We didn't really allow time to spend in West Virginia which was just as well because there was a huge rainstorm coming through while we were here. We did have to include it here though because it was in West Virginia that we began to see really red leaves on the trees.

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Luckily when we came through here the rain had stopped for a bit. It was curvy (Al's kind of road) and beautiful.

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It was interesting seeing the coal operations in action.

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Our campground tonight is right at this little airport that caters to skydivers. No activity on the airfield but it was a great view.

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This Kentucky State Capitol, dedicated in 1910, is the fourth permanent capitol building since statehood in 1792. The exterior is of Indiana limestone on a base of Vermont granite. The interior, finished in marble and accented with murals and paintings is noted for its French influence. An interesting note about the centennial murals in the rotunda - the artist originally commissioned to paint them perished on the Titanic and it wasn't completed until 2009.

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The floral clock that stands behind the Capitol is surrounded by an illuminated reflecting pool and has a raised 34-foot diameter face. The minute hand weighs 530 pounds and is more than 20 feet long.

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The Governor's Mansion was built from 1912-1914 at a cost of $95,000. It is a 25-room limestone mansion and is patterned after Marie Antoinette's villa.

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In 1919, Ruth Hanly and Rebecca Gooch, teacher friends, decided to quit teaching and start a candy making business in one of the back rooms of the Gooch family home. They definitely had outstanding courage when they began Rebecca Ruth Candy which today is still hand manufacturing their now famous confections. By 1936, Rebecca was out of the business and Ruth was a widow - a friend said that "the two best tastes in the world were a sip of bourbon and Mrs. Booe's mint candy" and thus her famous/delicious bourbon balls were born. We took a tour of the business (no cameras allowed) and came away with some "boo-boo balls" - they may be boo boos but they sure taste yummy!

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During the days of barge traffic on the Kentucky River, there were 14 locks to help navigate up and down the river. In time, the barges stopped running and the locks went into disrepair. Kentucky has decided to repair 11 of the locks so pleasure boats can once again maneuver the river. We were lucky enough to be able to watch them lift the new lock four gates into place while we enjoyed lunch at Jims Seafood. We also tasted a local treat - fried banana peppers. Sounds weird but they were good!

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Buffalo Trace Distillery holds the title of the oldest continually operating distillery in America. They were even open during Prohibition - for "medicinal" purposes. This is warehouse C which was built in 1881. It is an example of rick construction - massive wooden beams that bear the entire weight of the 24,000 barrels residing inside. Its foundation is Kentucky River marble and has 18-inch thick walls that allow for controlled inside temperatures year round.

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These are some of the barrels that had been filled this morning and were on their way inside warehouse C where they will sit for 3 or more years.

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We got to watch the process where they hand fill the bottles under the Blanton label. These bottles sell for about $200 here in Kentucky and much more outside the state. Here we are inhaling from the tank containing the bourbon that will go into the bottles. It was funny because Carey, our guide, told us to be sure to open our mouths and fully inhale - non-drinkers like us could get drunk doing this!

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Here is where the bottles were first filled, then corked, bibbed, cork waxed, bib removed, labels affixed (each bottle actually got a hand numbered label), placed in velvet bag and boxed. Maybe each bottle should cost $200!

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Last stop on the tour was a tasting. We got to taste the sour mash (YUK), their Rain vodka, the Blanton bourbon and a cream bourbon. We finished the tasting with a Buffalo Trace Bourbon Ball from Rebecca Ruth Candy. This was an incredible tour.

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This monument marks the graves of Daniel and Rebecca Boone. The cemetery also contains the graves of 17 Kentucky governors as well as Kentuckians who have died defending their country from the War of 1812 through the Gulf War.

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The design for the Frank Lloyd Wright house came from a chance shipboard meeting in 1910 of Rev. Jesse Zeigler and Wright. It's an example of Wrights prairie house utilizing open floor plans. It is the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Kentucky.

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Since we've been looking for covered bridges this whole trip, we decided we should find the Switzer Bridge, the last covered bridge in Kentucky. It spans the Elkhorn Creek but has been bypassed by a modern bridge. I was saddened to see the graffiti - it really spoils it.

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Tobacco was a huge cash crop in the Lexington area of Kentucky. We still saw some being grown and dried in tobacco barns.

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Today was the day to see Horse Farms in the Lexington area. It was interesting, I had always thought that all the horse farms here had white fences when in fact most of the fences were black. We did come across 650 acre Donamire Farm with its white fences, four stone barns with slate roofs and cupolas that looked more like mansions then barns...

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...and its house that resembles a French chateau! This is definitely a bluegrass gem.

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This farm with its classic red and white architecture and white fences sits on 762 acres and originally was owned by the same man who owned Calumet Baking Powder. You have to see these farms to believe them!!

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And then around another corner we find this castle on the hill. Don't ask me about it because I don't know but it just had to be included here!

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