News and Stuff from Bald Knob

This long Memorial Day weekend we took two tours, northerly and southeasterly.

On Saturday, for the northern trip, we decided to take the advice of Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and try a restaurant in Bellevue, Kentucky called Virgil's Cafe. From Frankfort, we headed east to Georgetown on 460. The intent was to take 62 to Cynthiana, but somehow we made a wrong turn. No matter, we ended up on 25 north and took 32 east to Cynthiana and went through Sadieville. The town was founded where the Southern Railway crosses Eagle Creek and was a major shipping point for mules. From Cynthiana, we headed north on 27 and I-471 to Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue where we found Virgil's.

I guess you could describe the decor as nuvo-stately. Chairs, tables, glasses, and all have been rounded up, restored, and reused. You'll note the table in the photo incorporates two different chair styles. Originally, I wanted to get the chicken etouffee with homemade andouille sausage (featured on Triple-D). However, it was a late lunch and that looked like a prodigious amount of food so I ordered the cubano sandwich (roast pork, mustard, pickles, ham, and swiss on homemade bread). Beverly had the Croque Madame (ham and cheese sandwich with mustard mornay sauce topped with an over easy egg). Both were excellent and Virgil's is definitely worth going back.


We stopped for a short stroll in the riverfront part at Bellevue and watched the stern paddle wheel Belle of Cincinnati head up river on an afternoon excursion. The Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati is across the river. We followed Fairview Avenue west to Highway 8 and then to 42 west to 127 south. At Owenton, we took 22 west to Gratz, 389 south to Lockport. At Lockport, we pick up the Fallis-Gest road that takes us by the Kentucky River Wildlife Management area. From there it was on to 561, 421, and home.


Nicholasville: If you own your own railroad, you can have trains in your front yard.


On Sunday, we started out maybe a bit more randomly than usual. We went to the Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is a working farm and outdoor laboratory managed especially for birding by the National Audubon Society. From there, Beverly said she wanted to go to Hall's on the River. We took McCracken Pike to Versailles then 33 south to 169. On 169 we stopped at Boyd Orchard to check on peaches (too early) and found strawberries that smelled and tasted like real strawberries (you know, not like the berries from major grocery store chains). Our raspberries aren't even close yet, but yesterday was the first day they had them. We continued southeast down 169 to Keene (the hotel is serving breakfast) and Nicholasville. We detoured down 1981 to Chrisman Mill Vinyards. It is closed on Sundays, but we know where it is for another Saturday destination.

We retraced our route to 169 and then crossed the Kentucky River at the Valley View Ferry. We continued to Richmond and then north on 25/421. When we got to the intersection with 627 at Whitehall, we initially thought we'd visit the Jean Farris Winery (sure to be open on Sunday). Before we got there, however, we began thinking of the fried banana peppers at Hall's and turned around.

Now we know the whereabouts of two more wineries and are accumulating more possible destinations.

Next weekend, it's off to Madisonville for my niece's wedding. And then, we are London, England bound. I know the email updates work. I don't know if I'll get WiFi and multimedia services there on my Blackberry, but we'll see.