The Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrels in Storage

Traveling without over planning supports flexibility.  This concept is described well by the character Rita from the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, when she wisely observed, "I just like to go with the flow. See where it leads me."

The fact that we try to remain fluid while traveling may come as a surprise to some of our friends and family because our jobs were to ensure projects were successfully planned and implemented as Project Managers.  It's in our DNA.

When we arrived in Ohio to visit family and start our road trip, Jenn's brother Brent noted that we should visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  We hadn't planned on touring distilleries and tasting deliciously flavorful whiskeys, but heck, why not?!

While enjoying our drive down the historic Natchez Trace parkway towards Mississippi we texted Brent and asked if he and Bill (Jenn's stepdad) would like to meet us in Lexington?  Brent responded quickly and volunteered to work out all of the details.  

Brent planned an action-packed day of tours, including (in order) Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve and Town Branch.  We met Saturday and had an awesome time exploring the different distilleries while bonding over bourbon in the tasting rooms.  After we finished the last tour, it was off to dinner and later that evening we played cards, shared jokes, and enjoyed a few more lively libations until late in the evening.  It was a wonderful and memorable time!

The trip was fun and educational, and the scenery was beautiful.  We highly recommend the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, especially when shared with likeminded friends and family.

Quick Trip Quip - How to Avoid Speeding Tickets

Quick Trip Quips are those funny witticisms picked up by peripheral hearing during our travels. This entry falls into the "educational" category.

Venue: Caroline's Cafe in Key West Florida - A quality people watching spot if ever there was one.

Players: Two people are sitting at the outdoor bar. To protect the identities of those involved in this Quick Trip Quip, we shall refer to them as:

• Almost Naked Girl - Wearing a bright red lace camisole and thong bottom...Oh, and a very retro-styled tricorne hat; she was extremely inebriated.

• Funny Hat Guy - Rotating a wide selection of decorative head-wear including an overly fuzzy pimp-style hat and one in the shape of a roosting chicken. Funny Hat Guy was the most likely source of Almost Naked Girl's handsome tricorne.

Quip: Almost Naked Girl to Funny Hat Guy, "I dress like this all the time...I never get speeding tickets!"

Post Script: Sorry gents! We didn't manage to capture a picture of this scene.

Fact or Fiction? Gypsy Chickens Take Over the Florida Keys!

The following submission is either completely fictional or is fact-based.  Please post a comment noting whether you think it is True or False with your own entertaining or supporting commentary.  The answer will be provided in a future comment on this post.

We were enjoying another lovely day in the Florida Keys when we stopped to access cash from a local ATM.  As we returned to our car in the parking lot of the Winn-Dixie grocery store, we were accosted by a “Gypsy Chicken” – A proud, colorful rooster seeking to relieve us of the recently withdrawn funds.  We narrowly escaped the surprise encounter without harm and quickly made our way further down The Keys and away from what we assumed was an isolated population of poultry punks.

Little did we know we would encounter more fowl play when we arrived in Key West.  Caravans of the Gypsy Chicken were visible throughout the town, each more unkept and uncivilized than the last.  These societal castoffs had given up on traditional farm-based employment and had taken to the urban neighborhoods, surviving on street smarts and strong stomachs capable of consuming the least palatable scraps.

We post this blog as a public service to anyone who may be considering voyage to the Florida Keys.  Gypsy Chickens can be quite territorial and may not take kindly to your trespass on their turf.  If you find yourself in a hostile situation, watch your wallets, avoid eye contact, and distract them by throwing pieces of bread behind you as you make a hasty retreat.

The Keys and Key Lime Pie

  

It seems that every restaurant in The Florida Keys publicizes their key lime pie as the best.  The key (pardon the pun) is to find one that suits your taste.  Luckily for us, our friend Irene recommended The Cracked Conch Cafe.  On the way back from Key West we split a slice of pie at Irene’s recommended dining spot and it was indeed lovely!  The meringue wasn’t too citrusy; it was sweeter than expected and had the consistency of a cheesecake.  In addition, our slice of heaven came with a crisp graham cracker crust.  It was perfect with Matt’s Cuban coffee and Jenn’s hot tea.  Thanks to Irene for the yummy recommendation!

Natchez Trace Parkway

We are easing into our world travels with a warm-up trip in the continental US.  Ironically, our warm-up trip started with record cold weather in much of the Midwest, including Ohio where we traveled on January 2nd to see family and friends.  After a long weekend of enjoying the familiarities of home, we headed south to check the first item off of our bucket list, The Natchez Trace Parkway, an historic 444 mile route stretching from Nashville Tennessee to Natchez Mississippi.

Our road trip on the Trace was enjoyed at a relatively relaxed pace.  We stopped at a variety of sites such as:

• Jackson Falls
• Memorials (Meriwether Lewis and the War of 1812)
• Native American ceremonial mounds (Bear Creek, Pharr, and Emerald)
• Cypress Swamp (pictured above)

Along the way we witnessed a variety of wildlife including deer, turkeys, and hawks.  It was a beautiful, well organized, and well maintained route; we recommend it to anyone wanting to get off the highway and return to an unspoiled environment.