On To Bourbon Country

The races in Bristol were fun. Both races were good, but the Saturday race was really entertaining, with two drivers, one I like and one I don't, vying back and forth for the win, with Kyle Larson (I like) showing the upper hand. At the very end, a driver from the race series, Erik Jones, pulled ahead of both and took the win. I always like seeing drivers from the race series win. He was one of the competitors for an additional $100,000 if he won, plus a chance for a million if he wins other key races during the season, so it was a very good day for him.

Camping at a racetrack for a week is exhausting. Between the sounds of the generators and the partying, it's tough to sleep well. On the other hand, it seems like campers at a race build a little community in a different way than people do at a regular campground. I seem to get some attention as an anomaly: a woman camping at a racetrack alone, walking a little dog around all the time (there isn't that much to do during the week so we walk around even more than usual), and there are plenty of offers to join little groups to socialize. The campground (just a field) beside the track at Bristol puts on some good entertainment over the weekend, with concerts and vendors, and that was fun. And how many concerts do you go to where you can BYOB? There was a great deal of police and security detail present, and they were totally on anything that looked like it might get out of hand, but they also seemed to have the attitude that it was supposed to be just a big party, and very few people would try to get behind a wheel that night. In the end, though, it was time to find a more relaxed environment for awhile.

Mayberry (Mount Airy, North Carolina)

After backtracking to Greensboro, NC to get a new slideout motor installed on my RV, I was ready to head towards Kentucky. There were several options for how to cross over the mountains, roughly the same distance, so I took the route that allowed me to see the most territory I hadn't seen before. It only took a short side trip to visit the town that Andy Griffith came from, which inspired his TV stories about the people of the small town of Mayberry.

Mount Airy has made an effort to sustain some of the elements that America grew fond of on TV. It's a friendly place, a real mix of old and new.

Stunning West Virginia

My route took me though West Virginia, and my original plan was to just drive the interstates and go straight through to Kentucky. The Appalachian areas are full of arts centers, which feature local handiwork and artistry, leaning heavily towards woodworking, musical instruments and textile arts. I stopped at a couple of these centers in the mountain states, including one that had been advertised along the freeway for 50 miles. Nearby, another West Virginia highlight well represented in the tourism ads is the New River Gorge Bridge, the steel arch bridge that appears on the quarter coin representing the state of West Virginia. What the heck, I decided to get off the interstate and go drive out there to take a look.

I'm so glad I went to see the bridge. Not only was the walk down to the lookout point a nice break from being in the driver's seat, but on the scenic drive back towards the freeway I saw the hilliest, prettiest countryside along Laurel Creek and the New River. Up, down and around hillsides, down into gullies, alongside beautiful waterfalls, and viewing homes, cabins and barns that have been around for many generations, I got to appreciate the beauty of West Virginia instead of just passing it by.

Kentucky Bourbon Country

I was enchanted by the fact that my campsite outside of Frankfort featured its own rope swing.
Too bad it wasn't warmer!

The sunset was as enchanting as the rope swing. Wouldn't want to be here during torrential rainstorms, though!

I stopped at two distilleries in the Frankfort area for tours and tastings. I've never been a big Bourbon drinker, but I have had some that I liked, and thought it would be interesting to learn more. It really is an intriguing industry, full of history and culture, and multi-dimensional with great aromas and flavors. My first stop was at the Buffalo Trace distillery.

The bottling process of Blanton's at Buffalo Trace is done by hand,
and the assembly workers seemed to enjoy conversation as part of their day's work.
(So far, this has been my favorite Bourbon.)

I also visited the Woodford Reserve distillery.

No use for mechanical conveyance systems when simple gravity will do just fine

The rickhouses smell divine!

I was surprised to learn how much the seasons and temperature variances contribute to the aging process. While some manufacturers have climate-control equipment, some simply use windows and nature.
This is one of the rickhouses at Woodford Reserve - been around awhile.

As interesting as the tours are, you always look forward to the tasting at the end!

I've loved the old buildings at these historic sites, the culture preserved in the manufacturing processes, the beautiful countryside, and I'm looking forward to experiencing more during my week in Bourbon Country.