to hunt around, there are some good epitaphs up there. However, I was here for a view of the capitol from the east and to see Daniel and Rebecca Boone's grave. The view alone was worth it.
The Boones did not die in Kentucky. He'd not been successful in business in Kentucky and moved his family in 1799 to Missouri, which wasn't part of the US at the time. He died in 1820 and in 1845, the owners of the new Frankfort Cemetery convinced his descendants to allow Daniel and Rebecca to be reburied there. There is disagreement over whether or not these really were their remains.
The monument has three reliefs for Daniel and one for Rebecca. Daniel's show him in coonskin cap, but he really wore beaver or felt (do not tell Fess Parker). I know the reliefs date to 1880, but it really seems unnecessary for him to have his foot on the neck of a dead Indian.
At about 3:30, I headed back down the hill toward the downtown, but turned left to cross back over the river on Route 420 (Capital Avenue) toward the capitol to see one more thing. At 3:45 (57,083), I found a spot across the street from the Zeigler House, the only house like this by Frank Lloyd Wright erected in Kentucky during his lifetime. You can't go in, but you can look at the outside and recognize his lines.
I took a few minutes to program Sarah for the trip back to Knoxville, before heading out at 3:48. I did swing by the front of the capitol to get a shot.
Sarah had no trouble getting us back to I-75. However, it wasn't long before I felt quite the migraine coming on. I managed to get out one of the migraine pills I carry and took it. There was no rest area in sight, as I was in the midst of a lot of civilization. Finally, at 4:30, I got off on Man O War Boulevard (oh, yes, horse country) in Lexington and made my way into the Target parking lot. I saw a police car, so I decided to blend in more, by pulling into a space closer to the store. I cracked the windows, but opened my sunroof, before putting the seat back and falling asleep.
At 4:45, I was awakened by a call from K. Luckily, that amount of sleep had helped. I went into the store to hunt for tomorrow's breakfast, and the next few days, if possible. I managed to find a few things and I was back on the road at 5:34, with the migraine just leaving me tired.
At 7:10 (57, 226), I crossed back into Tennessee. I-75 isn't exciting, but it wasn't dark yet, so the drive was okay. There were state troopers pulling people over at times and I was just glad to take that as a warning to be careful.
As I came down 11th Street in Knoxville, I got a good look at the houses that were on that street, which continued behind the hotel. I really liked the paint job on them, so I drove slowly enough to snap photos.
At 8:05 (57,284), I pulled up to the gate of the hotel garage, but my key wouldn't open it. A car came up behind me and tried their key, which also didn't work. So, I had to go around the block (White Avenue is one-way the wrong way) to go up to the upper level, which is the lot next to the lobby. The desk gave me two new keys, figuring my husband's was probably screwed up now, too. This time it worked.
I took everything upstairs and decided that skipping dinner again wasn't a great idea. The lobby restaurant meant I wouldn't have to leave the building again. Before I went down, I saw my opportunity to take a photo of the Sunsphere tower at the nearby World's Fair Park. It looked really pretty in the setting sunlight.
For a while, I was the only one in the restaurant/bar. That did not speed things up, however. I ordered a turkey, Granny Smith, and brie sandwich with fries, even though I'd had turkey at lunch, because it sounded good and, at $12, was one of the cheaper things on the menu. It was good. I couldn't resist the chocolate molten cake ($8), but the cake wasn't as good. The ice cream and chocolate sauce helped. I charged the $24.85 to the room.
Even with eating that late, I was still back in the room long before K came back from the evening concert.
I drove 416 miles today! That will not be my longest foray this trip.
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