Today was going to be a very long day of driving and I also had the problem of my destination's closing time of 4 pm. So, I got up at 6:15, which is a ridiculous time on a Saturday.
I'd programmed the GPS (Sarah) last night, so all I had to do this morning was choose that destination. I left the hotel garage at 7:13 with the odometer reading 57,432. I took I-275 to I-75 northbound.There are no rest areas in this area, so, at 7:54, I got off at Ex 141 onto Howard Baker Highway to use a Pilot travel center as a rest stop. I was back on the road at 7:58.
At 8:18 (57,491), I crossed into Kentucky. I noticed that there weren't as many trucks on the road today as there had been the previous two times I'd headed up 75.
On the way to Frankfort the other day, I'd noticed the Kentucky Artisan Center and thought that sounded like something I'd like. I was making good time. So, at 9:26 (57,568), I got off at Exit 77 in Berea.
Right off the bat, I noticed that they were set up for a lot of cars and buses. There were some cars and a bus, when I arrived. I hurried to get inside before all the bus people got out. Such a variety of items inside! Jams and jellies and honey, of course. But, CDs of bluegrass music, paintings, metal work. Wood carvings, wood baskets. I got one called "candy" market by That Kentucky Lady. I kept myself from buying soaps. But, if you make Santas and snowmen from corn cobs, I'm buying those for me and as gifts. I also couldn't resist the most amazing flowers made from corn leaves-roses, poppies, hyacinths, lilies, tulips and more. I bought some of those and some "greens" to make a bouquet at home. The place is set up a bit like a craft collective, with the people at the desk making careful note of who made each item. There was a café, too, but I wanted to push on.
Before I left at10:05, I took some photos of the pretty, real flowers outside.
Sarah must not have liked the stop, because around 11, I saw that she was telling me I was 12 minutes out from Frankfort. She thought we were going to the capitol! I had to reset her and turn around to go back down to take the exit for US 68. This was now the route that was closest to me and would bring me into Maysville from the west.
At 11:20, I was driving through Bourbon County, which was definitely horse country. I passed a lot of fancy entrances to big houses with horse barns. At 11:48, Sarah freaked out, because there was a new road not on her maps. For a few moments, I was headed the wrong way, but I got myself out of it. This was not a relaxing drive.
Finally, at 12:33 (57,712), after coming down the ridge, I was parked on the street that was just south of Sutton Street with the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center, Home of the KSB Miniatures Collection. The street had a small town feel, but the museum looked much more modern than I'd expect for a town like this. It turns out that Kathleen (Kaye) Savage Browning's husband wanted her huge collection out of the house and he wanted a home for his collection of maps. So, he built this addition to the existing 1881 building, which is on the right side. Must be nice to have so much money. As for the quilt pattern, these are all over town. I don't know if they are tied to the past of this town, when what is now the Underground Railroad Museum was a temporary safe house.
The entry fee was only $10 and I was more than happy, when they said photography was fine. I was so excited to be here! I'd been following the KSB Miniatures Collection on Facebook for a while. When we were planning the trip, I realized that even though it was a good 4 hour drive-one way- from Knoxville, this was the closest I'd ever get to it. So, I had to make the trip. Every post that they'd made in the past year just made me more and more determined to come. It killed me that I'd missed the big exhibition and that some of the collection would be rotating out. But, I'd be happy with whatever I saw, I was sure.
Before even going through the glass doors that led to the collection, there were display cases on the wall that held such treasures. I began photographing and wound up taking pictures of almost everything I saw in my entire visit. Sometimes, I put my finger up next to a case to give and indication of size. I won't put all of my photos here, but I will put a lot. Look at the tiny secretary on the 1:12 scale one in the second photo. The sweater was actually knitted. There was modern furniture like that in the last photo in the shop, but oh so expensive.
Inside, the first thing you see in Spencer House, Lady Diana's ancestral home, which Browning commissioned and proof that she has a heck of a lot of money.
There was a video featuring the husband and wife team responsible for building and decorating it. I sat down and watched and then studied the building and surrounding exhibits while listening to it. It is incredibly hard to photograph, due to glare from the glass. The first two photos show how a small piece of the mirror frame is made. The third picture is the picture room, which is not accurate to the actual house, but does have a nice portrait of Diana in the far corner. The next is of the incredible ceiling in that room which was made using molds. Then, there's the dining room. Anything that looks like gold or silver, really is gold or silver!
Next up might be my favorite, Savage & Son Jewelers. (Remember, her maiden name is Savage.)
The jewels making up the jewelry are real and I am fascinated by the tiny watches.
Browning started collecting in 1974. By 1989, she decided she needed a house. So, as you do, she commissioned Lawbre Company and Dan McNeil in 1990 to build Westbury Hall. The thing even has a fully operational train in 1:12 scale. I'm impressed by the boot scraper by the front door.
The next photos are of the drawing room at the Harrietta Plantation in McClellanville, Charleston County, SC. The room itself is great, but what I love are the little houses on the mantel. She doesn't give anyone credit for those. However, the Christmas Tree is by Jo Bevilacqua and the room itself seems to be by William C. Brown. But, those houses!
Get a load of these musical instruments! Amazing! However, my husband, upon seeing the first photo for the first time, immediately said that a cello would never be placed like that. Of course, that's what he'd notice first.
The next two rooms are companion pieces- George Washington's Office and Martha Washington's Bedroom. I know I'd seen the office prior to coming here and I'm fairly certain it was in a miniature's magazine, because I remember details being pointed out about it. I think it's been on the Facebook page, too, but you don't get much detail in the write-ups there. Take a look at the buttons on his chair. I don't know whether or not I've seen the bedroom before, but it's lovely.
The case below is labeled Classic American Furnishings. Such fine workmanship! Plus, you don't need a room setting to enjoy them.
Next up is Chessington Plaza. The house has a European side and an American side, which is a cool way to contrast them. It was made by Dan McNeil of The Lawbre Company. The American side features her father Dr. W.M. Savage's Maysville medical office. The European side features a store named for Browning's assistant curator, Linda Young. The second photo shows the most incredible in-progress needlework.
This photo is part of the case of contemporary photo. Some of the furniture reminds me of pieces I've seen in museums.
I know I've seen the next room in a minis magazine. It's called Kentucky Horse Farm Library and even has a blanket of roses by the famous miniaturist Lady Jane in honor of the Run for the Roses, the Kentucky Derby. ( I bought a couple of her small rugs in the shop and was thrilled they were not expensive.) The famous miniature silversmith Pete Acquisto made the julep cups and an 18K Kentucky Derby Trophy! It seems that Ray Whitledge build the room.
The Swedish roombox has a well-known Swedish artist, Carl Larson, working in his early 20th century home.
To my mind, you can't be an American miniatures museum without a good Southwest roombox. This one is great!
This case is just a fun assortment of Americana and patriotic themes.
This next one is kind of meta. It features a Baby House by Mantzell. Dollhouses in a piece of furniture used to be a big thing in Europe and were called baby houses.
There was a pretty nifty Hobbit House built by Teresa Layman in a Rik Pierce class and later embellished. I've seen Rik at shows; his stuff is amazing. There is a pot on the shelf by Jane Graber. I've been trying for ages to win a piece by her on eBay. Today, I was able to buy one in the shop. David Krupick did the bird cage and he's another miniaturist I've seen.
I've always loved Shaker furniture and here are three terrific rooms of it.
She had various building around town reproduced in miniature. When there was a fire, her plans helped the town restore the building that had burned. One building, the theater, even has seats that were paid for by townspeople, like you'd sponsor a seat in a real theater. I saw the actual Russell Theater later in the day.
I ventured upstairs, where there was an impressive array of animals on a safari, as well as the law office of Abraham Lincoln and his partner, William H. Herndon by Allison Ashby and Steve Jedd. All of the items were reproductions of actual Lincoln artifacts and furnishings, down to his broken-handled umbrella.
The shop was really just the area past the ticket counter. As I looked through what they had, gulping at some of the prices, folks were coming in to see the museum. I soon realized that they'd come off a riverboat!! How amazing! So, this was one of the shore excursions they could take.
After I paid for my treasures, including two books about the collection, I asked for food suggestions. The girl called over other employees for help and we finally settle on a place. They showed me where to walk to reach it and I finally left at 2:46, still feeling heady from the experience.
I found the walk through town to be really pleasant. I passed a quilt shop that I would have loved to have gone in, but I really needed to eat. They would be closed by the time I got back. There were interesting antique and second-hand shops. And, as I said, I saw the real life Russell Theater.
I had a little trouble finding the restaurant. It was spelled differently than I expected. (It was too new to be on the map I'd been shown.) The sign outside was none too big, either. But, I did find it after going in the opposite direction and being a little spooked by the noisy crowd outside a burger place. Anyway, Syleetos was obviously a store in the past. Now, there was a counter and food prep area on the left and booths with red plastic-covered seats, as well as some tables. There were few people here this late. The guy behind the counter was very patient as I studied all the choices. I finally chose a wheat tortilla out of the multiple choices with chicken fajita, lots of toppings, Spanish rice and black beans for $6.75. A soda was $1.75. Chips and salsa were $3.50. I chose the mild salsa, as this was my first time. As I watched, he took a blob of dough and put it in a press to create the tortilla. After filling it, he said he'd have to make some chips and would bring them to me. Turned out that it was the same dough cut into long rectangles, which made them like puffy noodles. The food was fantastic. The other patrons had left, so the chef had a few moments to chat. He and his wife had worked at Disney and he'd come up here to help his father-in-law. A real shame for Florida.
When I left, I walked down to look at the floodwall. At the museum, they'd told me there were murals on the floodwall, including one of Rosemary Clooney, who was from Kentucky. The ones at the bottom of Market Street were really quite charming. I could see that the wall extended quite a ways and thought it was a shame that they were letting all that "canvas" go to waste.
The blank wall ran west, but I could see more murals to the east. Not wanting to get too far away from the car, I decided to go get it. This gave me another vantage point on the museum and I could see its older section.
I reached the car at 3:55 and set about finding a good place to park again. At 4:02 (57,713) I parked in the shade near an old warehouse by the waterfront. I wasn't convinced I could park there, but I wouldn't be long. I quickly saw the mural for Clooney coming to town for the premiere of one of her movies at the Russell. It really was quite nice. I was glad I'd gone through the trouble to find it.
I was intrigued to see a pair of statues of buffalo nearby. I don't think of buffalo, when I think of Kentucky, but there they were. The sign is not about buffalo, but it was near them.
Good grief! Another fountain! That's the third one I found in a town that seems small enough to support just one. Although, it is large enough for low income housing to the west of the museum. So, maybe, it's bigger than it seems.
I made my way to the rather large opening in the floodwall. There was a small tent there with two ladies seated at a table loaded down with brochures. They were a kind of welcoming committee for the folks coming off the riverboats. I saw a brochure for the museum and picked it up for my album and she started talking to me about the place. I raved about the collection and she told me that the next time I come, I should contact them ahead of time and they could set up a meeting for me with Kaye Savage Browning herself! As wonderful a prospect as that is, I know I'll never be in this area again.
I was curious about the opening, which seemed like a bad idea in a floodwall. She assured me that there were gates and that men in town would come down to pull them out, if need be. However, since the wall went up, there has been no flooding on this side of the river. She said that this was Limestone Landing and actually sits a bit higher than the Ohio side. The Ohio side had to turn their riverfront into a park, because it floods over there. She encouraged me to go through and have a look around.
So, while the wall on the river side is rather bare, there are two bits of decoration. The second is reminiscent of the quilt square signs around town.
The riverboat was still there and it looked like a fun way to travel the Ohio River.
They'd put in a nice walkway along the river. I bet it's a nice walk.
I went back to walk along the inside of the wall and look at more murals. They were really quite good. They did a nice job on the history of the town.
I even saw another of those quilt square signs on a wall.
My husband had encouraged me to cross the river to Ohio, just because I was going to be that close and it seemed a shame not to. I'd mentioned this at the museum and the manager apologized for it just being Aberdeen, Ohio and not much at that. But, at 4:20 I got back in the car and headed off to find the way to cross that bridge in the picture above.
I found another of those squares and, just by luck, St. Patrick's Catholic Church. They'd be having vigil Mass at 5:15 and I was tempted to stay for it. However, I did a quick calculation of just how late I'd get to Knoxville, plus, I'd planned on the Cathedral tomorrow morning and I do love going to Mass at cathedrals. So, I passed.
The bridge was not very new, but it did its job carrying US 68 across the Ohio. As soon as I got to the other side, I saw closed businesses and some small houses to my left. Behind the houses was open parkland, so I made my way down to the bottom of it, where there was a road that ran parallel to the river. This side was not worth photographing, but I got a nice photo of Maysville across the way at 4:26 (57,714).
I took a few minutes to enjoy the view and program Sarah to get me back to Knoxville, before I got on the road again at 4:40.
The US 68 took me through Maysville and up onto the ridge. I was rather surprised to pass the Mason County Detention Center right there on the road. Then, at 5, I was even more surprised to see a horse and buggy on the other side of the road. I had not realized that there were any Amish in the area.
Soon, I was in horse country again, although I did see clouds. I saw a quilt block on a barn and wondered if it referred to the Underground Railroad or was just decoration. I grabbed the county to take a photo through the passenger window to show what I was passing. It sort of turned out.
I cruised along and was back on I-75 for a while before crossing into Tennessee for the last time at 7:26 (57,891). I saw a sign that I hadn't noticed in my other times on this road that said it was the Senator Al Gore, Sr. Interstate. Cool. I saw cars from Manitoba, which was new, too.
At 7:45 (57,912), I stopped at a Shell at Exit 141, which was the same exit as this morning. The car had gone 481.8 miles on this tank and took 11.670 gallons of Bio-Diesel @$2.949, which was a 5 cent a gallon savings. The car got 41.285 miles per gallon!
The Shell was on one side of the interstate and I drove under the overpass to go back to the Pilot station from this morning. I knew they had a bathroom that was in good shape. They also had an 8 pack of chocolate doughnuts that could be dinner at the hotel and also Coke Zero. That came to $7.59 with tax.
I was back on the road at 8:06. The hotel wasn't far now and the road was, of course, very familiar. I arrived at the entrance to the garage at 8:42, to find two cars ahead of me. The first was having trouble getting their card to work. Someone from the second got out and went up to help. Finally, I was in and in a good spot. The odometer read 57,950-I drove 518 miles today! Even with the stop, I was back in about 4 hours this evening, which was great.
Time for a chocolate doughnut!
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