My sister was going to be at the Bourbon & Beyond Festival camping in Louisville for the weekend, so I decided to take off work and join her for a day of music. Wasn’t sure what to expect, I really didn’t care who was playing, honestly just wanted to spend some time with her.
Music festivals are always fun people watching if nothing else. Walking in I snatched a photo of this couple who was doing their best not to lose each other in a crowd.
Upon arrival I walked around to get the lay of the land. Taking in the artwork, bourbon booths and Instagram opps.
An easy place to meet up. This venue did not offer much shade and these September skies did not have a cloud to help. The heat was brutal.
Drinks offered were $16.00 for a cocktail. Making it ungodly expensive to get a buzz on. And people wonder why edibles are a new trend. So much more fun, affordable and able to bring into any venue.
Was so excited to see Alanis Morissette. I know every word to her songs from the 1990s Jagged Little Pill album and she did not disappoint by wailing them out in her amazingly clear robust voice. It’s my first time seeing her live. Her mannerisms and energy were beyond my expectations. I felt sorry for the 6 ft 7″ giant that stood in front of me as I sang along at the top of my lungs.
I left right as Jack White was coming out screaming. I had my fill of music for the day. Alanis was enough for me to say it was worth it.
George had an event in Bowling Green, Kentucky that weekend and I tagged along. It was called “Brews and Tunes”, outdoors at the Mellow Mushroom. They had Hive & Barrel’s mead on tap and he wanted to check it out and participate in the festivities.
I took a photo of his tap proudly joining the other craft favorites. It’s fun to see his meadery’s name getting out there for others to experience.
We are quite the dorks with our Mead and Cider hats 🙂 Proudly advertising along with our matching tees.
They have a district in this city where if you are carrying the right plastic cup, which costs 1$, you can walk with your drinks throughout the town in the restricted areas. I love this idea, allowing you to wander and drink so you don’t feel stuck in one location. We wandered to the square.
It was as quaint as you could imagine. A typical small town charm.
There was a beautiful park in the middle of the main streets filled with with shaded areas and sculpture.
Catching the flowers still in bloom before fall encroaches.
It felt like we dropped back in time.
A beautiful fountain in the center. There was a church group walking around laying hands and praying for people. I welcomed them and felt their power of sincerity calling God to caste out the evil surrounding my situation.
Was told that by the evening this place would be jumping with college students bar hopping and enjoying the last of the summer eves.
I asked permission to take this beautiful girl’s photo as she pulled up in a limo celebrating her quinceanera.
When we got back to the Mellow Mushroom the crown had filtered in and the bands started playing.
It was a fun venue that sadly wore me out quickly. Unable to handle day-drinking in the sun like I used to 🙂 A” for effort, but we ended up getting a hotel room and I was left behind as George went back to close the night.
The next morning we drove around the campus for a bit, checking out the architecture.
We stumbled across the city’s ballpark which inspired me to buy some last minute Reds tickets to take my daughters to. It’s been a few years since we have been to a game together!
One thing leads to another if we just keep moving along and pulling from the beauty and experience in life. The older I get the more I appreciate these steps. I find myself trying less to control my journey and instead eager to see what’s next, more out of curiosity than anxiousness of proving anything to this world.
Had an opportunity to work a wine festival with George, which gave us the excuse to make a weekend escape out of our visit to Maysville. It was the cutest town! So much history with museums, churches, shops and restaurants to try.
My only complaint, which would keep me from coming back, was the fact that they still allow smoking in the bars. After years of smoke free drinking its impossible to readjust to that scent that sticks to your clothes and hair for hours after. Definitely a deterrent for tourists who like to bar hop. Suppose they are supporting more of the locals by keeping it.
We met at Caproni’s Restaurant along the Ohio River. Found out later our Airbnb was conveniently right around the corner in a historic district.
The bar was beautifully renovated and the cosmos not too shabby! Definitely did the trick on a Friday after a nonstop work week.
I haven’t eaten a formal dinner out in ages! I went all out and was not disappointed.
We sat with a view of the river and the train roared by! There is something about trains and me lately, not sure what it is. I am starting to seriously be enamored by them.
I tried to snap photos as moved.
And then it was gone.
Love how every town these days has a mural. A fantastic way for a place to express themselves.
We found a bar that had outdoor seating with no one in sight to light up a cigarette, so we planted ourselves there and chilled out as it rained.
The next morning I admired the history, the rehabs and the small town walkability.
Did some boutique shopping and purchased a couple new tees. Notice the two flag choices in the window. Still very strange for me to see the fight.
Look at that tiny place with the hunter green awnings squeezed in between the buildings.
The doors and colors were so interesting to me.
A famous historic building.
Maysville is known as the birthplace of Rosemary Clooney who was a 1950s film star and relative to the infamous George Clooney.
Check out the mosaic on this building.
There was a parade and 20,000 people turned out for Rosemary’s movie premiere at this theatre in 1953.
Maysville is also filled with churches. They take their faith seriously. And their bourbon.
We went into the local museum which had old bootlegging equipment and all the history regarding Pogue boubon which is distilled in this area.
Was interesting to hear how people would transport the distilled spirits to New Orleans via a flat boat and then walk back.
Pogue bourbon was one of the few distilleries that survived Prohibition.
Then we went to the museum right next door that holds the largest miniature collection in the the world. I wasn’t sure what to expect. The details in this collection were beyond what I thought was possible.
Like museum dollhouses. Carved and woven in the finest details. You have to visit to understand.
This was a miniature jewelry store copying a famous one in Paris. All the gold and diamonds are real.
Was truly fascinating. I guess a woman in Maysville was a collector and donated all of it.
A tiny gazebo.
Clothes so small and yet still detailed and woven clearly.
They even had a miniature Cox building.
This is the historic row house where we stayed. Along the interior walls were photos and newpaper articles explaining the history of the fires that wiped out families within these structures. I was on the lookout for ghosts.
A beautiful capture of the bridge and the park in front of it.
We got set up on the brick road square. Gail, photographed here, was a trooper -pouring non stop with us for 4 hours. The festival was a non profit fundraiser to support the local theatre in Maysville.
A fantastic day to be outdoors with little humidity. It drew a non stop crowd.
By the end of the night, the fountain was lit and everyone faded back into the smoke filled bars. After serving over 500 people in the 6 hours of the event, I headed back to the Airbnb to put my feet up and crash!
My friend hosted our Phuket Posse reunion last weekend at her amazingly comfortable home in Media, PA. Her husband Blake was victim to our bold and open conversations about all topics as well as our rowdy intoxicated behavior well into the evenings. A good time to be had by all! Was a fantastic catch up that we will be putting on our calendars again in the spring next year!
We started off with an amazing cook out dinner on their new back deck. It was such a beautiful evening and I was so happy to be spending it outdoors with these lifelong friends of mine.
Karen, Blake, Susan and May.
Saturday night I wanted to check out their downtown area. It was walking distance from where we were staying and looked like a small town with one main street lined with boutiques and breweries, my kind of attraction.
I’m so glad Karen and Blake bar hopped along with me. I had so much fun hearing stories about their town and some of the history and gossip that goes along with it. They even taught me what a Delco was. (a person that has a look from Delaware County)
Karen pointed out Tom’s di sum shop which was only one store away from Dim Som Mania. She explained that the partners at Tom’s got into a fight, so the one partner left and opened his own shop two doors down. Rivalry at its finest here in Media. Let the best dim sum win! Or maybe there is room for two?
Adorable small church. One in every Americana town.
There is a trolley that runs down the middle of the main street and dead ends in Media. You can take the trolley all the way into Philadelphia.
Went into one brewery named Iron Horse.
I sampled a flight and enjoyed most.
Blake snapped this photo of Karen and I which I loved. Her shirt says “Wild and Free” and mine “May Contain Alcohol”. We are a perfect pair.
We then headed to a local bar they frequent named “Quotations”. I thought it had a cute theme with quotes on the tables and chalkboards around the bar. I mean who doesn’t love a good quote?
Karen had a selzer by a brand called “Two Robbers”. The can came complete with a comic. Love the marketing and branding these days! Funny thing about this bar is that they all think Karen’s name is Kelly, and now with the stereotype against “Karens” she just lets them call her that. Hilarious.
Must be an inside quote.
When we went back outside the temps had dropped as the rain came down leaving a shimmer on the streets. I loved the tram tracks in the middle.
This place was lit up and adorable. Too bad it was raining out so we couldn’t sit for awhile.
We dove into another brewery named “Sterling Pig”. Apparently they make their own pulled pork and brisket daily. They had sold out of both by the time we arrived at 9 pm.
Their logo was adorable and I ended up stealing a mug and buying a tee from them.
Their flight, always chosen by the bartender for me, knew I’d try anything. In Sante Fe I tried a beer named “Pickle Juice” and I swear it tasted just like it. Here I tasted a Cinnamon beer where the glass rim was dipped in it. Every sip was scrumptious!
They had a very industrial interior and every place we went to opened up all their garage doors to allow as much open air opportunities as they could.
It was a great little town and fun filled Saturday. Hiking, Breweries, and Friends. What more could you want?
And I get high with a little help from my friends. ✌🏼
A bridge walk away from Louisville, across the Ohio River, is a small town called Jeffersonville.
It poured down rain on Sunday, so instead of hitting the wooded trails, George and I opted to hike a paved route to get outdoors for a bit in an attempt to stop being sloths.
We hiked on an old railroad bridge that has been converted into a pedestrian bridge which was pretty cool. Much longer in length than the Cincinnati Purple People or Roebling bridges.
Beautiful day for a walk across the river.
Surprisingly there were tons of people out taking advantage of their Mondays. Or was it Tuesday? I’ve lost track on this long weekend.
While walking there were plenty of beautiful views of the other bridges crossing into Indiana.
Looking back at Louisville.
A cool shot capturing the angles of the both bridges.
Love me some shadows.
A history lesson which was actually quite interesting.
Never forgetting to look up.
First welcome as we crossed over.
Do you see the heart shapes in the landscape?❤️💚
As we exited the bridge ramp there was a map showing off the different businesses in the area.
This flowering bush caught my eye.
And then there was this sweet park.
So nicely said.
In the park there was a mosaic fireplace, a small library and some garden art. Very creative.
George being George.
A cool bike sculpture with a planter baby along for the ride.
A red yeti. Interesting theme.
We walked down by the river on the Indiana side.
A historic clock showing off the time this town was established.
We decided to have a drink at this playful bar/restaurant/kiddy playground.
There was bocce.
Table tennis, aka ping pong.
And a great outdoor seating area where families seemed to enjoy a bit of relaxation in the shade.
Heading back to the Kentucky side I snapped this selfie. It’s always a good day when I have time with George. Wherever it takes us- Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana🌎. Our little adventures never disappoint.
I have never been to Frankfort, Kentucky before. I’ve known its name for years, memorizing it as one of the strange capitals that didn’t logically make sense to me when I was a kid. Seemed to me back in elementary school that there were better city options in Kentucky.
As I was driving south to Tennessee for a girls weekend at a lake house, I decided to swing into this capital city to check it out. Grabbing a cup of coffee may also be helpful, so I set my goal to find a local coffee shop instead of contributing to Starbucks’ already made millions$.
This was a snap shot of the historic downtown area.
I crossed over a mucky river to then enter a sweet small town.
Cute brick roads lined with shops and local bars.
A classic local movie theatre.
The town jeweler’s clock.
As I wandered the main streets, I noticed them paying tribute to the women from this fine state, that contributed to the suffrage movement. It made me wonder if I would risk my life or do jail time, protest and get beaten for something I believed in. My natural instinct is just to live quietly but I wonder what would push me out to truly fight.
So cute how the railroad tracks separated the streets.
There was historic signage throughout the town telling about past events. This perfectly mixed with more modern messages of love and acceptance displayed in the home and store shop windows. Parts of Kentucky surprise me with their open mindedness🧡🇺🇸
Murals representing different races.
This is what I try to remember a church representing. Hope for those that had less.
The church is always a historic focal point of any city in America.
I finally walked by a coffee shop where patrons were masked and respectful of the workers. This local joint offered hard liquor, wine, as well as sandwiches and coffee. Sort of a one shop stop, and at 3 pm was busy with what appeared to be locals and their families.
My friend and talented artist, Jane Eitel, told me about this place last time I was out with her. She is a blog follower and knows how much I love to adventure to new places. Ironically about two days after she told me, I saw a FB post about this same town from another friend. It looked adorable and was only an hour drive from both Louisville and Cincinnati, perfectly located along the Ohio River.
Lining the streets on the Indiana side of the Ohio River are patriotic flags. For some reason this felt like true old fashion Americana, instead of a representation of Trump followers, which sadly the flag sometimes now is used for. I was appreciating it as if I fell back in time.
Gorgeous well maintained hanging flowers also adorned the street lights. There were flyers everywhere advertising concerts in the parks every summer Friday night.
Not sure why the historic theatre was named OHIO, especially being down here in Indiana across the border from Kentucky. But I love local theatres on Main Streets of these small American towns.
Madison seemed to be in a transition of sorts. Some buildings left unrestored while others completely renovated.
We stopped for lunch at a small joint named RED. Shoestring fries and hot sandwiches were a perfect compliment to cold beers, mine helping cure my hangover from the night before. 🙄
In Madison there was a true show of personality.
Loved the creativity of this one!
Throughout the town were hand painted “Be Kind” sign reminders.
Along with this adorable free food pantry.
The local firehouse even offered words of kindness.
There were lots of little shops, this one was my favorite. Everything in the store was in neutral coloration. It had such unique items and stationary. I could’ve spent an hour there just browsing. “what feels like the end is often just the beginning”- was tempted to buy that sign as a reminder.
Most stores were antique shops. I found them entertaining but being a minimalist, unnecessary. I did appreciate this Johnny Cash photo though.
Always a mural representing the city. No matter how big or small.
This fat cat in the store window was cracking me up. Sleeping comfortably while on display.
Adorable how this cat is napping literally beside the cat products for sale. Perfect merchandising.
Local gun and tattoo shop, an admirable combination.
The local toy store was cool! They had fun mirrors throughout.
The local fountain was beautiful. There was a homeless man digging for coins, was sad yet entertaining at the same time.
Really beautiful.
George and I enjoying our day.
Grabbed a chocolate milkshake from this cute shop. Had nothing on Aglamasis! But was refreshing in our attempts to cool down.
For such a small town, we came across 4 different ice cream locations.
How much fun would this be on a weekend!?
Outside one of the parks was this statue.
Just a cute little place. Right along the river. Definitely worth a day trip. But would recommend later in the week when more breweries and shops are opened.
I was hoping to stay with my friend Virlane, who now lives in Champaign, Illinois, on my way home. But the Mount Rushmore curve ball took me further north so I now was going to stop in Chicago instead. When I texted Virlane about it, she suggested I see Galena if I was in the north. So Galena it is! My next stop. Rolling along with the suggestions and keeping my momentum going.
Crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.
I didn’t know what to expect from this small town. I briefly read that it was historical and once a ghost town but now was revived. It is the birthplace of Ulysses Grant. I needed a pit stop for lunch, to grab some caffeine, and explore for a bit. This place was perfect.
A beautiful sunny day, they had the Main Street partially closed to traffic and all the restaurants offered outdoor seating.
Lace curtains were in most of the windows. Definitely had a country charm to it.
The oldest house in Galena. They offered tours for 12$. I wasn’t that interested.
Very crafty stores. Unique pieces you wouldn’t find mass produced.
Really adorable place. Would be fun to stay at a bread and breakfast for the weekend here.
I was checking out the architecture from across the street and saw the horse in the window. It cracked me up. I did notice there were haunted tours also going on. Reminded me a little bit of Savannah, Georgia.
If you were into antiques, there were plenty of shopping options here.
This reminded me of my friend Jane, who is a treasure 🙂
The town was nested between two hills and there were a lot of staircases taking you to different levels. I was admiring this old school house and then decided to walk up and see what was at the next level.
Plenty of Christian church options.
Not exactly sure what this house was about with the Lady Liberty lighting the way.
I think this was Grant’s house.
Looking down I noticed the park across the way and started heading towards it.
Cute trolley rides that would have been educational.
Grant Park. Had a great biking path and plenty of park benches to pass the time in the sun.
Walking over the railroad tracks and river.
Monument in Grant’s honor. This little park was well manicured. I loved seeing couples just sitting together and taking in the small town across the river.
Really was a cute place. I sat and blogged for an hour then headed into the rush hour traffic to get to the windy city.
Grant Park.
View from my bench.
As I was leaving I passed the local blacksmith shop.
I saw many signs on this road trip- cow crossing, deer, elk, bears, but this tractor made my day and truly represented this part of the midwest.
Tonya Takes Thailand 