I am somewhat a cliche'. I grew up running around barefoot on a farm in Kentucky.
I love writing, art, sunshine, all animals and my incredibly patient husband, who tolerates my "crazy animal lady" side.
Living in our home state means we get to enjoy a lot of things other places do not have. Have you ever wanted to just take a day to appreciate all the basics and the beauty of the Bluegrass State? Taking into account there are only so many hours in the day, I had to whittle this down to a bare bones list. Still, I imagine this collection of “some” things Kentucky could combine into a very spirit of Kentucky kind of day.
Here are 14 ways to enjoy a spirit of Kentucky kind of day:
Make a short stop and pet the horses at one of our many horse farms. You might even catch them during training or exercise, but seeing them graze on one of our many rolling fields is naturally serene.
Visiting a country store can be enlightening, if it is one ole’ timers gather at to tell stories. It can also be a great place to find homemade snacks and goodies to take to the next stop. Some of the more traditional country stores might even have country ham on a biscuit or fudge. These stores are a little scarce, but they still exist. If you are fortunate enough to live near one, appreciate it and cater to them when possible.
Take a short hike or walk at one of our beautiful state parks. There are parks all over the state, and in most cases, even the city parks are an escape.
You can pack lunch to go in your mini cooler, or pick up something while you are out. Whichever you choose, enjoying that meal in the park is a tradition passed down for generations in some families. Back in the 1950s and earlier, school children packed lunch from home and enjoyed it outside during nice weather.
Visiting a historical spot in Kentucky is not difficult, as almost every community has at least one interesting place. You can tour an entire historic community, like Old Louisville, the largest preserved Victorian district in the world. You also have options like Bardstown, Paducah, Bowling Green, Danville and the list goes on for towns with historically preserved districts. Not to mention graveyards, battlegrounds, railroads, bridges, distilleries and monuments.
Whether or not you are fond of the drink, bourbon is a big part of Kentucky and our economy. We are not the only suppliers of bourbon, but many say it is the only "real" bourbon. There are a variety of different distilleries that offer tours, including Makers Mark. There are historically preserved distilling buildings which have been around since the late 1800s and early 1900s.
You can find Bluegrass Music almost anywhere in Kentucky. It is a part of our roots. We’ve found taking a time to hear that soulful pickin’ can pick you right up.
If you don’t eat pork, enjoy a Hot Brown, piled high with turkey and topped with traditional Mornay. If you enjoy pork, go with a country ham dinner, which is usually easy to find or fix yourself. It travels and keeps well, which is what made it popular to begin with.
The official pie of Kentucky is the Derby Pie, which if made correctly is like a Pecan Pie with chocolate added. Others like the runner up, which replaces Pecans with Walnuts and adds a little bourbon for kick.
Contrary to what some bourbon aficionados say, you don’t have to drink bourbon to appreciate the heritage.
After all, that you can rest well and wake up to another beautiful spring day. These are just suggestions on how to roll a lot of our state into one day’s schedule. I realize it would be challenging, and feel a lot was left off already. What would you add to enjoy a perfect Kentucky kind of day?
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