Friday, November 4, 2016

After leaving the campsite today, we drove to Grand Rivers, KY, to check out a potential place to visit. We were disappointed that it didn't look that interesting, so we went grocery shopping instead.

We've decided that we are going to pretty much take it as easy as possible this year, so we are going to spend a couple of days actually in the Land Between the Lakes area. Two lakes, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, have been formed by damming the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River. Many families, towns, cemeteries, etc. had to be moved while the land was flooded. However, there is still a strip of land running between the two lakes, much of which is now designated a National Recreation area.

After reading about some of the campgrounds in the area, we decided to try the more unconventional (for us) campground, Wranglers Campground, This is a campground designed for campers with horses. It was pretty full, but we did find a spot. More on the campground and it's charms tomorrow.

We spent the afternoon doing some sightseeing in the Land Between the Lakes. First we drove south to The Homeplace. This is considered an 1850s "working farm and living history museum." At this time of the year there were few visitors, so the atmosphere was quiet (especially considering the Independence Day celebration that Kathy and the kids took part in years ago!) We walked the grounds until we found the field that two of the men were plowing with a team of mules.

Chris visited with one farmer and another visiting couple, while I chatted with the other farmer and petted the mules. We both were told interesting tales about the antics of the mules, past and present, the chickens, and the hogs that had escaped (again!) earlier in the day. The hogs were still to be found... 

Eventually, we arrived back at the farmhouse. After touring it and we first spent quite awhile in the kitchen talking to one of the women about cooking various foods. She had just finished a pumpkin pie and a sweet potato pie; they smelled great. We discussed whether making a pie with all our extra butternut squash would be similar and other ways to use it.

Then the three of us joined another of the women on the porch for a nice chatting session. These southern style homes with the rooms separated by a breezeway (even the second story bedrooms are separated with another breezeway) are great for sitting outside, rain or shine, and letting the breezes blow around you!

A little way past The Homeplace was an example of a limestone slab furnace used by the Great Western Iron Works during the late nineteenth century. This whole area had a number of similar furnaces producing iron, principally pig iron, to ship elsewhere.

Returned to campground!-- kdr