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Kentucky Rain (and a lot of fun, too)

July 12, 2016

Our morning brought excitement with a splash of sadness, both from the prospect of our first day of rain and facing what would be our final day of the Southern Legislative Conference. With that in mind, we vowed to make the most of the day, with experiences extending to the world of politics, liquor, and musical entertainment.

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We boarded our ever-familiar tour bus bound for Kentucky’s capital city of Frankfort, and enjoyed the green rolling hills on the short drive from Lexington (~45 minutes). As we neared the bend that would lead into Frankfort’s main street, the trees embraced the city, making it seem every building was surrounded by its own mini forest, an impressive landscape.


The Old Statehouse

Our first stop was the state’s third capitol building, “The Old Capitol,” built in 1803.  Its location was the same as the first two state capitol buildings, both of which met their demise through fire.  Following the second fire, officials requested submissions for a new design, which would be selected through a competitive process.  The winning design was submitted by Gideon Shryock (fresh out of college!) on a dare.

The Greek revival structure was erected as a symbol of Kentucky’s democratic strength, the massive pillars flanking the entry underlining that statement.

Old State Capitol: Frankfort, Kentucky
Old State Capitol: Frankfort, Kentucky

The limestone walls, quarried from the Kentucky River, stand as impressive as the day as they were placed. Through this grand, but windowless, entrance, we turned first into the “new” library, relocated from its original second-floor location due to weather damage to the books.  In the corner of this room stood a desk that had belonged to then-Governor, Thomas Bramllette. Under his orders, the desk was ordered to contain a secret compartment. However, upon arrival, there was no sign of any such compartment. After complaining to the cabinetmaker and demanding that he be told the whereabouts of the desk’s secret, the designer refused to reveal it for “if [he] were to reveal it then it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.” The secret compartment was never found. 

We left the library, and gathered under a floating staircase. Reputedly one of the only staircases of its kind in a public building, the whole structure will supposedly stay in place regardless of whether walls stand around it – it requires no external support. As designed by architect Shryock, this is an impressive feat of architectural and aesthetic design. As we walked up the staircase, admiring its simple yet intriguing structure, quite a few tour participants not-so-surreptitiously checked out the number of people on the stairs at once.

Another pleasant detail was found in the plaster floral designs on the ceiling. As with most capitol buildings, the legislative chambers were the largest. At the entrance of the Senate and House chambers, we were greeted with lighting from magnificent gold French chandeliers, as lavish as when they were lit for the first time. In the House, the desks were sectioned for two legislators to share one table. As we walked onto the senate chamber, we entered a much more intimate room. We sat down on both the house and senate desks, taking in the building’s history, imagining what it would have been like in the past. When the visit of the Old Statehouse was over, we were very sad. However, our hopes were regained after remembering that this was only the beginning of our grand tour.

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Center for Kentucky History

Because we spent so much time in the Capitol building, our next stop was correspondingly curtailed.  Thus, we only had about 15 minutes at the modern Center for Kentucky History, which was clearly not sufficient.  Some of us went into the gift shop while others toured the Hall of Governors, which consisted of painted portraits and biographies of Kentucky’s governors. It started with Isaac Shelby, the first governor of the state. He was an interesting character. Even though he served two full terms believing and practicing his constitutional duties, in his autobiography of four hundred plus pages, he only included one sentence of his tenure as governor. Another notable character was Martha Layne Collins, the first female governor. She was known for bringing a Toyota plant to Kentucky, which provided many economic opportunities to the state. Despite the brief time allotted to this portion of the tour, we enjoyed the artifacts and exhibits we saw.

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Governor’s Mansion

After the tour of the Kentucky History Center, we visited the Governor’s Mansion for lunch with the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. As we approached the mansion, we were fascinated by the beautiful architecture and colorful garden.

Kentucky Governor's Mansion: Frankfort, Kentucky
Kentucky Governor’s Mansion: Frankfort, Kentucky

We learned that the architecture was designed to model Queen Marie Antoinette’s villa of the palace of Versailles in France—not the last time we would find French influences in the Bluegrass State. The interior also reflected the French interest of the Beaux-Arts period. Walking into this grand architecture, the Lieutenant Governor, Jenean Hampton, and some of her staff, greeted us. We were then directed to the dining room for lunch.

 She welcomed our group very warmly into the governor’s home and spoke about the great state of Kentucky.

Jenean Hampton, Lieutenant Governor, Kentucky
Kentucky Lt. Governor Jenean Hampton at the KY Governor’s Mansion

After learning we were from Texas, she expressed her love for the Lone Star State.

Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton LEAP Ambassadors
LEAP Ambassadors with Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hapton

We felt that she was very genuine and kind! After having greeted her, we then proceeded to eat lunch consisting of a traditional Caesar salad and grilled chicken.

Kentucky Governor's Mansion, Kaitlyn Tyra, Megan Chapa
Kaitlyn Tyra and Megan Chapa at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion

For dessert, we had a light, summery strawberry shortcake.

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And as an added desert of sorts, we had the wonderful opportunity to explore the Governor’s Mansion.

LEAP Ambassadors, Kentucky Governor's Mansion
LEAP Ambassadors Relax at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion

Kentucky State Capitol

 Following the lunch at the Governor’s mansion, we toured the fourth and current Kentucky state capitol. Our tour began in the rotunda with five large statues, each a famous (or infamous) Kentuckian. These include Henry Clay, Alben Berkley, Jefferson Davis, Ephraim McDowell, and Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Rotunda, Kentucky State Capitol
Abraham Lincoln, with Jefferson Davis in the Background

The dome that sits above the rotunda is inspired by Les Invalides, Napoleon’s tomb. Interestingly, the interior of the dome changes colors periodically…

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The building houses all three branches of government: the executive is on the first floor, the judicial is on the second, and the legislative is on the third. This is one of very few state capitols that still houses three branches. In the state supreme court, the judges convene about three days a month, hearing about only nine cases a month.

Kentucky Capitol Building, Supreme Court
Kentucky Capitol: Supreme Court

The justices can serve as many ten-year terms as they can get elected to.

The Kentucky legislature is unusual in that they only meet for 90 days every two years. During even numbered years, the Kentucky legislature will meet for up to 60 days, and in odd numbered years, the 38 Senators and 100 House members will meet for no more than 30 days.

House of Representatives, Kentucky
House of Representatives, Kentucky

House members, as well as Senators, have two year terms, but no term limits.

Overall, we were impressed by the symmetrical design of the capitol, both the interior…

Kentucky Capitol, Symmetrical Design
Kentucky Capitol Interior

…and the exterior…

Kentucky Capitol, Grounds
Walkway to the Kentucky Capitol

…as well as the views from the balcony.

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In fact, it’s rare in a capitol to even be allowed on the balcony, so this was a treat indeed.


Buffalo Trace Distillery

No doubt the offices of the Kentucky Capitol building were witness to much drinking, in order to, as one politician told us, “lubricate the wheels of governance.”  Some of those drinks were likely distilled, aged, and bottled in our next destination: Buffalo Trace. Liquor has been manufactured on the site of Buffalo Trace since 1787, when Willis and Hancock Lee first built a still.  Although the companies of liquor and processes have changed, the site—located near the Kentucky Capitol building— has always been dedicated to distilling primarily bourbon.

Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky

This was true even during Prohibition.  As our tour guide noted, alcohol could still be manufactured for “medicinal purposes.”  Each “patient” could be prescribed up to a pint every ten days.  During this period, the illnesses must have been both “contagious and chronic,” because often an entire family would need the prescriptions refilled indefinitely.  This legal loophole allowed the distillery to stay in business.

Thankfully, that subterfuge was no longer necessary following Prohibition, and the distillery could distribute its liquor the old-fashioned way.  In more recent years, there has been a type of anti-prohibition, and bourbon drinking has become fashionable.  In fact, Buffalo Trace is in the process of tripling the size of its operations, expanding from 140 to 420 acres.

Some people believe that only Kentucky sells bourbon.  That’s not true, but as our tour guide says, most of the bourbon in the US comes from Kentucky.  “Kentucky sells 95% of the nation’s bourbon,” he clarified, “and 100 % of the good bourbon.”

Much of that comes from Buffalo Trace.  Indeed, they recently manufactured their six-millionth barrel.  That’s a lot of bourbon, especially when each barrel contains about 200 bottles.

Bourbon, Barrels, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Bourbon Barrels, Buffalo Trace Distillery

And it is this process that is perhaps most interesting.  To qualify legally as bourbon, the liquor must meet six criteria:

  • Its content must be at least 51 % corn;
  • Distilled to no more than 160 proof;
  • Barreled at no more than 125 proof;
  • Aged in new, charred barrels;
  • Bottled at 80 proof or higher;
  • And, all of this must occur in the United States.
The Aging Process of Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Distillery
The Aging Process of Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Distillery

This last requirement stems from the fact that in 1964 the US Congress passed a resolution recognizing bourbon as indigenous to the United States, much in the same way, for example, that Scotch is associated with Scotland.

This was a lot of information to take in, especially for some of the students who had almost no exposure to alcohol.  But even for those more familiar with the product, the distinctive and specific process was a lot to ingest.

And speaking of ingesting, our tour concluded with a whiskey tasting.  The under-21 crowd skipped this part, but a few of the students had a chance to distinguish (in very small doses!) the difference between four types of whiskey: (1) a blended vodka, (2) a mash whiskey at 125 proof, (3) an 8-9 year old bottle of bourbon, and a (4) 10 year-old bourbon aged on a lower floor of the storage.  (The lower floor is a cooler location, which means less mixing with the barrel, which, in turns, less of the woody or caramel flavor.)

Buffalo Trace Distillery, Bourbon Tasting
Bourbon Tasting at the Buffalo Trace Distillery

Opinions from the group were positive toward the bourbon, but there was general agreement that the 125 proof mash was strong medicine indeed.

Our samples were far too small to lubricate any kind of political deals at the conference, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t interested in expanding our professional networks and seeing what opportunities we could find.  To that end, we headed back to Lexington, where we planned to socialize at the state dinner.


State Dinner

Dressed to the nines, the LEAPsters strode into the Rupp Arena Ballroom.  Although we were prepared to enjoy the State Dinner…

State_Dinner_Kaitlyn_Karla_Brian_Web

…we were not prepared for the beautiful sounds of the a capella group acoUstiKats, from the University of Kentucky.  They introduced the evening with a wonderful rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” and “My Old Kentucky Home.”

acoUstiKats, University of Kentucky
The acoUstiKats from the University of Kentucky

Our dinner mates included Senator Floyd Nicholson and his wife, Mamie, who were from South Carolina and very nice!

SLC, State Dinner, Senator Floyd Nicholson
Senator (SC) Floyd Nicholson and his wife, Mamie

Later, Kentucky Senator Stivers gave a speech and recognized two different programs for their work under the STAR program. This program promotes the creation of innovative ideas for more programs to help communities. The most proactive are chosen and recognized for their accomplishments.

After the meal was over and we had finished the last bit of cheesecake…

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…the entertainment started.  Rick Dees kicked off the evening’s entertainment…

Rick Dees, Southern Legislative Conference, Lexington, KY
Rick Dees at the Southern Legislative Conference State Dinner

…but he soon turned it over to Midnight Star, an R&B band who enjoyed many hits in the 1970s and 1980s, including “Operator,” “No Parking on the Dance Floor,” and others.

Midnight Star, Southern Legislative Conference, Lexington, KY
Midnight Star Performs at the Southern Legislative Conference

Their music soon drew a crowd of dancers, many of whom were elected officials apparently drawn to the dance floor by courage borne of bourbon.

State_Dinner_Midnight_Star_3_Web

Not to be outdone, the LEAP Ambassadors showed off their adaptability and busted out a few dance moves of their own.

LEAP Ambassadors Dance at State Dinner
LEAP Ambassadors Dance at State Dinner

Others, of course, mostly stayed rooted to the dinner table…

State_Dinner_Kaitlyn_Ryan_Web

Nonetheless, it was an energetic end to a four-day tour of Kentucky and its world of politics, entertainment, and history.

LEAP Ambassadors with Floyd and Mamie Nicholson at the SLC State Dinner
LEAP Ambassadors with Floyd and Mamie Nicholson at the SLC State Dinner

But with a four am departure looming, we posed for a final Kentucky photo op…

Lexington, Kentucky, LEAP Ambassadors
LEAP Ambassadors Enjoy Lexington, the Horse Capital of the World

…we headed back to the hotel.  Our sleep was destined to be brief, but we were eager to awake to the Midwestern leg of our southern/Midwestern tour of the United States.

 

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on July 15, 2016July 15, 2016Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Food, Fun, Politics, TravelTags Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky, Kentucky Capitol, Kentucky Governor's Mansion, Lexington, Lt. Governor Jenean Hampton, Southern Legislative ConferenceLeave a comment on Kentucky Rain (and a lot of fun, too)

More Scenes from Savannah: Day Five of Deep South Tour

We knew that today would be great because we were going to spend part of the day shopping! Early Monday morning we hit the squares to find souvenirs, clothes, and candy. City Market is full of small shops that are all unique. As we were shopping we also had the opportunity to visit many of the areas within the historical district we learned about the day before. After we finished City Market, we also walked down River Street (conveniently named for its location on the Savannah River) to do some last minute shopping and enjoy the view. The group bought gifts for our family members, including lots of candy from the Savannah Candy Kitchen. We all have thoroughly enjoyed the pralines. Savannah has the best by far! With all the purchases and walking around the squares we worked up quite an appetite and we decided to try a local pizzeria called Your Pie.

Your Pie was a welcome break from the heat and humidity Savannah summers offer. We decided to split the ten inch pizzas, which turned out to be the perfect sharing size. However, before the pizza arrived, we indulged in cheese sticks, but we considered them to be more like cheese bread. Megan and Alex decided to custom make their pizza, while Kaitlyn and Karla opted for a specialty pizza called “The Nat”.  When the pizzas arrived, we were not disappointed at all. Fresh out of the wood fire oven, the cheese was perfectly gooey.

Pizza_One_Pie_Web

The pizza gave us energy as we headed down the block to Mabel’s Cupcake Emporium.

Mabel's Cupcakes, Savannah
Mabel’s Cupcakes, Savannah

Rumored to have the best cupcakes in Savannah, we wanted to see for ourselves! After ordering various flavors, we agreed that the Rich Butter Vanilla cupcake was our favorite.

After lunch, we continued our sightseeing of historic Savannah. Our first stop was to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Built in 1863, the cathedral is one of the tallest structures in Savannah.

St_Johns_Cathedral_Web

When walking in, we all paused in amazement of the intricacies and beautiful interior of the Cathedral.

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The church brings many visitors every year because of its beauty and Gothic architecture. One of the intricate details of the church included numerous stained glass windows with detailed biblical scenes on them.

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The walls also had decorative narratives from the Bible.

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The grandeur of the Cathedral can be observed from every angle which we thoroughly enjoyed.

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Also, in our free time we visited Chipewa Square where Forrest Gump filmed a scene where Forrest famously says “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” In an effort to recreate the picture, we searched the bench where the scene was filmed, but came to the conclusion that the bench had been moved for the purpose of filming the movie and chose one with a similar view.

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And a group photo at the fountain.

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Once we we’re finished touring and shopping at Historic Savannah, we headed to Tybee Island. While in Tybee we visited the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum.

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Although it sounded daunting, we were excited to begin the 178 step climb up to the top of the light house.  The climb up to the light house served as a great workout for us!

 

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We eventually all reached the top of the light house which is 145 feet tall and 154 feet above sea level. Some of us were nervous to step out onto the ledge of the light house but everyone eventually got to enjoy the view despite the phobia of heights. We even got a peek at the lighthouse lens, which was always on and required a 1,000 watt bulb–the brightness of which was amplified by numerous and layered reflectors.

Tybee_Lighthouse_Lens_Web

The system that was put in place consists of two lightbulbs, one in use and one ready to light up when the other burns out.

The top was windy, but it didn’t stop us from taking selfies…

Alex_Karla_Tybee_Lighthouse_Web…and group shots…

Tybee_Lighthouse_Group_Edited_Weband shots of the view from the top.

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After taking many pictures at the top and enjoying the view along with the breeze, we descended down the flight of stairs again. Once we finally reached the ground we were able to tour the homes of the Lighthouse Keepers that were built in 1881. We enjoyed wandering inside the homes and finding old metal irons and telephones that had once been used.

Karla_Telephone_Web
Karla Goes Old School

We exited the Tybee Lighthouse and Museum through the gift shop and headed across the street to the Fort Screven Museum.

Tybee_Fort_Web

In the museum, we learned about the origin of the settlers and meaning of Tybee. The Spanish were the first to arrive on Tybee and we also learned that “Tybee” is a Native American word for salt. As we walked through the museum, we were able to see how much has changed in the past century. We saw an old diving outfit that had a helmet which weighed 31 pounds! We also walked through an exhibit that showed the evolution of the swimsuit, which we found very interesting. The museum had an exit onto the roof top so we went up and enjoyed the beachfront view for a while before heading to dinner.

Beach_Fort_Girls_Web

After the adventurous tour at the light house and Fort Screven, we headed to the Crab Shack for dinner. Throughout our travels, many people recommended the restaurant to us, making it a must try! The restaurant’s decor was interesting and the food was great (visitors be warned: no air-conditioning). We had their specialty sampler dish for three with shrimp, crab, crawfish, mussels, potatoes, sausage, and corn. Our food was served on one larger tray which brought enough food for the entire group of six to eat.

Crab Shack Sampler for Three
Crab Shack Sampler for Three

The restaurant also has a mini-gator farm, where patrons can feed the baby gators with “gator treats” (for $3…).

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Since we were extremely close to the ocean, we hoped the seafood would live up to our grand expectations and we were satisfied when we walked away.

At the beach, we enjoyed the waves and the sunshine.

Beach_Kaitlyn_Karla

While some of us searched for seashells on the beach, others went swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily for us, it was perfect weather for a day at the beach. Of course, before we left, we took some nice pictures on the beach, one with our backs to the beach…

Beach_Girls_6_Web…and one facing the beach…

Beach_Girls_2_Web…and even one of us jumping…

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Ending our delicious dinner and fun times at the beach, was time to get back to the hotel to freshen up for the Kentucky Kick off Reception.

As the day came to a close, we joined the other participants of the STL conference on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. This was a kickoff social for the upcoming STL Conference in Lexington, Kentucky next year.  Governor Beshear of Kentucky, Kentucky Speaker of the House, the Kentucky President of the Senate, and the Mayor of Lexington flew in and gave an introductory speech and expressed their excitement for the upcoming STL Conference in Lexington by formally inviting guests.

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The highlight of the speeches was Governor Beshear’s, which highlighted themes of togetherness:

I want to talk about what brings us together.  You know about Kentucky’s horses, and the Kentucky Derby; you know about the first Saturday in May; you know about our history; but I want to stress more substantive things, what really brings people together: short, tall, black, white, male, female.  Kentucky Bourbon!

Georgia_Delegation_Governor_Speaking_Web
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear

He also highlighted the success they’ve had in the production of bourbon. Kentucky has 4.4 million residents and 5 million barrels of bourbon, how fascinating is that? “That’s one barrel for every resident, and the rest is for you!,” he exclaimed, to much applause.As it turns out, Kentucky produces 95% of the world’s bourbon, and the other 5%, according to Governor Beshear, “is counterfeit.”

The group closed with a serviceable rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home,” and many in the audience knew enough words to follow along. The song was written by Stephen Foster, the “father of American Music,” who also wrote “Oh! Susannah” and “Camptown Races.”

Georgia_Delegation_Singing_WebSadly, no one offered to sing “The Eyes of Texas” or “Deep in the Heart of Texas.”

There were small refreshments for us to enjoy throughout the night. We tasted the ham and beef mini sandwiches. Also, the homemade bread pudding was scrumptious.  I think all of us would agree that we have had the best and second best versions of bread pudding we’ve ever tried, although we were in disagreement as to whether the Paula Deen bread pudding (with rum sauce) was  better, or whether the Kentucky version (with bourbon and more icing) was the best.  Our plan was to wait on the bread pudding until we got to its home, New Orleans, but that plan went out the window.

The others tried the various cheeses that were available and seemed to have been a fan. Kentucky did a great job of putting out the best of the state. We watched the mingling for a while and after a while decided that tomorrow will come early, so it was time to head back to the hotel. On the walk home I reflected in the day and was kind of sad that my stay in Savannah will soon be over. For a few of us, Professor Yawn treated us to a bike taxi which was a fun way to end the evening and see a little more of beautiful Savannah!

Kaitlyn_Alex_Bike_Web

Each day, we’ve been having a great time learning and experiencing new things. Tomorrow, we will make the most of the day…for it will be our last day full day in Savannah.

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on July 21, 2015Categories Art, Civic Engagement, Food, Fun, Literature, Politics, TravelTags Bourbon, Crab Shack, Forrest Gump, Kentucky, LEAP Center, Savannah, SHSU, St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Steve Beshear, Tybee Beach, Tybee Lighthouse, Your Pie2 Comments on More Scenes from Savannah: Day Five of Deep South Tour

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