Final Stretch

 

After a peaceful night we are back on I-64 headed home.  It didn't take long to hit a 5 mile stretch of road that challenged the braking system on the bus. 7% downhill grade...

BACK IN VIRGINIA!

HEADING HOME

 We are on our way back to Virginia. So far traffic is light on I-64.

Once more through Charleston....

We stopped for fuel and a place to rest for the night near Beckley West Virginia. There is a large parking lot that has RV parking next to the Travel Plaza where we filled the tank. Up the hill is a large building that is home to crafts for sale from local artist. The items are pricey, but no cost to look. 

LAST DAY IN BARDSTOWN.

 Our final full day in Bardstown started with a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel, still in the old style. From there we made a quick stop at Walmart for fuel and a new retractable leash for Gus. He got too close to that fire with his leash and burned it to breaking in the middle...not salvagable.  Then it was off to a winery nearby called McIntyre & Family Winery, in business since 2011. Most of the wines they carry are semi-sweet and sweet fruit wines. The tasting cost $8 for 6 samples of our choosing from their selection. I liked the semi-sweet blueberry the best and bought a bottle to take home. 

We had one more stop before heading back into town, at Heaven Hill's Distillery for more Bourbon balls...their price is the best of any we have seen. 

Finally, we drove into town and spent part of the afternoon wandering through shops along the main street. Then it was time to head back to camp for some quiet time and dinner. Everyone is feeling tired. I'm not sure if that is because we had a busy week or if it's not looking forward to the drive home beginning tomorrow. 

Time for Churchill Downs.

 Churchill Downs is about an 45 minute drive from our campground. Jerry purchased tickets for all 4 of us for the general tour, plus the museum. Parking was free. We were lucky to get on a tour because today is the start of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville.  It is also the start of the Fall Horse Racing at Churchill Downs. That happens this evening and we have dogs to deal with back at camp.

I found my hat!

Wineries and Jim Beam

 After a lazy morning, we loaded in the truck and headed northwest to Wight-Meyers Vineyard and Winery, Shepherdsville, KY. It is a very small vineyard owned and run by a husband & wife team. A tasting of 6 wines cost $7, all in 2 oz. pours. The owner was very gracious and the wines ranged from traditional grape wines to sweet fruit wines...quite a variety. 

From there we drove to a second winery, a little larger,  but one that did not use their own grapes. This is Forest Edge Winery, located less than 5 miles from Wight-Meyers. They import the grapes from other locations to make their wines. The cost of tasting 6 wines here is $5. We all found some we liked and bought a few bottles.

From there we went to the Jim Beam Distillery, very close by to see the new facilities. We didn't do any tour, but didn't need to. We just walked around outside and visited the small gift shop. 

Time to head back to camp for the evening. It was my turn to fix dinner. Jim cooked chicken legs & thighs on the grill while I fixed a potato dish and a vegetable. After dinner we enjoyed root beer floats with Bourbon Crean added...just like a bushwacker, only different.  They were delicious. A nice campfire topped off the evening.