Well that's the end of my quest, but not the end of the journey. I had to get home didn't I? However, before I could return to "My Old Kentucky Home" (another state park, by the way) I had to make a detour south to my "2nd home" of Franklin, Tennessee. My wife and I have been blessed by many things in this life...health, family, great friends, and a little bit of financial success. This has let us make an investment in our future and already begin planning for, and preparing for, our soon to reach "retirement years". A few years back, after many vacations spent exploring southern small towns and areas, we chanced upon the town of Franklin, just south of the city of Nashville, Tennessee. We immediately liked it, and after retuning a couple of times to spend more time exploring the area, decided that THIS would be our "place in the sun". Historical town, good neighborhoods, easy to get around in, lots of shopping close by, easy pace of life, strong economy, and MUCH MILDER WINTERS than we experience 300 miles to the north in Northern Kentucky. Riding 12 months out of the year was certainly on MY wish list. So we purchased a small house close to the downtown historical district and have been doing some remodeling on it. I had a few chores to accomplish before heading back north. I got there by early afternoon of day two, got the chores done, had a dinner of takeout food, got a good nights rest while the thunderstorms rolled through, and hit the road back north early the next morning. By the way....for those traveling to STAR in Arkansas next year...I've already mapped out a nice 500 mile back roads route from Franklin. Just in case you want to stop somewhere along the way...hint, hint.
I wont bore you any further, just will post a few pictures taken that day at stops along the way. I used route 31E primarily from Tennessee into north central Kentucky...otherwise known as the Lincoln Heritage Highway. Yep, old Honest Abe is a native Kentuckian...NOT and Illinois flatlander! Along the way of the highway, I passed his birthplace and his childhood home. A short detour would have also taken me by his family homestead, but since I wanted to get back home, and had been there before, I passed it up. I also stopped a couple of other places and took pics....
photos 1 and 2.....the birthplace, a National park
photo 3......I don't think they sold gas back in his day
photo 4.....the childhood home
photo 5/6....for you train buffs...in New Haven. I got off 31E here and headed east on route 52. a wonderful road!
photos 7/8.....home final mileage and the map is DONE!
Final thought....you never know what you might find around that corner or over that hill......get out there and explore! Isn't that what SPORT-TORING is all about?
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