Wed, Oct 5 After a 72-hour turnaround (cleaning/restock), we left the driveway at 9:30 this morning for a 5-hour drive down Interstate 75 . . . destination, Whispering Hills RV park in Georgetown, KY. The “Gettin' Lucky in Kentucky Rally,” hosted by Mike and MJ Stallings, was set to go off with 18 Airstreams, perfect weather, a bushel of activities, and a pond-side setting that was the focal point of a lot of pictures for the next five days. Whispering Hills is balanced in horse country and bourbon land and that set the tone for the gathering. Our Airstreams had landed on “Sunset Circle” in a double row alongside the pond. Gary sent up his buzzer for a fly-over shot once we were all settled, and Tom hiked around the pond for a ground-level pic of our silver line-up. Our site was in the middle, backed up to the pond with a small island right across from us! The view from our dinette was great! When we arrived, we were welcomed, stickered, buttoned and goody-bagged by MJ and Mike and briefed on the 5:00 opening pow-wow. We had use of a large pavilion for meals and happy hour gatherings for the duration of the rally. It was weather-controlled with large garage doors that could be open and closed, and an overhead heat-blowing system that kept us toasty! In that setting, we enjoyed our first gathering -- a pizza party sponsored by Mike and MJ. It had been a perfect 75 degrees in mid-afternoon, but as the sun got lower the temperature cooled rapidly, with predictions to get down to mid-40’s overnight. Mike and MJ took this stunning picture of their vintage rig as the sun went down. Thursday, Oct 6 It was chilly out this morning as we ate hash and eggs inside the Silvermine. I stepped out quickly for a sunrise picture and was stunned by the morning view! The morning was a lot of socializing while just standing around in different small groups. We idled the time away until noon, when we loaded up over 20 people to go for a tour of the Castle & Key distillery. The distillery was built by Edmund Taylor in 1887 featuring a castle, a springhouse and a sunken garden and became the birthplace of bourbon tourism. By 2014 it was abandoned and in ruins, and purchased by Will Arvin and Wes Murry who worked for years to restore it to working order. Currently, the distilled bourbon is on the younger side, but the wonderful history of the entire place has been beautifully restored. They limit the sales of their special reserve to 100 bottles a day. Our group was divided into two tours. Our group was led by a lively tour guide who, I think, had a PHD in stereotypical tourism presentation. Beginning with the springhouse, followed by the gardens, and then the inside of the facility, we learned the history and the workings of the distillery. Our tour ended in the tasting room, where three samples had been set out for us: a whiskey, a bourbon, and a gin and tonic cocktail. This laid the ground for a trip to the gift shop. On the way back we stopped by the Woodford Distillery gift shop for those that wanted to buy some bourbon! The weather at the campground was beautiful, and at 5:00 Happy Hour started in the pavilion. At 7:00 Tom and I fixed a light supper of chicken, and then returned outside to socialize until dark. Friday, October 7 We made plans for breakfast with 2 other couples and rendezvoused at Fava’s restaurant. Some paused to take a reflection picture on the way in. Our waitress memorized and repeated our names around the table: Tom, Tom, Judi, Bill, Bonnie, Ella! Just as we finished eating the stores were opening and this called for a walk of cute little Georgetown. I scored a pair of cow-hide lace-up shoes, a new quilt pattern, and jelly-roll of fabric. I was also sidetracked by a little bathroom humor! The walk ended up with a gathering at an Irish Pub with the intent to sit outside in the garden. However, the library was so sweet we settled in for an hour of beer and trivial pursuit! At the campground everyone was working on their pot-luck contributions, and by the time happy hour arrived, the pot-luck table was concealed by a wide variety of food offerings. Tom and I took smoked, pulled, pork for little slider sandwiches. Saturday, Oct 8 The day began with . . . eating! Our hosts prepared a million-dollar breakfast complete with Bloody Mary and Mimosa drinks! What a way to fuel the morning. Tom, Pippa, and I headed back downtown to stroll the little historic walking tour. It took us past the old jail house and several beautiful “mansions” and then along the downtown area where there were a few significant buildings. The evening gathering centered around Mike’s Famous Award-winning Chili with a variety of toppings and many accompanying dishes. I made jalapeno cornbread, and Tom served up a large batch of Mint Julep punch. The 50/50 raffle played out with some prizes and a generous cash award won by Judi . . . and donated back to the event to help with expenses. As the moon came up above the pond, I snapped some pictures of the Silvermine. Sunday, Oct 9 Today was a bucket list day – a trip to Keenland Race Track to bet on the ponies! Mike and M.J. led us on a delightful tour through the horse racing countryside, ending at the top of a grassy hill parking spot. We set up tailgating nibbles, and enjoyed 1 ½ hours of pre-race preparation before heading into the track. There were benches down on the track level that were up for grabs with the general admittance ticket. Many of us had toted in our own chairs, and we settled in a nice little conclave with our racing programs and betting tip sheets and a clear view of the giant screen. Ten races were slated, and before each race we were able to walk under the stands to the paddock area to view the horses. We checked each horse out critically – as if we knew something about what we were looking for! Tom and I had never betted before, and our first horse finished dead last! Our second pick didn’t do much better; we were down $10. Next we picked the brain of those around us who seemed to be winning. We went with an average of horse odds/individual horse wins/trainer wins, and managed to bet in two consecutive races on the winner. With $9 to the good in our pockets, we packed up and left, having greatly enjoyed our first track-side experience. The rally was mostly done, but there was enough left-over food from previous eats, that we hauled it all out for what was known a “Deja -Food” dinner. There was a general packing up in preparation for morning take-off and the temperature plunged discouraging an evening outdoor gathering. In the morning 5 dozen donuts had been ordered to sweeten the adieu. We were off by 9:30 and home by 2:00 with deep appreciation for the labors of our host and hostess, Mike and Mj, for a first-rate end to our NOVA rally season.
1 Comment
Michael Miller
10/13/2022 07:52:05 pm
Always a joy to read. You capture everything/one eloquently.
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |