Sat. Oct. 23: This morning as we left the campsite after breakfast, a caravan of trucks was pulling in next to us. There was a large “stake” truck that appeared to be filled with fence pieces and other items destined to be another elaborate display on the two empty sites next to ours. Marv took a couple of pictures and then we set off to take a driving trip through the Kentucky Heartland Blue Grass area. This is one of the Scenic Drives featured in our road atlas. We followed a narrow country road northwest from the campsite through some stunning countryside. As we approached Highway 68 and got closer to Lexington, the road got wider and busier. We got on Man O’ War Parkway and met up with Highway 68 going southwest. As the atlas says, “the most prominent feature of this region is its miles of black and white fences, behind which thoroughbred horses graze…” The famous blue grass is decidedly brown right now as they have suffered from drought conditions since July. After passing through the palisades of the Kentucky River we climbed out of the valley to the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. Although the colony effectively disbanded in 1910 and its final resident died in 1926, many of the shaker buildings have been restored and are open for tours. We spent a delightful 5 hours or so exploring and savoring the gorgeous weather (temperatures in the seventies and sunny skies) and the peaceful environment of the “heaven on earth” that the Shakers established here. We had a leisurely lunch in the dining hall of the Trustees Office where they are devoted to offering traditional dishes with food grown on the premises or bought locally. Towards the end of our visit Ken called to recount the exciting MSU/Northwestern game which MSU won, bringing their season to 8-0. We regretfully left the village and took a circular route back to the campground. We passed through Harrodsville which was settled in 1775 and is the oldest village in Kentucky, stopped in Richmond to update the blog and wash the truck, and got back to the campsite around 7:00. We had a light supper of soup, tabbouleh, and fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. We walked around the campground again after dark and saw that people are still adding to their displays, although our next door neighbors haven’t begun yet. This place is going to be unbelievable by next weekend, with thousands of dollars in decorations on display. We talked to Jan and Lou and agreed to meet them tomorrow around Huntington, West Virginia, after we have had a chance to see Fort Boonesborough since we’re here.
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