Saturday, October 5, 2013

BLUE GRASS, HORSE RACING & HALLOWEEN

October 4-5, 2013           FORT BOONESBOROUGH STATE PARK

Fort Boonesborough SP is located in Richmond, KY about 20 miles from Lexington.  This park is located  where Daniel Boone set up a settlement alongside the Kentucky River in 1775.  It is the second oldest European-American settlement.



Kentucky State Parks really know how to do it up right!    This park is decorated for Halloween in a very big way!  All the trees are draped with orange and green lights.  The recreation hall and bath houses are lit up and synchronized to music such as House of the Rising Sun and other Halloween appropriate music! 



The park is full of families, grandparents and kids, kids, kids.  In fact, for a small charge of $3/car, locals can drive through the campground to view all the lights!  



In light of everything that is going on in Washington and the lack of access the public has to National parks and monuments, this park brings some joy into the season!

The weather is really warm …. 86 degrees warm!  We have closed up the MH and turned on the AC.  All my light clothes are stashed under the bed because Michigan was turning brisk!  I’m now digging them back out!

Keeneland racing season started Friday night and we set off today for the races.   Unfortunately the line of cars to get into Keeneland racetrack went on for miles so we went to Plan B …. find a restaurant to have lunch.  We ended up in MIDWAY, Kentucky

MIDWAY



MIDWAY Historic District is on National Register of Historic Places.   This is a town the railroad built!    A local farmer sold his farm acreage to the Lexington & Ohio railroad.  The L&O built a line between Frankfort and Lexington in 1831 with the first train arriving at the “midway” point in 1833.  




The town was originally named Middleway but renamed Midway in 1837.



The railroad is still used today as it bisects the business district.   The Porterhouse steak originated in Midway at the still standing Porter House (which is for sale).






Midway is the home of a major thoroughbred race horse breeding operation, the Three Chimneys Farm.    


Three Chimneys Farm has been the home of U.S. Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew, U.S. Filly Triple Crown champion Chris Evert as well as Silver Charm, Chief’s Crown, Genuine Risk, Point Given, Slew o’Gold, Capote, Smarty Jones and Big Brown.  Their stallion roster includes Big Brown and Flower Alley who sired 2012 Kentucky Derby Winner and Preakness Stakes winner “I’ll Have Another”.


The Kentucky countryside is just beautiful as I have heaped praise on it before.  The land just rolls on and on with large, beautiful, well-heeled horse farms stretching for miles.  If the summers weren’t so brutal (for me), I’d consider hosting here!

Our time here is short.  We are leaving tomorrow for Cascade Lake Recreation Area in Brevard, NC.  I'm sure the parks will be full because all the campgrounds in the surrounding Pisgah National Forest are closed.  

Looking forward to getting home, once we get our North Carolina mountains fix!

LIFE IS GOOD IN THE SLOW LANE!

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