Returning to Florida

We left home around 11 am to drive to Huntington. Traffic was light on the Interstate so we made good time arriving in Huntington around 1:30. We stopped at the Rt. 60 Speedway getting gas for $2.77/gallon. The Nissan Versa that we had rented was getting 42 MPG, and the car has only a 12 gallon tank.

I took the test results into HIMG and left the report for Mary Vaughn. I dropped Mary off at Gran’s to take a look at a problem with her computer, while I went to Don Jenkins' home to take the federal and state taxes that I had prepared and printed a couple of weeks ago.

We were a little early for our ushering responsibility at the Marshall Artist Series at the Keith Albee. We walked around Huntington for a while then stopped at the Gumbo Stop Cafe in Heritage Station. Mary had the pork grillade, and I went with the shrimp etouffee. We both enjoyed our meals very much.

The show at the Keith was Tedechi Trucks band, a rock and soul big band. Unlike any of the other shoes this season, this show was nearly sold out. It was good to see a well-attended performance. We watched an episode of Austin City Limits with Tedechi Trucks Band a few days ago and liked them fine. We stayed through the opening act then headed East toward Dawn's home where we spent the night. Although we would have minded staying for the show, we had a long day of driving ahead of us tomorrow.

Returning home from Florida

We woke around 5:30, did our morning German lessons then came downstairs.  Mary finished packing. We left our shorts and T-shirts, since we would be back in just a few weeks and wouldn’t be wearing those clothes in Kentucky until then. Mark and I took the dogs out for the morning walk. When we were nearly back to the house from our walk, a large opossum sauntered out into the road, saw Jade coming at her and dashed back into the palmetto as fast as possible. Jade pulled on the leash with everything in her wanting to get at the frightened animal while Mark and I laughed at the situation. Afterwards Mark and I repositioned the pull chains in the bedroom ceiling fans so the speeds can be adjusted.

We were loaded and on the road to the airport by 7 am. Traffic was bad, but we had left in time to arrive at the airport for the flight. We had checked in the night before and only had to check our large bag and go through security. Our Global Entry cards expedited our security check, and we were at the gate in the tiny Clearwater airport well before our 10:30 flight home.

The two-hour flight went quickly with both of us reading and snacking on the Corn Nuts and Chex Mix that we brought along. There was only a little turbulence, and we arrived at CVG before 1 pm. We missed our shuttle from the airport to the Hilton where we parked and had to wait for the 1:45 shuttle. We didn’t especially like going from the 80s in Florida to the 20s in Cincinnati.

We made a quick stop in Florence to pick up some groceries at Aldi and Walmart before driving the hour back to Georgetown. We stopped at the Georgetown Kroger Pharmacy to pick up an item for me then dropped a few items off for Emily, Ian and Thomas. Back at home we started unpacking and getting into our usual home routines. We were looking forward to returning to Florida on March 1.

Kayaking Rainbow River

We had a cereal breakfast then took the dogs on a long morning walk through the neighborhood.

Kayaks are loaded on the pickup

We had such a good time kayaking on Tuesday that we decided to do the same thing today. Mark & I made a trip into Tractor Supply to get an adapter for the hitch allowing the 2 inch load extender to fit into the 3 inch receiver. We also picked up some pool noodles from the Dollar Tree to pad the extender and the sharp edges on the bed. Loading the kayaks was much easier using what we learned on Tuesday, so we got everything strapped down in short order.

Steve & Mark on the Rainbow River

We drove to Dunnellon to put into the Rainbow River near Swampy’s Restaurant. There are river access points at the Rainbow Springs State Park at the river’s source and the KP Hole about a half mile downstream from the source spring. Both sites have a launch fee. No fee is charged at Blue Run of Dunnellon Park near the Rainbow River’s mouth where it runs into the Withlacoochee River. Our plan was to put in near the stream’s mouth and paddle upstream about 4 miles to the spring that is the river’s origin.

Cindy & Mark kayaking on Rainbow River

We made it to the KP Hole Park and took advantage of a place to stretch and use the bathroom. After paddling upstream for 3.5 miles our arms felt like rubber, so we decided to return downstream.

Throughout the day we couldn’t stop commenting on the clarity of the water. It was almost like there was nothing in the stream since we could see the bottom nearly as well as if looking though air. Coming from the spring at Rainbow Springs State Park, the water was cool. We felt cool places in deeper pools where additional springs added water to the stream. The day was warm and sunny with temperatures in the mid-80s, just perfect for a day on the water.

Rubber ducks near Blue Run on Rainbow River

A good deal of boat traffic was on the river, mostly kayaks of all types, but there were several powerboats including an airboat. We saw every kind of kayak one can imagine from traditional kayaks to foot powered single and tandem kayaks. There were even some racing kayaks that were very long and slender.

Basking turtles on Rainbow River

On the trip upstream we saw turtles everywhere and of all sizes. Turtles were bunched up on emerging limbs and stones in the water as well as swimming in the cool spring water. We could easily see the turtles swimming in the clear water. The treat of the day was on the downstream return when we saw five otters playing in the river and on the bank. We stopped and watched as the romped and played. After following the otters for 20 minutes or so, we continued on our way back downstream.

Wood ducks on the Rainbow River

The trip downstream took about half as long as the upstream paddle, but we were still tired by the time we had the kayaks loaded on the pickup. We had heard good things about Swampy’s Restaurant and decided to give it a try.

There was a 40-minute wait even though there appeared to be plenty of available tables. Our guess was that the restaurant was unable to get enough employees to staff the restaurant with more diners. Mary had the fried shrimp platter with fries, Cindy had the fish and chips, Mark had grilled shrimp skewers, and I had shrimp etouffee on rice. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and it made an excellent end to a great day on our last full day in Florida this month.

Otter playing along Rainbow River

We drove back to Homosassa, stopping at the Twistee Treat for a cone on the way back to the house. Mark & I took Cedar and Jade out for a quick evening walk then came back and watched a couple of episodes of The Dectorists on Acorn before turning in.

Kayaking Mason Creek

We woke around 3:30 am after hearing several great horned owls in the trees across the canal. We got back to sleep and didn’t get up until nearly 7 am.

We all walked the dogs around the neighborhood, then Mark and I baited the pin fish trap with a mixture of mackerel and oats. We put the trap in the canal behind the house.

Cindy & Mark loading on Mason Creek

We loaded the kayaks on the pickup and drove to the public launch on Mason Creek. We were on the water from around 11:15 until about 2:30. Since we had never hauled the kayaks before, we had to experiment with how to arrange the two tandem kayaks on the pickup. Mark has a rack that attaches to the hitch and gives an additional 4 feet of support. We strapped the kayaks in the front and rear with one on top of the other which seemed to be a good arrangement. We saw several boats of people fishing and most reported success catching lady fish and sea trout as well as a few other saltwater gamefish. The Whittingtons' kayaks were very stable and comfortable. It was a perfect day for paddling in the estuaries. We saw several large fish as well as schools of smaller fish in the clear water of Mason Creek and the estuaries. We paddled up the canal behind their house on Standish Drive but not near the house so the dogs wouldn’t hear us and try to follow.

Mark & Cindy kayaking on Mason Creek

We went along one of the islands as far as we could get in the low water of low tide but had to turn around and go around the island clockwise. By the time we made it to the low water area, the tide had come in enough for us to get through without a portage. However, we were going against a strong current and had to paddle hard to get through the narrow gap. When we returned to the Mason Creek launch ramp, we had gone about 6 miles. We were tired but enjoyed the day immensely and looked forward to another kayaking trip.

Mary piloting the kayak on Mason Creek

Dinner was an excellent selection of leftovers with rigatoni with sauce and Italian sausage or butter and cheese, pork loin and broccoli. Everyone had a good meal.

We took the dogs for a short evening walk then came in to watch a few episodes of The Dectorists on Acorn, then turned in at 10 pm.

The Villages

We woke early for our 7:30 departure to The Villages. Mark and I took the dogs on a short but brisk walk to the public boat launch on Morris Creek.

The drive to The Villages took a little more than an hour. We dropped Cindy off at her hair appointment a little before 9 am, where we met with Jodie. We drove back to the town square area at Sumter Landing on Lady Lake. We learned that The Villages has at least three commercial centers with gated residential “villages” clustered around each. There were many stores, restaurants and pubs in the town square as well as a golf cart dealership, gazebos for nightly concerts, a radio station and many walking paths. We walked along Lake Sumter and saw a lot of birds and watched the rowing teams in the lake.

Steve at a cigar shop in The Villages

We left The Villages around 10:45 to meet Cindy, Jodie and Grant for lunch. We all got sandwiches at Chicken Salad Chick and enjoyed the lunch and visit.

On the way back to Homosassa, we stopped at the Rainbow Springs State Park where we walked a couple of miles by the springs and small waterfalls. The area was a developed tourist trap in the 1960s with large gardens. By talking with the rangers, we found three good places to launch kayaks. One spot is in the spring where rentals are launched. Another spot is behind the Winn Dixie, and the third is near Swampy’s Restaurant in Dunnellon where the Rainbow River connects to the Withlacoochee River.

Rainbow Springs State Park

We drove the 30 miles back to Homosassa, stopping at Dollar Tree to get canned fish to use as bait for the fish trap. Then we drove through the Twistee Treat for ice cream cones.

Mary, Cindy and I walked the dogs while Mark fired up the grill. We had charcoal grilled pork loin with rice and broccoli for dinner then watched a few episodes of The Dectorists on Acorn before retiring.

Jacaranda Hotel

We had cereal for breakfast then took the dogs of a short predawn walk, in order to leave for Avon Park shortly after 8 am. The temperature was warmer than the cooler mornings have had over the past few days.

The three-hour drive southeast on route 98 was uneventful as we watched the temperature increase to the low 80s. Mark had a good gospel bluegrass station on the Sirius radio, which was good listening for the drive. We made a stop in Lakeland for Krispy Kreme doughnuts then continued to Avon Park. We arrived at the historic Jacaranda Hotel at 11:30, happy that we had reservations since there was a long wait for a table. Steve came out for us and got us seated as soon as we arrived.

The buffet at the hotel was very good. I especially enjoyed the chicken and beef tips. There was a large selection of desserts, but their signature dessert is the strawberry shortcake. We all ate too much but enjoyed visiting with Steve and Marcia while we ate. It was interesting to hear about Steve’s work as a substitute teacher for third through fifth graders at an elementary school in Highlands County.

Our group at Highlands Hammock State Park

After lunch we drove to Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring and walked the short boardwalk Cypress Swamp Trail through the wet hammock. After the big meal, it felt good to walk around some.

Steve and Steve at Highland Hammocks SP

We drove back to Homosassa nearly the same way on route 98, arriving at the house around 5:30. We checked the pin fish trap in the canal but had no fish. We took the dogs on a longer evening walk since their morning walk was so short.

We had a snack for dinner then relaxed in the evening. Mary and Cindy read, while Mark watched the Bengals and Chiefs in the playoff game. We planned to leave around 7 am to drive east to The Villages to see Mark’s sister, Jodie.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

We took the dogs for a long walk through the neighborhood early in the morning. Mary and Cindy saw an otter running across the road not far from the house. Mark made excellent breakfast burritos after we got back from our walk.

Since we were unable to get into the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park on Friday because of the huge number of school buses, we decided to arrive at the park when it opened on Saturday. Our first stop in the park was the spring which brings fresh water up from 80 feet underground. A large school of crevalle jack fish were circling in the water. There were also some large snook and a few other smaller fish. Several large manatees were swimming in the relatively warm water, escaping the colder salt water of the Gulf. We went below the observation deck to the underwater viewing area and watched the schools of fish swimming among the manatees.

Manatee in Homosassa Springs

We walked along the stream flowing from the spring and saw hundreds of manatees in the shallow water. There was an area where tour boats were taking snorkelers to interact with the manatees. There was also an area where injured manatees were held for recuperation. It held several manatees including one that was huge.

T

Black crowned night heron

he park has displays of flamingos, herons, egrets, pelicans and other waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds. There were barn owls, barred owls, ospreys, and bald eagles. Enclosures held a wolf, fox, otters, and a Florida panther. All the birds and mammals at the center have been injured and are unable to survive in the wild. We laughed because a lady was at the park photographing birds and had an app playing bird calls. Several times we thought we were hearing a wild bird when she walked by us. We left the park around noon and returned to the house for a lunch of the leftover chili and cornbread.

White form of Great Blue Heron

In the afternoon we repaired the latch on the gate between the house and garage. The screws weren’t holding in the hollow plastic posts, so we had to run to Ace Hardware for an all thread to drill through the post with locking nuts on each side with an aluminum backing plate.

We also checked the crab trap and pinfish trap in the canal. The crab trap was in bad shape and needed to be trashed, but we baited the fish trap with some rib bones to see if we could catch baitfish.

We decided to drive the short distance to the Withlacoochee trailhead that we visited on Friday. We hiked the shorter Hog Pond Loop taking us to three deep flooded quarry pits. We saw several large bass swimming in the clear water and considered returning sometime to fish. We saw a man with his dog fishing in a quarry pit. He told us that he caught at least 50 fish within an hour the day before. Today, he said was slower with only 6 or 8 fish per hour.

The sun was starting to set as we were leaving, but the trail back to the truck is only about a mile, so we got back with no problems.

Mary, Cindy, and I took the dogs for a short walk while Mark made rigatoni with Italian sausages and cherry tomatoes. A garden salad was on the side. As always, everything was quite good.

After dinner we streamed a few episodes of Last Man Standing then turned in early since we have an early departure on Sunday morning.

Burnt Bridge Trail

We slept until 6 am and has a cold cereal breakfast before taking a long walk in the neighborhood with the dogs. We walked nearly three miles by the time we got back to the house.

We left for Homosassa State Wildlife Park around 10 am and got there quickly since it is very nearby. When we arrived, we found that there were several buses of elementary students from Citrus School District and the parking lots were filled with parents. We unable to find a parking place and were nearly unable to get out of the parking area.

We decided that we would probably be better going to that park on another day, so we drove the short distance to the Homosassa section of the Withlacoochee State Forest. We walked on the Burnt Bridge Trail and in the Chassahowitzka River and Coastal Swamps for over seven miles. The area had tremendous diversity of habitats from cypress wetlands to upland meadows to long leaf pine forests. We were very tired by the time we returned to the truck for the drive to the house. We stopped at the Tastee Treat for an ice cream cone before having a lunch of cold cut sandwiches.

Odd tree growing from a stump

In the afternoon Mark and I put a PVC post on the front light. Then Cindy decided that the outdoor light fixtures should be repainted, so we went to Ace Hardware for spray paint and hollow wall anchors to repair the downstairs towel racks.

Mark made roasted new potatoes and warmed the pulled pork from earlier in the week. It was all very good. After dinner we watched the rest of “And Then There Were None” on Acorn.

Paynes Prairie

We both slept well as we have on most nights here. The area is quiet, and the room is dark for sleeping.

Wild horses grazing among sandhill cranes

Cindy, Mary and I took the dogs on their morning walk then returned to have the oatmeal for breakfast. Jade enjoyed the walk, but Cedar clearly didn’t want to go out without Mark. The whole time we were walking away from the house, she constantly looked back for Mark. As we were coming back, she walked anxiously toward the house. Once in the yard she immediately ran to check on Mark. She is clearly a one-man dog.

Bison at Paynes Prairie

We drove north through Crystal River and Inglis to Paynes Prairie, south of Gainesville. As with most Florida state parks, the fee was $6. From the visitor center we walked out the Cones Dike Trail to view a huge flock of sandhill cranes, as well as many other waterfowl and shorebirds including snipes, coots, gallinules, a limpkin and a whooping crane. We walked out into the prairie where we saw a herd of perhaps a dozen bison. There are also horses that were descended from the genetic stock of the horses brought to Florida by early Spanish explorers in the 1500s. We spent a good deal of time in the area walking the trails and looking at the plants. We stopped by the visitor center again the continued north to additional trails into the prairie and an overlook of Lake Wauburg. We walked the Bolen Bluff Trail for 2.6 miles where we walked through wetlands.

Sandhill cranes feeding

Dinner was the chili and corn muffins that Mark made earlier. We had a great day but were tired. We watched the first of three hours of “And Then There Were None” on Acorn before we went to bed at 10 pm.

Follow That Dream

We slept well until after 6 am then went down when we heard Mark and Cindy stirring. We had a piece of toast then took the dogs for a long walk around the neighborhood. After the walk, Mark made scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast as we planned our day.

Observation pier near Inglis

After breakfast Mark and I installed the seats in the new kayaks and checked out the other kayak gear, while Mary and Cindy packed lunch.

We drove north through Crystal River toward the town of Inglis, where we walked along the former Florida Barge Canal. We didn’t see any wildlife except a few birds, but the scenery was beautiful, and the history of the area was interesting. We went out on several piers and got over 10 miles of hiking in. We learned that the canal was originally planned to cut diagonally across the state from the Jacksonville on the Atlantic to Inglish on the Gulf, reducing the time for freight to move. However, the plan was scuttled when people realized that the salt water would cause irreparable damage to freshwater ecosystems across the state.

Mary & Steve at Yankeetown

We drove the short distance to Yankeetown and to the tiny Bird Creek Beach. The Elvis Presley movie, Follow That Dream, was filmed in the area in 1961.

On the drive back to Homosassa, we stopped at Rural King in Crystal River for a few things then at the Publix in Homosassa. Mark and I took the dogs on their evening walk while Mary and Cindy made fish tacos from the sea trout that one of the neighbors caught. We enjoyed the meal then relaxed for the evening.

Fort Island

Panorama from the Lake Loop Trail

Despite going to bed early, we slept until after 6 am. Around 8, we took the dogs out for a walk to a nearby observation tower at the Salt Marsh Trails area of the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge where we saw several birders.

Breakfast was sheet pancakes with blueberries, maple syrup, and bacon. Everything was good.

Mary at the water's edge

After breakfast we drove to Crystal River area, hiked on the Lake Loop Trail, and drove out to Fort Island Beach. Although we didn’t see any birds or wildlife, the area was beautiful and was a great place for us to walk.

Mark, Cindy & Mary

On the way back, we stopped at the Citrus County Visitor Center to pick up information on attractions in the area.

We made a quick stop at the Ace Hardware for postcards then headed back to the house since Cindy had a conference call with the charitable foundation that she supports in Oregon. While she was in the meeting, Mark and I finished the installation of the new door on the back deck.

Steve & Mary at Fort Island

After the meeting we ran out to Publix for groceries then to the Tastee Treat for soft serve ice cream.

Dinner at the house was pulled pork and spareribs with coleslaw. Everything was good. After showers and Duolingo lessons, Mary and Cindy played Cribbage while Mark watched the NBA game. We stayed awake until nearly 10 and hoped to sleep well again.

It was another warm and very pleasant day. We look forward to tomorrow's walk along the Crystal River then perhaps kayak near the house in the afternoon.

Arriving in Homosassa

Anticipating our early departure from CVG, we awoke at 3:45 and left for airport at 4 am. Once we were nearly at the airport, we realized that we forgot our breakfast sandwiches at home.

We parked at Covington Hilton at 5 am and caught shuttle immediately using our reservation with onestoparking.com. The driver dropped us and our bags at the airport, and we went through security with no problems. We were happy that we checked in online last night and had our Global Entry cards to expedite security.

We had a brief wait at the gate, so we ate our granola bars and responded to a few emails. We boarded on time and noticed that the flight wasn’t full. We had a bit of a wait while the aircraft was de-iced since the morning was very cold.

We mostly read for the duration of the flight, nodding off a little. The flight was smooth, and we arrived at PIE around 9:45. Our bag was the second bag to come on the carousal at baggage claim, which never happens for us.

The Whittingtons picked us up in Mark’s new 3/4-ton Dodge Ram, which is well equipped and had plenty of power. In addition, it has a surprisingly smooth and comfortable ride. We really enjoyed listening to the Sirius Radio, especially the Willie’s Roadhouse station playing vintage Country & Western music.

We went to Metro Diner near Tampa for brunch. Cindy and I had eggs Benedict, Mark had biscuits and gravy, and Mary had scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes. I was pleased that the eggs were cooked to order; the whites of my eggs Benedict were firm, and the yolks were a bit runny.

We drove to Whittingtons' new place and had a tour of their house. Afterwards, Mark and I started installing a new screen door on the back porch that has a large dog door. We had to run out to the Ace Hardware store for caulking and spray paint. We took a break while the paint dried and took a walk with the dogs their neighborhood. We worked on the door after the walk until about 6 pm when the no-see-ums were biting.

Jade had eaten seeds from Sabal palm in the backyard. According to what they read; dogs that eat these seed typically die. However, Jade only had digestive issues for a few days then seemed to be fine. Nevertheless, Mark and Cindy attempted to keep the yard clear of Sabal Palm seeds.

Mary and Cindy made fresh caught sea trout with rice and asparagus for dinner along with a white wine. Everything was very good.

After dinner, we all took the dogs out for a walk then Mary and Cindy played cribbage, Mark watched college basketball, and I read.

We were all tired and turned in early.

Cumberland Gap

Total lunar eclipse

I was awake at 4:30, so I went out in the lodge parking lot in the pre-dawn and saw the full moon starting to eclipse. I went in and got Mary so she could watch the eclipse as well. We were pleased that the morning wasn’t cold at all even though we were a week into November. We decided the best place to watch the eclipse was from the back porch of the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park lodge. We enjoyed chatting with a lady from Michigan who was there early watching the eclipse as well. We stayed outside until after 5:30 and saw the moon become totally eclipsed and turned dark red. It was quite a sight. We were happy to see it since there will not be another total lunar eclipse until 2025.

Back at the room we had the breakfast we packed from home. The lodge’s restaurant was closed and there was no other place to eat nearby, so we were happy to have brought last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast with us. We had cold cereal with Greek yogurt along with fresh fruit.

Chained Rock

We checked out of the Cumberland Falls State Park lodge and drove toward Pine Mountain State Park where we planned to hike up to “Chained Rock” on the mountain over Pineville. Pine Mountain was Kentucky’s first state park, established in 1924. Early in the history of Pineville, parents told children that the rock perched on the hillside above the town was chained to prevent it from smashing into the town while they slept. The story grew over the years, so in 1933 a group in Pineville decided to actually put a large chain on the boulder. They used a 3,000-pound chain from a steam shovel that they hauled up the trail by mules in two trips. This was more of a publicity stunt than anything, attempting to attract visitors to the area. The stunt was a success, being reported in over 6,000 newspapers across the country and bringing visitors to the area nearly 90 years later. The trail to Chained Rock is a about .7 miles round trip and has some steep and narrow locations.

Chained Rock

From Pine Mountain State Park, we drove southeast to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. This pass through the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky was used by Native Americans for centuries then carried pioneers and settlers westward across the mountains. Famously, Daniel Boone led groups of frontiersmen through this gap in the mountains.

After a brief stop at the ranger station entrance to the park, we drove up the mountain to the trailhead for the Pinnacle Overlook. The road leading to the trailhead was steep and curved, being nearly a continuous set of switchbacks up the mountain. We parked at the trailhead and walked on the handicapped accessible trail up to the Pinnacle with an elevation of 2440 feet. Upon reaching the Pinnacle Overlook, we were treated to a beautiful view.

Standing in three states

We returned to the car and drove to the trailhead for the Tri-State Marker, a 2.2-mile round trip trail to the point where Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia come together. The trail starts easily on a wide gravel trail called the Object Lesson Road. Built in the 1920s, this section was designed to show the public as well as political figures that roads through the mountains were necessary and attainable.

As the trail to the Pinnacle Overlook continued, the path became narrower and steeper. However, the day was beautiful for early November, and we were happy for the walk. We passed several markers for the Wilderness Road, a trail blazed by Daniel Boone in 1775 from Ft. Chiswell, Virginia to the Cumberland Gap. The Wilderness Road was later extended from Cumberland Gap to the Falls of the Ohio River near present day Louisville. We also passed a large pyramid shaped marker honoring Daniel Boone that was placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution from Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.


We only saw a few other hikers on the trail, but we suspect that the area would be very busy during peak tourist seasons. There were two groups resting at the top once we arrived. We posed for a photo with our feet on the marker where the three states joined then started by down toward the car. The walk back down to the parking area was easier but just as nice. We ran into several visitors from Michigan as we walked but overall, very few were on the two-mile (up and back) trail.

1819 Iron Furnace

After returning to the car, we decided to make a brief stop to the 1819 iron smelting blast furnace nearby. We passed through the nearly one mile tunnel on Rt. 25E and quickly arrived at the over two-hundred-year-old sandstone iron furnace. We took a few pictures but were ready to be on our way since we wanted to be through Lexington before rush hour traffic.

A lunch stop at the Arby’s in Corbin for a very spicy Diablo chicken sandwich was just the thing. Back on I-75 north, we made a quick pit stop at Buc-ee’s at the Richmond exit then drove home by 5:30.

 

Cumberland Falls

We left home at 8:30 am and drove to Sam’s Club in Lexington to get a few things on our shopping list that we needed. Nothing was perishable or needed short term, but we thought that since we were passing through the area we may as well pick up things that are on the current sale.

It didn’t take long to get through Sam’s especially with the self-checkout app, and we took the short drive south on I-75 to Berea. We parked at the Kentucky Artisan Center first and walked around looking at the locally made furniture, clothing and crafts. We enjoyed walking through the exhibits and sales areas. It always reminds us of West Virginia’s Tamarack Center near Beckley. We drove into Berea’s Old Town since tourist season is over and the shuttle wasn’t running. We parked at the Berea Welcome Center in Old Town and walked around the college and shops in Berea’s historic section. We enjoy the abolitionist history of Berea College and the town. Berea continues to be a very diverse learning community, serving first generation college students across Appalachia. Although many of the artisan shops have changed since we last visited Berea, there were still many craftspeople in the small shops near the college.

Col. Steve with Col. Sanders

We continued south on I-75 to Corbin, Kentucky where we ate at the KFC that is near the location of Col. Harland Sanders’ original restaurant from 1937. This new site contains not only the restaurant but the Sanders Café and Museum, a collection of artifacts and memorabilia detailing the life of Col. Sanders and the history of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. We enjoyed our “Finger Lickin’ Good” meals and chatted with the friendly docents in the museum. The original restaurant from 1937 was in a service station across the street from the present building. That restaurant was destroyed by fire in 1939. Several buildings have housed the restaurant, all within a few yards of each other, but the current restaurant and museum was constructed in 1990. Harland Sanders was in the military but was given the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel by Governor Ruby Laffoon in 1935. He was later recommissioned by his friend, Governor Lawrence Weatherby in 1950.

We took a few snapshots then left the restaurant for Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. We stopped at a Walmart in Corbin to buy a turkey sub from the deli that we would have for dinner and items for our breakfast tomorrow. The restaurant at the resort is closed on Mondays so we planned ahead to bring food. Although it was only 1:30 when we arrived at the lodge, we were able to check into our room. Much of the lodge was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s with the sandstone block construction so common in CCC buildings. We appeared to be in one of the original areas of the building.

Our room was small but comfortable and, to our surprise, had an adequate number of electrical outlets for charging our devices, electric toothbrushes and other electronics. After changing clothes, we decided to hike down to the falls from the lodge rather than driving to the falls parking area. Although the trail was only ½ mile, it was steep and narrow, so we made the walk slowly to get to the visitor center.

Double rainbow at Cumberland Falls

The recent dry weather throughout the area caused the volume of water in the Cumberland River to be lower than usual, but the falls were still pretty great. We thought that the self-described title of “Niagara of the South” to be something of an overstatement. The bright fall sun struck the mist rising from the waterfall causing a double rainbow over the river. We had hopes of seeing the moonbow during tonight’s full moon.

Eagle Falls

We walked across the river on the Rt. 90 bridge to the Eagle Falls Trailhead parking where we took the 1.5-mile trail to Eagle Falls. Unlike Cumberland Falls, Eagle Falls is a high narrow waterfall from a small stream down toward the Cumberland River. We met several other hikers along the way, took a few snapshots at the falls, then made the hike back up to the lodge where we showered and cleaned up before dinner.

Moonbow over Cumberland Falls

We enjoyed the sub sandwich from Walmart while we sat in our room in the lodge. Mary had packed some fruit and snacks as well. Around 7:30, not wanting to walk the steep path from the lodge to the falls in the dark, we drove to the parking area at Cumberland Falls. The full moon had risen, and we were pleased to see the moonbow clearly. The moonbow didn’t show a color spectrum like the rainbow earlier in the day, and it was not as bright. However, we could clearly see the arc over the falls. Many people were lining the railing to see the moonbow, but we still had a decent view. A couple standing in front of us needed to walk to the restrooms and asked us to hold their prime viewing place which we were happy to do. By the time they returned, we were ready to drive back up the hill to our room. We planned to get up early on Tuesday morning to see the full lunar eclipse, so we wanted to get to bed early. When I looked at my Fitbit, I wasn’t surprised to see that I had walked over 12 miles today.