Sunday, May15, 2005 - Moving day again - this time to the mountains of eastern Kentucky and the Paintsville Lake State Park, a trip of about 90 miles. Heading east out of Lexington, it seemed amost no time before we were in the mountains. Soon we were at Kentucky's Natural Bridge State Park. Getting to the natural bridge requred a 10 minute ride on a long chair lift that climbed over two mountains, dipping into the valley between. It was a quiet ride. Except for an occasional squeak of the wheels near a stantion, the only sound came from birds singing in the forest. At the top we walked a trail that led some 600 feet to the bridge. The trail led across the top of the bridge. It took a while to realize we were on the bridge top which at first just appeared as a long straight rock. But then the trail led down through a narrow crevice to the valley floor, and at the bottom it became obvious that we had crossed the massive bridge. It was an awesome sight - one of nature's wonders. It was so huge, it was difficult to find a good angle for picture taking, but climbing back to the top we found a trail to a lookout point a quarter mile away that afforded a good view of the bridge.
The Paintsville Lake State Park campground is in a little valley on the edge of a beautiful lake about 40 miles beyond the natural bridge. All the campsites were on level ground with large gravel picnic areas at each site and grass between. Sunday afternoon picnicers were using the several shelters that lined the lake. A volleyball game was in progress as we arrived, and Canadian geese were cruising around the lake. Boats were being launched at the wide boat ramp, and several waterskiers and jetskis were out on the lake.
Later, our caravan cooks put on a first class cookout at lakeside. Wind off the lake slowed down the cooking process, but that only whetted our appetites. The pork loins, baked potatoes, Greek salad, fruit cocktail, and cake for desert was excellent. To fill in the waiting time a young lady representing the tourism bureau in Paintsville described the culture of the eastern Kentucky mountains. During and after the meal, a bluegrass band came to entertain. It all made for an especially enjoyable evening.
Monday, May 16, 2005 - Paintsville is a coal mining town and the county seat of Johnson County. In the heart of Appalachia, one would think that poverty would be rampant, but not so. With a population of 5300, the town and surrounding area appear to be prosperous. Johnson County was the home of country singers, sisters Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle. It was also where Richard Thomas - "John Boy" on the Waltons TV show - grew up.
We visited Mountain Home Place, a working 19th century farmstead that interprets the proud heritage of the people of these Appalachian mountains. There was an old log cabin, a barn with a huge 4,000 pound ox was feeding, a one-room log cabin school house, an old church, and a blacksmith shop. People working there were in clothes that would have been worn in the 1860s. We watched a video narrated by Richard Thomas which described the movement of these people into the area and how they lived.
After a stop at the Paintsville Dairy Queen, the girls did some shopping in the local stores. We then moved over to the Country Music Highway Museum. This brand new museum features several exhibits with memorabilia of country music stars connected with the several eastern Kentucky counties along U.S.Highway 23. Among the stars were Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle, Ricky Skaggs, Billy Ray Cyrus, Naomi, Ashley & Winona Judd, Patsy Loveless, and several others. There are more country music stars from eastern Kentucky per capita than from any other area of the United States.
Then came the storyteller, telling the story of Jenny Wiley, a local heroine. She was an early settler who was captured by Indians and watched as her brother and five children were killed. She managed to escape after nine months with the Indians and found her way back to her husband. Five more children were born and she lived to the age of 71, dying in 1831 in Johnson County. Some of those descendants still live in the area.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - Cool nights returned and the blankets came back out - 48 degrees and foggy, but it burnt off quickly and turned into another beautiful day. We started theday at OSCAR, Oil Springs Cultural Arts and Recreation Center. This was an old school converted to a crafts teaching school. We spent a couple hours learning to do a variety of things. Some did basket weaving, some painted rocks, some did wood carving, and others made cornshuck dolls.
Next stop was at the Mayo Memorial Methodist Church. Built like a Gothic cathedral by Italian artisans brought over by a coal mining executive - John Mayo - the church was unique. Aside from the beautiful architecture, it had a pipe organ with 1008 pipes. The lady who told us the history of the church also played three hymns on the organ.
After lunch we carpooled to Butcher Holler. Now this was a trip! Way back in the boonies to the girlhood home of Loretta Lynn. She really was a coal miner's daughter. There's a gravel road back to the place now, but when she lived there, there was only a walking path along the creek from the company store back up the holler to the house. This was also the home of Crystal Gayle, Loretta's sister. The old company store is now owned by the girls' brother, Herman Webb, and his daughter was running what they now call the General Store. Herman was at the house to show us through. It is apparently a popular place to go see. A crude sign outside announced the $5 charge for a tour led by Herman.
From Loretta Lynn's home we drove to nearby Prestonville for a visit to a museum of prehistoric animals and a planetarium at the East Kentucky Science Center. Then dinner at Billy Ray's Restaurant. It was a full day.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - This was moving day again - 90 miles to Levi Jackson State Park near Corbin, Kentucky. The highway through the mountains had been mostly new road - wide and smooth - and a beautiful drive. We took US23 (the Country Music Highway) south for a ways, then US80 west, then the Rogers Parkway the rest of the way to Levi Jackson State Park. Corbin is the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Colonel Sanders' original restaurant has been rebuilt to resemble his first restaurant as it looked in the 1940s. That's where we ate dinner as a group, enjoying the original recipe at the original restaurant of the original Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Duane and Judy Penner used the occasion at KFC to present Johnny with a special prize for being our caravan mascot - a little stuffed dog he called Fido. Johnny's parents are both officers in the armed forces - his mother in Iraq and his father in Afganistan - so, 2-1/2 year old Johnny is with his grandparents Dan and Emily Neumarkel. Johnny has become everybody's friend - just a great little well-behaved boy.
Several of us gathered around a campfire at Clarence's campsite this evening to enjoy the quiet of the park.
Thursday, May 19, 2005 - Today it was a train ride - on the Big South Fork Scenic Railway from Stearns, Kentucky into the National Forest to an old coal mining town called Blue Heron. From 1938 to 1962 this was a prosperous community with 2,000 miners working at its peak, but after that it became a ghost town. All the houses disappeared. Those house now are represented by shelters that contain pictures of the old inhabitants. These ghost shelters have recordings of the people who lived there, telling about the conditions under which they lived. In a way it seemed strange to be looking at something as an antique way of life while all the while knowing that this all took place during our lifetimes.
From Stearns we drove to Cumberland Falls. What a beautiful picture those falls make. The Cumberland River is wide at the point of the falls with massive rocks along the sides. It's easy to understand why some folks call these falls "Little Niagra." Then it was dinner in the lodge - another meal with Kentucky Hot Brown, entertained by a wild raccoon just outside the window who was scavenging for food.
Friday, May 20, 2005 - The last move of the caravan was to Renfro Valley, just 27 miles away. We were all there in time for lunch at the lodge across the highway from the campground. Renfro Valley has been a center for country music and wholesome family entertainment for 65 years. They claim to have the longest running country music radio show in the country. Near the campground is an old time village with shops and music oriented shops, in addition to the show barn. Following a free afternoon to relax, we had tickets to the 7:00pm Barn Dance show - and a fine show it was.
Emcee Jim Gaskin has been entertaining at Renfro Valley for most of those 65 years. His deep voice has lost none of its quality though he appears to be frail. His singing of Ghost Riders was excellent. The other old timer was comedian Bun Wilson. His outrageous humor had us all laughing. The rest of the show was good too - a combination of country and bluegrass music done to the great handling of guitars, banjos, mandolins, a steel guitar, a left handed violin, and a piano. A pair of 10 year old cloggers did an energetic dance number, and there were several singers.
Saturday, May 21, 2005 - On the last day of the caravan the focus moved up to Berea, Kentucky.
We started the day with breakfast at Sweet Betty's Restaurant in Berea. Then, it was a visit to the Kentucky Artisan Center where crafts by Kentucky's best artisans are displayed. There were some highly unusual articles there - hats made of wood, fine furniture, carvings, pottery, glassware, textiles - all considered the best of the best. Everything was priced, but so high that it was clear that they weren't anxious to sell.
Then, we drove to the campus of Berea College. It was a beautiful campus with impressive buildings. The most notable feature of the college though is not in the buildings, but in the absence of tuition. Students work 20 to 30 hours a week to pay their way. Much of the work is in the making of crafts that are sold in shops around the area. While some of the crafts were the same as those at the Artisan Center, most were of lesser quality - and more moderately priced.
After a free afternoon, we drove back to Berea for our final banquet at the Boone Tavern. A private dining room had been set up for us, then a nice meal. Following the meal Harold Skinner emceed an improvised "in house" talent show. Jokes, recitations, a skit, a song, and a tribute to our leaders closed out the nice evening. $470 was given to Judy's favorite charity, a breast cancer foundation. Then came the goodbyes - always a sad time.
