As I sit down to write this post about the tenth day of our road trip, I find the days blending together. Where were we last night, anyway?

I know. We were in Elizabethtown, where we had Indian food, did a quick turn around its downtown, and got on the road. Our goal was Weston WV and it was going to be one long ride.

We had entered Kentucky the day before, by crossing the Ohio River at Cairo IL and left Kentucky just south of Ashland KY. That is a distance of over 400 miles, over 6 hours of straight driving.

Kentucky has always interested me. It is different from any other state, and although it has great diversity, each of its distinct parts is itself pretty unique to Kentucky. For one thing, it is the Blue Grass State. Where else is there blue grass?

I admit that I have never seen grass in Kentucky that I would describe as blue. But I have never been in Kentucky in the spring, when Kentucky blue grass takes on a blue tint.

And it is apparently the unique blue grass that gives rise to another Kentucky specialty, raising and racing thoroughbreds. Horses, they say, love and thrive on Kentucky bluegrass.

Western Kentucky, with its history, agriculture, and river life may not be completely unique, but you do notice a difference when you cross from a neighboring state. And towns like Paducah and Owensboro provide a liveable mixture of the old and the trendy.

And western Kentucky is very different from the central part of the state, which is the center of horse culture, and also the center of bourbon production. And then, as you move east, and the manicured hills become higher and more forested, you are in Appalachian coal country, poor and extremely remote.

And of course, this doesn’t include Kentucky’s mammoth Mammoth Cave. If I remember correctly, Kentucky has more caves than any other state

And there is the 250 square mile reservoir, Kentucky Lake, dammed from the Tennessee River, that provides enormous recreational opportunities.  And I haven’t even mentioned Louisville, a major city with major tourist attractions.

My maternal grandfather had a brother in Louisville, who when I was young would come to St. Louis every year to see a few Cardinals games. He had a neighborhood grocery and a couple of kids, but his children have never been and part of my life. On my maternal grandmother’s side, a niece of hers married someone from Louisville and moved there. They had two daughters, just a few years younger than me. For a while, Edie and I saw one of them (and her husband) on a regular basis when their son was at American University. But that was 25 years ago.

And even more years ago (more than a half century ago), I dated someone who had gone to college in Kentucky and who worked for Legal Services in Kentucky during her two summers while in law school, and that gave me opportunities to spend time in Louisville, Danville, and Prestonsburg (in the heart of Appalachia), all interesting.

Well, you ask, what about today?  We did not have any long stops, basically keeping to the Interstate, enjoying the beautiful fall colors. We did get off the road (but not out of our car) at Bardstown, to look at this attractive, upscale town, the location of My Old Kentucky Home, and we passed a few of Bardstown’s 9 bourbon distilleries. The distilleries each look like a major factory, certainly not a mom and pop operation. You can tour some of them. Next time. When we drove through Lexington, we stopped at Keeneland just to see it. Again, no time for a tour. Actually, I am not sure what happens at Keeneland. I just know it is a center of the thoroughbred world. Next time, ee will find out more.

We stopped in one more town, Morehead, a small almost Appalachian college town that looks like no other place we saw in the state. It has the ambiance of the old west. Can’t quite explain it.

We crossed into West Virginia and drove another 100 miles or so. West Virginia may be wild and wonderful, but it’s not nearly as interesting as Kentucky.

Most importantly, I should add that yesterdsy was our 49th anniversary. My part of this has been easy. But can you imagine what Edie has had to put up with for so long?

Two photos only today. The entrance to Keeneland, and the Mexican restaurant in Morehead prepared for the Day of the Dead. Yes, that is today.