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Five Lexington, KY Area Things to Take In

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, 3501 Lexington Rd, Harrodsburg

Just south of Lexington, Shaker Village is one of those places just about anyone and any age can enjoy.  You can eat local fare in the Trustee’s Dining Room, spend the night in a period themed room in one of the restored Shaker buildings or take a tour of the grounds and learn from presenters in Shaker attire how life was back in the day.

Woodford Reserve Distillery, 7855 McCracken Pike, Lexington

Go a few miles west of Lexington through some beautiful Kentucky horse farm country to Woodford Reserve nestled in a quiet stream fed hollow.  The tall copper pot stills and handsome stone aging warehouses make this one of the most picturesque distilleries in the world.  You can take a tour and grab a bite to eat from their award winning kitchen.

The Kentucky Horse Park, 4089 Iron Works Pkwy, Lexington

If you have even a passing interest in any type of horse you should take some time to explore the Kentucky Horse Park grounds and the Museum of the Horse.  You can learn about the history of the horse, visit some retired thoroughbred racing champions and have a close up look at breeds from around the world.

Keeneland, 4201 Versailles Rd, Lexington

They only have live horse racing in April and October but, they’re open year round for simulcast racing and you can have breakfast at the no frills Track Kitchen where you can sample cafeteria style southern fare and rub shoulders with the horsey set and maybe catch some early morning thoroughbred workouts on the track.  The beautiful grounds are open to the public and provide a great place for a human workout too.

Joseph Beth Books, 161 Lexington Green Circle, Lexington

If you like books and independent book stores, you’ll enjoy a visit to Joseph Beth Books, one of the region’s largest and most popular.  They also have Bronte’s Bistro, an onsite café where you can get a bite to eat or enjoy a book with a coffee, wine or bourbon.

Back Roads and Byways

The horse farms and natural scenery that surrounds Lexington make for some memorable drives.  Take Old Frankfort Pike west and stop at Wallace Station, a small restaurant with a country store atmosphere and great sandwiches made with homemade breads.  Or, you can drive on to tiny Midway and check out the many shops and restaurants there.

On your way back to town, take Old Frankfort Pike east then turn right on Pisgah Pike, left onto Paynes Mill Road then left on Redd Road that loops back to Old Frankfort Pike.

Golf 2014

January can be hard for golfers who happen to live in the upper regions of the northern hemisphere.  Cold and windy weather means the golf clubs will spend some time in the closet while temporarily sidelined golfers content themselves with watching highly skilled golfers play tournaments on television.  With more young players rising to challenge the established professionals, 2014 will no doubt be a memorable year in golf.

The PGA Tour

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Kapalua comes around the first week of January in 2014.  The tournament is played on the wide open Plantation Course designed by Ben Crenshaw.  The vivid green fairways contrast with the surrounding deep blue of the Pacific make for some serious eye candy, especially for golf fans with a blanket of white snow just outside their front doors.  Even though the 2014 PGA Tour season started in late 2013, the Hawaiian tournament gets the juices flowing for another year of competition.  The 2014 field looks to be a good one with Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose scheduled to compete.

The Majors

2014 promises to be another stellar year as far as The Masters, U.S. and British Opens and PGA are concerned.  The Masters in April is confirmation to the golf fan that spring really will show up once again and that Augusta National might be the prettiest tough golf course in the world.

The U.S. Open will be played on the iconic Pinehurst Number 2 course designed by Donald Ross.  Number 2 might be thought of as handsome rather than pretty with domed greens that would drive a 10 handicapper crazy.

The 2014 British will be contested at Liverpool’s Hoylake course, the scene of Tiger Wood’s last British Open win.  The course is one of the weirdest but interesting layouts with some out-of-bounds areas surrounded by the course.

Valhalla in Louisville, KY will host the 2014 PGA, the site of another dramatic major win by Tiger Woods.  The course was roundly criticized during the 2000 PGA but some tweaks to the layout should make it more amenable to the contestants.

The FedEx Cup will once again make the late summer and early fall interesting as players from around the world vie for the huge 10 million dollar jackpot that goes to the series points leader.

The LPGA

The LPGA is beginning to gain some momentum under the leadership of Commissioner Michael Whan.  New tournaments have been added and purses continue to rise as new business partners increase sponsorships while young stars from around the world are beginning to emerge.  Lydia Ko, the sixteen year old sensation from New Zealand, is a pro now and is set to battle it out against an almost bottomless pool of  talented golfers that includes; Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Paula Creamer, Staci Lewis, Suzanne Petterson and Michelle Wie. 

The Old Guys

For fans of a certain age, the over 50 guys on The Champions Tour continue to amaze with their skill and guile.  Fred Couples is always a fan favorite and rookies like Vijay Singh will keep everyone on their toes.

NewsWorth: A News Roundup

Let’s look at what’s been going on in the world……..

Bridge Gate

Chris Christie told us he had no knowledge of or involvement in lane closures on the George Washington Bridge as retribution against the Fort Lee, New Jersey Mayor Mark Sokolich.  Rush Limbaugh said it was a tacit agreement between Christie and his underlings that led to the retribution by his fired Deputy Chief of Staff.  One thing is abundantly clear; Limbaugh really doesn’t like Chris Christie and plans to do all he can to block his probable run for the Whitehouse. 

The Dennis Rodman Fiasco

I really thought Dennis Rodman has pegged the weirdness meter some twenty years ago but, as we now know, there’s no stopping the attention starved permanent adolescent who claims affection for the murderous thug who continues to lead North Korea even farther into the dark ages.  Apparently, Rodman hasn’t considered the consequences he could face when Kim Jong-un decides the individual expressions and flamboyant behavior of the ex NBA player aren’t consistent with the regimented North Korean values of government mandated sameness.

The Hall of Fame

The drumbeat for change in the process of selecting new members to the Baseball Hall of Fame got a little louder this time around when sportswriter Dan LeBatard gave his ballot over to the internet sports outlet Deadspin so they could fill it out the way they wanted.  I think this lack of respect for a tradition that’s important to many in the baseball world shows that changes do need to be made.  My solution would be; let the current members of the Hall of Fame choose who they want in their exclusive club and not the sportswriters who currently vote in new members.

Politics as Unusual

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did some lengthy berating of his fellow Senators under the full scrutiny of C-span cameras on the Senate floor last week.  I’m sure Mitch was hoping his constituents in Kentucky were watching as he detailed what a lousy job he and his compatriots had been doing over the past decade or so.  I suppose he thinks confession is good for the soul and for his possible reelection in May but part of me hopes the folks we send to Washington start to realize they work for us and not the other way around.

Alaska Marijuana

If enough ballot signatures are confirmed it looks like Alaska will vote on whether or not to be the third state to legalize marijuana sales.  Whatever side you come down on, it’s going to be interesting to see where we are ten years down the road and if pot is going to be the only formerly illicit drug transferred to legal status.  It seems changes like these are coming a whole lot faster than they used to.

Friday Night Tykes: Messed Up Coaches and Parents and the Texas Youth Football Association

I heard about some unsettling things about Friday Night Tykes, the documentary about the Texas Football Association, so when I came across it last night, I tried to watch.  I say tried because I only made it through the first ten or fifteen minutes of nothing less than child abuse focused on an eight and nine year old kids who were forced into playing football.

The first thing that caught my attention was a coach who stated that if adults let kids quit on the football field that just shows them it's fine to quit school or anything in life.  That's so far removed from the realm of reality it's hard for me to imagine an adult could come to such an idiotic conclusion.

The second thing that gave me pause was the mother of an eight year old who was forced to keep practicing in the ninety plus degree heat after he threw up.  The mother had the nerve to get in the child's face to let him know how disappointed she was in him and he needed to show how strong he was.  That's when I stopped watching.

Anyone with any sense knows it's the parents and coaches who ruin sports for children.  These supposed grown ups obviously have something deeply lacking in their own lives to push their children so hard and then try to live vicariously through their kids if those kids meet the idiotic standard of beating other kids in a football game, no matter the physical or mental toll.

If these parents and coaches want to influence children, let them show them by going through what they're putting them through.  I'd have a hard time believing any of them would or could do it.  This isn't just about Texas either, their are hundreds of examples around the world of less than intelligent people in positions of responsibility relating to the development of youth through sports.

Lunch at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill's Winter Kitchen

My wife and I made our way over to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, near Harrodsburg, KY, for lunch at their Winter Kitchen that's open only in January and early February.  We're always looking for a break from the cold weather drudgery that afflicts our Commonwealth this time of year and it's hard to beat the rustic almost cloistered atmosphere of a quiet Shaker Village in the winter.

I have to admit, I was looking forward to that unique atmosphere more than the food as the quality the last couple of years hasn't been anything to write home about or, in my case, to blog about.  I'm not saying the food's been awful in the past but it just didn't have many outstanding features.  I also have to admit, I was surprised in a positive way yesterday.

We were grateful to be seated close to the roaring fireplace.

We both ordered the chili pot pie, a new menu item, because it sounded like just the thing on a sunny but cool winter's day.  We were impressed by the house salad that came with the meal.  It was a simple combination of very fresh lettuce, cucumber, finely chopped tomato and black olives.  All the ingredients were fresh and very flavorful.

Then came the main event, a nice crock of baked chili topped off with a green chili and cheddar cornbread crust.  The spicy chili and cornbread combo should be pictured next to comfort food in the dictionary; just a perfect cold weather meal.  We did make the mistake of ordering hot tea and no water because a cold beverage would have been a nice complement to the hot an spicy chili.  It was hot and spicy in a good way not over the top at all but, hot tea just didn't really enhance the chili experience though it was very good with the salad.

Service and atmosphere were outstanding and lunch for two, with tax and tip, came to $26.50.  We didn't have dessert because, we stopped at Stanford on our way home and had a piece of coconut cream pie at Coleman's Pharmacy on Main Street.  Here again the food and atmosphere were both exceptional.  Coleman's is one of the vanishing breed of old fashioned pharmacies with a soda fountain bar in its restaurant area and it has an elegant tin ceiling that's obviously been well taken care of for many years.  We were fortunate to meet a nice lady that was part of the family who owns and operates the pharmacy and she gave us a condensed history of the town and her family's involvement in the community.  It's nice to see some special places have survived the big box invasion.